The next morning, Ethan stood in front of the shimmering entrance to the goblin cave. He checked his guns, ammo, and backpack one more time. He knew he was procrastinating but went through the routine one more time. He didn’t want to go into a dark cave whose entrance radiated blue light but he felt he had to clear it out so more goblins didn’t come to the house.

  He sighed and stepped into the cave entrance. The light enveloped him and sucked him inside. One moment Ethan could hear the birds, insects, and other sounds of nature and the next, everything changed to cave noises of water dripping, foot steps echoing, he even heard the echo of what he assumed to be the goblins off in the distance. The change wasn’t gradual, it was instant making Ethan think this wasn’t really a cave at all.

  The prompt startled Ethan and he jerked almost shooting his pistol on accident.

  So, this is a dungeon, huh? The Goblin Warrens? If he cleared this dungeon they would wouldn’t have to worry about goblins in their backyard. How many goblins were in here? He had a week to clear it according to the quest.

  He looked around examining his surrounds for the first time. Blue light tinted everything in the first room but it wasn’t from the entrance glow. The light emanated from small blue crystal formations growing from various spots around the room. The glow was soft and almost calming. In between the splotches of blue crystals was nothing but gray stone walls cold to the touch. Here and there water dripped down from an unknown origin. In the back of the room was the only other opening curving so that Ethan couldn’t see where it led.

  Ethan walked to a crystalline formation and used Identify.

  Ethan picked up a loose one from the ground and identified it.

  Ethan smiled and tucked away the crystal into his pack. It wasn’t too much of a hassle as each crystal was small. Small enough to be worn on a necklace. Now, that he thought about it, they looked almost like those crystals sold by those people that embraced their spirituality and preached holistic healing. He could see them getting a hold of these and building a religion around them.

  He gathered a few and continued as quietly as he could to the exit on the other side of the room. He kept the pistol in both hands and pointed low as he was taught, so he could bring it to ready at a moments notice. He got to the exit and peered around the bend to get a look at what the room contained.

  He saw much larger concentrations of mana crystals all along the walls. In the room with the crystals were three goblins, each wielding a makeshift mining pick smashing them into the crystals. The sight was strange to him because as he watched, the goblins never generated any debris from the mining that they were doing. It was almost as if the goblins were only mining for role playing purposes. He identified them and they came back as [Level 1 - a goblin]

  There were only three. Ethan was confident that he could kill them before they got to him. Especially with them only being Level 1. When did he start to think like that? He was only Level 2. Plus, he was about to kill a living thing. A hideous, disgusting, monster that would attack him the second it saw him but still a living thing. Ethan shook his head. No time for moral quandaries. He would do what he must.

  He lined up the shot on the goblin closest to him. He could feel the system guiding him to the goblin. His [Gun Proficiency] helping guide him ever so slightly. It wasn’t help him land head shots but it helped make sure he was at least pointed in the right direction. He put the sights in between the goblin’s ears and pulled the trigger. The gun shot rang through the cavern, the confined space making it so much louder than it should have been. The goblin never knew what hit it. It just disappeared in wisps of black smoke. Its pick clanged to the floor. The other two goblins dropped their picks and covered their ears. Apparently, goblin hearing was sensitive. Which was lucky for him because the black smoke distracted him for a couple seconds.

  Ethan moved to the second goblin, that was covering its ears and looking around for what caused the noise. It never found him before it received two to the torso sending it up in black smoke just like the first. The third did see him however, and after seeing it’s friends gunned down, it came charging. Ethan waited for it to get close enough and took it out with a point blank shot to the face.

  He waited to see if there was any further movement. There wasn’t. The lack of movement added to the strangeness of the dungeon. There was no way every goblin in this cave didn’t hear the gun shots. Yet, there was nothing coming from deeper in the network of caverns.

  “Weird,” Ethan said stepping out into the next room. It seems when something is killed inside the dungeon it disappears? Does that mean they aren’t real to begin with? He walked over to where the first one disappeared and noticed a couple of small coins and a minor mana crystal on the ground. The coins didn’t look like any coin he had ever seen before. First, they were scare and second, because they were blue. He picked one up and it disappeared the moment he touched it. He went to the notifications that he had ignored during the fight.

