The moment Nathan stepped deeper into the tunnel, the light from the chamber behind him thinned until it barely existed.
The emergency lights mounted along the tunnel walls were old, dim, and spaced far apart.
Each one casted a weak glow that barely pushed back the darkness.
Shadows filled the gaps between lights, stretching long across the uneven concrete floor.
'It's dark.'
Not exactly pitch-black, but dark enough that Nathan felt it pressing against his senses.
He slowed down his steps instinctively.
His grip tightened on the spear as his boots moved carefully over the damp floor.
Water pooled in shallow depressions on the floor.
Every sound felt amplified: the sound of his boots, the water dripping from somewhere overhead.
Nathan felt tense.
There was no denying that, actual hunting is very different than watching videos and streams.
His shoulders were tight, his jaw clenched slightly and his breathing shallow but controlled.
His body was alert in a way it had never been during practice.
This was different.
But still, according to everything he had learned so far, scout goblins were not a big deal.
That thought surfaced repeatedly, as if he was reciting a mantra.
'Scout goblins aren't a big deal.'
Every guide had said it. Every hunter he had listened to had reinforced this idea.
Even Elliot, the officer at the entrance had described them as weak and manageable.
They were dangerous only if you were to underestimate them.
Nathan reminded himself of that as he moved forward.
He checked his equipment mentally, one piece at a time.
The bag he had on covering his back, thick enough to absorb a glancing blow.
The leather vest he had on protected his chest and sides.
He also had two regeneration potions tucked into his bag, easily reachable if things went wrong.
And most importantly,
The spear that he was holding firmly, this should allow him to fight keeping a distance.
Nathan exhaled slowly and adjusted his grip, sliding his back hand a fraction lower along the shaft. He focused on his footing, placing each step deliberately, avoiding loose debris and deeper puddles.
Time passed and in less than five minutes of entering the tunnel, he heard it.
Movement.
It wasn't loud.
Just a subtle sound that didn't belong to the tunnel itself.
Scraping against the ground.
Nathan stopped immediately.
His entire body froze, muscles locking in place as his attention snapped toward the sound. He didn't turn his head right away. Instead, he leaned slightly toward the wall, pressing his shoulder closer to the cold concrete.
There it was again.
A faint shuffle, getting closer.
Nathan's heartbeat quickened, thudding in his ears. He forced himself to breathe through it, inhaling slowly through his nose and exhaling just as carefully.
'Scout', he reminded himself.
'Just a scout.'
He shifted his weight gradually, careful not to scrape his boots against the floor. The spear moved with him, its tip angled slightly forward, hovering just above the ground.
Nathan slowed made his way, inch by inch.
The tunnel curved gently to the left ahead of him, the bend just shallow enough that he could see faint movement beyond it if he leaned forward.
And that was when he saw it.
The creature was short.
Shorter than Nathan by a noticeable margin, even hunched over. Its skin was a dull, mottled green and rough. Its arms were long for its body, ending in thin hands that gripped a crude weapon.
A cleaver with a blade that was old and chipped.
The edge uneven and worn down.
Nathan's eyes locked onto it immediately.
'That shouldn't be able to cut through my vest' he thought.
This realization didn't erase his fear.
The goblin muttered to itself as it walked.
Low, guttural sounds spilled from its mouth, harsh syllables strung together in a language Nathan didn't understand.
Nathan withdrew slightly, pressing himself closer to the wall.
He crouched down slowly. His movements were controlled to avoid making sound.
He waited.
The goblin continued forward, its footsteps irregular. Its head bobbed slightly as it walked, eyes scanning the tunnel lazily.
It was patrolling.
Nathan's focus narrowed until the rest of the tunnel faded from his awareness.
His grip on the spear tightened.
It felt like a few minutes passed.
Like he had been crouched there forever, waiting for the goblin to notice him or walk past him.
In reality, barely thirty seconds had passed.
The goblin came closer, its muttering growing slightly louder as it rounded the curve of the tunnel. It still hadn't noticed Nathan, its attention seemingly fixed on something else entirely.
Nathan didn't move.
Then the goblin stopped.
Its head tilted.
