The sound came again.
Scrrk… squelch…
Kaito didn't move. His body remained still, but his grip around the spear tightened slightly as his eyes fixed on the darker side of the cavern. The faint blue glow from the crystals barely reached that corner, leaving most of it drowned in shadow.
Something was there.
Moving.
Slowly.
The wet, dragging sound echoed once more, louder this time, followed by a faint vibration through the stone beneath his boots. It wasn't footsteps. It sounded softer… heavier in a different way. Like something sticky pulling itself across the ground.
Kaito lowered his center of gravity slightly, adjusting his stance the way his instincts told him to. His breathing slowed, controlled and steady. He didn't rush forward. Charging blindly into the dark would be stupid, especially inside an unfamiliar dungeon.
Then—
Movement.
From the shadowed corner, something slowly slid into the dim light.
At first, it looked like a lump of jelly.
A shapeless, wobbling mass no larger than a basketball rolled forward, its body trembling with each movement. The creature's surface was semi-transparent, glowing faintly blue under the crystal light. Inside its gelatinous body, a darker core floated at the center, pulsing slowly like a heartbeat.
Kaito narrowed his eyes.
A slime.
So this was one of the monsters mentioned in the system notice.
The creature made another wet sound as it dragged itself forward, leaving behind a faint sticky trail on the stone floor. Its movement wasn't fast, but there was something unsettling about the way its body constantly shifted shape, stretching and compressing as it advanced.
Then, suddenly—
Two small black dots formed near the front of its body.
Eyes.
They locked onto him.
The slime trembled slightly, its body expanding outward before contracting again, as if reacting to his presence. The dark core inside it pulsed faster now, glowing faintly with each movement.
Kaito didn't attack immediately.
Instead, he observed.
Carefully.
This was his first real enemy. Rushing in without understanding it would be reckless. He needed to see how it moved… how it reacted.
The slime wobbled forward again.
Squelch… squelch…
Slow.
Predictable.
But not harmless.
Without warning, the creature suddenly lunged forward, its body stretching unnaturally as it launched itself toward him.
Kaito reacted instantly.
He stepped sideways, boots scraping lightly against the stone as the slime slammed into the spot where he had been standing just a second earlier.
Splat!
The creature struck the ground and flattened briefly before reforming into its usual shape. A faint sizzling sound followed, and Kaito noticed something alarming—the stone where the slime had landed had turned slightly darker, as if melted.
Acid.
His eyes sharpened immediately.
So that was its attack.
Not strong physically—but dangerous if touched.
"Got it…" he muttered under his breath.
No direct contact.
Keep distance.
Use reach.
The spear in his hands suddenly felt like the perfect choice.
The slime turned again, wobbling as it faced him once more. Its core pulsed rapidly now, reacting to his movement. The creature gathered itself again, body compressing tightly before expanding outward in preparation for another jump.
Kaito didn't wait this time.
The moment the slime compressed—
He moved.
His arms thrust forward sharply, driving the spear straight ahead with controlled force. The metal tip cut cleanly through the air, striking the slime before it could launch.
Thrust!
The spear pierced into the gelatinous body with surprising ease.
For a moment, it felt like stabbing into thick water.
Resistance—
Then penetration.
The spear tip struck the darker core floating inside.
Pop!
The core shattered instantly.
The slime's body froze mid-motion, trembling violently before collapsing inward. Its gelatinous form lost structure, melting into a lifeless puddle that spread across the stone floor.
Silence returned to the cavern.
Kaito remained still for a few seconds, spear extended, watching carefully.
His stance ready incase it gets up again but nothing happen.
Slowly, he pulled the spear back, droplets of sticky residue sliding off the metal tip and dripping onto the ground.
His first kill.
And surprisingly—
His heartbeat remained steady.
Then—
Ding.
A blue notification appeared before his eyes.
The faint blue light flickered into existence in front of his eyes, hovering silently in the cold dungeon air. Kaito remained still, spear held firmly in his hands, his breathing slow but steady as he watched the lifeless puddle of slime spread across the stone floor. The smell in the air had changed slightly now—there was a faint sour scent mixed with the dampness, likely from the creature's acidic body dissolving against the rock.
