I rested for a few hours—probably around four—before setting out again. When I woke, the moon was still high in the sky, and I noticed a few goblins lurking near the caves.

The bodies of the goblins I’d killed earlier were now being picked apart by crows. The scene was gruesome—brains hanging from beaks, eyes dangling like morbid trophies. It was disgusting, but I pushed forward. I felt rested, though four hours wasn’t going to sustain me for long. Still, there’s a reason they call it a quick rest.

Just as I took my next step, a goblin came at me from my left, swinging a medium-sized sword. I barely managed to dodge, stumbling back as I raised my own sword to defend against the next attack.

“Damn… you guys really love surprise attacks, don’t you?” I muttered, adjusting my stance. My pulse quickened from the close call, but I held my ground.

The goblin grinned at me, the same kind of twisted smile I’d seen on the ones I’d already killed. Clearly, they were confident. Too confident.

I’ve learned a few things about these low-level goblins. They act first and think later. Their weapons are pretty basic—axes, swords, and sticks with rocks tied to the ends. Most of them stand about three to four feet tall. Despite their aggression, they’ll run if they sense they’re losing or outmatched. They also have a twisted habit of tormenting their victims.

“Heeeek!” Another goblin appeared from the opposite side, screeching as it swung a sword at me.

Clang!

I managed to parry the attack using my skill, then quickly countered, taking down the goblin coming from the other side.

I slashed at the first goblin again. It barely blocked, but my next swing cut deep into its neck. Blood spilled down as it collapsed.

[Skill growth!]

Phantom Slash: Mastery 17% -> 18%

I let out a long sigh, wiping sweat from my forehead with my arm. “I guess this will never end.”

Not that I’m complaining. I don’t regret any of this—it’s all for a good cause. Besides, every fight makes me stronger. Killing monsters earns me XP, just like in those games back on Earth. And I’m getting closer to unlocking a new skill, Artisan’s Insight. Something I really look forward to.

Quest:

[10/20 Goblins Slayed]

My fear slowly faded away.

Now, instead of dread, I felt something else—excitement. Adrenaline coursed through me as I stepped into the largest cave I’d ever seen since coming to this mountain. It was massive, with no visible walls, just endless darkness stretching ahead. The only sound was the steady drip of water echoing through the space.

Swishhh!

“Eeeek!”

Three goblins appeared out of nowhere—one to my left, one to my right, and one directly in front of me.

They really loved ambushes.

I stayed still, waiting for one of them to make the first move. As soon as one swung its sword, I dropped into a low duck. Their blade missed me completely, and just as I predicted, the goblin’s strike landed on one of its own.

Huff.

The first goblin fell, eliminated by its own ally. Without missing a beat, I slid further back, putting distance between me and the remaining two. My plan was to lure one of them to attack while keeping the other in check, but I didn’t expect what happened next.

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One of the goblins charged straight at me, weapon raised, while the other turned and bolted deeper into the cave.

Swishhh!

I dodged the attack from the charging goblin and countered with a clean slash across its stomach. The goblin crumpled to the ground, its blood pooling beneath it.

The other one had escaped. Out of fear? Maybe. But something about it felt... off.

Unease crept into me as I stood there, staring into the cavern’s dark depths. Every instinct told me to stop, but I kept moving forward—slowly, cautiously.

Drip.

Drip.

The silence was driving me crazy. It reminded me of the first time I stepped into the deep forest—unnerving, oppressive. Every drip of water, every faint noise, only added to the tension. There was even a low, laughter-like sound echoing faintly. I wasn’t sure if my ears were playing tricks on me, but in this quiet, I started hearing footsteps. Light and slow.

But then I realized they weren’t just footsteps.

Six goblins came charging toward me. One of them was holding a crude wooden blowgun.

“This just keeps getting harder,” I muttered, glancing around the cave for anything I could use to my advantage.

The space wasn’t too narrow, but it wasn’t wide either. Tall rocks dotted the area—good for cover. The ground was littered with stones, most small, a few large. Those could work as distractions.

The real problem, though, was the goblin with the blowgun. I might be decent with a sword, but taking on five goblins in close combat while dodging long-range attacks from one wasn’t exactly ideal. I needed to deal with the blowgun wielder first.

Their formation wasn’t too tight. Two goblins had spread wide enough on either side, leaving me an opening to slip through and get closer to my target. But this whole situation? It was enough to drive anyone nuts.

