Eli jolted awake, his head pounding like a drumbeat.
He blinked hard, fighting through the haze clouding his vision.
"Where am I?"
The damp, earthy scent hit him first.
Faint light danced along jagged walls.
A cave?
Fragments of memory surged back like a tide.
The screech of tires. The blinding glare of headlights. Pain.
He scrambled to his feet, and winced at the sharpness of his movements placing his hand on his head.
Thats right...I was hit by a truck.
Panic churned in his chest.
And he looked around.
Was this... Heaven? Hell?
His gaze then dropped to his legs—and he froze.
Short. Bony. Deep olive green.
"What the—?"
He staggered back, heart hammering, and crouched to examine them closer.
There was no mistake. These legs were not his.
Hands trembling, he reached down, his fingers brushing over the rough, alien skin.
His breath caught as his hands came into view—gnarled, greenish claws tipped with thick, sharp nails.
This isn't me.
His chest tightened.
He raised a hand to his face, the sensation foreign, as if touching someone else.
High cheekbones, a pronounced brow ridge, sharp, uneven teeth, and ears—long and pointed like blades.
The reflection from a shallow puddle nearby confirmed the truth.
Staring back at him was a gaunt, green creature that looked straight out of a fantasy novel.
"A goblin?"
Eli staggered back, his breath catching in his throat, then burst into laughter—a sharp, unhinged sound that echoed through the cave.
He clutched his sides, shaking his head.
"This can't be real," he muttered between chuckles.
Either he was alive and tripping hard, or he'd died and woken up in some twisted alternate reality.
The second option seemed more likely.
He remembered getting crushed underneath the tires of the emergency truck.
"So I woke up in another world... as a goblin huh?" he said aloud, the absurdity of it hitting him.
It sounded like one of those over-the-top web novels or anime, where some unlucky guy dies in the stupidest way possible and comes back as something ridiculous like a slime or a sword.
He even remembered one where the protagonist became a vending machine.
"Seriously ridiculous," he muttered, but the memories of his own death sobered him.
He'd gone outside the hospital to get some air, barely able to stand on his weakened legs. Then, out of nowhere, an emergency truck swerved wildly onto the sidewalk.
He hadn't even had the strength to move, let alone run.
Wham.
The next thing he knew, he was here.
Eli frowned, his mind replaying the incident.
What were the odds? Did the truck malfunction? Was the driver drunk?
Or maybe… he snorted.
"Truck-kun, the infamous isekai-reaper." he said under his breath, shaking his head.
It sounded insane, but here he was—green-skinned, clawed, and in a dark, damp cave.
Insane sounded about right.
He looked around, his eyes adjusting to the gloom.
Piles of bones and shattered skeletons were stacked against the jagged walls, scattered across the dirt floor.
His stomach churned, but curiosity pushed him forward.
He crouched and picked up a brittle fragment.
Pressing it against his fingers.
It was real—he could feel it.
"This isn't a dream," he whispered, his chest tightening.
"Dammit!" he shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls.
He slammed a clawed hand into the ground, dust kicking up.
"Seriously?! I just wanted a peaceful end after everything!"
His mind reeled.
It's too much.
First, it was stage four cancer.
Then my family abandoned me because treatment was 'too expensive.'
Then I got flattened by a truck.
And now I'm a freaking goblin?
"What next? What other fresh hell is waiting for me?!" he yelled, his frustration boiling over.
As if answering his question, a sharp, guttural chattering echoed through one of the dark tunnels.
Eli froze, his head snapping toward the sound.
A group of goblins emerged from the shadows, their yellow eyes glinting like predators in the dim light.
Spears clutched in their gnarly hands, they moved with purpose—toward him.
Eli let out a long, resigned sigh, his shoulders sagging.
He should have asked that question.
The goblins advanced, their bone-tipped spears gleaming faintly in the dim cave light.
Eli's sharp gaze locked onto the leader at the front—a much larger goblin, towering a head taller than the others, with broad shoulders and thick muscles that made it look downright menacing.