Then the notification fully formed.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ENEMY DEFEATED
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Monster Killed: Slime
Threat Level: Low
Rewards Earned:
System Points: +50
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Kaito read the message carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed the information. So this was how it worked. Killing monsters can also grant system points directly.
The faint ding from the system notification had barely faded when another sound echoed through the cavern.
Not wet this time.
Dry.
Rough.
Skrrt… tap… skrrt…
Kaito froze instantly, his attention snapping toward the deeper end of the cave. The sound was different from the slime—sharper, more deliberate. Something was walking.
He slowly turned his head, tightening his grip around the spear as his eyes scanned the dim tunnel ahead. The faint glow of the blue crystals barely reached that area, leaving most of the passage swallowed in darkness. For a few seconds, nothing appeared.
Then—
A low sound drifted through the cave.
"Grrrk… khhh… krrr…"
It wasn't human speech.
More like a guttural murmur, mixed with the sound of something clearing its throat. The noise carried a rough, animal-like quality, uneven and unpleasant to listen to. It echoed faintly against the stone walls, making the cavern feel even tighter than before.
Kaito remained still, forcing his breathing to stay steady. His senses sharpened further, every muscle in his body ready to react. The silence stretched for a moment longer—
Then movement appeared at the edge of the tunnel.
A figure stepped into the dim crystal light.
Short.
Crooked.
Ugly.
The creature that emerged was roughly the height of a child, barely reaching Kaito's chest. Its skin was a dull, sickly green, stretched tightly over thin limbs that looked wiry rather than muscular. Long, bony arms hung loosely at its sides, ending in claw-like fingers tipped with dirty black nails.
A goblin.
Its head was slightly larger than its body, with pointed ears sticking out from the sides like sharp blades. Strands of greasy black hair clung to its scalp in uneven patches. Its face was the worst part—sunken yellow eyes glowed faintly under the dim light, while its mouth stretched into a crooked grin filled with small, jagged teeth.
The smell reached Kaito a second later.
Rotten.
Wet.
Like something left to decay underground.
The goblin sniffed the air loudly.
Snrrrk…
Its nostrils flared as its yellow eyes locked onto him.
Then it tilted its head slightly, staring as if trying to understand what stood in front of it. A strange, low chuckle escaped its throat.
"Khk… khrr… grrhhh…"
Not laughter.
More like hungry anticipation.
Kaito's grip tightened around the spear.
Unlike the slime, this creature didn't move mindlessly. There was awareness in its eyes—intent, curiosity… maybe even hunger. That alone made it more dangerous.
The goblin shifted its weight slightly, its clawed toes scraping against the stone floor.
Tap… scrape…
Then it opened its mouth wider, releasing a sharp, hoarse howl that echoed through the cavern.
"GRAAAK!"
The sudden sound made the air feel tighter.
Kaito didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He simply watched.
Studied.
The goblin bent forward slightly, lowering its posture as if preparing to spring. Its thin arms lifted, claws flexing slowly while its lips curled back, revealing more of its uneven teeth. A string of saliva stretched from its mouth before snapping and dripping onto the stone below.
This one was different.
Faster.
More aggressive.
More alive.
The goblin took a slow step forward.
Then another.
Each movement cautious but purposeful, its yellow eyes never leaving his body. It wasn't rushing blindly like the slime had. It was testing him… judging distance… waiting for the right moment.
Kaito shifted his stance slightly, angling the spear forward, keeping the metal tip aimed directly at the creature's chest. His breathing remained steady, but his focus sharpened even further.
Then—
Without warning—
The goblin lunged.
Its body shot forward with surprising speed, claws raised as it released another guttural howl.
"GRAAAK!"
Stone scraped loudly beneath its feet as it charged straight toward him.
The goblin closed the distance far faster than Kaito expected. Its thin legs pushed off the ground with sharp bursts of speed, claws stretched forward, mouth wide open as another hoarse cry tore from its throat.
"GRAAAK—!"
Kaito reacted instantly.
His body moved on instinct, muscles tightening as he shifted his weight backward and angled the spear forward. The goblin's claws sliced through the air just inches from his chest, missing by the narrowest margin as he stepped aside.
