by Michael Sisa
I was about to leave the mall when a loud shrieking sound was heard. I was pretty sure it came from a goblin. I was on the second floor, and looking down below, I saw three humans near the entrance of the Mall.
A muscular, middle-aged man. A fat boy. And a girl with golden hair.
“Are they stupid?” I breathed. It was evident that monsters would be lurking in this place. Why did they come here?
From the outside, I heard loud thuds. Fuck. The Minotaurs were coming. They need to run.
And just like I have predicted, the damnable cow-like monsters came, effectively blocking the path of retreat of the three.
If I were them, I would still try to escape through the Mall’s entrance. Entering this place would be suicide. There were too many monsters around.
“Run outside!” I shouted, but my voice was drowned by the goblins shrieking and the Minotaurs roaring. I was not even sure if they would be able to understand me. I have never heard the goblins speak when I was still human, after all.
Quickly, it became a game of chase. The trio ran away for their lives. I was vexed that they chose to run deeper inside the mall. There were literally hundreds of monsters in this place! It would be safer to run outside!
Still, I could not blame them. When a monster like the Minotaur was blocking the entrance, the first thing a human would think of was to get as far away from that place as possible. It was probably their survival instinct kicking it.
The three of them started climbing up the second floor. This was actually a horrible choice. It would be far safer if they just turned around and made a desperate attempt for the Mall’s exit. Of course, they have no way of knowing that. They have no way of knowing the amount of monsters lurking on each floor.
The middle-aged man was good. He was actually able to fight against so many goblins at once. The fat guy, on the other hand, seemed unreliable. He merely stood there, fighting off the occasional goblins that would come his way.
The Minotaurs finally caught up to them. They had also climbed the flight of stairs.
My heart loudly pounded as I watched the scenario unfolding before my eyes. At this rate, they were all going to die. There was no path for escape.
The fat boy started pointing at a room quite a good distance from them. After fending off their attackers, they all started running towards it. I have never seen a human run so fast in my entire life. They would probably win the Olympics had they joined.
I also ran too. I followed the trio. Next to me were numerous other monsters, chasing after them, lusting for their flesh.
Eventually, the speed of humans desperately trying to survive emerged victorious in the end. They entered a narrow alley, then went inside a room. The Minotaurs were unable to chase further. They were too large for the entrance.
At first, that was what I thought.
Hey, why weren’t the Goblins chasing after the group? I could understand the Minotaurs, but the Goblins too?
My curiosity got the best of me. I walked towards the alley, and before I could even reach the door, a notification popped out in front of me.
You are about to enter the Nest of the Babyface Arachnid.
Any creature that enters will warrant its wrath.
Do still wish to proceed?
I froze. So, behind this room was the nest of some monster?
Those three were probably dead by now, devoured by the one ruling this territory.
I realized that this was probably the reason why the Minotaurs and the Goblins did not chase them any further. They were afraid to enter. Afraid of the creature residing in that place.
Should I help them? I shook my head. That would be suicide. My family should take priority. I cannot simply die here.
Still, I was human. I was no monster. If possible, I would like to help them. But what could I do? Even the strong Minotaurs were afraid of that place. Even the hundreds of Goblins refused to enter its territory. I cannot just simply go in there and fight that monster.
From my spot, I could hear the screams of the guys that entered inside. They were probably fighting against the monster right now. They ran away from the wolf, only to find themselves in the den of the tiger.
Eventually, the screams died out. Were they dead? I did not know.
I hanged my head as I realized my powerlessness. I could not even save my fellow humans. I stood outside the room motionlessly, unaware of the time that had passed by.
Slowly, I tottered back. I have decided to leave this place. Even if I couldn’t save them, I should at least try to find my family. I still have time. I could do it, I told myself.
On my right, a Goblin shrieked. Upon looking, my jaw dropped from what I saw.
A monster was dragging the Goblin away, towards the ceiling above. To be precise, it was climbing towards the fifth floor.
A monster that reminded me of a giant spider. Instead of an insect head, three heads of an infant were clearly attached to the neck. Tentacles were protruding out of the mouths, creating disgusting sloshing sounds. It was a monster among monsters. And to make matters worse, it did not discriminate against Goblins. It did not care who its prey was.
It would shoot out threads from its belly, then forcefully drag away the bodies of its targets. Right now, it had successfully captured four goblins. Their shrieking sounds long gone after their bodies were wrapped around in threads.
Babyface Arachnid
Lv 31
I remembered the notification I received when I approached the room before. It was definitely the same name of the monster written in that blue screen.
But what was it doing here outside? Was it not content with the humans it got inside its nest? After observing it for a while, it seemed that it was depositing the bodies of the goblins into the fifth floor.
Maybe, the reason why the stairs to the fifth floor was broken was because of this monster? Maybe that thing had made that entire floor its nest?
As I was thinking of those things, I looked at the room at the end of the second floor. It was the same room where the trio entered before. The entrance to the Nest of that monster.
