11-12

Chapter 11: The Second Evolution (3)

Demon King

My vision was a little strange. Suddenly the floor was far away, and the ceiling was close. The cave was tiny, and it seemed narrow.

I then found out my body had gotten bigger.

I raised my hand and looked at it. It wasn't a Goblin's arm anymore. It was robust and muscular compared to the delicate and slim one I had when I was human.

My legs were also longer. They almost look human, except for the dark, greenish-brown wrinkled skin. The difference was a lot.

I clenched my fist and felt my power. I smiled and called out the status.

[Kang Si-ha (Fate)]

[Hob Goblin Lv 25]

[Strength – 91 Stamina – 90 Magic – 31 Luck-???]

[Skill-Ebon Heart, Predation Lv2, Escape Lv1, Lower Swordsmanship Lv1, Beginner Knife Throw Lv3, Beginner Lightning Magic Lv4, Beginner Sensing Lv6, Beginner Attack Lv3, Beginner Leadership Lv1, Beginner State Resistance Lv3]

It wasn't the same as when I became a Goblin Fighter. My transformation into a Hob Goblin was beyond my imagination. Strength and Stamina increased by exactly 25, and my then shabby Magic, which was only 6, grew to 31 at once.

It wasn't much, but the fountain of my heart was flickering five times more than before. Now it felt possible to shoot ten lightning strikes!

Strength, Stamina, and Magic all increased by 25. Could it have been added to my level because I had evolved into a Hob Goblin? Anyway, what was important was the fact that I became stronger.

Everything had changed. Everything! I couldn't believe that I evolved from a puny Goblin to this!

I was ecstatic that I had finally gotten out of the bottom of the food chain and that there are monsters that will be scared of me!

However, I realized that for as long as I was still in the vast and deep dungeon, I was still a weak monster. Monsters that were stronger than me inevitably existed, as much as the depth and vastness of this dungeon existed too.

But even so, I was happy. My Ebon Heart was telling me that my evolution would not end as a Goblin. My heart is beating so hard!

I need to go ahead. Go down. Further down.

Until there is no longer a place to go to someday. Until there is nothing more to explore. Until I reach the peak of this evolution.

Like in the past, as soon as I finished the evolution process, a glass window popped up to alert me of my new Quest.

[Quest Generated!]

[You have noticed your specialty. Whether you accept the destiny given to you as a curse or a blessing depends on your efforts. You have to go further.]

[Predation of Hunted Goblin Fighter 0 / 1,000]

[Predation of Hunted Goblin Warrior 0/200]

[Predation of Hunted Goblin Knight 0/5]

[Predation of Hunted Goblin King 0/1]

"What!?"

I rubbed my eyes and rechecked the Quest. It was not wrong.

1,000 Goblin Fighters, 200 Goblin Warriors, 5 Goblin Knights, and 1 Goblin King. I had never encountered a Goblin Knight before, and this was the first time I had come across the name Goblin King.

Before, I only had to hunt and prey on monsters on the same level as myself. It was irrespective of whether I evolved into a Hob Goblin or a Goblin Warrior, there was no distinction between them.

But the Goblin King!?

I thought it was too difficult then suddenly; I had this idea.

Wouldn't it be possible to evolve by just hunting a lot of Goblin Warriors and leveling up? Because I only needed to be strong enough to survive. It was such a dangerous venture, and I thought to myself that I must be crazy!

[The Escape Skill has been lost.]

At that moment, I stopped thinking. I tried to imagine what the text that just came up in front of my eyes meant. I opened the status. The Escape skill wasn't there.

I knew my Ebon Heart was the reason why it was gone. My heart, which I considered to be my perfect ally, had just swallowed up my chances of surviving a crisis.

Why? My thumping heart couldn't find answers, but I realized intuitively that this guy was 'instructing' me.

"I shouldn't escape?"

As if I was convinced, my heart started racing.

"Rather than giving you strength and opportunity to escape, I am forcing you to go forward."

Ha! A bitter smile appeared.

My bitterness soared. It happened so suddenly, but it quickly ate my mind.

From the moment I opened my eyes with a goblin's body to this moment, the fact that I wasn't the one in control of my situation angered me.

