Ciel didn't answer Maria's words. She just dashed in with the intent to kill.
"Krrr!!" With one hand, the enraged hobgoblin met Ciel's sword head-on. The detonating clash of their weapons reverberated through the battlefield. The Goblika cast regenerative magic to heal the hobgoblin's severed arm, but unfortunately for him, Maria no longer had to worry about being attacked from her blind spot. The Goblika was obliged to nullify the healing spell on the hobgoblin's arm to create a defensive barrier against Maria's attack.
Valkiriand are warriors in soul and body. Through generations, the Valkiriand have honed their bodies to their fullest extent. Among them, Maria—once known as "The Undefeated"—was the strongest among the Valkiriand of this era.
The goblin's magical barrier dissolved into particles when it collided with Maria's high kick. The Goblika, surprised, stumbled backward. He was confused. That split second he took to assess the situation led him to take a fatal blow from Maria's front kick. He spurted blood from his mouth along with several teeth, but the worst part was that he felt his lungs, organs, and even his soul being ripped apart. True to their nature, the Goblika wanted to flee, but as soon as he turned his body, the hobgoblin's axe split him vertically in two from head to toe.
"Krrr...krrr. A...ny...one...wh...o runs... I'll...kill...them." The hobgoblin's cells started to evolve again.
"He can speak?" thought Ciel while delivering relentless blows, each strike countered easily by the hobgoblin. Out of rage, he left his axe mid-swing as it blocked another of Ciel's sword strikes. With his fist tightened, he punched her in the chest so hard that Ciel felt her bones breaking. She spurted blood before flying into a nearby house.
"Ciel !" Maria rushed over.
The smoke cleared. Ciel was lying there—not unconscious, but thinking. If she hadn't [Enhanced] her body to its maximum at the last moment, she would be dead by now. Something thrilling emerged inside her. She recognized that feeling of being close to death.
"Are you okay?" asked Maria, looking inside the house Ciel had crashed into.
"Yes, I'm safe." Ciel emerged from the house. Her clothes were torn—half of her chest was exposed, revealing her undergarments. Her pants were also ripped, exposing her left leg. She looked at Maria before saying:
"Could you let me defeat that one?" Ciel asked confidently.
Maria refused at first, saying that he was an evolved goblin and not an easy opponent. But what she saw gave her chills. Ciel's face was full of ecstasy, her smile creepy and inhuman. That expression—she had seen it once before, in the woods when she was training Arthur.
Ciel gripped her sword, and with a surge of propulsive power, she closed the distance between herself and the hobgoblin in an instant, surprising him. He tried to retaliate with his axe but missed. Ciel was fast—way too fast. Maria couldn't even follow her movements with her eyes.
"You monster—what are you?" said the hobgoblin without expecting an answer. He delivered hundreds of blows, creating vast clouds of smoke and holes in the ground, but before he could even breathe, Ciel landed on his bald head without him noticing. With a swift motion of her sword, she sliced off the hobgoblin's head. Blood spurted from the headless corpse, falling like rain upon Ciel.
Maria, stunned by Ciel's performance, lost track of time, forgetting she was on a battlefield. When her mind returned, she rushed toward Ciel.
"She needs help more than me," Ciel said, pointing her sword toward the Valkiriand who had been abducted by the hobgoblin.
Maria couldn't believe it. While she had been dodging that rain of rapid axe strikes, Ciel had managed to rescue Astrid.
"Sera, what have you brought into this world?"
''
[One hour earlier, before Ciel saved Maria's life from the hobgoblin.]
Lumiela's secret tunnel led to the forest behind the village. It was a passage created by the previous generation for emergency evacuation. When she found it, the exit was blocked with fallen stones—it took her two weeks to clear the path. The forest was dark, the twin moons in the sky glowing red and white. Lumiela dashed toward the forest in the deep north direction.
Arthur, still following her, wondered where she was going. He continually cast his skill [Detection] for any potential danger, but everything he found was immediately slain by Lumiela. Spirits, low demons, and even a Vyrmantis—she dashed without stopping.
Then she found it: the goblin nest.
Two days before the goblin invasion, she had overheard the Valkiriand monarch talking about it and forming a raid team for extermination. But Lumiela couldn't wait. She slid down the mountain as if surfing waves. The goblins, alerted by the noise, took their weapons and charged toward her.
According to the Architect's will, geniuses are born everywhere—among each monster tribe, human species, and even among the gods themselves. The geniuses born with outstanding power and mastery are called "Champions."Lumiela is the youngest Champion of the Valkiriand clan.
