Chương 27: Another area down

[You have slain (II) Hobgoblin lv. 10] [Partial experience granted x2] [Tamer(lv. 11) > (lv. 12)] [Human(lv. 11) > (lv. 12)] [Enhanced Skeleton(lv. 6) > (lv. 7)] [Empowered Control Tamed Being(lv. 2) > (lv. 3)] [Vitality: 22] [Strength: 18] [Agility: 19] [Endurance: 15 > 17] [Fortitude: 21 > 24] [Intelligence: 12] [Wisdom: 20 > 21] [Perception: 26 > 27] [Unassigned: 1] With a satisfied nod, I place another point into fortitude and continue my work. Almost time for the boss.

Without looking inside, I take the pouch from the back of the knight and put it on my belt with the other. It only takes a second for me to find and kick the chest open. [You have discovered a reward] [Accept(17) / Bank / Consolidate] I should really accept that soon. My mouth waters at the thought of the reward I'll receive. Still, I consolidate it. Health. [Health: 345(331)] My arm tries to move, but only twitches weakly. With a sigh, I sit down against the wall and focus within myself with eyes closed.

Moving through my body and sweeping mana into the healing skill has become routine. Like a swirl, the mana continues to circulate around my body while slowly funneling into the drain below my heart. I only stop when the drain takes no more. Eyes open to the hunger that always follows healing. My arm is still weak as it reaches for the drumstick behind me. What? Still weak? [Health: 345] Shouldn't I be in perfect condition now? My brow furrows in annoyance.

As I bite into the meat, I close my eyes and return to my body. The drain won't accept any more mana, so I force it in. The mana resists, but like a plunger, it compresses into the skill. When I open my eyes again, I see blood running down my arm. In several spots, blood bursts out in small sprays of mist before closing and doing it again. The sensation is like bubbles popping under my skin. For a few seconds, I watch in wonder as the exploding vessels slow and finally stop. [Heal Tame(lv. 3) > (lv. 4)] My arm comes up and flexes. The weakness is completely gone.

"Haha!" I say with excitement. I stand and walk over, slipping my hand back into the gauntlet. Making my way out of the doorway, I begin the walk to the last room. Anticipation grows in my heart. Not for the upcoming fight, but for the one after it. The walk to the last room feels quieter than usual, even though my armor clinks and echoes through the halls. Every time my perception goes up, raised stones become more noticeable compared to the rest.

It's not certain whether they are all traps or not, but the ones that are traps are certainly among them. Passing through the main hallway, I move to the branch across from mine and walk to the end. Near the final wall stands a doorway that contains the final fight of the area. Taking a peek inside, I see exactly what I expect. [Hobgoblin lv. 13] [Highest stat: Strength] [Hobgoblin lv. 13] [Highest stat: Agility] [Hobgoblin lv. 13] [Highest stat: Intelligence] [Identify Living Being(lv. 5) > (lv. 6)] [Hobgoblin lv. 13] [Highest stat: Endurance] A deep breath enters my lungs as I prepare for the fight. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Kevin, focus on the fight, don't feel pain, move as powerfully as you can without taking damage, and avoid or block all attacks." My mind focuses, and my gauntlet comes around, tapping lightly on the bars before retreating. The gabbing hobgoblins hush immediately before slowly getting to their feet. My arm pulls back, and I close my eyes, focusing my breathing. When I open them, the door is just starting to open. The second green flashes in my eye, my arm bursts into motion.

Shock only has a split second to appear on the shieldman's face before a gauntlet caves it in. My body moves with mechanical efficiency as I slip over the still falling body toward the axe shieldman. Chime My arms rise up, and the hobgoblin brings its shield up to block, which quickly locks into place. Right when its vision is blocked, I abandon the movement and bring my left fist down into its stomach. Bile sprays out of its mouth as the shield falls. A right hook swings and slams into its face full force.

The bones collapse and shatter as its face is reduced to a bloody mess. Chime As the body falls, both my gauntlets come up to block my face. My hand is pushed back a couple of inches as an arrow hits it. Movement picks up as I speed towards the enemy. Gauntlets rebuff another arrow. A few seconds later, an arrow strikes my leather stomach. It barely pierces through, but I don't react. Just as the archer knocks another arrow, my fist slams into its head and sends it crashing to the ground.

