Chapter 12 - First Wild Encounter
Skill 「Envy」 has levelled up [Lv.1]→[Lv.2]
The yearning within you intensifies...
You have acquired the Fragment of Soul Discernment
“Finally...” Spat Jae with a sigh.
Dropping to his posterior on the forest ground, he stared up at the notification window with a slight smile.
It didn’t really take that long, but the anxiety-inducing thought that the skill might really turn out to be useless was enough to tire him out as he "spam activated" it on the surrounding wildlife.
It's a little, uh... Spooky, huh?
He didn’t know what the ominous last two notifications meant, but he doubted he would receive an answer if he asked, and he had more pressing concerns right now either way, so he pushed that worry aside for the moment.
“Anyway, there's a lot to do, so let's get to it. Hup-! Oh, woah...?!”
Jumping to his feet in enthusiasm, his body suddenly swayed. Attempting to stabilise his stumbling feet in a hurry, he supported himself against a nearby tree and gazed forward.
“What... Ugh... Why...?”
Mumbling to himself, he gradually began to experience an unpleasant yet familiar emotion.
That feeling.
Is it... Envy?
Vividly recalling those feelings of jealousy and resentment that were now clearer and stronger than before. He was reminded of it all; his classmates, the princess―everyone in a more fortunate position than himself.
"Tsk! Again..."
Against his will, his emotions soured as he grew envious at the fact they were all blessed by the gods and could live in such a place as a palace built to house royalty whereas he was hunted down, executed mercilessly... And now, forced to get by in the wilderness like this.
The delicious food they would have access to, those cloud-like beds, and even the weapons they were said to receive...
“...Damn it...”
Shelter, food, self-defence know-how; all of that was something Jae could really use right about now; but, of course, life would never be that kind.
And then.
Skill 「Wrath」 has activated
These feelings quickly escalated from dissatisfaction and jealousy―to indignation and rage.
Skill 「Wrath」 has levelled up [Lv.0]→[Lv.1]
You feel a fraction of your soul become tinted with desire...
[Ahhh~ How long has it been... since the last time I felt so refreshed?]
A low voice like a lion’s growl that seemed to contain an untold fury reverberated in Jae's mind.
Skill 「Mental Abnormal Status Nullification」 has activated
"......”
Shit.
Evidently, he had spent too long getting distracted and trying to level up the skill that he forgot his priorities; and as a result, a second voice had now invaded his precious headspace.
He wondered what, if anything, he could do about it, but there was no time to be concerned with such things as the sky was only continuing to grow darker.
Fortunately, Jae didn’t feel much need for food or water right now since his body felt completely refreshed after waking up earlier. Contemplating what he should do about shelter, he wandered deeper into the forest to take his mind off what had just occurred.
Either way, I’ll still make those fuckers pay; I don't need a load of forced emotions for that.
[Action after such a long time...? Bahaha...! Naturally, go right ahead! I cannot wait!]
The rough voice definitely matched the theme of 'Wrath', but that only exacerbated Jae's anxiety.
[What is the plan, then, human? Fighting?!]
"......"
It was certainly going to be troublesome. Nonetheless, there was no way around it, so he had better get used to it soon.
Right. Before it gets even worse--
[Oi! Are you ignoring me?! A brat like you!?]
Something like a blood vessel popped in his head.
“Fucking hell, shut up, will you?”
A moment of silence passed, allowing Jae to calm down; unfortunately, that only caused a cold sweat to form on his nape.
Wait, did I fuck up...?
He didn't know what the consequences of cursing the embodiment of Wrath may be, but it can't have been good.
[...Hah...?]
Wrath snorted.
[Mangy cur! You dare curse at me?! I’ll show you, puny boy, just wait!]
As expected of something claiming the name of Wrath, he spoke with violence... Although, he seemed more like a tantrum generator than anything else. At this rate, Jae was becoming concerned he would have a migraine to deal with after all this screaming.
Seriously, and I thought Envy was annoying...? He’s a bloody saint compared to this bastard.