Stone scraped loudly beneath his boots.
The goblin didn't stop after missing. It twisted its body mid-motion with surprising flexibility, landing awkwardly but quickly recovering. Its claws struck the ground, leaving thin scratches across the stone before it snapped its head toward him again.
Its yellow eyes burned with irritation now.
"Khrr… grrhhh…"
A low growl rolled from its throat as it crouched slightly, baring its jagged teeth. Unlike the slime, this creature adjusted. It learned. That made it far more dangerous.
Kaito tightened his grip around the spear, forcing himself to stay calm. His heartbeat had picked up slightly, but his mind remained sharp. The goblin wasn't strong enough to overpower him directly, but it was fast—and reckless.
That combination made mistakes deadly.
The goblin suddenly darted sideways, circling him instead of charging straight in. Its bare feet slapped lightly against the stone as it moved, keeping its distance while searching for an opening.
Tap… tap… scrape…
Kaito rotated slowly with it, keeping the spear pointed forward. He refused to let the creature slip behind him. Distance was his advantage, and he wasn't about to give it up.
For a brief moment, both of them paused.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then the goblin shrieked again and lunged a second time, this time aiming lower. Its claws swiped toward his legs, clearly trying to cripple him rather than strike his chest.
Kaito reacted faster this time.
He thrust the spear forward sharply.
Thrust!
The metal tip sliced through the air and struck the goblin's shoulder instead of its chest. The spear pierced shallowly into its flesh, drawing a sudden burst of dark blood.
"GRAAAAK!!"
The goblin screamed in pain, its body jerking violently as it stumbled backward. The wound wasn't fatal, but it had clearly hurt.
Dark blood dripped onto the stone floor.
Kaito pulled the spear back immediately, resetting his stance. His breathing had grown slightly heavier now, but his grip remained steady.
The goblin staggered for a moment, clutching its wounded shoulder. Its expression twisted into something uglier than before—anger mixed with raw hatred. Its lips curled back further, exposing every jagged tooth as thick drool dripped from its mouth.
"Khrr… khrr… GRRAAH!"
This time, it didn't hesitate.
It rushed forward again, faster than before, ignoring the pain from its wound. Its movements became more reckless, more desperate. Blood splattered behind it as it ran, but the creature didn't slow down.
Kaito exhaled slowly, forcing his body to remain steady.
No panic.
No hesitation.
Just timing.
As the goblin closed in, claws raised high, he waited until the last possible moment. Every muscle in his arms tightened as he focused entirely on one point—the creature's chest.
Closer.
Closer.
Now.
He stepped forward instead of backward and drove the spear straight ahead with full force.
THRUST!
The spear pierced cleanly through the goblin's chest.
This time—
It hit the heart.
The creature's body jerked violently as the tip pushed through its back. A wet choking sound escaped its throat as its claws twitched uselessly in the air.
"Ghh… kh… kh…"
Its yellow eyes widened, shock replacing rage.
For a second, the goblin remained frozen, impaled in place.
Then the strength left its body.
Kaito pushed forward slightly, forcing the spear deeper before yanking it back in one clean motion.
The goblin collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Thud.
Its body twitched once.
Then went still.
Silence filled the cavern again.
Kaito remained standing in place, spear raised, eyes fixed on the fallen creature. He didn't move immediately. Didn't relax.
He waited.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Still nothing.
No movement.
No sound.
The goblin was dead.
His second kill.
But unlike the slime, this fight had forced him to react quickly. His breathing had grown heavier now, chest rising and falling as adrenaline slowly faded from his system.
A thin trail of blood dripped from the spear's tip onto the stone floor.
Then—
Ding.
A familiar blue panel appeared before his eyes, glowing softly in the dim cavern light.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ENEMY DEFEATED
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Monster Killed: Goblin
Threat Level: Low
Rewards Received:
System Points: +100
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Kaito stared at the screen briefly, then shifted his gaze back toward the dark tunnel ahead.
The cave wasn't silent anymore.
Somewhere deeper inside—
Another faint sound echoed.
"Khrr… grrk…"
More of them.
Not one.
Not two.
A group.