“Stop it! It’s trying to run!” Tepis explodes out of the bush and sprints for the little green man. The sisters react too late and before they can take more than a few steps, the goblin has already picked up speed. It quickly accelerates and dives into an escape hole nearby. When I leave the bushes and rejoin them, they're staring down into the burrow. “Damnit, I’ve never seen one run so fast. They usually just attack.”

“Well, it’s too bad, but we’ll just have to move on. There will be plenty more once we get inside. Nigel said that the Black Ravens have a party there as well. Maybe this one escaped from them.” Sierra sighs heavily, sheathing her short side in its scabbard at her side. Unzipping her parka slightly and smoothing her hair, she huffs. “Hopefully they don’t all run for us. I didn’t expect goblins to be so fast!”

“You’ve never hunted them before?” Tepis seems surprised. “Isn’t one of the perks of being in the guild that you get access to this place.”

At this, Sierra turns crimson. Rita answers instead,

“Actually, Big Sis and I have only done guard missions before. Mr. Chiang’s motto was safety first, always. How were we supposed to know that there’d be something so monstrous outside Tiendas…” She trails off sadly and Tepis looks stricken.

“Oh…crap. I didn’t mean it like that. Uhm, anyways, it’s fine, I’m not a goblin expert but I’ve killed a few before. They’re not tough! Just follow my lead. I’m a solo Hunter though, so I may not always be able to communicate clearly….” His words are enough to perk up the sisters and I note how nervous he is around them and the way he glances at Sierra out of the corner of his eye whenever he thinks she’s not looking.

Someone has a crush.

“Why are you a solo Hunter anyway, Tepis?” The older sister’s abrupt question catches him off guard. “I heard you already unlocked Basic Combat with your sword a long time ago. With your skills, you could definitely leave this town and join a more experienced party!”

“Umm…” Tepis nervously looks anywhere except at Sierra. A little smirk touches my lips before the fleeting emotion slips away and I return to ice. “N-No reason. I just like Snowfall is all!”

“You…like Snowfall?” Rita leans in suspiciously. “Really? You like this crappy town in the middle of nowhere?”

“Mhm! I always hoped to live in a small town quietly, you know. That’s how my parents raised me. Stay safe and prosper, hahaha!” He chuckles through clenched teeth. Now it’s his turn to turn red. Fortunately, Sierra has already turned away and is looking out at the Feral Goblin Dungeon.

“Well, I suppose that’s very admirable. Personally…I’ve always hoped to show Rita the city, one day. But for now, we just don’t have the money.” The pretty older sister stares off into the distance, completely unaware of Tepis’s panic.

“W-What! Really?” When she turns around curiously, he hurriedly covers up his blunder, “Ah, I mean, that’s great! Exactly how I feel!”

“You have a lot of money though…”

“Ahem!” He coughs into his hand. “What I meant was that once I’ve leveled up enough, I intend to move to the city. M-Maybe if the timing is right, we could even go together! It’d be safer that way after all!”

“Haha, if we ever get that kind of money, sure.” Sierra’s off-hand reply puts a smile on the boy’s face. Rita appears to have caught on to something. The little siblings are usually more perceptive after all.

“You’re really red, Tepis. You okay?”

“Eh, hunting goblins is hard work.”

“Sure…”

The party banters back and forth, and I’m seemingly forgotten which is fine by me. Snow crunches underfoot as we walk up to the main entrance of the dungeon. It’s like some giant just took a pickaxe and decided to carve a massive yawning pit into the side of the mountain. Of course, knowing the way the System reorganizes the terrain when it spawns dungeons, it’s entirely possible that something like that actually happened.

Rickety wooden supports prop up the crumbling cave’s mouth. Everything is dimly lit by luminescent orange lamps. No one’s outside, but the bodies of a few dead goblins litter the entranceway. Someone’s stabbed through the eye sockets of each monster to ensure there’s no chance they’ll rise again.

Even if the chance of a goblin having a viral load high enough to reanimate is low, it never hurts to be careful.

