Chapter 3 - Feel the Heat

When the remaining goblins saw one of their kin crushed under Lucas's relentless assault, their shrill cries of anger echoed through the hall.

Fueled by rage, they charged recklessly at the humans.

One goblin, wielding a crude club, locked into Lucas, its eyes were blazing with hatred. It barreled forward, snarling and swinging its weapon as it approached.

Lucas, still riding the heat of the previous fight, didn't hesitate.

The goblin raised its weapon high, preparing to bring it down with force. Lucas recognized the same predictable movement, but instead of retreating, he stepped in, closing the gap.

Just as the goblin's arm came down, Lucas shifted to his left, narrowly avoiding the strike. In one smooth motion, his left hand lashed out, deflecting the goblin's arm outward, forcing the weapon off its trajectory.

Before the goblin could recover, Lucas grabbed its wrist, twisting it sharply. The goblin screeched momentarily losing its grip as Lucas yanked it forward.

Wasting no time, Lucas's right hand snapped across, slamming his palm against the goblin's face. The impact forced the creature's head to snap back, momentarily stunning.

Taking advantage of its disorientation, Lucas pivoted and drove his right elbow into the goblin's face. A crunch followed as the goblin let out a pained howl, dropping its club to the floor.

As Lucas adjusted his stance, his eyes caught sight of a pair of scissors lying on a nearby desk. It was Samantha's scissors, the ones she fiddled with when she was bored, were left abandoned during the chaos. Without hesitation, he reached for them.

The goblin staggered, clutching its injured face. Lucas stepped forward, gripping the scissors, and drove the blade into the goblin's throat.

A gurgling sound escaped the goblin as dark blood spurted from its neck, staining the floor. Lucas released the scissors, leaving them embedded in the creature's throat, and pivoted again.

With a powerful front kick, Lucas struck the goblin square in the chest, sending it hurtling backward. The goblin crashed into its companions, collapsing in a lifeless heap as its blood choked the last vestiges of life from it.

The instant the goblin collapsed under his strike, the familiar blue screens materialized in front of Lucas.

Without hesitation, Lucas summoned his status window, his eyes scanning the screen as a sense of urgency pushed him forward.

Just as he anticipated, a new row of stats appeared beneath his current attributes.

VIT - 4

POW - 3

AGI - 5

INT - 7

WIL - 6

Free Points: 5

He didn't waste a second. With quick precision, Lucas allocated his points. 1 into VIT, 2 into POW, and 2 into AGI.

The moment the points were distributed, he felt an almost electric surge coursing through his body. It was as if every fiber of his being was being reinvigorated, his muscles feeling stronger, his reflexes faster, his mind clearer.

"So this is what they feel when leveling up," Lucas murmured, a chuckle escaping him as exhilaration washed over him. His body felt lighter, faster than he was ever. He was more alive than ever before.

He checked his new stats. Level 2. Thirty total points. His previous Level 1 stats had only amounted to twenty-five, which meant every stat had an average point of five. Now, with the boost, his AGI was seven, well above average, probably matching the physical agility of a trained athlete.

But there was no time to dwell on that. More goblins were charging at him, their eyes filled with rage.

Reaching down, Lucas grabbed the club from the goblin he had just slain. It wasn't much, more of a jagged stick than an actual weapon, but it would have to do.

He swung the makeshift club with an instinctive fluidity, recalling the basic martial arts moves he had watched in online shorts. His technique wasn't perfect, but it was effective enough for the moment.

As a goblin charged at him, Lucas swung the stick with precision, the end of the wood crashing into the monster's skull. He pulled it back and, without hesitation, swung again, striking its knee. The goblin crumpled forward, its leg giving way under the impact.

Without giving the goblin a chance to recover, Lucas smashed the club back onto its skill. The gruesome crack of bone met his ears as blood splattered across his face. But he didn't flinch, he was already moving on to the next target, driven by the heat of his actions.

Grabbing the fallen goblin's club, Lucas was now a man with two sticks, one in each hand.

Another goblin charged at him, its club swinging wide in an arc, aiming to crush him with raw power.

Lucas wasn’t thinking with his consciousness, it was his instincts guiding him. Lashing out his stick, he smacked against the goblin's club-wielding arm, when his other stick snapped forward, slamming into the goblin's torso.

The dual strikes hit with precision, sending the goblin stumbling backward in a flurry of pain. Before it could regain its footing, Lucas swung both sticks down with vicious force, each landing a bone-shattering blow to the goblin's skull. The sound of cracking bones rang out, and the goblin's body fell to the floor like a broken doll.

Lucas stood there, chest heaving, completely unaware of the fluidity of his movements. It was as if his body had taken over, reacting without any conscious thought. His mind screamed to keep going, to press forward, to do whatever it took to survive.

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Turning his head quickly, Lucas caught sight of Chloe and Samantha, still cowering behind him, fear evident in their eyes. His gaze softened as he spoke to them with a calmness that surprised even himself. "Stay here, don't worry. I've got this."

Without waiting for a reply, Lucas dashed forward. The tight aisles between the Sears weren't suited for his current fighting style, not with two sticks in his hands. His movements were cramped, and restricted.

He quickened his steps to the stairway, a space far more open and conducive to his newfound fighting style. The goblins would have to follow him into the wide, open area where he could let loose.

Driven by fury, the goblins gave chase without hesitation. They knew that in this area, the human with two sticks was the greatest threat.

They snarled and bared their sharp teeth, the air thick with their malicious intent, before charging toward Lucas with wild animalistic.

The man with two sticks could hear the frantic pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears, each thump sending a rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. His senses were heightened, his focus laser-sharp.

As another goblin closed in, Lucas wasted no time. He lunged forward, stabbing his right stick directly at its neck.

