The students were surrounded. The cold, gloomy atmosphere of the underground chamber had turned into a coliseum, and the gladiators were just three desperate teenagers.
At the center of the carnage, a more robust goblin was laughing over Renji's inert body. Its face twisted into a cruel grin showed yellowed fangs, and a deep scar cut across its left eye.
The creature's next target was Toru.
The goblin charged forward, confident in his own strength, certain that the blond human would fall as easily as the first. But his arrogance was punished. A direct punch exploded against his face, breaking his nose and throwing him backwards.
“Ha! Pathetic.”
Unlike Renji, Toru was no ordinary student. His wealthy family had granted him access to various trainings, and he took advantage of every one of them. If a goblin thought he could defeat him so easily, he was about to be disappointed.
The monster spat blood, its eyes filled with hatred. Now he would take the fight seriously.
Behind Toru, Arisa stood in a defensive position. She couldn't fight like him, but she would make sure that no surprise attacks caught him off guard. Yui, meanwhile, with her eyes fixed on Renji's body, was trembling. Even apart, she still cared about him. And now he was dead.
The scarred goblin attacked again, but Toru slid his foot across the stone floor, raising dust that temporarily blinded the monster.
That was enough.
He unleashed a brutal sequence of blows, each one burrowing deeper into the creature's green flesh, causing the rusty dagger to detach from his hand.
With a direct kick, Toru threw him against a rock. Arisa wasted no time and immediately grabbed the fallen blade.
The goblin roared.
The duel was over, and that was a massacre order.
The swarm advanced.
The weaker ones, instead of fighting, ran to devour Renji's body.
Toru, on the other hand, was pressed down by a small group and knocked to the ground, with the scarred goblin holding a rock to crush his head. Arisa and Yui were trapped against the wall, with no escape.
It was then that something happened.
[He who dwells in you can no longer weaken. From the depths of hell you must emerge and the heavens that belong to you, you must rightfully conquer. With the authority granted to me, I offer it to you].
[Skill “Usurper of Glory” activated].
The goblins' heads were torn off as if they were made of paper.
Yui was the only one to notice.
The person who should have been dead was now standing up.
But something had changed...
Renji will awaken.
His body was moving on its own, his senses were burning, and in his hand, a black blade had materialized out of nowhere. He didn't even know where it came from, but he felt complete with it.
“What a pain in the ass...” He growled, spinning his blade and passing it between the creatures' throats.
The goblins tumbled around him. His every blow was fatal.
[You defeated Level 1 Goblins. +50 XP.] (5x)
[Passive Skill Activated: You have absorbed 5 speed points.]
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared and appeared next to Toru, exterminating the goblins attacking him.
[You defeated Level 2 Goblins. +100 XP.] (4x)
[Passive Skill Activated: You have absorbed 4 points of speed].
“Renji... How did you...?”
“Hard to explain now, Toru! But I see you've done well!”
Toru noticed his eyes. There was something different about him. Could dying and coming back change a person that much?
“The girls... They...”
Before he could finish his sentence, Renji moved. Within seconds, the creatures surrounding Arisa and Yui were dead. The stone hall was now silent.
[You defeated Level 2 Goblins. +100 XP.] (6x)
[Passive Skill Activated: You have absorbed 6 speed points].
“All clear...! System, show my status.”
A screen appeared in front of him.
╔════════════════╗
[ Status screen - Renji ]
╠════════════════╣
○ Level: 3
Attributes:
○ Strength: 3
Speed: 17
○ Stamina: -12
○ Mana: 50
○ Stamina: 100
○ Intelligence: 8
╚════════════════╝
The three of them stared at him in disbelief.
“How are you moving like that?” Arisa asked. “You're practically teleporting!”
“I don't know all the details... But every time I kill one of them, I get faster.”
“Renji!” Yui ran towards him, her eyes full of tears.
But before he could touch him, the black blade was pointed at his throat.
“Don't touch me!”
She froze.
“You see that screen, don't you, Yui?”
“Y-Yes...”
He sighed and deactivated his ability.
╔════════════════╗
[ Status screen - Renji ]
╠════════════════╣
○ Level: 3
Attributes:
○ Strength: 3
Speed: 2
○ Endurance: 3
Mana: 50
○ Stamina: 100
○ Intelligence: 8
╚════════════════╝
“My resistance was negative. That means that any touch... would kill me instantly.”
Everyone was silent. How could he know all these things? That's what they thought.
Renji turned his eyes to one of the dark corners, spotting the goblin that had killed him earlier. The creature, waking up from the blow, tried to crawl away, mumbling unknown words. A plea for mercy.
The newly awakened man walked slowly towards him. “I made sure I didn't kill you so quickly, like I did your friends... but don't thank me for it.”
With a single movement, Renji drove his blade into the monster's throat, moving the dagger slightly, feeling the beast's skin and flesh tear.
The creature threw itself to the ground, backing away while covering the hole in its neck with its hand.
“Don't do that... if you keep moving you'll lose a lot of blood, and I don't want you to bleed to death.”
Renji picked up a stone from among the debris, then stepped on the goblin, pinning him to the ground. And to ensure its death, he hit the creature repeatedly on the skull, killing it in the same way it had died minutes ago.
[You have defeated a Level 3 Goblin Leader. +500 XP.]
Completing your revenge.
Toru hissed.
“You came back possessed, huh?”
Renji didn't answer.
Arisa wasn't the type to say thank you much, it was usually the other way around, but at that moment she felt it was her duty.
“Obri... Thank you! Without you I can't imagine how I'd be right now!”
She patted Toru lightly on the head, and he got the message.
“I thank you too, without you I'd be without my pretty face right now.”
Arisa got angry and hit him with another slap.
Yui took courage and called Renji's name. “I'm sorry about what happened to you... I just wanted to say...”
Before they could continue, the ground shook.
And an immense stone door at the end of the chamber opened.
A deep roar reverberated through the hall.
And then he appeared.
The Goblin King.
Almost three meters tall, his greyish skin looked like a massive rock. His eyes glowed like embers. Black armor covered his body, and on his head rested a crown made of bones.
In his hand, a giant serrated sword dragged along the ground, leaving a trail of sparks wherever it went.
Behind him, eight goblin mages held staffs made from the bones of the fallen, ready to cast spells.
The crushing weight of that presence made the air thicker.
Renji felt a shiver run down his spine.
[Warning: The fight against the Boss has begun]
[Goblin King - Level 10 - Common Rank]
[Goblin Mages Detected - Level 5] (8x)
His eyes locked onto the monster. He knew he had no chance against it.
But now, there was no turning back.
They would have to fight.