The Goblinwood Grove was one of the classic starting points on the first floor, a place every adventurer crossed paths with sooner or later.

I’d been here more times than I could count. It looked harmless enough—a dense, sunny forest teeming with goblins.

To most, goblins were barely a threat. Small, sneaky little green creatures hiding in the bushes, easy pickings for beginners. At least, that’s what everyone thought.

But there was more to the Grove than met the eye—something even experienced adventurers quickly learned to avoid.

These goblins weren’t mindless. They had something no other starter monsters had: a society.

It had taken a few runs through this place to realize just how dangerous that made them.

Goblins didn’t just survive; they evolved. They had ranks, roles, and strategies, and once they reached a certain number, things could get ugly fast.

“Alright, come on out, guys,” I called.

At my command, four slimes hopped out of the bag, gathering in a loose circle around me.

Lila slipped out too, stretching her arms as if she’d been stuffed in there for hours, taking a big breath of fresh forest air.

“Ha~! Wow, it’s so sunny and… peaceful! Are you sure this is the dungeon?” she asked, wide-eyed as she took in the Grove around us.

“It is. We’re on the first floor, the Goblinwood Grove,” I said, keeping my voice low and steady. “But don’t let the view fool you. We need to stay on our toes. First, we have to check the goblin’s community rank. If it’s high, we might need to skip this floor entirely and get to the second floor.”

“Community rank? What’s that?” Lila looked confused.

“Look, I’ll explain later, but for now, can you use your pathfinding ability? If it picks up anything, we’ll need to move fast.”

She nodded, beginning to focus.

When goblin numbers reached a critical mass, they didn’t just lurk around in small groups. They formed camps—tight clusters of six or ten, with guards and watch posts. It was manageable if you were careful, but those camps could morph into something worse.

I’d seen villages form before—small goblin towns of thirty or so goblins, with traps scattered in every direction, well-protected paths, and organized patrols.

“Pathfinder’s ready. What are we looking for?”

“Try for... the goblin empire.” I said, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

In some of the worst cases, goblins could go beyond camps and villages, growing into a full-fledged empire.

The first time I’d seen one, let just say that i wasn't able to progress my character past it.

An empire wasn’t just a pack of goblins. It was a kingdom in the heart of the first floor. Fortified walls, watchtowers, streets filled with goblins on high alert. It was a war machine, complete with armies, led by a Goblin King whose iron grip kept everything in check.

Each layer of their society brought a new kind of leader.

Camps were run by Hobgoblins, brute warriors built like boulders with enough force to break bones.

Villages were controlled by Shaman Goblins, twisted magic users who could manipulate their kin as they pleased.

And in the rare nightmare cases of an empire, the Goblin King ruled, wielding power that would test even the highest's leveled dungeon crawlers.

I took a deep breath, scanning the forest around us with heightened focus.

The Goblinwood Grove wasn’t just a starting point. It was a trap waiting to spring, a place that could flip from a casual hunting ground to a fortress of horrors.

As Lila tapped into her pathfinding ability, closing her eyes to concentrate, I watched, hoping she'd come up with a good lead.

When she opened her eyes, they sparkled with excitement, a huge smile lighting up her face.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I found something! Are we heading over to clear it out?” Her voice was bright, like she’d just found buried treasure.

"WHAT!" her words hit like a punch to the gut.

An empire! The worst possible outcome, and she was talking about it like it was just another clump of goblins hanging around.

A cold sweat started to form as my hands went clammy.

She had no clue what she was suggesting, no idea what walking into an empire actually meant.

“Are you insane!?” I blurted, grabbing her. “We’re not going anywhere near that place. We need to find the exit to the second floor, right now. And I mean, now! We can’t risk being seen, not by a scout, not by anything.”

Her face twisted with confusion as she blinked up at me. “But… it’s just goblins, right? Isn’t that what we’re here for? I thought this was the plan.”

I glanced away, old memories flaring up. The last time I’d stumbled into an empire… .

Back when I was relatively new to the game, I’d underestimated them. And I paid the price.

A group of goblin scouts spotted my character, and before I knew it, he was hauled off, dragged through the forest by a pack that was way too organized to be a random bunch of monsters.

They didn’t kill my character on the spot. No, they had something worse in mind.

