Henry crouched low, breath steady. He loaded three smooth rocks into his slingshot and took aim.
"Let's do this again," he murmured.
He waited just long enough for the goblins to cluster.
*Whew*
*Thwack!*
The rocks sliced through the air with a soft hiss and struck with deadly precision. The three goblins dropped instantly, skulls pierced before they could react.
[You've just killed a Goblin +2 Experience Point]
[You've just killed a Goblin +2 Experience Point]
[You've just killed a Goblin +2 Experience Point]
Henry stood slowly as the notifications blinked before him.
"Yes…that's the spirit" he hissed under his breath.
[Experience point: 120]
[STATUS]
[Name: Henry]
[Race: Goblin]
[Class: Marksman]
[SP: 0]
[Level: 2]
[EXP: 140 / 200]
[Evolution Crystals: 2]
[HP: 25 / 25]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 11]
[Stamina: 11]
[Vitality: 11]
[Skills: Inspect]
He exhaled and dropped to one knee, he grabbed the three shimmering crystals glowed faintly near the fallen goblins.
"So lucky to have three crystals this time," he whispered, scooping them up, then swallowed them one after the other.
[Evolution Crystals Absorbed]
[Current Crystals: 5 / 10]
'Just five more' Henry thought, feeling the surge of energy ripple beneath his skin.
The campfire flickered behind him, casting long shadows across the blood-stained floor. The path toward the hobgoblin's door was shrouded in darkness.
Henry returned his slingshot to his inventory and drew Whisperfang.
He crept toward the old wooden door, careful not to step on any bone fragments or loose debris. Pressing his ear against the wood, he listened.
Nothing. No groaning. No snorting. Not even the obnoxious muttering goblins were known for.
'Odd… they're never this quiet.'
*Sniff.*
Henry wrinkled his nose. The stench was still there, strong, rotten, but no movement, no voices. Suspicious. Slowly, he pushed the door open.
*Crreeaaaak.*
The groan of the hinges echoed like thunder, and Henry's heart nearly leapt from his chest. Inside, it was worse than he imagined.
Rotting carcasses littered the floor, half-eaten, maggot-filled, and smeared in blackened blood. Flies buzzed in thick clouds. Some of the animals were missing heads. Others were already decomposing.
Henry gagged and covered his nose.
"Disgusting. Thank the goddess I'm different," he whispered. "My only crime is eating my kin."
Careful not to step on the corpses, he moved deeper into the pitch-black room, guided only by instinct and the faint outline of his bow.
Then, he stopped. A wooden wall.
He had reached the far end. But the hobgoblin wasn't here.
*Crack.*
His blood turned to ice. Slowly, very slowly, Henry tilted his head up.
"KRAHHHH!"
A roar from above.
The hobgoblin launched itself down from the ceiling rafters, iron sword raised high.
"Aaah!" Henry dove left just in time.
*CRUNCH!*
The sword split the floorboards where he'd stood seconds ago.
The hobgoblin howled and yanked the weapon free, red eyes glowing with murderous glee.
Henry tried to scramble back, but slipped on a half-chewed ribcage and fell hard onto his back.
"No, no, where's my bow!?"
Frantically, his hands groped the floor, searching blindly. Heavy footsteps thundered toward him.
The hobgoblin towered above, sword raised to strike.
Then Henry's fingers wrapped around something curved.
A bone?
No. Not a bone. Whisperfang.
He spun the bow toward his attacker and pulled.
*Fsshh!*
A shimmering arrow of blue light launched from the bowstring.
*Thk.*
The arrow embedded itself between the hobgoblin's eyes.
The creature jerked backward. Its red gaze dimmed. Confused, it touched its forehead and collapsed like a felled tree.
'Dead.'
[Quest Completed]
[You've Defeated the Goblin Boss]
[+100 Experience Points]
[+4 Stat Points Earned]
[Skill "Inspect" Upgraded to Level 2]
[Level Up!]
''That creature was crazy"
The radiant crystal hovered over the hobgoblin's corpse, casting gentle light across the blood-soaked room.
Henry stood up shakily, breathing hard.
Without wasting a moment, he grabbed the hobgoblin's iron sword and stored it in his inventory. Then he seized the floating crystal and swallowed it.
A tingling current ran through him—like lightning flowing under his skin.
[Evolution Crystal Absorbed]
[Total: 6/10 Crystals]
Henry opened his status.
[STATUS]
[Name: Henry]
[Race: Goblin]
[Class: Marksman]
[SP: 4]
[Level: 3]
[EXP: 40/300]
[Evolution Crystals: 6]
[HP: 25/25]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 11]
[Stamina: 11]
[Vitality: 11]
[Skills: Inspect level 2]
"Four more crystals… and I'll evolve."
He spent his newly earned stat points.
[+2 Agility]
[+2 Stamina]
[STATUS UPDATED]
Agility: 13
Stamina: 13
"Perfect," Henry whispered, satisfied.
He glanced around. The room was silent now, save for the soft hum of the dying campfire.
"I guess I'm done here," he muttered. "So… where's the exit?"
Just then, a glowing portal shimmered into view near the wall.
"Portal?" he tilted his head, then cautiously stepped toward it.
Without warning, it pulled him in.
"Ahhh!" Henry flailed helplessly as the world twisted.
*THUD!*
He slammed into solid stone, kicking up a cloud of dust.
*Cough.*
"Everything in this world is crazy" he wheezed, brushing himself off.
His muscles ached, and his back throbbed. But he was alive.
Henry straightened, taking in his new surroundings.
A large chamber stretched out before him, lit by dozens of torches embedded in the stone walls. The air was cooler here.
At the far end stood a towering set of doors.
And behind those doors… Henry could feel it. Another quest awaited.