Kain continues to travel down the cave tunnels making sure to keep track of where he has been. He spots another goblin.
The air crackled with tension in the cave clearing. Kain, gripped his hammer tightly. His weapon was a brutal thing, its head marked with deep grooves from the continuous battles. Across from him stood a goblin, wiry and quick, its yellowed eyes gleaming with malice. It clutched a crude spear, the tip smeared with something dark and sticky.
The goblin hissed, darting forward, the spear thrusting low toward Kain's legs. Kain sidestepped, his bare feet digging into the softened earth, and swung his hammer in a wide arc. The goblin leaped back, the hammer missing by inches and slamming into the ground with a dull thud that sent dirt flying.
"I'll need to be faster than that," Kain growled, his voice a deep rumble.
The goblin screeched in response, its jagged teeth bared, and lunged again, this time feinting left before striking toward Kain's exposed ribs. Kain twisted his body, the spearhead grazing his exposed side but failing to penetrate. Using the momentum of his turn, he brought the hammer around in a vicious horizonal swing.
The goblin barely ducked in time, the hammer brushing the spiked hair atop its head. The force of the swing unbalanced Kain for a moment, and the goblin seized the opportunity, stabbing at his thigh. This time, the spear found flesh, biting into Kain's leg. He grunted in pain but didn't falter, grabbing the spear's shaft with his free hand.
With a roar, Kain yanked the spear from the goblin's grasp, tossing it aside. The goblin screeched again, scrabbling backward, but Kain pressed the advantage. He raised his hammer high and brought it down in a brutal overhead strike. The goblin rolled to the side just as the hammer crashed into the ground, splintering a rock and sending shards flying.
The goblin sprang to its feet, now weaponless but no less dangerous. It clawed at Kain's arm, sharp nails raking across his forearm. Kain snarled and drove his knee into the goblin's chest, sending it sprawling. Before it could recover, he swung his hammer sideways, the head connecting with the goblin's side with a sickening crunch.
The goblin let out a strangled gasp, collapsing in a heap. It tried to crawl away, but Kain stepped on its back, pinning it to the ground. He raised his hammer one final time.
"Give me the exp," he muttered, bringing the weapon down.
The clearing fell silent save for Kain's labored breathing. He leaned on the wall of the cave, blood dripping from the gash in his leg, and surveyed the still form of the goblin.
"Next time," he muttered to himself, "I'll wear full armor."
With a weary sigh, he begins to extract the core.
exp +10
"To think that goblin was a level 2 and I still had so much trouble with it. And here I thought I was on a roll".
Kain removes some of the cloth off the goblin and ties it around his wounded leg.
Kain decides that this is a good time to take a breather
The air inside the cave was thick with the metallic tang of damp stone and the lingering scent of blood. Illuminated crystals cast long shadows, turning the stalactites above into jagged teeth.
Kain leaned against a wall for a brief moment, his chest heaving as he adjusted his grip on the blacksmithing hammer in his hand. His leg throbbed, blood seeping through the makeshift bandage he had hastily tied around the wound. But he didn't have time to rest.
A guttural snarl echoed through the cavern, and the goblin stepped into view, its beady yellow eyes gleaming with malice. It brandished a crude wooden club, its gnarled surface dotted with sharp stones embedded for extra lethality. The creature grinned, revealing rows of jagged teeth, and darted forward, its movements quick and erratic.
Kain shifted his weight to his good leg and raised his hammer. The goblin closed the distance in a blur, swinging its club with surprising force. Kain deflected the blow with the haft of his hammer, the impact jolting up his arm. Gritting his teeth, he countered with a heavy downward strike. The goblin hissed and leapt back, the hammer's head smashing into the stone floor where it had stood, sending shards of rock flying.
The goblin darted to the side, circling him, searching for an opening. Kain kept turning, his injured leg screaming in protest with each movement. The goblin feinted left and then lunged right, swinging its club low. Kain barely managed to twist away, but the goblin's weapon clipped his injured leg. Pain flared white-hot, and he stumbled, falling to one knee.
The goblin screeched triumphantly and rushed in for the kill. But Kain wasn't done yet. As the goblin raised its club for a finishing blow, Kain shifted his grip and hurled his hammer forward. The heavy tool struck the goblin square in the chest, the impact knocking it off its feet and sending it skidding across the cavern floor.
Kain growled through gritted teeth and forced himself to stand, dragging himself toward the dazed goblin. His vision blurred from pain and exhaustion, but he couldn't stop now. He reached the hammer just as the goblin began to stir. It hissed and scrambled to its feet, but Kain swung upward with all his strength, catching the goblin under the chin. The creature's head snapped back, and it crumpled to the ground, its club clattering away.Kain using this chance to beat the goblin until he got the notification.
+30 exp
Panting, Kain dropped the hammer, leaning heavily against the cavern wall as he stared down at the lifeless form. The throbbing in his leg reminded him of the price he'd paid for survival, but he couldn't afford to collapse now. He had to get out of here . Behind him, the echoes of the fight faded, swallowed by the silence of the cave.
The dim light from the cave's crystals spilled faintly into the dark, casting long shadows across the jagged walls. Kain limped forward, every step a struggle as pain radiated from the crude bandage around his thigh. His leg had been pierced clean through by a goblin's spear, and though he'd managed to bind the wound, his blood had soaked through the cloth, leaving a dark, damp trail behind him.
The goblin's spear—wickedly sharp and crude—rested across his shoulders, one hand gripping it tightly for balance. Its shaft was splintered and uneven, stained with both his blood and the foul ichor of the goblin he had fought. The weapon was more a trophy than material, a reminder of his survival in the depths of the cave.
The cave seemed alive with noise: the distant drip of water, the soft rustle of unseen creatures, and the echoes of Kain's labored breathing. His malnourished body protested every movement, his energy long since spent in the battle that had left him wounded and battered. But the sight of the faint light ahead—the promise of escape—kept him moving.
His steps faltered as his injured leg gave way, and he crashed to one knee, the spear clattering against the stone floor. Kain clenched his teeth, a guttural growl of frustration escaping his lips. He leaned on the spear to push himself up, using it as a crutch. His vision blurred from the effort, and the cave's oppressive air made each breath feel heavy.
"I'm not dying here," he muttered to himself, forcing his good leg to bear the weight as he staggered forward again.
The cave sloped upward, the ground uneven and treacherous. Each step sent fresh jolts of pain up his leg, but Kain pressed on. The memory of the goblin's twisted grin as it lunged at him spurred him forward. He had fought for his life and won, but barely. The thought of what might still be lurking deeper in the cave made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
As he neared the entrance, the light of the portal grew brighter, and the stale air began to give way to the faint scent of the forest outside. Kain's heart quickened. He was so close. He adjusted his grip on the spear, using it to steady himself as he navigated the last stretch of uneven ground.
Finally, he stepped out of the portal into the open air. The sun was low on the horizon, casting the forest in hues of gold and orange. Kain squinted against the light, the warmth on his skin a sharp contrast to the cold, damp air of the cave. He collapsed against a boulder just outside the entrance, the spear falling to the ground beside him.
For a moment, he simply sat there, letting the realization sink in. He had survived. Despite the pain, the hunger, and the odds stacked against him, he was alive. He picked up the goblin's spear and examined it, running his fingers over the rough wood and jagged metal tip. It wasn't much, but it was his now—a hard-won prize from a fight he'd never forget.
"I'll get stronger," Kain whispered, his voice hoarse but resolute. "Next time... I'll be ready."