Fighting seemed suicidal to Kenji; his primary goal was to escape. He dashed to the left, trying to escape the advancing goblins. But the sickle-wielding goblin was quick, darting in to cut off his path.
With a mighty swing, the sickle goblin struck upward from below. Kenji barely had time to react as his short sword met the sickle. The impact was brutal, shattering his blade into pieces.
Kenji stepped back, narrowly avoiding the sickle's deadly arc. But before he could formulate a new plan, the shield-bearing goblin struck at his leg from the side. He shifted just enough to minimize the damage, but the blow still left a sharp sting.
Suddenly, a system alert pierced through his focus:
['Poison detected.']
He felt the cold grip of the poison starting to seep in, but instead of panic, a calculating calm settled over him. This was a setback, nothing more. He would adapt.
["Adapt skill has activated."]
["You have adapted to the poison."]
A wave of clarity washed over Kenji as the system's messages resonated in his mind. The dull ache from the poison began to fade, replaced by a newfound resilience.
Kenji had no moment to breathe. The goblin with the dagger launched a flurry of attacks, hurling several blades quickly.
With swift precision, Kenji activated his shield in his inventory, raising it just in time to deflect the projectiles. Each dagger clattered against the shield, sending a jarring vibration through his arm.
He focused, his mind sharp despite the poison creeping in. The goblins were relentless, but he wouldn't let them dictate the pace of the battle. As the last dagger bounced off the shield, he prepared to counterattack, scanning for an opening amidst the chaos. He would find a way to escape this ambush.
"The goblins seem stronger than the ones I usually face," Kenji thought, recognizing the intensity of each clash. Every strike felt more powerful, and he needed to rethink his strategy.
He noticed a yellow, mana-like substance swirling around the goblins as he assessed the situation. A closer inspection revealed that it emanated from the shaman goblin, who stood slightly apart, chanting softly.
"He's giving them a boost," Kenji realized, his focus sharpening.
With his mindset, he locked onto his new target: the shaman. If he could disrupt the source of their enhanced strength, he might turn the tide in his favour. Calculating his next move, he prepared to strike and exploit any opening that would allow him to reach the shaman and end the threat.
Kenji's mind raced as he sought to escape the triangular trap the goblins had formed around him. His primary target was the shaman, but as he manoeuvred, the goblins swiftly blocked his path, their movements fluid and strategic. The air was tense, and he could sense their determination to keep him contained.
He lunged at the dagger-wielder, but the shield-bearing goblin quickly intercepted, his shield crashing against Kenji's blade. The dagger goblin seized the opportunity, creating distance and launching a series of projectiles with relentless precision. Kenji sidestepped, only to feel the sickle-wielder's presence loom behind him, forcing him to pivot away from the shaman.
Their tactics were unexpectedly sharp, each goblin playing their part with an intuitive understanding of teamwork. Kenji felt the sharp sting of minor injuries accumulating, each blow a reminder of his vulnerability. A dagger grazed his arm, and he cursed under his breath.
['Poison detected.']
['Poison detected.']
["You have adapted, plus 3 points have been allocated to your stamina ."]
Kenji only gained 4 cumulative points; he had 3 cumulative points now, using 2, he had 2 left
Player Info after
Name: Kenji Mochizuki
Level: 4
Class: Novice
Yin: Locked
Stats/Attributes:
Agility: 15/15
Strength: 15/15
Stamina: 7/15 +(3)
Intelligence: 13/13
Unique Skills: Adapt, Heightened Senses
Accumulated points awaiting distribution: 4
['Poison detected.']
[apadt skill his helping you resist the poison]
The system's alerts echoed in his mind like a relentless drumbeat, each notification deepening the weight of the situation. He could feel the poison creeping into him.
Kenji had only managed to resist the poison due to the brutal experiments he had conducted on himself. After completing his initial training on the first night in the sanctum, he discovered a brown bag filled with antidotes. However, his curiosity about the adaptation skill genuinely drove him.
He had taken an arrowhead, its sharp tip glistening ominously, and pressed it into his skin. The pain was immediate and overwhelming, like fire igniting beneath his flesh. He winced, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to push deeper, feeling the metal slice through. Each cut brought a surge of agony that reverberated through his body, a stark reminder of his recklessness.
