The cavern was silent.
Not the natural kind of silence, no, this was the silence that follows slaughter. A silence clogged with the metallic stink of spilled goblin blood, the sour reek of tornof goblin hobgoblin entrails, and the lingering echo of steel striking bone. A silence shaped by death.
In the middle of that stillness, a lone goblin, the last survivor stood in the cold cavern trembling.
Its breaths came sharp and panicked, the rise and fall of its chest shallow as though afraid the cavern itself might swallow the air away. It looked at the small dagger in its hand. The same one the boy through at it, and as he imagined his face, the goblin yellow eyes went wide.
Then the scream came.
It tore out of the goblin's throat like a rusted blade, raw and full of agony. The sound bounced off the cavern walls, shrill enough that even the dead would have flinched if they could.
The goblin clawed at its head with dirty, cracked nails and spun in wild circles as though the nightmare of what had happened clawed at it from within its own skull.
flashes, fragments of the elf filled its head.
Tall, towering, terrifying.
Long hair white in the air like a banner of death. Brown skin gleamed with the sheen of battle. But it was the eyes… those eyes that haunted the goblin's trembling brain.
Golden. Slitted. Like a cat. Like a demon wearing elven flesh.
It screamed again but louder, it screamed at the memory of that stare. The cold indifferent stare the elf had given it moments before choosing to leave it alive. The goblin didn't understand why it had been spared, only that living was somehow made it feel worse.
It beat its fists on the stone floor, pounding in helpless rage. It looked at the carnage, its fellow goblins strewn about like broken dolls, their limbs burnedand cut off, their throats cut open by merciless precision. It saw the hobgoblin, its leader...slumped in the center, decapitated, its blood still pooling.
The goblin wailed until its throat scraped raw.
Then something shifted.
A presence.
A cold wind that didn't belong in a cavern brushed along its spine. The goblin froze, breath trapped in its chest. Its yellow eyes darted around, searching for movement.
But it found none. It was scared thinking the bars came back to finish what he started.
But in the darkest part of the Cavern were eyes. Dark Demonic eyes.
They glowed from the shadowed edges of the cavern...two blood-red slits carved into the blackness. They watched the goblin with cold amusement… and then disappeared as though they had never been there.
The goblin whimpered, stepping back, nearly tripping on the corpse of one of its kin.
Then...without warning....a new light appeared.
Red and black. A system interface.
But not like the one Caim has this one crackled, distorted, before settling. Then word in blood red appeared.
WOULD YOU LIKE POWER?
The words were written in sharp crisp crimson font that pulsed like a beating heart.
The goblin flinched back in terror. It didn't understand how it could read the symbols, goblins had no written language, but somehow, the meaning poured into its mind like poison.
"W-What… is?" the goblin thought
It raised its weapon, the elfs abandoned dagger. (Hunter's Edge). And slashed through the floating screen. The blade passed straight through the interface as if slicing smoke.
The system didn't even flicker.
The goblin blinked, fear and confusion twisting its face. It turned and looked again at the corpses of its kind, as though searching for guidance, answers, anything to make sense of this.
Then the interface flickered. The word YES appeared In blood-red letters.
The goblin's breath shook. It didn't know what the screen was, what the words meant exactly, but instinct, the primal goblin instinct for survival, took control.
It raised its clawed hand.
And tapped YES.
Then a pulse went through the goblin's body.
Then the next message appeared.
QUEST RECEIVED: DEVOUR THE WEAK
Objective: Consume the corpse of the hobgoblin.
Reward: Racial Evolution Goblin to low Hobgoblin, +3 Constitution, +3 Wisdom, +3 Intelligence, +3 Strength
Penalty: Failure to complete Quest is Death.
The goblin's heart slammed against its ribs. It turned toward the hobgoblin's huge corpse its former leader, feared and respected.
"Eat…?" the goblin whispered to itself, horror painting every inch of its face.
But the red letters of the system interface pulsed again, as if urging, commanding.
DEVOUR.
The goblin swallowed hard, its throat tight.
Then, trembling, it stepped toward the hobgoblin's corpse.
It raised the dagger. Its small hands shook so badly the blade scraped against bone as it pressed the edge to the hobgoblin's chest.
Then CRACK... CRUNCH...it cut.
Warm blood, thick and nearly black, oozed out. The goblin gagged at the smell, bile rising in its throat. But the quest burned in its mind, forcing its body forward.
It sliced deeper. The ribs cracked, revealing organs still warm.
The goblin whimpered, tears streaking its green face.
Then....it lowered its mouth.
And ate.
The heart was the first.
Chewy. Thick. Revolting. The goblin nearly vomited it back up, gagging as it forced the chunk of flesh down. But it pushed onward, driven not by hunger but by fear.
Next, the lungs, soft, spongy, dripping fluid that made the goblin's stomach twist painfully.
Then the intestines, a long, tangled mess that made the goblin heave violently as it bit through them.
Each swallow felt like swallowing death.
