The creature cocked its head to the side and gave me this macabre grin. When it exhaled, the stench hit me even though we were quite far apart, a rancid wave that made my stomach sick. It locked eyes with me, and I swore there was an undertone of hatred mixed with amusement in its gaze.

In its right hand, it clutched a crude stone ax. It looked primitive, but there was no mistaking its deadly capability. It continued staring at me with a sinister glee, taking in my stance as if sizing me up. I could almost see it calculating the best way to rip me to pieces.

Then it spoke. The sound was unnervingly high-pitched. I almost covered my ears. “Fear not, young warrior, I mean you great harm.” The mockery dripped from its words, followed by a loud laugh that seemed to pulse through the clearing. The laugh was both grating and haunting.

But I forced myself to stay focused, not letting its twisted humor get to me. I squinted at it and activated my Status Sight. A translucent overlay appeared. Iridescent lines of data floated in the air, detailing the creature’s stats, level, and a brief description of its abilities.

***

Common Goblin (Ankoku, Akai)

Level: 2

Title: None

Description: Common Goblins are among the most prevalent and rudimentary of goblinkind; these creatures are characterized by their green skin, impish demeanor, and penchant for pillaging human settlements in search of sustenance and riches.

***

I gulped. A pressing question ran through my mind. Could I escape this? The goblin’s presence seemed to grow larger with each passing second. Its stone ax looked like it wanted to taste flesh. I glanced down at the smooth, insignificant-looking marble in my hand, a “stone nut,” as I had dubbed it. It felt like a pitiful defense against the creature closing in on me. Now was not the time to think, only to act.

Reacting purely on instinct, I hurled the rock with all my strength, my body moving almost on its own. The stone cut through the air with surprising speed and accuracy, so much that it even surprised me. It struck the goblin squarely in the forehead, halting his momentum as he staggered backward, disbelief covering his twisted features.

I seized the opportunity. Had I found a weakness? Was this ordinary-looking rock imbued with some hidden magic, a secret weapon against this foe? My eyes fell upon the stone now lying innocuously on the ground. No matter how pitiful it had first seemed, its worth suddenly felt magnified. The goblin’s gaze followed mine, his hand touching the spot where the rock had struck him.

But the moment was brief. With a guttural snarl, the goblin’s fury reignited, his eyes narrowing into slits of rage. The disorientation passed, replaced by an aggression. He roared and charged at me with even more ferocity than before, his ax raised high.

I shouted, “Sōten! Sōten! Sōten!” Each repetition came out in haste. Rocks emerged in my hand, and I flung them at the approaching goblin, aiming for his head.

My impromptu assault slowed the goblin’s advance. Seizing the moment, I steadied myself, drawing in a deep breath before summoning every ounce of strength. “Sōten!” I yelled as loud as I could, hurling the rock like a seasoned baseball player. The projectile struck the goblin’s forehead with a satisfying thud. The impact sent the goblin backward, his ax clattering to the ground.

Without a second to lose, I dashed forward, seizing the opportunity before the goblin could regain his footing. I picked up the ax, meeting his furious gaze as he retrieved an obsidian dagger from his scabbard. We squared off, our eyes locked in a deadly standoff.

With a high-pitched shriek, the goblin lunged at me. Reacting swiftly, I stepped forward, bringing the ax down onto his skull. TING!

A fleeting lull settled over the clearing. I gazed at the goblin, who seemed unfazed by the blow. We exchanged puzzled looks, both glancing at the ax in my grasp. Before the goblin could react, I launched another attack, delivering a kick between his legs before swinging the ax at his head once more.

Once again, the unmistakable ting rang out as the ax connected with goblin’s skull. The goblin certainly felt the pain from my kick, his features twisting in response, but he remained unaffected by the blow to his head. Straightening slowly, he dismissed the groin pain with a grunt, rubbing the sore spot with one hand while his eyes locked onto mine. Our gazes then fell simultaneously on the ax in my hand, its jagged edge still looking menacing.

