"This cave is fucking massive. How long was I trapped in here?"
I asked myself as I looked back and stared at the cave entrance that I had just come out of.
Remembering my time in there made me frown. The only good memories I had from that place were when I acquired my skills.
"Whatever, at least I'm out now."
I said as I shrugged my shoulders.
I looked around once again, and it looks like I'm in a forest this time. It was cold, yeah, and I still had no clothes and nowhere to go... but this place was already several times better than that cave.
'It's much colder inside the cave at night.'
"Anyway, I should search for civilization, huh."
I muttered as I prepared myself. Then, after a light stretch of my body—
"Ugh...! Let's go."
I started walking under the moonlight.
At that moment though, a thought entered my mind.
'Will I burn if I walk under the sun, like how vampires are commonly known in our world?'
Goosebumps ran all over my body. Not from the cold— no, I was already used to that. I was afraid that the question in my head might actually be real.
A frown appeared on my face as I imagined myself burning alive under the sunlight.
And so—
"I should hurry up and find something before the sun rises."
I added that to my list of concerns.
*****
I searched the forest, trying to find some pathways that could lead me to a village or something similar. I encountered some animals, and well— I killed seven of them.
Four deer and three bears.
I got the skill [Danger Sense] from drinking the deer's blood, then [Bone Density] from the bears. Both are passive skills, and they're useful.
Now I can avoid ambushes much better, and my strength and durability have multiplied.
I let the other animals be because I'm in a hurry, and I don't think I have anything I want from them. I'll probably just get weaker versions of the skills I already obtained inside the cave.
Anyway— I found a small path earlier, and currently, I'm following it.
I'm walking through tall grass right now, about the height of my chest.
'The grass is tickling my balls... This is so uncomfortable.'
I don't think humans would unconventionally make their paths through tall grass like this to get in and out of their village or something. Also, the pathway is small— incredibly small for it to be made by humans.
I already realized way before that I'm following the trail of a monster. There are probably multiple of them, but I don't care.
'I'm confident enough that I can deal with them.'
Just as I thought that—
"Hmm?"
[Danger Sense] reacted.
Then, feeling the vibrations on the ground, I sensed a lot of creatures moving around about twenty meters away from me.
I crouched in the tall grass and hid my presence. I closed my eyes and calmly—
"Fuuuu~"
I used [Echolocation]...
And my brows furrowed after doing so. The shapes that came back to me were blurred, the distances felt inconsistent, and the fine details were lost.
'Oh, right. This skill wouldn't be as useful as it was in the cave.'
I thought to myself, disappointed. It was one of my favorites.
Still, even though the feedback I received from the skill was messed up, I could at least tell that something was there— just not exactly what.
But that was enough.
'At least within fifteen meters, there are eight of them.'
After confirming that, I slowly made my way toward where I felt the vibrations coming from.
*****
After getting there, what greeted me was a village— not of humans... But goblins.
I decided they were goblins because they looked exactly like how they were depicted in the manhwas I read: ugly, disformed body, as big as a child, ugly, green, long sharp ears, ugly, dirty, ugly, and most of all— disgusting.
-KRRRRGH...
They were growling like idiots, saliva dripping from their mouths, and the only thing they were wearing was a piece of torn cloth covering their private parts.
Their village was surrounded by wooden walls, but they weren't even that tall. I could just jump over them.
And using [Thermal Sense], I could see ten goblins right now.
"They really look ugly."
Anyway, I'm currently outside the wall, hiding in the tall grass while using [False Stillness]. I'm forming a plan on how to deal with them.
Then... After some time....
SHHHK~!
I covered my whole body with [Black Scales] and entered the goblin village.
I just jumped over their wall like I said.
...
...
...
I successfully got inside the goblin village without being detected. At the moment, I'm inside one of the shitty makeshift huts these gremlins made. I can barely stand upright in here.
There was no one inside except me.
But well— that was about to change, because I could sense one goblin on its way here.
I hid near the entrance. My fingers, covered in [Black Scales], formed sharp claws on both hands. I waited silently.
Then soon... The goblin entered the hut. And without missing a beat—
SLASH—!
I swiped my right claw straight at its face with all my might!
SPLASH!
"...?!"
The goblin's head burst apart, and its blood splattered everywhere— including on me. I was surprised.
Thud-
The goblin's headless body fell lifelessly to the ground with a dull sound.
I looked at my hands, eyes wide.
Looks like I'm way stronger than I thought...
*****
Anyway, I immediately drank the blood of the goblin I had just killed. It was dark red and smelled very fishy. I wouldn't have done it if wasting it wasn't such a shame.
After that, I acquired the skill [Scavenger's Instinct]. I got something much better than I expected. This will be very useful.
But I have no time to test it right now. After all, I'm inside a monster village.
So instead, I went out of the hut to look for the other goblins. And just like with my first victim, I targeted the lone ones and ambushed them one by one.
Bashing their heads open with my sharp claws was messy and annoying. So instead, I focused my strength on my index fingers, and together with [Black Scales]—
PHUCK—!
