Chapter 3: The Last Seven
The dim light of the cave flickered across the damp stone walls. Aiden's eyes darted constantly, following every shadow, every subtle movement. The echoes of his sword clashing against goblin clubs reverberated faintly, bouncing off the rocky walls. Sweat stung his eyes, but he refused to blink.
[System: Kills 93/100]
Seven. Only seven goblins remained. But these weren't the slow, predictable enemies from before. Their movements were sharper, faster, and their yellow eyes glimmered with a faint cunning. Each swing of their reinforced clubs was precise, as if they had learned from their fallen comrades.
The live chat panel in the corner of his HUD pulsed with activity.
Dragoon: last seven huh… careful man
Dragoon: they are tougher than the rest
Dragoon: maybe use the wall or choke point?
Aiden let out a small breath. "Yeah… I noticed," he murmured to himself. His hands tightened around the sword's hilt. The cave narrowed ahead, jagged stalagmites forming natural choke points. Perfect for controlling the number of goblins attacking at once.
No mana. No skills. Just stamina, sword, and quick thinking.
He shifted slightly, testing the ground. The goblins mirrored his movements, their posture wide, ready to block, parry, or dodge. Their health seemed higher, stronger than anything he had faced so far—roughly 1.5 times the regular goblins.
Aiden backed into a narrow corridor formed by collapsed stone. The goblins closed in, forming a semi-circle around him. He counted silently. One at a time, then two if possible. That was his limit.
Dragoon: go left! pillar!
Dragoon: keep them lined up
Dragoon: you got this
A small smirk formed on his lips. "Alright… one at a time." He crouched slightly, feeling the VR interface simulate every ounce of tension in his arms and legs.
The nearest goblin lunged with a reinforced club. Aiden sidestepped to the left, letting the club slam harmlessly into the pillar. He countered immediately with a clean horizontal slash. The goblin staggered but stayed on its feet.
[System: Goblin HP – 50%]
He cursed under his breath. These goblins were stronger, faster, but still predictable. Timing was everything. He ducked another swing, pivoted around a pillar, and struck again. The first goblin finally collapsed.
[System: Kills 94/100]
Dragoon: nice!! careful next one
Dragoon: these last ones hit harder
Two goblins lunged simultaneously. Aiden's heart pounded. He couldn't dodge both forever. He forced them into the corridor, limiting them to one-at-a-time attacks. A swift strike, a block, a pivot, and the second fell.
[System: Kills 95/100]
His stamina bar flashed orange, warning him it was dropping fast. Every dodge, every swing, every parry was a calculated effort. No skill, no mana, just pure precision.
Three goblins left. He scanned for weaknesses. One reacted slightly slower than the others. He targeted it first. The second he pushed into a corner with a fallen pillar, striking with careful, deliberate swings.
[System: Kills 97/100]
Dragoon: last three!! you can do it
Dragoon: epic tension
Dragoon: i'm watching every move
Aiden's pulse raced. Hands trembling slightly, yet focus anchored him. Only two remained. They had begun to anticipate his movement, trying to flank. He darted behind another pillar. One lunged—he rolled, letting it crash harmlessly into the stone. The other swung—he parried and countered.
One-on-one trades now. Never more than one attack at a time. Terrain became his ally.
Finally, a horizontal slash followed by a low thrust toppled one goblin. Only one remained.
Dragoon: NO WAY
Dragoon: last one!!!
The last goblin snarled, charging with raw force. Aiden met it head-on. He dodged the first swing to the left, countered with a diagonal strike, stepped back, parried again, and ripped through its chest with a clean riposte.
[System: Kills 100/100]
[System: Floor 1 Cleared! +1 to all stats, skill upgrades available.]
Aiden dropped to his virtual knees, lungs burning. The VR feedback mirrored every bead of sweat, every muscle tremor, every heartbeat. Stamina nearly empty. No mana. Only his base skill, Slash, remained—but it would recharge only after rest.
[System: Floor 1 reward panel appeared]
Stat increase: +1 all
Skill upgrade unlocked: Slash → Double Slash (available Floor 2)
Equipment upgraded: Leather armor → Reinforced leather (+1 defense)
The live chat exploded.
Dragoon: you're insane… can't believe you did it without skills
Dragoon: i'll tell everyone about this
Dragoon: you're gonna get famous lol
Aiden let out a shaky laugh, leaning back in his chair. Four hours had passed. His body ached, mind buzzing with adrenaline. The stream had started with one viewer, but the thrill, the tension, the perfect execution—it was all worth it.
He glanced at the chat. The viewer count had jumped from one to thirty-seven, messages flooding fast.
Viewer1: whoa someone is playing the cursed game lol
Viewer2: no bro, that's not curse, that's nightmare
Dragoon: guys he cleared it in 60 minutes
Viewer3: hey hey are you serious? even Leon took 3 hours
Viewer4: wow… there are people who can clear in one hour huh
Aiden smiled faintly. Floor 1 complete. Seven goblins, tougher than expected, and he had survived without mana or special skills.
"Alright," he whispered to himself, wiping sweat from his brow, "this is only the beginning…"
He leaned back, letting the weight of victory settle in. The first stream might have been small, but he had done something remarkable. And for the first time, Aiden felt like he was truly starting.