Chapter 6: Commanding Fear
The golden eyes flickered nervously in the darkness, the faint murmurs of the goblins growing louder as they shuffled among themselves. The hatchling's claws clicked against the stone floor as he stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the trembling creatures.
Before he could say anything, a group of larger goblins emerged from the shadows, their movements deliberate but cautious. Their rough, leathery skin bore faint scars, and crude weapons dangled from their belts.
One of them, an older goblin with a hunched back and a gnarled staff, stepped forward, bowing slightly. Its voice was gruff but laced with nervousness.
"Sir Lord… why you come here?"
The hatchling blinked, tilting his head. Did that goblin just talk?
He hesitated for a moment, then smirked, his claws scraping lightly against the ground. "Why? Am I not allowed to come here?"
The elder goblin flinched, its eyes widening. It shook its head rapidly, the others following suit, their low murmurs turning into frantic whispers.
"N-no, no! Not what I meant, Sir Lord!" the elder stammered, bowing lower. "How may we humble ones help you?"
The hatchling froze, his glowing eyes narrowing. Sir Lord? What the hell is going on?
He opened his mouth to ask another question, but the words caught in his throat. A realization hit him—he understood them. Every word.
"How am I…" he started, his voice trailing off.
The system chimed in, interrupting his thoughts.
[System Alert]
Universal Language Translation Active.
→ All spoken languages are automatically translated for the player's understanding.
He blinked, the glowing text hanging in the air as he processed the explanation.
"…Of course," he muttered. "Because why not?"
The elder goblin raised its head slightly, its wrinkled features twisted in confusion. "Sir Lord…?"
The hatchling shook his head, exhaling sharply as he straightened his posture.
"Nothing much," he growled, his tone casual. "I just wanted to visit and look around. Can't I?"
The goblins froze for a moment, then collectively scrambled into frantic bows.
"Of course, Sir Lord!" the elder cried. "This place is yours to visit as you please!"
The hatchling smirked internally, his tail swaying behind him. Perfect.
I can stay here for the next 24 hours and complete my mission.
Kekeke…
The goblins had finally settled, their murmurs fading into the background as they returned to their positions, some kneeling, others keeping a respectful distance. The hatchling stretched his claws and glanced around the cave, his glowing eyes scanning the dimly lit interior.
Before he could step further in, a small figure darted out from the group.
"Sir Lord!"
The voice was high-pitched and squeaky, a stark contrast to the gruff tones of the elder. The young goblin skidded to a stop in front of him, nearly tripping over its own feet.
It was smaller than the others, barely reaching his chest, with wide, gleaming eyes that sparkled with admiration.
"Let me guide you, Sir Lord!" the young goblin exclaimed, its voice brimming with excitement.
The elders immediately stiffened, their expressions horrified.
"Forgive him, Lord!" the elder goblin with the staff cried, scrambling forward. "He is but a foolish child. Please do not—"
The hatchling raised a claw, silencing the elder mid-sentence.
"I need a guide," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Let him show me around."
The elder froze, their mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "O-of course, Sir Lord," they stammered, bowing deeply.
The young goblin practically bounced with excitement, its small frame trembling as it pointed toward the deeper parts of the cave.
"This way, Sir Lord! I'll show you everything!"
The hatchling followed, his claws scraping lightly against the stone as the young goblin led him through the winding paths. The cave was large but sparsely decorated, its rocky walls jagged and uneven. Pools of water collected in shallow dips, and small, makeshift areas appeared to be used for storage and sleeping.
"Look, Sir Lord!" the young goblin chirped, gesturing toward a corner piled with shiny objects. "That's our treasure hoard! Well… what's left of it after the raids…"
The hatchling raised a brow, his tail swaying slightly. "Treasure hoard?"
"Mostly shiny rocks, Sir Lord," the goblin admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of its head. "But it's ours!"
The tour continued, the young goblin's chatter filling the otherwise quiet cave.
As they passed a larger chamber, the young goblin suddenly turned, its eyes wide with excitement.