“Eeeeeek!” one of the goblins screeched, signaling the attack. Weapons were raised, and the goblin with the blowgun aimed straight at me with a maniacal glint in its eyes.

I had to act fast. If I hesitated, I’d be dead.

I slid to the left, grabbing a large rock off the ground as I moved, pretending I was about to swing at one of them. My real focus, though, was on the goblin with the blowgun. It had already taken aim, but I darted suddenly to the right, throwing off their coordination. The five goblins looked confused, their movements clumsy as they tried to track me.

I’d made it to the other side.

Using my wit to my advantage, I threw the rock toward their flank, creating another distraction. The clattering sound pulled their attention while I slipped further near the goblin with the blowgun.

“Aghhhh!” The goblin let out a scream of pure agony as I sliced its hand clean off, forcing it to drop the blowgun. I didn’t stop there—I ended its life swiftly.

The shout was loud enough to grab the attention of the other goblins. They rushed toward their fallen comrade, eyes darting wildly.

The greatest threat was gone now.

But I was nowhere to be seen. After taking out the goblin with the blowgun, I’d quickly moved behind one of the tall rocks and taken cover. I needed to break their formation before making my next move.

Huff.

They searched frantically, confused, but two of them wandered too close to my hiding spot. Checkmate.

Swishhh!

With a single, wide slash, I cut through both of them, leaving their lifeless bodies on the ground.

Quest Update:

[14/20 Goblins Slayed]

Growth:

Current XP: 73/99 → 88 (+15)

Swordsmanship Mastery: 11% → 12%

The remaining three goblins weren’t much of a challenge. I kept them distracted, baiting them into mistakes until I’d picked them off one by one. It wasn’t perfect—I made a few errors—but I came out alive and victorious.

[17/20 Slayed]

Three more to go. This was going faster than I’d expected.

But then I realized the real threat wasn’t the goblins I’d just fought. No, it was the unsettling feeling that had been gnawing at me since I first stepped inside this cave.

A dangerous foe.

[Warning: Higher-Level Goblin Detected Inside]

Now, I had two choices: stay and fight it like a brave warrior… or make a tactical retreat before it even knew I was here.

You already know what I chose.

I run.

And not just a casual jog—no, I ran my ass off like the cave was on fire, praying that thing was still sleeping and didn’t hear me sprinting for the exit.

Huff.

There was no way I was facing that thing. My goal was simple: kill three more goblins and move on. This mountain had plenty of caves, and I wasn’t even at the summit yet.

The problem? I had no idea what this “higher-level goblin” even looked like. Was it gigantic? More monstrous than usual? Charging at it with my sword raised felt like the absolute riskiest move possible.

Without a second thought, I decided to stick to the plan: kill three more goblins and get to Janga’s temple. Focus was key and this would be easy.

Or so I thought.

The moment I started walking, the whole world decided to lose its mind.

I’m not talking about a normal earthquake. No, the entire world was shaking. The sky wobbled like Jello, the clouds swirled like they were in a blender, and even the trees at the base of the mountain were flailing around like inflatable tube men. The road under my feet was doing the Macarena, and the mountain itself was completely shaking.

I froze in place.

“I... I think I’m high,” I whispered, even though I’ve never been high in my life. But this? This had to be it. Right?

Wrong.

Because then it got worse.

The goblin noises started, except this time, it was on loop.

Eeeeek!

Eeeek!

Heeeeee!

Before I could process what was happening, my body decided, “You know what? Let’s make this weirder,” and launched me into the air.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL—”

I was flying. I was literally flying through the air like I’d been yeeted by the hand of God. The whole world kept spinning like it was on a tilt-a-whirl, and everything below me was wiggling like it was made of noodles.

Then I saw them.

A group of goblins. But these weren’t the usual little ones I’d been fighting. No, these guys were 20 feet tall. Twenty. Feet. Tall. How the hell did that happen?!

And there I was, soaring through the air, surrounded by shaking skies, wiggly mountains, and goblins who looked like they could bench press my entire existence.

But a voice cut through the haze.

“Wake up,” it said.

I couldn’t place the voice—it was familiar yet distant. My mind felt clouded, like I was floating above reality. Slowly, I pulled myself together, the fog in my head lifting.

When I snapped back to my senses, I realized I was still inside the cave. Everything I thought I saw earlier—the shaking of the surroundings, the flying—was nothing but an illusion.

And now, I was standing face to face with a new threat.

[Warning: You’re facing a Goblin Shaman]