I woke up, as usual, that morning—or what I assumed was morning. It’s hard to tell in a dark, damp cave. My gut told me it was a new day, and my stomach confirmed it, growling for breakfast. I stretched, the clanking of my tar-black armor echoing as I prepared for today’s hunt. I checked that [Slayer] was by my side.

  Just then, the door to Maleck's study creaked open, revealing the little green goblin who had emerged for the first time since arriving. He looked at me, eyes wide with terror, shivering as if I were a monstrous beast about to pounce. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly fell silent, paralyzed by fear.

  How pathetic. I didn’t have time for this!

  I stepped out of my “room.” It’s surprising how accurate your internal clock can be; I was only allowed to leave at specific times.

  I could hear the goblin’s footsteps scuttling behind me. Let’s see how long he can keep up! I quickened my pace, navigating the familiar cave tunnels, trying to lose him. To my surprise, he was always just a few steps behind, so I stopped trying and focused on finding food.

  After a long trek, I stumbled into an unfamiliar area.

  I searched for bugs or insects—my usual fare—but found nothing. The tunnel here was far larger than before, spacious enough for seventeen of me to walk side by side without a problem. I couldn’t even see the ceiling, lost in darkness.

  Suddenly, I heard a yelp. A slime had fallen from above, aiming for the goblin behind me. Luckily, he jumped out of the way just in time; he seemed good at avoiding danger.

  I pondered why the slimes targeted him. They’d never tried to attack me. Maybe they found my armor too tough to digest? No, I had seen them consume harder things.

  The goblin, now more scared of the cave than me, drew closer, his shivering breath brushing against my armor. He finally spoke, stammering as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  “Scared!” [Goblin]

  I raised an eyebrow as I walked. “Then why are you following me?”

  “Master says, hunt food with dog!” [Goblin]

  “Dog? What is that?” [Keeper]

  “Smelly nasty beasts, biting goblins.” [Goblin]

  I sniffed the air. The typical muggy smell surrounded us, but it didn’t resemble anything like this “dog.”

  “Well, there are no dogs here.” [Keeper]

  The goblin looked at me, confusion swirling in his big round eyes.

  “You, dog!” [Goblin]

  Should I be offended? I didn’t even know what this dog was. Some instinct told me I should, but the memory eluded me.

  “No, I'm not a dog. I'm Keeper; that’s my... name.” [Keeper]

  Saying that last part felt strange. My master had bestowed that name upon me, a man I loathed. Still, it had become second nature after all this time. But did I have another name before?

  “Name!?” [Goblin]

  His eyes lit up with curiosity.

  “Yes, a name distinguishes you from others like yourself... I think.” [Keeper]

  “Name, name, name...” [Goblin]

  He pondered aloud before announcing, “Name! Trash.” [Trash]

  “Trash? Why Trash?” [Keeper]

  “That... master say?” [Trash]

  He tilted his head, as if questioning whether he’d gotten this “name” concept wrong.

  “Ah, I see you’ve also been given a name... well, enough talk.” [Keeper]

  I needed to find food before I had to return. Despite sharing the same fate and master, I didn’t care much for him. If I didn’t kill him, I doubted my master would bother.

  I continued through the cavern as Trash followed closely behind, glancing upward as if he could see the ceiling. He froze occasionally, thinking he spotted something, but he hurriedly kept pace with me.

  We encountered more slimes, drawn to Trash but too wary to approach me. Those that did were swiftly kicked out of my path. Lucky for Trash that I was here!

  I pondered why the slimes didn’t attack me—a potential meal they would have savored. Maybe I was just a scary guardian, I mused. Yes, I was a fearsome creature whom no one dared to touch, and if any monster got close, I would tear them down with [Slayer], drinking their blood.

  It had been a while since [Slayer] had tasted blood. Wait, that was my stomach growling.

  Suddenly, Trash yelped again, jumping away from me—the safest spot he could find. “Danger!”

  I looked up to see a shadow falling from above. Another slime? How dare it attack me!

  But the impact was harder than any blob of goo should have been, knocking me to the ground.

  As I fell, I felt a hard, hairy body with needle-like hairs gripping me. Tentacle-like appendages wrapped around my sides, turning me in the air before spraying me with something sticky.

  I couldn't move; the sticky substance felt like steel threads binding me tight.

  In a humiliating state, I spun helplessly, becoming stickier by the second.

