POV Logan
I finally entered the forest in search of low-level monsters to kill. Besides earning some money, this would help me level up. And if my level goes up, so do my stats—especially the most important one: my Calculation stat.
As I moved forward, I came across my first monster. It had wrinkled green skin in places.
It was a goblin armed with a spear that, at first glance, looked very rudimentary.
The moment it saw me, it rushed at me at full speed.
"What a mistake."
A wall immediately rose between me and the goblin—but this wall was special, as I had shaped spikes into it. The goblin, who had been charging at me like a madman, ended up impaled on it. It trembled in pain, its body pierced in multiple places, spilling blood onto the ground and the wall.
Then, after a few brief seconds, it died.
A message appeared on my status, and I felt my body strengthen, sending a pleasant sensation through me.
Level up. 1 ➔ 4
Name: Logan | Race: Human | Age: 18 | Profession: Avenger-??? | Level: 4
Vitality: 108 | Magic Power: 56 | Attack: 40 | Defense: 42 | Speed: 35 | Endurance: 31 | Agility: 36 | Intelligence: 159 | Physical: 55 | Willpower: 128 | Calculation: 110
Skills: (None)
Unique Skills: (None)
Legendary Skills: (None)
Exclusive Skills: Vector Control, Ultra-Fast Learning, Encyclopedia
Elements: (None)
"My stats went up a bit. I gained over 10 in Calculation not bad. But some of the other stats barely increased, and some didn't go up at all," I noted curiously.
I looked at the goblin impaled on the wall as its blood continued to flow abundantly, then grabbed its spear.
"I'm going to need this. Thanks."
With the spear now in my hand, the nearby foliage suddenly rustled. To my great surprise, a group of fifteen goblins emerged, looking visibly enraged.
"Oh? You've come to avenge your friend?"
They screamed and answered by hurling their spears with all their strength, but even as the weapons sped toward me, I remained calm. I focused my will to use my skills and defend myself against the incoming attack. Confidence in my abilities was growing inside me, allowing me to face this adversity with composure and determination.
"Let's try this now."
Without flinching, I held my ground, standing perfectly still as the goblins' spears finally reached my range. To my great satisfaction, they all fell harmlessly to the ground without leaving so much as a scratch on me. The goblins looked surprised and confused by the failure of their assault.
[Calculation capacity used: 45/110]
"Good. Now let me show you how it's done," I said with a smile.
Gripping the spear tightly in my hand, I hurled it with exceptional force and speed toward one of the goblins. The spear pierced through its chest before it even had time to react, dropping it lifeless to the ground with a gaping hole in its body. Thanks to my skill, I had accelerated the spear's speed to its limit, making it feel like I was wielding a true firearm.
That precise strike shocked the remaining goblins, who had no idea what had just happened.
A few seconds later, they regained their senses only to immediately decide to flee. Unfortunately for them, I hadn't given them permission to escape. They were all impaled by the very same spears they had thrown at me earlier.
Level Up. 4 ➔ 8
Name: Logan | Race: Human | Age: 18 | Profession: Avenger-??? | Level: 8
Vitality: 120 | Magic Power: 56 | Attack: 50 | Defense: 50 | Speed: 47 | Endurance: 40 | Agility: 40 | Intelligence: 170 | Physical: 64 | Willpower: 140 | Calculation: 130
Skills: (None)
Unique Skills: (None)
Legendary Skills: (None)
Exclusive Skills: Vector Control, Ultra-Fast Learning, Encyclopedia
Elements: (None)
It wasn't bad at all I'd gained 4 levels in less than an hour, and the best part was that I wasn't even tired. I wanted to keep going, but if I continued like this, I wouldn't be able to carry all the bodies back. So I decided to head back to the guild with 16 goblin corpses, all impaled on a stone spike. Since they were all quite small, it wasn't too hard to stack them.
"How much can I get for these 16 goblins?" I asked the receptionist, who looked at me strangely.
"You know, for small prey like goblins, you only need to extract the mana crystal from their bodies as proof that you subdued them!" she replied with a smile.
"Ah, I didn't know. Sorry. But about the reward?"
"You'll receive 160 copper coins."
"So that's 10 coins per head, and copper coins seem to have little value. I need to learn more about this world," I thought quickly.
I then asked the receptionist if there was a place where I could learn more:
"Tell me, do you have a library?"
"Yes, of course, but it's reserved for guild members."
"And how does one become a member?"
"To register, you need to pay 200 copper coins. Then you'll be issued a Guild Card along with your adventurer rank."
"I see. Thank you. Also, can I leave these here?" I asked, pointing to the goblins piled on the spike.
"And where are you going?" she asked curiously.
"Hunting!"
I went to a small shop and bought a little bag, then headed back toward the forest at full speed, accelerating myself the same way I had with the spears.
I quickly reached the forest.
[Calculation capacity used: 50]
I found a small group of 20 goblins, and with an instinctive grin, I picked up some nearby stones and quickly shaped them into sharp projectiles. With a swift motion, I hurled these improvised spikes at the group of goblins. The projectiles struck their targets with remarkable accuracy, piercing every single goblin straight through the head, killing them spectacularly.
Only one goblin survived, but it immediately fled upon realizing all its comrades had been wiped out in an instant. My growing mastery of my skills allowed me to face more and more enemies with deadly efficiency.
Level Up. 8 ➔ 11
"They're already giving me less experience," I thought as I watched the remaining goblin run. "That's fine. Lead me to your village." I said, following him.
For over ten minutes, I chased the fleeing goblin through the forest.
Eventually, a clearing opened up before me, dotted with wooden huts.
