Amid colossal trees with smooth, straight trunks that rose up to 50 meters high, an imposing scene unfolded. The leaves of these trees were enormous, each over a meter long, a deep red that contrasted surreally with the gray sky above. The ground was covered in a dense mix of underbrush, dry branches, and fallen leaves, as if the place had stood untouched for centuries.
Among the thick vegetation, stretched out on the slightly damp soil, lay a young man. He wore a simple white shirt and black shorts. His hair, black and curly, was a bit messy, and his brown skin appeared slightly sweaty, as if he had been dropped there without warning. His eyes were closed, but his body moved subtly, small twitches in his fingers, a slight contraction in his face, signs that he was about to wake up.
Suddenly, his eyes opened. They were dark brown, intense, reflecting confusion and disbelief. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust his vision to the strange surroundings. The distant sound of leaves rustling in the wind was the only thing breaking the thick silence of the strange forest.
"What the hell... Damn ad," he muttered, his voice hoarse and filled with frustration.
His name was Lyon. He knew very well why he was there, although he was still struggling to accept it as reality. Just a few seconds ago, he had been at home, sitting in front of his computer. He had just turned it on when a strange ad popped up on the screen. It looked like something out of a game. Do you want to live in a world of adventure and fantasy? Lyon thought it was just marketing for a new MMORPG, so he clicked on it out of curiosity. A window immediately appeared, asking if he accepted. He clicked Yes without thinking much.
And now he was here.
"If I'd known, I would've thought it through..." he murmured, massaging his forehead with his fingers, trying to ease the slight headache beginning to form.
That's when he felt something land on his left arm. A mosquito. But not an ordinary one, this one was black, with strange red lines crossing its body like living tattoos. Instinctively, Lyon slapped it hard.
SPLAT!
The insect became a dark smear on his skin. At that moment, a holographic screen appeared in front of him, floating in the air. A completely black background with glowing blue letters.
[For killing the first creature in the new world: Black Blood Mosquito, you've gained: A Goblin Hut.]
Lyon widened his eyes, stunned. He looked at the screen, then at the smashed mosquito on his arm, and back at the floating words. Slowly, he wiped the insect remains off with his hand, disgusted. You never knew what kind of diseases these bugs could carry, especially in an unknown world.
But above the disgust, one thing genuinely relieved him. That screen. It could only mean one thing.
"I have a system..." he murmured, a slight smile forming amid the confusion. "This could be really good..."
He sat up, still panting, his eyes returning to the screen. His racing heart now wasn't just from confusion, but from a flicker of excitement.
Lyon fixed his eyes on the suspended screen in front of him, where the image of the goblin hut remained highlighted. He extended a finger and touched the icon blinking above the rustic structure. The moment he did, the screen vanished with a soft, high-pitched sound, like fine glass shattering in the air, and a three-dimensional projection appeared floating before him.
The hut was crude, made of what looked like two stakes driven into the ground and covered with a tangle of large, thick leaves that formed both the roof and the walls. Green, rudimentary, but functional, it looked like something straight out of a survival building game.
Lyon smiled with a hint of nostalgia. He had spent countless hours playing games like that. He knew exactly what to do. The 3D image flickered, waiting for him to choose a location to build.
He turned his body, surveying the clearing he was in. Colossal trees surrounded the area like pillars of a living cathedral, the smooth, towering trunks almost hypnotizing him with their grandeur. Still impressed, he chose a spot where the ground was relatively flat, away from the thicker roots, and positioned the floating hut over a patch of low grass.
Upon confirming the spot with a touch, the projection glowed brightly and then began to materialize before his eyes.
First came the two entrance stakes, driving into the ground with a hollow, dry sound. Then, large leaves descended from the air as if pulled by invisible strings, fitting onto the stakes to form the roof. Other leaves rose around it, overlapping like green scales to form the walls of the small structure. The entire build took only a few seconds, but watching it all take shape before him felt like witnessing magic.
Lyon barely had time to be impressed when something even more surprising happened.
A small green head rose from inside the newly formed hut, followed by a slender little body. Then, two more. Three creatures emerged, with dull green, rough-textured skin. They had disproportionately large heads, long pointed ears, bulging frog-like eyes, and wide mouths full of sharp yellowish teeth. Each stood about one meter thirty tall and wore only a faded leather loincloth, except for one, a female apparently, who had an extra piece of cloth tied around her chest, resembling a crude bra.
All of them were bald, and their eyes gleamed with a mix of curiosity and something harder to define, perhaps mischief.
Lyon took a deep breath and approached cautiously. He needed to establish a connection. He raised one hand in a peaceful gesture, but his voice came out firm, with authority and a touch of gentleness.
"Hello. My name is Lyon, I am your leader."
There was no reason to act cruelly. These goblins, as strange and potentially dangerous as they were, might be his first and perhaps only help in that unknown world. If they were useful, they might even help him find a way back home.
The female goblin stepped forward and responded with strange enthusiasm.
"Babu babi" her voice was high-pitched and raspy, almost childlike.
"Babu babu" echoed the second goblin, nodding energetically.
Lyon tried to understand, but the language was completely unintelligible. Even so, he felt a bit of relief realizing they seemed to be reacting in a friendly way… at least two of them.
Then he noticed something odd. The third goblin said nothing. He was slowly circling around, almost stealthily, positioning himself behind Lyon with light, quiet steps. Since Lyon had been watching all three from the start, he noticed the peripheral movement, but before he could react, he felt a sharp sting of pain.
The goblin suddenly lunged, pulling out a small, rusted metal knife and delivering a quick strike. Lyon managed to turn in time to avoid something worse, but the blade slashed his skin, opening a shallow cut on the side of his neck. Warm blood ran down his collarbone.
"Bastard" he growled, stepping back with fists raised, eyes locked on the treacherous goblin.