Contemplating a way to shut Wrath up, even if it was only temporary, he ignored the constant background noise and opened his mouth.
[The moment I get a physical body, I’ll tear your feeble human body to shreds...!]
“Envy. Is there a way to mute him?”
[...Not forcefully, no. It is quite unfortunate; the child is being a nuisance for me, too. He will require rest at some point, so at least he shouldn’t be active forever. Well, you can always make a deal and hope he’ll stick to it.]
[Bastard...! Who are you calling a child?!]
Raising his eyes at the surprisingly normal advice, Jae followed up with another question.
“Really? Thanks... But, why do you need rest? Aren’t you just voices or spirits or something?”
Obviously, he had no idea what the concept behind them was, how they worked, or even what they were, so he was naturally interested. If he were to be stuck with them for the foreseeable future, or God forbid the rest of his life, then he would need to know at least that much, after all. Thankfully, Envy answered without conflict.
[Even if we didn’t require rest back when we were alive, it certainly seems to be the case now... Our current incorporeal forms function in a strange way I have never seen or heard of before.]
Despite his voice being incredibly difficult to listen to, it wasn’t quite as bad as a fork on a chalkboard, so it was somewhat bearable. Plus, the story behind his words was interesting, so Jae didn’t mind it.
[Fuuuuck...!! Listen to me, you little human bastard...!]
“......”
I don’t think I’ll be able to stand this for much longer.
“Hey.”
[Damn you!]
“What? Just listen to me, I want to make a deal with you.”
[Bah! This little human thinks he has something he can offer me?! How impudent will you get!?]
“...What can I do that’ll make you shut up?”
[Simple! Just fight and kill!]
Perplexed, Jae echoed the question.
“Fight?”
[Yes! I want you to fight and kill many foes!]
“What? Why...?”
[Hmmm...! Haah. Because, alas, I cannot. Therefore, you will fight in my stead, human! You will grow stronger and stronger, gain more confidence and become unrivalled...! And then, that day will come! The day I can beat the shit out of you myself, and I will trample over your corpse for your disrespect against me!]
“......”
He didn’t know what to think. Still, considering the circumstances, he needed all the help he could get, and there was not going to be a way around fighting in the future, anyway. Jae needed to be able to protect himself, especially in a world like this.
The latter part... Well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
“...Sure. I’ll fight, but, on my own terms. Is that enough for you?”
It's not like he would be able to get away from fighting, so why would he pass such a golden opportunity to make this guy shut his mouth?
[Hm. Good! For now, then, I announce a temporary truce with you, human boy! And, to fight, you shall use my legacy!]
“Legacy...? Oh...!”
Wondering what he could mean for a moment, a notification window suddenly appeared.
Usage of the 「Malignant Flame」 System is authorised
“......”
Before he even realised it, two new powers had been attained in a matter of hours.
Malignant Flame...
The first image to pop into Jae’s head when he read the title was that of a demonic individual casting waves upon waves of ebon hellfire. It was a sinister name for sure, and certainly one that fit his title as Apostle of Sin, but strangely enough, he didn’t feel too bad about it.
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Doesn’t that go fucking hard? Like, it sounds kind of badass, right? Even if it’s evil or whatever, as long as it makes me strong, then I’ll take it. I’ve already been killed once anyway, so what does it matter if I’m branded a heretic or something?
Things already seemed to be shaping up in such a way that he was on the side of evil, but so long as he didn't actually do evil things, it was fine, wasn't it?
With such a line of reasoning leading him to don a smile brimming with satisfaction, Jae gratefully accepted what he expected to be his new weapon. Wanting to try it out immediately, he pointed towards a patch of grass and activated the skill with a short incantation.
Wrath.
Bracing himself for a roaring inferno, Jae tensed.
Poof~!
“......”
Nothing?
[Pfft-! B-bahahahahaha...!]
“...Hey. What the hell is this, huh?”
