As the days blurred into one another, I fell into the suffocating embrace of monotony, trapped within the familiar confines of my cave and its surrounding five-mile radius area. Each morning greeted me with the same mundane tasks, while each night bid farewell with a sense of incremental progress, albeit frustratingly sluggish.
“Arghhh!” I released a frustrated yell as I sat on the banks of the stream near my cave. Despite my dedication to honing my strength and agility through rigorous exercise and hunting for sustenance, the results felt disappointingly marginal. I had gained a single point in both strength and dexterity, accompanied by two additional stat points—hardly the exponential growth I had hoped for.
I threw a stone into the stream, watching as the impact rippled across the water’s surface. The path to advancement in this tutorial phase was no longer paved with ease. Gone were the days of contentedly facing off against the familiar Kiiroi creatures, their defeat once guaranteeing modest progression. It was time to challenge myself against a more formidable adversary: the Akai monsters. I needed to venture beyond the safety of my habitual hunting grounds, into unexplored territories, and seek those goblins if I wanted to gain more experience and better rewards.
Still, amidst the daunting prospect of facing new dangers, a glimmer of excitement flickered within me, fueled by the acquisition of a new projectile: kōkyū (steel balls) added to my arsenal of ammo. Though slightly smaller than the marble-lined rocks, they packed a powerful punch. With these formidable projectiles, I harbored newfound confidence in my ability to split a goblin’s head with a single, precise shot.
After a quick lunch, I embarked on my quest. Equipped with maps accessible through the status window, navigation through the varied terrain appeared deceptively simple. However, reality was far less straightforward. Currently, my inventory housed only a rudimentary map of the first floor, leaving the corresponding challenges obscured from view. Acquiring more comprehensive maps required the conquest of each floor’s boss—a task not to be undertaken lightly.
My proficiency in map-reading was basic at best, sitting at level one. I believed this skill would increase as I opened new maps or improved my exploration proficiency. Despite the technological semblance of a GPS-like guidance system, my reliance on it remained tempered by its inherent limitations.
Complicating matters further, I realized that the maps only offered a snapshot of explored terrain and my current location in real-time, leaving vast expanses of uncharted territory marked by ominous grayed-out regions. The only solace came from the ability to overlay a miniature map directly onto my field of vision like a HUD (heads-up display), providing a glimpse of what lay ahead within roughly a mile-wide diameter as I continued into unfamiliar areas of the floor.
Equipped with my hunting gear, I embarked on my mission to track down those elusive goblins. Within two hours, I discovered myself ten miles away from the security of my cave, deep in the dense undergrowth of the forest.
There, amidst the verdant foliage, I stumbled upon a telltale sign: footprints. Without hesitation, I activated my default trekking skill, a handy bonus given to me by the system in recognition of my proficiency in hunting down Kiiroi creatures over the past few days. Despite my recent level up, ‘Special Skills Tomes’ had become available to me in the online store, but these skills were prohibitively expensive.
As I followed the trail with bated breath, it wasn’t long before I encountered the main event: a small group of goblins. Two common goblins were engaged in a shared meal, while a hulking figure tore into a raw rabbit with primal gusto a few yards away.
Intrigued, I accessed my Status Sight on the imposing figure.
***
Hobgoblin (Ankoku, Akai)
Level: 10
Title: Not So Bright Leader
Description: Larger and stronger than common goblins, hobgoblins often serve as leaders or commanders within goblin tribes, and some even possess greater intelligence.
***
As I surveyed the scene before me, my gaze flitted between the hobgoblin and his diminutive companions. Initially, the common goblins seemed like easy prey, yet the sight of the hobgoblin wielding a formidable double-bladed battle ax gave me pause.
However, the title “Not So Bright Leader” given to him sparked a mischievous idea within me.
Armed with a handful of small pebbles and my trusty slingshot, I crouched behind a dense bush, concocting my strategy.
Taking careful aim, I launched my first shot toward the back of the hobgoblin’s head.
The pebble struck the hobgoblin, causing him to falter in confusion. True to his title, he quickly dismissed the incident and resumed his meal, oblivious to the source of the disturbance.
Undeterred, I fired another pebble, prompting a more pronounced reaction from the hobgoblin. Suspicion crept into his demeanor as he scoped his surroundings.
