Chapter 22 - Inception

Different from T'lear's flustered expression, Elias' face is relatively calm. There no sign of anxiety appears in his eyes, even though this situation is deviating from his initial plan.

He looks at the goblin champion calmly, assessing this situation and his current choice, whether to escape or attack while looking at any openings.

"Observe," Elias mumbles while gazing towards the huge monster in front of him.

Name: Unnamed Monster

Species: Goblin Champion

Rank: Colorless

Strength: 87.2

Stamina: 36.1

Agility: 34.1

Perception: 23.1

Magic: 13.1

Mana: 20.1

Elias' mouth slightly twitched after looking at the goblin champion status.

Although he already knows his current status is weaker than his enemy, still, when he looks at his enemy's strength stats is greater than him by whopping four dozens make him somewhat depressed.

Elias understands, this enemy will give him a tedious battle.

"At least my perception and mana stats are still better than him," Elias mumbles, trying to comfort himself.

On the contrary with Elias who like to analyze his steps carefully, the goblin champion doesn't observe Elias too long, after he looks his minions' corpses spreading in this place, he understands how dangerous the man in front of him is.

The goblin champions wield his two axes and charge to Elias while observing Elias' every movement, looking at how Elias'll react by his sudden movement.

After Elias noticing his opponents rush towards him, he immediately turns around and runs towards the lush forest. He understands that he can't fight against this kind of monster head-on, after assessing his options, he chooses to take advantage of this terrain — because of the huge physique, many trees in this forest will obstruct the goblin champion motions.

In this situation, he only can slowly injure the goblin champion while hiding behind the trees. With his previous life experience, as long his enemies make any mistakes, he can attack between their opening to attack them.

With those things in his mind, Elias moving between the gap of trees, try to slow his huge enemy down. Nevertheless, his attempts don't show any effects. Those trees can't decelerate the goblin champion charge.

The goblin champion only needs one swing of his giant ax to cut down trees in front of him. With its current strength, cutting a tree or two with a swing is an easy task.

After this cat-mouse play passes for minutes, a slight grin appears in goblin champion's face, he understands that his opponent is weaker than him. Before, he thought his enemy was stronger than this after seeing many corpses of his minion, but it seems his enemy only has better technique — he overestimated his enemy strength — those things like technique are useful against opponents with equal power, but it useless in the front of much greater raw power.

After realizes there is no real threat will come from the human in front of him, the goblin champion offense becomes more ferocious than earlier, but it also let out more opening. The goblin champion becomes nearer as each second passes, and after a few moments, he near enough with his enemy and gets ready to swing his giant axes to cut off Elias' neck.

This situation is very dangerous, but still, Elias can see it clearly with his current perception stats, even though it's night time. He agilely squats to avoid those two axes, and then jump to the back towards the goblin champion while stabbing his sword towards his enemy's eyes.

This sudden movement will take everyone caught off guard and make them panic, but not for the goblin champions. He realizes it the last second with his pure instinct and moves his head to the right — Elias' surprise attack only scrape his left cheek, an impressive quick judgment which honed by many battles with other tribes.

After the goblin champion evades Elias' swords, the goblin champion notices how near his enemy body is and took a chance to attack. He immediately headbutts and knocks Elias far backward, the goblin champion put great strength into this attack, which shown by two broken trees because of their collision with Elias' body.

Elias' blood's gushing from wounds by the impact earlier, his vision becomes blurrier while he coughs up his blood. A painful feeling comes from inside of his body. He understands that he got internal bleeding, and many of his bones broken by headbutt earlier.

Usually, this is when an ordinary person fate sealed — there is no way to survive in the front of a wrathful enemy while severely injured without any backup. However, Elias isn't an ordinary person — not in this life — he is a dungeon master. He didn't waste that title and bought some preparation before going to this enemy lair — recovery runes.

Although he feels a very painful sensation from his body, he doesn't waste any time to consume a recovery rune to heal his wounds and recover his stamina to its peak. With his adapted body, in a short time, he rejuvenates and become healthy again before his enemy gets another chance to attack.

While he heals his body, he's somersaulting to stand up and then looks at the goblins champion warily — waiting for his plan to works.

***

Kiaaak! Kiaaaak!

Loud screams reverberate in a dark basement, only a little amount of torch illuminate this narrow place. Those screams coming from the goblins who got burned instantly, most of them didn't even notice what hit them even at their death.

Although some goblins notice the attacks, even so, it's too late for them to do anything as they become cinder by the same fireball skill. After they look at the face of their attacker, their deformed face becomes more distorted as they got burned.

They never expect another goblin would attack them at this exact hectic moment.