  Before long, only my head remained visible as I was cocooned in this sticky web. I was dragged across the floor and up the wall. When my senses returned, I was hanging upside down, staring at the dimly glowing mushrooms below, maybe fifty feet up.

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  From my vantage point, I noticed several cocoons like mine—most were opened and empty. I also spotted nets of white threads scattered across the ceiling.

  On one such web sat a beast with eight legs, a fat belly, and six black eyes, green saliva dripping from its fangs. I had seen these creatures before, but much smaller—this one was a giant spider, likely the culprit that had captured me.

  I scanned for Trash, desperately wanting to ask for help, but he was nowhere in sight. The cowardly goblin had abandoned me, saving his own skin after I had spared him from the slimes. I thrashed and pulled against my bindings, but it was useless. Hours passed, and my body’s need for escape grew stronger, yet I remained trapped.

  Fury boiled within me, a sensation I had never felt before. I raged, cursing my predicament and the traitor goblin who had left me. I was so mad, I felt like I might explode. No, wait! I was burning!

  A fire ignited atop the spider silk binding me. As my body ignited, the thread above couldn’t bear the weight any longer and SNAP! I plummeted to the ground. The fall hurt, but I managed to survive thanks to my magical armor.

  Laying still, entwined in silk thread, I flipped around to face the ceiling. The giant spider screeched in rage above me as it skittered down the wall, its eight beady eyes glistening with hunger. I could feel its venomous intent—a predator ready to pounce and finish me off.

  I struggled to break free from the cocoon of silk, but it held me tight. Just as the monstrous arachnid loomed over my shackled form, poised to strike, my body, desperate to return to my “room,” reached for [Slayer]. The shackles of burning thread grew somewhat movable, and I swung my blade upward, tearing through the burning silk and plunging it deep into the soft flesh of the beast’s rotund belly.

  The spider screeched in agony, its foul green mucus spraying across me like a putrid rain. I was free, but the battle was far from over. The wounded giant spider hovered above, fury igniting its deep black eyes. I had to end this creature swiftly, but my instincts urged me toward escape, pulling me back to the safety of my master. Summoning every ounce of willpower, I resisted the primal urge to flee—a defiance against the sin bestowed upon me by my master.

  The spider struck with blinding speed, but I rolled away just in time, narrowly avoiding the lethal blow. I swung [Slayer] at one of its front legs, the blade igniting with fierce blue flames. The heat coursed through me, amplifying my strength, yet I remained untouched. I marveled at how steel could burn with such intensity, but there was no time to dwell on it; I had to act.

  With a powerful swing, I cut through the spider’s leg, leaving a clean gash that charred instantly, a testament to [Slayer]’s power. The creature screeched again, this time in pain, its monstrous form thrashing as it swung a pointed leg at me, striking my side with bone-jarring force. Pain exploded through me, but anger fueled my resolve. I charged at the beast, determination surging within me.

  But in that moment of fury, [Slayer]’s flames flickered and died, plunging me into darkness. I had no time to ponder the loss of light; I needed to act. I swung my blade toward its face, hoping for a decisive blow, but my carelessness led me to only sever one of its fangs. Just as I regained focus, my body, rebelling against my will, moved toward the safety of the study. The spider’s pointed leg struck again, drawing blood and leaving me reeling.

  What the hell! My armor failed to protect me from this creature! The wound began to magically mend, but my pain lingered, gnawing at me like the monster before me. The sensation of hesitation gripped me—like standing at a crossroads, yearning to go both ways, but paralyzed by indecision. Every move felt sluggish, dulling my instincts.

  Striking was an immense effort, and moving away from the study felt like pushing against an immovable force. I was a great being, a warrior in my own right, but the fight was wearing me down. Shit! Another strike!

  We engaged in a fierce battle, each of us drawing blood as the cavern echoed with our clashes. I felt exhilaration surge within me, an instinct urging me to fight harder. I became one with the chaos, the rush of battle awakening something primal in my soul.

  Suddenly, a sharp pain hit my back from an unseen assailant. My armor began to mend even as I winced, but I spun around, fury igniting in my veins. Just in time, I blocked the second attack with [Slayer]. The blade ignited again, illuminating the cavern in a flickering glow as I faced my next opponent—a second giant spider emerging from the shadows, nursing a burnt leg and hissing in fury.

