Chương 42: Rapier Lord

I spend another twenty minutes casually walking deeper into the cavern. It's strange how there's no wildlife at all. The lack of natural growth explains it, but it's weird to see such a strange mixture of normal outdoors and a monster-infested dungeon. For example, there are clouds, but no birds. There's a lake, but fish exist despite there being no birds. Almost everything living here hides within walls and caves, but there's nothing to hide from. I wonder what's above the giant holes at the top of the cavern.

Obviously, there's a sun, but is there an entire world out there? If I had wings, could I fly up and see another hundred dungeons surrounding mine with other people? Or is the entire thing just suspended in space? Several wooden fortifications pass me by as I walk. They progressively get larger, from a hundred feet in diameter all the way to five hundred. There must be an unbelievable amount of huts in there, with an equal amount of chests.

The thought makes my mouth water, but even with my massive stamina, I don't think I could last an ocean of orcs. Finally, I see something different. A wall the same height as all of the others, but made of cobblestone. Not the same cobblestone as every surface of the dungeon. It's lumpy, poorly constructed, and has no moss on it. The stones are of different sizes, with the imperfections of the building process clear as day. Still, it looks more fortified than a wooden wall. I do a loop around it.

It's about thirty feet in diameter. The gate is heavy and lined with metal edges, looking a few times heavier than the ones I've seen before. Overall, the encampment is quite small. That doesn't fool me, though. The dungeon has made it crystal clear that quality, difficulty, and rewards all increase as one. All of the smaller orcs were teetering on the edge of evolution, so I probably won't be seeing anything under second stage inside. With a deep breath, I take a few steps back.

After taking a good look at the wall, I burst into a sprint, pushing off with both legs. I spring into the sky, quickly reaching the peak of the leap at the top of the wall. The smell of cooking meat hits me. Eyes scan the interior, seeing two smaller log cabins and one larger cobblestone house at the back. I call it a house, but it's more like an apartment or very large shed. Two figures sit silently at the base of a large campfire, roasting something on sticks.

The aroma makes my mouth water before I hit the ground, legs compressing to absorb the landing. Both hobgoblins flick their heads at me as I stand up. One has a bardiche on its back, while the other has a sword on its hip and a shield on its back. They are clad in leather from head to toe, including caps. [(II) Hobgoblin lv. 2] [Highest stat: Endurance] [(II) Hobgoblin lv. 3] [Highest stat: Fortitude] Endurance on the bardiche, Fortitude on the shieldman.

The shieldman rises to its feet, draws its weapons, and advances. The hobgoblin with the bardiche yells at the top of its lungs before moving alongside its friend. Without a holster for my mace, I simply hold it back in what I know is a horrible stance. They only move a few feet before they stop, watching me silently. These things are way smarter than orcs. Doors swing open on all of the residences, with four more hobgoblins exiting from the log cabins. From the far cobblestone house, the boss arrives.

In a form-fitting set of pristine armor, it steps out. [(II) Hobgoblin Lord lv. 18] [Highest stat: Agility] Maybe I bit off more than I could chew. I launch off the ground towards the swordsman. I have to kill as many as I can now so that they don't swarm me in the way that hobgoblins love. It raises its shield, locking into place soon after. A smile creeps onto my face. The locking ability doesn't make it harder. It only keeps it in place.

My mace curves overhead, crushing the shield into splinters and caving the hobgoblin's head in. Chime The leather armor did nothing to help it. A tingle on my side makes me jerk to the right, barely avoiding the swing of the bardiche. I pull the mace back and lunge, swinging it full force. The hobgoblin steps back, but I'm moving too fast. A snap sounds out as my mace breaks the defending bardiche in half and crumples the head behind it.

Chime The power of a level-up courses through me, clouding my judgment for a second. A tingle grows in my head, causing it to snap back. An arrow narrowly misses my forehead. Four hobgoblins rush me with an assortment of weapons, while an archer behind them pulls another arrow from its quiver. The lord stands silently next to the archer, watching impassively. I catch my breath and move in again, launching to the left at a hobgoblin with dual axes.

It steps back to avoid my swing, then steps forward to counter-attack. I snap my back down unnaturally and continue swinging the mace in a circle around me, slamming it into its ankle. More tingling makes me jump to the side, avoiding the swing of a longsword. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Launching to the side a dozen feet, I take note of the situation. My head snaps backward to avoid another arrow before I can think. Damn!

Why are all the archers so talented!? Three of the hobgoblins rush me, leaving no room for strategy. I lean back to feint an escape, then slam my foot into the ground, flying at the trio. The longswordsman is caught off guard as my mace caves in the top of its head. Chime My waist yanks back, avoiding the stabs of two different shortswords. I pull my mace around and swing it in a circle, crushing the head of the first hobgoblin and destroying the collarbone of the second.

Chime My chest pulls back to avoid another arrow. With most of the frontliners dead and the last two disabled, the lord begins a slow walk toward me. It unsheathes a single rapier from its waist. Yeah, no. Breathing heavily, I look around me before dropping the mace. I scramble around the corpses, picking up a handaxe and a shortsword. No way am I fighting an agility warrior with a big-ass mace. A smirk grows on the lord's face as it watches me. An arrow deflects off the metal armor protecting my crotch. Really?

