Concealing myself from the remaining warrior squad was laughably easy. My skill at sneaking had advanced to the point that even the cavern’s least shadows were enough to hide me from the goblins’ poor night vision.

You are hidden once more.

The moment I faded from sight, the five-man team skidded to a halt, but not for long. At the chief’s bellowing call, they reversed direction and hurried to the stage.

Crouching in the darkness, I watched the goblin leader descend from the dais. After observing the massive figure’s stride for only a few seconds, I realized why he had not joined his followers earlier.

The chief was slow and cumbersome, at least in his steps.

Despite the goblin leader’s oversized limbs, and the undoubted power contained in his large frame, his smaller followers were more nimble. I smiled. In the cavern’s murky depths, the chief would make for easy prey.

After the goblin leader stomped to the side of the five remaining warriors, the goblin squad resumed their search for me, though this time their pace was notably slower.

“Where are you, puny HUMAN!” the chief bellowed. “Show yourself and face me!”

Ignoring the goblin’s taunts, I ducked through the shadows and circled around the squad to place myself at their rear. The chief himself strode behind the five warriors. I was not sure if that was because the larger goblin was guarding the formation’s rear, or if it was because the warriors out front were shielding him from me.

Either way, it conveniently left my most dangerous foe exposed to a sneak attack from behind. With drawn blades, I scampered forward and closed the distance to my mark.

“There is NO ESCAPE for you,” the goblin leader shouted, unaware of the approaching danger.

Almost within striking distance, I unbent from my crouch and raised my blades.

“I alone,” he continued, “hold the keys—”

A hostile entity has detected you! You are no longer hidden.

I was less than three feet from the chief and already darting forward with my blades, when the Game message dropped in my mind. I was startled, but pressed on with my attack anyway, thinking that it was surely too late for the leader to respond.

I was wrong.

Reacting instantly—almost as if he had expected the attack—the chief spun around. The goblin leader might have been slow at covering ground, but there was nothing wrong with his reflexes. The broad head of his greatclub swung around.

It was too late to change the angle of my attack, and my twin blades glanced harmlessly of the stout wood.

A level 41 goblin goliath has blocked your attacks.

I bit off a strangled yelp of surprise. Level forty-one? How? Why? Momentarily stunned, it took me a second to realize the chief was bringing his weapon around in an attack of his own.

The greatclub was swinging upwards from the goblin’s feet and towards me in a sweeping backhand blow. There was no time to dodge. Acting on instinct, I crossed my swords and held them before me to ward off the attack.

In hindsight, I chose poorly.

Given the chief’s prodigious strength and the weight of his weapon, my thin blades stood no chance of stopping his weapon. The greatclub collided with my swords, and with barely a hitch, kept going.

You have failed to block a goblin goliath’s attack. A goblin goliath has critically injured you! Your health is at 50%.

Stout wood met unprotected flesh, and flesh yielded. Blood vessels ruptured and bones broke. My ribs cracked and the organs beneath were punctured. Even my body was unable to fully absorb the greatclub’s momentum, and I went sailing backwards through the air.

Yet the chief miscalculated. He had struck too hard. I flew almost a dozen feet before crashing back to the ground again.

And out of his reach.

“HAHA, stupid human,” the chieftain crowed. “You cannot sneak up on ME!”

The wind had been knocked out of me, and I was half-dazed and near-senseless with pain. My vision was blurred with tears, and blood dribbled from my mouth. My agony demanded to be given voice, and a scream was forcing its way up my throat.

Somehow, I choked it back.

One thought was foremost in my thoughts: hide. I have to hide now! The imperative for self-preservation overrode even the pain riddling my body, and drove me to roll over onto my stomach.

The chieftain, seemingly certain I was no longer a threat, was still roaring with laughter. From beyond him, I heard his warriors snickering too, if somewhat less confidently. Ignoring the goblins, I blinked my eyes clear of swimming tears and searched frantically for the shadows—only to find I was already squarely within one.

My relief was so palpable, I almost broke down crying. Swallowing back the desire, I willed myself to meld into the darkness.

You have successfully evaded detection by six hostile entities! You are hidden once more.

Giving thanks to whatever god looked over fools and madmen in this world, I rested for a second on the cool stone underfoot.

A moment later, I picked my head up and eyed the surroundings. I was not safe yet. The goblins knew where I was and as soon as they neared my position, I would be revealed.

Move Michael. Planting my elbows in the ground, I dragged myself forward. I stifled a whimper. Moving was torture, but I had no choice. It was that or die here.

“Boss…” I heard one of the warriors say tentatively.

Foot by foot, I dragged myself across the ground, moving further away with every second. My body cried for me to down a healing potion, but I knew I couldn’t afford to take the time to search my pack for one yet. Get to safety first, I told myself. Then heal.

“Chief,” the same warrior said louder.

The goblin leader’s laughter subsided. “What?” he growled.

“The human,” the warrior said, sounding worried. “He’s gone.”

There was a stunned quality to the silence for a moment. Then the chief erupted once more. “What are you fools waiting for? GO! Find him!”

I gritted my teeth against the pain, and tried to scamper away faster. I thought I was far enough away that the goblins wouldn’t find me immediately. But I knew the warriors would expand their search quickly.

Ignoring the ominous tread of approaching feet, I crawled faster through the shadows.