"Goblins? That's the first..." A man's voice echoed from the left, causing her to flinch.
"Great timing, though!"
Sera's gaze darted towards the voice, only to widen in shock as she noticed a faint shadowed figure standing over to the left. His back, completely exposed to her.
Even though barely, Sera could clearly see the fine shapes of his muscles, as the man did not cover the upper half of his body.
'Wait!' Her eyes widened. "Did he just say 'goblins'?"
Cold sweat broke all over her face in an instant as she realized that all the silhouettes that had been cornering her till now were all goblins.
***
Goblins.
A wiry, green-skinned creature that reeks of sweat, rot, and crude alcohol. Their leathery skin stretches tight over their corded muscle, slick with grime.
Crimson eyes that glimmer with an insatiable hunger and a bulbous nose that twitches whenever it smells blood.
Combined with jagged teeth that are sharpened on bones, jut out in a grin that promises violence. Its ears—long and thin, twitching constantly as if they have a mind of their own.
An E-rank monster that tends to roam in packs and plays dirty with its prey. Humiliating them in every possible way before hopelessly ending their lives.
Such was the cunning nature of the goblins. But what truly shocked Sera was the amount that surrounded them.
'Normally even 3 are difficult to handle by most talented parties... B -But... there are at least 10 ahead of me... No, even more!' Her heartbeat quickened as she clasped her chest and looked back at the man.
'But why are they retreating? Is it... because of him?'
Just then, the man stepped out towards the middle of the corridor and slowly began walking towards the giant pack of goblins.
As he walked, his body began to emanate a strange luminous glow. It wasn't much at first, just a small nail-sized light that flickered over the skin of his abdomen. But within a heartbeat, it spiderwebbed all around his body, glistening in its light.
At the same time, a soft, soothing warmth spread through his body and pumped his blood flow. Through the light, his physique grew visible as it illuminated the entire space. Making visible not only his physique but also those who hid in the shadows right before his eyes.
Staring at the slowly retreating goblins, the man's lips curled into a wide grin.
"Going somewhere?" His cold voice echoed sharply in the hallway, sending loud vibrations that distorted everyone's minds.
Sera tightly clasped her head as her vision distorted due to the man's words. But almost immediately, it widened as, for a split second, the bright light disappeared alongside the man himself.
And before she could react, the young man reappeared behind one of the goblins that stood at the very front.
His right hand was raised high, holding onto the blade. His back was slightly hunched, while his face was partially hidden beneath the veil of his unbristled hair.
Though, something seemed amiss. Something that eerily disturbed her despite being far away from the monsters.
*Huff... Huff...*
Unknowingly, her breathing worsened as she heaved hoarsely for just a single puff of air. Her heart seemed to be running for its life as her hands and feet ran cold, sending chills down her spine.
It was a reaction she never had, not even when she faced the bald man that she so earnestly ran from.
Instinctively, Sera abruptly closed her eyes and felt her heart skip a beat.
Within her mind, Sera witnessed a flickering glimpse of a pair of giant eyes, glaring down at her as if they were piercing through her soul. The eyes shimmered in a ghostly white glow, streaking through the corners in a wave-like pattern.
Sera's mind and body froze as a distinctive thought rang in her mind, alerting her of the death that loomed around her soul.
Faced against such an otherworldly pressure, Sera's mind was overwhelmed as her body began to shift towards a direction. Her neck slumped over to the side as she collapsed in complete exhaustion.
The young man, on the other hand, let out a faint chuckle as he shifted his gaze from the girl to the goblin right beneath the blade of his dagger.
"Now this..." He swung his arm down while keeping his hand tight around his dagger. "It's going to be fun."
*Squelch!*
In a single strike, the man's blade sliced through the goblin's skull. Instantly, the creature shrieked once before its eyes went lifeless.
The man then immediately pulled his dagger out, letting its murky, green blood spray all over his face. He then turned around, letting the goblin's body collapse to the ground, and stared at the rest with an intentful gaze.
As the other goblins realized that one of their kind had died at the hands of the mysterious man without even reacting, they frantically turned around and began running to the other side.
As they ran, an image had been imprinted onto their minds. The eyes that bore nothing but hunger for their kind's blood. The ghostly eyes that seemed to be crushing their souls with a mere glance.
The man simply stood relaxed in a spot with his eyes fixated on a small translucent screen that floated mid-air right before him.
---
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[#~System Notification~#]
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[Congratulations! You have killed an E-rank monster: Goblin!]
[You have obtained 150 EXP!]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
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