It was clearly a goblin camp, and the alarm was raised the moment the goblin I had been pursuing arrived.
The huts quickly emptied, and dozens of other goblins began converging en masse from their shelters.
Facing the enormous group of over 200 enraged goblins, I made no attempt to hide and deliberately exposed myself. Their furious roars echoed through the forest. Suddenly, the sky darkened as a rain of spears was launched by the goblins in my direction.
My brain kicked into overdrive, quickly calculating that I couldn't protect myself from all the incoming spears with my current skills.
Choosing evasion this time, I skillfully dodged the spears.
The projectiles all embedded themselves into the ground behind me, forming a deadly forest of spikes. My quick decision had allowed me to avoid imminent danger, but the situation remained extremely tense.
The goblins' enraged cries tore through the forest as they charged at me in a furious stampede.
Creating a wall wouldn't be enough to stop them all this time. I quickly realized it was time to change strategies. Instead of confronting them head-on, I decided to trap and bombard them.
My mind raced to calculate the best way to set up this trap. I needed a tactical advantage that would allow me to win in this perilous situation. My time to act was limited, and I had to be fast and precise to hope to survive this murderous goblin charge.
With calm determination, I placed one hand on the ground. The goblins, initially confused, quickly realized something strange was happening. Instead of continuing to run toward me, they began falling, the sunlight above them fading as they sank into a massive pit I had created.
My power had taken over, trapping them in an unexpected ambush. Panic seized the goblin horde as they tumbled into the hole I had generated.
My second hand touched the ground, causing deadly spikes to erupt upward, creating a lethal trap. I stood back up to watch the macabre spectacle unfolding before my eyes goblins falling into the pit I had created and being impaled from all sides. Their screams of terror and pain echoed throughout the forest.
Of course, a few survived, but I didn't hesitate to bombard them with the very spears they had thrown at me, ending their lives.
The pit quickly filled with their blood in copious amounts, creating a nightmarish tableau of destruction. My strategy had worked, allowing me to repel the goblin assault efficiently and brutally.
"Well, that's a lot of blood. We could almost swim in it soon."
Level Gains. 11 ➔ 23
< New Titles Acquired >
Goblin Exterminator:
By your hands, dozens of goblins have perished, unable to stop you. Their screams still echo through the forests you've purged. To them, you are no longer just an opponent, but a legend.
Your name inspires fear in their lairs.
Merciless:
You grant neither respite nor mercy. In your presence, even the weak are given no chance. You execute without trembling, without averting your gaze. This icy cruelty forges your reputation and shatters the morale of your enemies before you even strike.
Name: Logan | Race: Human | Age: 18 | Profession: Avenger-??? | Level: 23
Vitality: 210 | Magic Power: 56 | Attack: 75 | Defense: 72 | Speed: 55 | Endurance: 74 | Agility: 66 | Intelligence: 190 | Physical: 80 | Willpower: 160 | Calculation: 148
Skills: (None) | Unique Skills: (None) | Legendary Skills: (None) | Exclusive Skills: Vector Control, Ultra-Fast Learning, Encyclopedia
Elements: (None)
Titles Acquired:
Goblin Exterminator Merciless
-----
Monster Encyclopedia
GOBLIN
Type: Monstrous Humanoid
Size: 1 m to 1.3 m on average
Appearance: Greenish skin, long bony limbs, large pointed ears, glowing eyes (often yellow or red), sharp teeth.
Element: None by default, but can learn as they level up or evolve.
Intelligence Level: Low to moderate (capable of ambushes, traps, and simple cunning)
Disposition: Highly aggressive, brutal, hostile toward all other species, including their own kind.
Diet
Omnivorous, but opportunistic predators: animal meat, carrion, roots, berries, giant insects... Often practice cannibalism, especially during power struggles or famines. Sometimes capture members of other races (mostly humanoid females) to force them to reproduce a cruel practice particularly feared by travelers.
Notable Traits
Extremely rapid reproduction: some clans can triple their numbers in just a few months. Strict tribal hierarchy based on strength or cunning. Dangerous mainly in groups: one is weak, many are deadly. Capable of crafting makeshift weapons, primitive explosives, or vicious traps. Can evolve (exposure to mana, rituals, or natural mutations) into much more dangerous variants.
Description
Goblins are among the most widespread and detestable monsters on the continent. Though they appear weak and grotesque, they remain highly dangerous not due to brute strength, but because of their numbers, cruelty, and unpredictability. Organized into tribal packs, they infest forests, ruins, underground tunnels, and abandoned roadside areas.
Their society follows the law of the strongest. The weak serve as slaves or cannon fodder. They sometimes capture human, elven, or beast-women to ensure the survival or expansion of their tribe by brutal means. These acts are one of the reasons goblins are hunted relentlessly by certain guilds.
Underestimated by novices, they are responsible for numerous disappearances, especially when their lairs are not discovered in time.
Habitat
Dense forests Forgotten ruins Damp caves
Natural Specialties
Coordinated group attacks Ingenious trap-making despite low intelligence Instinctive cunning: distraction, camouflage, decoy howls
Examples of Known Variants
Scout Goblin: Fast, stealthy, often strikes first. Soldier Goblin: Agile, trained for combat, proficient with various weapons. Shaman Goblin: Capable of casting spells (fire, poison, confusion, etc.). High Goblin: Intelligent, physically stronger, can cast spells. Berserk Goblin: Intelligent and enraged, immune to pain, frequently sacrifices itself in battle; powerful, lives outside communities. Goblin King: Intelligent, powerful, and cruel; capable of uniting entire armies of goblins; extremely rare and feared.
"A lone goblin? It's a trap. Two goblins? It's already too late."