Once Key arrived at the Goblin's Nest, he noticed it was a large cave-like chamber, the only light coming from two weak torches on either side of the entrance. The flames sputtered as if afraid to burn here.
From inside came the sound of Goblins—talking, laughing, cracking crude jokes about their next meal.
"I can't wait for them to come back! I'm starving."
"Yeah, what's taking so long? They're usually back in thirty minutes."
"Maybe they caught more than one victim, heh. That'd explain it. Damn, I can't wait to—"
WHOOSH.
In the next instant, Key's fist slammed into the first Goblin's skull, bursting it like rotten fruit. The severed head spun and smashed into another, vaporizing it into green mist at FTL speed.
The chamber fell into horrified silence. Every goblin froze, eyes wide, the laughter dead on their tongues.
Key stepped forward, calm as ever, placing his shoe on the twitching headless corpse.
"Where's your Queen?" His tone was flat, like he was asking for directions, not execution.
The goblins glanced at each other nervously, then their eyes all flicked toward the back of the chamber. Key followed their gaze.
There, half-shrouded in shadow, sat a crude throne of bones. And on it..a monster.
A towering Goblin, twice the size of the rest, muscles bulging beneath jagged armor. A rusted spiked club rested across its lap.
[Goblin King LV. 60]
The Goblin King rose slowly, stretching his thick neck until it cracked, and flashed a jagged grin that spread ear to ear.
"Well, well. Another brave piece of meat, crawling in here for treasure and glory." His deep guttural voice filled the chamber.
Key's eyes narrowed. 'Interesting..didn't even know there was a King.'
The King licked his lips, stepping forward. "Don't worry. I'll make it quick. We're so—" his grin widened, teeth yellow and sharp, "—hungry."
The goblins scattered, ducking behind rocks as their ruler lifted one clawed hand. A surge of dark green Abyssal Energy gathered in his palm, the air thickening with its corruption.
"I stole this from another piece of meat. Her body tasted as good as her pu—"
CRACK.
Key appeared in front of him mid-sentence. His fist sank into the Goblin King's gut, folding him over with a wet, guttural grunt.
It never fails, whether vampire or goblin, disgust exists everywhere.
Key's purplish crimson eyes glowed cold as he spoke, loud enough for the cowering goblins to hear.
"Is this your King?"
Before they could answer, his other fist struck. Then another. And another.
A hundred punches in a single second, each impact like a gunshot. The King's body jerked violently, bones cracking, his scream delayed until it tore free in a distorted howl of pain.
"Is this your King?"
Key didn't stop. He gripped the King by the throat, lifted him like a doll, and flung him aside as if tossing garbage. The ground shook where the King's body crashed.
"Nah," Key said, turning his gaze on the trembling goblins, his smirk sharp and merciless. "I'm the King."
The survivors recoiled, unable to believe what they'd seen. Their champion, crushed so easily? Who was this being?
"Hey..what's all this noise down h—"
The voice broke off. From the shadows emerged the Goblin Queen, eyes wide as she took in the carnage. Her gaze locked with Key's.
Key tilted his head, calm, almost casual. "Why shouldn't I kill you?"
The Queen froze. Her skin was slick and stretched, her face a grotesque parody of beauty..like Fiona crossed with a Gremlin.
"B-Because—" her voice wavered. "Well—"
Her eyes flicked to the unconscious King wheezing on the floor, then back to Key. In desperation, she straightened, puffing out her chest, trying to look alluring.
"You could be my new Ki—"
Key's face twisted in open disgust. He cut her off before she finished.
"Ew. Hell no."
His tone dropped, cold and final.
"Activate Blackhole."
The world answered.
The torches guttered out, plunging the chamber into near-darkness. The air thickened, pressure crushing like the sky was collapsing.
In Key's palm, a tiny black dot appeared—pulsing, twitching..then bloomed outward, warping space itself. The Blackhole didn't roar. It inhaled. A silence so deep it drowned out the world.
Goblins screamed as the pull began. Rocks cracked, dirt tore free, and then flesh followed. Heads popped like balloons, limbs snapped, bodies stretched thin as paper before spiraling into the void.
The Queen shrieked as her armor ripped away, her body contorting, hair tearing from her scalp as she was dragged forward, shrieking until her voice was cut off in a wet snap.
The King tried to rise, bellowing defiance, until his chest caved inward. His howl cut short as he was swallowed, bones shattering like glass.
For a heartbeat, it was chaos. Then silence.
The Blackhole collapsed with a final pulse, leaving behind only a crater of torn stone and twitching husks. A smell like scorched iron filled the chamber.
Key stood in the center of it all, calm as if nothing happened.
The Tower chimed in, its cold violet script flashing before his eyes.
[Congratulations! First Floor Cleared!]
[You will acquire your rewards once you leave.]
[Enter Second Floor?]
Key exhaled, lips twitching into a smirk. "Shit was too easy." He pressed his hand to the prompt. "I wonder how the others are doing…"
The gate pulsed.
Sooner than he would've thought, he'd find out.