After a brief while, I unleashed a third shot, imbuing it with extra force. Finally, the hobgoblin snapped, turning on his companions with a furious roar, accusing them of unseen mischief.
From my concealed vantage point, I watched with satisfaction as chaos erupted among the goblins. Zog, as I later learned the hobgoblin’s name to be, unleashed his wrath upon his bewildered comrades, pummeling them with reckless abandon.
In mere moments, the two common goblins lay defeated on the forest floor, while Zog stormed off into the distance, still seething with anger.
Grinning widely, I emerged from my hiding spot and approached the groaning goblins with stealthy movements. With precise aim, I dispatched them with well-placed shots from my slingshot, using the kōkyū projectile this time around; the forest echoed with the impact of steel against flesh.
“What’s going on here?” Zog’s sudden return to the scene shattered the silence, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of his fallen comrades. Before he could fully comprehend the situation, my taunting chuckle filled the air.
“Sayonara, Not So Bright Leader!” I called out, unleashing a kōkyū aimed straight for his skull.
But to my shock, the hobgoblin remained standing, albeit with a sizable lump forming on his forehead.
“Stone?” Zog’s voice seethed with rage. “You think a pebble could hurt me?”
“It’s a steel ball, you idiot!” I retorted, already turning to flee as Zog’s furious pursuit spurred me on, dodging through the dense foliage with the enraged hobgoblin hot on my heels.
As I ran, a sudden whizzing sound pierced the air, followed by an ax flying inches from my head before embedding itself in a tree up ahead.
I skidded to a halt, incredulous at the sight before me.
“Why the heck did you throw away your only weapon?” I exclaimed, facing Zog, who also stopped after seeing me freeze in my tracks.
“Huh.” Zog appeared baffled, scratching his head, and then pointing his finger at his ax. “Can you pass it back to me?”
“Sure,” I responded nonchalantly, before raising my slingshot instead. “Sōten kōkyū!”
Zog cried out in pain, clutching his injured head, while I continued my relentless assault. But as Zog pleaded for me to stop, my frustration mounted. How was I supposed to take down this stubborn brute?
My gaze locked onto the discarded ax, a desperate scheme unfolding in my mind. With grit, I wrested it from the tree and launched it toward Zog, holding my breath as it cut through the air. The resounding impact echoed as the ax met Zog’s face. TING!
Cursing quietly, I realized I had overlooked the restriction imposed by my class.
Zog, visibly puzzled by the sudden turn of events, scratched his head before bursting into mocking laughter. “HA! HA! HA! Zog strong! Human weak! HA! HA! HA!!” He jeered, finding amusement in my futile attempt.
In a split-second decision, I seized the opportunity, firing another kōkyū straight into Zog’s gaping mouth. The hobgoblin’s laughter turned to choked gasps as he collapsed to the ground, his fate uncertain.
Did the idiot finally die? My eyes blinked rapidly.
Suddenly, before I could check on Zog’s condition, the blue screen flickered into existence; my heart raced with anticipation.
***
You have achieved a great feat in defeating an opponent much higher level than yours: Hobgoblin x 1, Common Goblin x 2.
Level Up: + 2
Gold: 70
Points: 6
Item Drop: Ring x 1
***
With a victorious cheer, I raised my hands high in delight. I had leveled up by two and scored some sweet loot; I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement coursing through me. This was a victory worth celebrating.
But as I inspected the new ring in my palm, my elation quickly turned to disbelief.
Ring of Stupidity (Trash): Intelligence -5
The heck is this?
Without a second thought, I threw the ring toward Zog. “No wonder they call you ‘Not So Bright Leader!’” I exclaimed, frustration bubbling to the surface.
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I gathered the weapons from the defeated goblins and scooped up as many kōkyū as I could find. Now, it was time to head back to my cave, to rest and regroup after the day’s events.
But as I reached my base camp an hour later, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. The branches I had used to secure the cave entrance were scattered aside, a clear sign that something was amiss.
My heart pounded in my chest as I cautiously approached the cave mouth, my eyes widening in horror as a towering figure, its body thrice the size of the hobgoblin, emerged from within. Standing at least ten feet tall with a massive wooden club in hand, it was a sight to behold.
I swallowed hard, my mind racing as I realized the gravity of the situation. “I’m screwed,” I mumbled to myself, bracing for whatever came next.
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