My blade felt heavier in my hand. The pain from the blow to my chest echoed in the rhythm of my heartbeat, but at that moment, the ache in my body was insignificant compared to the turmoil in my mind.

  The massive goblin stood like a stone, shielding the smaller goblins behind it. Its eyes were still locked onto me. There was a deep, primal threat in them, yet... there was something else, too.

  Fear?

  No.

  That gaze held defense, not the desire to attack.

  A heavy silence settled in the cave. Only the faint dripping of water from the back and the goblins' ragged breaths echoed through the darkness. My grip on the blade wavered. Should I lower my weapon or not? Why wasn’t this massive creature attacking?

  Then, a sound filled the cave—a guttural, haunting voice.

  “Y-you... stran-ger...”

  My heart nearly stopped.

  A shard of ice seemed to pierce through me. I froze.

  The goblin... spoke.

  Its voice was rough, like a muffled growl bouncing off jagged rocks. The words spilled from its mouth like broken stones—heavy, uneven, incomplete. And yet... they were clear.

  “Go.”

  That single word struck my mind sharper than any blade. I held my breath. My hands were slick with sweat, my knees trembled.

  I wasn’t expecting this.

  A creature that could speak like a human... Was this even possible?

  My eyes drifted toward the smaller ones clinging to its legs. They trembled like frightened birds. But their fear wasn’t of it. It was of me.

  The giant goblin was protecting them. It didn’t want to fight.

  “You... pro-tect...” The words slipped from my lips before I even realized. My throat felt tight.

  The goblin lowered its head, its massive back sinking into the darkness of the cave. It spread its arms wider, pulling the small ones closer. Some of the little goblins hid between its legs, their wide eyes glistening with fear, like helpless children.

  These creatures had always been described as terrifying monsters. But what I was seeing now was not hostility—it was instinct. The instinct to protect.

  And something inside me cracked.

  Maybe these creatures had come here seeking refuge. Maybe there was something deeper in this cave—something worse.

  Or maybe... I was the threat.

  For a moment, I saw myself through the eyes of a hunted beast. I was the predator. The silent, creeping death.

  This goblin had struck me to protect the young behind it. It was ready to die for them.

  I lowered my blade.

  My breath was still shaky, my hands still trembling, but I slid the weapon back into my belt. One of the small goblins let out a high-pitched squeak at the sight of the disappearing blade, but the giant goblin released a deep, rumbling sound.

  The small ones fell silent.

  That sound... it was gentle.

  Like a father’s voice.

  I swallowed hard. My thoughts spread like poisonous vines through my mind. I felt like a monster.

  Curled up in a tent, drowning in fear, I had become a predator, ready to commit slaughter.

  But maybe... this time, there wouldn’t be one.

  I took a step back. The sound of my foot against the stone floor echoed in the cave. The goblin didn’t move. It only watched. The small ones, too, stared with wide eyes, holding their breath.

  A second step.

  The goblin spoke again.

  “Go... away... dan-ger...”

  Danger?

  The word cut through my thoughts like a knife. What danger?

  Maybe these creatures were fleeing from something. Maybe this cave was far more dangerous than I had assumed.

  But if I stayed here... death was inevitable.

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  I met the goblin’s gaze one last time. For the first time, I realized there was no hostility in its eyes. Just... exhaustion.

  The fatigue of a warrior long past his limits.

  I nodded. Slowly, silently. And I backed away.

  The goblin watched me, but did not move. The small ones followed my every step. Until I faded into the cave’s darkness... no one moved.

  And for the first time... I escaped without fighting.

  By the time I reached the entrance, my legs were shaking.

  I collapsed onto the stone floor and took a deep breath. My chest still bore the weight of the impact, my arms ached, and even holding a blade had become difficult. But the thing that exhausted me the most... was my mind.

  A goblin that spoke.

  The phrase echoed in my head. Over and over again.

  Go. Away. Danger.

  I buried my hands in my hair and leaned my head against the cave wall. I closed my eyes. The image of the small goblins clinging to the giant one filled my mind. Trembling, frightened... like children in need of protection.

  How was this possible?

  Stories had always spoken of mindless monsters. Bloodthirsty creatures that slaughtered humans. Yet that goblin hadn’t attacked me. It had only defended.

  And then... I thought of Roy.

  I hadn’t felt this guilty when I killed Roy.

  Even though he was human.

  My eyes opened. The cave’s dark, cold ceiling loomed over me like a massive shadow. My chest felt tight.

  That day... the day I crushed Roy’s skull with a rock.

  I hadn’t hesitated. Because Roy was a monster.

  The knot in my throat grew. My thoughts clashed in my head, spiraling endlessly.

  But I knew one thing. I couldn’t move forward if I kept questioning this.

  The darkness inside me, the fire of vengeance, still burned. My mother was still sick. And if I didn’t save her... who would?

  I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms.

  If these creatures stood in my way...

  If they tried to stop me...

  I wouldn’t hesitate to kill them.