Its leather armor was better crafted, almost functional, unlike the ragged scraps the smaller goblins wore.
In its clawed hands, it gripped a short, chipped metal sword and a battered wooden shield, both far more lethal than the primitive weapons of its followers.
The leader's yellow eyes narrowed, scanning Eli like a predator sizing up prey.
Eli clenched his fists, his heart pounding.
I don't even have a weapon, he thought. This is bad.
Before he could think further, a sharp metallic chime echoed in his mind like a bell struck underwater.
[You have learned the skill: Analyze (M)]
[Through observation, you are able to see a creature's name, health, and level. Other details may be revealed depending on the skill's level and the target's strength.]
[Current Level: 1 - Novice.]
Eli's eyes widened.
A skill?
He blinked as a glowing blue text box hovered in his peripheral vision showing the goblin leader's name and stats flickered faintly above its head.
[Goblin Warrior | Level: 6 | HP: 120/120]
His astonishment was cut short as the goblins snarled, their spears nearly brushing against his chest.
The leader let out a guttural growl, its sharp teeth flashing as it barked orders to its group.
Eli couldn't understand the words, but their intent was clear:
Kill the outsider.
Great. I can see their stats. Too bad that doesn't stop me from being skewered.
His hands tightened into fists as he took a step back, muscles tensing.
He was cornered. Trapped.
He knew he didn't stand a chance in a straight-up fight.
But a flicker of defiance flared in his chest.
I've already died once. There's no way I'm going out again. Not like this.
But all of a sudden the goblins halted, their aggression replaced by murmurs of excitement.
And they kept pointing at Eli, as they jabbered in their guttural language, their voices rising in awe.
To Eli's shock, he understood every word.
"Oh, the weird one has a tattoo!"
"He's blessed by Drugar!"
"A shaman!"
Eli's confusion deepened as he followed their wide-eyed stares to his shoulder.
Glancing down, he saw what they meant—a tattoo of a grotesque skull etched into his green skin.
What the hell? When did I get this?
The goblin leader stepped closer, its muscular frame casting a shadow over Eli.
The goblin's piercing yellow eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Eli froze, sweat beading on his brow.
He could feel the leader's breath, rank and hot, as it scrutinized him.
The leader growled, its voice low and commanding.
"Who are you? You're not from this clan. What are you doing in our cemetery?"
Eli's heart hammered in his chest as his mind raced.
Think, think! Say something before they skewer you!
"My clan..." he began, forcing his voice to sound steady. "It was butchered by Hobgoblins. I fought them, but they killed me. Somehow, I woke up here. I seek sanctuary with your clan. In exchange, I offer my service."
He lowered his head in a gesture of submission, his hands clenched into fists behind his back. Inside, he was praying desperately.
Please let Hobgoblins be a real thing here. Please let them hate them as much as I think they do.
The leader's sharp eyes bore into him, and for a tense moment, the cave was deathly silent.
Eli dared to sneak a glance using his newly learned skill.
[Borrack, Goblin Chief | Level: ?? | HP: ??]
Eli's breath hitched.
The goblin chief's name practically radiated authority and he couldn't even see the goblin stats.
He's way out of my league.
Borrack furrowed his brow, considering Eli's story.
The moments stretched unbearably long before he finally spoke.
"Fine. I will accept you into the clan—if you prove useful."
Eli exhaled sharply, relief washing over him.
Borrack's words continued his tone grave as he spoke to the rest of the goblin.
"If the Hobgoblins are back, they'll seek blood. The clan must prepare for war."
[Ding!]
[Your reputation with the Redmaw Clan is now Neutral.]
The hostile tension dissipated immediately.
The goblins relaxed, their chatter now filled with cautious curiosity as they cast sidelong glances at Eli, and began to leave, one muttering in a reverent tone:
"A shaman... truly blessed."
Eli followed as the goblins began filing out of the cave, the adrenaline still coursing through him. His mind reeled at everything that had just happened.
He glanced at the tattoo on his shoulder again, his lips twitching into a faint, uneasy smile.
Whatever this is, it just saved my life.