Theus fell in line with the stream of student Players, all heading deeper into the G-rank gate. The plains stretched out, a vast expanse of green under the afternoon sun, dotted with clusters of trees and low hills. The air, still fresh and clean, carried the distant sounds of shouts and faint thuds – the sounds of combat.
"So, where are we going?" Theus asked John, one of the Taekwondo group members walking beside him.
"You probably don't know this," John replied, adjusting the collar of his pristine white uniform. "But there's a natural spawn point for some of the goblins. If we just wait for them to pop up randomly, we ain't gonna be hitting Level 10 anytime soon."
"Yeah, that's why it's gonna take three days otherwise," Mark chimed in from Theus's other side, a hint of weariness already in his voice.
"And I definitely don't want to be here for three fucking days," Peter grumbled, stretching his neck. "That's too long for an 'application.'"
"Fortunately, the seniors gave us some tips," Dennis added, a slight smirk on his face.
"So, uhh… what are we expecting once we get there?" Theus pressed, curious.
"Well, they said it's some kind of forest settlement," Chris, who seemed to be the oldest and most composed of the group, explained. "And our seniors advised us to wait at a distance from the main settlement to attract a large number of them. After we clear out the initial horde, they said an elite monster will appear."
Mark suddenly slapped Theus lightly on the shoulder. "Right, we probably didn't add you to our party yet! We might leave you out on the experience and loot." He opened his System interface, his fingers flying across the translucent screen.
A notification shimmered into existence before Theus's eyes:
[ "Beer Boys" has invited you to their party. ] [ Join ] [ Cancel ]
Theus smiled, a genuine warmth spreading through him. He pressed 'Join'. Immediately, names appeared above their heads, glowing faintly in the air, each accompanied by a small 'Level 1' indicator.
John (Level 1)
Mark (Level 1)
Peter (Level 1)
Dennis (Level 1)
Chris (Level 1)
Theus (Level 1)
"Eyyy, there's his name!" Mark exclaimed, pointing at Theus's floating tag.
"So, what class skills do you have, Theus?" John asked, his tone practical. "We need it for party tactics, of course."
"Yeah," Dennis added, "we all have the 'Skybreaker Disciple' class. Whatever that is, it's aligned to our Taekwondo style—lots of kicks and stuff. And our tactics tend to involve a lot of running, so just so you know."
"Oh, if that's the case," Theus began, "mine involves punching and… uhhh… true damage."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "True damage?"
"Yeah," John interjected, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "Like the one in Dota 2, true damage. Like Timbersaw using Chakram."
"Ohhhh…" Chris's eyes widened. "So it ignores armor and protection and stuff?"
"Yeah…" Theus confirmed, feeling a slight unease at the comparison to a video game character, but it was accurate enough.
Peter, the most intellectual-looking of the group, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I've read a lot of PBA documented classes. I don't recall any class using true damage that also restricts you from wearing armor or wielding weapons, right?" He looked at Theus, a question in his gaze.
"Yeah, that's right," Theus confirmed, deliberately not elaborating. He wasn't ready to reveal his Unique class rank just yet; the true damage was already enough to raise eyebrows.
"It might probably be one of those uncommon, undocumented classes," Chris mused. "Every time the System cooks up a new class, it's always undocumented and oddly random."
Peter crumpled his hair. "Yeah, you're probably right." Then, his eyes snapped to a point in the distance, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Hey! Goblin horde!"
Chris, taking the lead, turned to Theus with a confident smile. "Alright, Theus! Let us show you how we fight so you can adjust!"
With a synchronized burst of speed, the group moved. They didn't charge head-on but criss-crossed, a blur of black and white uniforms. Their movements were fluid, disciplined. John launched a shimmering, golden kick that sent a goblin reeling back, its crude club clattering. Mark followed with a spinning back-kick, a faint blue aura trailing his leg, knocking another goblin off its feet. They were a whirlwind of acrobatic strikes, each kick landing with a sharp, concussive force. They hit, they spun, they moved, never allowing the goblins to surround them. Their hit-and-run strategy was efficient, a dance of controlled chaos. Goblins fell, one after another, their green forms collapsing to the grass.
The horde thinned rapidly. But in the frenzy, two smaller goblins, surprisingly agile, broke through the perimeter. Their eyes, beady and malicious, fixed on Theus, who was momentarily caught off guard by the speed and precision of his new teammates.
Panic flared in Theus's chest. He hadn't expected them to get past. The first goblin, smaller than the B-rank agent but still menacing, swung its club low. Theus instinctively brought his arm up, the rough wood connecting with his forearm with a dull thud. A jolt of pain shot up his arm, and he stumbled back, a grimace twisting his face. This wasn't a practice dummy. This was real.
The second goblin lunged, a crude spear aimed at his chest. Theus sidestepped clumsily, a desperate, raw instinct taking over. He lashed out with his left fist, a wild, unrefined punch that connected with the first goblin's jaw. There was no satisfying crunch, just a sickening squelch as his true damage bypassed its meager defenses. The goblin's head snapped back, and it dropped like a sack of potatoes.
The spear-wielding goblin shrieked, pressing its attack. Theus roared, a guttural sound he barely recognized as his own. He ducked under the spear, grabbed the shaft, and twisted, yanking the goblin off balance. With a surge of primal strength, he pulled it close, then unleashed a flurry of rapid, brutal punches to its face and chest. Each hit was a direct, unfiltered impact, bypassing its skin, muscle, and bone as if they were air. The goblin gurgled, its eyes rolling back, before collapsing in a heap.
He stood over the twitching forms, his chest heaving, adrenaline coursing through him like a wildfire. His right hand, the one that had delivered the final, pulverizing blows, trembled violently. A thick, viscous purple-red goblin blood coated his knuckles, slick and warm.
A System notification flashed:
[ You leveled up 3x! ]
The Taekwondo group approached, their faces still flushed from their own combat, but now looking at Theus with a mixture of awe and amusement.
"Well," John said, a slight grin. "That was... effective."
Mark chuckled, shaking his head. "First time beating someone to death, huh?" He smiled at Theus.
Theus managed a shaky smile back, still breathing heavily. "Yeah. It's… exhilarating."
Chris, ever the pragmatic one, clapped Theus on the back, a little harder than necessary. "Hopefully that 'exhilarating' part is a good thing," he said, his smile widening. "Assuming you don't turn into a psychopath."