The muttering cut off abruptly.
A low, suspicious growl escaped its throat as it stared at the wall ahead of it.
At the shadow cast faintly by the emergency light.
This was Nathan's shadow.
The goblin's grip tightened around the cleaver.
It hissed something sharp and aggressive in its language, taking a cautious step forward.
Nathan's muscles tensed, as he saw the goblin move towards him.
'It noticed'
He tightened his grip on the spear and forced himself to stay still.
'Engage in the next few seconds' his mind screamed.
He had to.
Waiting any longer would only make things worse.
The goblin stepped closer, cleaver lifting slightly as it continued snarling in its harsh language. The sound echoed faintly down the tunnel.
Nathan shifted his weight.
Just a little.
The movement was barely perceptible—but it was enough.
The goblin's head snapped toward him instantly.
Its eyes widened.
Then it shrieked.
The creature lunged forward without hesitation, feet slapping loudly against the wet ground as it rushed towards him.
Nathan's mind blanked.
'Too fast'
The sudden charge caught him completely off guard. His carefully built plan shattered instantly as panic surged through him. He stumbled back half a step, spear wobbling as his footing slipped on the damp floor.
'What do I do—'
The goblin closed the distance frighteningly fast, cleaver raised high.
Nathan reacted on instinct.
He thrust.
The spear shot forward—but his stance was wrong. His feet weren't planted. His balance was off.
The tip missed.
It scraped harmlessly past the goblin's shoulder as the creature twisted aside with alarming speed.
Nathan's breath hitched.
The goblin retaliated immediately.
The cleaver swung in a short, vicious arc.
Nathan barely managed to twist away. Pain flared along his side as the blade scraped across his vest, cutting through leather just enough to graze skin beneath.
"—!"
He gasped, the shock of pain snapping his focus back into place.
The goblin pressed the attack, shrieking as it raised the cleaver again.
Nathan reacted faster this time.
He brought the shaft of the spear up horizontally, catching the incoming strike with the wooden staff rather than the blade. The impact rattled through his arms, numbing his hands for a split second.
And before the goblin could recover, Nathan readied his foot.
The kick connected solidly with the goblin's chest.
The creature stumbled backward with a hiss.
Nathan sucked in a sharp breath.
'Create distance.'
He didn't waste the opportunity.
He planted his feet properly this time, shoulders squared, grip firm. Adrenaline flooded his system, sharpening his focus to a painful degree.
The goblin rushed again, but slower now.
Nathan thrust.
This time, the spear struck true.
The steel head punched into the goblin's stomach with a wet, sickening sound. The creature screamed, high and shrill, its body jerking violently as it tried to pull away.
The spear didn't go through.
It got lodged inside.
The goblin thrashed, clawing at the shaft, swinging its cleaver wildly in desperation.
Nathan gritted his teeth.
His arms burned.
The goblin was stronger than he expected.
For a moment, it felt like the creature might force itself off the spear.
Then adrenaline surged harder.
Nathan roared and shoved forward with everything he had.
The goblin was driven backward, feet scrambling uselessly against the floor.
It slammed into the wall behind it.
The spear sank deeper.
Nathan pushed again.
The resistance vanished.
The goblin's body went limp almost instantly, cleaver slipping from numb fingers and clattering to the ground.
Silence fell heavily.
Nathan staggered back, chest heaving, arms shaking violently as he struggled to stay upright.
He stared at the goblin's lifeless body.
'I just—'
Before his thought could finish forming,
[DING]
A sharp sound rang in his ears.
Nathan barely had time to register it.
Because immediately after hearing the system notification, he heard something from deeper within the tunnel.
He heard another voice.
Gibberish, urgent and loud.
Footsteps followed.
'Fast.'
Nathan's blood ran cold.
His head snapped toward the sound just as another goblin scout burst around the corner, eyes wide, weapon raised, shrieking as it charged straight at him.
The first goblin hadn't been alone.
The gibberish it had been speaking earlier, hadn't been just nonsense.
It was communication.
Nathan tightened his grip on the spear, heart hammering as the second goblin rushed toward him.
He had no time to recover.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
And Nathan had nowhere to run.