Under the silent sky, a Goblin archer admired the sunset—until something suddenly stunned it.
It scratched its forehead in confusion, then glanced at its nearby comrades standing guard. After checking again…
Only then did it realize that something was happening outside.
"Zhizhizhi?"
Several Goblin archers stationed in the sentry tower descended the ladder, stepping onto the ground. Slowly, they made their way toward Ash and his friends.
The simple-minded goblins had no idea what awaited them.
Then, in the very next second—
As they rounded the corner, a gleaming longsword flashed out, slicing clean through the first goblin's neck.
"Squeak!—"
The remaining three goblins barely had time to react. Just as they were about to cry out, a shadow darted between them. In an instant, two large hands seized the heads of two goblins—and with a swift, forceful motion—
Crack!
Both goblins vanished into white light.
Without hesitation, Ash lunged forward and delivered a powerful kick to the last goblin.
The impact sent the creature's frail body hurtling backward, and before it even hit the ground, it too dissolved into white light.
"All clear!"
Clapping his hands, Ash grinned with ease.
Now that he had reached level 10, his physical strength had surged yet again.
Taking down a level 7 goblin? It was as effortless as drinking water.
Before long, Ash and his team repeated the same method, systematically eliminating every sentry tower in the Goblin tribe.
With the sentries dealt with, Ash turned his gaze toward the heart of the tribe.
"This way, we don't have to worry about an arrow coming from behind," he muttered.
The sun had long set, and now, the sky glittered with stars. A full moon cast a dim glow over the landscape.
It was a dark, windy night—the perfect setting for a silent massacre.
A night like this was the best opportunity to strike.
Now that Misty had mastered the ability to detect enemies using spiritual pressure, she could pinpoint the exact location of the Goblin Riders—even in complete darkness.
But—
Just as Ash and his friends prepared to slip into the shadows and assassinate their targets—
A sudden burst of light flared from the center of the Goblin tribe. Several flames flickered into existence.
Then came a sharp, frantic shriek.
"Squeak! Squeak, squeak, squeak—!!!"
Ash, mid-step, froze and furrowed his brows.
"What… What's going on?"
A few seconds later, the ground trembled.
A low rumbling sound echoed through the air.
"No way!"
Behind him, Brock, who had blended seamlessly into the darkness, suddenly spoke.
"Could it be… they found out what we did?!"
"Ah?!" Misty's eyes widened. "That's bad, right?!"
"Shhh!!!"
Feeling the tremors intensify, Ash quickly gestured for silence.
Without hesitation, the three of them exchanged glances and slipped behind a nearby goblin tent, hiding themselves.
Moments later, the pounding of hooves filled the air.
A group of Goblin Riders, frantically mounted on their fanged boars, thundered past them—charging straight out of the tribe's walls.
From their hiding spot behind the tent, Ash and his companions watched in stunned silence.
"???"
"What… just happened?"
Ash pointed blankly at the departing Goblin Riders, utterly confused.
Brock's expression twisted with uncertainty. After a pause, he hesitantly said,
"Maybe… they're going outside to look for us?"
Misty, exasperated, sighed. "I swear, goblins have the same physique as humans, but their intelligence is on another level of dumb."
But at that moment, Ash suddenly stood up, his eyes gleaming.
"Wait a second! Doesn't this mean the timing is perfect?!"
"You mean—!?" Misty and Brock turned toward him.
Ash gave a firm nod, then cautiously peeked out from behind the tent—his gaze locking onto the Goblin King, who, after a brief outburst of anger, was already heading back to sleep.
Ash grinned and declared,
"Now is the perfect time for us to claim the first kill in the Goblin Dungeon!"
At the same time—
The Goblin King, who had been fuming over the missing goblins, was about to return to his lair for some much-needed rest.
After all, given enough time, his missing subordinates would return one by one. It wasn't something worth worrying about.
What truly angered him, however, was the utter incompetence of the so-called "Goblin Royal Guard"—a group of knights tasked with protecting the tribe.