"Sir Lord, you were so cool! The way you killed that beast outside… it was amazing!"
The hatchling blinked, the goblin's words settling in his mind.
So that's why…
He glanced back toward the entrance of the cave, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. The battle with the Clawstalker had drawn attention—fear, respect, even admiration.
"Well," he said, his voice low and calm, "I couldn't let it kill me again, could I?"
The young goblin tilted its head. "Again?"
"Never mind," the hatchling said quickly, brushing past the question. "Show me the next part."
The young goblin chattered on as they moved deeper into the cave. Small groups of goblins peeked out from behind corners, their expressions ranging from wary to curious. Among them were female goblins, distinguishable by their slightly smaller frames and intricately braided hair adorned with tiny beads and feathers.
One of the females bowed slightly as they passed, her eyes flickering with a mix of fear and curiosity. The hatchling's gaze lingered for a moment before the young goblin tugged at his attention.
"Over here, Sir Lord! Look!"
The goblin pointed to a patch of faintly glowing plants growing in a damp crevice. Their leaves shimmered with a strange iridescence, and tiny blue flowers dotted their stems.
"What's this?" the hatchling asked, crouching to inspect the plants.
"Those are healing herbs, Sir Lord!" the goblin said proudly. "We use them for wounds. But don't touch those!" It pointed to a nearby patch of red-veined plants with spiky leaves.
"Why not?"
"They make your head all spinny and weird," the goblin said, twirling its finger around its head for emphasis. "Korg tried chewing one once, and he couldn't walk straight for a whole day!"
The hatchling smirked, carefully plucking a few of the blue flowers. "Healing and intoxicating plants in the same cave. Not bad."
He was about to reach for more when a sudden, deafening noise reverberated through the cave.
THUD.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed, followed by guttural growls and startled cries.
The hatchling's head snapped toward the entrance, his claws instinctively digging into the ground.
"What was that?" he growled.
The young goblin cowered, clutching at his tail. "Something big… something angry! It is him!!!"
"Him?"
Without a second thought, he bolted toward the cave's entrance, his claws clicking against the stone as the noise grew louder.
When he emerged into the open, his glowing eyes widened at the sight.
A towering goblin stood before him, its hulking frame significantly larger than the others he had seen. Its skin was a dark, muddy green, its muscles taut under crude leather armor. A massive, spiked club rested on its shoulder, and its yellow eyes glinted with malice and disdain.
The other goblins behind the hatchling immediately dropped to their knees, trembling as they whispered among themselves.
The larger goblin's deep voice rumbled, echoing off the rocky walls. "So," it growled, its eyes narrowing, "you're the one sent from the other tribe to collect protection fees, hmm?"
The hatchling froze, his glowing eyes locking onto the Goblin Warrior. His instincts screamed at him to run, but the system's chime interrupted his spiraling thoughts.
[System Alert]
Target Identified: Goblin Warrior
Level: 5
Status: Aggressive
The sight of the creature sparked something deep within him—a memory he couldn't suppress.
[System Alert]
First Death Registered: Cause—Goblin Warrior ate the dragon egg whole.
[System Alert]
Second Death Registered: Cause—Goblin Warrior crushed the player's body with its club.
[System Alert]
Third Death Registered: Cause—Goblin Warrior tore the player limb from limb.
[System Alert]
Fiftieth Death Registered: Cause—Goblin Warrior devoured the player after roasting him over a fire.
[System Alert]
One Thousandth Death Registered: Cause—Goblin Warrior stomped the player into the ground.
[System Alert]
Ten Thousandth Death Registered: Cause—Goblin Warrior used the dragon egg as bait to lure other predators, leaving the player to be eaten alive.
The notifications kept flashing, some glitching as the system struggled to keep up.
[System Ale—]
[Sys—]
[S—]
The hatchling's claws dug into the ground as he stared at the towering Goblin Warrior. The memories of countless deaths surged through his mind—every gruesome detail, every failure.
His body trembled slightly, but his eyes burned with defiance.
"So what?"