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It jumped at me.
I barely dodged in time, the sudden movement sending my heart racing. My eyes snapped toward the creature that had attacked me, and I finally saw it.
A goblin.
I exhaled, relieved at first—goblins weren't usually that strong. But as I readied my sword and lunged forward, my blade met an unexpected resistance.
CLANG!
The goblin had blocked my attack.
"What—how?!" I gasped as the creature shoved me backward with surprising force. I staggered, my boots scraping against the dirt. That wasn't normal. Goblins weren't supposed to be this strong.
Then I remembered.
"You must never underestimate monsters, Zerro," master Sin Ju had told me once.
"Some are far stronger than you'd expect. A weak enemy can become your greatest threat if you're careless."
I gritted my teeth. He was right. I had been careless. This wasn't like sparring with master—this was real. This was life or death.
The goblin snarled, its beady red eyes glinting with malice as it charged at me again. Our blades clashed, sparks flying as I pushed forward with all my strength. It was fast, unpredictable, and far stronger than any goblin I had ever imagined facing. I had to end this quickly.
We exchanged blows, my sword dancing against its crude weapon. It lunged, trying to land a strike against my torso, but I twisted my body just in time, feeling the wind of its blade as it narrowly missed. I retaliated with a swift counterattack, slicing across its arm, drawing dark, oozing blood. The goblin screeched but didn't retreat.
We both leaped at each other again.
I swung, it dodged.
It stabbed, I parried.
A tense moment of silence passed as we stared each other down, waiting for the other to make a mistake.
Then, just as it lunged again, it made one.
The goblin tripped, its foot catching on an exposed root.
"Perfect," I muttered, seizing the opportunity. I dashed forward, my sword raised high, and with one swift motion—I drove my blade through its chest.
The goblin let out a final, choked gasp before falling limp.
Panting, I pulled my sword free, wiping the blood on the grass. "that was kinda hard."
I took a step back, staring at the lifeless body at my feet. My heart was still pounding from the fight. This was different from training, different from sparring with master. It was real. It was terrifying.
But if I wanted to protect myself, if I wanted to grow stronger—I had to get used to this.
My gaze drifted toward the direction the goblin had come from. There was a faint trail in the underbrush, a path leading deeper into the forest. My instincts told me that this goblin wasn't alone.
I hesitated.
Part of me wanted to follow the path immediately—to hunt down the rest of them. But another part of me knew better. I had a destination. The Adventurer's Guild. That had to come first.
"Next time"
I promised myself.
"Next time, I'll track them down."
For now, I pressed on toward the city.
The rest of my journey was long and exhausting. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow over the landscape. My body ached from the fight, and my mind replayed the battle over and over again.
I finally reached the outskirts of Matines City, the sight of its towering walls bringing a wave of relief over me. This was my home. A city of opportunity, a place where people of all backgrounds could thrive. It was where my journey was truly meant to begin.
And there it was.
The Adventurer's Guild.
A grand structure standing at the heart of the city, its banners flowing in the evening breeze. I stared at it for a long moment, my heart beating with anticipation.
This was it.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward.
My journey had only just begun.
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