Chương 51: Light Work

An unstoppable force meets a very movable object. The heavy head of the axe meets the wooden shield of a nameless soldier. The shield explodes. Like a force of nature, the curved blade continues and gouges through the chest of the shieldman. The blood-red blade tears free and doesn't stop. It slices through leather, then flesh, then bone. It cuts its way into the soldier next in line. Then a third. Then a fourth. The head of the axe cleaves through five enemies before I pull it back under my control.

"Holy shit!" The frontline hobgoblins, now reduced to corpses, are thrown against the comrades behind them. The rest of the warriors watch in both surprise and terror, covered in the blood of their defenders. Silence takes over the battle as we all observe the aftermath for a few seconds. An arrow breaks the tranquillity, making my head flick to the side as it flies past. As I step forward, all hell breaks loose. The hobgoblins drop their weapons for speed and abandon their friends, rushing to the gate.

Those who stand steadfast see their comrades flee and do the same. A group of three are already at the gate, lifting the massive wooden plank that holds it closed. They'll be difficult to chase if they make it out. My face tenses as I continue into another sprint. The last hobgoblins to leave the formation are the ones I meet first. They turn in panic as I approach. I step down powerfully and swing at the last straggler. The axe moves without difficulty, removing the top half of the hobgoblin.

As soon as the work's done, I pick up the front of the axe and move to the next. Hobgoblins are slaughtered. Heads fly from necks. Arms fall from shoulders. Some are bisected at the stomach. The first hobgoblin I encountered was in the sixth room of the tutorial area. I'll never forget the calculating look in its eyes, even though it had nothing more than a loincloth. A surprise attack wasn't enough, and I almost lost my life that day. The hobgoblins no longer have that gaze that searches for opportunity.

When I look in their eyes as I chase them, all I see is horror. My axe comes down again, entering through the area between the neck and shoulder. The head of the axe carves through the torso and exits through the side of the waist. Both parts of the warrior fall to the ground with a splatter of blood. The hobgoblins at the gate are truly panicking now. A heavy thud comes from the massive plank as it hits the ground. The team of five frantically pull the edges of the door as one.

Another arrow flies from the sixth hobgoblin that tries to halt my advance. Danger Sense forces me to twist around the arrows. The archer doesn't even bother aiming for the head anymore. It shoots arrow after arrow at center mass, forcing me to dodge more while interrupting my sprint. When I get close enough, it tries to dodge backwards, but I step forward and rip a chunk out of its side. The blow tosses its corpse to the side. Hobgoblins scream at each other as they pull at the door.

It grinds against the ground, slowly opening. It's too late. I'm too close. My first swing cleaves through two, spraying their blood against the door. The third tries to run, but the axe curves around and beheads it, embedding itself in the wood. The fourth unsheathes a shortsword, taking advantage of the situation. I release the axe, bending around its lunging stab and slamming my fist into its head. Its head flies backwards and crashes into the ground with a loud crack.

The last hobgoblin tries to push through the gap in the door, but it's too small. I rip the axe out of the door and move towards it. It abandons trying to leave through the gate, but trips on the edge of the door as it tries to move away. Falling on its back, it crawls backwards on all fours. It holds one hand out, pleading in its choppy language as I step closer.

"Kvcka Kvcka!" Tears stream down its cheeks as it backs away, as if it's trying to get away from the devil. I pull the axe over my head. The hobgoblin stammers harder, begging for its life.

"Kvcka! Uk rck lkulck kvcka!" If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. My arms tense. It closes its eyes and winces. I try to pull down, but the axe won't move. The goblin is the enemy here. I know that if the roles were reversed, it wouldn't even hesitate. It's just a tutorial monster. Why… why does it have to cry? My arms go limp, and I drop the axe. I can't let it go. If it finds some way to contact the castle, it would complicate things.

I'm not foolish enough to think I'm unbeatable, especially if they have time to prepare countermeasures. The hobgoblin peeks slightly, wondering why it isn't dead yet. The moment it notices my hesitation, its expression flips like a switch. All signs of fear disappear, leaving narrowed eyes and resolve. It pushes itself from the awkward position and unsheathes its axe in one smooth motion. Danger Sense and the earlier command work together to rip me out of my thoughts.

I jump to avoid the swing at my legs, then step forward. My fist comes down, crushing the warrior's head against the stone.

"Motherf-" In the end, it was all an act. Or maybe it wasn't acting and just reverted after seeing a hint of weakness. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I reach down and rip the pouch of meat off the hobgoblin's belt. Chewing through the cold meat still doesn't help how I feel. Going through the chests lightens my dragging mood a little. [You have discovered a reward] [Accept(143) / Bank / Consolidate] The sight of the massive number brings a smile to my face, wiping all signs of conflict from my mind.

