I moved quietly toward the source of the noise, staying alert. Approaching a cry for help in a situation like this was obviously dangerous. It smelled like a trap or at best, a terrible decision.
And yet, I kept moving. Not because I had a hero complex, but out of curiosity. I wanted to observe them, to understand how they fought, especially in groups. Were goblins all allies? Did they fight each other? Did they have rules? A hierarchy?
One minute later, I spotted two gray goblins locked in a brutal fight. They didn't just punch; they bit, shoved, and clawed every movement wild and animalistic.
[ Gray Goblin ]
[ Level: 2 ]
[ Status: N/A ]
[ Gray Goblin ]
[ Level: 1 ]
[ Status: Severely Injured ]
Leaving them to their deadly brawl, my eyes fell on a girl lying a little farther away. It took me a few seconds to recognize what I was looking at; her silhouette blended with the ground, the blood, and the flattened grass.
She had bright blond hair, a harmonious face, and cherry-red lips. A true beauty- if not for her condition. Her legs were a mess of cuts and blood. The muscles of her thighs were visible, exposing bone. Bite marks covered her from the upper thighs down to the calves. Half-dead, yet painfully alive.
The metallic smell of blood mixed with damp soil made me nauseous. I shrank lower, quieter, my breathing shallow.
[ Status: Marie ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: N/A ]
[ Level: 0 ]
[ Status: Severely Injured ]
Despite her state, she wasn't unconscious. Far from it. She sobbed quietly, begging for help and mercy. Her voice was hoarse, thick with blood, and her amber eyes trembled with fear. She didn't try to run- she knew she couldn't.
I scanned the surroundings. Traces of battle were everywhere- blood splatters, fist-sized craters in the dirt, and uprooted trees lying across the ground. Another detail: no birds, no insects. Even the forest held its breath.
My gaze returned to the goblins; the fight was nearing its end. The weaker one had lost movement in one arm, each breath a painful wheeze.
So not only did these creatures fight each other, but they could also level up like us.
I licked my lips and slowly backed away. Helping the girl? Too risky. I hadn't forgotten the third set of footsteps I'd spotted earlier. They weren't just two, and I didn't know where the last one had gone. Maybe it was lurking, waiting like me. I wasn't about to fight two monsters at once when one was unaccounted for.
Before I could take another step, a window appeared.
[ Tutorial Continued ]
[ Quest: Kill a Level 2 Creature ]
[ Duration: 24h ]
[ Rewards: XP, Quest Continuation ]
[ Failure: N/A ]
I froze. My eyes locked onto the level 2 goblin, hunger flaring up inside me. My choice was made: getting stronger meant better chances of survival.
Hmm… risky, but enough to reach Level 2.
I crouched back into the bushes, gripping the tooth in my hand. My fingers trembled- not out of fear, but anticipation. Adrenaline tasted metallic and strangely addictive.
The moment it delivered the finishing blow, I'd jump on its throat. It had worked so far. After securing the kill, I'd run. If I heard this fight, other monsters could too.
PAM.
The level 2 goblin stomped down with all its strength, crushing the other goblin's skull. A wet crunch echoed, grayish pulp splattering across the grass.
"Kekeke…" it chuckled, turning and walking slowly toward Marie.
PAM.
One step,
PAM PAM
two,
PAM PAM PAM.
three.
I burst from the bushes like a predator. At a meter away, I leapt, ready to kill. Air rushed past my face, time stretching thin.
Just as I was about to strike, it turned and slammed its forehead into mine. A white flash exploded in my skull as I hit the ground.
My head bounced against the dirt. My vision blurred before sharpening again on the goblin's grin. Drool clung to its jagged teeth, excited and amused.
"B-bastard…" I wheezed. It knew. It knew I was there. I saw it in its eyes. This was a game to it- a game it was winning.
It raised its leg to crush me like it had crushed the other goblin.
I rolled to the right, snatched a stone, and hurled it with everything I had.
It hit, but didn't even faze it. If anything, the goblin looked more thrilled- as if pain fueled it.
Why is it so strong? If monsters follow the same rules I do, leveling up should only grant one stat point. Based on the gray goblins I'd fought earlier, it shouldn't be this strong.
A window appeared in answer.
[ Mutation Detected! ]
[ Gray Goblin Mutant ]
[ Level: 3 ]
[ Status: Mutated ]
[ Mutation Bonus: Strength +5 / Endurance +5 ]
Great. My greed will get me killed one day. Not only did it level up by killing the other goblin, but it was a mutant on top of that. I didn't know exactly what that meant, but the extra stats were pretty clear.
I rolled again to dodge its stomp and lunged forward instead of away. Reaching its legs, I slashed the back of its tendon. A thin red line opened- not enough to cripple it, but enough to make it scream.
"GLOAAARK!"
I didn't escape unscathed. Its kick slammed into my stomach, knocking the air out of me. My mouth opened, but no sound came out- just a silent convulsion.
It grabbed my collar and lifted me up, jaws widening. Its breath was so rancid it made me gag. Before it could tear my throat out, I jammed the tooth into its left eye.
"GLOARRRK!"
It dropped me and grabbed its eye, staring with pure rage. A faint blood-red glow flickered inside its remaining one.
My heart skipped once, blood rushing to my head, every hair on my body standing on end.
"T-terrifying…" I muttered.
This was only the tutorial, and monsters like this already existed… My desire to survive- and grow stronger- multiplied several times over.
Before I could react, a translucent window filled my vision.
[ Skill Unlocked! ]
[ Vicious blow ]