Within the damp cavern, a grave silence filled the air. The bones that once scattered the ground were nowhere to be found, and the two chained figures had become mere blobs on the floor. In their place, a tall skeletal figure slumped against the wall, its arms resting at its sides. The skeleton's bones were sturdy and dense, a faint black glow emanating from its skull.

"I did it..." It spoke in a raspy, guttural voice, barely audible. Its tone was hollow, devoid of emotion. "I killed her." The skeleton stared straight ahead, its gaze fixed on the empty space where the woman had once been, now replaced by somber, dark screens.

Level 7 Human slain!

Reward: 565 Experience Points

Experience Criteria Met!
Level increased from 1 to 2.
Species Reward: 2 Stat Points

A silence followed, the skeleton's gaze never wavering. "I did what I had to do," it continued, its voice growing louder and stronger. "I had no choice."

The skeleton sat up, its bony fingers digging into the ground as it clenched its fists. "I will survive this," it growled. "I will not be broken." As it spoke, its gaze grew fierce, and it stood up, shaking off all of the guilt weighing down on it. It was not weak, and would not allow itself to be. With clinical coldness, it brought up the status screen and allocated the two new points straight into strength.

Status

Kaden (Brittle Skeleton)

Level 2 (Classless)

Experience: 295/600

Stats

Strength: 5

Agility: 3

Density: 2

Necrotic Essence: 2

Free Stat Points: 0

Unique Abilities

Bone Essence Absorption

"Just about halfway..." Kaden noted.

Now he needed to find a way out. He turned toward the door, considering his options. Should he try to break out or wait for someone to come by? While he clearly felt hunger, his body didn’t seem to depend on food or drink for survival. He also knew for certain at this point that he had been awake for over twenty-four hours, but he was still fully awake and not even a little tired.

He could afford to wait, which was a safe plan; wait, ambush the first guard that came by, use him to level up, and escape quietly. Yes, he could afford to wait, but he didn’t like it. It put him in a passive state, waiting and wasting time, dependent on others for his escape.

No, definitely not. He was going to break free himself somehow; he just needed to figure out a way past that door.

Walking up to it, he knocked on it, finding it solid. If he had a weapon, maybe he could break it, but he wasn’t confident about knocking it down with his bare hands. His arms would definitely break before he got through. There was no way he was going to willingly cripple himself again.

His gaze traveled around the room, trying to find something useful. There wasn’t really much. A few sharp rocks and the chains really. The chains were all still firmly attached, and even if they weren’t, they wouldn’t help him any. As for the rocks…he could probably use them to carve off the wood at certain weak points, but that could take days.

Still, it wasn’t like he had any better ideas. With nothing else to resort to, he picked up a sharp rock and approached the door.

Inspecting it, he noticed the hinges. The goblins had been stupid enough to install the door with the hinges on the inside, which wasn’t all that surprising considering their general intelligence. That made things a fair bit easier, as he didn’t have to blindly guess their location.

If he could shave off the wood and detach the hinges, he’d be able to pull the door free and get out. It also left the door intact in case he had to give up in the middle of his escape and come back.

Feeling hopeful, he sat down, firmly gripping the rock and pushing down. It bit into the wood just a bit, and a tiny splinter flecked off. A very tiny one. He sighed, yeah it was definitely going to take a long time.

At least time was something he seemed to have plenty of. Since the goblins abandoned him here, he hadn’t heard a peep from outside. Clearly, they didn’t attend to their prisoners much.

He got to work, falling into a rhythm as he lost himself to the monotony. Keeping busy was good, but the task required little focus, giving him far too much time to think. Far too much time to dwell.

Being alone with his thoughts was quickly becoming one of the things he feared the most. Guilt kept weighing at him, judging him for everything he had done. What was he becoming?

He didn’t feel like himself, almost like there was another presence goading him on, urging him, corrupting him. In a desperate moment, it had been all too easy for him to justify that despicable act. How? Why?

He knew it wasn’t who he was, yet he had still succumbed to it. Had still given in. Nobody else could take the blame for that. Lost in his thoughts, his hands had stilled, no longer working.

Eyeing his work, it looked like he had barely made any progress at all.

A loud clatter rang out as he slapped himself, urging himself to focus. He didn’t forgive himself for his actions, but as much as it pained him to admit, there really were far more important things to think about right now.

Time became a blur as the rock in his hand nearly ground into a nub. A large indent was now visible around the hinge, and he had begun scraping the wood underneath away. Tiny flecks of wood pooled at his feet, and the bodies of the two humans had begun to decompose.

Kaden was incredibly thankful for his dull sense of smell, as the bodies were turning into foul-looking blobs of sticky skin goo. He didn’t dare to touch it, or really even look at it. He kept his eye sockets focused straight ahead, only looking at the door.

Muttering voices pulled him out of his daze, and he scrambled back from the door as they approached.

He had just retreated to a far corner when the door swung open, two goblins stepping in. A smaller one, and a bigger one carrying an axe.

“Hmmm? Humans is gone?” The tinier one said, frowning as it stepped closer to look.

