Callum made his descent down the entrance ramp, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings and staying close to the shadows. His movements were stealthy as he quickly made his way to a nearby nook in the wall, where he could survey the cavern.

He strained his ears and eyes, taking in the scene before him. The cavern was roughly circular in shape, with his back facing the bottom of the circle. On the far side of the room, to his left, was the dark tunnel he intended to explore. To his right, and straight ahead, was the well-lit tunnel that seemed to be teeming with goblin activity. Callum had spotted several goblins rolling barrels of oil into a messy stack between the two tunnels.

However, Callum's biggest concern was the canine creature he had seen earlier. If it had been trained to hunt for the goblins, it might be able to sniff him out. Though Callum didn't think he had a distinct scent, compared to the rancid stench of the goblins, he might stand out as an anomaly.

As he wrinkled his nose in annoyance, the pungent odor only seemed to intensify, lingering on his mind like a stubborn tune. Shaking his head, Callum thought back to his aerial view, picturing the position of the canine and goblin pair.

They should be to my left, between two crudely assembled huts.

Knowing full well that traversing that section of the room would be perilous, Callum planned to stick close to the wall on his left and inch toward the murky tunnel. He wanted to investigate the tunnel and see what kept the goblins at bay. If it was a fierce beast, one that posed a threat to both goblins and humans alike, he could perhaps draw it into the cavern, unleashing chaos upon the horde.

Taking a few more moments to ensure that the area was as calm as possible, Callum resumed his creeping journey along the jagged wall. He kept to the shadows, relying on his Racial Trait, [Trait: Stealth and Shadows], to remain concealed.

As he slipped past the goblin and its lupine companion, his heart stuttered in his chest. For a brief moment, the silhouette of the canine froze, raising its head as if sniffing the air before settling back down and closing its eyes. Callum cursed inwardly, acutely aware of how exposed and vulnerable he was. If he were caught, there would be no hope for him to escape with his life.

Callum's movements were swift and calculated as he made his way toward the ominous darkness of the tunnel. His senses were alert, and his mind was sharp as he navigated through the treacherous terrain. But as he ventured deeper into the tunnel, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise. Something was not right. The air was thick with a strange, noxious odor that he recognized as natural gas.

He had barely taken a dozen steps when he saw the scorch marks on the walls, a warning of the explosive danger that lurked ahead. The goblins had clearly learned the hard way that open flames and natural gas did not mix. But despite this knowledge, they were still working in the adjacent cavern, seemingly unconcerned with the volatile situation.

Callum was stunned by their stupidity. He couldn't believe that they would continue to work so close to such a volatile and dangerous environment. But then again, he reminded himself that goblins were not known for their intelligence or wisdom.

As he backed away slowly, his mind raced with the possibilities. Perhaps this was the break he needed to turn the tide in his favor. He considered his options carefully, weighing the risks against the potential rewards. Callum took a moment to ponder his next move, letting the gears of his mind turn as he crafted a plan. With a determined nod, he made his way toward the cave's north side, keeping to the shadows cast by the barrels as he approached.

As he neared the oak barrel closest to him, Callum reached out and ran his hand over its rough surface. He suspected that it contained some form of crude oil but needed to be sure.

With practiced ease, he drew a flask from the spatial bag at his hip and held it close to the ground, pouring its contents out slowly. As he did so, he focused his [Tinkerer's Tools] ability, calling to mind the image of the laser cutter he had used before. But as the tool appeared in his hand, he hesitated.

The System is largely oriented off intent. I don't want to get any penalties for using this skill incorrectly again.

He thought over the problem for a few heartbeats before deciding that it was still his best course of action despite the risks. He did his best to focus his intent on cutting the wooden barrel as an experiment for crafting.

I needed to test the efficacy of the tool after all, right? Yea, that's what I'm doing. I'm testing to make sure that this will, indeed, cut through thick oak barrels.

Callum knew that he had to act fast if he was going to get out of this situation unscathed. He brought the small tool up to the wood and began cutting a thumb-sized hole in the barrel. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he concentrated on his task, the small hum of the laser filling his ears.

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As he finished the cut, he dismissed the tool, watching as it shattered into tiny, sparkling pieces. He winced as the light flashed, knowing that he couldn't afford to be discovered now. He paused, counting for a few long seconds to make sure that no one had been drawn to the flashing of the light. However, as he reached for his flask to collect the precious oil, the pressure within the barrel forced the circular cut-out to pop out, spilling oil everywhere.

Cursing under his breath, Callum quickly put his flask to the hole, trying to catch as much of the black substance as possible. He was angry at himself for not being prepared, for letting his guard down. He noticed the oil staining the bottom of his robe and boots and scowled, knowing that it would only make things more difficult.

