Chương 13: Free Roam

I wake up to a mysterious bump on my head. The pain in my arm resurfaces, the command wearing off in my sleep.

"Kevin, no more pain in your arm." This time, the pain vanishes completely. The remaining weakness digs deep, but the rest of my body feels only a little off.

"Good enough", I shrug. I get off the ground, trekking my way through the rooms I have cleared. My hunger shows itself, but I push it away, knowing that I only have one meal left. My gaze sweeps over the dead goblins and hobgoblins, my only alternative source of food. I shiver with disgust. Even though I'm disgusted, I know if the choice is between eating humanoid monsters and death by starvation; I know what I'll choose. After thinking for a bit, I stop. I walk closer and look at one of the goblins' bodies.

This particular goblin has a pierced neck with three medium-sized holes clearly made by my gauntlet. But strangely, it had no flies, bugs, or any kind of rot. It didn't even smell bad. It only takes a second to write it up as system shenanigans and keep moving. Before long, I stand at the giant wooden doors with metal reinforcement. System, time. [8. 24 cycles until next phase] Sweet, still plenty of time to get stronger. I'm already feeling excited at the prospect of comparing myself to other people.

I pick up my bloody gauntlets and put them on. Then I immediately take one off so I can open the door. I'm slightly annoyed that my gauntlets are welded shut instead of being like the metal gloves knights wear. But I know getting hit with the tiny interlocking metal sheets of knight gloves can't compare to being clocked with a thick metal plate with spikes attached. Sadly, my hunks of metal lack the dexterity of knights.

But I feel better knowing that even when the spikes bend or break off, the gauntlets will last far longer than their weaker counterparts. I pull the large right door open just big enough to slip through. On the other side, I expect a wide, open area filled with torches on the walls, like the system says. Instead, there are three hallways in every cardinal direction except the one I came from. All are filled with the same cloudy light-level of the tutorial rooms.

The two hallways to the side are smaller, at about eight feet wide and fifteen feet tall. The one at the front is far larger, totalling twenty feet wide and twenty feet tall. In the open hallway, the increase of perception becomes obvious. I was debating getting glasses before this whole system debacle started, and that plan is instantly discarded. With the open space, I truly understand the level of increased clarity I have been bestowed.

Before, my vision started to blur at around twenty feet, but now it starts at something around fifty. Which makes me think, wasn't my starting perception pretty high? If so, why was my vision so shit compared to other people's? Surely most of the population didn't start with a perception of fifteen. Looking around and shrugging, I start walking to the left. The system mentioned traps, so I keep a keen eye out. After only a minute of walking, I spot a doorway-sized opening to the left.

I creep forward, walking slowly. After spotting the telltale metal cell door of the tutorial area, I exhale and release my tension, walking up casually. I step in front and look through. Hm, a room full of sticks and bones. Only about four gob- My thoughts freeze as one goblin turns to me. Instead of being naked with nothing but small sticks similar to the tutorial area, these goblins wear loincloths and hold rusty daggers. All but one in the back. It wears a collection of bones around its neck and a bone skirt.

It holds a gnarled wooden staff sized for it. More importantly, the deactivation period for the enemies before opening the door doesn't seem to be a thing here. The goblin with the bones points at me and makes a sound.

"Graah!" The three other goblins flick their heads toward me and snarl. As they move, I curse under my breath and quickly jump to the side, sticking to the wall next to the doorway. I hear the goblins bark at each other in whatever language they have, as their feet slap against the cobblestone. The door opens inward. No latch in sight. The second I see green, I move.

In what's becoming my signature move, I swing from the blind spot and crash my fist against the first goblin's head, crushing it against the stone doorway. Chime Moving in, I attempt to get the one behind as well. The goblin easily backs up and avoids my strike as I stumble into the room awkwardly. Shit, I forgot to command myself. As the goblins recover from their shock of watching their comrade's head pulverised, I take a single step back.

"Kevin, focus, don't get hit, don't feel pain and finish them in one strike without injuring yourself." Relief flows as my vision narrows on the fight. The goblins split apart and try to surround me. A slight, almost imperceptible sound tickles my ears. I look back, and instead of joining its friends, the bone-clad goblin has its eyes closed and is quietly mumbling to itself. Panic spikes. Fuck, it's a caster. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Taking advantage of the goblins splitting apart, I run through the clear opening in front of me. The flanking pair sees what I'm doing and sprints to stop me. But I don't worry, as their stride at four feet tall is nothing compared to mine. The bone goblin opens its eyes in response to the stomping of my shoes. It looks around in panic for a second before running. But I'm already too close.

The side of my gauntlet slams down on the top of the running goblin's head with a crack, sending it collapsing like a sack of potatoes. Chime I flip around, and the two following me about ten feet away freeze in their tracks. Like clockwork, their eyes narrow with concentration and fear. And split apart to surround me. Dang, surrounding people really gets these guys going. I turn to the one on the right and rush at it. It panics for a second before deciding to meet my charge.

I slip around its clumsy swing and pull my fist back, bashing its head in with a heavy hunk of metal. I flip around quickly, but these goblins are faster than the ones I know. My body doesn't move fast enough, and a thin cut appears on my thigh. My reaction comes fast, removing the goblin's connection with the mortal world. After hearing the chime, my brows furrow in frustration as I look down at the cut on my leg. Not because I've received another injury, but because my clothing is taking more damage.

Along with the bite on my leg, the hatchet cut on my shoulder, and general wear of fighting in the dungeon, my clothes are feeling the torment of the dungeon. I sigh.

