As we entered, I had expected a crude and murky room, with muddy floor and walls, as I had seen in movies. However, my eyes widened in surprise at the opulence and grandeur of the space. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings, golden embellishments, and paintings of a single Goblin in various frames lined one side of the room, depicting the leader in all his glory.

  The ceiling was high, and the room was filled with expensive furniture and luxurious fabrics. It was a stark contrast to the dark and damp tunnels we had just come from. One side of the room was dominated by a massive throne, unlike any I had ever seen before. It was large enough for me to sit in comfortably, but I knew that any Goblin that sat in it would resemble a kitten nestled comfortably in an oversized dog bed.

  My eyes were drawn to the strange collection of items scattered around the room. Near the bed, I saw chains, whips, and cuffs. It resembled equipment you might find in a torture chamber, or as if someone had a taste for pain and a strong fetish. It was a disturbing sight, to say the least.

  As we took in our surroundings, I was glad there was enough light for me to notice two guards pulling out their weapons, clearly sensing the danger we posed.

  “We are under attack! Get out of here!” one of the guards yelled.

  I assume they weren’t talking to me, so I scanned the room, looking for the leader, when Rabbit said, “He’s in bed.”

  I couldn’t see him because the four-post bed was covered, blocking both my view and any light from escaping. That was probably because of their sensitivity to light or because he didn’t want his guards to watch his extracurricular activities.

  With a sudden burst of speed, I charged toward the bed, my heart pounding in my chest.

  The three Goblins who accompanied me engaged the two guards, ensuring that they wouldn't be able to run for help. After making a quick glance to make sure the situation was stable, my attention focused directly on the bed and my task of killing the leader. My first job was to find him since I couldn’t see inside the hangings.

  When I reached the bed, I quickly slashed at the covers blocking my view and moved to peer inside.

  A glinting sword shot toward my face. With quick reflexes, I dropped back just in time, narrowly dodging the blade. Though I avoided harm, the sudden movement put me on the floor in an awkward position, leaving me vulnerable and in no shape to defend myself.

  If it hadn’t been for the sheet between us, I would’ve been in serious trouble. The tangled bedding hindered his attack, slowing the strike with its fabric.

  As I cautiously approached the bed from another direction, the sword would come out and stab if I got too close. The light sources made it so I couldn’t see the attacker, but they had no trouble seeing me. I knew this Goblin was buying time by hiding in his bed, so I was at a significant disadvantage. There was no way I could get in without serious injury.

  Desperate times called for desperate measures. I had been explicitly warned not to do what I was about to do.

  I bent my will and summoned my Fire Magic for the first time. As I focused my energy, a sudden burst of heat enveloped my arm. I expected it to be a ball in my hand, but I guessed I wasn’t specific enough, as my whole arm was on fire.

  Rabbit's laughter echoed in my head, but I ignored it, fully immersed in the chaos I was causing. Thankfully, the flames started on the outside of my shirt, and it didn’t burn me yet. I knew that would quickly change as the fire spread.

  I could hear Rabbit crying with laughter in my head and saying, “Things are getting heated.”

  I gritted my teeth and did the only thing I could think of in that moment of desperation. With the bed hangings still near me, I ignited them with my glowing arm as I ran around the posts. As I panicked, I had to switch my sword to my other hand and used it to try to put out the flames that were now engulfing my clothes. The burning fabric stuck to my skin, and I could feel the searing pain, but I pushed through it.

  A flash of steel shredded the burning drape as the Goblin leader exploded out, his sword already cutting through the air. My speed saved me as I dodged to the side just in time. He was a fearsome sight as he gripped his sword tightly, pointing it at me with fury. His eyes blazed with the same intensity as the fire that was engulfing the bed. My sleeves still smoldered from the heat, while he seemed completely untouched by the flames that raged around us.

  He darted in with another stab, fast and precise, his sword glinting as it sliced through the air. I reacted on instinct, dodging the strike with a quick sidestep, moving like a dancer locked in step with his blade.

  When his arm extended too far, I lunged forward and swung at him. He parried with flawless control, turning my momentum against me. I stumbled sideways, a sharp sting flaring in my arm as his blade grazed me.

  Speed wasn’t enough. His technique was sharper than mine, and I needed a new plan before my companions died.

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  He saw it too and shifted into a defensive stance, holding his ground instead of pressing forward.

  I hesitated, unsure how to break through. Attacking head-on was pointless, and the guards wouldn’t last much longer. This needed to end fast. Then desperation sparked a sudden idea.

  I reached into my bag and summoned a handful of coins. He saw that I had reached into my bag but couldn’t see what I had retrieved.

  “Attack him now!” I took a deep breath and yelled in perfect Goblin, pretending to give orders to a non-existent ally behind him.

  But as expected, the leader was too cunning to fall for such a simple trick. That was until I teleported the coins behind him, and they clattered to the ground.

  Instantly, the leader looked behind himself, his reflexes honed to the point where he could react to anything. He lunged sideways, sword at the ready, trying to keep me in his line of sight while simultaneously defending against an unseen attacker.

