The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

The beast’s movements were quite fast. It seemed like it could easily prey on other goblins or humans at that speed—not many could stand against it. However, its speed wasn’t beyond what I could handle.

The trees obscured its figure, making it hard to discern. I laid down my sword and beckoned toward the forest with my finger, purposefully trying to lure it out.

”Come out.”

Kraaah!

A beast charged out of the forest as if it had been waiting.

What is this thing?

I was already familiar with this opponent, and I deflected the sword it swung at me. The sound of metal clashing reverberated.

Clang!

Both human red blood and goblin green blood were smeared on the sword. There were sharp cuts on its skin.

Did it injure itself?

As I confronted it, a chaotic status window appeared in the air.

[The Hidden Boss has appeared!]

[Mad Enchantment Hobgoblin

Rank: D+]

[Special Stat: Generates 300 Battle Will.

— Claws extend sharply.

— Has increased Strength and Agility.

— Fights until either Battle Will or stamina is completely exhausted.

— Hobgoblins are firm pacifists. Among the violent goblins, the Blood Deer Hobgoblin is excessively non-violent.

— However, if it commits murder in any form, it has a low chance of going berserk.]

[Side Quest: Monster

Unlock Bonus: Hidden Quest—Calm the Enchanted Hobgoblin!]

This is absurd.

The status window often provided an irritating level of detail.

Do heroes see the same messages? How did they appear to Lady Succubus? How did I appear? Did the message urge them to kill, destroy, and plunder? Or was it merely their entertainment?

The hobgoblin drew another sword from its waist.

Whoosh!

The wind howled fiercely. Zixkisses Boomtong, the hobgoblin, swung its blade at me. I casually raised my sword to deflect the attack. Somehow, I didn’t feel like taking this fight too seriously.

A loud, metallic clang echoed, and Zixkissess pushed the sword toward me. Blocking the two-handed swing with one hand made my wrist tingle.

Mid-to-high twenties, maybe higher.

That was probably the level of the hobgoblin’s strength. It was also fast. I stepped back a few paces and adjusted my stance properly.

Kraaaah!

The hobgoblin leaped at me and swung its sword. This was the same goblin with the youthful voice I had once seen tied to a tree, pinned by arrows. Its dark green face was now completely distorted. Its eyes were wide, and veins and tendons bulged across its face. However, it was no match for me.

I had died and revived many times. I was level 33 in my current life, but my cumulative level was already 120. The gap couldn’t be overcome by something like enchantment. If anything, the fact that the hobgoblin could attack me at all was impressive.

Clang!

I parried the sword strongly. Gripping my sword with both hands, I swung it with overwhelming force.

Thud!

The hobgoblin’s sword flew far away. The blade embedded itself into a tree and trembled. Then, the hobgoblin collapsed to the ground. I pressed my sword against its neck and pinned it down with my foot.

”Kraaaah! Kraaaargh!”

All its veins bulged while it howled and struggled, but it wasn’t strong enough to break free.

This is enough.

If this were a boss, it was convincing. Killing it would yield a significant reward. I would earn points for defeating a D+ rank boss.

Letting it go before it went berserk would be worth it.

Chweeek! Krrr! Chweeek!

Before I realized it, goblins had surrounded me. They screeched loudly.

Chweeek! Chweeek!

Although they were holding weapons, they didn’t attack me. They had seemed to grasp the situation.

Is that it?

If the hobgoblin couldn’t distinguish allies from enemies in its berserk state, then there was a high chance that the forest was littered with goblin corpses it had killed. Among the goblins here, none could stand against the one I had pinned beneath my foot.

”...”

I was silent for a moment, contemplating. Ultimately, the dilemma was whether to kill the hidden boss or complete the hidden quest. The reward size was critical.

I looked at the goblins. Their eyes were filled with anticipation, worry, anxiety, and fear.

”Kraaaah!”

The hobgoblin Zixkisses Boomtong struggled under my foot. Killing it would mean I’d have to kill them all too. That would render the client’s request meaningless.

The request was to save the goblins, wasn’t it?

Maybe killing them all would ironically fulfill that. My head spun while trying to make a difficult decision. I wrestled with the berserk hobgoblin, calculating which choice would benefit me more.