“Gone? They escape? How?”

“Me not know!” The tiny goblin bent down to inspect the curious blobs on the ground, that were where the humans had once been. “What this?”

“Let me see!” The big goblin pushed the smaller one out of the way, dipping its finger in the sticky goo.

Kaden recoiled as he watched, nausea clinging to him as he saw the big goblin rooting around in the goo, a half-melted eyeball appearing.

“Is humans? Where is bones?” The tiny goblin said thoughtfully, turning its head, its gaze landed on Kaden. “Huh? Did skeleton have arms?”

The bigger goblin turned too, shrugging. “Hmph, you forget feed humans? They dead!”

“Me feed humans? You was supposed to!”

Kaden watched the goblins start to bicker about whose job it had been to feed the humans, feeling very lucky that they had seemingly forgotten all about him. He was tempted to get up and make a run for it through the open door, but he was sure they’d notice that. With all the goblins in the camp, there was no way he could escape if they were chasing after him and alerting everyone.

In the end, the bigger goblin seemed to come out on top, and the smaller goblin was tasked with collecting the remains. Kaden wasn’t quite sure for what purpose.

The two left, but Kaden didn’t dare move yet. Minutes passed, and then the door opened again before the small goblin came tumbling inside, a mocking laughter ringing as the door was shut behind it. It cursed and screeched at the door, banging on it relentlessly, legs quivering as it sent panicked looks at Kaden.

The voice behind the door, most likely belonging to the big goblin from earlier, did not seem to care one bit. Soon giving up hope, the small goblin resigned itself to its situation, and warily approached the gooey remains carrying something resembling a metal pot. Cautiously kneeling down, it began to scoop it up with its bare hands. The whole time, its eyes kept flicking between Kaden and the goo, its hands shaky and rushed.

Was this his chance?

Kaden turned his head slightly, peering at the door, which made the little goblin jump in fright, and the mocking laughter rang out again.

It was risky but he couldn’t ignore this chance. He didn’t quite know how his strength compared to the goblins, but fighting them one by one was undoubtedly better than both at the same time. And honestly, it was either that or spending another day or two shaving off tiny specks of wood.

Yeah, he didn’t want to do that. Keeping his eye on the small goblin, he watched it work and came up with a plan. As far as he could see, it didn’t have a weapon, so as long as he could overpower it, he would win.

There wasn’t much time left, the goo nearly all collected. Kaden waited for it to look back down, and just as those eyes left him, he leapt up, rushing at the goblin.

Its head raised to face him, panicked eyes growing wide, and then it was tackled to the ground. It managed to scream before Kaden covered its mouth with his hand but the big goblin just thought the situation was funny, oblivious to its comrades plight.

Kaden kept it pinned, holding it down with his weight and strength, and it offered remarkably little resistance. Its small hands came clawing at him, but even its long nails could do little to his bones. He pitied the creature as his free hand wrapped around its throat.

He squeezed as hard as he could, trying hard to ignore how disturbing it felt. The creature gasped and struggled, desperate to free itself, but it was hopeless.

Bit by bit, the light in its eyes began to dim, its thrashing getting weaker. Soon, its arms slumped lifelessly to the floor, its eyes staring back up at Kaden without any life behind them.

A chime rang out, but he did not hear it. And unsure if it was really dead, Kaden kept squeezing, equal parts horrified and elated. Minutes passed until he finally came out of that stupor, seeing the message and realizing it was over.

Level 2 Goblin slain!

Reward: 84 Experience Points

Staring at the message now, he felt shaken to his very core. Ending the goblin’s life felt satisfying, too satisfying. He didn’t like that. No, he didn’t like it one bit.

Yet he had no choice but to press onwards. The moment still fresh in his mind, he began to absorb its bone essence, the black light glowing as those lifeless eyes started sinking into the skin.

The energy this time was absolutely vile, or maybe that was just his subconscious speaking. It filled him with dread and sadness, overpowering the feeling of power.

It was over quickly, the tiny goblin leaving nothing but a husk on the floor.

Kaden let out a sigh of relief. It had gone well, but it was far from over yet. He eyed the door the big goblin could come through any moment. Finding the largest rock he could, he took it and hid behind the door, readying himself.

Minutes passed in silence, before the bigger goblin finally started thinking things were taking too long. It called out, and when it received no response, it banged on the door before calling for the small goblin again, a tinge of concern having crept into its voice.

Kaden heard it fiddling with the door, and then it swung open. It stepped through, axe in hand. Standing right behind it, Kaden didn’t waste the chance he’d been given. Putting all his strength into it, he smacked the rock as hard as he could against the goblins head.

It was like cracking an eggshell as it struck, a sick crack resounding as blood began to spill. The goblin wobbled on its legs before tumbling over, aimlessly swiping at the air with its axe.

Lying on the ground in a pool of its own blood, the look in its eyes was one of confusion, and as it saw Kaden, its expression turned to one of rage. Snarling and growling, it kept swinging the axe, but Kaden was far out of reach.

