The lingering image of Emily faded as Adam's attention snapped back to the immediate threat. He took a deep breath, the subtle hum of the tent's mana barrier a comforting counterpoint to the growing tension. His stomach grumbled, a stark reminder of his basic needs.
Stepping cautiously, Adam moved to the very edge of the tent's protective barrier, his Mana Vision active. He scanned the dense foliage just beyond the shimmering field. Lyra was right. They were everywhere. He counted them: 15 distinct mana signatures, each one a small, agile shape, radiating a low but cohesive energy. They were hunkered down, their crude weapons glinting faintly in the dim light, eyes undoubtedly fixed on his tent.
To test their patience, Adam took the empty plastic bottle he'd salvaged from the random boxes. With a quick flick of his wrist, he tossed it just outside the barrier. Before it even hit the ground, a blur of motion, and a sharp thwack. An arrow, crudely fletched but tipped with obsidian, impaled the bottle, pinning it to a nearby tree. Their aim was precise, their intent clear.
"Lyra," Adam said, his voice flat, "what are my chances against fifteen of these Red Goblins? My stomach's empty, and I don't exactly have a sword."
Overwhelming Odds
Lyra's response was blunt, devoid of any attempt to soften the grim reality. "Adam, under current circumstances, your chances of survival against fifteen Red Goblins in direct combat are virtually non-existent. There are multiple critical factors at play."
"Firstly, their numbers are overwhelming. Even for an experienced combatant, a 1-to-15 ratio against an intelligent, coordinated enemy is almost always fatal."
"Secondly," Lyra continued, "Red Goblins, like most creatures in the Unknown Lands, exist at their maximum evolutionary potential. This means they possess physical durability, agility, and attack potency equivalent to what would be considered 'max level' in a conventional system – effectively Level 100. While your mana regulation has stabilized your body, you remain at Level 1, with no combat-oriented skills."
Adam grimaced. Level 1 against Level 100s. It was a death sentence.
"Your previous success against the Gloomfang was a unique anomaly," Lyra explained, her voice now more analytical. "The Gloomfang, while powerful, is a creature of immense size with well-documented, fundamental weaknesses in its vital organs—its eyes and respiratory system. My ability to process millions of combat scenarios allowed us to identify and exploit these specific vulnerabilities, which are critical for any living organism.
Furthermore, the Gloomfang is a solitary hunter, meaning you faced only one adversary."
"The Red Goblins, conversely, are intelligent and highly adaptable. They lack such easily exploitable common weaknesses. They are also highly social, and their tactics will involve flanking maneuvers, coordinated attacks, and exploiting any perceived vulnerability. Facing them head-on is not a viable strategy for survival, Adam. You would be overwhelmed instantly."
The reality of his predicament settled over Adam like a shroud. He was safe for now, but trapped. The sun was rising, and the goblins were waiting.
The fifteen Red Goblins outside, their crude weapons glinting, effectively held Adam hostage. He was trapped, safe for now, but unable to move without becoming prey. He looked at his few possessions: the nearly useless pile of random box trash, the Mana-Repelling Tent, and the Universal Shaping Tool, currently a simple metal rod.
His mind raced, desperate for an unconventional solution. "Lyra," he asked, a strange idea forming, "the Item Box... it can store anything, right? But you said not living creatures. What about a dead carcass?"
"Correct, Adam," Lyra confirmed. "The Item Box functions by shunting non-living matter into a dimensional subspace. Living organisms possess complex, active mana signatures that interfere with this process, making them impossible to store."
Adam's mana vision suddenly felt like a key. He could see the mana flowing, the subtle energies of all things. An unprecedented idea began to solidify. "What if... what if I tried to fuse the Item Box with my own body? Like, integrate it into my mana system?"
Lyra went silent. Adam could almost feel the intense computational processes whirling within her, cross-referencing every known magical theory, every physiological possibility, every recorded anomaly. The silence stretched, tense with anticipation.
Finally, Lyra's voice returned, a subtle tremor in her usually unflappable tone. "Adam, under normal circumstances, such a feat would be unequivocally impossible. The structural integrity of a dimensional artifact like the Item Box is immense, and its interaction with a biological mana system would typically result in catastrophic energy feedback loops."
She paused, then continued, a note of awe entering her voice. "However... your current state is an unprecedented exception. Your body's unique and rapid mana manipulation, combined with my direct neural integration and the inherent 'glitch' in your system's connection to this world, creates a singular opportunity. It's a phenomenon never before recorded. The complexity of the Item Box's dimensional magic, if unraveled by both your mana control and my analytical capabilities, could potentially yield a unique ability upon successful integration."
Adam's breath hitched. A gamble, but one that offered an escape from his immediate trap and perhaps, a path to true power. He wasn't just surviving anymore; he was adapting in ways this world had never seen.
The risks were immense, the outcome uncertain. But the alternative was starvation or confrontation with fifteen max-level goblins.