Lucas heard a strange noise close by. The sound prickled his senses—it was like voices, low and rough, speaking in a language he'd never heard before. He froze, listening, his heart thumping wildly.
The footsteps grew closer, their rhythm heavy and deliberate. The noise sent a chill up his spine, and without a second thought, he ducked down, slipping into the bushes beside him, hoping he hadn't been seen.
'What… what was that?!' His mind raced, fear clawing at him. Lucas thought of the possibilities that monsters lurked in this world, ones he'd been cautious about.
Lucas hoped that these footsteps belong to humans and not monsters. His pulse pounded in his ears as he crouched low, hiding, listening. He trembled, straining to hear if the steps would pass him by.
But the sounds only drew closer, closer still, and a sickening dread settled in his stomach. 'If these are really monsters,' he thought, swallowing hard, 'there's no way I could fight them.'
With each step, his heart seemed to beat louder. All he could do was stay hidden and hope they'd pass, though he had a terrible, sinking feeling that these footsteps don't belong to humans. Something inside him was screaming that these were the monsters he'd dreaded.
He barely dared to breathe as the footsteps crept toward him, breaking twigs and rustling leaves. His body felt like stone, frozen by the fear of what he might see.
The creatures finally came into view.
Lucas's eyes widened, a silent gasp caught in his throat. 'No way!'
The creatures were almost the same size as a human, with sickly green skin, pointed ears, and a look so unsettling it made his skin crawl.
They were the size of humans, but their appearance was unmistakable. Goblins. He felt his mouth go dry, horror seizing him. He pressed himself closer to the ground, trying to sink deeper into his hiding place.
The goblins shuffled forward, passing so near he could make out the rough texture of their skin and the strange, coarse fabrics they wore. Lucas squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to make a sound, but the shock was overwhelming. Before he could stop himself, he let out a small, frightened whisper. "Is… is that a goblin?"
The goblins stopped dead. They turned, glancing around, their eyes sharp and scanning every shadow, every bush. Lucas felt panic rise like a wave, his heart hammering as he clamped his hand over his mouth. 'If they find me, I'm done for,' he thought, a shiver running down his spine.
The goblins searched for a tense, endless moment, and Lucas hardly dared to breathe. His lungs burned as he held himself completely still, praying they wouldn't notice him. At last, they turned away, apparently satisfied, and continued their march. Their footsteps faded, growing quieter, until finally, they disappeared into the trees.
Lucas exhaled in a rush, his whole body shaking. He lay down flat on the ground, staring up at the leaves above as he fought to calm his breathing, his heart still pounding painfully in his chest. 'Thank goodness… I'm alive.' He hadn't realized how close he'd come to suffocating with his hand over his mouth.
His mind swirled as he lay there, stunned. 'Goblins… in this world?' In his own world, goblins existed only in myths, strange creatures of old tales. Of course, he'd known he was in another world, but to actually see a creature from Earth's legends right in front of him—it made his head spin.
'I thought of the possibility that monsters that are a myth in my world might be real here, but I thought that the chances were too small. I only saw those in novels and webtoons after all, usually if the main character found themselves in another world the monsters that they have to face are the same monsters that are nothing but a myth on earth.'
He was in another world. Why would the creatures that existed here exist on earth even as a myth? It doesn't make sense.
'Ugh… this is making my head hurt.' He clenched his fists. 'If goblins exist here, then that means… there might be even more monsters from Earth's legends walking around.' The thought alone made him feel faint. He shuddered. 'Just the goblins alone were enough to scare me out of my wits.'
'I just… I just want to go home,' he thought, his chest tight with longing. 'This world is just too dangerous.'
But he couldn't stay here, no matter how frightening the forest seemed. He still needed to find a village. He was running out of energy, and without food or water, he wouldn't last much longer. The hours he'd spent wandering were taking a toll on him, but he knew he had no choice but to press on.
With one last deep breath, he forced himself to sit up, his gaze sweeping the area around him. When he was sure the goblins were gone, he crept out from the bushes, trying to make as little noise as possible. He would be more cautious this time, he promised himself, as he slowly, carefully continued his journey through the dense forest.