"Huh? What’s that?" Mysterious, walking along the riverbank, suddenly spotted a faint flicker of light in the distance.

Night had fallen, and the distance was great. He could barely make out the glow of a torch or lantern—and two humanoid figures beside it. Only the open riverside, free of dense foliage, allowed him even this much visibility.

After a night of hunting foxes and wildcats, Mysterious perked up at this change. He quickened his pace.

As he drew closer, the figures came into focus: two tiny humanoids holding torches—

Their faces were grotesque. Long pointed ears, oversized noses, and bulging bubble-eyes crowded their small heads. By human standards, utterly hideous. Their bodies were scrawny and stunted; though their heads weren’t large, they seemed enormous atop such malnourished frames.

Mysterious recalled similar creatures from other games. *Goblins.*

Their gear was "impressive": crude wooden helmets, tattered leather armor—stitched scraps barely deserving the name—and loincloths tied at the waist. Stone hammers hung from belts beside small cloth pouches.

Compared to the usual goblin trope—loincloths and scavenged sticks—these two were practically armored knights.

Chattering in a guttural tongue, the goblins stood by the river. *Why are they here at this hour?* Their odd timing and location made Mysterious hesitate. Instead of charging, he slipped closer under cover of darkness. Too far away, and he’d miss any sudden moves.

Goblins shouldn’t be here. Not in beast-infested wilds. Not roaming at night with torches. In *EndlessHorizon*, monsters preyed on each other—especially where territories blurred in the forest. Their presence reeked of purpose.

As Mysterious crept nearer, the goblins reached the riverbank. The one closer to him handed his torch to his companion, then pulled a small pouch from his belt. He dumped its contents into the water. After a few more grunts, they turned and left.

*The animals near the village... their frenzy started after this.* Mysterious followed silently. Killing them wasn’t enough—he needed answers. He’d track them to their hideout.

The dense forest should’ve hindered pursuit. Yet Mysterious’s flawless stealth turned the shadows and trees into allies.

Ten minutes later, a crude wooden fortress emerged ahead. Torches flickered sparsely along its rickety palisade—dim, but enough to illuminate the clearing. All vegetation around it had been cleared. Two goblin guards stood at the gate.

Mysterious hung back as his targets swaggered toward the entrance. The guards waved them through without question.

Once they vanished inside, Mysterious darted to the wall’s edge, far from the sentries. He crouched low, moving like a shadow toward the gate.

Midnight slackened the guards’ vigilance. They faced each other, chatting idly—a realism meant to challenge players, now aiding Mysterious. Their overlapping sightlines created blind spots. He slid through the gaps, undetectable.

Scaling the wall would’ve been easy. But without knowing the goblins’ strength or numbers, the gate was safer.

No tension gripped Mysterious. He was a master of combat—adequate against beasts, but lethal against humanoids. Their joint mobility, movement patterns—he read them in a glance.

Inside his strike range, he tapped the Novice Sword’s hilt against the fence. *Tap-tap-tap.*

Both goblins’ ears twitched. They turned toward the sound. As the nearer one began to pivot, Mysterious lunged.

His left arm snaked over the goblin’s shoulder, fist driving upward. The metal bracer on his wrist cracked against its jaw, snapping its head back. Simultaneously, white light flared along his sword’s edge. He slashed its throat—once, twice, a third time—ripping the wound wider. The goblin crumpled before it could flinch.

*EndlessHorizon*’s realism settings were maxed. Such a wound was fatal.

The second goblin hadn’t even processed its companion’s death.

Mysterious dropped the corpse and pounced like a vengeful specter. His left hand clamped over the goblin’s mouth, slamming it to the ground. His boot pinned its sword-arm wrist. The Novice Sword plunged backward into its chest.

Ten seconds. Two corpses. Silence reclaimed the night.

Mysterious flicked blood from his blade, looted the drops, and slipped inside the fortress.

The cleared perimeter meant no patrols near the gate. He’d infiltrated cleanly.

The guards’ names flashed in his mind: *Goblin Sentry*. Level 9 elites. The others inside were likely weaker—level 9 normals, maybe level 10s.

Only then did realization strike: *I can’t understand goblin speech. How do I investigate without understanding them?* Slaughter everyone? A "perfect infiltration" with no witnesses?

The system prompt chimed perfectly.

【Player Nameless One has triggered quest: *Report and Investigate*】

Mysterious opened the quest log. The description sat at the top—unusually formatted.

***Report and Investigate* (Simple / Very Difficult)**

**Description:** You accepted the village elder’s request to scout the river’s upper reaches. En route, you witnessed two goblins dumping something into the water. Suspicious, you trailed them to this fortress. The strange structures within confirm your suspicion: these goblins hide a conspiracy. Their actions may explain the frenzied beasts.

**Objective:** Report to the village elder *or* uncover the goblin conspiracy.

**Restriction:** Level 6+

**Reward:** Undisclosed

**Penalty:** None

The dual difficulties were clear. Reporting meant safety. Investigating meant plunging blind into a potential dungeon.

The encounter with the river-dumping goblins was scripted—a trigger for players on the *Investigate Anomalies* questline. Most would only unlock the *Report* option. Only those who followed the goblins unseen, like Mysterious, gained the *Investigate* branch.

His choice was inevitable. He’d clear the dungeon.