But the quest demanded completion. And goblins, when cornered, were creatures of pure instinct.
When the final organ was swallowed, the goblin slumped to its knees, body shaking violently.
A sound rang in its ears then.
Like a church bell.
QUEST COMPLETE: DEVOUR THE WEAK
Rewards are being distributed… +3 Constitution, +3 Wisdom, +3 Intelligence, +3 Strength
Racial Evolution Initiated… Goblin to Hobgoblin
The goblin felt dizzy and suddenly collapsed.
Its body convulsed, bones stretching, muscles tearing and reforming. The darkness itself swallowed the Goblin. What the shadows spitted back out was no ordinary Hobgoblin.
Then all went silent as hours passed before the goblin stirred.Then its eyes fluttered open.
And the creature that rose was no longer a small, trembling four-foot goblin.
It stood tall... at five foot seven...its arms roped with muscle, its shoulders broad. Its skin had changed from sickly green to a deep teal, almost blue-green like a storm-dark ocean.
Its fingers were longer, thicker. Its jaw sharper. Its mind clearer.
It breathed in slowly, and felt strength fill its lungs.
It clenched its fists. and felt power humming through its veins.
A smile...slow and cruel...slid onto its face.
Then it threw its head back and laughed. A low, guttural laugh full of triumph and new hunger.
The system appeared again, its red interface now looking more polished, more stable—as though the goblin's evolution had sharpened even the connection.
New Quest Activated: Dark Ascension
Objectives:Become the strongest Goblin to ever exist. Track down adventurers and Slay them.
• Devour them to gain their abilities.
• Breed with the woman to rebuild your numbers.
• Grow stronger with each kill and each offspring.
Penalty: Failure to complete Quest is Death
Adventurers Killed: 0/100
Adventurers Impregnated: 0/100
[ACCEPT]
The newly evolved hobgoblin stared at the text.
It didn't understand all of it. But it understood enough.
Kill.
Eat.
Breed.
Grow.
Repeat
A simple path. A goblin's path and now only magnified by power.
It was about to accept when it froze.
It heard voices. They were faint, but growing nearer.
Human voices.
Adventurers. A male and females coming toward the cavern.
The hobgoblin's lips peeled back into a sharp-toothed grin. A new hunger stirred in its belly, and in its groan.stronger and darker than the fear that once ruled it.
It looked at the system interface.
And slowly lifted its hand toward ACCEPT.
The red-and-black interface pulsed and dissappear before the goblin's newly evolved eyes.
The hobgoblin's senses sharpened. His mind...once clouded with fear....now pulsed with cold clarity.
The hunt had begun.
Shadows clung to him as he quietly made his way up the sloped cavern passage toward the surface. Every step echoed with predatory intent. The distant sound of footsteps and soft conversation filtered through the tunnels, human voices, young and naive.
He recognized them instantly as prey.
He stalked forward until he reached a curve in the tunnel that opened into the wide entrance chamber. And there, illuminated by the torch one of them held, were four human adventurers.
Barely more than teenagers. The hobgoblin could smell the hormones coming off two of them.
The hobgoblin crouched behind a jagged rock outcropping and observed.
The first was a boy...short, with brown spiky hair and wide brown eyes. He wore simple adventurer gear, clearly bought cheap or handed down. His longsword was far too large for caverns tunnels; its tip would scrape stone every time he swung wide.
The second was a girl with long straight black hair tied loosely behind her. She wore simple martial clothing, cloth wrappings, a short-sleeved top meant for freedom of movement.
These two had the hormones.
The third was shorter, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her cleric robes were pristine white with soft gold trims, clearly new. She clutched a small holy staff nervously.
The last was a girl in black rope attire, fitted at the waist, thigh-high boots, glasses perched perfectly despite the cavern damp. Red hair in a that was short and stoppedby her ears. A wand in her hand with a red gem at yhe tip, her posture held confidence if not pride.
The hobgoblin's nostrils flared as he inhaled their scents, mind assessing instantly with newfound intelligence.
A swordsman. A martial artist. A cleric. A wizard or sorcerer. Fresh. Inexperienced. Fertile and soon to be fearful pray.
Perfect offerings to the quest.
He melted into the dark again, his taller body surprisingly fluid. His teal skin naturally reflected just enough of the stone's colors that he blended into the cavern walls. The adventurers stepped deeper in, unaware the terror of their night had already chosen them.
The hobgoblin extinguished their torch with a flick of a well tossed stone it landed in a puddle.
The cavern went black.
The girls gasped..."What was that" the rest haired girl said.The boy hissed a curse."Shit they already know were here." The cleric spoke next . I can use a light spell hust give me a second.
But then something small clattered as it dropped.
The hobgoblin let his glowing yellow eyes be seen for half a second.
Just enough.
The scream came...high and panicked from the blonde girl...and he felt satisfaction hum through his bones.