It was clearly delirious, the wound on its head affecting its perception. It could barely control its limbs, and even after trying several times, failed to stand up. After a while, it seemed to realize this too. It paused its swinging, and then very suddenly, the axe came flying towards Kaden at blinding speed.

Kaden shook as it struck the wall beside him, clattering to the floor. The axe had come flying so fast, he couldn’t even move. Thankfully the creature’s aim had been off, or he would’ve gotten severely hurt.

Grabbing the weapon, Kaden held it close as he watched the goblin spasm through its final moments. Its face seizing up and eyes turning bloodshot.

Finally…

Level 4 Goblin slain!

Reward: 219 Experience Points

Kaden didn’t dare waste any time, and with the message ensuring its death, he stepped forward to absorb its bone essence. Standing in the blood that was still flowing, he averted his eyes while absorbing. The tiny splashing sounds of the liquid were hauntingly loud in the empty chamber.

As he absorbed, even the pool of blood seemed to darken, like he was absorbing minerals within the blood itself. What exactly was bone absorption? Clearly it took more than just the bones themselves.

With the big goblin deflated, he was ready to get out of here. Truly, it couldn’t happen soon enough. Stepping over to the door with his new axe in hand, the door creaked as he pulled it open and stared down the dark and empty tunnel.

Eager to leave the prison behind, he pulled himself together and stepped through the opening without looking back.

Soon, he would be free. He could feel it. With careful steps, he made his way down the tunnel as quietly as he could. On edge, he kept his senses alert, ready for anything.

As he moved, it was difficult to keep quiet, his joints were rough and ground against each other with every step, the noises echoing deep into the tunnel. Still, he pressed on, and thankfully it was a straight path. It wasn’t long before the tunnel started opening up and the light began to peek in.

Having gotten to the end, he peered into the massive cavern. He saw the fire pit, and noticed that most of the goblins were milling around it, or sitting down. A bit further away, the throne was empty. He didn't see Big Grulak anywhere, which was both a blessing and curse. It was good because the goblin chief was definitely the most troublesome one, but if he didn’t know where he was it was infinitely harder to avoid him. He could be anywhere.

Scanning the other parts of the cavern, he noticed a fair few goblins moving around the entrance, some sleeping on the ground, others chatting and drinking. Thankfully they weren't at all on guard and there were no patrols. The goblins seemed rather at ease, like they didn’t have any enemies to be afraid of.

His original plan of getting to the entrance was now looking like a long shot. There were way too many goblins gathered around it, and getting through unseen would be impossible. He could make a run for it, but had no confidence in succeeding. If even a single goblin got his hands on him, it could be over. Even after killing two of them, he didn’t really know how he stacked up against them.

He had to think of something else, but what?

There were quite a few other tunnels scattered around, but he had no idea where any of those led. Entering any of them would be a gamble, he could end up walking right into a goblin’s home, or something even worse.

Still, it was better than nothing, and there were several tunnels close to him. With nothing to base his decision on, he just picked the nearest one and crept along the walls. He reached it without trouble, and with a quick check to make sure no one was coming towards him, he slipped inside of the hole.

It was even narrower than the damp tunnel he came from, barely wide enough for a single person to fit.

The whole tunnel was covered with a strange purple slime, and a strange toxic looking smoke wafted off the slime, filling the air. Unlike the damp tunnel, there wasn’t a single lichen here leaving the tunnel pitch black. If it wasn’t for his incredible night vision, he wouldn’t have been able to see where he was going.

In the distance, he could barely make out some rocks blocking his path. Cursing inwardly, he approached to investigate. A large pile of rocks blocked the tunnel, and it looked as if the tunnel had collapsed. But looking up, Kaden saw no holes in the ceiling.

Either way, there was no way to get around it. But he might be able to shift the rocks, and if he could, then at least he would be sure that there were no goblins on the other side. It would be safe.

Kaden pushed and found that the rocks were very loosely packed. They moved easily, and with a few shoves, he was able to create a hole wide enough to squeeze through.

On the other side, the tunnel continued for a little while longer, growing wider and wider. It was big enough that three adults could stand shoulder to shoulder and still have room left over. Ahead of him, the path split into three, seemingly all identical. Needing a plan, he made the choice to always stick to the left side, giving himself a better chance of being able to find the way back if he needed to.

He walked and walked in the darkness, and then, he felt something squish and pop underneath his foot, immediately followed by a familiar sound.

Level 1 Darkweaver slain!

Reward: 20 Experience Points

Experience Criteria Met!

Level increased from 2 to 3.

Species Reward: 2 Stat Points

"Huh?" he looked down at his foot and saw green liquid dripping down the bone, nasty looking splattered guts covering his heel bone. A scratching, chittering echoed from all sides. and he saw the rocks begin to shift in front of him.

Something was very wrong, and as he looked closer, he realized that those things weren’t rocks. No, they, were little dark gray spiders, blending right in with the rocks. There were tons of them, and they had all woken up after he stepped on one, squishing it underfoot.

Kaden shivered, feeling frozen as the spiders stared right at him, their little glowing red eyes all too easy to see in the darkness.