Time slowed to a crawl, the weight of my sister's trembling voice hanging heavy in the thick, oppressive air. Each word felt like an echo in a world reduced to the immediate danger ahead of us as if reality itself was buckling under the impending chaos. The shrill laughter of goblins reverberated off the concrete walls, their guttural voices growing louder as they closed in, their presence tainting the night with palpable malice.
"Get behind me," I commanded, my voice cutting through the tense silence, though inside, fear gnawed at the edges of my composure like a wild animal. My throat felt tight, but I refused to let my sister see any cracks in the mask of determination I wore. "Keep your eyes on our flank. Anything moves back there, you tell me. Got it?"
Hannah gave a sharp nod, her face pale but unreadable, her gaze darting behind us like a frightened rabbit, desperately searching for safety in the darkness. Every second counted now.
I shifted my stance, the familiar weight of the axe grounding me, its rough handle cool against my sweat-slicked palms. My pulse hammered in my ears, the rhythmic drumming blending with the approaching footfalls of our monstrous pursuers. I inhaled deeply, forcing calm into my lungs as I settled into focus, my body coiled and ready.
"Above us!" Hannah's voice shattered the fragile stillness, laced with panic. "They're right above us!"
Instinctively, my gaze shot upwards, locking onto a dark figure hurtling down from the shadows. The goblin, weapon poised for a deadly strike, screeched a battle cry. My muscles reacted before my mind had fully caught up, and I swung the axe upward in a savage arc, meeting its crude mace midair. The collision rang out, steel against steel, the force of it jarring through my bones and into my shoulders.
"Shit," I hissed through clenched teeth, the sharp sting of impact sending tremors through my arms. The goblin let out a piercing snarl as it was flung backward, hitting the ground with an unnatural grace. It landed on its feet, unbothered by the clash, its beady eyes gleaming with malicious glee. Its jagged teeth stretched into something resembling a twisted grin as it leveled its weapon, the pointed tip aimed squarely at my chest.
"Kekeke! Grak nak, humie!" it screeched in its guttural tongue. (Die, human!)
Without warning, four more goblins leaped from the shadows, their lithe bodies moving with unnerving speed and coordination. Their grotesque forms blurred as they surged forward, a storm of limbs and weapons, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
"Hannah, get into the alley! Now!" I roared, charging toward the oncoming swarm with my axe raised. Hannah didn't hesitate, sprinting into the narrow passage behind us, her footsteps fading as I threw myself into the fray.
I swung the axe, its blade singing through the air with lethal intent. The lead goblin ducked just in time, but the force of my strike sent it staggering back, crashing into its snarling comrades. Using the moment of chaos to my advantage, I spun on my heels, gripping the axe tightly as I swept it in a wide, savage arc.
The steel cleaved through flesh and bone, the nearest goblin's neck giving way beneath the brutal strike. A spray of hot blood splattered across the pavement, painting the ground in a crimson spatter as the goblin's lifeless body crumpled.
-
[You have defeated (1/5) Goblin Grunt (Level 1)]
20 XP received.
-
Without warning, another goblin lunged toward me, its jagged, rust-covered blade catching the first rays of the morning sun. The crude weapon slashed through the air in a frenzied arc, aimed straight at my ribs. I wasn't fast enough.
A sharp cry tore from my throat as searing pain erupted along my side. "Gah!" I gasped, clutching my wound as warm blood began to seep through my fingers, pooling at my abdomen. The gash was deep, and with each passing second, the burning sensation worsened, the iron scent of blood filling the air.
"Zugra! Fay da humie!" one of the goblins barked in their guttural language, its sharp voice slicing through the chaos. (Go! Get that human!) Its command rang out as two more goblins took advantage of my momentary distraction. I could only watch, heart pounding, as they set their beady eyes on Hannah.
Panic surged through me, my chest tightening as I saw one of them sprint toward her with reckless abandon, its grotesque form hunched forward, brandishing a crooked dagger. The danger to her was real, immediate. Every instinct in me screamed to act, but the relentless throbbing in my side made it hard to breathe, let alone think.
-
[50% HP remaining]
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"FUCK!" Adrenaline pumped through my veins, my heart pounding like a war drum. I clenched my teeth, rage boiling over. "I promised to keep her safe!" The words tore from my throat, raw with desperation and fury.
"Quick Step!" In a blur of motion, I closed the distance between us, my axe slicing through the air with a sickening hiss. The first goblin never saw it coming. With a savage arc, the blade split its body clean in two, a spray of blood painting the earth beneath its feet.
