The air was thick with tension and the acrid smell of smoke at the Goblin production base. Panic-stricken cries echoed through the cavernous space, jolting the goblins into frantic action.
"Attack! We're under attack!" shouted one goblin, his voice laden with fear.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Another goblin struggled to speak through fits of coughing, the dense smoke choking his words. "I can't... breathe... It's like death's grip!"
"Arm yourselves! Resist the intruders at all costs!" yelled a third, rallying his companions into a disorganized defense.
One particularly crazed goblin cackled maniacally, "In the face of death, I'll embrace it on my terms!"
The base, usually a hub of orderly chaos, was now a scene of utter disarray. Goblins abandoned their tasks in a scramble for weapons, unprepared and disoriented by the sudden attack.
In the midst of this chaos, Dick felt a surge of surprise. He hadn't expected the dreaded Goblin Slaying Knight to strike again this soon. The rolling clouds of thick, white smoke, mixed with the biting sting of dust, assaulted his senses, making it difficult to see and breathe. Frantically, Dick grabbed a rag from the ground, pressing it against his mouth and nose, finding some relief.
The situation was dire for everyone. The weaker goblins, especially the younger ones, coughed violently, their faces ghostly pale in the smoky haze. It was clear that if luck wasn't on their side, they'd meet their end in this assault.
Dick glanced back at his origins, spotting a dark elf, ashen-faced and struggling to breathe. He hesitated, torn between self-preservation and a sense of duty. Ultimately, his decision was made. He hoisted the frail elf onto his back and began a careful trek towards the exit, where the smoke was less dense.
"Idiot! Why save a disposable life? Just leave her!" sneered another goblin, witnessing Dick's unexpected act of compassion. His eyes were cold and calculating.
Dick, however, remained undeterred, focusing on navigating the smog-filled environment.
The other goblin, consumed by rage at being ignored, quickly turned his attention to his own escape as the white smoke billowed menacingly.
"Die in the smoke with your burden!" he jeered, disappearing into the dusty corridor.
As the goblin reached the exit, thinking himself safe, a sudden long arrow pierced his chest. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief before life left him.
Watching from afar, Dick realized the grim reality - the dreaded Goblin Slayer was guarding the exit. Many others met the same fate, their desperate attempts to escape ending in a heap of lifeless bodies.
Realizing the ambush, Dick gently laid the unconscious elf near the fresher air by the exit, hoping it would be enough to save her. With a heavy heart, he turned back into the base.
On his way, he encountered numerous goblins, some overcome by the smoke, others desperately seeking a way out. The grim reality was clear - without help, their fate was sealed.
The rag over his face provided some protection, filtering the smoke and dust, but it was a small comfort in the face of overwhelming odds. The battle for survival had just begun.
As Dick made his way back through the dimly lit corridors of the goblin production base, a grim transformation unfolded. The life energy of the dying goblins he passed seemed to be absorbed by him, altering his very essence. This macabre process was his shield against the suffocating air.
[System Notification: 30 evolution points gained from an adult goblin.]
[System Notification: 20 evolution points gained from a goblin child.]
...
With each system prompt, Dick's form grew more robust, attracting the attention of other, desperate goblins. They noticed the fluorescent green glow that enveloped him with each life force absorbed, his vitality increasing, unaffected by the smoky air choking them.
Greed flared in their eyes as they approached him, weapons in hand, eyeing their own kin. They saw in Dick a chance for their survival.
Surrounded by three adult goblins, Dick found himself in an ironic situation. He was not threatened by the Goblin Slayer but by his own kin. He couldn't help but ruefully admire their relentless, selfish nature.
Cornered, Dick pressed his back against the wall, creating a defensive position. He grabbed a giant stick from a fallen goblin and prepared to defend himself against his treacherous brethren.
"Jie Jie Jie..." The adult goblins sneered, underestimating Dick's resolve and strength.
They lunged at him with daggers and short knives. Dick, gripping his makeshift weapon, blocked a sudden strike from one, but the others quickly followed suit, forcing him to retreat.
Dick narrowly dodged a lethal blow, realizing the daunting task of fighting off three goblins simultaneously. Despite their weakened state, they were formidable foes.
Seeing their relentless pursuit, Dick abandoned his stick and fled. The goblins, surprised, gave chase, but their movements were hindered by the thin air, their faces turning a ghastly purple as they gasped for breath.
Eventually, the goblins collapsed, helpless and struggling for air. As Dick looked back, the goblins, in their desperation, feigned vulnerability, hoping for mercy.
But Dick knew their nature all too well. Seizing a longbow, he swiftly dispatched the fallen goblins with precise, lethal arrows, continuing his harrowing journey through the base, gathering more evolution points from those incapacitated by the smoke.
[System Notification: 30 evolution points gained from an adult goblin.]
[System Notification: 20 evolution points gained from a goblin child.]
Meanwhile, at the exit of the lair, the Goblin Slayer waited, his presence unseen. He realized the effectiveness of the smoke against the goblins and prepared to descend into the lair, sword and shield in hand, mask secured over his face, ready to confront the chaos below.
Unaware of the looming threat, Dick stood before a mountain of fallen goblins, ready to harvest, his journey far from over.