In a small tavern tucked away in a corner of the city, the flickering light of oil lamps illuminated the faces of adventurers gathered around. Laughter and chatter filled the air, mingling with the clink of mugs and the metallic clang of weapons being set down on tables.
A large board hung on the wall, plastered with various quest notices, ranging from monster hunts to clearing out dragon lairs.
"Clear out a goblin nest?"
A short-haired brunette girl raised an eyebrow as she looked at the quest paper her teammate held up.
"Isn't that a low-level quest?"
"Yeah, but something's off about this one," the burly warrior sitting across from her nodded.
"Another group took this quest last week, and they didn't come back."
The atmosphere in the group immediately grew heavy.
A young boy, seemingly a rookie, swallowed hard.
"Could they have run into a huge goblin horde?"
"Normal goblins aren't that dangerous," a platinum-haired archer chimed in.
The group fell silent for a moment. An experienced adventurer would never underestimate goblins—they weren't strong, but they were cunning and ruthless. Underestimating them meant a swift death.
"So… are we taking it?" the brunette girl asked.
The warrior nodded. "We are, but we need to prepare thoroughly."
At dawn, the adventurer party left the city, heading toward the forest where the goblin lair was said to be located.
The party consisted of:
Gared, the warrior wielding a greatsword, the group's leader.
Elise, a mage specializing in fire magic.
Dain, an archer, agile and skilled at tracking.
Leo, the rookie, armed with a sword and shield.
Along the way, Dain noticed small footprints pressed into the damp earth.
"We're close. These tracks are fresh."
The group proceeded to the cave entrance described in the quest. A foul stench wafted from within—a mix of dried blood, garbage, and rotting flesh.
"Be careful. If there's a goblin shaman or leader, they might have traps," Gared whispered, signaling everyone to ready their weapons.
As they ventured deeper, the sunlight faded, leaving only the dim glow of their torches. Elise conjured a small fireball to light the way, its glow reflecting off the rough stone walls.
The air was unnaturally still.
"They're hiding," Dain whispered.
As expected, the moment the group reached a larger chamber inside the cave, shrill war cries erupted from all directions.
"Goblins incoming!"
They rushed out from the shadows—small creatures with green skin and glowing red eyes. They brandished rusty weapons, daggers, wooden clubs, and even animal bones.
"Fight!" Gared roared, raising his greatsword.
A goblin swung a club at Elise, but she quickly chanted, "Fireball!"
The flames erupted, incinerating it instantly.
Dain stepped back, drawing his bow and firing rapidly. Each arrow struck a goblin in the head or neck, dropping them one by one.
Leo, despite being a rookie, held his ground. He raised his shield to block a goblin's slash, then countered with a sword strike to its gut.
But then, a deafening roar, louder than that of a northern black bear, echoed through the cave.
From the darkness emerged a massive goblin, draped in a cloak made of human skin. It wielded a wooden club etched with strange magical runes.
"It's a Goblin King!" Elise shouted.
Gared gritted his teeth. "Damn it, I didn't expect one of those!"
The Goblin King raised its club, chanted a spell, and slammed it down, sending the entire party flying.
"Damn it!" Gared scrambled to his feet and charged, swinging his greatsword at the Goblin King. But before the blade could connect, another goblin—a swordsman—leapt in front, blocking with an iron club.
Metal clashed loudly.
"Leo, protect Elise! Dain, support from range!" Gared ordered, engaging the Goblin King.
But the situation was dire. The goblins weren't just numerous—they were organized, unlike typical goblin hordes.
The party fought desperately, but the overwhelming numbers and tactics were clear. Goblins surrounded them from all sides, with archers firing from a distance while melee fighters pressed the group into a corner.
Gared roared, cleaving through the goblin swordsman blocking his path. His greatsword sliced through flesh and bone, felling it, but another goblin leapt from behind, plunging a rusty dagger into his side.
"Damn it…!" He gritted his teeth, dropping to one knee as blood poured from the wound.
Elise tried to cast a spell, but before she could finish, a goblin shaman waved its hand, unleashing a pale purple bolt of lightning. Elise's body convulsed violently before she collapsed, foam forming at her mouth.
Dain, in a panic, fired arrow after arrow into the goblin horde, but their numbers were too great. The distance between him and the monsters shrank rapidly. A goblin grabbed his wrist, yanking him down. Others pounced, tearing into his flesh with teeth and claws. His screams were drowned out by the goblins' savage, cackling laughter.
Leo, the rookie of the group, trembled as he stepped back, his shield raised defensively. He looked around, watching his teammates fall one by one. His eyes widened, filled with desperate fear.
The Goblin King stepped forward, raising its massive club high.
"No... please..." Leo muttered, retreating step by step.
But there was no chance to escape.
The club came crashing down.
The sound of shattering bones echoed, blood splattering across the stone walls.
As the goblin horde dispersed, only the mangled remains of the adventuring party remained, torn to pieces. Some goblins began looting the corpses, taking weapons, armor, and even intact chunks of flesh.
The Goblin King sneered, tapping its club on the ground.
It turned to head deeper into the cave, but then... it heard footsteps.
