Chapter 18
"Huh?"
The goblin cackled loudly and in the very next moment, it bolted forward with immense speed, causing Zen's eyes to widen in horror and shock.
"Shit!"
Swoosh!
The goblin swung its jagged blade so fast that it sliced through the air like a screaming arrow, the sheer pressure sending a gust toward Zen, who, relying on his sharp eyes and well-honed observation skill, managed to duck beneath the strike but barely avoiding it by the skin of his teeth.
He retaliated by swinging his broken sword forward, but due to its shortened length, which he wasn't accustomed to yet, the blade couldn't reach the goblin.
The beast, seeing an opening, smashed a solid kick into Zen's stomach, making him spit out a spray of blood. His eyes nearly rolled back into his skull from the impact.
But with sheer willpower and grit, Zen gripped his sword tighter and clenched his teeth.
Kicking off against a protruding stone in the ground, he leapt aside just in time to avoid the goblin's next savage swing. The beast's blade missed him entirely as Zen tumbled to safety.
Blood dripped from his mouth, his vision briefly doubled, but Zen's eyes burned with a renewed fire. With every ounce of strength he had left, he dashed forward.
His breath grew more ragged, and his lungs felt like they were on fire, but he pushed through the pain and ducked instinctively as another deadly slash came for his neck.
Quickly regaining his footing, he rose with a swift uppercut-style slash aimed at the goblin's torso. The goblin pivoted sharply, dodging it, and swung its jagged sword in return.
"You're foolish," Zen muttered through clenched teeth as he twisted his own weapon mid-swing, redirecting its momentum and spinning around in a complete turn. The goblin hadn't anticipated the move.
Zen's blade slammed into the goblin's arm, slicing through its flesh and drawing a line of dark green blood. The beast leapt away in shock, clutching its bleeding limb.
"Oh? You can bleed?" Zen asked with a wide, crazed grin. "That's good to know, 'cause I'm about to make you bleed a whole lot more!" he roared, dashing forward and swinging his sword from the side.
Cackle!
The goblin laughed again as it easily dodged Zen's strike, then planted a heavy kick squarely into Zen's back.
The impact sent Zen crashing face-first into the hard earth. He skidded an inch before rolling over and grabbing his sword, quickly leaping back onto his feet.
He spun around just in time, meeting the goblin's blade only inches from his face. Tilting his head, he narrowly avoided a direct hit, but the sword still grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood that slowly trickled down.
Gritting his teeth and burning with frustration, Zen prepared to move but stumbled. His foot struck a loose stone, and he crashed forward, slamming his head against the same stone with brutal force. Blood gushed from the wound like a burst pipe.
"Ahhhh!" Zen cried out in raw agony, vision blurring. The goblin's eerie laughter echoed around him as it closed the distance and yanked him up by his hair, dragging him upright.
"Kekekekek!" The goblin chortled menacingly as it tensed its sinewy arm, preparing to slam Zen's head straight into the ground.
But just as the beast's muscles twitched to deliver the killing blow, Zen clung tightly to its arm and twisted with all his strength, landing a clean, desperate kick to the goblin's jaw.
CRACK!
The goblin tumbled backward in pain, momentarily stunned. Zen dropped to the ground with a heavy grunt, chest burning like it was filled with fire. Every inch of his body screamed in protest, but he refused to stop. He couldn't stop.
His blood-smeared eyes locked onto the goblin with unwavering focus, fury, and determination.
'Come on Zen, think. Think! You are running out of time.'
Tring!
{12/20 HP left}
'Shit! I'm running low on juice here. If I don't end this fight now, I'll die here for real. Think, Zen, think! You've watched enough anime, how do goblins fight? What are their weaknesses? Come on, remember!' Zen screamed internally, forcing himself to focus.
And right on cue, the goblin dashed toward him once more, its eyes glowing with murderous intent.
As the beast closed in, Zen's eyes scanned it from head to toe, searching and analyzing until it suddenly clicked.
'That's it! Why didn't I think of that before?'
A surge of clarity cut through the haze in his mind as a plan rapidly formed. He glanced around the room for just a split second to spot what he needed.
But that was all the goblin needed.
In that single instant of distraction, it appeared directly in front of him, sword raised high and a feral grin stretched across its monstrous face.
It swung its sword forward, and Zen immediately leapt back, avoiding it by the skin of his teeth, literally as the blade sliced clean through his shirt but didn't cut into him.
Despite the opening, Zen didn't strike back, even when a perfect opportunity presented itself.
The goblin let out a loud cackle and charged again, swinging its crude weapon with increasing speed and recklessness. Zen focused on evasion, dodging each blow with fluid steps, moving backward one step at a time.
One slash came dangerously close, nearly catching his neck, but thanks to his sharp reflexes and timely movement, he leaned back just in time. Still, the sword tore through his clothes and managed to graze his chest, drawing blood.
{-1 HP}
{11/20 HP left}
He continued dodging, breathing heavily now, each motion costing him more strength. He kept moving, shifting backward again and again until his back suddenly slammed against the cold surface of a wall.
His eyes widened as he quickly glanced behind him.
'Crap! Dead end.' he thought, just as the whistling sound of a blade slicing through the air reached his ears.
He spun around in a panic to see the goblin swinging its sword vertically with deadly precision.
Zen tried to sidestep, but he was too slow. The blade plunged deep into his shoulder and embedded itself into the wall behind him, causing blood to erupt from the wound and a sharp cry to escape his throat.
{-4 HP}
{7/20 HP left}
"Ahhh!" Zen roared in pain, teeth clenched and body trembling.
He used one hand to grab the sword stuck in his shoulder, not to pull it out, but to hold it in place, halting any chance the goblin had of freeing it easily.
The beast grunted, struggling to yank the blade free with all its strength.
"Now I have you where I want you!" Zen shouted, fury flaring in his eyes. He raised his broken sword with both hands and drove it forward with everything he had, jamming it into the goblin's neck.
A jet of greenish blood exploded from the wound as the goblin's eyes widened in shock.
'Inspect.'
{Inspect Activated}
{Health: Unstable and low}
The goblin let out a guttural screech and kicked Zen in the stomach, sending him stumbling backward.
Blood sprayed from Zen's mouth as his grip on his sword loosened. The goblin spun clumsily and turned to run away in panic, Zen's broken sword still lodged in its throat.
"You are going nowhere!" Zen bellowed. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he reached up and wrenched the goblin's sword from his shoulder with a raw, agonizing cry. With every last ounce of strength he had, he hurled the blade forward.
The sword whistled through the air and struck true, piercing the back of the goblin's skull.
The creature froze mid-step. Its limbs twitched once before it dropped to the floor like a lifeless puppet, crumpling with a solid, echoing thud.
Tring!
{You have slain a D-rank goblin beast. Congratulations!}
{Rewards will now be distributed.}
Zen's bloodied eyes stared blankly at the system messages hovering in front of him. A wide grin slowly spread across his face.
He dropped to his knees, chest heaving. His breathing was ragged and shallow, as blood trickled from almost every pore of his battered body.
"I've had enough… I... I... I need to head back now, or I'll die here," Zen mumbled through a cracked voice, struggling to rise to his feet.
But just as he moved...
{Error, Error, Error!}
{Bug is trying to escape his fate!}
{Calculating the possible way to eliminate bug...}
{Calculation complete.}
{Preparing another beast attack… locating nearby beast… beast found.}
{Good luck, our dearest NPC. We want to see how you will fight your way out of here with an attack from a C-rank beast.}
"Wait! C-rank what?!" Zen screamed as his eyes bulged in disbelief. His heart pounded violently in his chest, dread flooding through his veins like ice.