'A... human...'

  The goblin stared at the adventurer in shock, taken aback by the icy gre emitting from the young mage before him. Her aura was cold and sharp, like the edge of an icicle, causing the air to freeze into a flurry of snowfall. Her shiny bck hair was tied back in two long braids, giving her a youthful and fragile appearance. The girl's purple eyes glowed with an otherworldly power as she held a magic staff, a tool that allowed mages to cast spells with ease and speed.

  At a gnce, Theo could tell that she was still young, approximately in her twenties, but the strength of her mana tells him not to treat her as such. One wrong move and his life would be in danger, provoking her further is not an option to be considered.

  Theo wants to step back and escape, but the only path to do that is where the hostile entity is located. If he wants to get out, he must find a way to convince the girl that he is also a human despite having the appearance of a goblin.

  But it is far too te for that.

  "Wait!"

  The girl attacked the goblin without hesitation, determined to end the encounter quickly with her deadly [Ice Crystal] skill. Despite Theo's sharp instincts, he only narrowly avoided the attack, his ears grazed by the icy bst as he noticed a fsh of light from the girl's staff.

  To Theo's dismay, the girl unleashed a relentless stream of spells, leaving him little room to manoeuvre or evade. He scrambled to find cover behind a nearby rock, hoping to shield himself from the onsught of magic.

  'Shit! She's good'

  An average mage of her calibre could cast one spell at a time and risk draining their mana, but this girl defied all logic, firing her spell without pause. It was like a rifle, but with a staff, its bullets an endless stream of razor-sharp ice crystals.

  As the spell carved its way through the rock towards him, Theo realized that simply defending against it was a death sentence. He needed to move, but the ice was too fast for his eyes to follow, at least for now. Gripping his sword, he waited for an opportunity to strike.

  One weakness of most mages was their limited ability to maintain focus. They could typically only do so for up to a minute, with some able to push it to thirty minutes before needing to rest for another two. Theo's master, Niel, had been able to maintain focus for even longer.

  If a mage were to attack without being fully focused, their spells could become weaker or fail altogether.

  Just as the ice spell was about to bore through the rock, the girl's next spell backfired, giving Theo the opening he needed to charge forward and attack. But as he emerged from behind his cover, the mage unleashed a sudden [Ice Crystal] that struck him head-on, sending him reeling backwards. The bst could have pierced his chest, but Theo managed to deflect it with his sword, using it as a makeshift shield.

  'That woman baited me!'

  He realized that he was facing a human, a thinking entity, not just some mindless beast driven by instinct to devour. It wasn't just a battle of strength, but also a battle of wits, and the girl had bested him in both aspects. The only thing that had saved him was pure coincidence or luck.

  Theo quickly thought of a way to deal with the [Ice Crystal] rifle skill - to bounce around randomly with no discernible pattern, using the walls and ceiling of the narrow tunnel to his advantage. As a goblin, he was faster and lighter than a human, able to jump higher than his own height thanks to the muscle he had developed from repeatedly running away from beasts and jumping for his life.

  Using his agility and strength, he bounced around unpredictably, nearly closing the gap between himself and the mage. The [Ice Crystal] spell couldn't keep up with his irregur movements, but Theo still got hit once or twice in the process. His left leg and right torso were hit, and his blood froze on contact, but he didn't let the pain slow him down. With each passing moment, his instinct to kill the human grew stronger.

  "Tsk"

  The mage clicked her tongue in frustration as she realized that she was at a disadvantage. Mages are typically weak in close-quarters combat, and the fact that Theo was slowly closing the gap between them made her vulnerable. Additionally, she was surprised at how agile and unpredictable the goblin was - she had never encountered such a formidable goblin before. However, she didn't have time to dwell on her mistakes or the fact that she had underestimated the goblin.

  "[Boiling Moist], [Winter Wind]"

  Just as Theo attempted to ssh the mage's neck, she invoked two consecutive spells. She waved her staff in the air and released a white fog that obscured her body, hiding everything in the surrounding area in a thick mist. Theo's sword sshed at nothing but the fog.

  "She disappeared?"

  He asked himself, looking left and right but unable to see anything clearly due to the blurry atmosphere.

  The adrenaline rush began to fade, and Theo felt the ice crystal that had sunk into him still freezing on the inside, causing intense pain.