"Let's see it, system." [You have slain Goblin lv. 3 x2] [You have slain Goblin lv. 4] [You have slain Goblin lv. 7] [Partial experience granted x8] Huh? Where's my room reward? Then, I remember the system message about how the new area works. I look around the room, but it seems mostly empty except for sticks and bones littering the floor. Refusing to give up something I earned, I comb around the room searching for anything resembling a chest.

After a couple of minutes, I spot a strange piece of wood behind the biggest bone in the room. I reach over and pick up a tiny chest, the size of a jewellery box, with nothing holding it closed. Flipping it open reveals nothing inside. Chime"Huh? System, what was that?" [You have discovered a reward] [Accept(7) / Bank / Consolidate] That's a strange way for a reward to exist, but alright. I guess I'm a treasure hunter instead of an exterminator now.

I toss the empty box over my shoulder and slip my gauntlets back on. I wonder what kind of magic that one goblin was using. Or maybe it was just insane? Probably not, the system is most likely trying to test humans and give them a place to get a grasp on everything. Placing an insane goblin after making people go through the hell that is the tutorial area just doesn't make sense. Looking at the body of the bone-skirted shaman, I notice something. Reaching down, I pull out a small, hidden cloth sling.

Inside is a single piece of moldy bread the size of my fist.

"YES! Hahaha!" I don't have to eat goblins! Yippee!! I clutch the small piece of bread as if it were a nugget of gold. It goes into my pocket while the cloth goes in the other. A free bandage, too. I can finally give my poor blood-red shirt a break. I could have used a loincloth from a hobgoblin, or even the larger trousers of the orc, but my dignity demands that I save that as a last resort. After checking the other goblins and finding naught, I toss my gauntlets back on and head back out into the hallway.

I continue moving left in the same direction I was heading before. Again, I only walk for a minute before I see another doorway, along with a dead end close in the distance. I keep an eye out for traps as I lurk closer to the cell door. This time, instead of parading in front of the door like an idiot, I inch my head out and take a peek with one eye. Same room setup as the last, same enemy lineup, but with one extra dagger goblin. They all sit relaxed and grumble to each other Not very creative, are you, system?

As I'm peeking, I think 'Identify living being' on repeat. [Goblin lv. 3] [Goblin lv. 4] [Goblin lv. 8] [Goblin lv. 3] [Goblin lv. 2] I groan quietly. Can we shrink this shit, please? The text on the screen shrinks and merges into itself without delay. [Goblin(lv. 2) - (lv. 8) x5] A lot of numbers, but thank you, system. I smile softly, then realize something strange. Do goblins evolve at level five, or is the system capable of creating any enemy at any level? I shake my head and focus on the oncoming battle.

"Kevin, strike fast, hit as hard as you can without injuring yourself, focus on the fight and don't feel pain." I think about how silly this will sound once I'm fighting with teammates at some point. With one quick movement, I knock my gauntlet against the door before jerking back quickly to hide behind the door. The gabbing of the goblins stops instantly at the sound. I appreciate my level of perception as I hear them stand up off the floor.

Then again, there's nothing else to make noise in the dungeon, so the silence accentuates everything that does make sound. I breathe as quietly as I can as they walk closer and closer to the door. The second it opens inwards, my body jerks into motion, curving around the door and smashing my fist into the first unsuspecting goblin. My gauntlet sinks its spikes into its brow, and the plate under it crushes its forehead inwards. Before it hits the ground, I'm already moving over it.

The second goblin, behind, just starts to move backwards as my fist crashes into it the same way as before. I hear the shaman begin mumbling and decide to keep my pace. A chime hits my ear, and my body starts to change from stats again. I can't take the time to revel in the feeling as both of the remaining goblins rush me with rusty daggers in hand. I take a single powerful step towards the goblin on the left.

It halts its charge to dodge the following strike, but I pull the momentum and curve to the right and push towards the goblin on the right. Chime Expecting to land a free strike, the goblin hardly slows itself before shock builds on its face from my incoming fist. The gauntlet lands on the left side of its face and carves through it, causing tiny pieces of bone and flesh to spray out.

I flip to the left, knocking the other goblin's arm away with the back of my hand, following up with a right hook directly to its head. The goblin crashes down as a chime sounds in my ear. It's gotta be from the third goblin and not the one I just hit. Weakness increases slightly in my right arm from using it for the first time since fighting the orc. If I could feel pain right now, my arm would probably be scolding me. Looking up, I look at the last goblin in the room, the shaman in the back.

I slowly walk towards it with a curious expression, watching it mutter to itself quietly with the staff in its hands. I debate letting it finish whatever magic it's clearly preparing to perhaps sense mana from its chanting or even take the hit to feel it hit and affect my mana. But the risk of it using a curse or perhaps putting me to sleep makes it too much of a chance to take. A chime sounds at the same time as the goblin moves. It holds its arm up, and I act. The goblin's hand begins to glow purple.

The goblin opens its eyes and stops speaking at the same time, just to see a black hunk of metal only inches away from its face as its last sight. The purple glow on its hand fades as it falls to the ground. After waiting a few seconds for the last chime, I sigh and think about the fight I just had. Wow, that wasn't even close. I don't feel like I've been learning a whole lot from all of the fights I've had, but apparently, my instinct and unconscious mind have.

A giddy feeling envelops me as I remember the way I flowed like water between every single action. Feinting my steps and strikes seems to work a little too well against goblins. Hoping with all of my might, I pull the shaman over and see another sling made of cloth, this time with the insides crushed. I don't mind as I steal the makeshift sash and the flattened bread inside it. I prowl around the room for about thirty seconds before I find my second reward. Stashed in the corner is another small wooden box.

With a greedy smile, I pop it open, expecting to see nothing inside except for a chime to my ears. Dropping the box like it's garbage, I head out to the hallway, deciding to call it for the day and take a look at my new delicious status.