Souls player rule number one: "Match the monster's rhythm. Don't try to outpace it."
Facing the sudden charge of the elite Goblin, Xyros could only do his best to stay calm. He raised his short sword in a defensive stance.
He didn't expect the monster's attack to be a feint.
The Goblin swung its curved blade, but slowed the motion mid-swing, then pivoted into a horizontal slash aimed straight at Xyros's abdomen.
"What the—!"
Xyros couldn't help but curse out loud.
This elite Goblin, possessing actual combat skills, was clearly on a whole other level. He had to throw himself into an awkward backward roll to dodge.
As for so-called "elegance"? When your life was on the line, it meant absolutely nothing!
At the very least, he had to figure out this elite Goblin's fighting style, find its weak points. If worst came to worst, using [Rebirth] and still killing it would be worth it.
He barely dodged the attack, scrambling to his feet as fast as he could.
Sure, the monster's curved blade was poorly maintained, but judging by the force behind that swing, it would have no problem slicing through his defenses and gutting him.
"Couldn't they at least give me a health bar?"
Xyros's expression was grim. Before he could even catch his breath, the elite Goblin charged again. This time, though, no feints.
Sparks flew as steel met steel.
He managed to parry the monster's attack, but felt a sharp sting in his grip. This Goblin's strength was easily on par with a grown man.
But it wasn't unbeatable.
The curved blade's wear was getting worse. Maybe disarming it was his chance!
Xyros didn't push for an opening. Facing the elite Goblin's relentless assault, he simply raised his sword and blocked every single strike.
Until the monster was completely enraged.
It pulled back, then charged at the young man, leaping into the air and bringing its curved blade down with all its might.
CLANG!
The clash of steel rang out, sharp and piercing.
The force of the blow made Xyros's knees buckle. The elite Goblin, off-balance from its own momentum, stumbled backward exposing itself completely.
He hadn't even left the starting zone, and he was already getting chased down by a Goblin.
Xyros had been bottling up his frustration this whole time. He wasn't about to let this chance slip.
Gritting his teeth, he surged forward, using his shoulder to ram into the monster. At the same time, he drove his short sword deep into the Goblin's abdomen. Blood sprayed instantly.
But the blade scraped against bone. It didn't go all the way through.
"@#¥%!"
The searing pain tore a screech from the elite Goblin, its sharp cries grating against his eardrums.
The horrific wound in its abdomen, blood pouring freely, didn't rob the monster of its combat ability. Instead, it only fueled its bloodlust.
Sensing the shift,
Xyros used the momentum of another roll to yank his short sword free from the Goblin's stomach.
He gasped heavily. "Even a random stray dog has a second phase?!"
"&@#¥!"
The elite Goblin's eyes were bloodshot, its gaze murderous. It showed no signs of going down. Instead, it went full berserker mode, pursuing relentlessly.
Continuous slashing, the curved blade became a blur as the monster swung with all its might.
In critical moments, staying calm was everything.
He couldn't let the monster's desperation throw him off. Xyros raised his sword to block as best he could; any strikes he couldn't parry, he dodged.
Until the elite Goblin exhausted itself, swinging its "final blow."
"Now's my chance."
Prolonged combat had drained its stamina considerably.
Plus, the noise of the fight might attract other monsters. Xyros knew this was probably his last opening.
Punish the monster's recovery frames.
Standard Souls-like gameplay. Exploiting the stagger to finish it off.
That's exactly what he did. As the elite Goblin's curved blade was about to hit the ground, he struck decisively at its neck.
But things didn't go as planned.
The already-stalled curved blade suddenly reversed direction, slashing upward. In a move Xyros couldn't possibly dodge, it sliced right through his armor and cleanly pierced his abdomen.
"Damn… delayed attacks…"
Blood gushed from the abdominal wound instantly.
The fatal blow made Xyros's pupils dilate. As his life force faded, his consciousness slowly dimmed.
A gentle light enveloped him again.
[Rebirth]
His lifeless eyes regained their luster. The fatal wound on his abdomen healed completely in an instant.
Experiencing actual death left him feeling like he'd been through another lifetime.
But the moment he saw the elite Goblin again, he snapped back to reality. Without hesitation, he raised his short sword and brought it down on its head.
The elite Goblin, having just swung its "final blow," had no strength left to resist.
As its head was cleaved off, this Goblin, a veritable "jock" among its kind dissolved into black dust, vanishing completely before Xyros's eyes.
Clink.
A dark purple magic stone hit the ground with a crisp sound.
Ah.
What a… evenly matched fight.
"Is this Dungeon difficulty even reasonable?"
Xyros adjusted to his body, mentally reviewing his battle with the elite Goblin. In summary: he was seriously lacking in actual Dungeon combat experience.
Got greedy. Can't overextend.
The monster had dangled an obvious opening as bait.
He hadn't kept his cool.
By the time he realized the elite Goblin was using delayed attacks, his position made dodging impossible.
The result? Wasting a precious [Rebirth] charge on a roadblock monster on the very first floor. Sure, he'd killed the elite Goblin…
But without that resurrection charge backing him up,
should he really continue exploring the Dungeon?
Thinking it over, Xyros shook his head ruefully. He bent down and picked up the thumb-sized, dark purple magic stone from the ground. Today's harvest.
Compared to drops from ordinary monsters,
this stone was noticeably several times larger than the fingernail-sized ones described in the original story!
[soul fragments +1]
As he examined the crystal in his hand, the black aura swirling within it was visibly absorbed through his palm, devoured by his body.
Then more detailed information appeared before Xyros's eyes.
[Rebirth] Consumption: 1/5 soul fragments (1 use per day)
[Character Save Slot] Consumption: 1/10 soul fragments (Cost increases based on personal strength growth)
"Something feels off…"
"The cost-to-reward ratio seems… unbalanced?"
To increase his resurrection uses, he'd need to kill four more elite Goblins.
Xyros recalled the details of the previous fight, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch. He had zero desire to linger in the Dungeon right now.
Just as he was about to head back up the stairs to the safe zone,
he felt a sudden pull. Almost instinctively, he turned to look behind him.
The Dungeon, like an abyss, seemed to swallow the faint light of the lantern fruits around him.
A naked warning!
"Alright…"
"What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!"