If that monster was on the fifth floor, then going inside that place should be fairly safe.
Wait, what if it had its minions? What if its children were waiting inside?
Should I go in and see if the three humans were still alive? I might still be able to save them.
My mind went into full throttle as I tried reaching a conclusion. And I eventually arrived at one.
“God damn it,” I snarled. I readied my knife then went towards that place.
The same notification as before popped up.
You are about to enter the Nest of the Babyface Arachnid.
Any creature that enters will warrant its wrath.
Do still wish to proceed?
I gulped down the lump in my throat. My instinct was screaming at me, “What are you doing?!” but I dismissed it in my mind.
I opened the door then entered.
You have entered the Nest of the Babyface Arachnid!
Numerous eggs were scattered around this room, with thick webs veiling their shells. The walls were decrepit, with threads hanging here and there. I could hear faint pulsating sounds and realized those were coming from the eggs themselves.
Babyface Arachnid Egg
Lv 4
What the hell. Those eggs the size of an ostrich’s have a higher level than me.
I shook my head. Now’s not the time for this. I need to find those trio soon, before the monster decides to come back here. I noticed that near the ceiling was a large hole. It was probably the path the monster takes whenever it went outside.
I looked around and saw figures of what seemed to be humans. They were wrapped in threads, their bodies shackled and latched on the walls. For a moment, I wondered if they were alive. It seemed hard to breathe while being covered by that thing.
After staring at them, I realized that they were still breathing.
I deci
ded to help the girl first. Using my knife, I began cutting the threads. This was hard. It was like cutting through steel wires.
“Come on,” I said through heavy breaths. This was mentally taxing and physically tiring.
After a few more attempts, I was finally able to cut the threads. With my small body, I slowly let her fall down the ground.
I looked at her hand. It was firmly holding a notebook and a pen. Even in such a dire situation, she refused to let go of them.
These guys were still alive. They might attack me the moment they wake up. Just to be safe, I decided to take the notebook and the pen. I needed some way of communication, after all. They would most likely not understand the language of us goblins.
I went towards the fat boy. Slowly, I began cutting his rope.
I heard a groaning sound. He was starting to wake up. He looked at me for a moment, stupefied of what he saw.
A goblin wearing clothes, cutting the threads that bound his body. Of course, anyone would be confused of what was going on.
I took the notebook out, wrote down some notes, then showed it to him.
I’m here to help you. I’m not your enemy. The Babyface is currently out searching for more food. Don’t make a sound or it might come back.
Chapter 11: Small but Terrible
Nicholas Dread’s POV (Goblin Nick)
For a moment, the fat boy and I locked eyes with each other. He was probably questioning his sanity. I could not blame him. After all, it was rare to see a goblin wearing clothes, coupled with a pair of sneakers at that, and helping a human.
I wrote some notes in the notebook.
Do you understand me?
I asked, just to be sure.
The eyes of the fat boy swiveled between the notebook and my greenish body. After a while, he nodded. An incomprehensible voice leaked out his mouth.
Terribly nervous of the fact that the monster ruling this Nest could come back at any moment, I continued cutting down the threads that bound his body. It was a grueling task. I could see that my knife was becoming chipped. Maybe I should have taken more than two of them with me.
With one last stroke, the thread was cut completely, and his body fell down the ground with a loud thud. He flinched from pain for a moment. For someone that had been captured by a colossal monster a bit larger than the Minotaurs, he was in a pretty good shape. Some cuts here and there, a couple of bruise marks, but a pretty lively body regardless.
“W-Who… What are you?” whispered the fat guy. He stood up, and the difference in size between us became quickly apparent. If this human kicked me with all his might, I would probably die.
I looked at him. “First, do you understand me?”
Judging by the perplexed reaction of the fat guy, it seemed that my words were impossible to be understood by humans. I had been expecting this but experiencing it in person was a bit disheartening.
I sighed, wrote down some notes, then showed it to him.
Now’s not the time for idle chatter. We need to leave this place as soon as possible.
The Babyface Arachnid, despite the stupid-sounding name, was a very strong monster. It could probably take down a couple of Minotaurs with it without much effort. I could safely say that that monster was the ruler of this place. The King of this Mall.
The young girl started waking up. Upon seeing this, the fat guy immediately ran to her, his face filled with worry.
“Anisette!” he said. “Are you alright?”
What a pretty name. The young girl rubbed her eyes and looked around. From a droopy expression, her face quickly transitioned into horror. Her lips quivered as she looked at the fat guy, her eyes brimming with tears.
The fat guy bit his lips. He hugged her and whispered, “It’s alright. Big brother will protect you, no matter what.”
I was surprised that they were siblings. After all, they looked nothing alike.
I approached the two. After seeing me, the girl grabbed the hem of the fat guy’s clothes in reflex. She pointed at me, her face fearful and worried.