  One-fang, the first spider, now stood before me, its size intimidating, while the second, smaller spider—thin and adorned with deadly spikes—radiated an aura of danger. I was trapped, a lone warrior sandwiched between two titans of terror. As I defended against one, the other struck, forcing me to dance dangerously close to death.

  With every parry and strike, my black armor stained with crimson, I felt my strength waning. The vicious cycle repeated: defend against one, only to be struck by the other. Was this how my story would end, overwhelmed by the tide of darkness?

  In that instant, a glimmer of hope flashed before me. The smaller spider shifted its attention, momentarily distracted. I seized the opportunity, lunging forward and driving [Slayer] deep into its skull.

  As my partner ignited once more, the spider erupted into flames, illuminating the cavern in a dazzling blaze. The heat was intense, and I could feel the surge of power coursing through me. One-fang screeched in outrage before turning tail and fleeing into the depths of the cavern, its pride shattered.

  Luck was on my side. I pulled [Slayer] from the burning corpse, my victory hard-won, and savored the thrill of triumph. Breakfast had been served!

  I quickly grabbed one of the spider’s massive legs before my body seized control, dragging me back to my “room” and master.

  On the way, I encountered a nearly white goblin in the tunnels—Trash, the traitor. My rage flared anew at his cowardice. Though I longed to lash out, I knew I could do nothing as I glared daggers at him, my body unwilling to relent.

  Shaking, the little goblin said in a weak voice, “Sorry~, help, bad!”

  I ignored him, focused on my prize. Fortunately, the spider was just small enough to navigate the narrow tunnels leading back to the study, only needing a few tugs here and there.

  As we finally entered my “room,” the door to the study loomed at the opposite end of the cramped tunnel, and my stomach growled with hunger.

  I quickly broke off one of its legs to eat, but it was too hard.

  Then I cut into its fat belly with [Slayer], savoring the taste of victory. It tasted like rotten meat with a hint of burnt coal, though it wasn’t truly rotten; it was simply charred. I didn’t care—I was far too hungry.

  The little goblin looked at me with expectant eyes as his stomach grumbled. I didn’t want to share, but since Maleck had sent him with me, I figured that was the purpose: to feed him.

  Reluctantly, I tossed the most inedible piece with the foulest odor I could find to Trash.

  To my surprise, he devoured it eagerly, shouting, “DELICIOUS!” That was not a good thing. The door to the study slammed open, revealing Maleck, his forehead lined with layers of wrinkles.

  Oh, he was furious.

  But when he noticed the burnt spider on the floor, I could swear one layer of wrinkles disappeared.

  He screamed, “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG YOU’VE KEPT MY SLAVE FROM HIS DUTIES!?”

  “I... I---—” I stammered.

  “SILENCE!!!” he roared.

  Thus, I could do nothing but remain silent.

  “I SHOULD BE RID OF YOU FOR YOUR FAILURE AS A GUARD, ONLY IF IT WEREN’T FOR THE FACT THAT YOU’VE ACTUALLY BEEN USEFUL FOR ONCE!” he bellowed, saliva spraying from his long, untidy beard. I? Been useful? I had? I mean, I was always useful, I pouted within my mind as I could say nothing.

  “You! Trash of a goblin! Get me those legs of that spider and extract its poisonous gland!” Maleck ordered.

  Trash, terrified for his life, quickly obeyed.

  Oh hell no, this was my prey, which I had hunted. I would not let him have any of it. I stepped firmly between the dead spider and Trash, glaring at Maleck. At first, he looked shocked, but then an almost serene look settled over his face, which only foretold bad things.

  “You dare disobey me? ME!? I could just as well command you to step down. So? What will it be!?” he sneered.

  He was right, but this was MY prey. Sparks seemed to crackle between us...

  “Step down!” he commanded.

  I reluctantly obeyed as my body moved against my will. But before Trash could start, he let out a yelp.

  We had a surprise visitor creeping toward him and the carcass of the spider. It was a slime, but not just any slime; it was one I recognized. It was my rival, the one I usually lured with my feces and battled day in and day out.

  Thinking about it, this was the exact time I usually fought him; he seemed to have developed a habit out of it too. He crept closer to his target, likely the carcass, not Trash.

  And then he was gone. Like a balloon, he popped, spraying blue slime in every direction. Maleck... Maleck had killed him! My eyes blazed a deep red as I drew [Slayer], my partner igniting with my anger. I lunged at Maleck.

  Bam! Chatter!