The boy drew his oversized sword, shaking. "YOU BASTARDS WONT GET US....The black-haired girl shouted, "Robin...don't charge ahead blindly!"
But Robin charged anyway.
He hurled himself forward, swinging the sword wildly. The blade scraped stone again and again, pinging sparks. His movements were untrained, panicked, childish.
The hobgoblin watched, amused and disappointed the elf was 100 times better then this brat, stepping aside at every slashing attempt with effortless grace. Robin's breathing grew ragged as he swung too hard, too fast.
Then came the moment.
Robin lifted the sword over his head for an overhead strike, forgetting entirely that the cavern ceiling was too low. The tip of the sword slammed into rock....
CLANG.
He staggered and dropped his blade
The hobgoblin moved with predatory speed.
Hunter's Edge flashed.
The dagger plunged deep into Robin's throat.
The boy didn't even scream...only gurgled, blood bubbling from his mouth as shock filled his eyes. He reached a trembling hand toward his friends before collapsing to the ground with a wet thud.
"ROBIN!" the black-haired girl screamed, voice cracking.
The priestess sobbed. The mage cursed and backed away, hand trembling around her wand.
The martial-artist girl stepped in front of them, fists tightening. "Both of you get out...run! I'll hold it off!"
She charged...not blindly like the boy...but with conviction.
Her fist slammed into the hobgoblin's chest.
He barely felt it.
He let her see that.
He smiled.
Then he raised his own fist, mimicking her punch exactly...same stance, same pivot, same angle....And drove it into her stomach.
The impact sent her flying as she hit the stone wall hard enough for the crunch to echo. She slid down, unconscious before she reached the ground.
The cleric darted toward her, sobbing, "L-lia...no...no, no...please...!"
But the mage grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Stop! Don't go near it!"
She raised her wand, panic making her spell shaky.
"F-Firebolt!"
A small flare of orange shot forward...weak, unstable, barely controlled.
The hobgoblin didn't bother dodging.
The firebolt hit his chest and fizzled out, leaving only a faint scorch mark on his skin. If ut was a goblin that would have worked but not on this hobgoblin.
The mages' eyes widened behind her glasses. "W-What…?"
He was already in front of her.
She shrieked as he grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off her feet. Her boots kicked wildly as she clawed at his hand. The cleric screamed her name...."Mira!"...but the hobgoblin squeezed until Mira's eyes rolled back and her body went limp.
Then he turned and slammed her into the black-haired girl's unconscious body.
Both lay sprawled, motionless.
The hobgoblin slowly turned his head toward the priestess.
Her legs trembled so violently she collapsed to her knees, hands shaking as she tried to raise her small holy staff.
She couldn't.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
The smell hit him next.
Fear...And urine.
She had pissed herself in terror.
His lip curled. Not in disgust—but anticipation for reward.
This girls would helped rebuild the horde first.
She tried to crawl backward, choking on sobs. "N-No...p-please...someone… please help...no...."
The hobgoblin reached her in three strides.
Her scream echoed through the cavern.
Hours later, as the sounds of sreams and moaning could be heard throughout the cavern.
The hobgoblin layed overed the blonde Cleric girl. The hobgoblin was thrusting his cock into her with long deep strokes. The cleric had been given up hope. The only thing that could be heard were the soft moans of pleasure and shame. Here blue eyes had no light left in them.
The hobgoblin matted pressed into her with heavy ferocious thrusts. Until he climaxes with great force. The cleric was cover in the hobgoblins white fluids , her clothes ripped and tattered.
To the side where he threw her was the two other girls in the same state. Clothes ripped and eyes had no light in them. They were dead in all but the physical sense.
The Hobgoblin went back to the fire pit and picked the cooked arm of the swordsman boy and at ate it.
Then the red and black system interface reappeared.
[System Notification]:Quest:Dark Ascension
Objectives:Become the strongest Goblin to ever exist. Track down adventurers and Slay them.
• Devour them to gain their abilities.
• Breed with the woman to rebuild your numbers.
• Grow stronger with each kill and each offspring.
Adventurers Killed: 1/100
Adventurers Impregnated: 3/100
New Skill Aquaired: Swordsmanship [F],
Stat increase: +3 to strength, +3 to Wisdom, +3 to Constitution, 4 to Dexterity.
A status Window then appeared.
Status Window
Name: None
Age: 6 months
Race: Hobgoblin
Class: None
Strength: 14
Constitution: 17
Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom:10
Willpower: 9
Mana: 1
Skills:
Cannibal [C]
Swordsmanship [F]
The hobgoblin looked at the numbers and letter but didn't understand what they truly meant. but they made him feel a sense of pride.
He looked at the three adventurers knowing the will need more supplies to jeep them alive until he can produce more and more goblins. Then when they are used up he will devour them and make their power his. Soon more adventurers will come, but I will be prepared.
The horde would rise again and this was only the beginning. Just you wait elf boy we will meet again.
In the darkest parts of the shadows. The demonic eyes look at the hobgoblin actions with amusement.