Thud... Thud... Thud...
The Goblin King and its minions turned their attention to a figure standing there.
He was a man, standing 1.9 meters tall, with red hair and an eyepatch covering one eye. He wore a black-and-red cloak, likely purchased recently to replace his tattered old gear. His dark brown boots reached high, and he carried a bag slung over his shoulder.
His name was Akazuha Shashiki. In his hand, he held the head of a goblin.
Silently, he stared at the horde of monsters before him. With a menacing air, he crushed the goblin's head in his grip and stepped toward the horde.
The atmosphere in the cave suddenly became suffocating. The goblins, still reveling in their victorious frenzy, fell silent. The flickering torchlight cast Akazuha's shadow onto the jagged stone walls, creating a vague but oppressive silhouette.
The Goblin King narrowed its eyes, its pointed ears twitching as if sensing the slightest shift in the air. It didn't know who this man was, but its instincts screamed that he was not to be trifled with.
Akazuha stopped, just a few meters from the goblin horde. He slowly brushed the blood off his cloak and let out a faint sigh.
"Poor souls," he said, glancing at the fallen adventurers.
"They underestimated these vermin."
The moment his words echoed, an invisible pressure seemed to envelop the entire cave.
The goblins had no time to think.
"KILL HIM!" the Goblin King roared, and the horde charged at Akazuha like a pack of wild beasts.
But they had made a fatal mistake.
A sickening splat rang out as the first goblin to reach him had its face crushed instantly. Blood and brain matter sprayed from its eyes and nose like a viscous sludge.
Without hesitation, Akazuha grabbed another goblin raising a sword. Rip! His nails pierced through its throat, tearing out its windpipe. The goblin gurgled, clutching its bleeding neck before collapsing.
Another goblin swordsman attacked from behind, swinging its blade downward. Akazuha merely tilted his head to dodge, then seized its arm and squeezed.
Crack!
The goblin's arm shattered like dry twigs. It screamed in agony, but the sound was cut short as Akazuha yanked the broken arm, ripping it clean off. Blood sprayed everywhere.
A goblin shaman retreated, hastily chanting a spell. Before it could unleash a fireball, Akazuha appeared in front of it. He grabbed its upper and lower jaws and tore its mouth apart. Its tongue and teeth scattered, entrails spilling out as blood pooled on the stone floor.
The remaining goblins froze. This man was no longer human. He was a monster.
And he wasn't done.
Another goblin swordsman swung its blade horizontally. Akazuha didn't bother dodging; he raised his arm, letting the sword strike it.
Clang!
The sword shattered.
Before the goblin could react, Akazuha drove his fist into its chest.
BOOM!
The single punch tore through flesh and pulverized its ribcage. Its heart and lungs burst out from its back.
The Goblin King roared in fury, charging forward and swinging its club with all its might. But Akazuha stood still, waiting for it to come closer.
The club slammed down, but upon impact, it splintered into pieces.
Stunned, the Goblin King staggered back, then furiously threw a punch at Akazuha's head. The fist connected—and crumpled like paper.
"Pointless," Akazuha said.
With a single punch, he sent the Goblin King flying. It crashed into its throne, the impact shattering the crude seat.
Akazuha approached. Terrified, the Goblin King grabbed a greatsword with its remaining arm and lunged at him.
"You think a big sword can kill me?"
The Goblin King, despite having only one arm left, swung the greatsword down with all its remaining strength.
But just as the blade was about to strike Akazuha—
Crack!
He simply tilted his head to meet the sword, and it instantly shattered into jagged metal fragments. The shards flew back, embedding themselves into the Goblin King's face and body. Blood poured from dozens of wounds.
It staggered back, gasping.
Terrified.
Desperate.
It had once ruled this place, the strongest of its kind, never knowing defeat. But now, standing before it… was a true monster.
Akazuha didn't wait.
He moved forward, fast as lightning.
Thud!
A single punch to its stomach collapsed the Goblin King's entire skeletal structure. Its organs were crushed in an instant. Blood sprayed from its mouth like a crimson wave.
But Akazuha wasn't done.
He grabbed its head and lifted it off the ground.
The Goblin King weakly struggled, clawing at the hand crushing its skull, but it was futile.
Akazuha tightened his grip.
His nails dug deep into its skull. Blood seeped through the cracks in its flesh.
It thrashed, desperately trying to say something. Begging for mercy? Cursing him? It didn't matter.
Akazuha looked down coldly and whispered:
"Remember one thing."
"This is the price you pay for what you've done."
And then—
Crack!
He crushed the Goblin King's head in his hand.
Blood, brain, and shattered skull fragments splattered everywhere. Its headless body twitched for a few seconds before collapsing onto the cold stone floor.
Silence enveloped the cave.
No more fleeing footsteps. No more screams. Only corpses remained.
Akazuha looked around, confirming no enemies were left alive.
He sighed, gazing at the bodies of the adventurers killed by the goblins.
He dug shallow graves for them. After finishing, he offered a prayer.
"Rest in peace."
With that, he stood and left the cave.
End of Chapter 1