She easily killed the goblins standing at the entrance before they could alarm the others inside. It was a stealth mission with the goal of killing the goblin monarch. She didn't have magic, but her skill was on par with the best ninjas ever recorded. Erasing her presence by controlling her breathing frequency and the secretion of her body odor, she moved furtively, shadow among shadows, killing every goblin she spotted.
But no matter what stealth skills you possess, hiding yourself from an enemy who can sense people based on their souls is utterly impossible. Lumiela knew this well. This was where her stealth ended. She checked her weapons a second time while elaborating her battle strategy.
The moment she looked again at the fifty goblins and four Goblikas who had been standing there seconds ago, they were all frozen—not in ice, but in stone. Lumiela walked carefully among the petrified goblins. In fact, the one behind the goblins' fall was Arthur, using the skill he had gained from the Thornback.
[Roar of Petrification]
[You have activated your skill Roar of Petrification in a radius of 20 meters], said Arthur's system mechanically.
[Fifty-four goblins have been petrified]
[Due to the use of the skill, your skill Vorace has been fused with Petrification Roar]
[You have obtained the skills of the evolved Goblikas]
[Skill: Thunder Strike has been acquired]
[Skill: Soul Detection has been acquired]
[Skill: Healing has been acquired]
[Skill: Fireball has been acquired]
Arthur looked at the screen. He was already aware that he had the capacity to steal other people's abilities with his innate skill [Vorace]. What he wanted to see were the activation conditions.
Lumiela, confused, forgot about hiding herself for a split second—and that split second was all a hobgoblin needed to detect her. The nest was like a giant tower; the higher you climbed, the worse things became. Not only was Lumiela discovered, but she was immediately attacked by dozens of hobgoblins simultaneously.
She leaped backward, executing several backflips before landing far away. Hobgoblins are evolved goblins standing over six meters tall when newborn. The ones she faced were experienced hobgoblins, towering above ten meters in height.
"Look at you—disgusting." She removed an elastic tie from her pocket, changing her hairstyle into pigtails for better efficiency. She drew her weapon—a short-range sword.
With an outburst of speed, she dashed toward the hobgoblins. The first one lifted his huge sword to crush her flat with the blade, but Lumiela, with her instincts honed to an extreme level, dodged easily before climbing onto the hobgoblin's flat blade part. With a clean slash, the monster's throat bled green before he fell to the ground, his body disintegrating and leaving only a small marble behind. Lumiela stored the glowing stone in her pocket.
The second hobgoblin ran toward her with his sword. Unlike the first, he slashed low, aiming for Lumiela's legs. She jumped into the sky, but another hobgoblin appeared behind her, sword raised in his hands. With a rotating flip of her body, she met the hobgoblin's sword with her own, creating a detonation of clashing blades.
The hobgoblin struck several times. Lumiela countered each attack without being pressured—their strength was on par. Actually, no. Lumiela's sword started to crack. She noticed it clearly and tried to fall back, but another hobgoblin cornered her from behind, swinging his sword at high speed.
Swords were coming from behind, in front, and from above. She was done for—that's what she thought. She could have waited for the raid team. Why didn't she wait? she asked herself as the swords slowly closed in on her.
> "They called me a genius. Expectations grew, and to stand up to that name, I pushed myself beyond my limits. And now... this is the payback."
In a silent outburst, an explosion detonated from the colliding swords.
"Jeez, you're such a baby."
Lumiela slowly opened her eyes. Arthur was standing in front of her. There were several magical barriers surrounding them, blocking the hobgoblins' swords.
Instantly, he performed a [Magical Barrier] around Lumiela to hide her from the Goblika's perception.
"You are hurt, stay here," Arthur said.
Lumiela's eyes widened at those words. She was hurt? she asked herself. Suddenly she felt a chill down her legs—blood was flowing from a deep cut on her left thigh. When facing life-threatening situations, the human body enters survival mode based on primal instincts. This response suppresses pain receptors and non-essential sensory input to maximize survival chances, flooding the system with adrenaline and endorphins. However, this state comes at a cost—when the immediate danger passes, the body experiences a crash as stress hormones dissipate, often revealing injuries that were previously masked by the fight-or-flight response.
Arthur may be able to use the hidden blessings granted to him by the gods, but they still cost tremendous amounts of mana. He could only use three blessings per day. He had used the [Earth Goddess Terra] blessing to quickly defeat the hobgoblins. He then used [The Goddess of Miracles] blessing to heal Lumiela's injury, and now he was facing hundreds of goblins.