Had they spent so much time with their wild boars that their intelligence had started to deteriorate?
The Goblin King pondered this question with growing irritation.
As the ruler of the tribe, his appearance wasn't all that different from an ordinary goblin. The only thing that set him apart was the crooked, flesh-embedded crown atop his head and the golden staff of power clutched in his hand.
Despite being the dungeon's final boss, his intelligence—while not exceptional—was at least functional when unaffected by his temper.
In fact, buried somewhere in his mind, he even retained the ability to speak human language.
However…
Bound by the world's laws, he was forced to spend every day surrounded by a horde of dimwitted goblins.
Over time, the sheer idiocy of his subordinates had worn down his patience, leaving him perpetually short-tempered.
The tribe's goblins were nothing but noisy fools, constantly squabbling over trivial matters. For a king like him, their presence was nothing but a source of endless boredom.
But now, with all those imbeciles sent away, a rare silence filled the air.
For the first time in a long while, the Goblin King could enjoy a moment of peace.
Just as he was about to step into his lair, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
"Earth Wall!!!"
Boom!
A surge of magic pulsed through the ground.
A section of earth abruptly rose beneath the Goblin King's right foot, forcing it upward and throwing off his balance.
Before he could react, another figure shot out from the darkness, a powerful fist surging with invisible force, aimed straight for his body!
The attackers were none other than Brock and Ash—executing their tried-and-true ambush strategy.
Their signature combo had never failed them before:
First, Brock would use the Earth Wall to throw the enemy off balance. Then, Ash would deliver a crushing blow to knock them down and incapacitate them. Finally, Misty would finish the job with a precise strike from her blade.
It was a simple yet effective strategy—one that had worked every single time.
And as the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
So naturally, they planned to use the same approach against the Goblin King.
However—
Unlike the ordinary monsters they had faced before, the Goblin King was the dungeon's strongest foe.
As Ash's fist closed in, a sudden shift in the Goblin King's expression sent a chill down his spine.
A sinister, almost gleeful smirk curled across the creature's lips.
Its narrow eyes gleamed with sharp cunning.
Then—
The next moment!
The petite Goblin King let out a raspy, chilling laugh.
"So… you little mice are the ones who have been stirring trouble in my tribe?"
"Well then… it looks like I can finally get a good night's sleep after this!"
"Magic—Body Enhancement!"
Clang!
The Goblin King—who had looked frail and elderly just moments ago—suddenly plunged his golden scepter deep into his own chest.
"Ash! Watch out!!!"
Brock, sensing a surge of powerful magic, immediately shouted a warning.
But even without Brock's alert, Ash could already feel the shift in the air.
As soon as the scepter pierced its body, the Goblin King's form began to swell.
In the blink of an eye—
The once-wizened creature expanded into a towering, three-meter-tall monstrosity!
Boom!
The force of his transformation shattered Brock's Earth Wall into pieces.
Then, in an instant, the Goblin King lunged forward, his massive arm stretching toward Ash!
At that moment, Ash's fist met the Goblin King's palm in a thunderous clash.
Boom!
Another deafening explosion echoed through the battlefield.
To his credit, Ash's punch packed a serious impact.
The Goblin King staggered back two steps—
But!
Ash was still airborne, with nothing to stabilize him.
Recovering quickly, the Goblin King planted his feet firmly on the ground and smirked.
A flicker of surprise flashed across his face before his other massive hand shot out—grabbing Ash mid-air!
"Heh… not bad, little mouse."
"But this is where it ends!"
The Goblin King let out a twisted, triumphant cackle.
Crackle!
Dark energy erupted from his body, manifesting as erratic streaks of lightning dancing across his arm.
"Ash!!!"
Brock and Misty cried out in alarm.
In that moment, they didn't care about how the Goblin King was able to speak human language.
All that mattered was saving Ash.
Without hesitation, they rushed toward the Goblin King—
But—
There was still too much distance between them.
