Chapter-02 · EP-041
Episode 41: Hobgoblin
I carefully stepped into the third-floor boss room.
It was quiet, with no sign of monsters.
But from the darkness at the back of the room, it emerged as if pushing itself out of the shadows.
The third-floor boss: the Hobgoblin.
It slowly walked towards me.
Its skin was the same green as a goblin's, but its body was a size, no, two sizes larger.
Its height was about the same as a short person, probably around 1.5 meters. It had a sturdy, muscular build, a ferocious face with bared fangs. It was considered a higher-ranked goblin, but it was essentially a different monster altogether.
The Hobgoblin kept its eyes on me. Its face, observing my movements, was that of a beast stalking its prey.
The goblins on the third floor hadn't wielded weapons, but the Hobgoblin held a club in its right hand.
One wrong hit, and I could be killed.
The thought made me swallow nervously.
Though the Hobgoblin exuded the aura of a powerful opponent, I had no intention of losing the mental battle.
Gripping my wooden sword in my right hand and my dagger in my left, I took a step towards the Hobgoblin.
The Hobgoblin reacted. It swung its club with a whoosh, cutting through the air. The strike carried such force I could feel the wind pressure as it came at me.
"Tch…!"
I raised my wooden sword and met it head-on.
But—Clang! With a dry impact sound, my body was lightly repelled.
With one hand, I was outmatched in strength. That club was too heavy.
I quickly switched tactics. I sheathed my dagger and gripped my wooden sword with both hands.
I met the Hobgoblin's next strike head-on with both hands.
Clang! I managed to block it more solidly this time. But—
(If we keep exchanging blows like this, my wooden sword will break…!)
The club's strikes were heavy. Even though my wooden sword was sturdy, I instinctively knew it wouldn't last long.
So instead of blocking, I chose to dodge and counter.
I narrowly evaded the downward swing of the club and slammed my wooden sword into its side.
"Tch… So hard!"
A numbing shock ran through my hands. Its hide was like armor.
If normal attacks wouldn't work, I had to aim for a weak point.
In the next instant, I lunged forward, aiming for its throat.
But it read my move. The Hobgoblin's arm shot out quickly and grabbed my wooden sword firmly.
"Damn—!"
The next moment, the club struck me square in the abdomen.
A voiceless groan escaped my lips. All the air was forced from my lungs.
"Damn it…!"
It still had my wooden sword. I couldn't escape.
Then—I stepped forward and threw all my strength into a front kick aimed at its solar plexus.
"Gah…!"
A pained grunt. In the moment its grip loosened, I pulled my wooden sword free and created some distance.
I caught my breath and readied my stance. Our eyes met, and a tense stillness fell between us.
(Stay focused. See through its club. Don't miss an opening…!)
In the next instant, the club swung in an arc. I narrowly dodged, a hair's breadth away.
"Hah!"
Using the momentum, I stepped in and thrust my wooden sword into the Hobgoblin's brow.
Its large body reeled backward. I followed up with another blow to its side.
This time, I leaped sideways to avoid the club it swung at me—then swung my wooden sword at its throat.
A heavy, solid impact.
The Hobgoblin groaned and dropped its club.
But it still wasn't over. Abandoning its weapon, it charged at me and grappled.
"Guh…!"
It grabbed my clothes, leaving me no room to escape.
It bared its fangs, trying to bite my face. That vicious mouth was right in front of me.
Instinctively, I pushed its neck back with one hand, stopping its movement.
Then, with my left hand—I drew my dagger.
"—It's over!"
A sharp thrust pierced the Hobgoblin's throat.
I felt the blade sink in.
The Hobgoblin's movements ceased, and a final groan escaped its mouth.
The next moment, its massive form collapsed and dissolved like mist.
What remained was a gleaming Magic Gem—and me, exhaling deeply.
"Haa… haa…"
I won. I struggled more than I'd expected, but I won. I was glad I bought the dagger. If I'd only had the wooden sword, I would have struggled even more.
I caught my breath and picked up the Hobgoblin's Magic Gem.
"Ouch…"
I rubbed the spot where the club had hit me. It was probably bruised.
I wondered if I should drink a potion, but for this, I decided to let it heal naturally. Considering a potion cost 10,000 yen, it seemed a waste to use one for this.
But well, this was probably enough exploring for today.
I descended the stairs leading to the fourth floor to find the portal.
As I walked down the stairs step by step, I found myself in a forest.
There was a rock ceiling. But trees grew thickly around me.
It was a strange floor: despite there being no sunlight, it was faintly bright, and trees were growing. It was one of the mysteries of dungeons. There was no point in trying to apply common sense.
I looked around and found a door glowing with a pale light and one that wasn't. The transfer gate.
If I remembered correctly, the glowing one was the entrance, and the unlit one was the exit. If I went through this to return, next time I could come directly here from the portal at the dungeon entrance.
Though I was reluctant to leave the fourth floor unexplored, I convinced myself I could just come back next week and stepped through the portal.
This concludes Chapter 2.
Thank you for following Shirou's growth so far.
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