Eren Thorne sat quietly inside the Adventurer Guild of Drakenridge, staring at the wooden table in front of him while the noise of the hall roared around him like a distant storm. Tankards slammed together, adventurers argued loudly over quests, and somewhere in the corner someone began singing terribly off-key. Normally the chaos of the guild made him feel small and invisible, just another weak adventurer nobody respected. But today something was different.
Today Eren was thinking about an ogre.
More specifically, he was thinking about the moment that enormous club had crushed his ribs like dry branches.
He slowly rubbed his chest as if the pain were still there.
"Yeah… that hurt," he muttered to himself.
The memory was still fresh in his mind. The ogre had appeared suddenly, towering over him like a walking mountain of muscle and fury. One swing of its iron club had ended the fight instantly. There had been no chance to dodge, no time to react. Just one overwhelming strike and everything had gone black.
But now he was back.
The same table.
The same guild.
The same moment in time.
Eren leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"So now I know there's an ogre in the forest."
A slow smile spread across his face.
"That means I just need to learn how to kill it."
Most people would have run away from that idea immediately. Fighting an ogre was suicide for most beginner adventurers. Even experienced fighters approached them cautiously. But Eren had something no other adventurer possessed.
Unlimited attempts.
He stood up and walked toward the quest board again.
As he pulled the goblin extermination quest from the board, a familiar voice called out behind him.
"You again?"
Eren turned slightly and saw Bram Calder watching him with an amused expression.
"You're really obsessed with those goblins, huh?" Bram said.
Eren shrugged casually.
"They keep inviting me back."
Bram snorted. "Well don't take too long. If the goblins kill you, we'll have to send someone to rescue them."
Eren simply waved a hand and walked away.
Inside his mind, he was already preparing.
When he reached Blackthorn Forest again, he moved more confidently than ever before. The twisted trees no longer felt mysterious or threatening. After dozens of attempts, the forest had become familiar territory.
He knew exactly where the goblins would appear.
The bush rustled.
Right on time.
The first goblin stepped out.
Eren didn't even slow down.
His sword flashed forward in a quick clean strike, slicing the creature's throat before it could even scream.
The other goblins rushed toward him moments later, but Eren moved through them like someone who had already fought this battle a hundred times.
Because he had.
His blade struck faster now. His movements were sharper and more controlled. Within seconds the forest floor was covered with goblin bodies.
Seven goblins.
Seven easy kills.
Eren wiped his blade on the grass and looked deeper into the forest.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Come out."
The heavy footsteps arrived moments later.
The ogre emerged from the shadows once again, its massive body towering between the trees. Its yellow eyes burned with rage as it looked at the dead goblins scattered across the ground.
Then it roared.
The sound shook the forest.
Eren tightened his grip on his sword.
"Round two."
The ogre charged forward.
Eren jumped aside just as the giant club smashed into the ground, sending dirt and rocks flying in every direction. The shockwave nearly knocked him off his feet.
"Okay… that's still terrifying," he admitted.
He rushed forward and slashed at the ogre's leg.
The blade struck the creature's thick skin and barely scratched it.
The ogre roared again and swung its club sideways.
Eren tried to dodge.
He was a fraction too slow.
The club smashed into his ribs and sent him flying through the air. His body crashed against a tree with a sickening crack.
Pain exploded through his chest.
"…still too slow," he gasped.
The ogre approached and lifted its club again.
Darkness followed.
When Eren opened his eyes inside the guild again, he was already thinking.
"Too slow," he said quietly.
Next attempt.
He tried attacking from behind.
Dead.
Next attempt.
He aimed for the ogre's eyes.
Dead.
Next attempt.
He climbed a tree and jumped onto the ogre's back.
Dead.
Each death was brutal.
Bones shattered.
Blood spilled.
Sometimes the ogre crushed him instantly. Other times it took longer.
But every death taught him something.
The ogre's swing pattern.
The delay between attacks.
The moment its balance shifted after each strike.
Eren died again.
And again.
And again.
The pain never became easier. Every death still felt real. Every wound burned like fire.
But something else was happening too.
He was learning.
After dozens of attempts, his movements became faster.
After dozens more, he began predicting the ogre's attacks before they even started.
After nearly a hundred deaths, the fight looked completely different.
This time when the ogre charged, Eren didn't panic.
He stepped aside smoothly as the club slammed into the ground. Instead of attacking immediately, he waited for the exact moment the ogre lifted its weapon again.
Then he moved.
His sword slashed across the back of the creature's knee.
The ogre roared in pain.
For the first time since their battle began, the giant monster stumbled.
Eren's eyes widened.
"…there it is."
He rushed forward and attacked again.
Another strike to the same spot.
The ogre swung wildly, but Eren ducked beneath the attack and drove his sword deeper into the wound.
The creature roared again and collapsed onto one knee.
Eren's heart pounded as adrenaline surged through his body.
"I can win this."
The ogre tried to stand again.
Eren jumped onto its back and climbed toward its neck.
The creature thrashed violently, trying to throw him off, but Eren locked his arm around its shoulder and raised his sword.
"Goodnight."
The blade plunged straight into the ogre's eye.
The creature roared one final time before collapsing face-first into the dirt.
The ground shook as the massive body hit the forest floor.
Silence followed.
Eren slowly climbed off the corpse, breathing heavily.
For several seconds he simply stared at the fallen monster.
Then he laughed.
"…I just killed an ogre."
The weakest adventurer in Drakenridge had just defeated a monster that most beginners wouldn't dare face.
And the reason was simple.
Death had become his teacher.
Eren wiped the blood from his sword and looked toward the path leading back to the city.
A grin spread across his face.
"If this is only the beginning," he said quietly, "then I'm going to become something terrifying."