They’d taken him to the heart of their kingdom. Stone walls, watchtowers, a whole city. They threw him in a damp, bloodstained cell. I should’ve logged off, but I didn’t.

Morbid curiosity, I guess—I wanted to see what would happen next.

The curiosity didn’t last long. They weren’t like other dungeon creatures. They had plans, and their idea of “fun” was nothing I’d want to live through in person.

They looked at my character with this twisted glee, laughing and taunting, treating him like some kind of toy.

I panicked, Alt-F4’d out of there faster than I’d ever closed a game. I didn’t log back in for days after that, haunted by what I’d seen.

I snapped back to the present, locking eyes with Lila. “Lila, if a scout catches us, we’re not looking at a quick fight to the death. They’ll drag us back to their empire. And trust me, they don’t just kill you. They play with you, torment you, break you. They treat captives like… entertainment. You don’t want to know what goblins do when they’re not hunting.”

Her face went pale, the excitement vanishing from her eyes as realization set in.

“You’re serious?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“Dead serious,” I said, struggling to keep my own voice steady. “We need to find the portal to the second floor—now—before they even know we’re here.”

Her nod was quick, almost robotic, and without another word, we broke into a sprint.

Branches and leaves whipped past us as we darted through the trees, trying to stay low and out of sight.

Every crunch of twigs, every rustle in the bushes made my heart skip a beat, nerves on high alert for any sign of movement.

There was no way I’d go through that. Not a chance.

Lila led us through the winding forest paths, her eyes darting around with a tense, focused stare.

She’d point out a direction, we’d sprint, only for her to pivot suddenly and redirect us.

“Left! Hurry!” she whispered, urgency edging her voice as we slipped down a narrow trail, ducking under branches and hopping over twisted roots.

Then, almost immediately, she halted. “No, wait—backtrack,” she murmured, her voice laced with fear and frustration as we doubled back, only for her ability to spot something again, pushing us down a different route.

“Turn right! No… not that way anymore,” she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration and an edge of panic.

We zigzagged, turned back, and switched paths over and over, each turn leading to a dead end or the ominous presence of goblins nearby.

The tension built with each step. And then, she froze, her eyes wide and terrified.

“Hide!” she whispered sharply, pointing me towards a thick, overgrown bush.

As Lila whispered, “Every path’s blocked off… there’s no safe way out,” a sudden rustling filled the air, followed by the distinct sound of footsteps—many footsteps—growing louder with each passing second.

My heart pounded as I peered through a small gap in the dense bush.

A procession of goblins crept through the forest, barely visible through the leaves, their hunched, wiry figures slinking between trees. Their skin was mottled shades of green, blending seamlessly with the forest, and each one gripped a crude weapon—rusted knives, broken spears, even rocks sharpened to deadly points.

They to each other, their voices a guttural murmur I couldn’t make out. Their beady eyes darted around, searching every shadow as they moved, completely unaware that we were inches away, hidden in the foliage.

I held my breath, careful not to make a sound, as goblin after goblin passed us by, their murmuring fading into a chilling silence.

Then, just as the last of them was about to slip past, the ground shook slightly—a single, weighty step hit the earth, sending vibrations through the dirt beneath me. My stomach dropped as a massive figure loomed into view.

A Hobgoblin.

It towered over the goblins, its broad shoulders and muscled frame casting a shadow that swallowed them whole. This creature was different from its smaller kin. Eyes glinted with a dangerous hunger as it surveyed its surroundings, its pointed nose sniffing the air.

The Hobgoblin scanned the area, its gaze lingering on our hiding spot. Lila and I remained absolutely still, barely daring to breathe. One wrong move, one accidental sound, and it would spot us.

The Hobgoblin grunted, motioning to the others, and after a tense few seconds, they continued down the path, disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

I waited a few extra beats before exhaling, glancing at Lila. “Are we trapped?”

She nodded, her face pale. “Yes. They’ve got all the main paths covered. There's more of them.”

I swallowed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “Then we need to fight our way to the portal to the second floor,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “If we wait any longer, they’ll have the way out completely surrounded… and we’ll be stuck here.”

Lila met my gaze and nodded with understanding.

It was time to fight our way out.

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