“Looks like the other party has already been through here.” Tepis gives the goblins a cursory examination. Just in case, he taps his Hunter Card to their bodies. There’s a special function which absorbs the remnant mana in a freshly killed monster’s soul to help prove whether or not you killed it. Obviously, the System has no such problems determining who dealt the last blow, but for guilds trying to assign rewards, it’s a helpful feature. “They’ve already been claimed.”

“Well, that’s to be expected.” Sierra beckons us onwards into the dark cave entrance ahead of us. “I’m just thankful that goblins don’t have any useful body parts. I wouldn’t want to have to have to harvest them…”

“Hehe, yea.”

Stepping through the dungeon entrance, immediately we’re plunged into a shadow world. The crunching snow turns to hard rock and gravel as the sun disappears. The oil lamps give everything a spooky atmosphere and Tepis retrieves a glowing crystal rock from his pocket. Multi-faceted, an inner fire burns just beneath the surface. Solar Gem? This guy’s a higher level than these guys, that’s for sure. This early in the Calamity that’s still considered a special drop.

“Woah, so pretty!” Rita exclaims. She quickly goes up to the older boy. “Can I hold it?”

“Uhh…” At first Tepis seems a little afraid, but then he sees Sierra watching, “Don’t drop it!”

“Of course, I wouldn’t! Sis come check this out! It’s warm!”

While the girls ogle the expensive and pretty stone, I walk a little bit ahead, trying to see into the darkness. The Feral Goblin Dungeon seems almost endless from up here, different side tunnels stretching far and away from the main entrance. Fortunately, since this is a low-level dungeon, the System Map automatically records our progress and gives us an escape path. If this was the frontlines, where people are battling advanced dungeons, it might be possible to get horribly lost.

“Mr. Hei?” Tepis notices me going ahead, and walks over to join me. “You shouldn’t go too far ahead. The monsters here may be above your level.” He retrieves a second Solar Gem from his pocket. “Here, so you can see.”

Huh…he has more than one? And he’s giving it to me?

“…?” My expression is enough to convey my surprise. Tepis shrugs ruefully.

“Just give it back to me when we’re done here. I wouldn’t want someone in my party to get hurt accidentally.” He pushes the glowing stone towards me but I push it back. “Mr. Hei? Really, you can take it, I have more!”

Taking out my notepad, I decide to trust him with a little secret-

“I have Basic Tracking unlocked. The dark doesn’t bother me.”

“HUH?” The boy’s mohawk quivers as he stares at me. “Really? Sierra said you were a newbie though! How do you have…ah, it’d be hard for you to explain. Well, that’s great, but if you have any trouble seeing, just ask!”

A newfound respect is in Tepis’s gaze when he looks at me. Meanwhile I explore the darkness, using the dim lamps to pick out the smallest details in the shadows.

Something’s funny…even if another group just came through, based on how dried the blood was on their kills, some more goblins should have came around by now. Yet the main entrance is completely unguarded. That can’t be normal. Are there other groups leveling here?

I try to use Basic Tracking to pick out any traces of footsteps or details, but without the advanced version, it’s impossible to tell much of anything in the dark. Even the System’s assistance only goes so far after all. My heartbeat begins to feel a little heavy. Outside in the sterile world, there was nothing but the empty smell of fresh snow. Ever since coming back from the Void Prism, I haven’t been able to smell things or taste things as strongly. However, right now, there is something which even I cannot ignore.

The smell of goblin.

It’s rank…no vile. Just vile. Like the worst of humanity was crossbred with some shadowy demon from the sulphurous rotting pits of hell and then mixed with the coppery scent of blood. As I walk further from the entrance, it only grows thicker. The girls, following us, gag slightly as they taste it in the air for the first time.

“Eurgh, what is that!” Rita sticks out her tongue but quickly puts it back in her mouth. The scent is thick enough you can probably taste it. “YICK!”

“Goblin. You’ll get used to it after a while.” Tepis says calmly, though he too looks a bit green. My estimation of the boy goes up a bit. Though his body is not too much younger than my physical age in this life, it’s surprising that he’s already so familiar with the stench of these vile things. “Just bear with it. And be careful. Goblins might be one of the most common System Monsters, but they’re also responsible for the most deaths.”

