The goblin lunged.
Kai Akira barely had time to register the movement before the small green menace launched itself across the convenience store like an angry projectile.
Kai ducked instinctively.
The goblin sailed past him and crashed into a shelf of canned coffee.
Cans exploded across the floor with metallic clattering.
Kai straightened slowly.
"Okay," he said calmly to nobody in particular. "That felt personal."
The goblin screeched again.
Its red eyes locked onto him.
Or more specifically…
onto the shelf behind him.
The shelf where the bento was resting.
Kai followed the goblin's gaze.
Then he slowly turned back.
"No."
The goblin lunged again.
Kai grabbed the first thing he could reach from the shelf beside him.
Without even looking, he hurled it directly at the goblin.
The package smacked the creature square in the face.
The goblin froze.
Kai blinked.
He slowly looked at what he had just thrown.
A bright pink package slid off the goblin's head and landed on the floor.
The label read:
Ultra Comfort Ladies Pads — 24 Pack.
The entire store went quiet.
Kai slowly rubbed the back of his neck.
"…I panicked."
The goblin stared at the package.
Then back at Kai.
Then back at the package.
It picked it up.
Sniffed it.
And immediately hurled it back at him.
Kai ducked again.
"Okay," he said quickly, "so we agree that was embarrassing."
The goblin screeched in rage and charged forward.
Kai backed away rapidly, nearly slipping on a spilled soda.
Shelves rattled.
Noodle cups rolled across the floor.
A terrified salaryman hid behind the freezer door.
The gamer from earlier was crouched behind a snack display, whispering excitedly.
"Oh my god… this is actually happening."
Kai looked around desperately.
"Okay," he muttered. "Think. Think."
What would an action hero do?
He paused.
"…Actually never mind," he said. "I am definitely not an action hero."
The goblin jumped onto a shelf and launched itself at him again.
Kai stumbled backward.
His hand smacked into something leaning against the wall.
A broom.
Kai grabbed it instantly.
"Perfect."
The goblin lunged.
Kai swung the broom like someone who had never in his life been trained to fight anything larger than a mosquito.
The broom smacked the goblin square in the face.
The creature flew sideways and crashed into a rack of ramen cups.
Instant noodles rained from the shelf like delicious snow.
Kai froze.
He stared at the broom.
Then at the goblin.
"…Oh."
He blinked.
"That worked."
A blue window flickered in front of his eyes.
Damage Registered
Kai slowly pointed at the screen.
"Oh no."
He sighed deeply.
"This is definitely a video game."
The goblin scrambled back to its feet.
It looked furious now.
It screeched and launched itself forward again, claws outstretched.
Kai swung the broom again.
The goblin dodged.
Kai missed and spun halfway around, accidentally knocking over an entire rack of bottled tea.
The bottles crashed everywhere.
The goblin leapt onto the counter.
Kai swung again.
The broom smacked the counter loudly.
The goblin screeched and jumped off the surface straight toward him.
Kai yelped and stumbled backward.
His foot caught on a pile of fallen ramen cups.
The goblin flew past him—
—and crashed face-first into the noodle shelf.
Dozens of instant ramen packs fell like a colorful avalanche.
Kai stared.
"Well," he said slowly, "that seems inefficient."
The system window flashed again.
Stat Increased
Agility +1
Kai blinked.
"Huh."
The goblin burst out of the ramen pile, furious.
It lunged again.
This time Kai reacted faster.
He sidestepped.
The goblin slid across the floor.
Kai raised the broom.
And swung.
WHACK.
The goblin slammed into the snack shelf.
Potato chips exploded into the air.
The creature collapsed onto the floor.
For a moment…
everything went quiet.
Kai held the broom like a confused janitor who had accidentally won a duel.
"You Started this you green Tamagotchi looking creel!"
The system window flickered again.
F-Class Goblin Defeated
XP +25
Kai stared at the message.
Then he slowly lowered the broom.
"…Huh."
Behind him, the gamer peeked out from behind the snack rack.
"Dude," he whispered.
"You just killed a goblin."
Kai didn't respond.
Instead, he slowly turned toward the shelf.
The shelf where the bento sat.
Still perfectly intact.
Kai walked over carefully.
He picked it up.
Examined it.
Dust on the lid.
He wiped it off gently with his sleeve.
Then he nodded.
"See?" he said softly.
"I told you I'd protect you."
The cashier slowly rose from behind the counter.
"…Is it dead?"
Kai glanced at the goblin.
The creature was very clearly not getting up.
"Looks like it," Kai said.
The gamer stood up excitedly.
"Oh man," he said. "If goblins are here, that means there are dungeons."
Kai opened the bento lid slightly to check the salmon.
"Please don't say things like that."
The store suddenly trembled.
Everyone froze.
Outside…
something roared.
Not the goblin.
Something much deeper.
Much louder.
The windows rattled.
The floor shook slightly.
The gamer slowly turned toward the door.
"…Guys."
His voice was suddenly very small.
"I don't think that was an F-class monster."
Kai slowly looked up.
The system window flickered again.
WARNING
HIGHER RANK MONSTER DETECTED