Death is close when rocks fly

As the goblins started climbing the slope, Lucius took the lead, pushing a big rock while they focused on Talon, making it move and roll down the hill.

The rock gained momentum, lifting smaller rocks and dust, creating a loud sound as it hit the earth upon a group of 5 goblins.

In the confined area where maneuvering was limited, the goblins were hit by the rock, squashed, shrieking, and spraying green blood all around. The rock passed through, continuing to hit the ground until it finally stopped.

The scene was gruesome, with four of the goblins lying dead, their skulls cracked open or bodies crushed. However, one goblin was even more unfortunate, with its limbs twisted in the worst possible way, screaming in agonizing pain until the leader mercifully ended its suffering with a sword thrust through its heart.

The system rewarded him for the kills, but he was too focused on the intense situation to fully register it.

Pulling out the sword, the leader looked at Lucius with red eyes, charging at him.

"Now!" a shout rang out, Kevin and Lily pushed the next rocks while Lucius swiftly ducked, covering his head with both arms to avoid fatal injuries. The rock rolled down, passing by him, and some smaller rocks hit him in the eyebrow, opening a cut and making his vision bloody.

The two rocks continued rolling, hitting and killing three more goblins this time. The injured Strong Goblin was even more harmed, with a twisted leg. Soon, an arrow followed, hitting it in the chest, making it fall dead.

The Level 5 Goblin had to dodge the stones rolling down and was soon climbing, reaching Lucius.

With only 5 goblins left, this was a possible fight. Kevin rushed down to engage the other Level 4 leader, with Lily clearing the other 3 with support from Talon.

The only issue was the one closing in on Lucius, the strongest skill-wielding goblin he had seen. He was in a dire situation with the LvL 5 goblin approaching rapidly.

Gripping the sword tightly, Lucius braced himself as the goblin lunged at him. Its sword emitted an eerie glow as it struck with incredible speed. He managed to block the attack, but the force sent him flying, crashing into the ground.

As Lucius rose to his feet, he noticed the sword had bent, and his arm trembled. Before he could react, the goblin was already upon him, swinging down. At that critical moment, Talon's arrow intervened, intercepting the attack and granting him precious seconds to defend.

Swapping his current sword for an older one, he moved swiftly. A deep breath steadied him as he fixated on the impending fight.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Lily engaged the other leader while also grappling with the regular goblins, aiming for swift victories to aid Lucius.

Talon provided all the assistance he could. Thankfully, the wolves had scattered when the boulders rained down.

As the goblin swung its sword, Lucius braced himself. While he still took the brunt of the blow, this time, his improved parry prevented the sword from bending, although his hand ached, and he was now limping on one side.

The goblin advanced, launching another attack that coerced him into forsaking his sword. Instead, he resorted to a shield, seeking refuge behind it to buy some precious moments.

Gradually disintegrating, the shield's integrity faltered during a close call, narrowly evading a lethal strike and resulting in a gash across his torso, from which blood flowed.

Breathing heavily, he recognized the unlikelihood of prevailing against this goblin. It possessed superior strength, experience, and speed.

Tucking the fractured shield beneath his shirt, he extracted a small knife, looted from a fallen goblin. His plan was straightforward: exploit his own body's size to engage the goblin in a deadly embrace.

Anticipating his intent, the goblin pointed its sword forward, ready to skewer him should he charge forward.

Driven by madness, Lucius sprinted forward, his eyes ablaze despite the dizziness induced by his bleeding wounds. He maintained an unyielding focus on the crimson-clad adversary.

Drawing near, he employed half of the shield fastened to his armor, deflecting the enemy's sword strike with a deft maneuver. The blade found purchase, grazing his torso and narrowly missing his heart.

Experiencing searing agony, he clutched the embedded blade with bloodied hands and, disregarding his own injuries, embraced the goblin. A final desperate thrust of the knife into the back of the goblin's skull brought a deafening thud as both figures crumpled.

He collapsed onto the goblin's form, still clutching the knife, his body sprawled face down on the ground.

His sight began to fade, yet as he gazed upon the loathsome green visage before him, an unexpected laugh escaped his lips, swiftly followed by another surge of pain and a rush of blood.

In his state of anticipation, he cast a fleeting glance at the system panel, revealing:

Recent Battle 1: Killed 1 x [Level 5 Strong Goblin] gained 60 EXP and 6 Gold

[Status Panel]

[Name: Lucius Maxwell]

[Age 36/200]

[Level 3 EXP 10/300]

[HP 7/130]

[MP 100/100]

[Free Attributes 2]

[Strength 16]

[Health 13]

[Agility 13]

[Intelligence 10]

[Mana 10]

Skills

Gold 31

After defeating the formidable goblin, Lucius leveled up to level 3. To enhance his survival chances, he assigned 2 points to his Health stat, increasing it to 15.

''How much I miss a good drink on a Saturday, but this is also not a bad ending'' he thought, his heart filled with a mixture of joy and sadness and a sword. But as the memories continued to swirl in his mind, he also knew that this new world had become a part of him, shaping him in ways he couldn't yet comprehend.

With a final sigh, he surrendered to the darkness, ready to rest and leave it up to fate whether he would live or die. He was just too tired at the moment to worry about the uncertainties of the future.

As time passed in the embrace of darkness, Lucius felt an overwhelming sense of peace and relaxation. It was a state of tranquility that he wished could last forever. He was content, almost on the verge of falling into a deep slumber.

However, the serenity was soon interrupted by a persistent female voice and a series of light slaps on his cheeks. The voice called out, "Wake up! Come on, wake up!" Yet he stubbornly refused to respond, pretending to be a mere log, unwilling to let go of the soothing darkness.

The slaps continued, gentle but persistent, as if the person behind them was desperate to rouse him from his peaceful state. He felt a tap on his cheek, making watery noises as the hand was still wet with goblin blood.

"Stop; he needs to rest," Kevin urged, placing a hand on Lily's shoulder, only to flinch away when he saw the intense expression on her face.

Her eyes conveyed a sense of impending doom, sending a shiver down his spine. 'Oh, that's scary,' he thought to himself, choosing to face the goblins rather than contend with the unsettling gaze.

''Fine, since you won't wake up, I have to use my skill 'Moonlight Slap','' Lily declared, bringing her hand down a lot faster from a higher height.

Lucius had been awake for a while now, but he was too tired to open his eyes fully and just wanted to relax a bit. However, when he heard Lily mention the "Moonlight Slap," he flinched in pain, reluctantly opening his eyes and locking them on her.

Upon witnessing his awakening, Lily felt a sense of contentment, assured that her technique had succeeded. She then shifted her attention to Talon, wearing a smug expression in contrast to the confused and shocked face he had at the results.

"Is she a healer? And what's this 'Moonlight Slap'?" Talon inquired, his voice hushed, as he turned to Kevin for clarification.

Kevin winced slightly and cast a sorrowful gaze toward Talon. "It's a complex matter," he responded, his tone laden with implications.