The clone acted like a cool guy protecting a damsel in distress. It made me extremely uncomfortable, but I let him do whatever he wanted. After killing the first goblin, the second one panicked and tried to run away.
So they're actually intelligent…
I smiled as I watched my clone finish it off.
He kicked the goblin, making it drop its club. Then he picked up the club and used it to smash the goblin's head. Its head exploded just like the first one's. Even though it was a bit of a grotesque scene, their bodies disappeared shortly afterward.
They turned into particles of light and vanished, as if I were inside a game.
Soon after, several messages appeared.
[ EXP +10 ]
[ EXP +10 ]
"Oh? They give very little EXP," I said before the messages disappeared. Then I looked at the clone and noticed that it was staggering. Moments later, it collapsed to the ground and began bleeding profusely.
I approached and watched until it bled out completely and disappeared soon after.
"He got hurt more than I expected. The goblin's knife probably hit something vital. Can I summon another clone immediately, or do I have to wait?"
When I tried to summon a new clone, a system message appeared.
[ You can summon another clone in 29:34 ]
"At least it's only 30 minutes. I thought it would take longer."
Come to think of it, I couldn't see the clones' status. Is their status identical to mine? That's probably the case. Could I blow a goblin's head apart like he did?
"Hm?"
That was when I noticed some stones on the ground. They were stones with a very beautiful and eye-catching appearance.
"Are these goblin drops? Then I really am inside a game. Probably a dungeon."
And if this place is a dungeon, it probably has many floors.
Judging by the goblins' strength, I'm not on a very difficult floor.
Now I don't know whether the exit is up or down.
It might even be a tower.
"Damn it, how am I supposed to find a way out of this place? System, can't you help me with that?"
I got no response. I thought it might be one of those systems that talked to its host, but I wasn't that lucky.
"Should I wait for someone else to show up? Do other people explore this dungeon?"
I sighed and began walking carefully.
I picked up the goblin's knife to protect myself, though I wasn't sure it would be enough.
After walking for a few minutes, I encountered more monsters. This time they weren't goblins—their appearance was different.
"I know these monsters. The goblins weren't unfamiliar either."
I'm certain they're kobolds.
'Am I in a world I recognize? It could be the world of something I read in the past. I've seen these monsters before, I'm sure of it.'
But now isn't the time to think about that.
I'll think about it later.
The kobolds noticed my presence. Fortunately, they were unarmed. Still, they were more frightening than goblins. They had extremely sharp claws and terrifying teeth.
I stared at them seriously and tried to stay calm.
I increased my stats. It'll be fine.
I don't know how strong 30 points of Strength really is, but that's 20 points above the base stats. It should be a significant change—basically triple the strength.
I smiled and pointed my knife at the kobolds.
'I hope I can move properly.'
Since I don't know how to fight, I just hope I don't mess this up.
The three kobolds charged at me, and I waited for them. They came at me like rabid dogs. I dodged all three attacks with ease—my body felt much lighter than normal.
I slipped beneath them as they all jumped at me at the same time.
Increasing my agility was the right choice.
I twisted my body and threw my knife at the back of one kobold's head.
I rushed forward, pulled the knife out, then spun again and stabbed it into the side of another kobold's head, piercing straight through.
The third kobold tried to swing its claws at me, but before it could, I clumsily kicked it away. It rolled across the floor, and I ran toward it. Before it could stand up, I jumped on top of it and plunged my knife into its head.
My movements were almost entirely instinctive.
[ You have acquired the skill "Knife Combat LV1" ]
"Oh? I can gain skills like this? Now things are getting interesting."
####
Smiling in satisfaction, I picked up the stones the kobolds had dropped after dying and put them into my pockets. Unfortunately, my pockets were already starting to fill up. These stones were probably what adventurers sold to earn money.
Since I just arrived in this world, I need money!
'I wish I had a bag or something.'
"Oh, there's someone here."
I heard someone's voice and turned around in shock, instinctively pointing my knife at them. The person was much shorter than me and had tanned skin.
She was wearing somewhat revealing clothes.
On top of that, she carried a double-bladed sword with the hilt in the middle. I had never seen a sword like that before.
"Tiona? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, I found someone here. He's pointing a knife at me. Should I do something? He doesn't look very strong, and he seems scared."
Then more people appeared.
Another tanned woman, bigger than the first one. A beautiful woman with long blond hair and a stoic expression. She had a thin-bladed sword resting at her waist.
'A rapier?'
The last person to appear was a man with animal ears.
His expression was filled with pure anger.
"What do you think you're doing!?" He walked toward me.
"I'm sorry, I panicked. I really don't know where I am."
I played dumb, trying to get help from these people.
I know them very well.
I can't believe I ended up in this world.
It's not one of my favorite worlds, but isn't it fun?
Especially with a skill—or system—like mine.