I look up at the archer with a raised eyebrow, but it only draws another arrow with an emotionless face. Taking advantage of its slow pace, I slow my breathing as the lord approaches. When it gets within ten feet, I pull my arms up and prepare my new weapons. It stops eight feet away, holding its arm out and gesturing for me to come closer. The action makes me chuckle, reminding me of an arrogant master swordsman I've read about before. But I move forward anyway.

My head flicks to the side as another arrow flies past it. God, I'm really beginning to hate that class. I slide to the side, placing the lord between myself and the archer. The lord chuckles, watching as I pivot around it. Yeah, yeah. My eyes narrow as I slowly walk to it again. Even when I get within six feet, it doesn't react. It only watches with a slight smile. The smile annoys me, but I ignore it and strike. I thrust my shortsword at its plated stomach.

Halfway through my strike, a concentrated point of tingling danger burns directly over my heart. I abandon the movement and I step back. The danger fades. I stare at the hobgoblin, but it still hasn't moved, only standing there with a curious face. What the hell was that!? My hand brushes over my armor, but there's nothing there. It didn't attack? The lord raises an eyebrow as it watches me, probably wondering what I'm doing. I stare back at it, thinking. Yeah, I've seen enough. I'm out.

I twist on my heels as I sprint towards the wall. Legs coil and launch, sending me flying over the wall. When I hit the ground, I continue running with abandon. Steps turn into leaps as I adopt the fastest level of movement that I know. Every stride carries me over a dozen feet. After five minutes of continuous movement, I finally slow down to a stop. I huff, placing my hands on my knees as I bend over. What was that!? Phantom danger sense!?

Combined with the casual attitude of the lord, it was more than enough for my instinct to scream at me. How did it do that? I sensed danger, which means it's going to attack. But it didn't. I feel like a bit of a coward, but better a coward than dead. First spears, then arrows, then a rapier? That stuff counters me too hard. Gosh, I know steel skin exists as a skill. Just give it to me already. My breath becomes collected and calmer as I walk. Let's see the gains, at least. [You have slain (II) Hobgoblin(lv. 2) - (lv. 4) x4] [Partial experience granted x8] [Companionship Pact Leader(lv. 17) > (lv. 18)] [(II) High Human(lv. 2) > (lv. 3)] [Danger Sense(lv. 4) > (lv. 5)] Didn't even get to finish off the two injured ones. Maybe it's a better idea to clear out the larger camps after all. It takes a while, but the unevolved orcs don't pose a single danger for me at this point. Speaking of…

[Vitality: 48 > 52] [Strength: 32 > 42] [Agility: 35 > 43] [Endurance: 34 > 46] [Fortitude: 46 > 50] [Intelligence: 26 > 30] [Wisdom: 41 > 48] [Perception: 44 > 50] [Unassigned: 1 > 0]"Phew!" Every time I pull up my stats, an uncontrollable joy worms into my heart.

"System, remove unassigned points unless I get any." The line instantly disappears from the list. With a nod, I continue walking back to the intermission room. The act of leaving a battle mid-fight lingers on my mind as I walk, bringing the mood down. The memory of Danger Sense flaring over my heart keeps replaying in my mind. A magical attack, maybe? Or it could be a- My body seizes. The feeling of worms wiggling through my skin grows. My eye widens as I see my forearm shifting and changing.

Veins bulge and recede, with muscles pushing out against the skin before dipping inwards. The same feeling in my stomach makes bile run up my throat.

"Kevin, stop being sick." The vomit in my throat turns around, travelling back down. I'd rather take a broken arm than five minutes of nausea. I fall to my hands and knees as my body undulates. The sensation is akin to several aliens sinking their fingers into every inch of my flesh and bone. A few minutes pass with me shivering constantly at the uncomfortable feeling. Eventually, it dies down, and I revert back to normal. I stretch to get used to the normal feel of my body again.

Nope, I can already feel differences. I sigh and speak.

"System, what just happened?" The blue screen eagerly responds. [Optimized Anatomy(lv. 0) > (lv. 1)] Can't be too angry at that. Just hope it doesn't happen while I'm fighting. That means I'm going through that every time I level up the skill. A groan forces itself out at the realization. The price of growth. Shaking my head, I start examining my body for any changes. The first thing I notice is the hard things in my neck. Not the thick spine at the back, but at the front.

Right below the surface of the skin is something hard. My fingers brush against the grooves between them. Then, an Idea pops into my mind. One Mind/Two Bodies The vague inner workings of my anatomy become crystal clear. Sure enough, thin plates of bone are now present around my neck, thin little slices of them sit evenly up to my jaw. The same thing is present in my belly. Sheets of interlocking bones are present under my abdomen, sliding against each other seamlessly as I bend my waist.

Under them, several key organs are far smaller than they used to be. I don't know the names for many of them, but it's clear that my liver and kidneys are shrinking. Pure muscle replaces the areas that the bigger organs used to occupy. My race might be called high human, but I feel like I'm starting to drift away from the concept. I reach down to my left and touch my foot, stretching as far as I can. It's beautiful how the new bones interact with each other.

As if the entire thing was meticulously crafted by some higher power. Most likely the system. The description of the skill said I would change according to my own desires, so I guess I'm growing some sort of bone armor under my skin now? A childlike smile spreads across my face as one fantastical dream after another comes true. Giggling to myself, I pull the door to the intermission room, feeling thirsty. I wonder if the bones can catch on each other? Will I build an entirely new inner skeleton?

I stop mid-step, my joy turning to surprise as I see what's in front of me. A stranger. Eating bread. MY bread.