Chapter 20: Into the Cave

Words : 1101 Updated : Sep 26th, 2025

Opening Chapter 20 of "I Have a Military Shop Tab in Fantasy World": Chapter 20 - Into the CaveInigo crouched behind a moss-covered boulder, eyes fixed on the... Read on for more!

Chapter 20 - Into the CaveInigo crouched behind a moss-covered boulder, eyes fixed on the gaping dark mouth of the cave. It sat like a beast, open and waiting, the stone edges jagged like broken teeth. The surrounding trees leaned inward, as if recoiling from the foul aura wafting from its depths. A faint stench carried on the still air—rot, sweat, and old blood. He tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, weighing the risk. "Too dark in there," he muttered. "Need to see before I shoot." He opened his system. [Open: Military Shop Tab] [Category: Optics and Gear → Tactical Accessories] He scrolled quickly through the list of available equipment—flashlights, helmet mounts, laser sights—until he found what he needed. [Night Vision Goggles – GEN 3+ Military Grade] Description: Tactical-grade NVGs with built-in IR illumination. Detects thermal variation and ambient light for full-spectrum visibility in pitch-black environments. Cost: 180 Tokens [Purchase Confirmed] [Night Vision Goggles Added to Inventory] He pulled them out from his inventory with a flick of the wrist. The goggles materialized with a soft, digital hum—matte black with padded straps, dual-lens optics, and a lightweight mount bracket that snapped snugly over his head. He adjusted the strap until it fit firm over his brow, then flicked the switch on the side. A pale green hue enveloped his vision. The darkness ahead surrendered immediately. Details sharpened: the outline of damp rocks, faint muddy tracks leading inward, and even the faint heat signatures of rats skittering along the walls. Not a single torch burned inside. Which meant the goblins liked it dark. "Too bad for them," Inigo muttered. Satisfied, he rose to a low crouch and began his approach. Step by step, his boots pressed silently into the damp soil. He reached the cave's mouth and stopped just before crossing the threshold. A last breath, slow and steady. Then he slipped inside. The temperature dropped immediately. Moisture clung to the stone walls and ceiling, every step echoing faintly despite his caution. With his night vision active, the path unfolded before him—narrow at first, then opening into a slightly wider tunnel. He moved carefully, rifle raised, muzzle tracking every shadow. The silence was deceiving. Goblins weren't known for discipline or stillness. If this was their home, they had to be nearby. Which meant they were waiting. He spotted movement ahead—small, fast, ducking behind a jutting stone. He paused, lowered his stance, and watched. More heat signatures bloomed into view—small bodies, hunched and twitching, barely the height of his waist. Four of them. One armed with a rusted sword, another with a short spear. Crude, mismatched armor clung to their green bodies like old meat on bones. They were waiting in ambush. "I see you," Inigo whispered. He didn't fire immediately. Instead, he checked the angles—walls, ceiling height, potential ricochet. Then he raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger. Thwip! Thwip! Two goblins dropped before the others could react. One took a round through the throat, collapsing with a wet gurgle. The other fell backward, its crude shield useless against a high-velocity round. The remaining two screamed—one charged, the other turned to flee. Inigo pivoted. Thwip! The runner crumpled before it could round the corner. The last one came straight at him, spear poised like a lunging dog. Inigo sidestepped, caught the shaft with one hand, and buried his combat knife into the goblin's neck. It spasmed once, then went limp. He yanked the blade free, wiped it clean on the creature's ragged tunic, and stood still for a moment, listening. No alarm. No rallying cry. He glanced toward a side tunnel that curved off to the left. Tracks were denser there. Blood trails. Fresh droppings. Scratches along the walls. That had to be where the main nest was. He moved. The deeper he went, the worse the air became—hotter, fouler, laced with the coppery stink of meat and goblin musk. The tunnel widened into a larger chamber, maybe fifteen meters across. Crude nests made of bones and animal skins lined the edges. A rotted carcass—possibly a goat—hung from a crude rack, flies dancing over it. Then he saw them. Red heat signatures. Fifteen... no, sixteen goblins, scattered throughout the chamber. And one larger shape seated on what looked like a pile of looted furniture. Bigger, broader, wearing the skull of some beast as a makeshift helm. The chieftain. Inigo pulled back into the shadows. [Open: Inventory → Tactical Options] [Equip: Flashbang – Left Hand] He pulled the pin, leaned around the bend, and hurled the grenade high into the chamber. One second. BANG! A burst of white light and sound shattered the darkness. He charged in before the echoes faded. His M4A1 roared in short bursts, each shot clean and precise. Goblins screamed, blinded and deafened, flailing wildly. Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip! They dropped one by one—through the chest, the throat, the skull. One tried to crawl away—he ended it with a double-tap to the back. Another threw a rock in desperation. Useless. He pivoted, took aim, and dropped it. Only one figure remained standing. The chieftain. The brute snarled, swinging a jagged iron cleaver and charging like a bull. Its face contorted in fury beneath the beast skull. Inigo didn't flinch. He dropped his rifle to his sling, drew the Desert Eagle, and fired. The round struck center mass. Sёarᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The chieftain staggered. He fired again—this time to the head. The beast skull cracked, and the body crumpled. Inigo exhaled, smoke curling from the barrel of the pistol. Silence. The chamber was littered with bodies. Steam rose from fresh kills. His breath was calm, but his pulse thundered with adrenaline. [Quest Update: Goblin Subjugation – Complete] [Total Eliminated: 17 | Chieftain Confirmed] [Tokens Earned: 350] [Token Balance: 1583] Inigo moved quickly, collecting ears and tusks from each goblin. It was brutal work, but necessary. Proof of the kill. Proof of survival. Proof for Elise. When he finished, he stood at the center of the bloodied nest, breath slow and even, the green glow of his goggles flickering against the carnage. "This is easier than I expected." But, he noticed that there was another entrance, leading to a deeper part of the cave. It wasn't stated in the quest that there was that part in this place, but whatever lies deeper in it must mean there could be more. After all, the goblins that he had encountered so far are too few. "I'll try and explore it."

Chapter 20: Into the Cave

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