Nathan walked slowly through the dark tunnel, controlling his every step and trying his best to not make any sounds.
His mind felt unusually clear.
Yesterday, his thoughts had been loud and chaotic making him second guess every movement he made during his fight.
But today, there was a quiet sharpness to his awareness.
He looked down at his torn vest, thinking back to his failure yesterday.
'I will not repeat the same mistakes... not today,' he told himself.
Soon a faint sound reached his ears.
'Footsteps!'
Nathan stopped immediately.
The steps didn't sound hurried, but they were complimented by the sound of something metal scrapping against the ground.
'Goblin,' he thought instantly.
His body moved instinctively as he shifted to the side, pressing his back lightly against the tunnel wall and leaned forward just enough to peek around the corner.
There it was.
A goblin scout came into view. Its chipped cleaver dangled loosely from one hand as it dragged it across the floor while muttering to itself in broken trollish gibberish.
Nathan started assessing the distance, angle and his footing.
He tried to look if he could find another scout behind the incoming goblin.
As his gaze fell deeper into the tunnel, scanning the shadows. He couldn't spot any other threats, but that didn't reassure him.
'I don't think any hunters have entered this tunnel,' he reasoned.
'If there's one… there's probably another.'
The idea didn't bring fear, instead it prepared him.
A plan formed quickly in his head as he thought about how to go about with this encounter.
'I'll ambush this one as soon as it's within my range,' he decided.
'Then immediately go for the second if I can spot it.'
Nathan shifted his stance slightly, placing his feet where the ground was driest.
He adjusted his grip on the spear, aligning the shaft with his forearm the way he had practiced over and over the night before.
'Wait...'
The goblin drew closer, still unaware. Its gibberish echoed faintly off the walls.
Nathan felt his muscles coil as his heartbeat slowed down.
Time seemed to stretch as his mind was processing everything at once. The rhythm of its steps, the moment it would cross into range.
'Now!'
Nathan leapt forward.
The movement was explosive.
He covered the distance in a second and in that instant, he realized something.
'I'm faster than before.'
The thought flickered through his mind, almost surprising him as he stopped just short of colliding with the goblin.
The creature's eyes widened in shock, mouth opening to scream.
But, Nathan didn't give it time to do so.
His body flowed naturally into the thrusting stance he had been practicing that entire day yesterday.
Thrust!
The spear drove forward with precision, piercing the goblin's torso cleanly where its heart should have been.
There was some resistance, which futile as slowly the spear made its way in deeper.
The goblin let out a wet, strangled sound as its body jerked violently.
Before the system could even acknowledge the kill.
Nathan kicked.
His boot slamming into the goblin's body, knocking it off the spear in one sharp motion.
The creature staggered backward, clutching at the wound, cleaver slipping uselessly from its fingers.
Nathan didn't linger.
He stepped back, spear already leveled again with his eyes alert.
The goblin stumbled, legs buckling as it collapsed onto the damp concrete. It twitched a few times but soon went still.
[DING]
Ignoring the notification, Nathan's head snapped up instantly.
'There must be a second one.'
His gaze shot deeper into the tunnel, scanning for movement.
'There!'
Another goblin scout stood frozen several meters away, having just witnessed the death of its companion. Its eyes were open wide and body stiff with shock.
'My deduction was right!'
The second goblin shrieked suddenly, panic exploding through its voice as it turned and bolted deeper into the tunnel, yelling loudly in it's language.
'He might be calling for help,' Nathan realized immediately.
"No way, I letting you," he muttered under his breath.
He started running.
Nathan burst forward, legs pumping hard with his spear held low and steady as he gave chase.
The goblin was fast, but not fast enough to escape.
The distance closed rapidly.
'I really am faster than yesterday.'
The goblin glanced back once, terror clear on its face as it screamed again.
Nathan didn't slow down, instead he thrusted his spear forward.
The spear slammed into the goblin's back, driving it forward violently. The creature pitched ahead, crashing face first into the concrete floor with a sickening impact.
Nathan nearly lost his grip but held on, boots skidding slightly as he absorbed the force.
The spear hadn't gone in deep enough.
The goblin thrashed, screeching, clawing at the floor as it tried to push itself up.
'Finish it!'
Nathan stepped forward without hesitation braced himself, and drove the spear in again this time with his entire weight.
The spear sank deep as the goblin's body stiffened.
Then went limp.
[DING]
The sound echoed clearly in his head.
Nathan stood there his chest rising and falling steadily. His spear still embedded for a moment before he pulled it free. He turned slowly, scanning the tunnel behind him, then ahead.
There was no movement or sound, meaning that he was safe.
Only after confirming this did Nathan allow himself to breathe a little deeper.
'Lets see what I got.'
He focused inward which made the system notification surface infront of him.
[Goblin Scout Slain, +0.1 AGI]
[Goblin Scout Slain, +0.1 AGI]
Nathan stared at the text, seeing that he had received agility he wondered to himself.
'Do these goblins only give agility...'
'Well, who am I to complain!'
Coming back to what was in front of him, he looked down at the two goblin corpses and then back into the darkness of the tunnel.
Yesterday, this place had nearly broken him.
Today, it had confirmed something far more important.
He was slowing getting stronger.
Nathan was becoming a hunter.