Killing all the goblins had given him a total of 3099 experience, bringing him quite close to leveling up. He eyed Slib, who remained slumped against the wall, his eyes half-lidded, mind still lost to the flowers’ spores. The goblin's mouth hung open, the rag Kaden had tied around it now discarded on the ground, likely torn away in his stupor.

Kaden considered his options. Slib was useless for the moment, more a liability than an ally. For now, Kaden decided to leave him there. He had more important matters to attend to, like the battlefield sprawled before him, littered with the dead.

He began picking through the corpses, searching for anything of value. Most of the goblins had been wearing little more than tattered scraps of leather for armor, but a few had something slightly more substantial. Three of them even had helmets, though all of them were crude and poorly made.

Kaden chose the smaller one and placed it on his head; it felt heavy and was a little too big due to his bony form. Still, it was better than nothing. After stuffing some leather inside as padding, he adjusted it until it felt secure enough—at least it wouldn’t slide off at the worst moment.

Next, he scavenged what leather he could, adding it together to make a makeshift vest that, while shoddy, would offer some protection. The fabric strained over his skeletal frame, and he chuckled to himself at the thought of the grim reaper dressing for battle. He left the goblins' meager loincloths untouched—whatever force of nature had guided their poor choice in underwear, he wanted no part of it.

Not that he could talk; he wasn’t even wearing any.

Luck was with him, though—a goblin wielding a decent sword lay among the dead. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but the blade was straight and sharp, a clear upgrade from the rusty, jagged weapon he had been relying on lately. Even better, it came with a sheath. He buckled it around his hips, feeling more prepared for whatever lay ahead.

He picked up a couple other weapons as direct upgrades to his current ones. A solid axe to replace the battered one, and a small well crafted knife in place of the short sword. As for the rock he had been lugging around since finding it on a dead goblin… well, he quickly discarded it. Honestly, he was confused why he even bothered with it in the first place.

With nothing else worth taking, Kaden took a moment to steel himself. He had one more task left—one that he knew was necessary but not always easy. But his conviction hadn’t waned, and he soon began devouring the corpses, consuming them with methodical efficiency. The act was as grotesque as it was practical; he was hoping the quantity of bodies would trigger another advancement.

But when the last goblin was reduced to a crimson stain, no such change occurred. He wiped the blood from his jaw with the back of his hand, a grim feeling settling in his mind. A pity. It still wasn’t enough, it seemed.

Finished with the grisly task, Kaden turned his attention back to Slib. The goblin hadn’t moved at all. He stepped over to him, nudging the small goblin with his foot.

“Get up, Slib,” he commanded, his voice low but insistent.

Slib blinked sluggishly, his eyes trying to focus, his lips moving as if to form words. Whatever he was trying to say was lost in a mumble, the spores still clouding his mind. Kaden had no patience for it. He grabbed Slib by the arm and hauled him upright.

“We need to move,” Kaden muttered, glancing over his shoulder toward the tunnel. “They'll send more soon enough.”

“W-what?” Slib stuttered, swaying on his feet. He leaned heavily against Kaden, his eyes still wide and glassy. As he looked around the cave, his gaze settled on the blood-splattered walls and the absence of his comrades. Confusion twisted his face into a mask of bewilderment, especially when he noticed the new additions to Kaden's attire.

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"Goblins," Kaden said, gesturing to the scattered blood stains. "They’re dead."

Slib's brow furrowed. "How?"

"I killed them," Kaden replied, his voice flat. "Now come on."

Slib looked around, still dazed but slowly coming to grips with the situation. The immediate danger had passed, but they were far from safe. Kaden knew they couldn't linger here; the goblins in the camp would soon realize something was wrong.

With a final glance at the macabre scene around them, Kaden turned and began to lead Slib deeper into the cave, away from the lingering spores. He could feel the air growing colder, the shadows around them thickening. This was a descent into the unknown, and he knew that whatever lay ahead might be far worse than what they had already faced.

But something about this strange jungle of plants—this hidden realm within the cave—called to him. He felt a pull, a curiosity gnawing at him, and he was determined to find out what secrets it held.

They moved cautiously, the cave walls narrowing around them. The air grew ever damper, the smell of earth and plants stronger. Kaden kept a tight grip on Slib’s shoulder, ensuring the goblin didn’t bump into any more strange plants. Slib was still shaky, but Kaden could tell he was slowly regaining his senses.

As they went deeper, the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi began to light their way, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

“What do you know about this place?” Kaden asked.

Slib shook his head slowly, still blinking against the haze that clouded his mind. "Not… not, much. This deep… no goblin go." His voice was a whisper, as if the words themselves might shatter the fragile grasp he had on reality. “Bad things… down here.”

“Bad things, huh?” Kaden looked ahead, where the darkness seemed to deepen, the soft blue and green glows from the fungi barely cutting through the gloom. “Well, that sounds interesting.”

Ahead, the path was blocked by a massive tangle of branches that seemed to have been growing for years. They weaved together in a tight, impenetrable mass.

Unwilling to backtrack, Kaden drew his sword and began hacking at the branches, each strike echoing through the cave. The branches fell reluctantly, snapping back as if they were alive, but he cut through them with grim determination until he had made a hole big enough to crawl through.

The hole led them into an overgrown tunnel, dense with foliage. How all this greenery could thrive below ground, Kaden had no idea, but the sight of it only intensified the sense of mystery.

The tunnel widened suddenly, opening up into a vast chamber. Kaden stopped, holding up a hand for Slib to do the same. They stood at the threshold of a massive cavern, its ceiling lost in darkness. The floor was carpeted in thick, undulating moss, and enormous flowers—much like the ones that had spored Slib—were scattered throughout. Tall, thick trees stretched upward, their canopies brushing against the distant ceiling.

At the center of the chamber, a pool of water shimmered with a faint green light, casting ripples of illumination across the ground.

Kaden's eye sockets narrowed. Something was wrong. This place felt... alive. More than alive. He sensed a presence here, something lurking just beyond the edge of his awareness.

He took a cautious step forward, his bony feet sinking into the moss with a soft squelch. A rustling sound came from his right, a whisper of movement that sent a jolt through him. He barely had time to react, pulling Slib back just as a thick branch from one of the trees came crashing down where they had been standing a mere moment before.

Kaden drew his sword in a flash, the blade glinting in the eerie light. Slib let out a low whimper, clutching at Kaden's arm, his small body trembling with fear.

The trees seemed to shiver in unison, as if in response to Kaden's movement. Their thick trunks twisted subtly, the creaking of wood filling the cavern like a chorus of strained voices. For a moment, Kaden thought it was just his imagination, but then he saw it: the bark shifting, rippling as though something beneath the surface was awakening.

Green lights flickered from the shadows, and Kaden realized they were eyes—glowing, lidless eyes embedded in the tree trunks. One by one, they blinked open, casting an eerie emerald hue across the chamber.

"Slib, stay close," Kaden hissed, his voice a harsh whisper. He shifted his weight, ready to move at a moment's notice.

The goblin nodded frantically, his fear evident in the tremor of his limbs. He pressed closer to Kaden, his small hands clinging to the edges of Kaden's makeshift leather vest. Kaden could feel Slib’s breath quickening, and he knew the goblin was fighting the urge to bolt back into the tunnels.

A low, resonant hum began to vibrate through the air. It was almost too low to hear but deep enough to feel in his very bones. Kaden sensed the trees themselves humming, their trunks vibrating slightly, their branches stretching and curling like waking serpents. The eyes remained open, unblinking, and Kaden felt the weight of their gaze bearing down on him like a physical force.