He collapsed onto the cold stone floor, sweat beading on his forehead. The pain was relentless, crashing over him like a storm. Every breath felt laborious as if the air itself was heavy with the weight of his suffering. Yet, amid the chaos, he found a flicker of focus. This pain was not just torment but a test, a trial by fire that would forge his resilience.
Kenji lay there, heart pounding, muscles taut with tension, reminding himself of his goal. He had to adapt to understand. Hours passed as he endured the searing sensations coursing through him, each wave of discomfort bringing him closer to the immunity he sought.
As the days wore on, Kenji felt the adaptation skill begin to take hold. The pain that once overwhelmed him became more bearable; each cut a step toward his goal. He learned to breathe through the discomfort, transforming agony into resolve.
Finally, after relentless days of experimentation, the system chimed in his mind.
["Congratulations on gaining a large amount of immunity from the goblin poison."]
A surge of satisfaction washed over him. He had persevered through the torment, and now it had yielded results. Rising to his feet, Kenji felt the weight of his journey transform into strength. Armed with newfound resilience, he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Kenji fought fiercely against the goblins, feeling the warmth of his blood as it dripped from his wounds. The creatures attacked with relentless speed, swarming him from all directions. Each time he managed to fend one off, another would spring forward, pushing him back further.
"I need to find a way to limit their movements," he thought, his heart racing as he dodged another blow.
His eyes landed on the store door. Without a second thought, he sprinted toward it, determined to create some distance. He drew his bow and aimed at the lone light bulb hanging from the ceiling, brightening the store. He let the arrow go, and it struck the hanging bulb, shattering it.
The room was bright for a moment, but then it flickered and began to blink erratically. Kenji seized the chance and dashed inside.
He wasn't going to play by the goblins' rules. Fighting them out in the open had no benefit; only a fool would meet monsters on terrain that favored them. If he were going to face them, it would be on his own terms, in a place where he held the advantage.
He would drag them into the darkness… and use it as a blade against them.
The shield-wielding goblin, who was the leader and the sickle-bearer, exchanged wary glances before dashing into the store room with Kenji. Given the poisonous nature of their weapons, they were puzzled by how Kenji had not yet fallen. Despite their curiosity, they remained confident that his strength would soon wane, especially with the blood he had lost.
The dagger goblin lingered at the entrance, a sinister grin spreading across his face, ready to strike. His eyes scanned the dark room, eager to take Kenji down.
Meanwhile, the shaman goblin remained rooted in his spot, still chanting softly, his focus unwavering. He was positioned further back, carefully maintaining the magical boost that empowered his allies.
In the centre of the long, narrow store stood a sturdy metal display rack firmly anchored to the ground. Its iron frame gleamed in the dim light, lined with various tools, supplies, and other wares, all meticulously arranged.
The air in the store was cool, but it also added to the eerie atmosphere, with shadows pooling around the base of the rack. Kenji knew he had to use this narrow space to his advantage as he prepared for the goblin's next move.
The decision to slip into the store and cut off the light source wasn't random. It came from a simple observation: in that narrow, dark hallway, the weak goblins had flailed blindly. They couldn't see clearly in the dark, which made the goblin swing their blade randomly.
That weakness was now his weapon.
But as the battle dragged on, Kenji's body was already reaching its limit. His breath grew heavy, his movements slower, each strike carved from sheer will. He had known this moment would come; that's why he'd saved his stat points in the first place.
Without hesitation, he funneled the remaining points into stamina.A surge of strength pulsed through him, the fatigue loosening its grip.
Player Info after
Name: Kenji Mochizuki
Level: 4
Class: Novice
Yin: Locked
Stats/Attributes:
Agility: 15/15
Strength: 15/15 +(1)
Stamina: 10/15 +(3)
Intelligence: 13/13
Unique Skills: Adapt, Heightened Senses
Accumulated points awaiting distribution: 0
Kenji had poured all his remaining points into Stamina and strength, enhancing his ability to last longer and strike. This choice allowed him to remain light on his feet, ready to evade the goblins' attacks while delivering powerful counterstrikes.
With a renewed sense of determination, he prepared himself, knowing that his enhanced Stamina and strength could be the key to turning the tide of the battle.
Suddenly, the store lights flickered ominously, casting fleeting shadows on the walls. The dagger goblin locked his gaze onto Kenji, a sinister grin spreading across his face. With a swift motion, he launched several sharp projectiles straight at Kenji's head, intent on delivering a fatal blow.