Chương 8: Nimbus Robe

Gray threw his arms over his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and braced for the iron mace to cave in his skull. A rush of displaced air brushed across his cheeks. But the bone-crushing impact never came. Gray cautiously opened one eye. The spiked mace hovered mere inches from his face, stopped cold by a tattered strip of cloth suspended between the weapon and his nose. Nimbus Robe has awakened from its dormant state. Nimbus Veil has been consumed. Nimbus Veil: Prevents the bonded from perishing one time.

After consuming the Nimbus Veil, the Nimbus Robe will serve to protect the bonded. After absorbing the fatal blow, the fabric rippled in midair, pulsing with a soft white glow. Gray stared at the blue text, stunned by the sheer absurdity of the hidden ability. An ecstatic laugh started to bubble from his throat—then died the moment his gaze dropped to the robe. The light faded. Whatever power had animated the cloth vanished with it, and the fabric fell limply across his lap.

Zorak snarled, unimpressed by the display of magic. The goblin commander hauled his mace back and swung down hard at the human sprawled beneath him. He missed. An instant before the blow landed, gray smoke swallowed his vision, and the mace went wide, crashing into the floor hard enough to shatter the tiles beneath it. Gray sat where he'd fallen, hands extended, the same smoke he'd summoned over the Ogre's head now curling around Zorak's.

Morbid as the power was, he'd expected it to choke the goblin out just as it had on the Ogre. Some part of him had chalked up that first kill as a fluke—after all, when he'd summoned the smoke around Shota's face back at the department store, it had done nothing at all. It did nothing here either. Through the haze, Gray watched Zorak's face twist—not in panic, but with the mild irritation anyone might show with smoke drifting into their eyes. The goblin winced and swiped at it with one clawed hand.

A few flicks of his wrist scattered the cloud, leaving only a thin trail curling through the club's humid air. Gray's stomach dropped as Zorak's eyes locked onto his. The goblin raised both arms and swung again—and missed. Another cloud of smoke had already closed back over his face. This time Zorak grunted, annoyed, and swiped harder, again and again, each swipe weaker than the last, until his arms dropped limp at his sides and his knees buckled beneath him.

He wasn't facing the smoke anymore, but the floor instead. Gray stood over Zorak's body with a dagger sticking out of its back. The smoke didn't suffocate, but it sure as hell made for a good distraction. You have slain [Goblin Squad Commander] +10% EXP | +50 CP Congratulations on completing the first level! Rewards Granted: 500 Contribution Points 30% EXP Ability Shard You have leveled up! 1 → 2 An exhilarating surge of power flooded Gray's body.

The burning cuts across his chest vanished first, followed by the deep ache radiating from his arrow-pierced leg. Soothing golden warmth spread through every limb, washing away the damage in seconds. At the same time, thin blue strands of light peeled free from the surrounding air and streamed into his chest. A faint shimmer appeared above Gray's open palm. The surrounding energy gathered around a single point, condensing until it hardened into a translucent, diamond-shaped gemstone. The Ability Shard.

Gray's exhaustion instantly bled out after receiving his reward. The moment the azure crystal finished forming, he eagerly closed his fingers around it. Before he could consume it and claim his new ability, the shard began vibrating violently. The gemstone shattered in his palm. It burst apart into a cloud of tiny blue mana particles that slipped through his fingers and dissolved into the air. Ability Shard has been withheld. Gray's eyes widened.

His hand snapped shut around empty air, desperately trying to catch the last fading remnants of the crystal. Withheld?! What the hell do you mean, withheld?! His entire body trembled with rage. He was seconds away from screaming at the System when a frantic scuffling sound cut through his thoughts. Gray whipped his head toward the noise. He swallowed his anger and shoved the injustice aside. The fight wasn't over yet.

Near the DJ booth, twenty unarmed goblins stood frozen in place, every pair of beady eyes fixed on Gray. After watching a human carve through their ranks and butcher the commander they had apparently believed invincible, none of them seemed eager to become the next corpse on the floor. Gray immediately moved in front of the weapon pile, cutting off their only chance to arm themselves. Not a single goblin stepped forward.

Off to his left, the archer he had crippled earlier remained sprawled against the floor, propped up on one elbow. Its mangled leg lay uselessly beside it as the creature frantically waved its wooden bow in Gray's direction—as a desperate warning for him to stay back. The recent level-up had sharpened every one of Gray's senses. His vision seemed crisper, his hearing more acute, and the connection between thought and muscle perfectly dialed in.

Fueled by the intoxicating surge of power and confidence, he charged into the remaining horde without even bothering to summon his smoke cloud. It was a one-sided slaughter. One desperate straggler eventually slipped past him and snatched up a rusted sword. The goblin swung wildly for Gray's head, and he simply stepped aside. The blade hissed harmlessly past his ear. He clamped a hand over the creature's face, drove it downward, and smashed its skull into the floorboards.

