Heavenly Unbound [A LitRPG System Survival]

As we approached the last group of goblins on this floor, we stumbled upon a cave entrance. The jagged rocks framing the opening and the faint stench of decay wafting out made it obvious—this was where the remaining goblins were hiding.

Sam stopped the group a few meters away and surveyed the entrance cautiously. "This has to be their base," he said, his tone low and steady. "Going in all at once seems too risky. Let's play it safe. Eddie, John, and I will scout inside first and gather information."

Everyone nodded in agreement, their expressions tense but trusting.

Sam turned to John. "You good with this?"

John exhaled slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I'm fine, but... don't let me die, okay?"

Sam smirked faintly, placing a reassuring hand on John's shoulder. "Don't worry. This mission is just for information. Your safety is my priority. I'll stay close."

John nodded, his confidence bolstered by Sam's calm demeanor.

John was one of Sam's neighbors, the son of the Vick family. They used to own a chain of hotels—old, luxurious, and immensely profitable. At least, they were during John's father's generation. Over time, the family business crumbled, losing to more aggressive rivals. Now, all they had left were a share and some loyalty in other minor businesses they were part of.

John's father was too old to rebuild the empire, leaving the burden of reclaiming their family's legacy squarely on John's shoulders. That was all Sam really knew about him before the trial began.

John had been one of the first to volunteer for the dungeon. When he reached Level 10, he was offered an uncommon class: Analyzer. He'd chosen it despite its lack of combat capabilities, simply because it was his only uncommon option.

It turned out to be an excellent choice. The Analyzer class focused on identifying and analyzing everything around the user. John's skill, Inspect Eyes, allowed him to gather basic information about creatures, objects, and even traps. The utility of his skill was undeniable—he could detect danger before it struck, assess an enemy's level, or even unveil hidden mechanisms.

What's more, his class rewarded him with experience points just for discovering and identifying new things. This passive advantage allowed John to level up rapidly, keeping pace with Michael and Ann despite not engaging directly in combat.

Sam glanced at John. "Stay close to me," he said, his tone firm but calm.

"Got it," John replied, gripping his weapon tightly despite his nerves.

Without another word, Sam led the way into the cave.

The air inside was damp and cold, the faint sound of dripping water echoing in the darkness. The light from their torches flickered against the rough stone walls, casting long, shifting shadows. Sam's senses were on high alert, every step deliberate and measured.

Behind him, John activated his Inspect Eyes. His pupils glimmered faintly as he scanned the cave. "No traps so far," John whispered. "But there's movement ahead. Multiple sources."

Sam nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. "Let's keep going, but stay sharp. If you sense anything, let me know immediately."

Together, they moved deeper into the cave, their footsteps echoing softly as they ventured closer to the unknown dangers lurking within.

Sam turned to Eddie. "Anything else?"

Eddie shook his head. "No, they've only got ten left. I think all of them are gathered together."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "So, no ambushes to worry about, but traps and the monsters' levels could still be a problem?"

"Most likely," Eddie replied, his voice steady. "We'd better see what's inside first."

As we moved deeper into the cave, the narrow passages gave way to wider corridors. Soon, we came across a crossroads, the paths diverging into multiple directions. With Eddie's tracking and John's Inspect Eyes, we quickly identified the correct route, avoiding both traps and dead ends.

Eventually, we arrived at the largest chamber yet. The faint echoes of guttural goblin voices reached us, their tone harsh and commanding.

Sam raised his hand, signaling John. John immediately understood and began inspecting the area around the entrance, his glowing eyes scanning for hidden dangers. Carefully, he inched forward and peeked into the cavern.

Moments later, John's face darkened. He turned back, his expression tense, and gave Sam and Eddie the signal to retreat.

No words were exchanged as we quietly retraced our steps, making sure not to alert whatever awaited us inside. When we finally reached the safety of the cave's entrance, Sam broke the silence.

"What did you find?" he asked, his voice calm but serious.

John exhaled sharply, the worry evident on his face. "It's bad. The room is a trap. There's a locking mechanism—if we go inside, we won't be able to get out until everything is dead."

Sam frowned but stayed silent as John continued.

"There's also an empowered rune," John added. "I'm not sure what it does, but it's carved into the goblin leader's chest. He's a Level 25 elite monster."

"Level 25?" Eddie muttered, his tone uneasy.

John nodded grimly. "Elite monsters are at least twice as strong as their normal variants. And it's not just him—the other nine goblins in the room are all Level 20."

The weight of John's words hung in the air.

"It looks dangerous—honestly, too dangerous," John admitted, his voice low.

Sam's gaze shifted back toward the cave entrance, his mind racing. A Level 25 elite monster and nine Level 20 goblins were far beyond what their group had faced so far. It was a gamble that could either catapult their growth or end in disaster.

Sam thought for a moment before speaking, his tone calm but serious. "Is there any way to get them out of the room?"

John shook his head. "No. The room's mechanism doesn't just trap us—it traps the goblins too. Once we go in, there's no leaving until the fight is over. We'll have to face them head-on."

Sam's expression darkened. "That's bad. Even if I intercept the goblin leader, the other nine are still too dangerous for you guys. We only have eight combatants, and if someone ends up with two Level 20 goblins on them..." He trailed off, his meaning clear.

"It's game over," Michael finished, his voice grim. The group nodded in agreement, understanding the severity of the situation.