"I'm not a suicide candidate! What are you talking about? It's me who decides what to do!"

[Beginner Throwing Skills have been lost.]

With the rising rage, I had no time to make severe judgments. I pulled out a sharp iron sword, held it, and yelled at the top of my lungs. At this moment, there was no thought in my head that I had to survive.

"Don't threaten me. Don't try to make me do what you want! I don't want to be strong; I just don't want to die!"

Does the Ebon Heart understand what I mean? The heart pounded exceptionally hard. I was in pain.

[Beginner Lightning Skills have been lost.]

At that moment, my reason reached its limit.

I couldn't do anything on my own. It's the same from my birth to the day I died, and even after opening my eyes with the goblin's body.

I tried to focus on convincing myself that my life was precious and that I would survive, and that I should ignore everything else.

But I couldn't. I wanted to have it my way! My actions, my life! I was able to convince everyone else, but I could not tolerate this damn heart trying to control me and my thoughts.

I am me. I struggled to save my life while I was scared in front of a mighty enemy. It was all me. What will happen after I deny it? Was it really me?

No. No! I don't want to be told what to do! I want to be me!

I knew I was changing, and I wasn't hesitant to change. But I wanted it to be on my own will. No one else can force it!

If that's not how things were going to be, then I was as good as dead, and I'll crush this fucking heart with my hands and die!

I realized it was only at this moment, that my ego, which was too faint, began to shine.

I'm good as dead anyway, so I was more confident than ever before—an utterly delightful conviction.

But just before I could pierce my skin and drive a sword into my heart, my arm stopped.

At that moment, my heart shook. Then a glass window appeared.

[Ebon Heart]

[You will be able to detect a crisis. Positive corrections are made to all combat activities. The body evolves infinitely as it grows. ???]

Information related to the Ebon Heart was rising in the glass window that raised one question mark to add on the already existing question marks.

"What is this?"

I muttered unconsciously. It was a little cold.

The heart, which had stopped for a moment, resumed its activity gradually. At the same time, a reminder popped up in front of me.

[You have acquired the Beginner's Black Lightning Skill.]

[Beginner Black Lightning Lv1]

[Magic art for dealing with cursed lightning. Right now, you can only extend the bolt through the palm of your hand.]

Beginner Lightning Magic did not come back. But it seemed like it was for my own good. At first glance, it seemed more substantial than Lightning Magic.

I put the sword back.

I had won. I succeeded in engraving my determination on my heart that was trying to control my life freely without listening to me, its owner.

[Are you sure you want to abandon the Quest?]

I laughed out loud. The Quest is not related to the Ebon Heart.

That was a stupid idea. I shook my head slowly.

"No way!"

I was just scared for a moment and thought that I could evolve without finishing the Quest and just level up on my own. I didn't want to take such vital risks. But I was wrong.

As I thought soberly about things, I realized that I couldn't change what I needed to do in the Quest. Evolution was possible only after completing the Quest unconditionally.

The conditions for evolution were presented in the Quest, and the task was to catch a Goblin Knight and the King someday.

However, I still had some uneasiness.

Why do people always rush me to do things? Will this ever stop? Why do I need to kill a Goblin Knight? Will I be able to kill the Goblin King? Don't you ever feel scared? Have you ever thought of just running away? So many thoughts flooded my mind.

First, my Escape Skill disappeared. Then, my heart tries to dominate me, even though it was my own heart.

It hurt my self-esteem, and so I tried to push away all the grievances, anger, and anxiety I had.

I had survived and struggled so arduously, but there I was, impulsively trying to kill myself. It was extremely contradictory.

I think my actions were right; what I lacked so far was just resolution. When things became too much to handle or didn't go my way, I poked myself in the heart.

I continuously exposed myself to the risk of death, unable to take even a little rest. Kill, eat, kill, eat. My mental state was not normal; it must have been affected a lot. Come to think of it; I think this series of events will eventually make me go crazy.

I do not want to die. What's more ironic was that I was yelling, and if I continue shouting so loudly in the dungeon, I will attract unwanted attention and possibly die.