Before long, the nightclub fell silent except for the relentless thumping of the speakers overhead and the pathetic whimpering of a single survivor. The crippled archer dragged itself backward with frantic, scraping motions, leaving a thick smear of dark blood across the tiles. It kept retreating until its shoulders struck the cold wall. Gray strolled toward it and ripped the wooden bow from its trembling grip. Ignoring the arrows scattered across the floor, he reached down toward his right thigh.

Miraculously, the level-up had knitted the torn flesh back together around the embedded arrow, sealing the skin tight against the bloody shaft. Gray wrapped his fingers around the wood and braced himself. Then he yanked. A sharp grunt escaped him as the arrow tore free. Fresh blood spilled over his fingers and trickled down his leg, but compared to what he had endured moments ago, the pain was manageable. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Gray fitted the bloodied arrow to the string and drew it back until the fletching brushed his cheek. The iron tip settled dead center on the goblin's forehead.

"Let's see how much you enjoy eating one of these," he rasped. He released. The arrow punched into the goblin's skull. You have slain [Goblin Archer] +1% EXP | +10 CP Once the last enemy slumped over, the adrenaline drained from Gray's body. His knees buckled, and he caught himself against the edge of the DJ booth and slowly slid down the panel until he hit the sticky floor. His arms and legs trembled uncontrollably, and for a moment, he considered simply passing out among the corpses.

The level-up might have repaired his torn flesh and damaged muscles, but apparently, it couldn't erase bone-deep exhaustion. You have completed the quest: Hot Friday Night! 10% EXP Boost on all kills obtained. Spawning four Loot Portals… A victorious smirk spread across Gray's face as he read the glowing blue text. Then a deep, gruff voice echoed through the nightclub. Sloppy! I thought you had the ability to see clearly through smoke? Did you share a drink with those grangly beasts before fighting them?

Who taught you how to fight, boy? Gray shot to his feet. His dagger was in his hand before he even realized he had drawn it. He whipped his head from side to side, scanning the balcony, dance floor, and darkened corners of the club. He was alone. Then realization struck.

"Mentor?" Gray snapped. His voice started low, then steadily climbed into an angry shout.

"Oh! Now you decide to speak? Just to mock me?" He threw an arm out toward the carnage around him.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be such a terrible fighter if my mentor had actually bothered to teach me anything!" Gray stood there with his chest heaving, waiting for an answer. None came.

"Screw you!" Gray shouted, thrusting a middle finger toward the ceiling.

"At least tell me where the re-roll option is before you ghost me again! That way I can change my class and ditch my useless mentor while I'm at it!" He stood there panting, anger still boiling in his chest, until a familiar chime cut through the heavy silence. Then it sounded again. And again. And again. Loot Portal Loot Portal Loot Portal Loot Portal Four luminous portals swirled into existence above the center of the blood-slick dance floor.

Gray's fury evaporated almost instantly, and a wide grin crept across his face. He limped toward the glowing tears in reality and plunged his hand into the first portal. Cool air washed over his skin as his fingers brushed against something smooth and cylindrical. He wrapped his hand around a bulky glass vial and pulled it free. The portal remained open.

"Huh?" Curious, Gray reached inside again and felt another identical bottle graze his fingertips. He pulled that one out too. After repeating the process three more times, the portal finally collapsed in on itself with a soft shimmer. Health Potion x5 Cooldown: 1 hour Regenerates your health. Any additional potion consumed before the cooldown ends will be rendered useless.

Additionally, consuming another potion during the cooldown will permanently increase your Potion Resistance, reducing the effectiveness of future potions by 50%. Gray weighed one of the hefty vials in his palm, his brow furrowing as he read the fine print.

"That penalty is insane," he muttered. Then he glanced at the five oversized bottles piled at his feet.

"And why are these things so huge? Where am I supposed to put all of them?" His gaze shifted to the second portal.

"Maybe they'll give me some kind of bag of holding." With renewed hope, Gray shoved his arm into the swirling opening. His fingers closed around thick fabric and a pair of straps. He pulled out… A backpack. Backpack A regular backpack. Gray stared at the Jensport bag dangling from his hand.

"Are you kidding me? That's not what I meant!" Still grumbling, he tossed the backpack beside the potions and reached into the third portal. This time, his hand brushed against a neatly folded bundle of soft fabric. He pulled it free and unfolded a plain black T-shirt alongside a pair of dark-gray jogger pants. Gray brightened immediately.

"Yes! Now we're talking. Do these give me a stat boost?" He eagerly inspected the clothes.