Arthur smiled before taking Lumiela's almost-broken sword. The goblins emerged from the tower's higher floors, falling to the first floor for one reason Arthur knew well—because of the soul of Satoru inside him. It acted as a neural network where [The Goddess of Knowledge] blessing fused with his consciousness, creating a split personality. Satoru had access to all the knowledge of his previous world, and due to the blessing's omniscience power, he also knew everything about Astreya. Thanks to Satoru being a split part of Arthur, the blessing of omniscience didn't cost any mana consumption.
Arthur smiled before activating [The Blessing of the God of War]
[Weapon Mastery and Combat Mastery acquired]
[Strengthening] his body as well as [Enhancing] Lumiela's sword up to ten-fold, he dashed through the maelstrom of monsters.
The barrier skill chosen by Satoru as the "Hero's Tribute" wasn't a mere barrier skill. As tribute equal to a hero, the barrier skill separated whatever was inside to another dimension. Yet the person trapped inside could see the world as if they were present, while people outside could perceive the barrier but not its contents beyond the dimensional wall.
Lumiela looked at Arthur's fighting style. She was dazed—Arthur was fighting like a Valkiriand. The Valkiriand fighting art known as "Berserker's Grace" required years of training to reach perfection, yet from Lumiela's perspective, Arthur was using their style to absolute perfection.
The hobgoblins struck from everywhere, creating consecutive giant clouds of smoke. From a bird's-eye view, it looked like a pile of giants trying to kill a bug, but the bug was Arthur. He clearly dodged every hobgoblin strike using his senses to predict their movements by reading their mana fluctuations. He leaped to the sky, rolled mid-air, and even countered some attacks with his tiny sword in comparison.
[You have deployed the skill Roar of Petrification]
[Due to lack of adequate mana points, the skill Roar of Petrification will be used on a 3-meter radius]
Some of the hobgoblins suddenly jumped backward, creating distance, while others were instantly turned to stone. For hobgoblins to survive, their senses must be honed to perfection—otherwise they might be stabbed in the back by their own kind for better positioning.
Arthur ran at lightning speed, creating several afterimages of himself. But the Goblika weren't fools. They had chosen the path of magic over physical evolution. What they had gained wasn't height in muscles, but affinity with mana. They all struck thunder bolts at one of the afterimages Arthur created. He instantly leaped away, dodging the lightning strike.
Goblika are monsters that could see people not by their physical bodies, but by their mana souls and fluctuations.
Monsters are manifestations of human consciousness—entities born from the collective belief and imagination of humanity. When humans believe in a monster's existence, that belief becomes reality itself. The more widespread the information spreads, the more frequently these creatures appear in the world. Humanity unknowingly acts as a parasite upon itself, creating the reverse reflection of their own nature. Thus, goblins were born into existence through human belief and fear.
In this reality, information serves as the fundamental building block of existence. Myths, legends, tales, and even mere rumors form the core principles governing a monster's manifestation in the underworld. This information-based physiology explains why overlords and demons can never be truly destroyed—as long as humanity continues to believe in them, they persist. When someone thinks too intensely about an idea, that very concept gains independent life and form.
Goblikas represent an evolved form of goblins who have transcended the typical limitations of their monstrous nature by achieving unity with magic itself. While they lack physical strength, their mastery of magical arts is formidable and not to be underestimated.
The goblikas unleashed a torrent of water across the chamber floor, but Arthur's passive blessing as a water candidate protected him completely. The water divided around him like a living thing, separating so thoroughly that not even a single drop could touch his form.
Water serves as the world's reflection—the goblikas do not create water from nothing, but rather summon it from the primordial sea that encompasses all existence. This sea was created by the Goddess of Water, who had bestowed her blessing upon Arthur, marking him as her chosen water candidate. The goblikas appeared genuinely surprised by this turn of events.
[System Alert: You have been targeted with High-Temperature Waterfall]
[Your skill "Vorace" has been activated]
[Skill "Waterfall" has been acquired]
Arthur smiled with satisfaction. Satoru had made an excellent choice in selecting a skill that allowed him to devour and assimilate other abilities. Through experience, Arthur had discovered two distinct methods by which his passive skill "Vorace" could activate:
First Method: Direct physical contact with the target triggers the skill, allowing him to mimic their abilities regardless of whether they are alive or dead.
Second Method:Being targeted by an enemy skill allows Vorace to consume the skill's effect directly from his body and instantly replicate it.
