Part 1: The Sound of Fear
The cave reverberated with the mechanical scream of the Ryobi chainsaw. VRRR-RRRR!
To the three remaining Hobgoblins, this sound was not natural. It did not sound like a beast, nor like magic. It sounded like the world itself was being torn apart.
They watched their leader—the Scarred Hobgoblin—writhing on the floor, his shoulder a ruin of mangled meat and bone. The smell of gasoline, pungent and alien, cut through the metallic scent of blood.
Ren stood before them, the orange machine vibrating violently in his grip. His arms, though stronger since his evolution, shook under the weight and the gyroscopic force of the spinning chain.
"Run," Ren growled, his voice barely audible over the engine's idle rumble. "Or become firewood."
The Hobgoblins exchanged glances. They were warriors of the Red Eye Tribe. Retreat was punishable by death. But fighting this... thing?
One of them, a brute with a heavy stone hammer, roared to drown out his own fear.
"KILL THE RUNT!"
He charged, swinging the hammer in a wide, crushing arc.
Part 2: Wood vs. Engine
Ren didn't block. You couldn't block a stone hammer with a chainsaw; the plastic casing would shatter.
Ren stepped into the guard. His Agility (18) allowed him to duck under the clumsy swing. The wind of the hammer passed inches above his head.
Ren thrust the chainsaw forward, aiming for the Hobgoblin's exposed stomach.
ZZZZZZZT!
The teeth caught the leather armor. It shredded instantly. The chain bit into flesh.
The Hobgoblin's eyes bulged. It wasn't a clean cut. The chain grabbed the tough muscle and pulled, jerking the monster forward onto the blade. Blood sprayed in a hot mist, coating Ren's face and blinding his goggles.
The Hobgoblin dropped the hammer, clutching at the machine that was eating it alive.
Ren gritted his teeth and kicked the dying monster in the chest to dislodge the saw.
Rrrrgh... Thump.
The body fell back.
Ren spun around, the engine revving high as he squeezed the trigger instinctively.
Two left.
Part 3: The Jam
The remaining two Hobgoblins were smart. They realized the weapon had a limited range.
"Throw!" one shouted in Goblin.
They picked up rocks from the cave floor—fist-sized chunks of limestone—and hurled them at Ren.
Crack!
One rock hit Ren in the shoulder.
[HP: 38/40]
Thud!
Another hit his shin.
[HP: 36/40]
Ren hissed in pain. He couldn't dodge them all while lugging the heavy saw. He was being kited.
"Cowards!" Ren yelled.
He charged the nearest one. The Hobgoblin backpedaled, grinning as he readied another rock.
Ren realized he wouldn't make it in time. The saw was heavy; it slowed him down.
Think. You're a Tinkerer. Use the tool.
Ren didn't swing the saw at the goblin. He swung it at the floor.
He slammed the running blade into a patch of loose gravel and wet mud.
VROOOM!
The chain acted like a tread, kicking up a massive spray of dirt, rocks, and mud directly into the Hobgoblin's face.
"GAH!" The Hobgoblin flinched, blinded by the debris.
Ren closed the gap. He didn't slash. He brought the chainsaw down vertically on the creature's collarbone.
CRUNCH-ZZZT.
The blade sank deep, hitting the ribcage.
But then, disaster struck.
The chain snagged on the thick bone and the tough leather strap of the armor. The engine sputtered. The chain stopped spinning.
Stall.
The silence was deafening.
Part 4: Manual Override
The Hobgoblin, though mortally wounded, was still alive. It grabbed the bar of the chainsaw with its bare hands, ignoring the stationary teeth cutting its palms, and tried to wrestle the weapon away from Ren.
"Give... me!" the monster gurgled, blood frothing at its mouth.
Ren tugged. It was stuck.
The last Hobgoblin—the one behind him—saw the opportunity. It raised a rusty dagger and lunged at Ren's exposed back.
Ren felt the shift in air pressure behind him.
He couldn't free the saw. He had no mana to summon a weapon.
He let go.
Ren released the handle of the chainsaw, leaving it stuck in the dying goblin's chest. The sudden release of tension caused the dying goblin to stumble backward.
Ren dropped to a crouch and spun, sweeping his leg.
[Skill: Tinkerer's Agility]
The last Hobgoblin, expecting resistance, tripped over Ren's leg. He crashed face-first onto the stone floor.
Ren didn't hesitate. He leaped onto the fallen goblin's back.
He grabbed the goblin's own hair, pulled its head back, and slammed its face into the stone floor.
Crack.
He did it again.
Crack.
And again.
He didn't stop until the skull gave way and the goblin stopped twitching.
Ren sat there, panting, his hands shaking uncontrollably. He looked up. The goblin with the chainsaw stuck in its chest had finally collapsed, the weight of the machine dragging it down to death.
Silence returned to the Mushroom Cave.
Part 5: The Aftermath
Ren rolled off the corpse and lay on his back, staring at the glowworms on the ceiling. He was covered in blood, oil, mud, and sweat.
[Combat Ended.]
[Victory.]
[Experience Calculated.]
[Level Up!]
[Ren: Level 8 $\rightarrow$ Level 9]
[Attributes Updated]
Strength: 10 $\rightarrow$ 11
Agility: 18 $\rightarrow$ 19
Intelligence: 40 $\rightarrow$ 42
MP: 2.5/50 $\rightarrow$ 52/52 (Refilled)
The mana refill washed over him like a cold drink on a hot day. The exhaustion vanished, replaced by the buzz of power.
Ren stood up. He walked over to the chainsaw. It was lodged deep in the corpse.
"Store."
The chainsaw vanished into his inventory. He would clean it later.
He looked at the carnage. Five Hobgoblins. Ten Goblins. All dead.
This wasn't self-defense anymore. This was a statement.
He began to loot the bodies.
[Loot Acquired:]
Red Eye Eyepatch (x5) - Trophy item.
Broken Iron Spear - Scrap metal.
Leather Armor Scraps - Crafting material.
12 Low-Grade Magic Stones - Currency/Fuel.
Rank E Monster Core (x5) - Rare drop from Hobgoblins.
Ren held one of the Monster Cores. It was a jagged, red crystal the size of a walnut. It hummed with faint energy.
"Monster Cores," Ren whispered. "In the novels, these are money. Or power."
He had cleared the first wave. But he knew the Hobgoblin Chief—the one he saw on the drone—would be waiting. And if the Chief realized his vanguard was dead, he wouldn't send another squad. He would come himself.
Ren looked at the dark tunnel leading back to the main nest.
"I can't go back there yet," Ren decided. "I need a base. A safe zone."
He turned and looked at the Giant Sludge Toad's pool. The water was still.
"Toads are amphibious," Ren mused. "Where there is water... there is a way out."
He approached the black water.
End of Chapter 8
Summary of Assets:
Level: 9 (Rank E-).
HP: 42/42 (Max).
MP: 52/52 (Max).
New Loot: 5 Monster Cores, 12 Magic Stones.
Current Location: Mushroom Cave (Secure for now).
Goal: Find a secure base / Escape route.