By the time Nathan reached the rift the next morning, the chamber was already alive with movement.
Hunters passed in and out of the tunnels in loose groups, some laughing, some standing quietly while others were adjusting gear or arguing quietly about routes.
Nathan scanned the chamber instinctively.
Then he spotted Chris.
Chris was near one of the soldiers, gesturing casually as he spoke. He looked more ready to hunt than he had looked when Nathan first saw him. A sword hung at his side, clean and well maintained. His leather armor fitted with shiny metal plates in vulnerable spots.
He stood there with relaxed confidence like someone who was an experienced hunter.
'He looks different today.' Nathan thought.
As if sensing his gaze, Chris turned.
The moment he saw Nathan, his face lit up. He excused himself from the soldier and walked over with quick, eager steps.
"So?" Chris asked, stopping a few feet away. "Are we on for today?"
Nathan didn't hesitate as he nodded. "Yeah."
Chris froze for half a second.
Then he pumped his fist into the air.
"Yes!" he said, grinning. "Finally. Someone else to watch my back."
Nathan couldn't help but smile faintly at the enthusiasm. There was something genuine about it.
As they stood there, Nathan's thoughts drifted briefly to the night before.
He had stayed awake longer than usual staring at the ceiling, replaying Chris's words over and over.
'Ten goblin soldiers hmm.'
These goblins will be armored and more dangerous than the scouts he had been hunting. It wasn't the bravado that had convinced him to accept the invitation but rather inevitability.
If Nathan wanted his stats to rise beyond six, scouts alone wouldn't be enough. He needed monsters with higher averages and stronger enemies.
Goblin soldiers were the most logical progression.
But alone? Impossible.
Even the smaller chamber Chris had described held at least ten. One mistake, one bad angle, and Nathan would be overwhelmed.
Which meant that partnering with Chris was not just a choice, but his best option as there was safety in numbers.
Back in the present, Nathan exhaled slowly and looked at Chris.
"So," he said, "how are we doing this?"
Chris raised an eyebrow. "Worried?"
"A little," Nathan admitted. "Ten soldiers with just the two of us… that's a lot. Especially when, not all my stats have hit six."
Chris chuckled, clearly unconcerned.
"Relax," he said. "We're not fighting them in an open room."
Nathan tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Chris gestured toward the tunnel entrances. "If we rush into the chamber and let them surround us, yeah, we're dead but we won't be doing that."
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "We pull them. Get their attention and then retreat back into the narrow tunnel."
Understanding dawned immediately.
"The tunnel limits their numbers," Nathan said.
"Exactly," Chris replied. "No flanking or swarming to worry about. Just a funnel feeding us kills."
Nathan pictured it, the cramped tunnel that has stone walls pressing in, forcing the goblins to approach one or two at a time.
"That… actually makes a lot of sense," Nathan admitted.
Chris grinned. "Right? Sometimes even I can come up with smart plans."
Nathan nodded. "Alright. I'm ready."
"Good," Chris said. "Then follow my lead."
Chris turned and headed toward the fourth tunnel from the left.
Nathan followed right behind him.
As they entered the tunnel, the noise of the chamber faded quickly swallowed by the thick concrete walls.
Nathan paid close attention to Chris's movements.
Chris didn't rush but didn't walk slow either, his steps were light and deliberate. His hand hovered over his sword ready in case something comes up, eyes constantly scanning ahead and to the sides.
'He knows what he's doing.' Nathan realized.
This wasn't someone pretending to be confident but the reflection of pure experience.
They progressed deeper in silence, the only sounds their footsteps and the distant drip of water echoing through the tunnel.
Then-
Chris suddenly moved.
He stepped forward fast, almost explosively.
Nathan's heart jumped. He tightened his grip on the spear instantly, muscles tensing as he prepared for an ambush or sudden attack.
'Wha-?'
Before Nathan could react further, Chris raised a hand towards him without turning back.
"Hold." Chris said quietly.
Nathan stopped. Chris took two more steps, then angled slightly to the side.
"You can come now." Chris added.
Nathan approached cautiously and when he reached Chris's side he saw them.
Two goblin scouts lay crumpled on the ground, bodies still with clean cuts marked their necks. The cuts looked very precise and clean.
Nathan blinked.
'He killed them already?'
He hadn't heard anything at all, no gibberish, no moving.
Nathan swallowed.
"You… heard them?" he asked.
Chris nodded casually. "Yeah. They were whispering."
'Whispering?' Nathan thought, stunned.
'I didn't hear a thing.'
That realization hit harder than he expected. Chris's awareness had to be significantly higher than his.
Nathan glanced down at the bodies, then back at Chris. "How high are your stats?"
Chris hesitated for just a fraction of a second.
"Most of them are close to ten," he said. "If I keep hunting soldiers, I'll probably hit it soon."
Nathan frowned.
"That doesn't make sense," he said slowly. "Goblin soldiers average around nine, no?"
Chris looked at him for a moment, then letting out a deep sigh.
"Yeah," he said. "Most of them do."
Nathan felt a subtle tightening in his chest.
'Something is off.'
Chris noticed the shift immediately.
"Hey," he said, holding up a hand. "I get it, it sounds weird so let me explain."
Nathan didn't interrupt.
Chris continued, "Not all monsters are the same, even within the same type sometimes you get abnormal ones who are stronger, faster and smarter."
"Variants?" Nathan murmured.
"Exactly," Chris said. "They're rarer, but they exist."
Nathan nodded slowly, to him this explanation made sense.
Still, a question lingered in his mind.
Chris went on, "Honestly, I don't hunt goblins for stats anymore."
Nathan looked at him sharply. "Then why?"
Chris smiled faintly.
"Because they're efficient," he said. "Easy to kill, low risk and their drop quality is solid."
Nathan's eyes widened slightly.
"Shards?" he realized.
Chris nodded. "Even the worst shard sells for a few thousand and soldiers have a better drop rate than scouts."
That clicked immediately.
'That's why stronger hunters are still here.' Nathan realized.
'They aren't here for the stats but rather for profits.'
He thought back to the administrated chamber, to the well-equipped hunters moving in and out of goblin tunnels despite clearly being overqualified.
As Nathan absorbed this, Chris stopped walking.
He raised his hand again.
Nathan halted instantly.
Chris stared ahead into the darkness, eyes narrowing.
Then he spoke, voice low and serious.
"We're here," he said. "Get ready."
Nathan's heart began to pound.
Ahead of them, the tunnel widened slightly hinting that there was a larger space beyond.
And somewhere inside it, the goblin soldiers were waiting.