  It didn’t matter if goblins could talk or feel. Because at the end of this path, I had only one goal.

  My mother.

  The rage that had once consumed me flared up again. I opened and closed my hands. My heartbeat steadied. My mind cleared.

  I couldn’t deceive myself. In the midst of this battle, mercy would only weaken me.

  Any creature that stood in my way… was an enemy.

  And there was only one fate for my enemies:

  Destruction.

  I stood up, ignoring the pain in my back. I disregarded the pounding ache in my ribs.

  I fixed my gaze on the darkness of the cave.

  No matter what lay ahead… I would not retreat.

  A Few Days Later…

  For a while, I gave up on descending deeper into the cave and spent my time gathering minerals in the closer areas.

  I was still thinking about that giant goblin. Maybe I shouldn’t have confronted it that day. It could have killed me. But it didn’t. It spoke.

  That thought wouldn’t leave my mind.

  So I tried to distract myself. I swung my hammer to process the iron ore I had collected near the cave entrance, stocked up on charcoal, gathered wild berries, and caught more fish. I buried myself in work, trying to escape my thoughts.

  But the goblins didn’t let me.

  Because every day, I encountered at least one of them.

  At first, I was afraid. My dagger was always ready to be drawn. My heart raced, sweat covered my skin. But nothing happened.

  The goblins didn’t attack. And I didn’t attack either.

  Whenever they saw me, they slightly bowed their heads, averting their gazes. As if they acknowledged my existence, yet acted as though I weren’t there. So I did the same. This silent agreement brought an odd sense of peace.

  Then, I realized something… they lived in this cave too.

  I had settled into their home.

  Images of tents came to mind. Worn-out fabric, rusty spears, crude stone fireplaces… This was their dwelling. I was the invader.

  At first, I refused to accept this thought. They were monsters, weren’t they? But as I watched them, I saw the truth—they weren’t.

  Every morning, small goblins would leave the cave. They hunted quietly in the forest, catching small animals. They sharpened their spears on stones. And when the evening came… they returned.

  But the giant goblin?

  It never left.

  Every day, I would glance into the cave’s depths, searching for it. But it always remained in the shadows, hidden deep within. Like a guardian protecting the heart of the cave.

  I once saw it bow its head as the smaller goblins left. Like a leader.

  This strange ritual repeated itself day after day.

  And with each passing day… I felt more like an uninvited guest.

  Yet, I wasn’t going to leave the cave. I thought about how much effort I had put into setting up this workshop. Leaving this place meant starting over.

  Besides, there were valuable minerals here. Even though I had only collected iron so far, I could sense that deeper in the cave, there were entirely different resources waiting.

  Still, one question kept echoing in my mind:

  Why were these goblins here?

  And more importantly… why did the giant goblin never leave?

  Was it waiting for something?

  Or… was it afraid of something?

  Days Passed…

  At the entrance of the cave, where I had set up my workshop, the smell of fish cooking over the fire filled the air. Another long day had ended. I had forged iron, reinforced my charcoal with dried branches. This routine had become familiar now.

  But that night… something was different.

  As I slowly ate my fish, I noticed small eyes watching me from the entrance leading into the cave’s depths.

  Goblins.

  Four of them huddled in the corner, staring at me in silence. Their eyes shimmered with the fire’s reflection. They looked frightened… but curious.

  At first, I didn’t understand. Why were they watching me? Then I realized: the smell.

  The smell of cooked fish.

  I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sad. The goblins seemed intelligent, yet they remained primitive. They knew how to hunt, but they didn’t know how to cook their meat. They built shelters, yet their tents were so fragile that a single strong wind could topple them.

  Looking at them… I thought of early humans.

  And the bitter truth was: I had started living just like them.

  Still, I couldn’t endure their silent stares any longer. My human nature took over.

  I stood up and began cooking the extra fish I had collected. I added some of the berries I had found. Carefully, I placed them onto a wooden plate I had crafted. Only one thought occupied my mind:

  Maybe they were watching me because they were hungry.

  Holding the plate, I walked toward the cave entrance. Each step echoed. The fire’s glow cast my shadow onto the wall, making it appear massive.

  The goblins immediately backed away. Their small bodies tried to hide behind the rocks. But they didn’t run. They were just scared.

  Silently, I placed the plate on the ground. The fish was still warm. The berries glistened.

  I stepped back, returning to my place by the fire.

  For a while, nothing happened. Only silence.

  But then, one of the smaller goblins gathered its courage.

  Its steps were hesitant. It slowly approached the plate, but its eyes never left me. It looked as if it was trembling from fear.

  And then…

  We locked eyes.

  It stared at me for a long moment. In those small, yellow eyes, I saw something: Surprise. Understanding. Hunger. And… perhaps gratitude.

  It lifted the plate with both hands. Then, it immediately turned around and ran into the cave’s depths. The other goblins followed.

  I remained by the fire.

  Silently, I continued eating my meal.

  And that night, I slept peacefully with a feeling I couldn’t quite describe.