“Hee?” Rita turns to her big sister. “Is that true, Sis?”

“Ugh…” Sierra takes a breath and regrets it, “Yea, it’s true. A lot of people underestimate them. That’s why we can’t go too deep.”

“Oh, okay.”

We walk for a while, going down the main tunnel. It’s a great deal wider than the side ones, and I approve.

If for some reason we need to retreat, it’ll be easier to just run straight out if we don’t have to worry about consulting the System Map.

*Crunch Crunch*

I pause, my enhanced eyes picking out signs of something on the floor. Tapping Tepis on the shoulder, I nod towards it when he looks over. A few meters in front of us, there’s another goblin body. However, this one’s different.

“Wait guys! Hei found something!” Tepis holds up a second Solar Gem and lets his fingers open slightly so the light can spill out. Instantly, the golden rays illuminate a hulking corpse, short but stocky, thicker than I am. “Holy crap! Is that a Hobgoblin?”

Huh…1st floor. Hobgoblins are at least Lvl. 17. And don’t generally show up till floor three in an infestation. That’s…interesting.

The dead Hobgoblin is wielding a club which looks closer to a tree bough than anything that should be carried by a person. Its muscles have a look which can only be described as gorilla-like. The normal green tint of a goblin has been replaced in some places by patches of gray, and it’s even begun to grow a little hair in tufts under its disgusting armpits. The party ahead of us has slit its throat and punched a hole through one eye just to make sure it doesn’t come back, but there’s evidence of a fierce scuffle around. Evidently it took them a little while to bring it down.

“Heavens…that’s so gross.” Rita exclaims while holding her nose. The dead thing reeks, it’s size only multiplying the smell. Sierra nods in agreement.

“It must have wandered here from the lower floors. Maybe we should go down a side tunnel? Otherwise, the other party will clear everything in front of us.” She brings up a good point. When everyone nods, we detour down a small offshoot of the main tunnel and start to look for goblins. I remember that it’s the fourth tunnel to the left.

However, after half an hour of careful searching, we don’t come across a single enemy. It gets to the point where Tepis goes on ahead with his superior speed to try to scout for enemies. We head back to the main tunnel and try another side tunnel with the logic that this one might be abandoned. Same result. Returning for a second time to the main tunnel, the party holds a strategy meeting.

“What the heck is this? Did the goblins pack up shop and move out or something?” Rita grumbles angrily. The originally disgusted girl is now screaming for blood after spending so much time without finding so much as a cockroach. Her sister wearily shakes her head, but even Sierra’s getting frustrated.

“I don’t understand. Nigel said that besides the Black Raven party ahead of us, no one’s been over here to clear the dungeon this week. It should be teeming with goblins! But there’s nothing here!” She stomps on the ground loudly but at this point if she alerted goblins to come, we might thank her.

“Are you sure one of the guilds didn’t accidentally send a high-level to clear this place?” Tepis asks. “I was excited to try one of the guild exclusive training spots, but maybe being a solo Hunter really is better.”

“No guild leader would pardon such behavior!” Sierra says indignantly, “The strongest Hunter in the records was a double C-rank and that was last year. It must be poachers!” At this, I have to tilt my head.

Poachers in a newbie dungeon like this? Possible…but unlikely. The experience gains from Feral Goblins would be unlikely to be worth the time above Lvl. 25. Even Tepis is probably not too far off from the cut-off. If he wasn’t interested in Sierra, I doubt he’d come to a place like this at his level.

“If you say so…” The solo Hunter sighs while running his fingers through his mohawk. “Alright, let’s keep going down the main tunnel then. Maybe we can catch up to the other party and ask what’s going on. You guys okay with crossing into the second floor?”

“Second floor?” Rita asks, and Sierra explains.

“Every floor down, the enemies in a dungeon usually get stronger. However, the Flame Hawks have already explored to the bottom of the 5th floor. We’re both Lvl. 18, so we should be able to safely go down to the 3rd floor no problem!”