Pulling his hand back, it turned out the only effect was the palm of his hand lightly igniting with a shallow layer of regular orange fire. It didn't even shoot out from his hand or anything...
“‘Legacy’, my ass! It’s a pile of dogshit!”
[Hmph! You are the dogshit, not my power. Really, I thought you were human trash, but this truly is a disgrace... Listen closely, ‘cause I’m only gonna be calm with you this once. The flames emit wherever you imagine them; they are not limited merely to the palm of your hand. Additionally, the power will increase drastically soon enough, for as long as you continue to fight and kill and grow. Of course, they are not mere ordinary flames, either.]
“Ah, fine... Wait, what’s that supposed to mean? They look normal to me.”
[Hah. Of course, someone like you cannot tell by looking at it, you weakling.]
“The hell? Tell me what it is, then.”
[Why should I? I’m not babying you, human. Go fight before I terminate our contract.]
Son of a bitch... Haa, well, at least I got another Unique Skill, I guess... Like he said, it’s bound to be useful soon enough. Let’s just focus on growth and survival for now.
Go fight? Very well. Thanks to the exceptional state resurrecting had brought him to, he wasn’t feeling tired anyway, so there shouldn’t be a problem with that.
For shelter... Eh, I’ll just climb a tree and sleep in the branches or something.
----------------------------------------
Half an hour of travel later, Jae stared in disbelief at what stood in front of him.
"What the hell...? They really have monsters here...?"
Jae muttered aloud upon laying his eyes on a repulsive child with dirt-green, boil-covered skin.
[Wow. It looks just like you, huh? Bahahaha!]
Shut up. It looks more like your mother, you bastard.
[You, what...!?]
To be precise, it wasn't actually a child, but instead, something called a ‘goblin’. How did he know?
Soul State - Goblin
Soul Level : 6 / 20
Age : 2 Years
―Thanks to Envy, which incidentally revealed some new details upon reaching Level 2. Presumably, Soul Level simply referred to their Status Level, but there was always the possibility that it could be different.
Well, even without Envy, he still would have known that it was a goblin from other fantasy stories he had read and games he had played.
This creature, standing hunched at just over a metre tall―its lower half clad in a mud-brown leather loincloth and roughly scratching the tip of its wart-covered nose with its disgusting, crooked fingernail―was the first ‘monster’ Jae had come across after wandering the forest for a while.
A classic fantasy monster, and a perfect first opponent.
Is it alone...?
It was a vile thing, but this situation was too good.
In most forms of media, they were known as hostile creatures that would attack without hesitation unless he did something about it first. Although there could be a chance they operated differently in this world, Jae certainly wasn’t planning on taking that unnecessary risk.
Level 6... Can I handle it?
The truth was, he didn’t have a choice. He was too close now to just leave, as that would run the risk of the goblin discovering him, which would lose him the possibility of a sneak attack. Most of all, Jae refused to run away from a tier-one, ultra-common mob like this.
I mean, how hard could a low-level goblin be, anyway?
He was Level 1, so there was a gap of 5 levels between them, but at the end of the day, it was a goblin; there was no way it could beat him by itself.
Thus, he picked up a considerably-sized rock off the ground and attacked.
Rustle~!
Leaping out of the brush, Jae sprinted towards the unsuspecting prey; his only real weapon being the rock he had just picked up and a fallen tree branch he crudely sharpened beforehand. It was more than enough for a small fry like this.
Or at least, it should've been.
“Geh...!”
The goblin didn't realise until it was too late, and so was hit in the back of the head by the branch in full force.
BAM-!
It was hit so hard it smacked into a nearby tree, but that wasn't enough to kill it.
“Whew...!”
Damn it... Should I have used the rock or stabbed it instead? But I don’t think the branch is sharp enough to pierce... Its skin looks so tough it feels like hitting a sack of rocks. Am I just that weak at Level 1?
There was a noticeable gash across the creature's back, but evidently, it was far too shallow to cause any substantial damage.
“Gueeehhhh...! Gigiigi...!”
