Chapter 5: Me or Them

When the hero lifted his head, sunlight poured through the cracked window, striking his face.

Morning had come.

It was his first night in this summoned world.

The guild hall was already buzzing with adventurers. Voices echoed. Boots clanked. The smell of stale beer and sweat lingered in the air.

He stood quickly, heart still heavy, and made his way toward the quest board.

Parchments covered every inch of it—requests for all kinds of tasks: Herb gathering. Animal hunting. Monster extermination.

He reached for the herb-gathering quest—something safe.

But just as his hand brushed the paper, another adventurer snatched it away.

Now only the dangerous jobs remained.

His eyes settled on one: Goblin Cave Extermination.

According to the quest, several humans—mostly women—were being held inside the cave.

The reason wasn’t stated.

It didn’t have to be.

Only male adventurers were allowed to take it.

Hostage rescue was optional.

Proof of completion: Goblin ears.

---

He approached the reception desk.

The cat-eared girl from the day before was gone.

In her place stood another girl, this one with rabbit ears. And just like the last, a cold metal collar encircled her neck.

“Good morning,” the hero greeted.

“Welcome,” she replied softly, bowing her head. “How can I assist you today?”

“I’d like to take the goblin cave quest. But... can you tell me more about them?”

She nodded and opened an old, worn book.

“Goblins are weak individually, but dangerous in groups. They use traps and ranged ambushes. They dwell in caves, rarely coming out.”

She paused.

“And… goblins are all male. To reproduce, they… take other species. Including humans.”

Her voice trembled slightly at the end.

The hero clenched his jaw.

“…Thanks,” he muttered, and took the quest form from her hands.

Then he left.

---

The city gates loomed ahead, towering stone walls separating civilization from the wilderness.

He passed through them.

The foul stench of the slums faded behind him, replaced by open fields and the scent of pine and grass.

He checked the map—a cheap one he’d bought for three bronze coins.

It led him into the woods.

Eventually, the trees parted, revealing a jagged cave mouth ahead.

---

He stopped.

Two choices stood before him:

Enter the cave like a brave fool, and most likely die.

Or—

Use his brain.

He chose the second.

A memory from Earth flickered in his mind—farmers smoking rats out of their holes.

It could work.

He gathered wood and stacked it near the entrance. Then he began piling stones around the edges, forming a low barrier.

When the stones reached waist height, he lit the wood using his lighter—one of the last remnants of his old world.

Flames roared to life.

He quickly added more stones, sealing the exit.

The rest of the wood was used to reinforce the barrier.

And then… he sat beneath a tree.

Inside the cave, goblins screamed.

So did the captives.

Smoke filled every inch of the tunnel.

His stomach twisted.

His eyes welled up.

He leaned his head back against the tree and began to cry.

He didn’t feel like a hero.

Just a coward surviving by any means necessary.

Then, coughing overtook him.

His lungs burned.

His chest tightened.

With trembling fingers, he reached into his bag, pulled out the vial the priest had given him—and drank every drop.

The pain dulled, barely.

His hands trembled.

Blood touched his lips.

He wiped it away.

He knew he didn’t have long.

This world didn’t want him.

Or maybe the gods had abandoned him long ago.

From within the cave, the screams grew more desperate.

The fire spread fast.

Smoke hissed from the cracks between the stones.

The goblins never reached the exit—blocked by fire, choked by smoke.

Sleep dragged at him.

Maybe it was the potion.

Maybe it was just everything.

He tried to stay awake. He needed to wait for the fire to die down.

But eventually…

His head dipped.

And he fell asleep beneath the tree—

While the cave burned behind him.