The impact stunned the creature, causing it to stagger backward, dazed. In the same motion, Lucas swung his left stick in a sweeping arc, smashing it into the goblin's skull with a disgusting crack. The goblin flew backward, crashing into a nearby desk, its body squashed into a heap.

The second goblin, seeing its comrade fall, charged in from Lucas's left side, its weapon raised high. Lucas pivoted sharply on his feet, spinning his body to face the new threat.

Swiftly, he swung his right stick at the goblin's weapon arm, disarming it with a loud thwack. As the goblin's arm recoiled in pain, Lucas swung his left stick in a wide arc, striking the creature squarely in the skull. The blow sent it spiraling to the ground, twitching before falling still.

Drawn by the carnage, a third goblin charged in with its weapon raised high, intent on striking down the human that had decimated its kin.

Lucas, riding the heat of his previous movements, raised his left stick to block the descending weapon. With a subtle shift of his body, to the right, he deftly deflected the strike away, his muscles reacting with surprising fluidity.

In one seamless motion, he swung his right stick repeatedly at the goblin's skill, sending a resounding crack through the air.

Instantly, Lucas followed through with a powerful front kick, planting his foot squarely into the goblin's chest. The force of the kick sent the creature hurtling back, crashing into its own kin, knocking them off balance and into disarray.

Fueled by the rush of battle, Lucas kept moving. He bludgeoned each of the remaining goblins surrounding him with his sticks. One swing, then another. A jab to the gut, a strike to the temple, each blow landing was making his muscles screamed.

It was as if time slowed, the chaos around him fading into the background as he systematically neutralized the threats in his immediate vicinity.

After finally finishing off the last goblin, Lucas took a moment to catch his breath.

He could feel searing sensations tearing throughout his body. Evident for someone whose most strenuous exercise was just taking flights of stairs.

As his haggard breath steadied, he scanned his surroundings. Deeper into the lecture hall, more goblins were still rampaging, their manic cackles echoing through the chaos.

His eyes darted over the room. He counted at least fifteen of the creatures still standing, and their frenzy showed no sign of slowing down.

From his elevated position, Lucas could see several goblins clubbing down their victims with savage joy, each blow met with screams of terror. The sight was both gruesome and maddening, but Lucas forced himself to focus.

Despite the madness, Lucas noticed a handful of students trying to fight back. In one corner, a few were using the closest objects as weapons. Chairs were swung wildly, a box cutter from a pencil case gleamed dangerously in another's hand.

But amidst the chaos, there were two students who stood out. Lucas was able to recognize them. They were his housemates and friends.

One was Jin, a large, muscular guy. He was holding his ground, taking the goblin's club head-on with sheer determination, each blow absorbed by his robust frame. With his fists flying, he sent the smaller monsters reeling with powerful punches.

Then, there was Kang, a martial artist. His movements were sharp and calculated, weaving through the goblins with the precision of a trained fighter. He parried one goblin's club with ease before delivering a quick jab to another’s throat. As he fought, he kept a protective eye on the woman beside him, guarding her from any threat.

Further across the hall, he spotted Joe. While not as physically imposing, he held his own well enough, having learned basic self-defense techniques. Nearby, Yexon and Cyane were fighting valiantly with whatever makeshift weapons they could find, their movements frantic but determined.

Then, Lucas made his way toward the exit, and a sudden red box appeared before him.

He glanced at the message and sighed, muttering to himself, "Figures."

At that moment, he spotted Chloe and Samantha approaching him. Without hesitation, Chloe rushed toward him and leaped into his chest, burying her face against him as tears welled up.

He wrapped his arms around her, patting her back as he whispered, "Hey, don’t worry. I’m here now."

Meanwhile, Samantha stood off to the side, watching Lucas with wide eyes, her voice shaky with disbelief. "Lucas, what’s going on? How did you do all that?!"

Lucas flashed a mischievous grin. "Don’t you know? I’m secretly a Super Soldier, created by the government to deal with situations like this," he chuckled, clearly joking.

Chloe, still clinging to him, looked up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes, seeming to take him seriously. "Really?"

Lucas froze, his smile faltering awkwardly. "Uh, no, it was just a joke..."

Before he could clarify further, the chaos in the lecture hall escalated. From the corner of his eye, he saw goblins tearing at Dr. Hamathir's body, gnawing at him as he thrashed, his screams cutting through the air.

To clear this quest, he either needed to eliminate all the goblins or survive long enough for the duration to end. But there was no sign of a timer or any indication of how long this would last.

He steeled himself. 'Assume the worst,' he thought.

Gently, he pulled Chloe away from him and gave her a firm but reassuring pat on the back. His gaze hardened as he looked toward the goblins rampaging down the hall. "Listen carefully. To get out of here, those monsters need to be killed," he pointed toward the goblins wreaking havoc.

"Once they're all gone, we can leave. Until then, stay put. Wait for my instructions, and I'll make sure both of you stay safe." His eyes softened as he glanced at both of them, trying to project the confidence he currently possessed.

"Samantha, take care of Chloe," Lucas turned to Samantha, who was still trembling but nodded despite her fear. She immediately moved to pull Chloe away to a safer corner.

Lucas was confident that Samantha, even though she was scared, would keep a clear head in this situation. He had to ensure they wouldn't act impulsively.

Chloe's voice broke through the tension, "Lucas, what are you going to do?"

He glanced back at his girlfriend, his face softening for just a moment before the fire returned to his eyes. "I'm going to explore my new talent."

Picking up the two sticks he had used earlier, he felt their weight in his hands. He gripped them and set his sights on the front of the hall, where the goblins still ran rampant.

Subconsciously, he grinned at the thought of leveling up again.