Morgan gripped his spear tight, each heartbeat pounding hard in his chest.
Although he had slain a goblin in the blink of an eye, the danger lingering around him kept his guard razor-sharp.
This time, the footsteps were clearer. Each step carried a deliberate rhythm, not from one creature, but from a group.
Within seconds, five goblins emerged, wooden clubs in hand, their eyes sharp and searching.
"A group, huh? Looks like this won't be easy." Morgan narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the pack.
These creatures were nothing like the aimless one from before. Their eyes shifted toward each other, their heads tilted, hands gesturing as though quietly strategizing. Morgan could sense their intelligence was slightly higher, each movement calculated and cautious.
The two sides stood in silence for a few seconds, until even Morgan's eyelids twitched at their unusual patience.
"Forget it. I'll just kill you all," he muttered, raising his spear.
"It's hunting time!"
The words spilled from his lips like an incantation, and the moment they did, he felt an overwhelming surge of strength course through him.
[Ding! You were detected repeatedly using self-created skill. A new skill has been unlocked.]
***
It's Hunting Time! [Active]: When activated, enters the Hunting state, causing weak-minded prey to fall into fear and increasing self-focus.
***
The system's notification echoed in Morgan's mind, but he ignored every word of it.
His eyes, his muscles, and every ounce of his focus locked onto the goblins, as though nothing else in the world existed.
The goblins faltered at his sudden shift, stepping back, their faces tense with fear, yet they did not retreat.
That was the one admirable thing about dungeon monsters: no matter how overwhelming their opponent's strength, they never ran.
[Thrust]
The spear tip shot forward, piercing clean through a goblin's head.
Its body convulsed for a split second before collapsing, eyes still wide open in disbelief, as if it hadn't yet realized what had happened.
[Exp gained]
The remaining four let out a shrill scream, their eyes blazing red, teeth grinding violently. As though some hidden mechanism had been triggered, their bodies quaked with frenzy, the stench of blood thickening in the air around them.
The fear from moments ago was consumed, replaced only by a suffocating bloodlust. They split in four directions, encircling Morgan.
But madness wasn't theirs alone. Bloodshot eyes gleamed in Morgan's sockets, the corner of his mouth curling into a chilling grin.
The only difference was that Morgan controlled his frenzy while they were slaves to it.
Clang!
A goblin lunged from behind, club crashing down. Morgan spun, spear shaft snapping upward to parry the strike.
At the same moment, another goblin swung its club down at his head from the front. Morgan heaved upward, using the spear's shaft to fling it aside. The spearhead stabbed into the ground, springing his body upward.
Bang!
A ruthless kick smashed into the goblin's face, blood spraying as its nose burst, a bootprint stamped deep into its twisted features. It rolled several times before stopping, groaning in agony.
The two remaining goblins stayed motionless, eyes gleaming with predatory patience as if waiting for the fatal opening.
Morgan's gaze flashed cold. The dazed one was the easiest prey.
He stomped hard, the ground cracking beneath his boot as his body shot forward.
[Thrust]
The spear's edge flared with light, but before it could pierce through, the other two goblins seized their chance, clubs crashing simultaneously against his side.
Morgan instantly aborted the thrust and spun into a counterattack.
Planting one foot firm, his right hand gripped the spear's end as his body whirled.
Slash!
The spear traced a wide arc, carving two bloody gashes across both goblins' stomachs, their shrill screams echoing through the air.
The force of the spinning strike threw Morgan off balance, his steps faltering, his back completely exposed.
The goblin from earlier, the strongest among them, roared. Muscles bulging as its legs pounded against the ground, propelling it like an arrow.
Bang!
The club crashed against Morgan's back. A searing pain ripped through his spine, as if his bones were splintering apart.
He was hurled forward, tumbling across the ground several times before finally skidding to a stop.
"Khuh… khuh…"
Blood gushed from his mouth, staining his lips crimson. His chest tightened violently, breath ragged and strangled—the internal injury was anything but light.
The three surviving goblins, despite their bleeding wounds, saw him fall, and their eyes ignited with manic fury. Their howls shook the air as their movements turned sharper, more savage, as though some unseen force had poured strength into their veins.
Morgan wasn't foolish enough to meet them head-on. He crouched, snatched a rock, and hurled it.
The stone cut through the air, forcing one goblin to instinctively dodge aside. In that fleeting instant, Morgan burst through the gap, breaking the encirclement, then spun around to counterattack.
[Thrust]
The spearhead drove through a goblin's chest. But in the same heartbeat, another threw itself forward, forcing its body against the blade.
Blood erupted, two corpses skewered on the same point.
Morgan yanked hard on the shaft, but the spear was wedged too deep, locked tight by bone and flesh. In that instant, he fully grasped just how dangerous these goblins truly were.
It had willingly traded its life for his weapon. This was a trap to commit suicide with the enemy!
A spearman without his spear was like losing more than half his strength. For an ordinary person, that would have been the end.
But Morgan was no ordinary man. He mastered every kind of weapon and was a martial arts expert besides.
His eyes flared, his entire body radiating sharp intensity. Muscles tensed with every movement, storing the experience of countless life-or-death battles.
A goblin roared, swinging its wooden club straight down. But before it could strike, Morgan spun aside, his agility so precise the club only sliced through empty air.
Immediately after, he sprang forward with a powerful kick, slamming it into the goblin's face. A harsh crack echoed. The creature fell backward, nose gushing blood, eyes wide in stunned disbelief.
Morgan lunged forward, his hand reaching to snatch the weapon from its grip.
In this moment, he was forced to expose a deadly opening.
But the final goblin did not rush him as expected. Its eyes gleamed with savage intelligence. Planting its feet like a javelin thrower, it hurled its club with deadly precision.
A crisp, sharp sound rang out. The club spun in the air before striking Morgan squarely on the forehead.
Blood spurted, his vision blurred for an instant, and his mind was dazed as if struck by a hammer.
Yet the Hunting state kept him standing, body coiled like a drawn bow. Grabbing the goblin's club, he swung it with frenzied force, indifferent to whether the creature was alive or dead.
Morgan roared, wrenching another club from a different goblin and swinging it violently.
Clubs collided repeatedly, each blow heavy enough to shatter bone and crush flesh. Rocks and blood sprayed with every strike, yet he paid no mind to checking the kills.
After dozens of swings, he turned to the last target: a goblin clutching its wounded belly, unarmed.
They faced each other directly. The goblin screamed, flailing its short arms, unable to reach him.
Morgan exploited the reach advantage, bringing his wooden club down squarely onto its head.
Bonk, bonk, bonk...
The pounding sounded unrelenting, blood spattering everywhere. Morgan panted heavily, muscles trembling, yet his frenzy drove him to keep swinging ceaselessly until the system chimed.
[Exp gained. Level up!]
[Exp gained.]
…
[Exp gained. Level up!]
A flood of notifications slammed into his mind. Morgan froze, shoulders trembling, then slowly released the Hunting state.
"Khuh…" he coughed, blood spitting from his mouth.
His body felt drained of all strength. He collapsed to the ground, sweat and blood mingling across his face.
Shaking hands rose to clutch his bloodied forehead, breaths ragged, echoing through the quiet area.