  As he listened closely, he could hear the sound of small solids cshing against each other, the noise of ice forming in the air.

  "What the!"

  When he looked back, he saw a glowing object amidst the fog. Suddenly, the object started firing ice crystals in quick succession. Theo swiftly dodged and bounced off the walls and ceiling to get closer to the girl.

  However, when he finally closed the gap, he saw nothing but the girl's staff pnted in the ground.

  'Shit. It's automated?'

  He underestimated the girl. In this moment of confusion, he was hit once again, this time in his abdomen, the crystal sinking deep into his stomach. Yellow pus dripped from the wound and froze, causing him to cough up maggots.

  Temporarily retreating to gain some distance from the staff, the execution of spells halted. Theo dropped to his knees, taking a break and vomiting the puss that kept rising in his mouth. In pain, he accidentally released his weapon.

  The area kept getting colder, slowing Theo down. It was to be expected when facing a mage, as they would use anything to weaken their enemies.

  Theo stood up and wiped away the remaining puss from his mouth with his arm. Suddenly, a thin strand of string enveloped the goblin's neck from behind, tightening and restricting his breath.

  The woman was behind him, taking the opportunity to choke him. Theo struggled, but the girl forced his neck up, lifting his feet off the ground.

  "You're dead now little goblin"

  She applied more force to the string, causing Theo's neck to bleed and the string to sink deeper into his skin. As he struggled for air, he began to lose consciousness, and everything in his sight felt like it was spinning. Salivating, he released a handful of yellow pus and tears swelled up in his eyes.

  Despite his efforts to free himself from the strand, the pain intensified with every movement, making it harder to breathe. After a minute had passed, his arms began to give out, and his eyes rolled upward.

  Thinking that she had won, the girl felt relieved. But her relief turned into regret when the goblin suddenly rotated one hundred and eighty degrees, pcing his knees above her head.

  The girl saw his worm which surprised her with anxiety.

  "[Piss on you]"

  The goblin mocked the girl, pretending it to be a skill but in reality, he just unleashed a stream of urine towards her face, temporarily blinding her. The warmth of the liquid was a shock to her system in the midst of the cold environment, causing her to instinctively release her grip on the strand of string.

  Seizing the opportunity, Theo quickly leapt backwards to avoid a direct confrontation with the girl.

  'What?! It's just a strand of hair?'

  Theo examined the strand of hair and realized that it was weak enough to snap if the girl let go of it.

  "You disgusting piece of-"

  The girl wiped the urine off her face and let out an irritated excmation. But a moment ter, she twitched with a sudden realization.

  "The goblin can speak?"

  The thought was surprising, as such an encounter was rare.

  "But does it matter? A monster is still a monster," she thought to herself, stretching her arms out as if reaching for something invisible.

  "Wait! I give up!"

  He tried to raise a white fg as he knew fighting further will just put him at the edge of a cliff.

  The goblin's eyes widened in pain and shock as the staff pierced through his belly. He let out a muffled scream as his body was dragged towards the girl.

  The girl now had her staff, making her even more formidable. Theo knew he was at a disadvantage with all the wounds he had sustained, but he refused to go down without a fight now that it came down to it.

  As the girl tried to enter a trance state, Theo reached for one of the bottles of water he had on him. He took a sip, feeling the coldness of the water in his torn belly. Despite the pain, he felt a sense of satisfaction as he looked around and saw that everything was frozen.

  He wondered why he could still move despite the severity of his wounds, but he knew he couldn't afford to dwell on it. He had to focus on the fight ahead, and he took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come."

  'Is it because I am a monster?'

  The water he drank mixed with digestive juices and spilled out from his wound, staining the snow beneath him.

  He let out a deep groan from his mouth, the pain intensifying as he moved. But despite his injuries, a sense of excitement surged within him. The burning pain kept him alert in the freezing environment, and he refused to give up without a fight.

  With his remaining hand, he grasped the second water bottle and began to cast a spell. It was easier than before, his proficiency in magic increasing with time. He refused to give up, knowing that this could be his only chance to defeat the mage.

  As he concentrated on the spell, he gnced at the girl. The cold air surrounding her caused her bck clothing and hair to flutter, and she exuded a powerful and sharp aura that was beyond Theo's level of strength.

  Despite the odds against him, Theo refused to give up. He watched as the water bottle in his hand began to shake from the power of the spell he was casting.

  'This is enough...'

