God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

One by one, the goblins made their way across the narrow passage, moving with painstaking caution as their feet carefully positioned along the thin strip of solid ground between the pits.

After seeing what had happened to their companion, none of them were willing to take unnecessary risks. Their armor, which had once been a source of protection, had now become another danger. The weight of the metal made their bodies less stable, and even the slightest imbalance could send them tumbling into the pit.

Eventually, the first goblin reluctantly removed his armor and passed it backward to his companion before carefully crossing the narrow path with only his clothing and weapons. The others quickly followed his example. They left their armor behind in a growing pile, telling themselves they could simply retrieve it on their way out. At least, that was what they believed.

Several minutes later, the final goblin carefully stepped onto solid ground on the other side. He immediately turned around and looked back at the narrow passage, his shoulders loosening when he realized he had made it across without joining the corpse below.

The others were already collecting their short spears and checking themselves for injuries. Their armor remained behind, but nobody complained about it. At this point, surviving the cave was more important than protecting themselves with heavy equipment.

The group continued deeper into the tunnel, though their earlier confidence had disappeared. Every step was now deliberate. They looked at the floor before stepping, examined the walls and frequently raised their torches toward the ceiling whenever they entered a new section.

After several minutes, the lead goblin abruptly raised his hand, bringing the group to a stop. The tunnel ahead suddenly widened into a surprisingly spacious section, almost like a small chamber carved naturally into the earth. The sudden change made the goblins uneasy. They had already learned that anything unusual inside this cave could mean danger, and nobody wanted to be the next fool to trigger something.

The lead goblin carefully crouched and examined the ground ahead but found nothing.

Then he looked at the walls and still found nothing.

Then he slowly lifted his head toward the ceiling, but the darkness above was too thick for the torchlight to properly reveal anything.

"Throw it."

One of the goblins understood immediately. He took the first torch and threw it toward the middle of the widened passage. The burning wood struck the ground and rolled several times before coming to a stop. The goblins waited.

Nothing happened.

They watched the torch for several seconds, waiting for spikes, flames, arrows or some other hidden mechanism to activate.

Still nothing.

The lead goblin finally released the breath he had been holding. He gave a cautious nod, and another goblin stepped forward with a torch in hand. The group slowly began crossing the widened section, their weapons held ready and their eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

They never noticed the patch of darkness near the edge of the chamber. It was darker than the surrounding shadows, so subtle that even the moving torchlight failed to expose it properly. Within that unnatural darkness, a figure slowly emerged.

It was Tu’ka.

The young kobold stood perfectly still, his cold gaze fixed upon the goblins. He counted them without difficulty.

More than ten. That was nearly one-tenth of their population because Grash’s attack that claimed over twenty lived.

The goblins had no idea they were being watched.

Tu’ka slowly raised one hand.

Shadow Magic: Pestilence!

A spear of complete darkness formed within his palm as Tu’ka aimed upward and he threw it.

Swoosh!

The dark spear shot toward the ceiling and struck the stone above. For a moment, nothing happened, then the entire ceiling suddenly lit up.

The goblins froze.

Numerous dormant arrays had been carved directly into the stone overhead, their intricate patterns hidden within the darkness until Tu’ka’s magic activated them. The sudden light revealed something far worse.

Spiked chunks of rock had been embedded throughout the ceiling.

The goblins stared upward in horror. They finally understood why they had seen nothing.

The ceiling was too high!

Their torches had illuminated the ground and lower walls, but the light had never properly reached the stone above their heads. The arrays had remained dormant and invisible throughout their entire approach, waiting patiently for someone to walk underneath them.

The lead goblin’s face drained of color.

"Run!"

The arrays activated.

The ceiling exploded with a violent rumble as the stone mechanisms released their stored power. Massive chunks of sharpened rock broke loose and came crashing downward.

The goblins scattered.

Some threw themselves against the walls. Others desperately attempted to retreat toward the tunnel entrance, while several simply raised their shields above their heads in a futile attempt to protect themselves.

The first spike smashed through one goblin’s shoulder and drove him into the ground.

Another chunk of stone struck a second goblin directly in the chest, crushing him beneath its weight.

Then several more came down as the chamber descended into chaos.

