I couldn’t remember ever eating so much except at a buffet restaurant. As soon as I had left the shower, I downed two family-size bags of Doritos, eight untoasted cinnamon pop tarts, and a full two-liter Coke. I had been absolutely ravenous ever since I woke up, and only now did I feel satisfied. I sat on my couch, surrounded by wrappers, debating what to do next.

In all honesty, I only had one choice, and that was to leave my apartment again. It was the “when” that I was trying to decide on. My pop tart and soda reserves would be depleted eventually, and I doubted those little monsters would leave behind food in the rooms they searched. That meant I was competing for resources with the goblins. While my first encounter was traumatizing, and I was scared, I would have to do it again no matter what I did. Even if I hid there until I starved to death, one of the beasts was going to break into my room, hunting for food. If I got caught sleeping, it would probably just slit my throat, and that would be it for me.

I needed to stake my territory, and the sooner I did it, the more resources there would be. Water and power were negligible issues. There was a massive push after the earthquake of 2022 to ensure as many buildings as possible were energy and water independent. The water lines had ruptured, the power lines snapped, and thousands had died before F.E.M.A. could coordinate relief efforts. Ever since then, San Francisco and California as a whole were obsessed with utility independence. The roof and the entire south and west-facing sides of the tower were covered with solar cell glass panes. It wasn’t enough to power all of the apartments of the 58 story skyscraper at peak usage, but hopefully, most people turned the air conditioning off when they left. Otherwise, I would be trapped in the dark until I could turn off power in enough apartments. As for water, we had a very efficient water reclamation system supplemented with what little rainwater we received. As long as none of the little bastards broke a pipe or clogged a toilet… ‘Shit.’ Well, I guess it’s only a matter of time until the water system breaks down.

That settled things. I needed to stake my territory and start stockpiling all the food and liquids I could find. I needed to start today. I wanted to put off having to leave the building and being in the snacking range of that dragon as long as possible. If I were ever going to leave and survive the trip, I would need to get much stronger.

* Loose skater shoes wholly unsuited to running? Check

* Non-bloodsoaked and stabbed jeans? Check

* T-shirt that provides absolutely no protection at all? Check

* Sturdy kitchen knife made of non-Chinese steel that I can personally verify is sharp enough to cut through the flesh of a human leg with ease? Check

I didn’t have any other weapons besides the eight-inch kitchen knife I had been stabbed with. My idea of home cooking was mac n’ cheese or instant ramen. I had even thrown away the hilt of the cheap piece of shit katana after I had stabbed the goblin and been stabbed in turn. I felt naked and defenseless, but I knew the longer I waited, the worse my chances of survival would get.

It was night, and the hallway lights had dimmed about halfway to reflect that. I crept as silently as I could, straining my ears to listen for any signs of the little beasts. More doors had been dug through, and this included the last few near the corner. They had finally started looting in my side of the hallway. They would reach my apartment door within a week.

My heart trembled as I neared the closest door that had been breached. I had to pause and calm myself to stop my hands from shaking. Last time, I had a sword. Now I was armed with only a knife and the full knowledge of exactly how wrong this could go. I crept up and listened, but I heard nothing from inside. I only heard the soft rumbling of snores from around the hallway corner.

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I slowly edged myself up to the corner and peeked around it. Two goblins lay propped against either side of a door as if they were guards asleep on the job. The closest one clutched the same wrench I had broken my sword on in its lap or at the very least one that looked just like it. I couldn’t see the right hand of the far one, as it was close by its side.

Two. There just had to be two. The thought of them breeding and multiplying crossed my mind. Some goblins in fantasy worlds could reach maturity in a matter of days if well fed. I would try and take them by surprise. If they woke up, I would run. I had left my room unlocked, but alarmed. If anything went in there, I would know within 30 seconds if the code was not entered, and I wouldn’t be left fumbling with keys.

I breathed as softly as possible as I crept up on the closest snoring goblin. After each step, I paused to ensure the beasts were still fast asleep, and I froze whenever one shifted or spluttered in their sleep. I was just a foot away from the monster when-

Skill Unlocked: Sneak (Agility Skill) The art of moving without making a sound. Improves chances of not being heard while sneaking by %1 per level. Current Level: (1)

My heart nearly stopped as the loud chime rang out, and the bright blue window appeared. I immediately swiped it to dismiss it and began to back away as my heart pounded harder and louder than it ever had before, but neither goblin woke or reacted in any way to the noise or the bright light. I waited for my heart to settle in my chest before creeping closer to my target. Its jaw hung loose, and its tongue lolled lazily while drool dripped onto its bare chest. Like my first victim, both of these goblins wore only a loincloth. The nose of the one closest to me was bent sharply as if it had been broken.

I looked upon this creature and felt a pang of remorse in my chest, but I was not about to sit and wait in my room for the end to come. I hovered the knife over its throat and then slashed to the right with all my strength. The creature made a choking gasp, which was just enough to wake its partner. The second monster’s eyes went wide, and it made to yell before I slammed the knife into its throat, completely obstructing its windpipe. The creature weakly grabbed at my arm with its clawed fingers before it went limp.

Skill Improved: Sneak Attack Sneak Attack has reached level 2

Skill Improved: Critical Strike Critical Strike has reached level 2

The pop-up appearing relieved me. It meant I was on the right track. This was the way forward. This was what I had to do to get stronger, though my thoughts couldn’t help but linger on the eyes of the third goblin I had killed. Then I heard the rumbling of snoring from inside the room. These two hadn’t just looked like guards. They were guards, although apparently, they were extremely poor ones. From the sound of it, there were quite a few of the beasts inside the room. I quietly gave the mostly naked guards a once-over.

The only notable loot, if it could even be called that, was the heavy pipe wrench. A sturdy club would make a good backup in case this knife broke. The other only had what looked like a broken chair leg for a club, and that didn’t interest me in the slightest. I took my prize and retreated to my room. That couldn’t have gone any better.