I needed to stabilize myself and control my mind. The stupid things that happened should never happen again.

But before that…

I raised my head.

Goblin Fighters with rusty swords were pouring in from all sides of the corridor.

I had to pay the consequences for my actions.

Chapter 12: Exclusive Store (1)

Demon King

I was now adequately armed with the Goblin Warrior's Colossal Sword and the Bronze Shield.

[Blood Colossal Sword (81/194) – Attack 94]

[Bronze Shield (300/300) – Defense 80]

When I was a Goblin Fighter, wielding the sword was not a joke. But now that I had evolved into a Hob Goblin, it was possible to use the sword in one hand and hold a shield in the other.

I rushed in one direction, a bastard sword in my left hand and a bronze shield in my right hand. It was laughable watching Goblin Fighters at the front who were wielding rusty swords.

"Ki-ang!"

[You gained 90 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

The Goblin Fighter lashed his sword with all the strength he could muster. Watching him, I thought he was much like me when I first met a Goblin Warrior.

With the abilities that I had now acquired, I was confident that even if my opponent were a Goblin Warrior, I would not suffer defeat.

[You gained 90 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

[You gained 90 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

I wielded and swung my sword, and each time, one or two, Goblin Fighters died. The Goblin Warrior's rusty black bronze shield couldn't be penetrated.

However, it bothered me that the Goblin Fighters were coming in from all sides. This was my first time fighting against enemies coming from both the front and the back. I used the Detection Skill to track all enemies around me and struck them before they got too close to me.

[You gained 90 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

[You gained 90 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

[You gained 90 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

As the battle ensued, gradually, a mountain of corpses built up around me. I thought the inventory would increase once again because I had evolved, but even so, it was impossible to insert the bodies of a large number of Goblin Fighters.

It was getting harder for me to move because my space slowly became smaller as I continued dropping more Goblin Fighter bodies on the ground. But even still, the number of Goblin Fighters that were rushing towards me just kept increasing.

[You gained 90 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

"Crack!"

Just when it seemed that I was going to be beaten by a group of Goblin Fighters, an enemy suddenly propelled away when it hit the edge of my sword. At that moment, a group of Goblin Fighters near the tip of my sword trembled. I realized why. It was Black lightning! I was able to pull it out with the tip of the sword!

This was an excellent opportunity to slay the opponents. Recognizing that my Mana was still over 70%, I stretched out the sword once more and issued a black lightning bolt. This time, the black lighting strike was visible. Shortly after that, the Goblin Fighters that had gathered together were electrocuted and solidified in place.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

Not missing the chance, I kicked the floor and ran forward, swinging the sword over the side. Twenty or more Goblin Fighters got electrocuted. The upper and lower parts of their waists burnt all at once, and their bodies fell to the floor.

I ran over their bodies and rushed with a shield towards the Goblin Fighters, who appeared behind them.

"Oh, ah, ah!"

As the battle lines collapsed and the siege chain became weak, the Goblin Fighters were unable to resist and fell.

I pulled the sword out of the shield and sliced the Goblin Fighters in range.

[Level up!]

All the wounds I suffered during the short battle disappeared. Only my level increased, but I felt that my arm strength had grown as well.

I cheered and wielded my sword. The screams of the Goblin Fighters reverberated in the entire cave.

'Wait.'

It was at that moment that an ominous thought crossed my mind. With the Goblin Fighters' screams, won't more come out?

My assumptions were always accurate and damn! A Goblin Warrior appeared at the opposite end of the corridor where I was fighting!

He was carrying a wooden shield, not a bronze shield, and he had leather armor equipped. The weapon seemed a little lighter than my sword, but the blade looked just as sharp.

"Kii!"

He wielded his sword and killed nearby Goblin Fighters. Goblin Fighters started flocking together with hostility.

"Kick, Kii-ii!"

He also realized what the Goblin Fighters were doing, and with a very annoying cry, he rushed towards them, slicing, throwing, and hitting them.

I also cut as many Goblin Fighters as possible before they got close to me. Of course, since the moment he appeared, he hadn't used black lightning, and half of the Goblin Fighters now rushed towards him. It became more comfortable for me to deal with them without a Black Lightning strike.

