The villagers were still cheering when Anos flopped face-first into the dirt like a dead fish.
"…Food…" he groaned, weakly waving a hand. "Someone… bread… meat… noodles… I don't care. Just feed me before I starve to death…"
Molar crouched beside him, poking his cheek. "Anos? Don't die now. You still have to train me."
"Shut up… I'll train you after someone trains me how to eat in my sleep," he mumbled.
[System Alert: Incoming Danger Detected.]
Anos twitched. "…Please tell me that's the sound of food coming."
[Negative. Goblin presence detected.]
He slowly lifted his head. "…You've got to be kidding me."
[Correction: You have been marked by the goblins.]
"…Marked?"
[Affirmative. Goblins consider you a natural enemy. They are approaching in large numbers.]
"How many is 'large numbers'?" Anos asked, squinting.
[Estimated: 2,000+]
Anos sat up like he'd been struck by lightning. "TWO THOUSAND?!"
The System didn't even pause.
[Also: Goblin Chief detected.]
Anos rubbed his face. "…You couldn't let me starve in peace, huh?"
---
The Villagers' Fear
He stood, brushing dirt off his ripped shirt. The villagers noticed his serious expression and fell silent.
Anos raised his voice. "Listen up, everyone. The goblins are coming back. And this time, they brought the big boss."
Gasps erupted. Some villagers started crying.
One man shouted, "Then we're all dead!"
"No, you're not," Anos cut him off. "But you will be if you run around screaming. So stay here, stay quiet, and let me handle it."
He turned to Molar, who was leaning against the wall, pale and shaking.
"Molar."
She looked up weakly. "…Yes?"
"Stay with them. Protect them if they try anything stupid. Don't follow me."
Her eyes widened. "But—!"
"No buts." He smiled faintly. "You're strong, but you've hit your limit. Right now, what I need most is for you to watch over them. Got it?"
She bit her lip, then nodded. "…Got it."
---
The System Trolling
As Anos walked toward the field, his aura sharpened. But before he could even prepare, the System chimed again.
[Reminder: You cannot use restricted skills. Same conditions apply as before.]
Anos froze. "…Wait. You're saying I can't use my time-stop again?"
[Correct.]
"And my nuclear punish?"
[Correct.]
"…So I'm just supposed to punch two thousand goblins with my bare hands?!"
[Correct. This will test your physical combat ability and growth.]
Anos pointed at the sky. "You sadistic bastard!"
[Love registered.]
"NO IT'S NOT LOVE!"
---
The Horde Appears
From the treeline, the sound of war drums echoed. The earth trembled.
Then they came — thousands of goblins, snarling, foaming, their eyes glowing crimson. At the front marched a massive figure — the Goblin Chief.
He was nearly three meters tall, muscles bulging, armor stitched from bones, and a massive iron club resting on his shoulder.
Anos whistled. "Well. Somebody skipped leg day but went all in on steroids."
The Chief roared, pointing at Anos. The horde surged forward.
Anos cracked his knuckles. "Alright then. Round two."
---
The Fight Begins
The first wave of goblins rushed him, blades raised.
Anos dashed forward, ducking under a rusty sword, then uppercutting the goblin so hard its jaw launched into orbit. He spun, kicking another in the gut, sending it crashing into five others.
"Come on! Who's next?!"
More swarmed him. He grabbed one by the arm, swung it like a club, and smashed its buddies away.
[Kill Count: 14/2000.]
Anos frowned. "Wait. That's it? I just crushed like ten of them with one goblin bat!"
[Correction: Shared damage does not count. Must kill each goblin individually.]
Anos froze mid-swing. "…Are you serious?!"
[Yes.]
"…This system is gonna make me die of stress before the goblins kill me."
---
The Chief Joins
The Chief charged suddenly, swinging his massive club. Anos barely dodged, the weapon smashing into the ground and leaving a crater.
"Holy crap!" Anos yelped. "That thing would've flattened me like pancake!"
The Chief roared, swinging again. Anos leapt over the blow, landing a kick to the Chief's head. The giant stumbled back but didn't fall.
Anos landed, panting. "Okay, note to self—Chief ain't no pushover."
The System chimed again.
[Observation: User's level-up progression has slowed.]
"Huh?" Anos blinked. "What do you mean slowed?"
[Explanation: After Level 20, defeating low-class monsters such as goblins provides little to no experience.]
"…Wait. So I've been punching these idiots for hours, and I'm not even leveling anymore?!"
[Correct.]
Anos grabbed his head. "Oh, for crying out loud! So what, I've been grinding goblins for free cardio?!"
[Correction: Cardio is valuable.]
"…I'll cardio your processor, you smug piece of—"
The Chief's club slammed down, cutting off his rant. Anos rolled aside just in time.
---
Fighting Without Skills
"Fine," Anos muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "No cheats, no shortcuts. Just me."
He lunged back into the fray, fists and legs moving like a storm. Every punch cracked skulls, every kick shattered bones. His movements grew sharper, faster, more precise.
The villagers, watching from afar, couldn't believe their eyes.
"That man… he's fighting an army all by himself…"
"He's insane…"
"No… he's amazing."
Even Molar, though exhausted, smiled faintly. "Go… Anos…"
---
10 minutes later.
Mid-fight, Anos tried to pick up a goblin's rusty sword to speed things up.
It immediately snapped in his hands.
"…System," he said flatly. "Did I just break a sword… by holding it?"
[Correct. Goblin weapons are trash-tier.]
"…Then why even exist?!"
[Decoration.]
"…I hate you so much."
[Love registered.]
"STOP DOING THAT!"
---
Pushing His Limit
The hours ticked down. Sweat poured down his face, his muscles screamed in pain, but Anos didn't stop.
[Kill Count: 987/2000.]
"Almost halfway," he panted. "Come on, come on…"
The Chief roared again, rushing him with terrifying speed. Anos met him head-on, their fists colliding with a shockwave that blew goblins away like leaves.
The impact sent pain shooting up his arm, but Anos grinned through it.
"Now this is a fight."
---
Cliffhanger Ending
As the last hour began, the goblins regrouped, surrounding him completely. The Chief raised his club for a finishing strike.
Anos wiped blood from his mouth, chuckling.
"Guess I'll have to go all out the old-fashioned way. No tricks. Just fists."
The System chimed one last time.
[Warning: User approaching physical limit.]
[Recommendation: Adapt quickly or perish.]
Anos smirked, tightening his stance. "Perish? Nah. That's for goblins. Me? I'm just getting started."