"Huff… Huff…"
"98…"
"99…"
"100…"
"Haaah… Finally."
A full week had passed since I possessed this body. The area around the cabin appeared safe. Throughout the week, I explored the surroundings and hunted for food, yet I never encountered a single monster. That alone was a huge relief.
At the same time, I trained this body to become stronger.
There were several ways to increase one's status, and physical training was one of them.
"Status."
Status Screen
Name: Shion
Condition: Healthy, Slightly Fatigued
Level: 1
HP: 100
MP: 20
Strength: 15 ▲
Agility: 15 ▲
Luck: 100
Skills
Strong Will
Absolute Overdrive
Items
-
It seemed that after a week of training, I had gained a total of five additional stat points. Honestly, that alone made me happy.
During my exploration that week, I also discovered an F-Rank dungeon not far from my cabin. I planned to head there today—who knew, maybe I could even find some decent equipment.
This sword is old and poorly maintained… but it should still be enough for an F-rank dungeon.
I decided to rest first and prepare myself.
Deep within the forest…
….
"Kiiiaaak!!"
Monsters scattered away from the ancient ruins. Amid the chaos, countless goblins surrounded a single monster.
Glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness. Drool dripped from its mouth. Its massive body looked capable of crushing a human with a single blow.
The Goblin King—the ruler of all goblins.A monster that normally required a C-Rank adventurer party to defeat.
But something was wrong.
A purple crystal protruded from its forehead, and the overwhelming aura it emitted clearly marked it as something… different.
….
"…Alright. Time to go."
Because I had been completely exhausted the day before, I fell asleep the moment I touched the bed. As a result, I headed toward the dungeon early the next morning.
It wasn't far—about a forty-minute walk.
After walking for a while, I saw a familiar cave.
Yes. This was the dungeon.
I checked its status through the system. Nothing had changed.
Dungeon: Goblin Dungeon
Rank: F
I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
To be honest, I was scared. If I wasn't careful, I could die.
Even so, this was the perfect starting point to gain real combat experience—something I had never had before.
"…Gulp."
I swallowed hard and stepped inside cautiously, carefully observing my surroundings and watching for traps.
After advancing at a steady pace, I finally encountered my first monster.
Goblin — Rank: F
A small green-skinned creature with sharp teeth—it looked like a grotesquely deformed human child.
Seeing it on a screen and seeing it in person are completely different things…
I couldn't help but be stunned by how realistic it looked. Goblins in games always looked oddly shaped, but this one—
"Kiiieekk!!"
The goblin noticed me and rushed forward, swinging its wooden club.
"Damn it!!"
Whoosh!
I barely managed to dodge and quickly put some distance between us.
Calm down. Focus.
Steadying my breathing, I observed its movements.
Just like before—it charged at me again with brute force.
The goblin swung its club once more. I dodged with minimal movement, tightened my grip on the sword, and slashed.
Shing!!
Its head flew off and rolled across the ground.
The goblin's body collapsed lifelessly.
Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath.
"Hah… Hah… Not bad."
I wiped the sweat from my face.
Then—
"Ding!""Congratulations! You have reached Level 2.""Stat Points +2 have been granted."
"Status."
Status Screen
Name: Shion
Condition: Healthy, Slightly Fatigued
Level: 2 ▲
HP: 100
MP: 20
Strength: 15
Agility: 15
Luck: 100
Remaining Stat Points: 2
Skills
Strong Will
Absolute Overdrive (-)
Items
-
"…I'll save them for now."
I would definitely need them later.
After resting briefly, I continued deeper into the dungeon.
"Level Up!"
"Level Up!"
"Level Up!"
"Level Up!"
The goblins attacked me the moment they spotted me, and I cut them down one by one.
Do I really look that easy to bully?
Eventually, I arrived at the boss room.
The aura here was overwhelming.
Can I really defeat this…?
I shook my head.
Thanks to my skill [Strong Will], my confidence didn't waver. I decided to rest briefly before the battle.
"Status."
Status Screen
Name: Shion
Condition: Fatigued but Stable
Level: 6 ▲
HP: 100
MP: 21 ▲
Strength: 18 ▲
Intelligence: 18 ▲
Luck: 100
Remaining Stat Points: 11
Skills
Strong Will
Absolute Overdrive (-)
Items
-
"I'll only use these stat points in an emergency."
Just in case something unimaginable happened.
"Huff… Alright. Final boss."
My hands trembled as I slowly pushed the boss room door open.
Inside stood a goblin—far larger than any I had fought before.
The Goblin King.
As I stepped closer, its aura felt completely different from before.
Vile. Malicious.
Special Status: Goblin King Mutation
Rank: C
"…Damn it."
….
Mutation was a special condition that drastically increased a monster's strength, aggression, and rank. Even the game itself never explained what caused mutations—but the signs were obvious.
A purple crystal. And a twisted aura.
"…Of all times, why now?"
I let out a bitter laugh.
The exit sealed shut.
Calm down. I'm not powerless. I still have my skill… I just need the right moment.
The Goblin King's eyes glowed red.
It vanished.
Above!
I jumped backward just in time.
Good… its attack pattern hasn't changed.
"System, allocate stat points—5 to STR, 6 to AGI."
"Ding!"
Status Update
STR: 23 ▲
AGI: 24 ▲
I charged forward.
The Goblin King swung its axe. I dodged to the side and slashed at the back of its leg.
Shing!!
Only a shallow cut.
Still, it reacted.
The King countered with a wide horizontal swing, but I had seen this countless times in the game.
I leapt forward and stabbed its eye.
"GRAAAHH!!"
It staggered.
I seized the opening.
Shing! Shring! Slash!
Blood covered its massive body.
But my breathing grew ragged.
Its HP was probably down to thirty percent—but my stamina was nearly gone.
Then—
"RAAAWR!!"
Its eyes turned black.
An overwhelming pressure forced me to my knees.
This isn't the second phase I know!!
The pressure vanished.
In the next instant, the Goblin King was standing right in front of me.
BOOM!!
"Gahh!!"
I was sent flying.
"Ugh—!"
Blood poured from my mouth. My arm was broken.
One more hit… and I'm dead.
The Goblin King approached slowly, savoring my despair.
I stood up with what little strength I had left, my sword trembling in my grip.
"Huff…"
My body shook.
But my mind remained calm.
Not yet.
Then—it vanished.
Behind me.
Now!!
I ducked and activated my skill.
[Absolute Overdrive – Activated]All stats increase tenfold for a short duration!
My body felt weightless.
Power surged through every inch of me.
I twisted my body and poured everything I had into a single strike.
"Die, you bastard!!"
SHING!!
The Goblin King was cleanly split in two.
….
"Hah… hah…"
My body screamed in pain.
The backlash hit immediately.
My legs gave out, and my vision blurred.
"Ding!"
[You have leveled up!]