The flickering green glow of Inigo's night vision goggles cast eerie light across the narrow tunnel ahead. The deeper section of the cave yawned before him like a second throat—tighter, darker, unmarked on any quest notice.
He moved forward cautiously, one hand on the grip of his M4A1, the other steadying against the damp cave wall. This wasn't part of the contract, but instinct told him something else lived down here. Something the surface goblins served, maybe even protected.
The air grew heavier. Warmer.
He heard it before he saw it—a strange squelching noise, like meat dragging against stone. And then the echoing sounds of faint, shrill squeals. Dozens of them. High-pitched. Weak.
He turned a corner and found the chamber.
It was small—barely eight meters wide—but packed. Nestled in piles of straw, rags, and rotting hides were goblins. Not warriors. Not even armed. Infants. Dozens of them. Their skin a pale, sickly green, their limbs stubby and underdeveloped. Some crawled. Others huddled together in groups. They squeaked, whined, and blinked against the green of his vision.
Inigo's finger hovered over the trigger.
He could feel his chest tighten—not with hesitation, but with tension. With clarity. These weren't misunderstood beasts. They weren't children in any human sense. They were monsters.
Leave one alive, and ten more will come back to kill.
He didn't speak. He didn't hesitate.
He raised his rifle.
Thwip. Thwip. Thwip.
The first row fell, twitching as the rounds tore through their soft bodies. Screams echoed through the chamber—but they weren't battle cries. They were animal wails, instinctual shrieks of panic.
He moved through them methodically, reloading halfway through. A few tried to scatter, crawling toward the far wall where a small drainage hole ran through the stone. He cut them down before they got close.
By the time he was done, the floor was soaked in blood. His boots squished as he stepped back, breathing slow and steady.
No remorse.
Just another sweep.
[+500 Tokens – Subjugation Bonus: Nest Cleared]
[+1000 Tokens – Threat Prevention: Future Horde Eliminated]
[Total Token Balance: 3083]
He stared at the system messages for a moment, then dismissed them.
It was a right decision to massacre those babies. He had gotten a lot of tokens out of it.
But proof. He still needed proof.
He reached into his satchel and retrieved a second cloth sack, one he had saved in case of additional finds. One by one, he began collecting ears and tusks from the corpses. They were smaller, but distinct. And no guild would question the weight of goblin blood.
By the time he stepped out of the deeper tunnel, the stink clung to him like a second skin. His gloves were red. His boots heavy. But his mind? Clear.
He had done what needed to be done.
He retraced his steps back to the cave's mouth, passing the bodies of the earlier kills. Seventeen full-grown goblins, one chieftain, and over a hundred spawn.
Inigo reached the surface as the moon began rising, casting pale silver light through the trees. He turned off his night vision goggles and pulled them off, stowing them in his inventory.
His rifle clicked as he toggled the safety.
Quest complete.
Time to get paid.
The Adventurer's Guild was calmer now, lit by amber lanterns and filled with the low rumble of conversation and clinking mugs. Some adventurers were still gathered in groups, boasting about the day's work. Others sat alone, sharpening blades or nursing drinks.
Inigo pushed open the door and walked straight to the front counter, sack in hand.
Elise was still there, looking no less composed despite the hour. She was scanning a stack of papers when she heard his boots cross the floor.
Her eyes lifted.
And for a moment, her professional expression slipped. "You're back."
Inigo set the bloodied sack down on the counter with a soft thump. "Goblin extermination, cave subjugation—complete. Seventeen adults, one chieftain."
Elise blinked. "Wait—you took care of them all? By yourself?"
"It seems that I am," Inigo finished, his voice calm but edged with quiet confidence.
He untied the sack and let the flap fall open. The scent hit first—iron, musk, and old blood. Inside was a pile of goblin ears and tusks, all neatly severed, counted, and bundled in twine. Some were large and rough—clearly from adults. Others were smaller, thinner, fresher.
Elise's eyes widened slightly as she took in the contents.
"These…" she paused. "There are more than what the quest listed."
Inigo nodded. "There was an unmarked tunnel deeper in. Another nest. Over a hundred spawn."
He watched her expression carefully. Not everyone would take the news of a massacre lightly, even if it was monsters. But Elise didn't recoil. She didn't flinch. Her eyes flicked to his, then back to the sack.
"And you cleared it?"
"Every last one."
She nodded slowly, then reached under the counter to retrieve a clean parchment and a guild seal. "That wasn't listed on the quest, so it'll have to be submitted as an incident report. You'll get bonus pay, and the Guildmaster might want to see you."
"Noted."
She jotted notes with swift, graceful strokes of her quill, occasionally glancing back at him. "That much blood on you, and you're still standing straight. I take it you weren't hurt?"
"Didn't take a single hit."
Elise looked back up, her expression unreadable. Then, softly: "Impressive."
She sealed the parchment, stamped it, and placed it in a tray for processing.
"For the original subjugation—fifteen silver. Five for the chieftain. And for the cleared nest…" she paused as she retrieved a heavier pouch, "…an additional fifteen silver. And that's just the base bonus. You'll probably be getting more once the Guildmaster reviews your report."
She slid the pouch across the counter.
Inigo accepted it with a nod, then smiled. "Enough for dinner?"
Elise tilted her head, just slightly. "I suppose it depends on where."
"Well—I am new to the town, perhaps you can show me around."
"I'll see you once my shift ends."