Written by Harem Lover

This is the story of Adrian, a man who, despite not loving his job or the life he was living, still pushed himself to face another demanding workday. His early years hadn’t been easy, and adulthood wasn’t much kinder.

As Adrian was preparing for the day ahead, a strange sensation suddenly struck his head. Overwhelmed, he collapsed—only to awaken in complete darkness. Disoriented and unsure of what had happened, he soon realized he was inside a cave. Fortunately, after some time and effort, he managed to find the exit and escape.

The only thing was—Adrian wasn’t alone in the cave. Lurking in the shadows was a creature he never imagined could be real: a Hornstrike Jaguar. It was something that couldn’t be explained to another to believe, yet here it stood, terrifyingly real.

The creature seemed to be hunting him, drawn to him with a primal intent. That’s when the fear truly began. Adrian was forced to flee as the jaguar charged, its speed and power overwhelming. Though he did his best to escape, the beast eventually caught up, leaving him injured and cornered. At that moment, it felt like this could be the end.

Luckily for Adrian, another creature suddenly emerged from the shadows — a Hellish Deer, fierce and otherworldly in its appearance. Its unexpected arrival distracted the Hornstrike Jaguar, which now faced a new threat it wasn’t willing to ignore. Believing the deer had come to steal its hard-earned prey, the jaguar turned its attention toward the intruder.

A clash between monsters erupted, giving Adrian a precious chance to stay alive.

As the battle raged in front of him outside of the woods they were in, he then came to encounter three small, green-skinned figures. They were goblins — surprisingly calm and curious — and introduced themselves as Khinsa, Dlisee, and Sussa.

Adrian watched in stunned silence as one of the goblins, the fierce and fearless Sussa, stepped forward to confront the Hornstrike Jaguar. The beast had just defeated the Hellish Deer and now turned its attention back to Adrian — but Sussa stood in its way.

Without hesitation, she launched into battle, wielding a heavy shield and mace with surprising strength. The clash was intense, but Sussa fought with precision and determination, gradually gaining the upper hand. With one final, powerful strike, she brought her mace down and crushed the monster, ending the fight.

The sight of the fierce battle had been too much for Adrian. Overwhelmed and frightened, he turned to run — only to trip and strike his head against the stone rock on the ground. Everything went black.

He was later found by Khinsa, who took it upon herself to carry him back, despite the difficulty. When Adrian awoke, he was lying in a small camp the goblins had set up. As he gathered his bearings, the group sat together and began discussing their two worlds — Adrian’s Earth, and the goblins’ homeland of Dearilia.

Eventually, the conversation shifted to a decision. Should they escort Adrian back to the goblin city, or continue on their current quest to hunt down dangerous monsters? A vote was held, and Khinsa, ever the cautious one, argued to take him home. But her companions, Dlisee and Sussa, both voted to press on. With the vote tied, Adrian was left to cast the deciding choice — and he chose to continue the journey with them.

With that, the party reached an agreement.

Adrian never expected to find himself traveling with goblins — let alone sharing a tent with one. He had never really known what it felt like to experience closeness, warmth, or gentle company. And now, for the first time in his life, he began to understand what that could feel like.

Under the stars and surrounded by the quiet stillness of the wild, Adrian and Khinsa shared a tender moment — one that gently crossed into something deeper. For Adrian, it was his first experience of true closeness, and it left an imprint on both of them.

As the journey continued, that newfound bond slowly extended to the rest of the group. During a stop at a peaceful river, with sunlight dancing on the water and the weight of their travels momentarily lifted, Adrian, Sussa, and Dlisee shared moments of warmth and playfulness that brought them even closer. There was laughter, light touches, and an easy intimacy that made it feel as if the group had always belonged together.

After resting and drying under the sun, the party resumed their path toward their destination — a small, quiet goblin village nestled in the forest.

But just as they arrived, the strange sensation that had struck Adrian once before returned — sudden, disorienting, and overwhelming. His vision swam, his balance faltered, and before anyone could react, he collapsed once more into unconsciousness.

And so, the story picks up again…