Swivelling around with a ferocious, primal look in its eyes, the goblin charged at Jae bearing a weapon of its own; it screamed savagely as its drooling tongue flopped outside its mouth.
“Geheh...!”
Wielding a crude dagger like a sword in its emaciated arms, the goblin swung.
“Woah...!”
Jae swiftly ducked, dodging the horizontal slash and hitting back with a counter-attack.
Slice-!
“Giii...!?”
A wince-worthy cut was formed across the opponent’s chest, but as if it didn't even notice it, the goblin swung again; this time, it tried a vertical, two-handed heavy attack.
Woosh~!
It was too unexpected and too quick. The little guy’s movements were far faster than he had expected. Jae was within too close a range to dodge by the time he could react.
Shit!
There was only one thing he could do.
Block...!
With both hands, Jae held out the sturdy branch in wide-eyed desperation against the attack.
Snap-!
“Giiie...? Giyaaah!”
The branch was broken rather effortlessly; snapped in two like the twig it was. Thankfully Jae remained unharmed as the goblin’s weapon was only a shoddy dagger and couldn't do much more than that in one swing.
Quick, go!
While the puzzled goblin was still in a bad position after attacking, Jae made his move, throwing away the now-useless weapon without hesitation. He charged towards the monster and, with the rock grasped tightly in both of his hands, brought it down like a hammer upon the opponent's head.
Take this, you disgusting son of a bitch...!
"Ge--hhh...!"
In the last moment before the impact, the goblin raised its arms to guard against the hit.
"Arghh!"
Crunch-!
The result was a sacrifice.
"Giiieeeh-!?"
The heavy rock crushed the goblin's arms and even turned its bones into a mushy paste through the hardened skin, causing its two limbs to limp, useless and bloodied as it let loose a savage cry.
From this point forth, it was obvious what the outcome of the battle would be, but Jae didn't end the onslaught there. Leaving the rock behind, he swiftly moved behind the goblin and slung his arms around its neck, placing it in a vicious chokehold.
“Gie--kaaghugk...!”
The foe began to cough and splutter as Jae tensed his muscles to the extreme.
There was no chance for the goblin to resist as it couldn't even raise its arms, pulverised by the rock.
Come on, die...!
Deeply lamenting the fact he never really worked out, Jae thought there must have been something wrong with the creature’s sheer vitality as it continued to struggle even in this position.
Damn it, I’m not this weak, am I...?! What the hell is wrong with this thing!?
Even when in this disadvantageous spot, the goblin was still full of fighting spirit. Its tenacity was phenomenal for such a low-class mob, but it wasn't something to be in awe of.
Guess I'll have to use that, then...!
Coming to the conclusion that pure strength would not be enough to score a victory before he ran out of energy in this one, Jae activated his newly acquired combat-focused Unique Skill.
Woosh~
With but a thought, light flames akin to that of a candle began to rise from the surface of Jae’s two arms. They really were insignificant cinders that couldn't even be called a proper fire, but in this situation, anything would be better than nothing.
Surely, the goblin would not have such great resistance to heat or fire. It was supposed to be a trash-tier monster, after all.
In the next moment, the goblin’s harrowed shrieks proved him correct.
“Gieyeeeeeeehhh...!!”
Clench-!
Fwoosh~!
“Giiieeeeehhhh...!”
Controlling the constant forced output of flames whilst maintaining the chokehold was enough to exhaust him; Jae quickly released the goblin and instead gripped the temples of its head between the base of his palms, beginning to squeeze down like a vice.
He focused all his energy on moving the flames, emitting them from solely his palms so the monster would be hit in the most critical spot with a concentrated attack.
"Fucker...! Just die...!"
“Giiieeee...!!”
Unleashing all his ire and resentment that had slowly built up and intensified until now on this lone goblin, Jae clenched his teeth and yelled while the small flames roared in a heartfelt attempt to roast the creature alive.
But then.
Poof--!
"Pwah, what...?”