I practically drool as my imagination runs wild. An amulet that lets me fly. Boots that double my speed. Maybe a potion with permanent increases? Giddiness pours through me as the possibilities present themselves. To my left, the towering castle stands on the horizon, easily peeking over the walls of the encampment. Every settlement I clear brings me closer to the castle that looms on the horizon. [You have slain (II) Hobgoblin Lord lv. 20] [You have slain (II) Hobgoblin(lv. 3) - (lv. 4) x26] [Partial experience granted x54] [Empower Suggest Companion(lv. 7) > (lv. 8)] I knew I didn't feel a level-up during the fight, but it's still disappointing to see. Only one level away from my next skill. [Stamina: 1205(566)] Yeah, I still have another fight in me. My gaze falls on the field of littered bodies. Looks like I'm starting to outscale my own growth. The castle seemed like an insurmountable hurdle before, but I think I'll try assaulting it in a few days.

As long as the difficulty doesn't spike irregularly in the encampments surrounding it. With a nod, I hoist the axe onto my shoulder and sprint, jumping over the wall. Moving in leaps is strange with such a heavy weapon, but my body corrects itself as it moves. The cobblestone encampments grow wider as I lunge farther into the cavern. It's so eerie. The environment isn't even trying to hide the fact that it's part of the tutorial. I've always associated being outside with the sound of nature.

None of that exists here. Just endless plains of the same system-designed cobblestone. I'm starting to really get tired of it. At the thousand-foot diameter point, the difficulty increases once again. It isn't lost on me that the point where encampments stopped growing is far smaller than from wood to cobblestone. Shoddy cobblestone walls stop at a certain point, replaced by firm, stone brick walls. The quality can't be compared.

Each brick is set in the mortar with incredible precision, comparable to modern brick buildings. The closest encampment made of this material is minuscule, only around thirty-five feet in diameter. At the front stands a gate the same size as the ones I have seen before. Instead of being lined with metal, it's covered in it. The metal on the gates from the cobblestone encampments looked as if it protected the edges.

The metal here covers the gate in thick lines, the wood looking like it only exists to give the metal structure support. How do they even open this thing? It took like five of them to barely pull the lighter one open. That reminds me, I have seen no orcs since I was near the wooden areas. Why? I stroke my beard as I think, but nothing comes to mind. Maybe this brick section will see their return. Not much else to do, I lower my posture and leap, easily clearing the top of the wall.

Inside, there is only a single cabin. Its quality has gone up alongside the walls, adopting the same material. There are no beings around the bonfire in the center this time. I land inside and look around. Nothing except the cabin. A quick walk around the edge of the wall confirms this thought. Damn, this place is like a prison. With the gates likely being as heavy as they look, it makes me wonder if whatever's in the house can even leave. I move up to the door. There are no windows or a doorbell.

A sense of stupidity comes over me as I realize I was searching for a doorbell. My hand goes to my chin. So, should I just bust the door open? An intrusive thought tells me to swing the axe at full force to break the thing open. But the situation reminds me of a spot earlier in the dungeon. With a sly smile, I knock three times on the door before moving to the side, huddling against the wall. I pull the axe back, just far enough from the door that the head will swing right at the enemy.

A few seconds pass in silence before I hear the steps of metal shoes. The telltale jingle of plate armor comes muffled through the door. Slow clinks get slightly louder, then the door opens inward. I hold my breath. A tiny flash of metal. My arms jerk into motion, swinging the axe full force at the doorway. The impact travels up my arms, telling me that I hit my mark. A crash reverberates from the back of the cabin. My instinct urges me to follow up on the opening, but I resist it and stay outside.

I won't be able to swing this giant weapon inside, and I'm not going with fists against plate armor. When the ruckus settles, the silence is only interrupted by staggered wheezing. I cautiously move in a wide arc from the doorway, wary of surprise attacks. Once I move far enough to see through the doorway, I decide to move closer. The hobgoblin sits against the far wall, its chestplate caved in. Labored breathing rasps through its stupid-looking helmet. I move in cautiously, looking for enemies.

Fortunately, this seems like an elite cabin, which only holds a single monster. [(II) Hobgoblin Baron lv. 24] [Highest stat: Vitality] [Lowest stat: Perception] I step into the building and position my axe before striking once more at the downed opponent. It crashes into the chestplate, caving it in deeper. A splash of blood flies from the holes in the helmet before it goes limp. The dark room goes quiet. Somewhat surprised, I hoist the axe over my shoulder and let go of the tension in my body. Well. …

That was easy.