  As the leader turned toward the noise, he must have realized too late that he would be vulnerable to an attack from the other side. I seized the moment, lunging forward and driving my sword into his chest. Even with the blade embedded deep, he remained fixated on finding the source of the sound, oblivious to my deception. In his mind, the real threat still lurked nearby, hidden and waiting to strike.

  My sword pierced his midsection with surprising ease, almost too easily. The Goblin leader wore no armor, just his bedclothes, giving me a distinct advantage. But the wound didn’t seem to faze him. Ignoring the pain, he grabbed the sword still lodged in his body and released his own weapon. The sight of the hilt protruding from his chest was gruesome, yet his face remained impassive, his grip on my sword firm.

  I gritted my teeth as I felt the resistance of my sword being pulled out of the Goblin leader's midsection. The wound was severe, but he was determined to fight until his last breath. I braced myself for his attack, but instead he made a move I didn't anticipate. He tried to take my weapon from me. I fought to keep my grip on the hilt of the sword, pulling forward as he tried to wrestle it free.

  In a split-second decision, I used my helmet as a weapon, head-butting him with all my might. The force of the blow stunned the Goblin and sent him staggering backward, still clutching my sword. Without hesitation, I leaped forward, using my weight to drive us both to the ground. The impact caused the sword to plunge even further into his body, pushing it in sideways.

  With my weight and strength, though, this fight was already over. While the Goblin most likely had a higher Strength attribute and a higher level, I doubted he was that much stronger than me because of his small size. If he were a Dwarf that was built more for it, it would have been a real challenge, but the attribute only modifies one’s natural strength. If someone had a large frame like Carrick, they would naturally be stronger than someone with a more petite build, even if they had similar attributes.

  By no means was this a trivial encounter. The Goblin writhed and fought back with tenacity as I maneuvered my blade, still lodged within his body, this way and that. His pain was palpable, painting a vivid portrait of agony on his contorted visage.

  Yet, beneath the suffering, I couldn't help but admire the unyielding determination that shone through his eyes. Desperate, the Goblin reached for my face with a clawed hand, seeking to inflict whatever damage he could.

  I countered his efforts, my own hand shooting out to seize his in a vice-like grip. While my strength and weight granted me the upper hand in this macabre dance, the Goblin's stubborn refusal to succumb was vexing. His life force clung on with a tenacity that belied his frail form, and I couldn't help but wish for a swifter end to this gruesome encounter.

  I then positioned one of my legs on his arms. It would only hold for a second before he got it free, but it was enough for what I had planned. Since I didn’t have any daggers left, I reached up into my quiver, pulled out the arrow, and slammed its razor-sharp tip into the Goblin’s unprotected chest. The Goblin grabbed for it, but I just grabbed another one and thought, ‘Why won’t you die?!’

  With unyielding determination, I brandished another arrow and drove it downward. The Goblin, however, displayed an uncanny reflex, intercepting the arrow with his gnarled hand. This diversion, though painful, granted me the opportunity to maneuver the sword I gripped tightly.

  As the arrowhead pierced his hand, I pushed the blade deeper into more organs to the side. The task was far from effortless, as the ground beneath me resisted my efforts, limiting my ability to utilize it effectively. Moreover, the lack of momentum made the blade's progress through the Goblin's flesh all the more challenging. Unlike the first, swift stab where momentum lent its aid, this time the sword's passage was met with staunch resistance, as if it were cleaving through a dense, unforgiving thicket.

  At this, the Goblin leader yelled, “Help!”

  The Goblin's life was ebbing away. The blood seeping from his mouth revealed the extent of his internal injuries. For a creature like him, acknowledging the need for help was likely as painful as the wounds themselves. He had clawed his way to the top through sheer cruelty and ruthlessness, and displaying weakness would merely entice adversaries to challenge him.

  In his arrogance, he had believed he could best me, and he likely would have under different circumstances. However, the element of surprise had been on my side, tipping the scales in my favor. My large stature, coupled with the Goblin's lack of armor, had further cemented my advantage. I was under no illusion that I might have been defeated by such a formidable adversary in a fair fight. Yet, fortune had favored me, and as the Goblin's life force ebbed away, I couldn't help but feel a bittersweet mix of triumph and respect for my fallen enemy.

  As the Goblin's gaze met mine, his eyes gradually took on a glassy sheen, as if a veil of blindness was descending upon him. His body began to shudder and convulse beneath my grip, a last desperate dance in the face of death. Instinctively, I tightened my grip, suspecting he might be feigning death to lower my guard, and quickly activated my Soul Absorption Ability. A searing pain flared within, but as swiftly as it had arrived, the pain vanished, leaving in its wake power coursing through me.

  In the split second following the Goblin leader's demise, it was as if someone had flipped a switch, causing the room to be flooded with light. The previously dim and shadowy chamber was now brightly illuminated, every corner clearly visible.

  I wasn't sure what had just happened or what would happen next. It seemed as though the lights were timed to turn on the second I killed the Goblin leader. Was that an alarm tied to his life, or was it just a coincidence? Either way, I had to finish this quickly before reinforcements came.