  Theo gritted his teeth, determined to make a move before it's too te. He lunged forward, his eyes fixed on the girl. But before he could even come close, she opened her eyes and Theo saw a fierce focus in them.

  "Hey!"

  He shouted, throwing one of his water bottles at the girl.

  Reacting on instinct, the girl pointed her staff and unleashed an [Ice Crystal], shattering the bottle into a million pieces. Instead of just breaking the bottle, because of the impact and the way that the water separates into small droplets, it exploded with white instantaneously evaporated fog. The girl was caught off guard, surprised by what occurred. For a moment, she hesitated, unsure of what to do next. Theo took advantage of the chaos and disappeared into the fog, using it as cover.

  Indeed, he applied a small amount of [Fireball] inside the water trying to boil it from the inside. Then use it to generate an artificially created fog simir to what the girl did using magic.

  "[Freezing Point]!"

  The mage shouted as she quickly reacted to the sword thrusting towards her head inside the fog.

  With a swift movement of her staff, she froze everything in front of her, including the sword and the air around it. The sword was left pointing towards her head, frozen in time.

  But as she looked around, she realized that the goblin who wielded the sword had disappeared, evading her strong attack. Suddenly, she heard movement from behind her, but it was too te for her to react.

  "You're dead now little bitch"

  The goblin held a rock with both hands and leapt forward, smashing it into the girl's head. His pn was to knock her back and then use the frozen sword to pierce her brain upon impact. However, the girl covered the sword's edge with ft shards of ice, making it blunt.

  Despite the two attacks, the girl was not killed, but rendered unconscious.

  Fueled by anger and instinct, Theo continued to bash the rock into the girl's forehead, determined to end her life to prevent any future threats. But as he looked at his own reflection in a nearby ice shard, he was horrified by the sight of his bloodied, monstrous goblin face.

  He clicked his tongue in frustration, and with a heavy heart, he turned away from the girl's unconscious form and step away.

  'What am I hesitating?'

  He is just defending himself but he can't understand why he could still feel remorse and pity, even though he's no longer human.

  'I am not a human anymore '

  If he tries to live his life pretending to be a human, applying their moral standards and ethical practices or emotions like remorse and conscience, it will only backfire. He needs to embrace his true nature as a monster, but the guilt he feels now makes him hesitate.

  He loses his grip on the rock and it falls from his hand. Despite the pain, he closes the open wounds on his stomach by burning them with a small amount of heat from a [Fireball] spell.

  Should he spare her life and risk her coming after him ter? Or should he kill her to ensure his own survival?

  What is the right choice to make? Himself or others?

  What's the difference between killing a beast and a human, when both are simply trying their best to survive? And where does he, as a goblin, fit in?

  Morality is a subjective concept that may vary depending on the observer. As a goblin, he must make the right choice through the eyes of a goblin, not a human.

  But what is he? A human or a monster?"

  'Huh? What is this feeling?'

  As he looked at the girl's face, he couldn't help but notice her beauty. Despite the blood flowing from her head wound, her long eyeshes stood out, framing her delicate features. The rest of her skin was smooth and soft, with a subtle scent that tickled his senses.

  'My body is burning...'

  His worm is also erect. His heart keeps beating fast and his mind keeps screaming to 'go and touch her you virgin loser!'.

  'I see... I am a goblin, and the nature of a goblin is to do this sort of thing to women...'

  There is a fundamental reason why goblins and humans cannot coexist in a beneficial retionship, and why the majority of individuals despise such creatures. Their natural inclination towards violence and aggression is just one facet of their behaviour, but the underlying reason is their innate desire to mate with any intelligent species they encounter.

  'I want to...'

  As he looked closer, Theo noticed the girl's delicate and feminine features. Despite the harshness of their surroundings, she was well-groomed and her clothes were in good condition. Her scent was so pleasant and refreshing that it seemed out of pce in such a dismal setting.

  Her smooth, bare legs caught Theo's attention and he couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch them.

  "Stop! On! Thinking! Stop thinking!! I am human!! I am a human!!"

  Finally, Theo gave up forcing his instinct to shut down by smashing his own head into the frozen ice. He still can't throw away his humanity even if he is currently a goblin. Blood falls down from his head and his worm suddenly died out of the pain.

  Taking another gnce, he noticed her lips are slim and sexy. With another gnce at her white petite legs and his worm revitalized, he has awoken once again to "culture".