I stabbed the goblins straight through the temples of their heads, killing them instantly and silently, without making a mess.
Of course, I drank their blood after killing them. I need to level up my new skill after all.
And so, I kept doing that.
Again, and again... And again.
...
...
Until—
-GRRR…?
The goblins noticed that something was wrong.
I mean, how could they not? There were about twenty of them initially, but now— only six were left.
Currently, I'm hiding on the roof of a makeshift hut, watching the remaining six search for their missing members in confusion.
Sooner or later, they'll find one of the corpses I left behind. I have nowhere to hide them, I just dumped all the bodies behind the ugly houses they made.
So as soon as one of the remaining six goblins got close to where I was hiding—
SLASH— PSSHK!
I jumped down from the hut and slashed its head open in one clean motion, killing it instantly.
-KIEEE?!
-Kie?
-…
The other five froze in shock after seeing me, they were following the one that I just killed. I'm covered in [Black Scales] from head to toe right now, so I probably look like a demonic monster to them.
'It's a bit hard to move and see in this form.'
So I retracted [Black Scales] from the rest of my body, leaving only my arms and waist down covered.
I looked at the five terrified goblins, then smirked slightly.
"Come, ugly bastards."
I provoked them to stop them from running away.
-GRAAAAAA!!!
And looks like it worked. Or maybe they were just desperate.
One of them rushed at me. All of the goblins were armed, and the one charging had a small axe in his right hand.
BAM—
It jumped toward me when it got close.
"...!"
And looking at it midair; my eyes widened.
"Goblins are really idiots, huh."
I muttered.
PSSSSK—!
Then I swung my right claw upward with all my strength, smashing the airborne goblin's head apart.
It looks like it was raining blood after I did that.
But I ignored it, instead...
"Who's next?"
I asked that to the remaining four goblins, looking at them with a frown on my face. I just want to finish this now.
When their eyes met mine, they flinched.
Then suddenly—
-KIEEEEEE...!!!
-KRAAAAA!!!
-KIIEK!!!
-KIAAAA!!!
All of them rushed at me together.
Two had short swords, one had an axe, and the other wielded a mace.
They spread out and encircled me the moment they got close.
BAM—
-KIIIK!
Then the one with the mace jumped in front of me.
'Do they not learn?'
I grumbled internally.
But just as I was about to smash its head while it was still in the air, I noticed movement on my sides.
The two with swords were using the mace goblin as a distraction, aiming for my unprotected sides. Looks like they noticed I don't have scales protecting them.
'Oh. Guess they're fairly intelligent.'
THUNK—!
I blocked the mace with my left arm. A metallic sound rang out as it collided with my scales.
I turned to my left and saw the one with the short sword near me. I raised my left foot—
PHUCK—!
Then I launched a kick straight into its chest. I have sharp claws on them as well, so the goblin got stabbed in the heart and died.
I snapped my head to the other side. The last sword goblin was already at point-blank range, thrusting its sword toward my ribs.
But before it could hit me—
FWIP—
I grabbed its hand that was holding the sword with my right, stopping it. The goblin looked surprised at my strenght.
SNAP!
I tightened my grip on its hand and crushed its bones.
-KYAAAAAK!!!
The goblin let out a pained cry, but without paying much attention about it— I raised my right hand along with the goblin—
BOOM!
—and slammed it into the ground. The impact cracked the earth. The goblin died instantly.
"Next."
I looked forward again. The mace goblin was still midair, its weapon pressed against my left arm.
Everything had happened in seconds.
It stared at me in horror after seeing two of its kind die by my hands in a flash.
I stretched my right hand, the black claws tensed. I was ready to strike.
"...?!"
But just as I was about to do that— [Danger Sense] sent shivers to my spine. An attack was incoming from my back!
It seems like all the three goblins were just distractions, and the real attack was launched by the axe goblin behind me!
'Looks like I underestimated them way too much.'
I thought. Then with a smile on my face—
THUNK-!
I grew [Black Scales] on my back and blocked the surprised attack from the axe goblin.
PSSSHHK!!!
Then I killed the mace goblin in front of me.
FWISH—
I spun with the momentum, twisting my body to look backwards. Then with the same bloodied claws I just used to kill the last goblin—
SPLASH!
I destroyed the axe goblin's head.
And just like that... I wiped out the entire goblin village.
"Huh... This fantasy shit is easier than I thought."
I muttered, looking at the corpses.
I was about to start gathering them to drink their bloods—
Swoosh~
But [Danger Sense] suddenly flared!
"...?!"
I felt goosebumps all over my body. My head violently snapped where I can feel it, and there—
My eyes landed on another makeshift hut. It was shittily made and it looks just as fucked up as the other huts, the only difference was; it was bigger than any other else.
I didn't enter that hut earlier because I had left it for the last, I thought it was just their storage house or something, but it looks like there's something more in there.
A smile appeared on my face looking at it... Then with a smile on my face—
"Hah, of course... A village is bound to have a chief, huh."
I muttered that, excitement rising from my body.