Chapter 11: Blood, Bone, and Bonus Rewards
Just five meters ahead, another goblin limped through the thickets — unaware, unbothered.
Ethan exhaled slowly, trying to move with more control this time. Less panic, more precision. He steadied his stance, clenched his blood-crusted fists, and crept forward.
Then—
BAM!
His punch connected with a sickening crunch, sinking into the side of the goblin's skull. The creature spasmed, eyes rolling back as its legs gave out beneath it. Blood sprayed across Ethan's forearm, soaking into the cracked lines of dried gore from before.
> Goblin (Lv.3) killed. +5 XP.
He didn't flinch this time. Just breathed — heavy, shallow — watching the body slump silently to the ground.
Then came a soft ding in his ear. The cooldown had ended.
> [30-second cooldown complete.]
[Inspect] available.
He turned his gaze ahead… and froze.
A larger figure emerged from the brush — nearly a head taller than the others, its body thick with ropy muscle and jagged scars. Its eyes were narrow, intelligent. Mean.
[Inspecting…]
Target: Hobgoblin
Estimated Stats:
STR — 1.8
VIT — 2.3
CON — 2.5
AGI — 1.1
STA — 2.2
INT — 1.5
Ethan took a step back.
Then the system chimed again—clear, mechanical, and way too cheerful for what it meant:
> [New Quest: Eliminate the Hobgoblin Commander]
Objective: Kill the Hobgoblin Commander.
Reward: +4 Unassigned Stat Points, Skill: [Magic Arrow]
He blinked.
"...Stats and a ...skill!?"
A slow grin stretched across his blood-spattered face.
"Now that's more like it."
"Hmm… this one might be a problem."
Ethan's eyes narrowed at the hobgoblin's imposing frame, stats still glowing faintly in his vision.
But hesitation wasn't an option.
He bolted.
His fist slammed straight toward the creature's chest—but was caught mid-air by a thick, muscled arm. A sharp crack echoed as the hobgoblin's forearm buckled slightly under the force.
The beast groaned in pain—then snarled, eyes flashing with fury.
With a guttural roar, it flung its club at Ethan like a man possessed.
Ethan crossed his arms instinctively—
THUD!
The impact sent him stumbling back a few steps, arms burning from the blow.
"Not... bad," he muttered, steadying himself.
Without waiting, he unsheathed the rough-edged sword hanging at his back and slashed forward in one fluid arc—
A clean cut tore across the hobgoblin's chest, spraying blood in a hot mist.
The beast reeled back, howling—
> [Skill Activated: Brute Surge]
(Temporarily increases STR by 0.8)
Veins bulged across its body as it surged forward again, club raised high, eyes gleaming with wild rage.
WHAM!
The club came crashing down in a vertical arc—but Ethan met it again with crossed arms.
This time, he gritted his teeth, digging his heels into the dirt.
The moment the blow ended, he lunged.
A savage uppercut smashed into the hobgoblin's chin—its head snapped back, blood erupting from its nose, mouth, even ears.
Stunned. Wide-eyed.
Ethan twisted, momentum building—
WHACK!
A spinning heel kick crashed into the side of the hobgoblin's skull.
The beast's eyes rolled back before its massive frame hit the ground like a collapsing tower.
> [Hobgoblin Commander killed. +15 XP.]
[Quest Complete: Eliminate the Hobgoblin Commander]
Rewards Earned:
— +4 Unassigned Stat Points
— Skill Gained: [Magic Arrow]
He panted, fists still trembling.
"...Damn," he muttered, grinning through blood and sweat. "Now that's how you level up."
Ethan exhaled, rolling his shoulders as the body of the hobgoblin slumped into stillness.
"Whew…"
Then a thought struck him.
"Wait... how much more XP do I even need to level up?"
> [Status Interface – Active]
Level: 2
XP: 27 / 230
"Oh..."
A long blink. Then a dry laugh.
"Seriously? That little?"
His gaze drifted upward as he leaned against a nearby tree, catching his breath.
> Level XP scaling detected.
Next level requirement formula:
XP required = (Previous level requirement × 2) + (30% of previous requirement)
"So... Level 1 needed 100 XP.
Level 2 needed 200 + 30 — that's 230.
Next one's... what? 460 + 69 — 529 XP?!"
He groaned and let his head fall back against the bark.
"Man, that's brutal. It's gonna be a damn grind later on..."
But then, a grin curled on his lips.
"...Tiring work. But enjoyable."
He let out a small chuckle, almost feral.
"Hehe... bring it on."
Just as Ethan caught his breath, the sounds of battle still echoed nearby.
The rest of the goblins, momentarily stunned by the hobgoblin's death, regained their aggression—but so did the men.
With renewed fury, they charged.
The leader, not even pausing after Ethan's clash, turned and rushed at the next goblin, blade whirling with brutal efficiency. Meanwhile, the other two soldiers flanked from both sides, quickly cutting down the remaining enemies.
By the time Ethan stepped forward to assist, the final goblin's head was already rolling across the forest floor, the leader standing over the twitching corpse.
Silence fell.
Only the labored breathing of the survivors remained.
Then—
"I-Is… is it over…?" came a trembling voice.
It was one of the drivers, barely peeking out from behind a shattered wheel, still clutching a stone as if it could save him. His face was pale, legs shaking like leaves in a storm.
Ethan didn't respond.
His eyes were fixed on the leader—who had suddenly turned.
And was walking toward him.
Not hurriedly.
Not slowly.
Just steadily.
But with every step, the air seemed to grow heavier.
The killing intent that had fueled his brutal brawl hadn't faded. If anything, it clung to him like steam off a bloodied forge.
Ethan tensed instinctively.
'Don't tell me… are they going to turn on me now?'
The leader stopped a few feet away.
His eyes met Ethan's—intense, unreadable.
Then he opened his mouth to speak.
"You—"
---
[To be continued]
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A/N:
Thanks for reading Chapter 11! I'm really glad you're sticking with the story.
If you're enjoying Ethan's journey, your support means everything—whether it's a comment, a power stone, or just a quiet read. Chapter 12 will bring some real surprises.
See you soon!