Han Joon crept through the cold stone corridors of the dungeon, knife gripped tight in his trembling green hands. The cooked Camo Snake meat still sat warm in his stomach, but the hunger for EXP was stronger.
I need to evolve… I can't stay a goblin forever.
Then he saw it.
A skeleton, its bones sharp and yellowed, its skull cracked like old pottery. It stood in the torchlight, unmoving—until its head snapped toward him.
SKREEEEEE—!
The sound scraped down his spine like metal on glass.
Goddammit… not again.
The skeleton lunged, striking down with a bone sword so fast Han Joon barely lifted his knife in time.
CLANG!The impact numbed his arms, pain shooting through him.
Shit—its strength is higher than mine! I can't block too many of those!
He rolled back, dodging a second swing that embedded the skeleton's blade into the stone floor. Sparks flew. Han Joon's tiny goblin chest rose and fell rapidly.
He looked around desperately. Something… anything…
There—a rock, jagged and heavy, right beside him.
Han Joon scooped it up and hurled it with all his might.
CRKK—!A small chip formed on the skeleton's skull.
The damn thing didn't even flinch.
It screeched again and charged, bone blade raised. Han Joon barely rolled aside, feeling the wind of the strike graze his ear.
This thing's relentless—if it hits me once I'm done!
Gritting his teeth, he darted behind it, grabbed the rock again, and with a desperate yell slammed it down onto the skeleton's head.
CRAAAAACK!
The skull split.Bones collapsed.
Han Joon fell onto his back, panting so hard his chest burned, sweat dripping down his goblin face.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Low Level Skeleton defeated]+55 EXPLEVEL UP!LEVEL UP!
A blue screen flashed before him.
[STATUS – Han Joon]
Race: Goblin (Lv. 4)Rank: E
Strength: CSpeed: C+Stamina: CDurability / Vitality: CIntelligence: C-
God Points: 2
Skills:• Camo (E)• Fangs of Poison (C)
Han Joon blinked, stared… then stared harder.
"…Huh? Everything's above C-tier now?"
His goblin eyes widened.
He raised his tiny arms and flexed. Nothing looked different, but his body felt lighter, sharper—like the dungeon air itself responded to him faster.
A new icon flashed at the bottom.
[NEW FEATURE UNLOCKED]GOD SPIN
Use God Points to spin for Skills, Items, Buffs, EXP Boosters, or Rare Evolutions.
Han Joon wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked down at the shattered bones scattered across the ground.
"…Damn… that was way too hard for a 'low-level' skeleton."
He clutched his knife, breathing steadily now.
Han Joon sat down on a flat stone, finally letting himself breathe. The skeleton fight had nearly broken his tiny goblin ribs, and his arms still tingled from blocking hits that should've killed him.
He leaned back against the wall, staring at his faint green hands.
"…Above C-tier, huh? Not bad for a goblin," he muttered proudly.
For a moment—just a small moment—things felt peaceful.
Quiet.
Calm.
Then—
SHFFFT!
Something sharp stabbed into the ground right next to his head.
Han Joon froze.
Slowly… very slowly… he turned his head.
A girl stood there.
A human girl.
Brown ponytail. Light armor. A dagger gripped tight in her hand. She stared at him with wild eyes.
And then—
She lunged.
"HYAAH!"
"AGHHHHHH—!!"
Han Joon screamed like a dying squirrel and rolled away as she stabbed again, her blade smashing into the stone where he'd been sitting.
"STAY STILL, YOU LITTLE DEMON!"
"I'M NOT A DEMON, I JUST— AGH STOP TRYING TO KILL ME!"
She froze mid-swing.
Her dagger wavered.
"You… you can TALK?"
Han Joon blinked.
She blinked.
Silence.
Then they both screamed again at the same time.
"AGHHHHHH!""WHAT THE—AGHHHHH?!"
Han Joon bolted like his life depended on it—because it absolutely did.
Tiny goblin feet slapping against stone, he sprinted down the corridor.
Behind him, the girl yelled, "WAIT! COME BACK!"
"WHY WOULD I COME BACK TO SOMEONE TRYING TO STAB ME?!"
"I WAS SCARED OKAY!"
"You tried to END ME!"
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE A MUTANT!"
"YOU ARE A MUTANT!"
"HEY!!"
She chased him, boots pounding, dagger still in hand.
Han Joon activated Camo instinctively, his body blending—badly—with the wall. His arm looked like a blurry green-and-stone mess, and his foot stuck out like a glowing neon sign.
She stopped.Stared.Tilted her head.
"…Why is there a goblin foot sticking out of the wall?"
Han Joon, whispering: "This skill sucks."
He bolted again.
"STOP RUNNING!" she yelled.
"THEN STOP TRYING TO CATCH ME!"
"I JUST WANT TO TALK!"
"THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT A CRAZY PERSON WHO WANTS TO KILL ME WOULD SAY!"