Before they could reach him, the Goblin King grinned—a crazed, bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.
"Go to hell, you little rats from the outside world!!!"
Crackle—!!!
Blinding arcs of electricity erupted from the Goblin King's arms, surging straight into Ash's body!
"Aaaahhh!!!"
A scream of pain tore from Ash's throat as the electricity slithered over him like a living serpent.
After a few agonizing moments, the Goblin King withdrew its magic, smirking as it examined the human in its grasp, much like a predator sizing up its next meal.
However—
Ash, still held tightly by the Goblin King, suddenly lifted his head. Despite his charred appearance, there was an odd, almost nostalgic expression on his face.
"Huh? That's it?"
His voice carried an unsettling disappointment—almost as if he had expected more.
"..."
On the sidelines, Brock and Misty, who had been rushing to his rescue, abruptly skidded to a halt.
Something wasn't right!
The Goblin King's expression twisted into one of confusion.
"???"
Its momentary surprise quickly faded, replaced by another wicked grin.
"Not bad, little rat."
"So you're the one who slaughtered my tribe… it seems you do have some skill."
"But—this is where you die!"
"Enjoy being baptized by my lightning!!!"
"Discharge!!!"
ZZZZZT!!!
A flash of lightning, even brighter than before, exploded from the Goblin King's hands, crackling wildly as it surged into Ash once again.
His body convulsed violently under the relentless electric assault, his pained screams echoing through the air.
"Aaaaahhh!!!"
However—
Something about his screams seemed... off.
To the Goblin King's ears, there was an odd tone mixed in—something that sounded almost like… enjoyment!?
What the hell!?
The Goblin King, startled by its own suspicion, quickly shook off the bizarre thought.
As the last sparks of electricity flickered out, Ash's body looked even more scorched than before, his clothes now darkened and tattered.
Just as the Goblin King was about to laugh victoriously—
Ash lifted his head once again.
A dazed, almost disappointed look filled his eyes.
"It's already over?"
THUD!!!
The Goblin King abruptly dropped Ash like a piece of trash, staggering backward in disbelief.
It raised a trembling finger, pointing at him as its voice cracked with sheer shock.
"Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
"My Discharge attack unleashes thousands of volts in an instant!"
"Even a level 10 creature wouldn't survive unscathed!!!"
"Ah..."
Ash dusted himself off, casually reaching for his fallen cap. With practiced ease, he placed it back onto his head and flashed a calm smile.
"Thousands of volts of electricity are enough to kill just about anyone."
"But, Goblin King…"
His tone suddenly shifted—serious, yet carrying an unmistakable hint of confidence. His gaze locked onto the Goblin King, unshaken, unwavering.
"Your lightning isn't even one-thousandth as strong as Pikachu's!!!"
"Brock! Misty! Now!!!"
BOOM!!!
The ground quaked violently.
Ash, using Nen force to propel himself, shot forward like a missile, fist raised to strike the Goblin King once more.
But this time—
Something was different.
For the first time, the Goblin King felt fear.
Its greatest weapon, its devastating electric attacks, had no effect on this child.
In fact—he seemed immune.
A terrifying realization gripped the Goblin King's heart.
"No… no, no, NO!!! This is impossible!!!"
Panicked, it lashed out once more.
Lightning flickered in its trembling hands.
But this time—
It was too preoccupied with Ash to notice Brock and Misty closing in from behind.
Still, overwhelmed by fear and desperation, the Goblin King roared and hurled its thunder-charged fists at Ash!
BOOM!!!
A massive shockwave burst through the air as Ash's fist clashed with the Goblin King's oversized one.
The force of the impact sent tremors rippling across the battlefield.
Even with magic-enhanced strength, the Goblin King still held the advantage in sheer power.
Though Ash managed to hold his ground, his feet were forced back, carving two deep trenches into the earth.
By all logic, the Goblin King should have secured a decisive victory in this raw test of strength.
However—
It made one fatal mistake.
It should have never—NEVER—used its lightning again.