The creature lunged at me, its rusty knife gleaming under the light. My body tensed, every instinct screaming for me to run, but my legs were trapped in a mix of fear and confusion. The goblin was a heartbeat away from being upon me, its yellow eyes locked onto mine, its mouth full of sharp teeth twisting into a sadistic grin.
"Am I… going to die again?" I thought. But something within me rebelled—something primal, fierce, a spark that refused to be snuffed out. "Not this time," I told myself.
Without a second thought, I gathered every bit of strength I had and punched it straight in the face. My fist collided with its jaw, and the goblin staggered back, grunting in surprise and anger. There was no time to think; as soon as it stumbled, I jumped toward it and hit it again, this time in the stomach, making it screech in pain.
But the creature was fast. It recovered and counterattacked with its knife, thrusting it toward my side. I felt the sharp sting of a shallow cut, but I didn't stop. Fueled by adrenaline, I grabbed its arm with both hands, wrestling with it as the goblin let out guttural screams, struggling to break free. The knife wavered dangerously close to my face, but I managed to shove it to the ground in a desperate push.
Suddenly, my hands touched something hard and cold on the ground—a rock about the size of my fist. Without hesitation, I picked it up and raised it with all my strength. The goblin's eyes widened, perhaps realizing what was about to happen, but I didn't give it a chance. I brought the rock crashing down on its head with a brutal blow.
The creature stopped moving, its hunched body slumping and its knife slipping from its limp hand. My chest heaved as I looked down at it, trying to grasp what had just happened. I stared at the blood-stained rock in my hand and the lifeless goblin at my feet, a shiver running down my spine. I had survived, but for the first time in a long while, I had no idea where I was or how I'd even gotten there.
The silence after the fight was shattered by a shrill scream. A nearby woman, still disoriented, had her hands over her mouth, pointing at the goblin's body on the ground, terror etched into her eyes.
"What… what is that?" she screamed, backing away. Her gaze shifted from the creature's corpse to me, and I saw her eyes fill with fear. Soon, others around her began to awaken, taking in the scene with the same expression of bewilderment and horror.
A murmur of confusion spread among them, and more people edged away, staring at me as if I were the true monster. Their eyes were fixed on me, full of judgment, as they retreated in every direction. It didn't seem to matter that a goblin lay dead at my feet; all they saw was a stranger with bloody hands and a defiant look, someone who had killed in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, a gut-wrenching scream echoed from a distance, a sound filled with agony and despair. Turning around, I saw a terrifying scene: atop a nearby hill, not far from us, another group of people was being massacred by creatures similar to the goblin I had just killed. The monsters, green and feral, wielding knives and sharp teeth, attacked with savage ferocity. The people tried to flee, but many fell beneath the creatures' blades.
Panic gripped everyone around me. Watching the massacre on the hill, some people began to scream and run in every direction, pushing and shoving each other in a frantic attempt to escape. Fear and chaos took hold, and several turned their gaze back to me, now with an irrational hatred, as if blaming me for what was happening gave them some false sense of control.
"It's his fault! He must have brought us here!" someone shouted, and a few others nodded, fear warping their reasoning into a spiral of irrationality.
Before I could respond or try to calm them, I saw something that chilled me to the bone: eight more goblins, armed with knives and improvised spears, emerging from the tall grass, their yellow eyes glinting with malice as they approached us slowly. Their guttural snarls and laughter filled the air, and with every step they took, the panic in the group grew.
The people around me started to flee in every direction, chaos and desperation taking over. I knew our chances of survival were slim, but I also knew that in this strange world, the only option was to fight.
"Get back here and fight, you cowards!" I shouted, trying to get the attention of those who hadn't yet run. But my words seemed to dissolve in the chaos as the goblins advanced, eager to unleash another slaughter.
The chaos had gripped everyone, and I barely had time to prepare myself to face the oncoming goblins when, suddenly, the sound of hooves and steel slicing through the air echoed across the prairie. From the distance, a group of brilliant figures appeared, advancing with speed and precision. As they got closer, I could see their gleaming armor, covered in intricate details that seemed to glow in the sunlight as if crafted from some special metal.
The knights charged at the goblins, drawing long swords and spears that flashed with lethal precision. With swift, calculated movements, they slaughtered the creatures in mere seconds, cutting and felling each one with ease. The goblins, who moments earlier had advanced with savage confidence, retreated in terror, trying to escape, but it was useless. Each one fell under the shining blades of the warriors.
When the last goblin fell to the ground, two figures stood out among the knights. At the front was a man around forty, with dark hair and a face marked by experience, advancing with steady steps. His armor, more ornate and majestic than the others, was adorned with symbols that appeared ancient and powerful. Beside him, a young woman of stunning beauty, with blonde hair cascading in waves over her shoulders, emerged from the rear, her clear eyes scanning the group of people, observing each one with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
The older man stopped in front of me, lowering his sword with a casual movement, as if he had just finished a simple task. He looked me up and down, and upon noticing the dead goblin at my feet, he smirked with a sly grin.
"Well… so we had one with guts here," he said, his deep voice filled with a mix of amusement and surprise. He let out a hearty laugh, and the other knights around him joined in, though their gazes remained respectful toward their leader.