Ephraim decided to hide and carefully sneak toward the source of the sound, staying alert to his surroundings.
He took extra care to avoid stepping on any stray branches or anything that might give away his position—determined not to make the same mistakes he'd read about in countless stories.
He knew staying unseen was key. Being hidden would give him the advantage of controlling the situation, allowing him to observe first and plan a sneak attack if needed.
Considering he might be in another world, Ephraim pushed aside any naive thoughts of trying to befriend the first creatures he encountered.
As someone who worked a regular office job, Ephraim knew he might panic if suddenly attacked; he was aware of his own limits.
"In most stories I've read, those who underestimate their enemies always die…" Ephraim thought.
"I won't have any illusions about my own capabilities either. This isn't a game." He said this to himself as a reminder.
He didn't fool himself into thinking he was a hero like in the novels he'd read. Just because he was transported to another world didn't mean he could handle whatever came his way.
Bringing his focus back to the present, Ephraim crept closer to the source of the sound. When he finally saw the creatures, he was taken aback.
The creatures were small, only about chest-high, with green skin like the goblins he'd read about. Their bodies were covered in tribal-looking tattoos.
They wore scraps of animal hide around their waists, leaving the rest of their skin bare.
"Goblins?" Ephraim wondered silently as he studied them.
There were three in total. Two held crude clubs, while the tallest carried a short, jagged blade.
They had cornered a dark, rodent-like creature, though Ephraim couldn't quite tell if it was a mouse, hamster, or rat. He raised an eyebrow.
"Are they so hungry that they're surrounding a tiny rodent?" Ephraim muttered, the scene both unsettling and strangely amusing.
The two with clubs seemed smaller and weaker than the goblin holding the blade; maybe they were his lackeys.
What struck Ephraim most was how frail they all looked—practically malnourished, their ribs visible beneath green skin stretched taut. It made sense, then, that they'd target even a small creature like this.
"Guess a bit of meat is still meat, no matter the size," he thought, a mix of curiosity and pity rising within him as he watched.
The small rodent in the center of the goblins' circle didn't look afraid at all.
Its tiny face twisted into what could almost be called an indignant glare, as if thinking, "Really? I'm hardly a mouthful, and you three think it's worth ganging up on me?"
Despite being outnumbered, the rodent stood its ground, body tense and ready to fight. Even against overwhelming odds, it seemed prepared to go down swinging, defiance burning in its fiery eyes.
Seeing the fierce look in the rodent's eyes, Ephraim thought, A cornered animal is as dangerous as a wounded one.
When there's no escape, desperation drives them to lash out in pure survival instinct.
The situation was unpredictable: three malnourished goblins poised to attack a tiny rodent, and on the other side, a cornered animal ready to fight for its life, its desperation possibly giving it the edge.
The goblins' low grumbles and the tiny rodent's defiant stance created a tense standoff. Ephraim's heartbeat quickened, but he forced himself to remain still.
After weighing his options, Ephraim decided to wait until the fight began. In the chaos, he'd have a better chance of acting unnoticed, giving him the edge he needed to stay safe.
He scanned his surroundings, wary of hidden threats. Though he wasn't confident in his observation skills, staying alert was better than rushing in unprepared.
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he refocused on the scene before him, keeping his guard up for any surprises.
The tension thickened, and Ephraim's instincts told him that in this unknown world, vigilance was his best defense. He took a steady breath, fully concentrated on the impending battle.