Chapter 22: Levelling up under Accidental blunders?
KRAAAGHH!!!
Goblins approached me from all directions, their grotesque forms moving with eerie agility through the dimly lit chamber.
Their hideous noises filled the air, a cacophony of guttural growls and high-pitched screeches that sent shivers down my spine. But I wasn’t about to let fear paralyze me.
With a swift motion, I drew my blade and faced them head-on.
Three goblins lunged at me simultaneously, their rusted weapons gleaming in the faint light. With a series of precise strikes, I cut them down before they could even reach me.
The clang of metal meeting metal echoed through the room as their bodies hit the cold stone floor.
Though the space around the boss area was wide, I sought refuge among the nearby pillars, using them to my advantage.
It offered me some form of assurance against sneak attacks, forcing the goblins to confront me upfront.
But I knew I couldn’t afford to stay in one place for long.
Suddenly, a barrage of arrows rained down on me, forcing me to abandon any sense of complacency. With reflexes honed by countless battles, I dodged and weaved between the pillars, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectiles.
The sound of arrows against the hard stone pillars served as a grim reminder of the constant threat surrounding me.
As I moved, my blade became an extension of myself, striking out at any goblin foolish enough to draw near.
[Skill: Basic swordsmanship] [Proficiency (+15%)]
Eventually I felt my sword getting more lighter with each strike, my precision sharpening like a sharpshooter’s eye.
One by one, they fell before me, their bodies no match for the sharp edge of my sword.
Twenty, thirty-five, eighty-seven… yet still, the horde seemed endless. But I refused to falter. With each swing of my sword, I carved a path through their ranks, determination burning bright within me.
Despite their numbers, I took solace in the fact that these goblins were not armored like some of their more formidable counterparts.
Their flesh yielded easily to my blade, offering little resistance as I pressed forward.
Sweat beaded on my brow, and my muscles screamed with exertion, but I pushed onward, fueled by the adrenaline coursing through my veins.
The sewers outside had narrow passages that restricted my swordplay, forcing me to wield my blade in careful, calculated motions.
But here, in the spacious chamber, I had room to move and wield my weapon properly.
With a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins, I charged forward, my sword held firmly in my grip.
A spear-wielding goblin stood before me, its eyes widening in terror as it caught sight of me.
I paid no heed to the goblins flanking me from both sides, my focus solely on the one directly in front.
With a swift movement, I dodged past its clumsy thrust, my sword poised to strike.
My muscles tensed as I increased my speed, the rush of battle fueling my every move.
Each step sent a jolt of electricity through my veins, my heart pounding in my chest as I embraced the exhilaration of combat.
Despite it being my first battle, my first taste of true combat, and my first time taking a life, there was no hesitation in my actions.
As I closed in on the goblin, I could see the fear in its eyes, its shrill shrieks filling the air.
But I remained unfazed, my focus unwavering as I pressed the blade against its neck.
Blood gushed from the wound, but I paid it no mind, my attention already shifting to the goblin approaching from my right.
Clang…!!!
With a swift parry, I deflected its axe blow, the sound of metal meeting metal ringing out in the chamber.
Goblins may be small in stature, no larger than a toddler, but the force behind their attacks was nothing to be underestimated.
Each strike carried the weight of their entire body, fueled by a ferocity that belied their size.
‘Tsk…’
Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I used its momentum to my advantage, swiftly turning around and redirecting it towards the oncoming goblin to my left. Their eyes widened in confusion as they faced each other, a brief moment of hesitation clouding their minds. But before they could react, the sound of wind slicing through the air filled their ears, and a bluish-grey streak flashed before their eyes.
Their brains splattered on the ground, and there blood spraying down on me… although It was disgusting I ignored the foul smell.
[Level up!]
[18→21]
[Available stat points: 13+9]
[Strength: D] [10/50]
‘Just 18 more’
With 22 stat points now at my disposal, I knew I was getting closer to leveling up my strength from D to C.
It was a crucial advancement that would greatly enhance my combat prowess, allowing me to dispatch these vile creatures with greater ease.
But there was no time to revel in my victory. As I expected, the strike did little to deter the goblin horde. Instead, they pressed forward with renewed aggression, their numbers seeming endless. With a roar of defiance, I prepared to face them head-on, but before I could engage, a hail of arrows rained down upon me from behind.
The incessant rain of arrows from the archer goblins had become increasingly bothersome. Dealing with the relentless mobs of goblins was challenging enough, but the archers posed a unique threat that demanded immediate attention.
I knew it was time to prioritize eliminating them now.
Without hesitation, I seized a nearby stone and sprinted forward, my grip tight on my sword held in reverse.
The adrenaline surged through my veins as I closed the distance between myself and the nearest archer, who perched atop a large boulder, taking aim with its poisoned-laced bow.
The archer’s expression twisted into one of shock as I charged towards it, deftly dodging the attacks of the goblins that lunged at me along the way.
With each step, I felt the weight of my determination driving me forward.
Sensing the imminent threat, the archer hastily drew its bow once more, poison-tipped arrow poised to strike. But before it could release its deadly projectile, I hurled the stone in my hand with precision. It struck the archer’s hand, causing it to fumble its shot in a panic.
Seizing the opportunity, I surged forward, my body moving with a newfound agility and strength. As my feet left the ground, a sensation of lightness washed over me, accompanied by an exhilarating surge of power and speed.
