Chương 19: Just give me mana

After flexing for a few minutes, I gather myself and sweep up the rewards. I search the orc corpses, coming up with two more pouches of jerky. After, I take the long walk back to the room and quickly find the dagger-sized wooden box. Chime I toss the box over my shoulder and exit the room. Content with the day, I walk back to my shield and prepare to leave. With one last look, I see four orc corpses in their worst environment. The forbidden metal forest. A chuckle rises from me at the grim sight.

Dang, abusing the same trap twice is just too evil Still, all of the orcs so far have been pretty stupid. I don't think the hobgoblins or even goblins would have fallen for that last one. Gotta trade all of that rippling muscle for something, I guess. It's a minor miracle that a single swing didn't hit me. Unbelievable that they were both treated like fools during the fight. Does the system make them dumber somehow? There's no way a species can exist for long with intelligence like that.

Could it be that such a cramped area isn't their natural environment? Modern media usually shows them moving in large groups on open plains and such. Or maybe their species didn't exist long at all. Maybe orcs don't exist in the larger universe and are just conjured up like a tool for the dungeon. My beard starts to itch as I think, but my hands are full, so I must suffer helplessly. A clean-shaven face is my preference, but my only options are a dull rusty sword or an even duller rusty axe.

Another chuckle escapes my mouth as I imagine a goblin rushing at me with an electric razor in hand. At the same time, a newfound appreciation of my stat increase suddenly hits me. I curl my arm holding the gauntlets, and they feel a couple of pounds lighter. This level-up must be all strength. Strangely enough, my physical appearance hasn't seemed to change at all. My arms are still the same size and look a bit flabby, as usual. The same applies to my stomach.

I had an assumption that increasing my stats would change that, but I suppose the stats only represent and change what's already there. Wait, if it only changes what's there, does that mean people with larger muscles before entering their dungeon get more out of each increase of strength? That would mean I'm not getting as much. Shaking my head, I pull open the wooden door, stumbling when it opens more easily than before. Eagerness filling my veins, I drop my weapons at the door and pull it closed. Status.

[Vitality: 18 > 19] [Strength: 14 > 18] [Agility: 17] [Endurance: 14] [Fortitude: 17] [Intelligence: 12] [Wisdom: 18 > 19] [Perception: 24 > 25] [Unassigned: 1]"Hahaha!" I laugh with a joyful expression. All four stats from my species were added to strength. If level-ups were crack, I would be slumped over in downtown Los Angeles right now. Well, if the world weren't ripped to pieces, that is. My smile fades slightly. My mind brings me to my old room. My parents. All of my friends.

I wonder how many of them are alive right now? My gaze is drawn to the floor as my previous joy vanishes. System, time. [7. 47 cycles until next phase] A bit under three weeks left. A sigh escapes me, and I lie down. The quiver on my back gets in the way, so I just leave it in the corner. It's not too useful without a bow to go with it.

"Alright, show me the combat stuff", I say to no one. [You have slain Orc(lv. 12) - (lv. 13) x2] [Partial experience granted x4] [Tamer(lv. 8) > (lv. 9)] [Human(lv. 8) > (lv. 9)] [Bleed Resistance(lv. 6) > (lv. 7)] [You have discovered a reward] [Accept(12) / Bank / Consolidate] Bleed resistance? My clothes come up as I search for wounds. Sure enough, all four of them are leaking drops of blood from cracks in the scabs. The price of intense movement with heavy injuries shows itself.

Not to mention the state of my poor clothes. Health. [Health: 265(177)] Yup, it went down by three. I scroll back up and press consolidate, then put my free point into vitality. Gotta love the poor man's health potion. I revel in the sensation of the stat increase. The pain is already annulled by the command, so my wounds don't suddenly feel better. But when a slight weakness that I didn't notice leaves, it always brings satisfaction. A few moments go by as I inspect the moss coverage on the ceiling.

Every second feels thrice as long without the electronic world at my fingertips. If I only had my phone, I could at least stare at the black screen while daydreaming. Without anyone to talk to, there's nothing to do. Going over fights in my head is boring as hell. Somehow, meditation is even more boring than that. My memory brings me back to my school days. The circumstances weren't that different from now. Stuck in a room with nothing to do but stare at the wall or listen to the teacher, which was sometimes worse.

At least in school, I had friends next to me to mess around with. A warm smile forms on my face as I remember fond times with my group of buddies. Goofing off and getting yelled at, then being sent to the principal's office together. Just to goof off there instead. Not sure how the world will be after everyone returns, but I have a feeling it won't be quite the same. The system mentioned something about planetary reconstruction.