The goblins screamed and pushed against one another as the falling rocks continued tearing through their formation. Some were impaled. Others were crushed beneath the enormous stones. A few managed to squeeze themselves against the walls, only to watch their comrades disappear beneath the avalanche of sharpened rock.

Within moments, the once orderly group had become a bloody wreck scattered across the chamber.

Tu’ka watched without expression. He did not attack again, there was no need. He simply stepped backward into the darkness.

The shadows swallowed his body, and a moment later the wall behind him shifted with a quiet grinding sound. A concealed section slid open, revealing a narrow passage hidden behind the stone. It was barely wide enough for a single person, but unlike the tunnel the goblins had entered, this one had been deliberately prepared. Small torches had been mounted along the walls, illuminating a safe route deeper into the cave.

Tu’ka stepped inside and the hidden wall closed behind him.

"Good work."

Kong’gong’s voice came from deeper within the passage. Tu’ka looked toward the source of the voice and silently raised his thumb.

___ Tunnel Six ___

Meanwhile, the goblins entering the sixth tunnel were discovering that their path was no safer.

They had already crossed the narrow passage and, just like the others, abandoned their armor behind rather than risk losing their balance and falling into the pits. The armor was becoming a recurring sacrifice in their journey through the cave, but none of them questioned it anymore. They simply convinced themselves that once the kobolds were defeated, they would return and retrieve everything they had left behind.

For several minutes, the ten goblins continued deeper into the tunnel.

Their torches flickered against the stone walls as they moved in a tight group, their short spears held close to their bodies. Eventually, they reached a dead end.

At least, it appeared to be one. The lead goblin raised his torch and examined the wall.

Then he noticed the hole but was small. Far too small for them to walk through. They would have to crawl.

The goblins stared at the opening and nobody moved.

The tunnel beyond was completely dark, and after everything they had already experienced, nobody was particularly eager to crawl into an unknown passage on their hands and knees.

"We need someone to check it."

The statement was met with silence.

The goblins looked at one another. Then someone suggested a game of Rock paper scissors to decide who goes in.

The ten goblins reluctantly gathered together and raised their hands. They played several rounds, with the losers gradually dropping out until only two remained. The final round was tense enough that both goblins stared at each other’s hands as though their lives depended upon the outcome.

The loser stared at his hand and his face slowly fell.

He simply sighed, handed his spear to the nearest goblin and took the torch from another.

"Wish me luck."

"Just make sure it’s clear."

The goblin crouched and entered the hole. He crawled slowly as the stone scraped against his shoulders and back, forcing him to drag himself forward with his elbows while keeping the torch ahead of him. Dust clung to his face, and sweat quickly soaked his clothing despite the cool underground air.

Every few seconds he stopped, listened and then continued.

The passage seemed to go on far longer than he expected, but eventually a faint opening appeared ahead.

The goblin’s heart immediately lifted. He pushed himself through the final section and emerged into another tunnel.

He sat there for several seconds, breathing heavily while sweat dripped from his face. Ahead was simply another empty tunnel stretching ahead.

He looked back toward the opening.

"It’s clear!"

His voice echoed through the passage.

The goblins on the other side immediately relaxed and several sighed with relief.

One even laughed nervously.

"Thank the ancestors."

The others began crawling through one by one. Their bodies disappeared into the narrow opening as they followed their companion into the tunnel.

By the time the final goblin began crawling through, the first goblin was already turning away from the hole.

Thud!

The tunnel erupted as earth spikes burst violently from the walls and floor. The goblins trapped within the passage had nowhere to move.

Their screams erupted almost simultaneously as sharpened stone tore through their bodies. Blood splashed across the walls, staining the narrow passage while the screams became increasingly desperate before abruptly fading.

The goblin standing on the other side stared at the hole in horror.

He stumbled backward.

"No..."

His breathing became rapid. He could not see what had happened inside, but he did not need to. The blood flowing from the opening told him everything.

He staggered backward until his heel struck something.

Thud.

The goblin froze.

He slowly turned as his torch shook violently in his hand as its light fell upon a set of scales.

The goblin’s eyes trembled as he slowly raised the torch until the light finally reached the kobold’s eyes.

Lan’ka stared down at him. His expression was devoid of mercy.

His left hand tightened around his spear as the goblin’s face twisted into absolute terror.