I don’t want to lose everything, but I have no choice but to abandon this place.

Mamadou looked around his cave and at everything he had accomplished so far.

There was the bed he had made by weaving together vines. It was simple, but he had put a great deal of effort into it.

He paced back and forth inside the cave while checking everything one last time.

There was a table, and on it were several stone tools, including the ones he used to shape his weapons.

On the other side of the cave was everything he had managed to craft so far: spearheads, knife blades, and even two axes.

Beside that pile of tools, he had accumulated several stone tablets. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

On them, he had engraved his memories, the information he had gathered, as well as his thoughts and objectives.

He did not particularly want to lose those tablets because he had spent so much time carving and engraving each one.

But he could not see any way to transport them.

He did not want to leave.

However, he also did not want to get caught in a series of unfortunate events.

After all, he had already concluded that he could not fight several goblins of that level.

Therefore, it was better to surrender the area to them.

At that moment, Mamadou had no idea that this was not simply a matter of territory.

The goblins were after him.

Their scouting teams were rotating through the area in an effort to locate Mamadou’s lair.

They were not specifically hunting.

Their goal was to determine what kind of creature was causing them trouble, learn its habits, and ultimately decide the best time to attack.

In a sense, their approach was somewhat different from that of ordinary goblins.

Mamadou dug a hole in the cave.

Inside it, he began burying the spare weapon blades he owned until he was left with only two knives and one axe.

After finishing the digging and burying, he sat down on his bed.

He appreciated the feeling of staring at the ceiling while thinking.

It calmed him.

The idea of going out to fight never even crossed his mind.

Leveling up was great, but if he died, none of it would matter.

So he chose the easy option.

"The goblins I saw didn’t seem like they were hunting. It was more like they were searching for something. Eventually, if they keep searching, we’ll run into each other, or they’ll discover this place. The risk of staying here is simply too high."

"If it were only one goblin with a low enough level, I could have ambushed him. But this..."

"I’m honestly shocked. I was starting to grow attached to this place. What a shame."

"What should I do next?"

"Exploring the forest is one option. If I keep leaving markers, I might eventually be able to return here someday. Or better yet, find another location before heading back to the mountain."

"From a realistic perspective, the safest option would be to return to the mountain. But what guarantees that I’d be safe there? Just because it was filled with monkeys doesn’t mean there was no danger. The best option is still to level up. It’s dangerous, but exploring this place is the wisest choice."

Staying here won’t do me any good anyway.

Besides, how am I supposed to get home if I never move forward?

I can’t afford to rest on my laurels.

I don’t want this life to become normal for me.

I don’t want to wake up one day and realize I’ve forgotten my main objective.

"Yes."

"I am Mamadou."

"I was assassinated."

"I have to go back and get justice."

"I left behind so many things. So many unfinished projects."

"I will return no matter what."

Then I’ll explore.

And if the best defense is offense, then hunting will be my safety net.

I need to vary the kinds of monsters I encounter, as well as their levels.

If I spend all my time running into strange and powerful opponents, I’ll do nothing but flee.

That isn’t what I want.

In his previous life, Mamadou had not exactly had an easy childhood.

As he grew older, he worked all sorts of difficult jobs.

That was why he took a certain pride in the things he built and accomplished by himself.

The first time he bought a piece of land, he had been incredibly happy.

He built his own house on it and truly felt at home.

He was the type of person who loved having a place he could call his own.

And this cave gave him that same feeling.

It was nowhere near as comfortable as a real house, but it meant a great deal to him.

Yet because of the goblins, it felt as though something precious was being ripped away from him.

That was one more thing to add to the list of reasons why Mamadou hated goblins.

He swore that once he became strong enough, he would come back and make their lives miserable.

Just as he was preparing to leave, a tremendous crashing sound echoed through the cave.

KRAAAM!

Mamadou jumped.

"What the—"

His heart clenched so tightly that he struggled to breathe.

He had nearly suffered a heart attack.

If he had to describe the sound, it was the noise of something breaking apart while launching something else forward.

The reason it had sounded so loud was because it had exploded right next to him.

Mechanically, Mamadou turned his head toward the source of the noise.

His hideout was open.

The entrance was exposed to the outside air.

The door was gone.

???

Mamadou could not believe his eyes.

Just moments ago, the entrance had been sealed.

The door had definitely been there.

Looking toward the opposite side of the cave, he finally saw where it had gone.

It had been blasted against the cave wall.

The makeshift door, which consisted of several interwoven branches, had been completely shattered.

But that was not the most shocking part.

"It’s..."

Mamadou approached the wreckage and saw an axe.

So that was what had broken the door.

He recognized it immediately.

It was his axe.

In a panic, he rushed out of the cave and checked left and right.

There was nothing.

No one.

Then who had thrown the axe?

His heart was still pounding wildly from that horrible surprise.

He tried to calm himself.

Mamadou recalled the situation he was currently in.

"Right... there are goblins roaming nearby..."

"Goblins?"

Mamadou immediately realized something.

He rushed back into the cave and picked up the axe.

At once, he remembered the circumstances under which he had lost it.

He immediately laughed.

"So that’s it!"

To Mamadou, this was a warning.

And he took it very seriously.

This place was compromised.

He could not afford to stay here for even one more second.