Chapter 8: The Reward for Overcoming Extreme Difficulty Is….

People often fall into an easy misconception.

They assume that Goblins, who live in dark caves, are naturally accustomed to the darkness and can see right through it.

It only makes sense.

Isn’t it common sense to be that way when living in such pitch-black caves?

Since one can only predict based on the given circumstances, it’s natural to think so.

But the truth is… not at all.

Goblins don’t have eyes that can see through darkness.

In fact, their eyes have degenerated precisely because they live in darkness.

Then why have so many adventurers fallen victim to Goblins?

It’s the principle of losing one thing to gain another.

In place of vision, they gained hearing.

Just like bats living in caves, they possess astonishingly acute hearing that can pick up even the faintest sounds.

Having lived as a Slayer hunting Goblins for twenty years, I realized this.

I studied how to exploit this fact, and the results are now unfolding right before my eyes.

Thud.

I picked up a stone lying on the cave floor and threw it into an empty spot.

At that moment, “Fwip fwip fwip!”

With a sharp whooshing sound, something flew and stabbed into the spot where the stone had landed.

Without hesitation, I stomped on the ground.

“Shhiiik—”

The distance between us closed instantly.

Along with it, I spotted a small horde of creatures.

Green skin, long pointed ears, and sharp fangs.

Their size was about that of an eight-year-old child at most.

These were the Goblins of the Gritia Continent I knew.

“Just as I thought, they’re exactly the same.”

Though I had predicted this from their habits—dark caves and reaction to sound—I hadn’t expected their appearance to match perfectly with the Goblins seen on the Gritia Continent.

“Perhaps the answer mentioned in the note has something to do with this.”

I was beginning to piece together why the note, made of parchment from the Gritia Continent, told me to head to the Tower.

But there was no time to linger in thought.

“Kik!”

“Kiiik!”

The creatures screamed out in shrill cries, sounding almost like laughter, as they prepared to attack again.

Why Goblins are dangerous despite being physically weaker than humans?

It’s because of the Poison Needle they were about to shoot.

They use a tool made by tightly rolling dried wood to launch these Poison Needles, which are coated with a potent neurotoxin that paralyzes nerves instantly.

No matter how powerful an Awakener—or even a Knight—you are, if you fall victim to this poison, your body will be paralyzed, making you nothing more than a meal for them.

Moreover, detecting the needle shot in this darkness is exceedingly difficult, so even experts can be caught off guard.

That was why I threw the stone to lure their attack.

Firing the Poison Needle requires time to reload.

Scritch scratch!

To my eyes that pierced through the darkness, Goblins that couldn’t even shoot Poison Needles were nothing more than insects to be crushed in an instant.

“Splat!”

A severed head dropped to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, five Goblins lay dead.

“Drip drip.”

Green blood spilled from their bodies.

I stared at it.

Then, with a swift motion—

I smeared my entire body with the disgusting, pooled blood.

Because their vision had degenerated in the dark, their hearing developed, but that wasn’t all.

‘Their sense of smell.’

The reason they found me in the dark wasn’t their hearing, but their sense of smell.

They could detect the scent of a different species from afar, which allowed them to get close to where I was.

No matter how much you wash it away, the scent of your species cannot be erased.

That’s why Goblin blood was perfect for covering myself.

‘If I smear their blood on me, they’ll perceive me as one of them, reducing threatening reactions.’

Creatures that recognize you as a comrade won’t attack first, so that grants a degree of safety.

In fact, as long as I don’t do anything conspicuous, I should be able to fulfill the escape conditions within an hour.

However, ‘If I’m going to do this, I might as well aim for 3 stars.’

I had basically secured the 2-star achievement already.

But something kept bothering me.

The 3-star condition marked with a question mark.

Since I’d come this far, wouldn’t achieving 3 stars be better in every way?

It would be more impressive both in terms of rewards and the ripple effect it would have in the world.

So, let’s think about it.

What exactly is the 3-star condition hidden behind that question mark?

‘Escape. Time limit. If there’s anything else…’

In the past, I wasn’t the sharpest mind.

If I had been smart, I wouldn’t have married a tough woman like Ha Yeon Lee.

I was a fool who got tricked by appearances and pretended to be naive.

But after rolling around the Gritia Continent for hundreds of years, my thinking sped up naturally.

There’s even a study on this.

The IQ of a cockroach facing death rises above 300.

Humans aren’t much different.

After countless life-threatening situations, survival instincts, which are a form of intelligence, develop.

At first, I wasn’t accustomed to using it, but after hundreds of years—

Being an adaptable animal, I adjusted to that environment and gained a fairly sharp mind.

And now, that mental agility was shining.

‘…Handle all Goblins.’

Escape, time limit, and adding one more condition:

Within one hour, I had to deal with every Goblin in the cave.

But that wasn’t easy.

‘Goblins have a habit of fleeing when sensing danger.’

They are cunning.

If they realize their opponent is unbeatable, they choose to escape without hesitation.

Because they’ve learned that’s the only way to preserve their species.

If I ran rampant here, the instinctively aware Goblins would flee through escape routes, and I’d fail the 3-star mission.

Though it’s not yet confirmed if that’s the 3-star condition.

‘There’s no reason I can’t handle it.’

Countless steps led me to be called the Goblin Slayer.

Among those were records of wiping out entire Goblin lairs without failure.