Chime In fear, the mage finally throws its finished ball of mana at me. Halfway through the swing, my body jerks to the side, slithering around the ball of mana and landing another crushing blow. The mage's head snaps backwards with a mutilated face. Chime Its body falls limp to the ground soon after. Barely panting, I turn and view my carnage. Several bodies lie face-up on the ground, all with bloody heads. Four enemies, five strikes. A sense of pride wells up in me as I think about the progress I've made so far.

Twenty-two rooms finished so far. Thinking that, I walk over and kick open the chest sitting nearby. [You have discovered a reward] [Accept(18) / Bank / Consolidate] The number next to accept only accounts for past consolidations, so my rewards are up to nineteen combined so far. Something like five or six rooms was enough to get me an exceptional weapon. With the weight of each reward increasing with every room, it's truly impossible to imagine how powerful it has become.

My eagerness to receive a reward has finally reached the level of my greed. They battle fiercely in my mind as I decide if I want to finally accept my reward. In the end, my finger lands on consolidate once again. The regret comes immediately. Shit, I have a boss fight next, don't I? I don't have any clue how hard it will be, so I might have just killed myself with that decision. Alright, after the boss fight for sure. Absolutely, after the boss fight.

The chest that comes with the boss will push me to a reward of twenty, so everything is perfect and even. After pulling out the arrow just barely piercing through my stomach, I wander around the room and collect the jerky pouches on all the bodies. During the mundane actions, the anticipation in my heart grows. I've done quite well so far, but the next fight feels like something special. Shaking my head, my feet take me out of the room and towards the main hallway.

Will it be a group of hobgoblins that have evolved? Or maybe a new enemy, like an ogre or a troll? It would certainly fit the theme. Perhaps an army of goblins? Also, there's a chance it could be a lone hobgoblin, but with a better grasp on fighting and skills. Every enemy I've fought so far has been a newbie with their weapons, except for the knights. And the archers, for some weird reason. Thoughts continue to brew. Eventually, I stand in front of the door big enough for an elephant to fit through.

Both of the giant, metal, ringed door handles stare me in the eyes. My hand slips out of the gauntlet and reaches for it, but I hesitate at the last second. Maybe I should take a nap and replenish my resources. Anticipation continues to boil in my heart as I walk back to the room that acts as my home base. The way home feels longer than usual as I think. Family. Friends. Magic. Progress. Growth. Danger. Death. This entire experience is keeping me on edge. All of my pastimes feel so empty now.

Every second I spent watching television, or scrolling on my phone. It all feels so pointless. More progress has been made over the past two weeks compared to the rest of my life. A tamer isn't what I wanted to be, but it's still the best version of myself. My eyes drag to the hundreds of metal spikes lodged in the wall. The sight puts everything into perspective. One wrong step. One mindless moment. And I would be chunks of meat on the ground. No future, no growth, no seeing my friends or family ever again.

Still, I would happily risk it all again and again if it meant preventing the person I used to be from existing. Steps slow to a stop as I inspect my gauntlet. Only a couple flashes of black metal show through. The rest is covered in multiple layers of dried blood. I'm sure some of it is mine. But most of it isn't. How many lives have I ended? The math flashes quickly in my mind. Every fight stands fresh in my mind, likely because of the constant increases in wisdom. Sixty-four.

Sixty-four goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs ended by my gauntlets. Every single scar and bead of blood becomes clearer. They spoke to each other. They were intelligent. They used strategies. All of them tried their hardest to kill me, but they were still beings that could think and live alongside one another. Slaughtered by me. My pace picks up again as I continue the walk back to the room. In the second intersection to the right, stands a small forest of metal poles. Four large bodies lie dead inside.

My walk continues. Luck has saved me too many times to count. Luck that other people don't have. When I make it to the smaller wooden door, I slip inside and lie on my makeshift mattress. I would do the same at home when I had things on my mind. But there were no blue walls, no constant thrum of the fan, or the air conditioning. There was none of the visual clutter on the walls gathered from my years of growing up. Only the eerie silence and the moldy cobblestone have stained my vision for the past couple of weeks.

A hug would do wonders right now. Something I would never tell others is something I have never needed more than right now. After a bit of hesitation, I take the coward's way out.

"Kevin, fall asleep for six hours." I don't try to battle the command as it lulls my eyes closed.