2 But still!

Unlike the fantasy goblins Bruce knew, that one was rather tall, and its body was pretty fit. The creature was bald, but it had a black beard on its chin. A single piece of cloth was covering its waist. The sharp yellow teeth of the creature smelled like shit, and the pointy ears made the creature look like a demon. However, more important than that was what the creature was holding in its right hand… it was a rough-looking sword. It wasn't exactly a masterpiece of a blacksmith, but it would do the job against someone like Bruce.

The creature stepped forward, and at the same time, Bruce took a single step backward. Despite the situation and his actions, Bruce let a smile appear on his face; the smile grew larger and larger until Bruce began to laugh maniacally.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bruce grinned from ear to ear. "This is it! This is what I was waiting for!"

The goblin was puzzled at Bruce's behavior, and the creature couldn't help but get confused. That was what Bruce had been waiting for; confusing his enemy was the best thing the weaker could do in that situation. Of course, judging status alone, Bruce was weaker than the goblin, but that was just a minor detail; the main difference between the goblin and Bruce wasn't status; it was the sword in the monster's hand. Bruce couldn't let the creature use it, so he drew the monster's attention by acting unexpectedly.

Slowly, Bruce took another step back, and then he could feel his right hand touching the plastic bag full of energy drinks. Without wasting time, Bruce grabbed it and then threw it at the creature. Despite the rush, his attack hit the monster's head before it could reach. Confused, the goblin stepped backward, not understanding what just happened when it hit it. That alone bought Bruce five seconds… more than enough time for Bruce to grab an iron suitcase under his bed. That would serve as a shield, but instead of something to protect him, Bruce wanted something to attack the beast, and that something was inside the suitcase. After pressing a single button, the suitcase opened, and a thick curtain of red smoke flew toward the beast.

The beast began to cough uncontrollably; it was only natural since the smoke had also been made with the use of pepper. In just a few seconds, the curtain of smoke began to dissipate, but even before the beast could see Bruce again or recover from the cough. Something touched its neck, and then the goblin started to tremble. After a couple of seconds, the beast fell unconscious on the floor, and then Bruce appeared, covering his mouth with his left hand, and his right hand was holding a stun gun.

"… It looks like I did it," Bruce said and then began to cough, and then tears began to flow from his eyes. "However, this still is alive…."

Goblin – Lv 01

HP: 04/10

MP: 04/04

SP: 08/08

The downside of using such a trick in a confined space was that Bruce himself would suffer some of its effects. That was why he was crying; his eyes were irritated. Bruce had to open his window and let some fresh air enter his apartment. Still, before that, he cut the goblin's throat without hesitation.

You obtained 10 experience points.

You obtained 01 spiritual coin.

Any sane person would have hesitated in killing a monster, but Bruce didn't. He was a lazy nerd who had dreamt of something like that happening. Still, he was insane enough to even prepare himself for such a situation. That was why he had a suitcase that could store such gas and also had a stun gun. However, that was not all. During his teenage years, Bruce was stupid enough to spend thousands of dollars buying all kinds of stuff that would help him in an apocalypse zombie. Things were a bit different than he had expected, but the items he bought will be useful nonetheless.

"Oh boy…" Bruce said while cleaning the combat knife he used to slice the goblin's throat. "This is really sharp… thank god I never played with it until now."

The combat knife had been worth of the one hundred dollars Bruce used to buy it. However, the limited range was a problem. So, Bruce decided to grab the goblin's short sword. Still, when he tried that, not only did the goblin's body disappeared, turning into particles of light, but the sword disappeared as well.

"Hey, what the hell?" Bruce protested in shock. "This isn't fair! I deserve the loot, dammit!"

After hearing some screams coming from the other apartments, Bruce managed to cool his head a little. It wasn't time to complain, just like Bruce was once a teenager who had a lot of time in money in his hand to spend on something as crazy as survival items such as a stun gun and a combat knife; he also studied in earnest about survival techniques. That was the only thing he truly studied during high school, and one of the most important rules was to not waste energy in doing useless things. Complaining was one of them… Bruce thought he would have a hard time being that disciplined when he was a lazy gamer who was disowned by his family, but surprisingly. He soon recovered his composure and then began to think of his next steps.

"I can use that smoke only more than two times; even the stun gun has a limited use, I do have some batteries, and I can recharge them, but I shouldn't rely on those so much. I bet goblins aren't the only enemies I will have to deal with, so I need to find other sources of strength fast."

Those were the basics; the reward of the two first quests Bruce received were the ones that would help him quite a lot. However, Bruce couldn't just wait for one hour. He could hear the screams in the entire building, so it was clear that the place was crowded with monsters. The more time he stays there, the dimmer his chances of leaving and surviving get. He had to leave the building right at the moment and receive the short sword, but before that, Bruce had to understand the system.

"Status Screen," Bruce said, and it didn't surprise him that a new light-blue screen appeared in front of him. "I see… wait. Social status? What the heck are those?"

Status

HP: 04/04

MP: 08/08

SP: 04/04

Level 01 (10/100)

STRENGTH: 02

P. Attack: 3

VITALITY: 02

P. Defense: 3

AGILITY: 02

Movement Speed: 6 meters per second

INTELLIGENCE: 4

M. Attack: 5

DEXTERITY: 3

M. Defense: 5

LUCK: 5

Range: 6 meters

Free Points: 00

Spiritual Coins: 01

Social Status

Level 01 (10/100)

Karma: 00

Intimidation: 02

Charisma: 2

Persuasion: 02

Insight: 04

Perception: 04

Presence: 01

Allies: 00

Enemies: 00

"Why the heck all my statuses are so low?" Bruce furrowed his eyebrows. "I know that I don't have much of a social life, and I'm not that athletic, but still…"