The hobgoblin writhed and howled, ”Kraaaagh! Kraaaahh!”

I stood firm, and pressed it down.

”Grrr!”

Seeing a hobgoblin this close was a new, refreshing experience. Its face and voice suggested it was young. Its level was likely low. Even so, its combat ability was exceptional—a remarkably talented individual.

Hobgoblins were known for their intelligence and combat prowess. They also held overwhelming leadership over goblins. When I was part of a Demon King’s army, I had seen one from afar. I recalled a single hobgoblin leading hundreds of thousands of goblins in a coordinated attack against the humans.

Some even climbed to high ranks in the Demon King’s army. I remembered an old goblin who had posed as a Merchant of Death. From a great distance, I had seen him acting as one of the Demon King’s trusted lieutenants. His skin was as dark as this hobgoblin.

This hobgoblin might one day become just as useful.

”Grr, grrr!”

I compared the past, future, and present. I slowly observed the creature pinned beneath my foot. There was no time for boredom in my imagination.

How much time has passed?

The hobgoblin’s eyes gradually returned to normal, and its struggles ceased. The bulging veins and tendons settled down. I slowly lifted my foot off.

The hobgoblin let out a hoarse syllable. ”Ah.”

Then suddenly, tears began to flow.

***

What... what happened to me?

Zixkisses Boomtong felt as though he had just awoken from a nightmare. Pain tore through his body.

The sensations in his hands, arms, and heart felt particularly strange. It was as if they had been crushed and rebuilt.

His throat burned fiercely, and his tongue stung. He looked down at the sharp, newly grown claws on his hands that he had used to tear humans apart. As if responding to his will, they retracted inward.

He had almost killed everyone, but he hadn’t killed a single soul. It was a miracle.

Tears streamed down his face. His companions began to gather. The back that had been crushed under the armored human ached, but he felt grateful for the ache.

”Chweeek! Boomtong! Have you regained your senses?”

”We were worried! Chweek! Have you awakened as a warrior now? Chweeek!”

”Chweeek! The Boomtong line awakens with a bloody storm, yet it’s fortunate there were no casualties among us... Praise Queen Peppersocket! Chweeek!”

”Long live the Queen! Chweeek!”

His comrades approached his limp body. Each one of them was a goblin who would have died if not for the armored knight who had subdued him. They had endured horrific suffering at the hands of humans—only to almost die by his own hands.

Zixkisses wept as he embraced each one. ”Sniff... sniff...”

He had always feared the mad enchantment, a terrifying curse that ran in the bloodline of the Boomtong family. Even among hobgoblins, the Boomtong lineage was exceedingly pacifist and nonviolent.

However, if they committed murder, there was a low chance of succumbing to madness. Their abilities would greatly increase, and their body would transform for combat, attacking everything around them until they depleted all their stamina.

His companions approached and spoke to him.

”Chweek! It’s fine! You only killed humans!”

”Chweek! Hobgoblins are treasures of our kind! Chweek! As long as you’re okay, everything is fine!”

”That armor stopped you! Chweek! You must show your gratitude!”

He touched his hands—the hands that had sprouted steel claws. Zix hurriedly hid them. Without even wiping away his tears, he stood up.

***

His aura was terrifying. The hobgoblin clung to my leg, crying as he expressed his gratitude.

”Savior! Thank you so much! Thank you so much!”

Its reaction was a bit overwhelming.

”...”

”You saved us all. I’ll do whatever you want! I could die for you multiple times!”

”Chweek! Chweek!”

Other goblins protested wildly, as if saying that wasn’t acceptable. It was absurd. If it came to that, saving them would have been meaningless.

A savior?

It felt ridiculous, helping goblins in a random situation when there were others I should actually be saving.

I grabbed the goblin clinging to me and lifted him up.

”Thank you so much! Please tell me what you want! I’ll do anything, even the impossible!”

There was nothing he could do for me. I knew that much better than he did, thanks to the status window that appeared before me.

[You have completed the Hidden Quest!]

[You have received the personal title Twice the Savior of Zixkisses Boomtong, the Hobgoblin.]