Rubbing my chin, I pondered aloud. “Hmm… A dud?” The thought tumbled out, more to myself than to the goblin, but the absurdity of the situation made me hesitate. Unconsciously, I extended the ax toward the goblin, nodding at his head as if to suggest he try it out himself. It was a ridiculous notion, yet there was a strange logic to it in this warped world. The goblin, with a quizzical look on his face, surprisingly understood my suggestion.

Gripping the ax with one hand, he raised it high, a smirk spreading across his face as if preparing for a grand feat. Time seemed to stretch as his grin widened. Then, with a swift motion, he brought the ax down on his own head. The crunch of bone meeting stone was sickening, and his eyes rolled back almost instantly. Green blood poured from the self-inflicted wound, staining his hair and trickling down his face. The goblin wobbled for a second, his grin still frozen in place, before crashing to the ground with a thud, lifeless.

My jaw dropped as I stared at the scene. I had expected something, but certainly not this, a goblin splitting his own head open with such inexplicable decisiveness. Without a moment’s pause, I activated Status Sight, desperate to make sense of what had just happened.

***

Stone Ax:

This item is not categorized as a weapon due to your Marksman Class; all attempts to use it for offensive attack will be nullified.

Would you like to change its classification to a tool item?

***

“Seriously?” I shook my head and then allowed the change. The ax appeared in my Tool/Items inventory. I reached down to pick up the dagger, and it had the same status as the ax. Sighing, I added it to the inventory as well, the dagger slipping into place beside the ax.

A new screen popped up in front of me.

***

You have achieved your first kill: Common Goblin

Level Up +1

Gold: 10

Points: 3

Item Drop: Ring +1

***

“Yesss!” My eyes gleamed as I eagerly checked the Monetary Items tab.

***

Total Gold: 510

Other Luxury Items: None

***

“I see,” I nodded. “Five hundred gold pieces to start.” Glancing at the sky, I offered my apologies. “Sorry for cursing you earlier.”

Next, I examined the item in the Accessories tab.

***

Only five accessories can be equipped at one time.

Ring of Mischief (Rare): Dexterity +1

***

“Darn it! The same restriction. Well, at least it’s the same amount as the Special Skills I can use.” I selected the ring. Instantly, a transparent ring appeared on one of my fingers, but it was barely visible against my skin. I assumed this feature was meant to hide the accessories I wore from other players. I wondered if it worked on defensive items in addition.

Well, I would find out soon enough when I got drops or bought items from the online store. Ah, right, I still hadn’t checked my player status.

***

Akira Sakamoto (Aoi Player)

Level: 2

Class: Marksman

Subclass: Gunner

Title: Lover of Peach

Health Points (HP): 40 — 100%

Mana Points (MP): 300 — 100%

Strength (STR): 1

Dexterity (DEX): 2+1

Wisdom (WIS): 2

Charisma (CHA): 1

Intelligence (INT): 30

Luck (LUK): 1

Free Stats Points: 2

Overall Prestige (P): +120% (Max 1000%)

***

The first thing that caught my eye was the title conferred upon me. My brows creased as I tilted my head upward to the sky above, my voice rising with irritation. “Why the heck did you give me this title?” Before I could dwell further on the matter, a distant howl sent the surrounding area into a tense silence.

Instinctively, I glanced at the area around me. A gulp. My breath quickened with each passing second. There was no point in staying here to find out the source of the chilling sound. It might be something far worse and more dangerous than the goblin. I quickly gathered the marble-like rocks strewn across the ground, stowing them inside the Ammo inventory.

My gaze lingered briefly on the lifeless form of the goblin in a silent acknowledgment. With a bow, I offered a prayer of gratitude to the fallen creature. “Thanks for the gold and ring, Green Goblin.” My words hung in the air like a farewell.

With fear of the unknown pushing me onward, I turned away from the scene. My feet took off toward the safety of the nearest treeline. There was no time to waste. I needed to put distance between myself and whatever danger awaited to pounce on me.