After a moment of heavy silence, Michael spoke up again. "I think we have to take the risk. The only way this works is if everyone survives long enough for Sam to take down the elite. We focus on intercepting the other nine—it's easier than trying to kill them outright."

The group exchanged uneasy glances but ultimately nodded. Michael's plan made sense.

Sam exhaled, his gaze steady as he looked at them. "Honestly, I was considering going in alone. But seeing you all willing to take this risk... it shows me you understand what's at stake. You see it too, don't you? If we don't get stronger now, we won't last long out there."

No one wanted to say it out loud, but they couldn't deny the truth. Staying weak wasn't an option—not here, not in this world. If they didn't take risks now, it would only be a matter of time before something bigger, stronger, and deadlier ended their lives.

Sam's voice softened slightly. "But let's not rush in blindly. We need a plan. A solid one."

The group gathered closer, and Sam continued, "Let's talk protocols for unexpected situations. What happens if someone gets injured? Who helps, and how? If someone has to take a hit, what's the safest way to do it and still stay alive?"

Michael nodded. "We can't panic. The focus has to be on survival. Even if someone gets seriously injured, as long as they're alive, there's hope."

"Exactly," Sam agreed. "Even if someone loses a limb, we don't give up. There might be a way to recover later—skills, items, maybe even the system itself. But we can't afford to lose anyone."

The discussion continued, the group working together to iron out every detail of their approach. Their nerves were evident, but so was their determination. This fight would be their biggest challenge yet, and they weren't going to face it without a plan.

When everything was ready, Sam led the group into the cave room. As they moved closer, the guttural voices of the goblins echoed off the walls. The group slowed down, taking a moment for one last check.

Among them were two non-combatants: John and a woman named Marie, an alchemist. Her skill, Plant Identification, seemed useless in this situation, but survival wasn't about fighting for them. Their goal was simple: evade the goblins and stay alive. Goblins, even at higher levels, were notoriously dumb. If they moved smartly, they could minimize the threat.

Sam took a deep breath, gripping his sword tightly as he stepped forward to lead the way into the room.

"GRAAAAAA!"

The goblin leader let out a deafening roar, his massive frame towering over the others. His green, sinewy body bristled with rage as he lifted a crude but menacing axe. Without hesitation, he hurled it straight at Sam.

Sam's eyes widened in surprise. What the—? He hadn't expected the goblin leader to act so decisively. Looks like elites really are different, he thought.

There was no time to dodge. Sam raised his shield just in time to intercept the flying axe.

CLANG!

The force of the impact reverberated through his arm, and the axe deflected, embedding itself into the ground with a dull thunk.

The goblin leader's eyes widened momentarily, as if surprised that his attack had been stopped. Then his face twisted with fury, and he roared again. The axe shimmered and dissolved into mist before instantly reappearing in the goblin's hand.

"A skill? Item effect?" Sam wondered briefly. But there was no time to analyze it. His job was clear: take down the leader as fast as possible and then help the others deal with the remaining nine.

Sam dashed forward, his speed a blur. The goblin leader hesitated, clearly panicking at the sudden charge. Sam swung his sword in a powerful arc.

CLANG!

The goblin leader raised his axe just in time to block the strike. With a guttural growl, it lashed out with a punch, but Sam sidestepped effortlessly and countered with a punch of his own. His fist connected with the goblin's face, sending it sprawling to the ground.

Sam frowned as the goblin leader scrambled back to its feet. His stats were higher, but not too much to end the fight quickly. This is going to take too long. I'll have to take some Pain, he thought grimly.

The goblin leader roared again, pointing at its minions and gesturing toward Sam behind. The smaller goblins hesitated before beginning to spread out, to attack Sam's teammate.

It's smarter than I thought. Great, Sam thought, his annoyance growing.

But he didn't care anymore. Throwing his shield to Michael Hope his brother used it well, Sam dashed forward with reckless speed. The goblin leader's eyes gleamed with a predatory light as it saw an opening and swung its axe with all its might, aiming to cleave Sam in half.

Sam didn't dodge.

The axe slammed into his arm and shoulder with brutal force, biting deep into his bone. Pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth and grabbed the goblin leader's wrist with his injured hand. The goblin growled, trying to pull away, but Sam's grip was ironclad, squeezing so hard that blood began to seep from the goblin's arm.

"You're not going anywhere," Sam growled.

Ignoring the pain, Sam drove his sword into the goblin leader's chest, again and again, Stub Cut bashed with his sword to deal more damage to the goblin leader. The creature howled in agony, its roars filling the cave, but its vitality was astounding—it wasn't going down easily. Sam thought it was too slow!

With a frustrated snarl, Sam tossed his sword aside and drove his bare hand into the goblin's wound.

"Let's end this," he muttered.

Activating his unique skill at full power, he channeled everything into the goblin leader.

The creature's screams turned to shrieks of terror as its body began to swell grotesquely, overgrowing in an instant. Its flesh twisted and expanded uncontrollably until, with a sickening BOOM, it burst into a ball of green gore.

Sam stood there, drenched in blood and viscera, his breathing heavy.

"Disgusting," he thought, shaking his head as the stench hit him. But the leader was dead, and that was all that mattered

Ding!

You have slain an enemy [Goblin Leader: level 25]

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have reached level 19]