A goblin—a creature of sickly green hue, no taller than a four-year-old human child, yet far more terrifying—crept through the dense forest, its eyes scanning hungrily for prey.
Despite their small size, goblins were not to be underestimated. Alone, they hunted small animals, but in packs, they had been known to take down beasts as fearsome as lions with terrifying ease. Bald-headed, with no hair on their scalps, their mouths bristled not with teeth but sharp fangs, made for tearing flesh. These carnivorous, man-eating monsters were nature's twisted joke—and a nightmare for any who crossed their path.
Now, deep within the thick underbrush, one such goblin padded softly through the foliage, alert, twitching at every sound.
Suddenly, a faint rustle.
It turned its head sharply, nostrils flaring, and its gleaming green eyes widened with delight.
There, just a few feet away, a rabbit was nibbling at a patch of clover, completely unaware of the imminent danger.
With a feral grin, the goblin tightened its grip on the crude axe in its hands. Letting out a shrill, high-pitched screech, it charged at the rabbit, its bare feet pounding against the forest floor.
But just as it was about to strike—
FWOOOSH!
A flaming spear tore through the goblin's torso, erupting from its back with a burst of embers and lodging itself deep into the trunk of a nearby tree. The goblin let out a strangled cry before collapsing to the ground, motionless. Moments later, the fire on the spear flickered out.
From behind the trees, a figure emerged.
Peter strolled forward casually, a smirk playing on his lips. He reached for the still-warm spear embedded in the tree and yanked it out in one swift motion.
"And that... makes it my twentieth hunt," he said with a chuckle, spinning the spear once in his hand.
Aliya burst through the undergrowth, her expression a mix of irritation and exhaustion.
"Will you stop running off like that?" she snapped, glaring at Peter.
The rest of the team trailed behind her, panting and clearly annoyed. Peter had bolted into the jungle without a word, again, chasing goblins like a lone wolf high on adrenaline.
Peter didn't even look back. "I think their village is nearby," he muttered, scanning the dense trees like a predator sniffing out prey.
"Are you even listening to me?" Aliya growled, stepping closer.
"Yeah, yeah," Peter said, waving her off with a smirk. "And now you listen. If we want points, we can't just move around like some cuddly scout group. We've gotta cover ground. Spread out, look sharp."
He adjusted the strap on his shoulder and looked over his team. "If you see something weak, take it down. If it looks strong, ping the group. And if anyone finds the goblin village—don't do anything stupid. Just mark the location. Got it?"
Aliya blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Wait… you made a plan?"
Peter shot her a lazy grin. "Surprised? I may not look it, but I'm ranked #2 in the academy. What about you, Miss Smartypants?"
Aliya narrowed her eyes, about to retort, but before she could, Rey stepped forward.
"Fine. Let's split up," he said, already moving in a different direction.
Without another word, the rest of the team followed suit, scattering into the jungle like trained predators. The hunt had truly begun.
---
"You guys are monsters," Daniel shouted, his voice echoing with emotion.
In front of him, chaos blazed—literally. The goblin village was burning, flames licking at the huts as thick black smoke choked the sky. And amidst it all, his teammates—Justin, Vanessa, Ren, and Rex—were ruthlessly slaughtering every goblin in sight.
Men. Women. Children. No one was spared.
Justin snarled, clearly annoyed. "If you're not going to help, then shut your damn mouth!" he yelled, barely dodging a massive axe swing from a dying goblin.
He flipped backward, landing with grace. A gleaming blue sword crackled with energy in his hand, glowing like lightning.
Daniel clapped slowly, mockingly. "Wow. Once more, Justin. That was spectacular."
He stood apart from the bloodshed, untouched, unmoved—watching everything like it was a stage play for his entertainment.
The team had tracked down the goblin village and attacked without hesitation. Vanessa, Ren, and Rex were dealing with the regular goblins, cutting through them like paper.
Justin, however, had drawn the attention of the Goblin King.
A hulking, ten-foot-tall monster with muscles like boulders and eyes burning with primal rage, the Goblin King was unlike the rest. Ten times the strength of a normal goblin, he wielded a massive stone club that could crush bones with a single swing.
Justin gritted his teeth, struggling to keep up. Sweat beaded on his forehead. This fight was real.
And Daniel?
Daniel was still watching.
Still smirking.
Still doing nothing.
"Why the hell are you even here, Daniel?" Justin barked, fury in his eyes. "Is this some kind of joke to you?!"
Daniel tilted his head, unbothered. "How rude, Justin. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"
It was enough to make even someone like Justin—stoic, straight-laced, textbook protagonist material—snap. He'd never felt this kind of disdain for someone before. Daniel wasn't just being useless—he was enjoying it. Watching his team suffer, suffer because he refused to lift a finger.
And somehow, Daniel had the audacity to act like they were the villains.
The flames roared higher.
And the real monster… just stood there, smiling.
---
"You were all talk on day one, weren't you?" Justin scoffed, his voice echoing through the burning village. "What happened? Took a few hits and now you're just a scared little pussy?"
Daniel's jaw tightened. A dark glint passed through his eyes. "What... did you just say?"
Justin didn't back down. "You heard me. You're nothing but an empty gas can. Can't even spark a flame."
Daniel's fists clenched. "Okay, dude. Then watch closely... and see what I'm about to do."
He scanned the chaos—flames licking up the sky, goblins screaming in the distance, corpses strewn across the dirt. And then—his eyes landed on it.
A child.
A small goblin, cowering behind a cracked stone boundary, trembling and hidden from the bloodshed.
Daniel walked toward it without a word. The child's eyes widened in fear as Daniel's shadow loomed. With a swift motion, he grabbed the goblin by its neck and yanked it into the air, dragging it back toward the others like a hunter showing off a fresh catch.
"Hey! Green Goblin!" Daniel shouted, voice sharp and deliberate.
The massive Goblin King, who'd been trading brutal blows with Justin, paused mid-strike. His eyes shifted. He turned—and saw it.
His child.
Dangling helplessly in Daniel's grip.
Daniel smirked.
With eerie calm, he unsheathed a silver dagger, its edge gleaming with a cold, cruel light. Slowly, theatrically, he brought the blade to the child's chest—just over its tiny, panicked heart.
The Goblin King roared. Pure rage. Pure instinct. He charged, ignoring Justin completely.
Daniel's grin widened. "Yeah... come to me."
He raised the dagger, ready to plunge it in—
But then—
FWOOM.
A golden flare exploded across the battlefield. A thunderous gust cracked the air.
Hero Aura: Active.
In a flash, Justin reappeared—his blade glowing with blinding intensity. With one decisive strike, he severed the Goblin King's head clean from his shoulders.
The beast's massive body hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Justin landed beside Daniel, eyes hard, body still pulsing with energy.
He looked at Daniel.
"You're horrible," he said. Cold. Unforgiving. Truth, wrapped in disdain.
Daniel's smile faltered for the first time.
Silence fell over the field—heavy and suffocating.
Even the fire seemed to quiet down.