The morning sun hung low over Briar's Hollow when Ryuji Kuroda stepped through the town gates with his hands stuffed casually in his pockets.
Behind him, the town slowly came to life.
Merchants opened stalls.
Children ran through the streets.
Farmers shouted about livestock.
Ryuji rolled his shoulders as he walked down the dirt road leading west.
"Alright," he muttered.
"First official monster job."
He glanced at the quest parchment Mira had given him.
---
Quest: Clear Goblin Nest
Location: Western Hills
Recommended Party Size: 3 Adventurers
Reward: 200 Coppers
---
Ryuji snorted.
"Three adventurers."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Guess they never met me."
---
The western hills were quiet.
Too quiet.
Tall grass swayed gently in the wind as rocky outcrops dotted the landscape. A thin forest stretched across the slopes, its trees twisted and crooked like they had grown tired of standing straight.
Ryuji walked casually along the trail, occasionally glancing down at the monster tracking compass he'd bought from the marketplace.
The needle twitched slightly.
Then it swung sharply to the left.
Ryuji stopped.
"…Oh?"
He turned toward the forest.
"Found you."
He stepped off the trail.
---
The deeper he walked, the more signs appeared.
Broken branches.
Disturbed dirt.
Footprints.
Small ones.
Bare feet with clawed toes.
Ryuji crouched near one of the tracks.
"…Goblin."
He stood again.
"Man, fantasy worlds really love their goblins."
The compass needle began spinning faster.
Then it locked onto a point ahead.
Ryuji's grin widened.
"Party time."
---
The goblin nest wasn't a fancy dungeon entrance.
No glowing runes.
No massive stone gates.
Just a crude cave carved into the side of a hill.
Bones lay scattered outside.
Animal bones.
Human bones.
Ryuji sighed.
"Yeah."
"Definitely goblins."
He stretched his arms.
The reinforced knuckle wraps tightened slightly around his hands.
"Alright boys."
"Let's see how tough you are."
He stepped inside.
---
The cave smelled like wet dirt, rotting meat, and bad decisions.
Ryuji wrinkled his nose.
"Jesus."
"How do you guys live like this?"
Dim light filtered through cracks in the rock above.
Water dripped somewhere deeper inside.
And then—
Voices.
High-pitched.
Guttural.
"Grek! Grek!"
Ryuji peeked around a rock.
Eight goblins stood inside the cavern.
Short.
Green.
Ugly.
They wore scraps of leather armor and carried crude weapons made of bone and rusted metal.
One goblin held a half-eaten rabbit.
Another gnawed on something that looked suspiciously like a human boot.
Ryuji blinked.
"…Classy."
He stepped into the room.
A rock shifted under his foot.
CRUNCH.
Eight goblin heads snapped toward him.
Silence.
One goblin squinted.
"Grek?"
Ryuji raised a hand.
"Sup."
The goblins screamed.
"INTRUDER!"
"MEAT!"
"GET HIM!"
Ryuji sighed.
"Yeah that sounds about right."
---
The first goblin rushed him with a rusty dagger.
Ryuji sidestepped.
Grabbed the goblin's wrist.
Twisted.
CRACK.
The dagger clattered to the ground.
Then Ryuji punched the goblin straight in the face.
THUD.
The goblin flew backward and slammed into a wall.
---
Goblin defeated
EXP +10
---
Ryuji grinned.
"Alright."
"Seven left."
Two goblins lunged together.
One swung a club.
The other tried stabbing his leg.
Ryuji jumped back.
The club smashed into the floor.
He grabbed the goblin's arm and yanked him forward.
Then drove his knee into the creature's face.
CRUNCH.
The goblin collapsed instantly.
Another notification popped up.
---
Street Brawler Lv.1 Activated
---
Ryuji's next punch felt heavier.
Faster.
He ducked a dagger swipe and slammed his fist into another goblin's ribs.
CRACK.
The creature squealed and flew sideways.
"Man," Ryuji muttered.
"These little green bastards bite."
As if to prove his point—
One goblin leaped onto his back.
Sharp teeth sank into his shoulder.
"HEY!"
Ryuji grabbed the goblin by the head.
Then threw it over his shoulder.
It hit the cave wall with a sickening smack.
---
Goblin defeated
EXP +10
---
Three goblins left.
They hesitated now.
The small monsters stared at the bodies of their fallen friends.
One squeaked nervously.