"Oh, maybe they're another Evolution item like my Nimbus Robe." Shirt and Pants [Common] Self-cleaning and repairing clothing. Gray's shoulders sagged. As he unfolded the joggers, however, a cluster of small silver-foil packets spilled from between the folds and scattered across the sticky floorboards. Wet Wipes x23 [Legendary] On the house. Gray stared at the notification. Then at the wipes. Then down at himself. For the first time since the battle ended, he became fully aware of just how disgusting he was.

His soiled pants were practically glued to his legs, the crusted blood acting as a stiff adhesive. Layers of grime coated his sleeves, carrying the metallic stink of blood mixed with stale liquor and goblin sweat. When he dragged a finger across his cheek, it came away slick with red. Gray grimaced.

"…Thanks, System?" He picked up one of the foil packets and turned it over in his hand.

"This loot feels oddly specific." His eyes narrowed at the glowing text.

"And why the hell are wet wipes Legendary?" He stuffed the packets into his new backpack before turning eagerly toward the final portal. Surely the last reward had to be good. Gray reached inside. His fingers touched cold metal. Repair Anvil [LEGENDARY] Repairs gear of ANY rarity to full durability and pristine condition. Single use. Now that was a reward. Any rational person would have saved an item like this for some priceless late-game weapon or piece of armor. Gray didn't hesitate.

He dropped the heavy anvil onto the floor with a solid clang, unequipped his Nimbus Robe, and carefully spread its shredded strips of fabric across the metal surface. The anvil hummed with a deep, resonant power. Several glowing golden threads shot from its iron base, twisting through the air like strands of silk. They moved entirely on their own, weaving and stitching the tattered robe back together as if guided by an invisible master seamstress.

Jagged tears slowly knitted shut, while the dark, caked-on blood lifted from the fabric and drifted away like embers. Once the work was complete, the golden threads faded. The iron anvil crumbled into fine gray powder, leaving the fully restored robe suspended in midair. Gray snatched it up and pulled it into a tight embrace.

"Well, don't you look brand new." He buried his face in the fabric and took a deep sniff.

"Lemon-scented, too." He quickly stripped off his stiff, blood-crusted clothes and scrubbed himself clean with the legendary wet wipes. Once the last traces of grime were gone, he slipped into the black T-shirt and joggers, savoring the simple luxury of fresh fabric against his skin. He draped the restored Nimbus Robe over his shoulders and finally packed the oversized health potions into his ordinary backpack. Before leaving, Gray scavenged the rusted daggers and wooden wands piled beside the DJ booth.

He had absolutely no use for them, but he figured the System would count the scavenged weapons toward his Contribution Points. Contribution Points (CP): 2750 Ladder Rank: 982 Name: Gray Kim Level: 2 (51. 22%) Rank: Awakened Class: Mistveil Abilities Identify Reveals information about targets or items. Cloud Mastery — Tier I Passive: Clear visibility through smoke. Allows the user to produce and manipulate clouds. Imagination defines the limit. Signature —???

Equipment Nimbus Robe [Common] [Evolution] [Armor] Serves to protect the bonded.

"He's finally coming out!" a woman whispered urgently from somewhere beyond the club entrance.

"He doesn't seem too strong…" a deeper voice replied. Gray pushed open the double doors and stepped outside. The cool breeze swept across his face, clearing the lingering stench of spilled liquor, blood, and goblin sweat from his nose. Three figures waited in the shadows beside the nightclub. The first was a red-haired woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She leaned slightly against a long wooden staff capped with a polished metal cross, her posture weary but alert.

Faint arcane symbols glimmered along the hem of her robes. Beside her stood a bald, dark-skinned man in his thirties. He wore similar mage robes, though one hand hovered cautiously near a transparent glass wand strapped to his hip. But it was the third figure—the one standing closest to the doors—that made Gray narrow his eyes. He was an Asian man around Gray's age, with a similarly lean build and shaggy dark hair. An enormous bow rested across his back, larger than any composite bow Gray had ever seen.

Its thick frame appeared to be carved entirely from polished white bone, with jagged protrusions jutting from its limbs. Even stranger, the taut bowstring glowed a deep ruby red. Gray made his decision in an instant. The archer first. At this distance, the man couldn't use that oversized bow effectively. If Gray eliminated him before the others reacted, he might have a slim chance against the mage and healer. Gray surged forward. He closed the gap and swept his dagger toward the bowman's neck.

The man didn't even flinch. He dipped beneath the slash, caught Gray's forearm in the middle of the swing, and stopped him cold. The archer raised his free hand, palm outward.

"Easy," he said, his voice perfectly calm. Gray clenched his teeth and violently wrenched at his trapped arm, but the man's vice grip wouldn't yield.

"We mean you no harm," the archer continued.

"We watched you take down that goblin commander, and only wanted to talk." He offered Gray a polite, disarming smile.

"Would you like to join our party?"