Short, barely four feet tall, skin a sickly green, with jagged teeth and long, pointed ears that almost resembled an elf's—this was the Goblin, the first monster found on the upper floors of the Dungeon.
Most Goblins were pack hunters. Where there was one, there were at least five more lurking nearby. Every weak Adventurer knew the rule—stick together or die. Monsters followed the same logic.
"Ji! Ji! Ji!"
A Goblin screeched, lunging forward with a short dagger in hand. Its movements were quick—almost like a trained sprinter. Its small stature only made it faster and more agile.
The blade flashed toward Tsuna's waist.
Tsuna saw the attack coming and casually tilted his wrist, just enough to redirect the strike. Without even moving his feet, he used the Goblin's own momentum and slammed his palm against its face.
Spinning his body with practiced ease, Tsuna smashed the Goblin hard into the stone wall. The impact stunned it instantly, its dagger arm going limp.
He snatched the dagger from its grip and, without hesitation, flung it backward.
"Ji!!"
The blade flew true, stabbing clean through the eye of another Goblin that had been trying to ambush him from behind. It let out a shrill cry, writhing in pain.
Tsuna stepped in before it could recover, closing the distance in a single smooth motion.
"Ji-ji!"
Despite the dagger buried in its eye, the Goblin raised a longsword and swung it down with a violent shriek.
For such a small creature, its strength wasn't bad—it could lift a one-meter sword with one hand. But against someone who fought up close, that weapon was a disadvantage.
Tsuna slipped right under the swing the moment the blade came down.
Clang!
The sword crashed into the ground, ringing sharply. The Goblin's arm trembled from the impact—just enough for Tsuna to seize it. Without pause, he gripped its wrist, lifted both the Goblin and its sword in one motion, and spun.
"Shhk!"
The longsword sliced clean through the neck of a third Goblin that had pounced toward him. Its head flew off in an instant.
Using the motion to twist his torso, Tsuna hurled the Goblin he was holding straight into a fourth one charging forward with a shield.
"Ji-ji!!"
Even as it flew, the Goblin clung desperately to its sword—but it still crashed into the shield-bearer, stopping its charge cold. Tsuna advanced without missing a beat, stomped down on the tangled Goblin's face, and grabbed the dagger still lodged in the other one's eye.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying upward.
At that exact moment, a fifth Goblin leapt out from behind the rubble. The dagger pierced straight through its skull midair, dropping it like a swatted insect.
In just a few seconds, two Goblins were dead, one was disabled, one was pinned, and another was trapped underfoot.
"Way smoother than I expected."
Tsuna exhaled softly, almost amused. His first fight in the Dungeon had gone far better than he'd imagined. Taking on five Goblins at once—and winning so effortlessly—wasn't something most first-timers could say.
They were small, fast, and surprisingly strong for their size. But now, Tsuna had a much clearer grasp of what they were capable of.
Compared to brute force, using Annihilation Maker was an even easier way to handle them. His gaze flicked to the three still squirming Goblins, and an idea formed in his mind.
Slime.
Three translucent blue Slimes dropped from above, enveloping the Goblins completely. Through the gelatinous bodies, he could see the creatures thrashing wildly—but within moments, their movements slowed, then stopped entirely. Suffocated to death.
"Impressive. Your first time facing monsters, and you're calmer than any Adventurer I've ever seen," came Finn Deimne's voice from behind. "Not a hint of panic during combat. You kept track of every monster's movements and reacted precisely. Extraordinary."
It was as if Tsuna could predict every action before it happened. Finn had been watching carefully, ready to step in if needed—but his help had been unnecessary.
Unlike other first-time Adventurers, who froze or lost control the moment they saw a monster, Tsuna handled it with unnerving composure.
"Your adaptability is remarkable—that's a huge advantage," Finn continued. "You're conserving stamina, too. That's a critical habit to develop. The Dungeon isn't forgiving. People die here because they push too hard. Learning to pace yourself is how you survive."
From start to finish, Tsuna had done everything right. He stayed calm, fought efficiently, used the least energy possible, and countered every monster's weapon with the perfect response.
Finn couldn't help but admire him. Tsuna's talent in battle was undeniable. For someone supposedly facing monsters for the first time, his poise and technique were far beyond what should've been possible.
It wasn't just raw ability—he had an instinct for combat itself.
Even if Finn didn't know how far Tsuna could grow, if that growth matched his current talent—even reaching someone on Raul's level would make him worth nurturing.
Watching Tsuna's performance, Finn felt a spark of excitement stir in his chest.
He knew the Pallum race couldn't rise again relying solely on the "results" he'd been chasing. Still, he refused to abandon his dream of conquering the Dungeon's deeper floors. If he wanted to uplift the Pallums, he first had to make a name for himself.
And now, with Tsuna showing such promise—Finn could see that future shining brighter than ever.