[Goblins are a species that sees everything as a transaction! Zixkisses Boomtong has granted you 200 points of disposable loyalty. This loyalty can be used in transactions.]

[Your reputation with the Blood Deer Goblin Tribe has increased by 70.]

[Reputation determines the attitude of a group, tribe, or species toward you. They may sell you rare items exclusively or treat you with disdain and spit on you.]

The messages continued.

[With a single word, they might sacrifice their lives for you, or, if they want to kill you, even the last one standing might strap a bomb to themselves and charge into your lair.]

[70 is a very friendly reputation. However, the Blood Deer Goblin Tribe has little to offer you.]

I knew everything thanks to all the detailed messages.

[They will be overjoyed to see you, and if they find something valuable, they will offer it to you at an extremely low price or even for free.]

[The goblins you saved will share your story with every goblin they meet.]

[The longer they survive, the more your reputation with the goblin race will increase.]

And there was another one.

[Assimilation rate has decreased. 88.61% -> 88.30%]

0.31%.

The assimilation rate had decreased by that much. Compared to the goblin reputation, this was far more concerning. I casually swiped away the status window.

Hmm.

I’d been here too long. As I started to leave, Zixkisess the hobgoblin grabbed me suddenly.

”Please, at least tell me your name! At least your name! Are you human?”

I shook my head. ”I don’t have a name.”

”Then what should I call you?”

I shrugged. ”Don’t call me.”

I looked at him. After experiencing berserk madness, his young, fragile-looking face now bore a hint of resolve. Bulging veins marked his body, and he seemed to have changed somehow. Before he could speak, I cut him off firmly.

”Run away from here.” I couldn’t explain my impulse to warn them. ”Hide deeper in the forest. A human war is coming. Don’t get involved.”

They were weak, and not even considered players in the bigger picture. They were the kind to get caught up in big or small fights, dying meaninglessly and being discarded.

They could become scapegoats for venting frustration or be killed accidentally without reason. It would be better to stay as far away as possible, hidden deep within not just from the war but from anything involving humans.

Zix translated my words to the goblins. ”All of you, leave.”

”Chweek! Chweek!”

Their eyes widened in surprise, but they seemed to trust my words. Reputation apparently had a significant effect on the credibility of someone’s words.

[You warned the goblins about the war.]

[If a war occurs within a year, your reputation with the goblin race will increase further.]

”We need to gather more comrades from deeper within. Together... we will leave.”

”Good.”

They scattered further into the forest, gathering their comrades just as they said. I thought they might bring back some supplies, but the goblins returned empty-handed. I had expected them to be well-prepared, but they weren’t at all.

Zix apologized. ”I’m so sorry! I’m sorry! No matter how hard we searched, we couldn’t find anything...”

I said, ”It’s fine. Just follow me.”

”Yes!”

I led them into the large hall where I had fought twenty humans. The goblins gasped at the sight of the human corpses.

”Chweek! Chweek! Chweek!”

”Chweek! Chwiiiiiik!”

”S-Savior!”

”Use whatever you can.”

I wasn’t going to take any of it. Resources were better utilized than wasted. Even if I helped them, they might all get wiped out a day after parting ways with me. Then again, I also didn’t know when or where I might meet my end.

For now, I was safe because I was operating under the meticulous information network of the slimes and only taking on appropriate requests they carefully selected.

The message about Zix’s disposable loyalty increasing appeared again. It was now at 250.

Disposable loyalty—what an interesting term.

”S-Savior... I absolutely cannot let you leave like this. I cannot let you go.” With an extremely eager expression, Zix begged, ”At least your name... Please tell me your name. I must repay this debt someday. I must be of help.”

Goblins were a species that understands profit well. They loved shiny things the most. Although their personalities varied slightly between tribes, they were known to repay their debts without fail. They never forgot a favor or a grudge. That was what Lady Succubus had told me.

”I don’t need it...” I mumbled.

I truly didn’t need anything. ”I’m just a wanderer searching for things of value.”

”Things of value... things of value...” Zix’s eyes sparkled. ”If something like this could be of help, please listen.”

”What is it?”

”It’s a story about the only goblin mage of this era. Savior, will you listen to it? Nobody must know about it.”

”A mage?”