I closed the stairwell door behind me, cutting off the monster's line of sight. Its screeching faded into muffled echoes. For now, I was safe.
I stood in front of the 4th floor hallway door, heart still thudding in my chest. My hands trembled, not from fear anymore—but from the lingering adrenaline.
Then I remembered.
My stats.
I called them up mentally. A familiar HUD appeared in front of me, clear as day:
Jun – Lvl 2
EXP: 0 / 3
Innate: Any skill you cast will have no cooldown.
HP: 5
MP: 2
STR: 1
AGI: 1
INT: 2
Available Points: 1
Without hesitation, I tapped into the stat point and assigned it to INT.
My intelligence ticked up to 3. I felt a subtle shift—like my mind became a bit sharper, like something deep inside clicked into place.
I turned toward the goblin's corpse.
It had dropped loot.
On the floor lay a chunk of raw, grayish meat, a small leather pouch jingling faintly, and a book with a strange, wind-like symbol on its cover.
I reached down to grab them—and as soon as my fingers touched the items, they shimmered and vanished. A new HUD appeared:
Inventory:
• Skill Book: Air Cutter (F)
• MP Potion (Heals 5 MP): ×2
• HP Potion (Heals 5 HP): ×2
• Gold: 1
• Goblin Meat: 1kg
I stared at the goblin meat and instinctively grimaced. I didn't know what the system wanted me to do with that—but eating it was off the table. I pushed the thought aside and focused on what really mattered:
Air Cutter (F).
I tapped it. Two options appeared: Confirm and Close.
I hit Confirm.
A new screen popped up:
Skill Learned: Air Cutter (F)
Cooldown: 5 seconds
MP Cost: 1Effect: Launch a dense blade of air that cuts the target. (Deals 4 damage)
How to cast: Think of the spell and the target.
I stared for a moment, absorbing every detail.
This was real.
A moment later, a soft rustling sound echoed from nearby lockers. I turned, talon still in hand.
The locker door creaked open.
Two people stepped out—one man and one woman, both in tattered business clothes, faces pale with fear.
"We thought you were one of them," the man whispered. "Thanks for not opening with a fireball…"
The woman looked at me with wide eyes. "You saved us. Please… can we stick with you?"
They looked desperate. I hesitated—but shook my head.
"Don't," I said softly. "It's safer in there for now."
Their expressions fell, but they nodded and backed into the locker again.
I turned away and opened the door to the hallway—and instantly, three goblins turned toward me.
All Level 1.
All screeching.
One was fat like the last, but the other two were slimmer—faster. Their eyes glowed red with mindless aggression.
Before I could blink, the slim one sprinted forward.
My thoughts snapped into focus. Air Cutter. Target: the fast one.
A blade of compressed air shimmered into existence and sliced forward in a blur.
–1 MP
–6 HP
[Goblin – Lvl 1 | HP: 0/2]
+1 EXP
The goblin collapsed mid-charge, cut across the chest, sliding across the floor like a broken doll.
The second slim goblin froze. Its expression twisted into something between confusion and fear.
Too late.
Air Cutter.
–1 MP
–6 HP
[Goblin – Lvl 1 | HP: 0/2]
+1 EXP
The spell flew before the goblin could even move. It fell backward, eyes wide, a gash across its ribs.
Only the fat one remained. It turned, realizing too late it was alone.
It ran.
I raised my hand one last time, vision narrowing as I focused my remaining mana.
Air Cutter.
–1 MP
0/3 MP
–6 HP
[Goblin – Lvl 1 | HP: 0/2]
+1 EXP
The spell cut through the air and hit the goblin square in the back. It staggered, stumbled forward, then collapsed face-first, unmoving.
And just like that, the fight was over.
But my vision swayed.
I stumbled back, hand bracing against the wall.
Then warmth.
Another surge of energy—gentler this time—flowed through me like sunlight breaking through clouds.
A screen appeared in front of me.
[You leveled up.]
Jun – Lvl 3
EXP: 0 / 10
Innate: Any skill you cast will have no cooldown.
HP: 10
MP: 3
STR: 1
AGI: 1
INT: 3
Available Points: 1
The dizziness faded.
My mana returned. My body steadied.
I used the new point instantly, putting it into HP. Just in case.
A lesson burned itself into my memory.
MP matters. A lot.
The last goblin dropped with a dull thud.
I stood still, catching my breath. Then I noticed the faint glow over the bodies.
Loot.
I stepped over and reached for the nearest one. As before, the items shimmered, then disappeared into my inventory. A soft chime confirmed it.
[Inventory ]
MP Potion (5 MP): ×3
HP Potion (5 HP): ×3
Gold: 4
Goblin Meat: 3kg
Each goblin had dropped something. Mostly potions and gold. Useful stuff.
But no skill book this time.
The goblin meat count was stacking, but I still didn't want anything to do with it. I left it alone.
The potions, though—those were going to matter.
I glanced at the MP potions and made a mental note: don't let MP hit zero again.
I checked the hallway.
Quiet. For now.
But then I saw it.
A body—an actual human body—slumped near one of the hallway walls. Blood pooled around the torso, clothes torn, eyes open but empty.
I froze for a second. It was the first human casualty I'd seen up close.
Then—
Bang!
A door nearby exploded off its hinges.
A massive figure stomped through the ruined office frame, wood and glass crunching under its weight.
[Elite Goblin – Lvl 3]HP: 20
This one was different. Bigger, broader, covered in scraps of armor. Its eyes locked onto me, and it let out a roar that rattled the walls.
I reacted instantly.
Air Cutter.
Air Cutter.
Two blades of compressed air slashed into its chest.
–1 MP
–1 MP
[Elite Goblin HP: 10/20]
I popped open a mana potion from my inventory and drank it in one gulp.
[MP Restored: 3/3]
No hesitation.
Air Cutter.
Air Cutter.
–1 MP–1 MP
The final blade hit its neck. The goblin stumbled back, let out a gurgling sound—then crashed to the floor with a loud thud.
–20 HP[Elite Goblin – Lvl 3 | HP: 0/20]+15 EXP
I stood there, hand still half-raised.
Then slowly lowered it, my chest rising and falling, trying to calm down.
I gotta praise my gamer reactions for that one.