  [You have killed a Level 1 goblin - 50 experience gained]

  [You have killed a Level 1 goblin - 50 experience gained]

  [Your skill Gun Proficiency has reached Level 2]

  [You have killed a Level 1 goblin - 50 experience gained]

  [You have obtained 1 System credit]

  A system credit? You know what? I’ll figure that out later. This is all too much right now. He reached out and touched the second coin and it disappeared just like the first. He checked the other spots where goblins once occupied and found the same couple coins littering the ground. The touched them all so that they disappeared. He checked out a pick but didn’t have much use for one unless he wanted to use one to mine the crystals.

  Later. He tossed the pick to the ground.

  Reloading his pistol he walked to the next room and repeated what he did the first. This one had four Level 1 goblins. Two head shots and the entire remaining magazine later he had cleared that room as well. He looted more coins and continued on to the third room.

  Ethan moved cautiously through the narrow passage of the cave, both hands gripping his pistol. The faint blue glow of the mana crystals from the second room had faded, replaced by a dim, greenish light that grew brighter as he rounded a bend. He stepped into a wider chamber, the air thick with a damp, earthy scent that reminded him of wet soil after rain. A mushroom grotto opened before him, its walls covered in clusters of bioluminsecent mushrooms, their caps glowing with a soft, eerie green. The light cast shifting shadows across the cave floor, making every movement feel like a threat.

  Three goblins crouched near the far wall, their green skin blending with the mushrooms as they harvested the glowing caps, stuffing them into crude sacks. Their bulging eyes were focused on their task, oblivious to Ethan’s presence. He froze, not wanting to alert the goblins and used Identify. It came back as the same [level 1 goblin] as the others. If this kept up he was going to run out of bullets. He needed to find an alternative. Ammunition was too precious to be used like this. He didn’t know how many rooms there were.

  With no other options he unloaded on these goblins like the last two rooms. In this room, however, the gunshot wasn’t as loud and the goblins didn’t cover their ears. The mushrooms damped the sound somewhat. The other two charged after the first disappeared. The second disappearing shortly after. The third had actually reached him and was sent backward from receiving a blow from the butt end of the pistol grip. Ethan pulled his hunting knife and swiped at the goblin as it back in to get Ethan in range for its teeth and claws. He took a slice out of it’s arm but either the goblin didn’t notice or didn’t care. It lunged for him.

  Ethan side stepped and awkwardly thrust the knife aiming for the neck but missing and piercing the shoulder instead. The blade was stopped by bone after a few inches. The goblin responded with a backhand that didn’t have enough momentum to do anything other than throw Ethan off of it. It lunged at him again.

  Instead of side stepping this time, Ethan thrust his hips backward to keep them out of the goblins grasp and put his wrist that was still holding his pistol on the goblins shoulder to keep it from getting to his face. Then, with his knife hand he stabbed with abandon. Blade met flesh and tore through it. Neck, cheek, eyes, whatever his blade met was only left viscera. The goblin disappeared into the black smoke of death soon after. Fortunately, its gore disappeared with the body or Ethan would have been covered head to toe in green blood.

  He walked the room picking up the coins that he expected to drop when he noticed something new that dropped from one of the goblins. A green leather bracer with fur of some kind on the inside lay beside the coins. Ethan used Identify

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Goblin hide….ew. Ethan sniffed it for some reason. It didn’t smell like the goblins. They smelled horrendous but this bracer didn’t have a smell at all. Running his hand over the leather, it felt like…any other leather. It wasn’t bumpy or full of warts like the goblins he had killed. Was the description just for flavor?

  Shrugging he loosened the laces and slid it on his left wrist. To his surprise when he pushed his hand in, the bracer enlarged so that it would fit perfectly. He struggled for a moment because he refused to use his teeth to pull the laces tight but he eventually got it on. It wasn’t much but maybe a full set of it would provide some kind of protection. He wished he had Kevlar or something the SWAT team used for riots.