Combined with the giant cracks in the sky and the earthquakes from when I was first teleported… I roll around on the floor in circles, not caring about the damp floor. Damn, I need a shower. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Never thought much about the things I do on a daily basis that aren't here, like showering and brushing my teeth. Hold up, if my fortitude increases, can I even get cavities? And if I do get cavities, can my natural vitality heal them?

Can healing magic? Are there different degrees of healing magic? Are some better than others? I climb to my feet, filled with determination. Alright, I think that's enough rest, back to it! It's obvious that a dozen minutes of thoughtlessness is not enough for my body to recover, but the stagnation is like a jackhammer against my nerves. There's simply nothing productive to do except stare at the orc corpse. And that's not the most exciting pastime.

I pick up my weapons and push open the large wooden door, braving the unknown once again. As usual, the walk is quiet, with only the steps from my sneakers giving the surroundings any life. After the short walk, I return to the second intersection. To the left, a small collection of metal poles and corpses. To the right, an empty hallway leading into the distance. Nodding my head, I set down my gauntlets and shield. I walk casually, keeping a sharp eye out for traps along the way.

After a couple of minutes, I spot a single stone of the cobblestone floor that looks slightly raised. Not sure if it's a trap, but it's too small to reliably lead enemies into. I just keep it in the back of my mind and walk past. As I walk, I think about the moss covering every stone I've seen in the dungeon so far. It hasn't grown at all since I arrived. It's also notable that it provides great soundproofing. I never noticed it when I was making a lot of noise because I was usually in dire circumstances.

But the echoes of my footsteps are eaten like a starving pack of wolves by the walls. A couple of minutes later, a small opening in the side of the wall appears. Used to the repetitive layout, I quicken my pace. I put more effort into silencing my footsteps as I get closer. Muttering leaks from the opening as I get closer. I remember the language and tones. Orc language is sharp and shifts constantly with constant harsh tones. But this sounds far more guttural.

Constant groaning and muttering, spoken with the throat. Hobgoblins. I slink up to the edge of the doorway and just barely peek one eye through the cell door. [Hobgoblin lv. 10] [Hobgoblin lv. 10] [Hobgoblin lv. 10] [Identify Living Being(lv. 3) > (lv. 4)] I disregard the level up. A group of three hobgoblins sit in a circle, speaking to each other. The first two wear full cloth clothes now, both pants and a shirt. Equipped with two leather greaves, forearm guards, shoulder guards and knee guards.

This easily makes them the most equipped enemy I've seen so far. Both carry the same armaments. One shield and handaxe each. The shield is noticeably better than the one I have. No longer is there a warped metal lining around the edge, with low-quality wood full of splinters making up most of it. These shields are made from tightly connected planks and even, smooth metal on the edge. None of the nails are missing. These are real shields.

A little rust remains, but I have a feeling the next room I go to won't have any at all. The axes have the same noticeable improvement. But it's the third hobgoblin that makes my eyes shine in both fear and greed. It has no weapons, no tools, no armor. Only a deep purple, dirty robe. It's a mage, it has to be. Mages manipulate mana. Everyone knows that. There's a good chance that I can somehow watch this thing and copy it to unlock my own mana. Well, maybe not a good chance, but it's there.

And that's a hell of a lot better than what I've had so far. But it also represents an equal risk. Almost every single enemy in the dungeon has tried to kill me the same way. Cutting, bashing, slicing, piercing, it doesn't make too much of a difference. But magic is far more versatile. I've seen it in media before, but I have no clue how it works in reality. It's possible I rush it just to receive an invisible leg tripping me, or an invisible fist punching me.

I could put another hobgoblin in between us, but there's a chance that a fireball just curves around it to hit me. I truly have no idea what I'm up against. But this is an opportunity that I can't pass up. Quietly, I stand up and return to the main hallway. Ten minutes later, I return with my gear. I set the shield down next to the doorway, in case I need to retreat from the mage and push it with defensive coverage. Hands slip into the soft leather and grip tightly inside the gauntlets.

My heart rate picks up, and my nerves rise in anticipation. But there's a good way to deal with both.

"Kevin, focus on the fight, don't feel pain, punch as hard as you can without injuring yourself, and avoid or deflect attacks at all costs," I whisper under my breath. My nerves calm, and my heart rate controls itself. All of my concerns are erased and replaced with the three enemies. With a deep breath, my gauntleted hand reaches out and taps the metal bar of the cell door. The mumbling stops instantly, and only deathly silence is left. The scrape of weapons picked up off the stone ground.