“Ah okay.”

One would expect the dungeon to get colder as we go deeper into the bowels of the Earth, but that is not the case. Instead, as we come to the end of the main tunnel, there’s a steep drop-off which announces the end of the 1st floor. The air grows fetid and warm, a sign of the vast number of living and breathing goblins packed into the various tunnels. We come across more slain Feral Goblins here and there, but nothing like the numbers you’d expect to find in an uncleared dungeon. Instead, all the kills are on solitary goblins, in ones and twos. It’s as if the goblin population has faced a steep decline in recent times for no apparent reason.

Did one of them evolve and accidentally develop birth control? This doesn’t make any sense!

Even I’m starting to get antsy after so long without seeing a living goblin. While the others are growing eager to find something to level off of, I’m finding my enthusiasm for being in this place waning. In my experience, whenever a dungeon starts to do something unexpected, it’s time to back out. I hold up the notepad and try to get everyone’s attention.

“I don’t like this. Something’s wrong.”

However, my concerns fail to penetrate the annoyance on everyone’s faces. They overrule my objections and keep pushing onwards, Sierra and Tepis both coming up to me separately and explaining their reasons.

“Hei, man, don’t worry, I’m used to solo Hunting. With Sierra and Rita here and your Basic Tracking, we’ll be fine even if we have to go to the 4th or 5th floor. This is nothing.” Tepis says while we scour the 2nd floor. He walks away to check a side tunnel. Meanwhile, Seirra strides over.

“Sorry, Mr. Hei! But we uh…really need to make rent this month. If we return without a single goblin, then it’d be difficult so you know…” She says awkwardly and I nod to save her the embarrassment. Gratefully, she smooths her features and rolls her shoulders. “Thank you for understanding! How about this, we’ll leave if we don’t find anything by the end of this floor, okay?”

Slightly frustrated, but not too worried yet, I use Basic Tracking to keep a wary eye out for signs of goblins. Reaching into my pocket, I unconsciously stroke the handle of my cleaver. The slight crack in the blade has been on my mind a lot lately. Now that there’s no longer any people in my life, my only remaining partner could be said to be this blade.

I need to get a new weapon soon.

*Clank*

Suddenly, there’s the noise of a blade on another blade from up ahead.

“I think that must be the other party!” Tepis has the best hearing because of his level. He cocks his head, listening intently, “It sounds like they’re fighting!”

“Let’s go help!”

*Clank Clank*

Wait…something’s wrong. That wasn’t the sound of a knifefight!

“H-Hold on-!” I manage to croak out but burst into coughs. My throat still hasn’t quite managed to work its way back up to snuff. The others are too excited to finally get a chance to fight something. They rush on ahead without a backwards glance. Warily, I try to catch up, knowing that I’ll probably be too late. My level isn’t high enough to keep up. What the hell is going on? Something’s wrong…really wrong, why do I feel the need to stop them so bad?

*Clank Clank Clank*

“Get back you bloody gremlin!” A familiar voice shouts out obscenities in between gasps. Out in the distance, a bear of a man wields a massive broadsword and is dueling with something in the shadows.

Wait…dueling? He’s engaging a goblin in sword-on-sword combat?

That’s what I was hearing?

NOT GOOD!

“G-Get BA-ACK!” My voice is lost to coughing and I double over as Tepis sprints in to help with the fight. Before he can even get close, there’s a massive ringing noise.

*CLANK!*

A huge man comes flying out of the darkness and smashes into the cave wall like a meteor. Blood spurts out of his mouth as he claws weakly for his broadsword which has slipped from his fingers.

“Hurk!” He doesn’t even notice us, instead keeping his eyes fixed squarely on the hulking figure in the darkness. It’s only when Tepis and then Sierra and Rita run to him that the fallen Hunter realizes help has arrived. When he raises his head, I recognize him. It’s Bern from the Black Raven Guild. His insignia has turned red with his own blood. Instead of relief, absolute horror crosses his face when he sees us, “W-What…no…there were others here?”