  The next few room were more of the same. Goblins harvesting mushrooms or mining crystals. He cleared them mostly the same way even though the goblins levels did increase to Level 2. It seems a firearm was the universal equalizer. He really needed to find a spear, sword, or even an ax. Though Ethan wasn’t too fond of the idea of using an axe — Though what if he could find a plant or chains to supplement? He did reach Level 3 but decided to hold on to his free stat points for now.

  It was when he got to the Level 4 goblins that he found something different and something that would give him the possibility to conserve ammunition. He entered the eleventh room to air that was both cooler and damper than the room prior. Ethan stepped in what seemed to be a stalactite maze, the chamber was filled with stalactites and stalagmites, their shapes forming barriers and creating a labyrinth of narrow paths and shadowed alcoves. The ceiling was low in some places, forcing him to duck as he moved. The uneven ground crunched under his sneakers, making stealth difficult. The narrow passages made Ethan’s heart race.

  He came to a corner and put his back against it to clear it. He peeked around only to see a goblin carrying a crude short sword, that looked long to the goblin’s short stature, and a wooden shield strapped to the other arm. Firing off an Identify, it returned as a Level 4 goblin fighter. Ethan looked down at his gun. He was down to just two magazines left and really wanted to save the ammunition. He took in a long breath and let it out. Looks like he would be going sword and board until he could find something better. He leaned out and put a shot in the goblins forehead. It was so close that he didn’t even have to aim, he had little chance of missing.

  The goblin poofed in a wisp of smoke. It was fortunate that they seemed to drop whatever they were equipped with when they died. Well, at least weapon wise so far. He was glad the loincloths the goblins were wearing for modesty didn’t drop. The thought made him shudder. Ethan holstered his pistol and picked up the sword and shield. The blade was dull and poorly cared for, even he could tell that and he knew next to nothing about sword maintenance, and the shield was closer to a plank of wood with leather strapped to it than a real shield. It would suffice for now, though.

  Equipping the shield and wielding the sword felt different, the crude sword was heavier than his knife, he took a few practice swings, and the shield was lighter than he expected. It was unnatural but filled him with a strange surge of confidence.

  Ethan continued down the maze, having to backtrack more than once because he came to a dead end. He eventually came to a section that revealed two goblins. This was the test. He was going to see if he was going to use melee weapons or if he would have to scavenge for more ammo before he could clear the dungeon. He turned the corner and charged without yelling. Why would he let them know he was coming?

  The goblins noticed him when he got within 15 feet of them. That seemed to be their range of detection unless he drew attention to himself. He thrust his sword at the one he charged. He was aiming for its neck but the goblin moved its shoulder up to get its shield in the way. It wasn’t quick enough to block the thrust but the movement made his attack pierce its shoulder instead. The green blood oozed out over the blade. The goblin screeched and pulled back, Ethan pressed the advantage. He attacked again, this time with a slash that bit into its chest. The goblin dissolved into the now familiar black smoke. Sword, shield, and a few blue coins clattered to the ground.

  The second goblin flanked him, its sword thrusting from his side. Ethan turned, raising his shield just in time, the blade glancing off with a dull thunk. This goblin was faster, its movements more precise, and it slashed again, aiming for his legs. Ethan stepped back, or tried to, the uneven ground making him stumble, and the goblin’s blade cut into the meat of his thigh. Pain flared through his body. He gritted his teeth and slammed the shield into the green monster. The goblin was caught off balance and had to cling to the shield to keep from falling. Ethan used this to his advantage and swept the goblins legs out from under it and pushed it to the ground under the shield. With his sword hand he stabbed over and over until he saw the smoke billow from around his shield.

  Standing up, he took a moment before he collected everything. He was going to start getting battered. He hoped the dungeon would drop some more armor. He needed it for protection. Especially, his poor legs. He checked his latest notifications.

  [You have killed 2 Level 4 goblin fighters - 140 experience gained]

  [You have taken 3 points of slashing damage]

  [You have gained the skill Sword Proficiency]

  [You have gained the skill Shield Proficiency]

  [You have gained the skill Shield Bash]

  A new skill that wasn’t a ‘Proficiency’ skill? He opened his Skill window.

  He brought up Shield Bash’s description.