"Big human strong…"
Another growled.
"Kill him!"
They rushed together.
Ryuji cracked his neck.
"Alright."
"Let's finish this."
The first goblin swung wildly.
Ryuji ducked.
Uppercut.
The goblin lifted off the ground.
The second one stabbed toward his chest.
Ryuji grabbed the blade mid-swing.
The metal sliced his palm slightly.
He didn't care.
He punched the goblin with his other hand.
The creature dropped instantly.
The last goblin froze.
Then turned to run.
Ryuji sighed.
"Oh no you don't."
He grabbed a rock from the ground.
Threw it.
THUNK.
The rock hit the goblin's head.
The creature face-planted into the dirt.
---
Goblin defeated
EXP +10
---
Ryuji rolled his shoulders.
"Eight down."
He glanced around the cave.
Goblin bodies lay everywhere.
"…Well."
"That was easy."
Then he heard something.
A sharp whistling sound.
Ryuji's instincts screamed.
He moved instantly.
An arrow shot past his head and embedded into the cave wall.
Ryuji turned.
Standing on a raised ledge deeper inside the cave—
A goblin with a bow.
Its yellow eyes glowed with hatred.
Ryuji sighed.
"Of course there's an archer."
The goblin fired again.
Ryuji dove behind a rock.
THUNK.
Another arrow struck.
He peeked out.
The goblin nocked a third arrow.
Ryuji muttered.
"Alright."
"Time to improvise."
He grabbed one of the goblin bodies.
Then hurled it toward the ledge.
The goblin archer fired.
The arrow stuck in the corpse.
Before the monster could react—
Ryuji sprinted forward.
He climbed the rock ledge in two quick steps.
The goblin shrieked.
"NO—"
Ryuji grabbed its bow.
Snapped it over his knee.
Then punched the goblin so hard it spun sideways and fell off the ledge.
---
Goblin Archer defeated
EXP +15
---
Ryuji dropped down beside the corpse.
He dusted his hands.
"Archers are annoying."
He turned toward the deeper tunnel.
Something heavy moved inside.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Ryuji smiled.
"Ah."
"There it is."
Out of the darkness stepped a larger goblin.
Much larger.
Nearly as tall as Ryuji.
Muscles bulged under thick green skin.
It carried a massive spiked club.
And its eyes burned with fury.
---
Goblin Brute – Lv.7
---
Ryuji whistled.
"Well damn."
The brute roared.
"YOU KILL TRIBE!"
Ryuji cracked his neck.
"You guys started it."
The brute charged.
The club swung downward like a falling tree.
Ryuji rolled sideways.
The club smashed into the ground.
The impact shook the cave.
"Okay," Ryuji muttered.
"That thing hurts."
The brute swung again.
Ryuji ducked.
Then punched the monster's stomach.
THUD.
The goblin barely moved.
Ryuji blinked.
"…Right."
"Big guy."
The brute grabbed him.
Lifted him off the ground.
"CRUSH HUMAN!"
Ryuji sighed.
"Man."
"Everyone says that."
He headbutted the goblin.
CRACK.
The brute staggered slightly.
Ryuji twisted free.
Then delivered three rapid punches.
Chest.
Jaw.
Knee.
The brute roared.
Swinging wildly.
Ryuji slipped under the attack.
Then drove his fist into the goblin's knee.
CRUNCH.
The joint snapped.
The brute collapsed to one leg.
Ryuji grinned.
"Street fights rule number one."
He punched again.
"Take out the legs."
Then he grabbed the goblin's head.
Pulled it down.
And drove his knee into its face.
CRACK.
The brute collapsed.
---
Goblin Brute defeated
EXP +30
---
Ryuji breathed heavily.
Then stretched his arms.
"Now that was a fight."
Blue notifications popped up.
---
Quest Progress Updated
Goblin Nest Cleared
---
Ryuji glanced around the cave.
"Guess that's done."
He started toward the exit.
Then something caught his eye.
Behind the brute's body—
A narrow passage.
Hidden behind a rock formation.
Ryuji frowned.
"…Wait."
He walked closer.
The passage ended at a stone wall.
But something about it looked wrong.
Too smooth.
Too clean.
He pushed against it.
The wall shifted.
Stone scraped against stone.
And slowly—
A hidden door slid open.
Cold air flowed out from the darkness beyond.
Ryuji's grin slowly returned.
"Well now."
"This looks like fun."