And for that, ‘I need to find the Nursery Room.’

The Nursery Room, where young Goblins are cared for.

I had to find that deepest part of the cave.

***

Goblins are a strictly communal society.

In some ways, they’re like ants or bees, and observing their habits reveals many similarities.

As I said before, when danger is sensed, they run away.

But it’s not just running away.

It’s for the preservation of their species.

Therefore, they help the escape of the leader with the best DNA and the young Goblins who are the future.

Something even the people of the Gritia Continent didn’t know—

That is, almost no human has ever encountered a young Goblin.

That’s because Goblins grow rapidly, but until they become adults, they don’t leave the Nursery Room.

In the deepest part of the cave is the Nursery Room, where dozens of young Goblins are growing.

Though they’re born with aggressive tendencies, the Goblin who cares for them is a mutant born with kindness.

The wisest, oldest Goblin teaches them the tasks they must do within the group.

They are the future of the Goblin race.

They are beings that must be protected to preserve the species.

Since it’s located so deep, it’s hard to find.

‘…Found it!’

It’s an exception for me.

Young Goblins who haven’t matured can’t leave the Nursery Room, but the caregivers and teacher Goblins are different.

They come out and roam inside the cave, and at that time, they leave decisive traces.

That is, the saliva of babies and young Goblins.

Sticky and slime-like, finding this trace makes tracking the Nursery Room quite easy.

Through eyes that pierce the darkness, I found the traces effortlessly and reached the Nursery Room in no time.

Of course, there was no interference.

No Goblin recognized me as an enemy after I bathed in their blood even if they did, I cut their necks instantly.

“Kiiik!”

But there was one last obstacle.

The Elite Goblins guarding the Nursery Room.

It’s the most important space.

No matter how dumb Goblins are, of course, they have guards protecting it.

And those guards are the strongest, fastest, and most exceptional Goblins in the group.

Naturally, no Goblin except the caregivers or teachers is allowed in.

However—

Spot!

My sword eliminated the need to ask their permission.

Thud, tumble tumble.

A rolling head on the ground.

I confirmed the death of the Elite Goblin instantly, and the caregivers and teacher Goblins—

“Kiiik!”

Charged forward.

In a way, it looked like a noble sacrifice to save the young Goblins.

“Scritch!”

There was no mercy.

‘A monster is just a monster.’

Compassion?

What a joke!

Back in the Gritia Continent, I’d often witnessed the massacres they committed, slaughtering villagers without mercy.

They were monsters that ate humans.

No matter what they do, their nature doesn’t change.

Having dealt with the last obstacle, “Kik, kiik!”

“Kii—”

I looked at the trembling young Goblins.

They huddled together, staring at me as if trying to threaten me.

There was nothing pitiable about that.

“Kik—”

I forcibly pulled one out and laid it on the ground.

Then, I thrust my Japanese sword with all my strength, turning it into a skewer stuck into the floor.

“Kiiiii!”

That irritating cry was a powerful signal heard by every Goblin inside the cave.

‘All Goblins must secure the safety of their young.’

It’s an evolutionary method for species preservation.

Upon hearing that annoying sound, Goblins would inevitably rush to this place—the Nursery Room.

“Thud thud thud thud thud.”

The vibration pounding in my ears confirmed it.

Of course, facing hundreds of Goblins running in at once inside this narrow cave was a bit of a nuisance.

So what was needed was—

“Kik—”

The safest shield: the young Goblin.

“You’re going to have to do some work for me.”

Covering myself with that young Goblin as a shield, I swept through the panic-stricken horde that was bewildered to see the charging Goblins and the young Goblin shield.

Truly fitting the “Extreme Difficulty” level, the Goblin horde surged like a fierce wave.

An endless horde.

But after 30 minutes, they gradually started to quiet down.

And by the time 40 minutes had passed, a massive, red-skinned mutant appeared, boasting an enormous build unlike the typical Goblins.

“Kiiik!”

A Hobgoblin.

In truth, it was less a mutation and more an evolution.

The Hobgoblin, the only female in the group, develops a body over two meters tall and immense strength to protect the children she bore.

Of course, she’s naturally built that way because she must bear hundreds or thousands of offspring alone.

The Hobgoblin finally appeared due to the constant cries of her children.

But the threat she posed was only to mediocre Awakeners.

Swoosh!

The Hobgoblin’s body was cleaved exactly in half, green blood splattering everywhere.

“It’s over.”

With the Hobgoblin’s death, no more Goblins dared to attack.

At that moment

Flash!

A brilliant flash signaled a change.

Trial Achievement Goals

★☆☆ : Escape and survive the Goblin Lair!

★★☆ : Escape the Goblin Lair within one hour!

★★★ : Defeat all Goblins and the Hobgoblin in the Goblin Lair!

The 3-star condition that had been marked with a question mark finally appeared.

And what it meant was:

[Congratulations!]

[‘Unknown’ from South Korea has cleared Extreme Difficulty Floor 1.]

The trial was complete.

Without needing to escape, I had cleared the trial by defeating the Hobgoblin—in other words, all the Goblins.

And—

[You have achieved the 3-star condition for Extreme Difficulty Floor 1 for the first time.]

[By clearing the Extreme Difficulty level, you have gained dominion over Floor 1 of the Tower in South Korea.]

Part of that reward was something far beyond anything I had imagined.