The fat guy was obviously finding it hard to explain the situation. I guess it was time to help him out. I took out the paper from before and showed the girl the notes.
Ah, if I remembered correctly, this notebook was hers. But this thing was too convenient in situations like these. I decided to keep it for now.
For now, I started freeing the last member of the trio. My knife was starting to make weird sounds, the chips on its blade becoming more numerous by each passing moment. After cutting the threads, the middle-aged man fell towards the ground. The boy immediately caught him, albeit a bit strained.
They started gently slapping his cheeks to wake him up.
“Professor Jack,” said the fat guy. “Wake up! Wake up!”
Oh, a professor? Since these two were wearing school uniforms, they must be from the same institution as this professor.
The strength of the slaps soon escalated and the professor eventually woke up. He looked at the two students.
“Gerald,” he said. “What happened?” He coughed thrice. “I passed out, huh?”
Slowly, the professor started standing up, his legs wobbly. Upon noticing me, he glared. Without warning, he dashed towards me, killing intent evident within his eyes.
I dodged a kick by ducking, then quickly evaded another shot by leaping to the side. I gripped the chipped knife in my hand.
“Wait professor!” shouted the fat guy called Gerald. “He’s not our enemy!”
The professor merely ignored his words. He pulled out a slender knife from his back then tried stabbing me with it. I parried it using the chipped knife. The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded, and a portion of my weapon broke. Damn cheap utensil. I should have known that it would break down easily.
My hand felt a bit numb after that clash, but I was relieved to see that I have enough strength to parry a human’s attack.
Unable to explain myself using goblin’s language, the professor kept attacking me. I was starting to be grateful for the hellish times I’ve spent in the prison. Those awful years when the guards would constantly make us fight against each other made me a good fighter. Although I was beaten up numerous time, this body of mine had learned how to fight.
“Professor!” Gerald finally grabbed the man’s shoulder. “Stop! That Goblin! It’s the one that helped us!”
Those words seemed to have brought the professor back to his senses. He stiffened, stared at me with wide eyes, then said to Gerald, “Wh-What do mean?”
“That Goblin’s the one that helped us,” repeated Gerald. “He’s the one that freed us.”
I judged that now was the best time to pacify things. I wrote something down and showed it to them.
The kid’s right. I’m not your enemy.
I looked at the large hole near the ceiling. It was the path the Babyface Arachnid would definitely take once it comes back.
The Minotaurs outside this room are gone. The giant spider is on its nest on the fifth floor. We should take this time to escape to the outside. It’s safer there.
The three went silent, and only the sound of the pulsating eggs inside the room was our background. If possible, I would have loved to destroy those eggs. There was more than a dozen of them, and each were higher level than me. I could imagine the amount of exp I would gain from destroying those things.
Still, I knew that it was not a practical choice right now. The Babyface could come back at any moment. Destroying those eggs would surely take a considerable time. I cannot risk my life just for a level up or two.
“Can we really trust this monster?” the professor said, eventually.
Being called a monster was a bit painful, but I guess I have to endure for now. This was reality, after all.
“I don’t know,” said Gerald.
The sister was silent, not bothering to say a single word. She merely stood there, staring at me, and more particularly, at the notebook I held in my hand.
/> The Professor frowned. He sighed. “We don’t have much choice. We can’t stay in this place.”
Gerald nodded. He grabbed the hand of his sister. He said to me, “Are you sure that the monsters waiting outside this room are gone?” There was hesitation within his voice, something I could relate about. It would be indeed hard to simply trust someone you have just met, moreover a monster.
I nodded.
The professor and Gerald locked eyes with each other.
“Let’s go,” said Gerald. “That monster from before might come ba—”
And a bone-chilling screech echoed inside the room. We instinctively looked at the source, right near the ceiling. Dangling there was a black monster with eight legs. Even from this distance, we could clearly feel its rage. The fury of seeing its prey escape from its web.
“Shit. It’s back!” shouted Gerald.
Like a spring, we came rushing towards the door. But it was too late. The monster was a lot quicker than us. It quickly moved through the ceiling then jumped down towards the floor, effectively blocking out way out.
The blue box hovering above the head of the monster was ominous, and it clearly gave me an idea of the gap in our strengths.
Babyface Arachnid
Lv 31
Its level was twice that of a Minotaur. Its tentacles wiggled in and out of its mouths.
Another screech echoed, and the monster came charging at us. It was really quick despite its size. A leg whizzed by and sent the professor flying a couple of meters back. Thankfully, it seemed that he managed to block the attack using his knife, although that weapon was now bent after impact.
Another leg of the spider shot towards Gerald. I was sure he knew that the attack was coming, but his fat body was unable to move quick enough to dodge it. The hairy leg pierced his right shoulder, and he screamed in pain as blood spurted out.
The Babyface was about to move in for the kill when it suddenly froze. It was brief, around a second or two, but it gave Gerald enough leeway to dodge the next incoming attack. He jumped back and avoided the strike.