I didn't stop to breathe. I couldn't afford to. The other two goblins rushed at me, their beady eyes gleaming with malice. One lunged, snarling like a rabid beast, but I was already moving. "Cross-Slash!" My blades flashed in the rising sun, glinting like the fangs of a predator. The goblin let out a strangled cry as it was torn apart mid-air, its body falling in four pieces to the ground with a sickening thud.
The last goblin – the one that had been barking orders – stood frozen, trembling as it watched its comrades die before it. Blood dripped from my axe, pooling at my feet as I took a slow, menacing step forward. The creature's bravado faltered, its bravado gone, replaced by a flicker of fear.
I stared down at it, my voice cold as the edge of my blade. "Any last words, asshole?"
The goblin spat, baring its jagged teeth in defiance. "Kekeke, zog nak, humie!" (Fuck you, human!)
My lips curled into a bitter smirk. "Wrong answer."
Without hesitation, I swung my axe the blade slicing clean through its neck like butter. Its head rolled across the bloodstained ground; eyes still wide with shock as the body collapsed like a ragdoll.
-
[You have defeated (4/5) Goblin Grunt (Level 1)]
60 XP received.
[You have leveled up]
-
Hannah's frantic cries echoed in the alley, her back pressed firmly against the cold, cracked wall as the goblin leered at her. Its green skin was slick with grime, and it twirled a jagged knife between its clawed fingers. A twisted grin stretched across its face, revealing yellow, uneven teeth.
"Grak nak, humie. Fodda koz!" (Die, human. Food for us.)
Terror seized her. "Shit! Shit!" she screamed, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Her mind raced, but her body felt frozen, paralyzed by the malevolent creature closing in. It raised its blade high, preparing to strike.
"BIG BROTHER, HELP ME!" Her desperate plea rang out.
The goblin let out a guttural snarl and lunged forward with lethal intent.
"Shitty Shield!" I bellowed the shield glitched into existence in my grip and with an unnatural confidence. My eyes narrowed. "Aim Throw!" With deadly precision, I hurled the shield, sending it spinning through the air like a lethal discus. The shield sliced through the space between us, whistling with raw force, its edge gleaming under the faint neon lights.
*Thwack!*
The shield slammed into the goblin's skull with brutal impact, piercing straight through. Blood sprayed in an arc, thick and dark, splattering across the wall behind Hannah. The creature's grotesque face twisted for a fraction of a second before its body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. The goblin's knife clattered uselessly beside its limp hand, and the sound of its fall was punctuated by a sickening wet thud.
-
[Quest completed: Survive the Goblin's ambush]
[100 XP and 1x D-rank Skill received.]
[You have leveled up]
[D-rank Skill: 'Hunter's Instinct' obtained.]
[10 stat points have been awarded.]-
Hannah stood frozen, her face pale, eyes wide, and her body trembling beneath the weight of the gore. Goblin guts dripped from her hair, and her clothes were sticky with the blood of the fallen creature. Her gaze was fixed, unblinking, on the lifeless goblin at her feet, its twisted body still leaking fluids. Her breaths came in shallow, panicked bursts, and tears began streaming down her cheeks, mixing with the grime on her skin.
I stepped toward her, my heart sinking at the sight of her distress. Gently, I placed a hand on her trembling shoulder. She flinched violently at the touch, but her eyes never left the corpse. Her breathing quickened even further, panic evident in every gasping breath.
"Hannah," I murmured softly, drawing her closer. I pulled her into a tight embrace, ignoring the sticky, foul-smelling mess that smeared across my clothes. She was trembling like a leaf in a storm, and I held her tighter as if my arms could shield her from the horrors she'd just witnessed. "It's okay. I'm here. They can't hurt you anymore."
For a moment, she remained rigid in my arms, her sobs barely audible. Then she crumpled against me, burying her tear-streaked face into my shoulder, her sobs becoming louder, more desperate. The weight of everything finally hit her, and I could feel her breaking down, piece by piece, her fear and shock unraveling.
I ran a hand through her tangled hair, trying to soothe her trembling body, my voice a low, calming whisper. "You're safe now. I've got you. We'll get through this together."
Her sobs continued, raw and heart-wrenching, but she clung to me as if I were the last solid thing in a world that had suddenly turned upside down. And for a long moment, I just held her, giving her the time she needed to feel safe again.