Horace knew he would one day die. That was the rule for everyone who lived — they would die.
He just never expected to die at eighteen.
He also didn't expect to, after his death, land back in the Tower of Testing.
[Trigger of 'Time Dragon's Blessing' has been achieved.]
His status opened without being prompted.
[Horace Smith, Level 1, Classless
Experience: 0/100
Strength 0.5
Agility 1
Endurance 0.5
Intelligence 2.5
Perception 1
Unique Skill: Time Dragon's Blessing
Upon death, regress to the earliest possible time in the realm the blessed one occupied at the moment of their death, with 50% of stats and non-unique skills.]
He stared at it for a long time before looking up and seeing the same being as before.
"I can... regress?" He questioned quietly before realising something. "Wait... I'm effectively immortal... Well. Kind of."
His eyes landed on his stats and his face scrunched up.
"Until my Endurance reaches zero, that is." He said to himself, the dread of his situation becoming plain. If his Endurance reached zero, even a single heartbeat would shatter his ribs and kill him.
"I have to... do something..." He growled to himself. He knew he was supposed to be scared of the pain, or angry at this curse-like skill.
But life had dealt him shitty hands since his parents died and his other family, instead of helping, stole all their assets and threw him into the foster system. This was just another instance of the middle finger his life kept giving him.
Gripping the sword he readied himself. From what he had seen, the beast rushed at him immediately. His swordsmanship was lacking, however goblins were well known for being the dumbest of monsters, unlike their counterparts, kobolds, which were capable of casting magic.
The protection disappeared yet again, but Horace was ready. As the Abyssal Goblin rushed at him he ducked as quickly as he could, slashing his weapon at its belly.
The strike landed and opened the goblin's belly, though not without it stabbing him in the back with its dagger — in his opinion, still better than last time.
"Die!" He screamed as he put all his strength into stabbing the beast again and again, which returned the favour in kind.
The beast stopped after the tenth strike. Breathing hard, he pushed it away and felt the Experience flood his body. He grunted as he sat down, the beast's body disintegrating. He felt himself grow weak, the last thing he saw being: 'You have earned a total of 28,500 XP by defeating an enemy with a significantly higher level than you.'
Before he could check his level, his consciousness gave out as he drew a last shuddering breath.
He landed again, this time feeling even weaker. He quickly opened his Status as he saw the goblin standing once more.
[Horace Smith, Level 1, Classless
Experience: 0/100
Strength 0.25
Agility 0.5
Endurance 0.25
Intelligence 1.75
Perception 0.25
Unallocated Points Remaining: 20
Unique Skill: Time Dragon's Blessing
Upon death, regress to the earliest possible time in the realm the blessed one occupied at the moment of their death, with 50% of stats and non-unique skills.]
He wanted to laugh when he noticed the new unallocated points. He knew that early on, before one got their class at level 10, they received 5 free stat points per level, and after class selection they would receive additional stats depending on the class along with some free points. Getting 20 unallocated points meant he had earned 40 in total — which meant killing the goblin had levelled him up eight times.
He breathed deeply. He had only a minute, so he didn't think long before spreading them out.
[Strength 0.25 → 4.25
Agility 0.5 → 4.5
Endurance 0.25 → 4.25
Intelligence 1.75 → 5.75
Perception 0.25 → 4.25]
The moment he did, his body shuddered as though some hidden strength had been unlocked. His mind felt as if a fog had lifted, and his overall senses felt more energised.
He took a deep breath as he looked at the goblin across the chamber. He estimated its primary stat, Agility, to be somewhere in the thirties — however it lacked the skill and intelligence to make use of it. He steadied himself as the protection disappeared.
This time he moved first. The beast let out a shrill laugh as it charged at him.
He sidestepped, letting it close half the distance before ducking low and slashing at its lead knee. He felt the blade bite through muscle and scrape bone. The goblin's leg buckled mid-stride and it crashed forward, catching itself on one arm, its ruined knee dragging the floor as it wrenched itself upright to face him.
Quickly creating distance, he watched it furiously turn, its weight now lopsided, dragging the ruined leg behind it. He breathed, then rushed again, circling right to keep its bad leg between them, and slashed at the beast's other knee.
It was too slow to pivot in time, and its other knee suffered the same fate. The goblin dropped to both elbows, legless as a threat below the waist, but its long arms were still live weapons. He closed in from behind its right shoulder, ducking under the wide sweep of its arm, and stabbed upward to pin it.
That's where he made a mistake. Its other arm was already moving — the dagger punched into his stomach from the left. He lurched as he felt the now familiar pain.
"Fucking die!" He screamed yet again, ripping his sword free and striking at the goblin's exposed neck.
The message arrived as it began to dissolve.
'You have earned a total of 28,500 XP by defeating an enemy with a significantly higher level than you.'
He quickly opened his status and allocated the points, noting that the goblin had hit something important.
[Horace Smith, Level 9, Classless
Experience: 3,000 / 25,600
Strength 4.25 → 13
Agility 4.5 → 13
Endurance 4.25 → 12
Intelligence 5.75 → 12
Perception 4.25 → 12
Unique Skill: Time Dragon's Blessing
Upon death, regress to the earliest possible time in the realm the blessed one occupied at the moment of their death, with 50% of stats and non-unique skills.]
He spread his stats once more, just in time, as he felt himself weaken, his breathing slowing until it stopped.