Goblins

"A goblin."

Goblins are tiny, savage humanoids who live in ruined dungeons and other desolate places. They are weak individuals that assemble in large groups to torture other creatures.

Goblins are a curious and adaptable species that are limited by their small size, inherent cowardice, and a serious lack of common sense.

The average goblin stands around one meter tall. Although they are small like a human child, their arms are much longer, and they have a slender and bony build.

'Phew. These guys are pretty weak.'

Goblins were known as one of the weakest races in the fantasy world. They were often the first kills of most adventurers.

The average strength of monsters in the dungeon is often used as an indicator of the dungeon's difficulty. Since he had encountered a goblin, it was likely that the dungeon boss' difficulty wouldn't be too far from the baseline.

The goblin was giggling mischievously. If it had spotted an adventurer, it would have sneaked away and alerted their position. However, it didn't expect to see a boy unarmed and not wearing any armor.

Goblins have a racial skill called [Dark Vision]. It's an inherent passive skill that allows them to see perfectly in pitch black settings.

It is not to be confused with night vision which the elves are known for. Night vision allows one to see better in low-light settings. For races with dark vision, they can see in the dark as if it was daytime.

The goblins' variation of dark vision allows them to see distances up to 18 meters.

The human looked like a lost son of a Noble who had wondered their way here. The goblin could tell that his clothes although odd-looking were made of wonderful material.

If he could bring it to his leader, he would be rewarded, perhaps gain breeding privileges.

Elijah looked at the stone dagger in the goblin's hand. It was a crudely sharpened rock that was tied to a stick.

Threat level: - - -

[A skill has been upgraded!]

Threat level: 3

"Oh."

"Kieeee!"

"Ah!"

The goblin charged at him while he was distracted.

Elijah thought to take the knife out, but he panicked and did a straight kick to the chest. The strength of a 2-meter tall man was in that kick. The goblin fell back and coughed out blood. It has fractured its ribs.

It cried out in agony and then froze when Elijah took a knife out of thin air. The goblin's eyes widened in fear when he approached it.

"No!" It shouted while pushing itself back across the ground.

Elijah backed off in surprise.

"You can speak?"

"!"

Elijah thought this dungeon was a game level made for and all the monsters were non-playable characters (NPCs).

In video games, this usually refers to a computer-controlled character with a predetermined set of behaviors resulting from scripting or artificial intelligence created specifically for that NPC.

A role-playing narrative's "supporting cast" or "extras" can be thought of as NPCs. NPCs populate the game's fictional world and can fill any role that isn't filled by a player character (PC).

The PCs may encounter NPCs who are allies, bystanders, or rivals. NPCs can also be traders or merchants who sell weapons, potions, or other equipment. An NPC can appear in the story and offer the player a quest, and they may have their backstories.

How would he know what was real, and what was a simulation?

"Are you real?"

The goblin thought his silence offended the human.

"Puh-please don't kill me!"

"Why did you attack me then?"

"I-I was following orders!"

"Orders? Who ordered you?"

"My tribe leader!"

'Maybe this leader of theirs is the dungeon boss.'

Elijah thought he should find out more.

He was ordinarily not comfortable interrogating and threatening someone, but he needed to do this.

Jason, the person who had bullied him in high school and forced him into the girl's bathroom came to mind. He buried his true self under and channeled his inner bully.

"How many of you are there? Lie to me and this knife goes through you. Got it?"

"Ye-ye-yes! I won't dare lie to you. Please believe me!"

'Alright!' Elijah internally cheered.

This goblin was special in that it was quite smart among its clan, only second to its tribe leader.

"There are 30 of us in my tribe."

Elijah watched his expressions closely even though he couldn't tell if someone was lying or not.

"Are all of you goblins the same type?"

"Sorry, I don't understand?"

"Like classes and subraces. Hobgoblins? Or are they all the same as you?"

"Yes. We have one hobgoblin and our chief can use magic!"

"Magic?"

The goblin held back the urge to sneer.

Goblins are opportunists and often abuse what authority they have. Most leaders attained their position through betrayal and assassination.

The goblins like many other races respect and fear the strong. Only powerful individuals could become leaders.

One might use underhanded tactics if they couldn't win in combat or staged a coup because they were impatient. Goblins are impulsive and short-fused.

"Our tribe leader is a blood shaman!"

Elijah barely called forth a memory from his days of playing Warcraft. The only few RTS games he tried playing before giving up the genre.

He remembered the rough appearance of an orc shaman. It looked like a ritualistic magic caster.

The magic users in the game were very weak. They were only useful in their spells in buffing or debuffing units. That was all he remembered, and it wasn't useful.

The goblin saw the confusion in Elijah's face and resisted the urge to grin.

"I've seen the leader use some spells."

"What were they?"

"He can use [Fire bolt] and a blood curse."

"Tell me what they are."

"Of course! The leader can shoot fire from his hands. Don't let him get your blood… He can curse through the blood itself."

"What happens when he curses it?"

"You can't move!"

"I see… What are his weaknesses?"

"He is small and weak. Get close to him and he'll die!"

This goblin didn't hesitate to reveal the leader's trump cards and weaknesses because he'd do it to save his own life. Also, if Elijah killed the leader, it could become the new leader.

The goblin kept his genuine feelings from showing on its face.