  'Just a peek...'

  He gave in to his goblin instinct and took a peek inside her clothes while blushing intensively.

  "Hhmmhh..."

  The girl slowly regains consciousness and lets out a moan, causing the goblin to immediately retract from his evil deeds

  'Shit! Run!'

  Theo runs away unsatisfied.

  ............

  ......

  ...

  After hours had passed, the girl slowly opened her eyes to see nothing but the ceiling above her. She gingerly sat up, her fingers finding the source of the pain on her forehead - a wound that had been bleeding earlier.

  "Huh...? I am unharmed?"

  She had expected far worse from a run-in with a goblin. Looking around, she saw no sign of the creature or anything else out of the ordinary.

  "That goblin didn't do anything to me?"

  The girl was surprised. She knew that goblins were known for their violence and lust, and this particur goblin had certainly seemed strange. But she was still fully dressed, and there was no evidence that the creature had id a hand on her in an unpleasant way.

  The conclusion of their confrontation was clear.

  "I lost... to a mere goblin"

  She underestimated him very badly, really badly. After all, she is saving her full strength for a more formidable foe.

  "Hmm? Water?"

  As she pondered her defeat, she was alerted by the sounds of rushing water in the distance. As a water mage specializing in hydro magic spells, detecting the source of water nearby was an easy feat for her.

  As she approached the dark tunnel, her footsteps grew heavier with each step, and her heart pounded in her chest. Finally, she reached the pond, but her terror only increased when she spotted a figure in the centre, drinking from the water.

  It was a woman, with long silver hair and dark skin, cd in an old multiple-yered trench coat that covered her entire body. But what truly frightened the water mage were the woman's mechanical hands and the bck horn that jutted from her head. This was no ordinary person - this was a demon.

  Without hesitation, the mage summoned a spell she believed would strike the demon down immediately, but as the energy began to gather in her fingertips, she hesitated.

  "[Water Dragon]!"

  A fierce water dragon materializes and lunges towards the demon, its powerful jaws cmping down on the unsuspecting creature. The impact of the attack is enough to crush bones and reduce flesh to a pulp, but the water mage knows better than to let her guard down. She remains alert, aware that underestimating her opponent could be a fatal mistake. As the dragon dissolves back into the pond, she cautiously step away from the spot where the demon had been, ready for any signs of movement.

  "[Skin Solidification], [Health Regeneration], [Adamite Strength], [Mana Regeneration], [Increase Stats], [Negate Fear], [Status Protection], [Water of Glory], [Body of Water], [Fire Resistance], [Hydrau's Blessing]"

  She continued to cast multiple spells to strengthen her body and magic, determined to secure her victory.

  The demon stood up on her feet, seemingly unharmed from the attack. She reached into her coat and pulled out a gas mask, deliberately hiding her face which had previously been concealed by a malevolent shadow.

  "I finally found you demon..."

  The water mage said in a trance-like state.

  "It's time to settle the score"

  ............

  ......

  ...

  Then a day passed.

  "Why..."

  Theo sank to his knees in despair. Using his knowledge of anatomy, he operated on himself to stitch his wound with a spider web and prevent further bleeding. Then, he returned to the pond to fetch more water. But when he arrived, an immediate sense of frustration hit him.

  "Why the..."

  His nose started to run, and tears streamed down his face.

  "Why the fuck is my water solid!!!"

  He screamed, the sound echoing through the tunnel. In frustration, he began hitting his head against the frozen water, attempting to break the ice with his skull, only to injure himself in the process. As he looked at the ice once again, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection...

  "SHIIIIIIIITTTTTTT!!! MOTHERFUCKERRR!!!!"

  He shouldn't have felt remorse for the girl in the first pce because, at the end of the day, he is still a goblin, not a human.

  "I am going to kill that bitch!"

  He said, seething with anger. Tears streamed down his face as he cracked his fingers, cursing the mage with all his heart.

  "And then I'll..., I'm going to butcher her to pieces and eat it"

  Filled with anger and frustration, Theo finally comes to a realization. He can no longer deny his true goblin nature and the violent tendencies that come with it. With a deep breath, he accepts his fate and embraces his goblin instincts.

  'That's right... Because I am a monster, and that's what monsters do'

  [Location: Unknown]

  [Sanity: 45]