Seven mid-level goblins. Two more than the last night.
They were smarter. The moment they spawned, they spread out.
"Fireball!" - A Shaman he hadn't seen was in the back.
Zack used his flash, but the Shaman had its eyes closed, already casting.
BOOM! The fireball hit a Warrior that Zack was using as a shield.
Zack threw the dead, burning goblin at the Shaman, killing it.
The other six were on him. This was a messy, ugly fight. He took a club to the back (his 34.5 Defense held) and a dagger to the arm (it failed to cut him).
He was a whirlwind. He was faster and stronger. He tore through them, his shadow-cloaked fists hitting like hammers.
It took him 3- 4 minutes, but he cleared them all.
[Wave 2 Cleared.]
[Wave 3 : E-Rank (High) x3 Spawning...]
The same three Hobgoblins as last night: The Warrior, the Assassin, and the Shaman.
They spawned, and they looked at Zack with pure hate. They remembered him.
"Fireball!" the Shaman screamed instantly.
Zack dodged. The Assassin was already on him, its twin daggers flashing.
Clang! Clang!
Zack blocked, but the Warrior was charging from the other side, its axe swinging.
He was trapped.
"No," Zack growled.
He ignored the Assassin. He let the daggers scrape and spark against his 34.5 Defense. He turned his ruthless focus on the Warrior.
He ran at the axe, ducking under the swing.
He slammed his shadow-fist into the Warrior's chest. CRACK!
He punched it again. CRACK!
The Warrior fell.
"Fireball!"
Zack spun, grabbing the Assassin and using it as a shield against the fireball.
BOOM!
The Assassin died instantly.
Zack walked through the fire, his clothes smoking, and appeared before the terrified Shaman.
He didn't give it time to scream.
[Wave 3 Cleared.]
He healed his minor burns with a glow of green light. He was getting good at this.
[All waves cleared. Total: 4.0 stat points in red cubes gained.]
[Final Wave: E-Rank (Peak) Spawning...]
[Spawning: 'Mutant Goblin Warrior'.]
The giant, tattooed goblin appeared. It was holding its giant axe.
It looked at Zack. It didn't snarl. It just stared.
It knew Zack was strong. It didn't underestimate him.
And Zack didn't underestimate it.
The monster and the man stood twenty feet apart, just staring.
Then, they both moved at the exact same time.
CLANG!
Zack's shadow-fist met the mutant's giant axe. The metal screamed.
The mutant was strong. Its stats were in the high 40s. But Zack's 35.8 Strength, backed by [God-Eater], was stronger.
The mutant's axe cracked.
The mutant roared and swung again. Zack dodged, his 36.3 Agility just barely enough.
The axe missed him by an inch.
Zack was in close. He punched the mutant in the ribs. THUD!
The mutant punched back. THWACK!
Zack was thrown back, skidding on the floor. His 34.5 Defense was not enough. His ribs felt like they were on fire.
It's still stronger than me, Zack thought, gasping.
The mutant charged, its axe held high, ready to finish him.
Zack lay on the ground. He was furious.
He was ruthless.
He waited.
The mutant was on him. The axe came down.
Zack rolled. The axe smashed the floor where he had been.
He was now at the mutant's feet.
He shot his left hand up. [Minor Soothe]!
He aimed it right at the mutant's face.
The mutant, remembering the blinding light, squeezed its eyes shut.
But Zack didn't flash the light.
It was a fake.
The mutant, blinded by its own fear, was open.
Zack's right hand, the shadow-hand, shot up and grabbed the mutant by the throat.
The mutant's eyes flew open in pure shock.
"Got you," Zack whispered.
He drained it.
He felt the massive river of power flow into him. The mutant's huge body shriveled, turning to dust.
[You have killed a 'Mutant Goblin Warrior' (E-Rank, Peak).]
[SPECIAL REWARD: Host has performed an exceptional kill.]
[Reward: Blue Stat Cube x1 obtained.]
[Reward: Purple Stat Cube x1 obtained.]
Zack lay on his back, his ribs screaming. Two cubes lay on his chest. One was purple. The other was a bright, sapphire blue.
He picked them up.
[Blue Cube: 5.0 stat points. (Un-allocated)]
[Purple Cube: 1.0 stat point. (Un-allocated)]
"Five points..." he whispered in shock. The boss had given him six points in total.
He held his left hand to his ribs. [Minor Soothe]. The green light glowed, and the sharp pain faded to a dull ache.
He got to his feet. He had fifteen minutes left.
"More," he said.
[Resetting wave...]
[Wave 1: E-Rank (Beginner) x12 Spawning...]
He went back to work, but the System only gave him a few red cubes for the rest of the time. The main reward was done.
When the hour was up, he was covered in sweat, bruises, and dust.
[Time limit reached. Exiting dimension.]
He appeared in his room and collapsed on his bed. His hand opened, and the pile of red cubes from all the waves, the blue cube, and the purple cube spilled out.
He crushed them all. A massive, powerful wave of energy surged through him, far stronger than any night before.
He felt his bones get denser, his muscles pack tighter, his mind clear.
He had two days left. He was getting closer.
He checked his watch.
[Reader's Note: Zack's Stats ]
(Grind: 1 Night in E-Rank Dimension - All Waves + 1 Peak Boss)
(Total Gain: 4.0 (Waves) + 1.0 (Purple Cube) + 5.0 (Blue Cube) = 10.0 points)
Rank: E (Beginner) / (System Rank: E (Beginner))
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 37.8(+2.0 from 35.8)
Agility: 38.3(+2.0 from 36.3)
Stamina: 37.9(+2.0 from 35.9)
Spirit: 36.7(+2.0 from 34.7)
Defense: 36.5(+2.0 from 34.5)
(Note: Zack has gained a total of 10.0 stat points. He is now at an average of 37-38 points. His next System goal is still 50 points in all stats. ). He has 2 days left until the dungeon will he be able to reach lvl 50 ? Nope. not at all.