It was a sensation unlike anything I had ever experienced before, a rush of adrenaline that propelled me forward with unparalleled ferocity.
Despite my current D-level stats, I refused to let my perceived weakness define me. In that moment, stats were nothing more than numbers on a screen.
As the goblin stumbled off balance from the impact of the rock I had hurled, its red eyes widened in terror as my blade swiftly found its mark once more, severing its head from its body in a single, fluid motion.
‘One down’
I thought grimly, but there was no time to dwell on my victory.
Utilizing the pillar as a makeshift ledge, I launched myself off its sturdy surface, my gaze fixed on the next archer waiting below, surrounded by four goblin swordsmen.
Taking down the archer alone would be a simple task, but facing four sword-wielding goblins simultaneously presented a daunting challenge, especially with the horde of others behind me, closing in like a pack of ravenous wolves scenting their prey for the first time.
With a swift duck, I narrowly avoided the arrow fired by the archer, knowing that dwelling on the odds stacked against me would only lead to my demise.
In the heat of battle, there was no room for hesitation or doubt. I had to keep moving, keep fighting, or risk succumbing to the relentless onslaught that surrounded me.
SWIISHH!!!
My sword sang with deadly purpose as it sought out its next target, its keen edge slicing through the air with a menacing hiss.
With a swift swing, I aimed for the first goblin swordsman, using my own momentum to drive the blade forward with lethal force.
The trio of goblins behind it moved to intervene, but their efforts were in vain.
Battling me in a contest of strength with nothing more than a feeble F-level strength stat was a fool’s errand.
Gripping my sword tighter, I effortlessly cleaved through the swordsman’s body, cutting it in half with ruthless efficiency.
Glancing briefly at the smirking hobgoblin boss at the center of the chamber, I knew that time was of the essence.
My stamina was dwindling with each passing second, and relying on my mana reserves was a risky gambit, especially with my limited ability to use Time Dilation for only five seconds at a time.
If I wanted to clear this place and emerge victorious, I had to act fast.
Killing the boss was the key, but with no taunting skills at my disposal, I would have to resort to a more unorthodox approach: annoyance.
I need it to come to me, as I can’t just rush towards it with all the goblins behind me.
Locking eyes with the boss, I allowed a smirk to play across my lips.
“Het ugly! are you sure your mom didn’t die at childbirth after seeing your face?”
I uttered my taunt, hoping to provoke a reaction from the hobgoblin boss, but instead, it merely raised an eyebrow in response to my loud voice.
What did I expect? I chastised myself silently.
This creature likely didn’t understand a word I said, let alone respond to it.
It was a futile attempt, but at least I knew now that normal taunting won’t work.
“KAGA!!!”
Before I could dwell on my mistake, one of the three goblin swordsmen lunged forward with a stabbing attack, seizing the opportunity as it noticed my attention shift towards the boss.
“If only these idiotic fools knew the meaning of silence” I muttered under my breath, allowing the blade to graze across my face as I deftly evaded the brunt of the attack. With practiced precision, I crouched low, biding my time before launching a counterattack of my own.
With a swift thrust, my blade found its mark, piercing through the goblin’s flesh with deadly accuracy.
Blood spurted from its mouth in a grotesque fountain as its body convulsed in agony.
Its high-pitched wails filled the air, but I remained resolute, my teeth clenched in grim determination.
As I withdrew my sword from the goblin’s now lifeless form, I wasted no time in parrying the attacks of the two remaining adversaries.
As the goblins leaped into the air, I instinctively shifted into a quick draw stance, drawing inspiration from one of my favorite sword skills in the game.
It was a technique that only Seo and her clan can execute with unmatched precision, a feat that seemed almost impossible to replicate.
But in the heat of the moment, with adrenaline coursing through my veins, I was determined to try.
‘I mean who wouldn’t want to try a quick draw stance right?’
Recalling Seo’s descriptions of the skill, I focused on holding my breath, channeling my energy into a single, swift motion.
With a fluid movement, my blade sliced through the air, leaving behind a trail of terrifying, gleaming blue light.
Yet, as my strike connected, something unexpected happened.
The world before me seemed to blur and distort, bathed in a strange whitish-blue glow as sparks of electricity crackled in the air.
Blinding me for a few seconds.
It was a sensation reminiscent of the aftereffects of Seo’s attacks, leaving me momentarily stunned and bewildered.
Confusion clouded my thoughts as question marks practically popped into existence above my head.
What had just happened?
Did I just accidentally replicate Seo’s skill?
‘For real?’
Before I could fully process the surreal turn of events, the motionless heads of the two goblins I had struck rolled to the ground at my feet.
The remaining goblin archer wasted no time in fleeing, its eyes wide with fear as it stared back at me in disbelief.
Then suddenly system messages popped up like crazy.
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
…
….
[Congratulations you have achieved 10 levels at once bonus points will be added!]
[level:21→32]
[Available stat points: 22+33+10]
[Skill: Basic swordsmanship] [Proficiency (35%)]
[Congratulations you have a learned a new skill!]
[Skill: Piercing strike!] [Proficiency (1%)]
[Effects: Piercing attacks will now deal 30% more damage]
‘WTF?’
Was this two uglies worth that much?
