"Crap!" That was the only thought ringing at the back of his mind as he reviewed his current situation.
His fist was currently impaled in one of the goblins, only the result wasn’t as expected.
Pain tore through his hand like liquid fire, microfractures spreading into his palm. Blood soon followed, dripping freely.
His mind sharpened as he analyzed the situation, then he suddenly felt the irresistible urge to smack himself.
Raw strength had been imbued into him, but his flesh wasn’t strong enough to handle it. He had the power, but his constitution was weak.
And it was already showing. The goblin he had impaled remained standing, swinging its club at his head.
"Fuck!" Aurelian cursed, jerking his hand back with a deep breath. He threw himself to the ground, narrowly ducking the blow.
The wind screamed as the club cut through the air. Aurelian gulped, relief flooding him, if he hadn’t dodged, he’d have no head left.
Still, there was no reprieve. The goblin swung its club again, frustrated at missing.
"Argh, fuck this!" Aurelian growled, rolling aside before springing to his feet. His tactic wasn’t working, proof of that was the bloody mark running across his ribs from the goblin’s earlier swipe.
Time to change tactics.
With a thought, black spectral blades coalesced before him. Almost immediately, two shot forward, piercing the goblin, one sinking into its torso, the other into its skull.
Grrrhh! The beast shrieked as the blades corroded its body, draining its lifeforce.
A grim sight, but Aurelian had no time to savor it. Another goblin was already upon him, swinging its club.
Shifting his weight at an impossible angle, he locked eyes with his attacker.
That was all he needed. Two more blades launched forward. The goblin didn’t even have time to react, one blade lodged in the middle of its head, the other in its neck.
"Better," Aurelian snickered, feeling warm currents of energy flow through him. The bloody mark across his ribs closed, the bleeding halted.
"It’s working," he breathed, turning his attention to the other three.
But then, he froze. "Huh? Where’d they go?"
He didn’t have to wonder for long. Screams tore through the air.
"Aurelian, save us! They’re coming at us!" Amber cried. The three goblins had charged the girls, their massive frames enough to send waves of terror through them. They didn’t doubt the possibility of death once the monsters reached them.
"Oh, no you don’t!" Aurelian snapped, eyes narrowing. Six more blades materialized before him and streaked toward the goblins’ backs.
Sizzling sounds followed as the blades corroded their skulls, piercing through. One by one, the beasts collapsed lifelessly.
"That was close," Aurelian muttered, streams of warm energy rushing into his body. The cracks in his fists vanished, his wounds completely healed.
It was mystical, like they had never been there at all.
The barrage of notifications only heightened his euphoria.
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 5 Goblin Demon! 50 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 5 Goblin Demon! 50 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 5 Goblin Demon! 50 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 5 Goblin Demon! 50 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 5 Goblin Demon! 50 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 5 Goblin Demon! 50 dungeon points awarded!>
Level 4: (190/400 Dungeon Points)
At the center of the notifications, a glimmering box drew his attention.
"Huh, loot?" he muttered with a grin, hurrying over to open it.
Inside was a crystal. Aurelian squinted, casting appraisal. The result almost made him drop it.
(Crystal of Experience: Embodies the essence of experience. By crushing it, acquire twice as many attributes from beasts slain for two hours.)
[Applicable only to level 1–25 F-ranks]
He scanned the crystal again just to be sure. Crystals weren’t rare, quite the opposite, but their price was outrageous. That’s why he was stunned to find one so easily.
Still, he pocketed it and turned to the girls.
"This can’t go on," he said firmly, meeting their eyes. "You just saw what happened. If I hadn’t acted in time, you’d all be dead."
"Wait, you’re leaving us?" Amber’s eyes widened in fear. "But you promised you’d protect us..." Her voice trembled, tears threatening to fall. The others only stared in shock.
"This is me protecting you," Aurelian replied.
"By leaving us here so other monsters can eat us?!" Emily shrieked, hysteria bubbling in her voice.
"No," Aurelian said with a small smile. "I have a better idea." He sighed, then turned away. "Follow me."
The girls exchanged confused glances but followed, unable to resist the pull of his words.
After a silent march, Aurelian finally stopped.
"We’re here," he said, gesturing ahead. Another group of goblins had respawned.
Before the girls could process his intent, blades materialized and slashed away at the goblins’ legs and arms, crippling them.
Black veins spread across their bodies, their death inevitable.
Turning back, he spoke coldly. "They’re immobilized. Left alone, they’ll die in twenty minutes. But you have a choice: follow me, and risk dying in one of my fights... or kill them yourselves, awaken your classes, and gain the strength to survive. The choice is yours."
Silence hung thick. Finally, Amber broke it, her voice trembling but resolute.
"How do we kill them?"
Pointing at the clubs on the ground, Aurelian smirked. "Just smash their heads in. That should do it."
He tossed another set of wristbands their way. "These, and the ones I gave you earlier, should give you another layer of protection. If you still fall after this... then it was inevitable from the beginning."
With that, his figure blurred into the distance, his voice echoing behind him.
"Time to go all in."