Ren didn't stop. He pushed deeper into the dead woods.
Thanks to Night Vision, the pitch-black forest turned into a crisp, gray canvas. He moved without a sound, dodging dry branches and rotting leaves.
Up ahead, his Sewer Goblin pounced on another wild goblin. A short, brutal clash. Claws shredded flesh. A throat got crushed.
It was over in seconds. Ren crouched down, ripped the sticky green core from the corpse, and dropped it into a cheap burlap sack.
"Ten cores," Ren whispered, weighing the sack in his hand.
He had half the amount needed for the Association's quota. Only a few more to go. Ren kept moving, but then he caught a blur of motion nearby.
Rustle! Crack!
Three twisted shadows dropped from the dead trees all at once. Three wild goblins. Their red eyes burned with starving madness. They gripped crude wooden clubs and jagged bone shivs, pointing them right at him.
The Sewer Goblin growled and took a step back. It was tougher than a normal goblin, sure. But a one-on-three fight meant certain death.
'He can't protect me this time,' Ren thought coldly.
He had to fight. But with his frail human body, they'd tear him to pieces in seconds.
Ren pulled up his status window.
[Strength: 5] [Speed: 5]
"Cosmic Furnace," Ren muttered. "Consume cores."
He pulled eight glowing cores from his sack and crushed them in his scarred fist.
"Three cores into Strength. Five into Speed."
[Consumption Confirmed. Transferring stats.]
The green cores melted in his palm, turning into raw energy. Heat exploded in his chest. It burned through his veins like battery acid. His muscles spasmed and expanded with a muffled popping sound.
[Strength: 5 => 10] [Speed: 5 => 15]
The three goblins charged at the exact same time.
But the world looked entirely different now. Their movements were sluggish. Heavy.
Ren didn't hesitate. He shot forward. His legs felt as light as air now. His new Speed stat of 15 turned him into a gray blur.
He slipped past the first goblin before it even blinked. Ren grabbed the second goblin by the throat with his bare hand. He squeezed, letting his doubled strength do the work.
Crunch. The monster's windpipe snapped like a dry twig. Ren threw the choking goblin into the dirt to drown in its own blood.
Meanwhile, the Sewer Goblin was locked in a bloody brawl with the third one. The wild goblin jammed its club into the summon's shoulder, but the hybrid retaliated by sinking its fangs deep into the enemy's neck.
Ren spun toward the first goblin. He lunged like a predator and threw a devastating punch straight at its skull.
BAM!
The goblin's nose caved in. It hit the ground, dead on impact.
Ren stood over the three corpses, panting hard. His muscles screamed. The sudden surge in stats put a massive strain on his scrawny, unconditioned body.
[Exterminated: Goblin (Rank F) x3] [Gained 30 Exp.]
He dug out the three cores. Then, he looked at his Sewer Goblin. The hybrid bled heavily from its chest and shoulder, wheezing weakly.
[Alert: Summon is in critical condition. Further combat will result in its destruction.]
"You did good. Return."
The hybrid melted into a cloud of gray smoke, retreating to its summon space to heal.
Ren kept moving alone. He used his crazy speed and raw, brute strength to hunt down isolated goblins. By the time he finished, he had a total of thirty cores.
His body screamed for rest. It was time to head back.
Ren stood near the Safe Zone gates. He counted out 20 cores and left them in the burlap sack. He had 10 left over. If he walked in with extras, the corrupt gate guards would definitely confiscate them or ask dangerous questions.
'Is there anywhere to hide these?' Ren asked in his mind.
"Of course."
The sweet female voice chimed in instantly.
[Dimensional Storage Unlocked.] [Current Capacity: 1 Cubic Meter (Upgradeable).]
An optimistic smile touched Ren's lips. He tossed the ten extra cores into the empty air in front of him. A tiny blue rift swallowed them up before snapping shut.
He gripped the burlap sack tight. He wiped a streak of black blood off his exhausted face.
Ren walked toward the massive steel gates. He left this place as a piece of trash marked for death. But he was walking back now as a hunter who succeeded in his quest.