With the flask filled, Callum stepped away from the barrels, his eyes scanning the darkened tunnel behind him. He knew that he had to move quickly if he wanted to avoid any unwanted attention. As Callum began his plan, he was well aware that time was his enemy. The clock ticked away, counting down the seconds until one of the goblins on patrol discovered the pooling oil around the barrels.

Pressing deeper into the tunnel, Callum inhaled deeply, taking in the pungent smell of gas, doing his best to gauge where would be the best spot to lay his trap. He crouched low to the ground and pulled out a handful of hard-earned copper coins from his pocket. Swiftly and deliberately, he laid them out in a trail from the entrance of the tunnel to the opposite wall.

With one copper coin left in his hand, he waited patiently for a goblin to approach. When one finally came within range, Callum pulled his arm back and flung the coin with all his might. His heart raced as he watched it soar through the air, guided by the blessings of Grimalkin, the Trickster God. With a resounding ping, the copper coin struck the goblin in the side of the head, and Callum breathed a sigh of relief.

Crouching in the shadows, his heart pounded in his chest, and he couldn't help but feel a moment of panic. The goblin guard looked like it would call out, alerting the others. But then, abruptly, he saw the goblin change its mind. The goblin's eyes widened as it caught sight of a shiny coin on the ground, and in a greedy frenzy, it snapped its jaws shut. Callum watched as the goblin bent down to retrieve the coin and saw the glint of several more coins further down the tunnel.

The dark elf steeled himself, knowing what he had to do next. As he prepared to strike, yet another pang of guilt shot through him. Callum didn't mind killing goblins, but intentionally maiming them was a different matter altogether.

The goblin's eyes darted back and forth between the coins and its comrades before finally making its decision. It followed the trail of copper, completely unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows.

Callum rose from his hiding spot, intentionally canceling his ambush damage modifier. He didn't want to kill the little monster with a single blow accidentally. Instead, he activated [Wrench Strike], his electrically charged wrench crackling with energy. With a swift, precise motion, he brought it down on the goblin's knee at a 45-degree angle, hoping to disable it without killing it outright.

The wrench connected with a crunch, and the goblin let out a piercing shriek. Callum wasted no time and melted back into the shadows. He reached the entrance and hugged the wall, retracing his steps. With his thumb pressed over the flask's mouth to limit the stream, he left a trail of oil behind him.

As he neared the tunnel's exit, Callum slowed, cautious of the pair he had passed earlier. The cavern's better lighting revealed the inner cavern, and he stumbled, falling to the ground. He flinched at the blur of muscle that rushed past him and into the tunnel but only barely managed to stifle his scream of fright. The canine creature had reacted with startling speed and was investigating the screams from within the tunnel.

Regaining his composure, Callum resumed his journey toward the cavern ramp, his stealthy approach unbroken. Halfway there, his flask ran dry, and he cursed himself. Callum had doused himself in half of the oil when he’d fallen. Callum berated himself for such a reckless plan but realized he was committed beyond the point of backing out at this point. He turned and snatched a torch from the nearest tent, abandoning his stealth once again.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the goblins remained distracted by their screaming companion and the darkened tunnel. He almost exploded with nervous laughter when he saw that they were confused rather than on high alert. Most of the goblins moved slowly toward the tunnel. The fact that some of them were scratching their heads and walking toward the commotion without their weapons only added to his delight. He knew that the desire to laugh despite the imminent danger was due to his nerves. He'd already almost been caught twice during this plan, and he wasn't quite sure how the next part would go.

However, his elation was short-lived as he noticed more goblins piling out of the surrounding huts. Although he had originally estimated the camp to consist of only 12 goblins, it was now apparent that there were closer to 30 or more as they continued to stream out of the makeshift structures.

Part of him wanted to wait until more of the goblins were near the blast area, but he knew that was his inner greed for experience points talking. He had to act now if he wanted to complete his plan. Without further hesitation, Callum bent down and touched the torch to the oil stream on the ground. As it caught fire, he took a small backward hop, careful not to catch his own oil-soaked clothes on fire in the process.

He waited with mounting anticipation, knowing that he had to be far enough from the explosion to avoid taking any damage. He wasn't willing to risk his heightened hearing, which would be affected by the percussion of the explosion in such a tight space. He tossed the torch to the side, not caring where it landed, and took a few hesitant steps toward the ramp behind him. Crouching low against the wall, he covered his ears and opened his mouth, bracing for the impact that was about to come.

Callum couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement, knowing that his plan was coming to fruition.

After several drumming heartbeats, Callum's heart naturally began to slow down, which he found to be a troubling occurrence.

Where was the blast?