  Awesome. He finally had a skill that would make use of his EP pool and it did damage as well. He needed to see the stagger effect in action. All in all, he was satisfied with the skill. He gathered the loot and proceeded through the rest of the maze. He didn’t see any more goblins. Each room seemed to have more more than five goblins. If he had come in with a more people then they would have just steam rolled through the entire thing with much hassle. Was the quantity because he was by himself or was it a static number?

  He continued through the tunnel , ignoring the sting from various wounds, coming to a cavern with a large chasm, the darkness below swallowing the faint light from luminescent moss covering the walls. Ethan couldn’t see the bottom. A singular narrow rock pathway stretched across the expanse. The path was barely two feet wide, its surface slick with moisture, and the drop on either side certain death. On the far side of the chasm, two goblin fighters stood guard their green skin glistening in the dim light., bulging eues scanning the pathway for intruders. Ethan used Identify. [Level 5 goblin fighter], a step up from the previous rooms. Let’s see what they have.

  Ethan tested the pathway, not trusting it. It was sturdy but he could tell that his sneakers would slip if he had to fight on the narrow stone. He would need to rush the goblins and force his way to the more stable platform on the other side. Maybe he could use Shield Bash and knock one of the goblins off? That would make dealing with the other easier. Especially with both of them being two levels higher than he was. He should level after this fight if he was successful.

  Level: 3

  Progress to next level: 1010/1120

  So close. He walked cautiously across the stone bridge and got right on the edge of what he thought the goblin range was. He had about 10 feet left before he would be on more solid fighting ground. He charged.

  The goblins responded a lot faster. Both immediately turned and returning his charge with their own. He led the charge with his shield out in front of him and sword arm pulled back ready to swing. He met the first goblin about three feet from where he wanted to be. The goblin met his shield, its sword slashing with a a force that felt unnaturally strong. Ethan could almost feel an aura around the swing. He blocked with his shield, the impact causing the wood to splinter and still doing damage to him. His arm went numbe form the impact. The swing left the goblin open.

  Ethan activated Shield Bash and slammed his barely intact shield into the goblin, dealing barely any damage but forcing it backward. He didn’t get the stagger effect but he kept pushing the off balance goblin until his enemy went tumbling into the chasm below. Its screech echoed as it fell, dissolving mid-air. The kill notification flashed.

  The second goblin took the place of the first, bashing Ethan. Did it just try to use Ethan’s own trick again him? The blow knocked him back a few feet on the bridge. His feet slipped out from under him and he landed on his knees. The goblin followed him not seeming phased by the slippery stone at all. Its sword slashed out, catching Ethan’s wide open torso. Blood mixed with the wetness on stone underneath him. The cut had torn through his shirt, skin, and into the meat below it. Blood poured out of the wound. The pain forcing the air from his lungs.

  Ethan did all he could do and slashed back with his sword wildly. He landed a glancing blow to the goblins calf and on the back swing cut into the bicep of the fighter’s shield arm. The goblin returned the attack and went in for the kill. It thrust right for Ethan’s chest. Ethan got his shield up in time to deflect the blow outward but instead of returning the thrust, he grabbed the arm.

  He pulled with all his strength, which wasn’t much and the goblin would have been able to easily with stand the pull, if it wasn’t for the wet pathway underneath his feet. The goblin, that was so sure footed a moment a go, slipped forward and landed beside Ethan on its stomach. It never got up again. Ethan stabbed with his sword at the base of the neck taking a few stabs before he ended the fight.

  Ethan dropped his sword and checked his HP. 10 Hp out of 80 maximum. 80? Oh the fight had leveled him to level 4. He had 10 unallocated points.

  Let’s change that. System, allocate 4 points to Constitution. He watched his HP and EP recalculate.

  HP: 26/96 MP: 76/76 EP:75/118

  Once again, he wished he could use his mana. Just to test, he willed magic to come forth and heal him. Nothing happened. He almost felt that he could feel the magic somewhere in his chest. There was a tightness there inside him but he couldn’t coax it to do his bidding. Oh, well…

  He was done for now. He needed to head back and heal. He would have to clear this another time.