The shuffle of hobgoblins standing. The slow, cautious steps against the ground. My plan has never failed me, and I'll keep abusing it until it does. I pull my arm back like a coiled spring. The door slowly opens. A single glimpse of green crosses my vision, and I explode. The hobgoblin in front only begins to move as I make contact. My fist crushes its nose in tandem with the spikes pushing through and puncturing its eyes.

My brows furrow in concern as my punches don't feel more powerful, even though I just had a massive increase in strength. The command wipes my mind clean and forces me forward. The shieldman behind doesn't panic like its lower-level friends in previous rooms. It calmly brings its shield up and meets me head-on. In my usual tactic, I bring my left arm up to force its shield down and create an opening. When I bring my gauntlet down, the shield snaps into place unnaturally. My eyes widen, but it's too late.

My fist slams down, but the shield is only pushed down a few inches, as if it's held by an orc instead of a hobgoblin. The axe swings with certainty. My right gauntlet, pulled back and prepared to follow up, awkwardly attempts to block from out of the way. The axe clears it easily, cutting through flesh and embedding in the ribs on my chest. Chime I grunt in pain and stagger. The command doesn't like that. The hobgoblin tries to pull out the axe, but I follow.

The shield unsnaps from its position as if it were held there, and I push both of us into a fall away from each other. I pull my gauntlet up, but a flash of blue makes me give up on the motion and roll over to the side. A blue, fizzing bolt of what I can only assume is mana flies where I just was. And lands on the Hobgoblin's leg. The projectile makes contact and pops like a firecracker.

The fist-sized ball of mana carves an equally sized hole in its leg, sending chunks of meat, bone, and blood scattering around a small area. A solid two inches of bone is missing, with a large hole of gored flesh around it. The shieldman wastes no time and lets out a grunt-scream of pain. Taking advantage, I prop myself on my knees and bring down the side of my gauntlet. The hobgoblin opens its eyes and begins to move just as I make contact.

With a bloody crunch, the front of the shieldman's face caves in with a chime. I spring backwards on my feet and take in the situation. The other shieldman is on all fours, blood pouring out from its face like a waterfall. The mage has its eyes closed as a tiny blue speck above its palm quickly grows in size. Keeping an eye on the mage, I rush toward the kneeling shieldman. It doesn't react as I bring the front of my fist to its neck and send it crashing to the ground.

It takes one more punch before the chime sounds in my ears. I turn just in time to see the mage pull back its hand and throw the ball of mana like a rock at me. Like a rock, it travels at a moderate pace through the air. With my command-powered reaction speed, dodging it is child's play. The glob hits the wall with another pop, causing small stone shrapnel to blast out. Without feeling danger, I turn and watch as the mage nervously starts crafting another while staring at me. A bit disappointing.

The power is there, but it moves quite slowly. My feet would have to be stuck to the floor to be hit by it. I look down at the pulsing pain and notice the axe, still stuck in my chest. It drools blood, but I decide to leave it in until the fight ends to prevent bleeding too much. The hobgoblin builds its mana ball up nervously as I stand and watch it When it throws it, I move just enough to dodge it and close my eyes. All of my focus goes on my senses as I look deep inside.

For a fraction of a second, I feel something like static electricity pass by me on the left. I try to keep the feeling alive, but it slips through my grasp. My eyes open in annoyance as I watch the goblin begin the cycle again. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. The goblin finally finishes its creation and lobs it at me once again. I dodge to the other side without worry and close my eyes again. The ball of mana passes by with far less clearance this time.

The static feeling returns for a fraction longer as the ball passes by my right. I grab the sensation and hold it there with all of my might. It wants to do something. My body wants it to do something. The feeling grows stronger, but then fades as it begins to slip from my hold. Quickly, everything returns to normal. Frustrated, I open my eyes and stare at the hobgoblin in anger. The mage visibly becomes more nervous and starts creating another ball. I count in my head as the ball grows.

At eleven seconds, the thing looks like it's scraping together fumes to put it together. This is my last shot. The hobgoblin pulls back for a mighty throw. A stupid idea appears in my head. A really, unbelievably fucking stupid idea appears in my head.

"Kevin, forget all previous commands and don't feel pain," The hobgoblin releases the warbling, compacted mana in an arc towards me. In a smile with creeping insanity, I move my arms out of the way. In a shaky curve, the mana attack descends and lands. Right onto my chest. With a pop.