Armed with this newly acquired knowledge, Arthur conjured several condensed water lasers that materialized behind him within shimmering magical barriers. Each beam possessed enough concentrated power to slice a stone wall cleanly in half. The goblikas hastily erected their standard defensive measure—a common barrier shield with mirror properties—but Arthur's laser beams pierced straight through their protection, striking each goblika's heart core with lethal precision.
With final, agonized screeches, the goblikas dissolved into swirling dark particles, leaving only glowing marble orbs behind as evidence of their existence.
Arthur slowly turned his attention toward the remaining hobgoblins, his eyes gleaming with newfound power and confidence. For the first time in their arrogant existence, these proud creatures felt the cold grip of genuine fear.
Overlords never forgive failure—this unbroken rule is etched into the consciousness of every monster under their dominion. The remaining hobgoblins understood their fate: rather than fleeing with their tails between their legs only to be mercilessly executed by their own kind along with their honor, dying on the battlefield represented the greatest salvation they could hope for.
The hobgoblins charged toward Arthur, weapons held firmly in their trembling hands. Fear was evident in every fiber of their being—that much was undeniable. Yet despite their shaking fingers and racing hearts, they pressed forward with grim determination.
Arthur, overflowing with the blessing of the God of War, recognized their desperate courage and decided to honor it with one of his techniques. Though it wasn't truly a "special move" in the conventional sense, it carried the weight of ancient tradition. He assumed the classical stance of a samurai poised to deliver the final, decisive blow—his left foot positioned forward, right foot anchored behind for stability, both hands gripping his weapon with the blade held high above his shoulder, body coiled like a spring ready to unleash devastating power in a single, fluid motion.
With supernatural speed enhanced by divine blessing, Arthur executed a perfect vertical slash. The blade cut through the air in a pristine line, cleaving each hobgoblin cleanly in half from crown to groin. They dissolved into wisps of black smoke, leaving behind glowing yellow marble cores.
Arthur collected the cores methodically. If Satoru's information proved accurate, these gems were monster cores—the fundamental essence that permitted these creatures to exist in the physical world. Composed of condensed mana, they could amplify the magical power of whoever consumed them.
"Perfect," Arthur murmured, consuming all six mature hobgoblin cores in his possession.
The system interface materialized before him:
[You have consumed a Mature Hobgoblin Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Hobgoblin Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Hobgoblin Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Hobgoblin Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Hobgoblin Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Hobgoblin Core]
[Your Mana has leveled up]
[Mana Current State: 23%/999%]
"These blessings certainly consume substantial amounts of mana," he observed aloud. His gaze shifted to the remaining goblika cores. "Perhaps I should consume these as well?"
[You have consumed a Mature Goblika Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Goblika Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Goblika Core]
[You have consumed a Mature Goblika Core]
[Your Mana has leveled up]
[Mana Current State: 52%/999%]
[Vorace has been activated]
[You have obtained the skill: Mirror Barrier]
[You have obtained the skill: Flight]
[Your Affinity with Mana has leveled up]
Arthur exhaled deeply, reflecting that if he had possessed knowledge of this system during his time at the castle, he could have thoroughly astonished his father with his rapid progression.
"Ah..." A sudden realization struck him—Lumiela.
He quickly deactivated his barrier skill to check on his companion, only to discover her unconscious within the protective space. She hadn't withstood the aftereffects of the pocket dimension Arthur had secured her in. The mana pressure had been intensely concentrated; he had assumed that since she was a Valkyrie with no natural mana affinity, she would remain unaffected. Had he delayed any longer, the condensed magical energy could have permanently altered her personality.
She lay there defenseless, her clothing disheveled from the magical turbulence, revealing glimpses of her form beneath. Arthur found himself in a precarious situation—one more dangerous than any hobgoblin he had faced. As he carefully lifted Lumiela onto his back to carry her to safety, he became acutely aware of her warmth pressing against him, a reminder of his own inexperience in such matters.
As Arthur prepared to carry Lumiela on his back, the entire tower began to tremble violently. Debris rained down from above like a deadly storm of stone and mortar. Arthur leaped toward the exit, his body moving with desperate agility as he dodged the massive falling blocks. Using his skill [Mana Detection], he could predict the landing points of each piece of debris two seconds in advance, giving him just enough time to navigate the collapsing structure.
From an outside perspective, the tower appeared to be crumbling into complete destruction—or perhaps that wasn't entirely accurate. Far above in the sky, a colossal black sphere floated ominously, suspended over 500 kilometers above the ground, casting an otherworldly presence over the landscape.