"Shhh! Damn it!"

But it was impossible to kill them all without getting hurt. No matter how strong the bronze shield was, I couldn't cover my whole body with it. My wounds were caused mainly by the guys who attacked me from behind.

[You gained 85 experience]

[You acquired 10 bronze.]

I violently swung my sword across and cut them off at once. Blood sprang from their wounds and flowed down their bodies. The pain must have been excruciating for them, but they couldn't show signs of weakness because of the battle's rising momentum.

It was better to level up, and those who would give me more experience were piled up on the ground like a mountain. I pushed exhaustion out of my mind and rushed towards them again.

"Wow!

Then I heard a Goblin Warrior yell quite close to me! I tried to grasp his approximate location and intent with my detection skill. I quickly rolled to the ground full of corpses and cut off a Goblin Fighter's hand with my sword.

I stood up, put the hand in my mouth, and started chewing.

I continued eating it while rolling to the floor, evading the Goblin Warrior's attacks, and I recovered my health a little.

"Ki-yi … …!"

When he looked at me and realized that I wasn't a normal upper-class, he pushed all the Goblin Fighters out of the way and revealed himself to me. I also reached out to him.

A black thunderbolt popped out and hit him.

Crack!

However, he gave me a very calm look, as if he was expecting the Black Lightning strike. Damn! I had never seen such a thing before.

I was nervous, and I hit him. He also had a knife, but he dropped it.

But suddenly, there was panic on his face, and he tried to reach out for his shield with his hand, but he ended up dropping it the next moment. Only then did I fully realize that he was not completely resistant to the black lightning.

Black Lightning. A thunderbolt with a curse. The curse seemed to work properly. For a moment, I thought of its power, then my body went into auto-pilot and automatically launched my huge sword, stabbing the neck of the Goblin Warrior.

"Ki-ay, kii-iay!"

The sword couldn't penetrate properly because of his angled position, but the impact was felt because there was so much of blood gushing from his neck. It wasn't until then that the curse worked, but he still rushed towards me, picking up his sword. I wasn't sure what he would do, so I decided to use black lightning twice more. I again stabbed the Goblin Warrior's neck. He was already cursed and weak. Then he dropped to the ground and died.

[You gained 600 experience]

[You acquired 90 bronze.]

I put the Goblin Warrior's body straight into the inventory. Then I looked around.

"Are you going to keep trying?"

The Goblin Fighters, who were now afraid of my strength, stepped back little by little. However, something changed in them because their eyes suddenly changed, and they started rushing towards me with their rusty swords.

It was not a normal reaction. Something was probably controlling them!

"I need to break it."

However, there was no time to think about such things. I knew I needed to survive first, so I sighed and ran to engage with them.

For the time being, there will be no rest.

I wished I knew what time it was so that I could measure how long I was wielding the sword. But I had to focus only on the battle, and because of this principle, I wordlessly swung the sword and lifted the shield to stop the enemy's attack without keeping tabs on time, or counting the number of fallen enemies, or checking the status.

I realized that the wounds that were inflicted on me were a result of my lack of competency with the shield. It did not fit me. It had nothing to do with my skills.

I was moving my body without hesitation; I needed to finish the enemy as quickly as possible. I needed to avoid the enemy attacking me with the shield.

Moreover, unless my level rises quickly, I will need to eat the enemy's body during the battle to revitalize my tired body. But both of my hands are occupied by the sword and shield, so I knew it wouldn't go smoothly. I put the shield into the inventory.

The wounds on my body increased gradually. I knew I needed to consume a dead Goblin Fighter's body. Physical fitness and injury were two completely different issues, but as long as I don't suffer significant damage, I could withstand the battle.

I knew that eventually, I'd level up, and all the wounds would heal. A fact that, if known, would probably annoy the enemy.

Still, this was true when it comes to engaging against the Goblin Fighters. Attacks by guys like the Goblin Warrior were fatal, so I must always have a shield when fighting them.

However, I was aware of this natural fact only after fighting bitterly against the third Goblin Warrior and consuming the last remaining potion.

At that point, the number of Goblin Fighters, who were continually coming in, began to decrease.