Arthur managed to escape the collapsing structure with Lumiela still unconscious in his arms, narrowly avoiding being buried alive beneath tons of rubble. He deliberately paused to catch his breath, recognizing that his life points had nearly dropped to zero. Despite possessing incredible skills, he remained trapped in the body of a five-year-old child, and pushing himself beyond his limits could prove fatal.
The system interface materialized once again before him:
[You have successfully raided the first and second floors of the Monarch Goblin Nest]
"A Monarch Goblin Nest?" Arthur questioned aloud, confusion evident in his voice.
His fragmented personality—the part of his soul merged with Satoru and blessed by the Goddess of Knowledge—provided an immediate response that echoed directly in his mind:
*"Monarchs are the ultimate representation of each species. You can consider them the absolute kings of their respective kingdoms."*
Arthur felt a surge of surprise. He hadn't expected an answer to his rhetorical question, but it appeared that the successful merger of the Knowledge Goddess's blessing with part of his consciousness was functioning perfectly.
"What is that black object in the sky?" Arthur asked, referring to the gigantic orb floating high above them. The sphere appeared massive enough to cover thousands of kilometers, yet strangely, it cast no shadow over the landscape below. Sunlight passed through it as if it were merely an illusion from another dimension.
"The Goblin Monarch's Territory," Satoru's voice responded directly in Arthur's mind. "It's a defensive mini-world that a Monarch creates to protect itself from external threats. This realm operates outside normal causality—nothing in our physical world can directly touch it since its core exists within the black sphere alongside the Goblin Monarch, in another dimension entirely."
Arthur remained silent, processing this information, when the system screen appeared once more:
[The Goddess of Knowledge has created a chatroom. Would you like to accept the invitation?]
Arthur felt a profound sense of synchronization with the Goddess of Knowledge wash over him. Perhaps through direct communication with her, he could discover a method to destroy that impenetrable black sphere and reach the Monarch within.
"Accept," he declared with determination.
The Chatroom—a private salon built upon the gods' social media network—allowed Arthur to communicate directly with the deities who had blessed him through the system interface. Among them was the Goddess of Harmony, known by her ancient name: Thessal—onikeia the Eternal Harmonizer.
[Are you alright?]The notification appeared on his screen in ethereal script.
"Are you worried about me?" Arthur asked, genuinely surprised that the gods of this world could experience emotions. In his previous world, the deities had been distant and irrelevant despite being worshipped by thousands. They never interfered with worldly affairs, content to watch everything decay into darkness. The gods of this realm seemed fundamentally different—perhaps because they were the actual creators of this world.
[You used the Book of Wisdom. Even though your alter personality has fused with it, the process could still cause severe brain damage if you're not careful.]
Arthur remained silent for a moment, processing this revelation.
"Why are you telling me this?" he inquired.
[You are a candidate for godhood ascension. As one of your guardians, I must warn you of the dangers,]replied Thessal—onikeia.
"Guardian? What do you—" Before Arthur could complete his question, a new notification interrupted him:
[You have been ejected from the chatroom. The Goddess of Harmony sincerely apologizes for this abrupt disconnection.]
Arthur stood in stunned silence as Satoru's voice echoed within his mind.
"It would be wise to retreat to the Valkyrie village. The Goblin Monarch will remain dormant until he has rebuilt his army."
"Isn't this the perfect opportunity to strike him down while he's weakened?" Arthur countered.
"The black sphere's walls are constructed from interdimensional barriers—nothing from this world can interact with him directly."
"What are the chances of Vorace succeeding against such defenses?"
[Greater than 100%, but with your remaining life force, you'll lose consciousness before even breaching the barrier. I recommend resting before attempting any assault.]
Arthur exhaled deeply, acknowledging the wisdom in this counsel.
His gaze shifted to Lumiela, who remained unconscious nearby.
"You're right. Let's bring her back to the village—Ciel and Maria must be worried sick about us."
"I believe Ciel is already searching for you."
Arthur chuckled softly. "She's far too overprotective, even though I'm technically the older one."
Satoru offered no response to this observation.
"Satoru?" Arthur asked, concern creeping into his voice.
"We share the same core personality but possess different minds. You should call me Voggel from now on."
"Hmm! Isn't that the name of our avatar in the game 'The Heroine Reincarnated'?" Arthur realized with amusement.
"Yes," came the simple confirmation.
"I knew you were obsessed with that character,"