All of a sudden, the flames abruptly ceased, revealing the goblin’s blackened head; it was most definitely heavily injured, but the job was clearly not yet finished as indicated by the creature's vain thrashing about.
What the hell happened...?!
Realising that Wrath had automatically deactivated for some reason, he hurriedly opened his Status.
Mana Points (MP) : 0/100
Conditions met. You have acquired the Passive Skill: 「MP Consumption Down」
Already?! Why...!?
It was evident that Wrath expended much more MP than he had initially thought, but for better or worse, Jae didn't have the luxury to get worked up about it.
If he lost focus now, the goblin would break free of his grip and then he'd be the one in a bad spot.
Ah, fuck...!
Realising that pressuring the goblin's head any further wouldn't help to cause damage, he tried various things while he had the chance. Twisting the head to break the neck, pulling the head off the body, et cetera; still, none of them showed any signs of working due to his lacking strength.
With his current Status, there really wasn't a lot he could do; it’s not like he knew how to fight in the first place, but he had to do all that he could, so he forgot about everything else and trusted solely the primal instincts within him.
Releasing the goblin’s head, allowing a brief sensation of pleasure to course through his tensed arm muscles, Jae attacked.
Slam-!
“Giyeeeeh...!”
Punch.
Whack-!
“G-geeh...!”
After punch.
Mixing even kicks, knees and elbow strikes in with the constant stream of attacks, he simply did anything to not allow the enemy a chance to dodge, defend or retaliate.
"Haah...! Take this...!"
Thud-!
“G-gie...”
All it could do was evade with its head and raise its legs to kick in futile resistance as it retreated and fell back, absorbing hit after hit.
You have acquired the Combat Skill: 「Fighting Spirit」
You have acquired the Combat Skill: 「Close-Quarters Combat」
You have acquired the Combat Skill: 「Combo」
You have acquired the Active Skill: 「Power Burst」
Despite acquiring additional skills, his mind was so wholly focused on annihilating the enemy in front of him that he didn’t even notice the notifications.
Only thankful for the subconscious feeling that his body was gradually adapting and getting used to attacking in this instinctive manner, hitting the slightest bit harder, Jae continued the relentless assault.
“Giyaaaah gieeh...!!”
The word 'indomitable' really came to mind when looking at the bloodstained and absolutely battered goblin; nevertheless, it was evident how severely depleted its life was becoming, being half a step away from being taken to the Styx itself.
It's pissing me off! Just die, for fuck’s sake...!
Yelling profanities at the opponent internally, Jae’s eyes eventually widened.
“...!"
Finally, it happened.
“Ge... G-geh... Gii...”
The goblin's swaying head drooped; its abused body collapsed powerlessly to the floor.
Thud.
"Haah... Haa..."
After that endless combo of strikes, Jae glimpsed it while panting heavily and with sticky blood dripping from his knuckles.
You have levelled up
You have acquired the Title: 「Goblin Killer」
"Haaa... Haaah... Hah... Ahh... Haha! I... I did it...! This motherfucker, finally... Hah... Yeeeess...!! Dead... It died...!"
Skill 「Wrath」 has levelled up [Lv.1]→[Lv.2]
The resentment within you intensifies...
You have acquired the Fragment of the Malignant Flame
"...!"
Suddenly, Jae felt his consciousness wane. Unstable illusions appeared; hues of black and red danced in his vision and shaded the world in front of him.
Fuelled by the lowly anger beginning to rise up, he wanted to find another prey; his body rejected such a desire.
He stumbled.
This was it.
His stamina and mana both were at rock bottom.
He himself hadn’t taken much damage thanks to being able to take the first move and maintain that tempo throughout the beatdown, but his entire being was enervated; long ago did he wring out the last drop of his energy reserves, and now it was time to pay the price in full.
Ordinarily, he wouldn't mind it since at least he'd be able to get some well-deserved rest. However, with the fury manifested through Wrath's level increasing vying to dominate his mind and heart, he didn't want to.
With a thud, Jae crashed to the floor.
He couldn't give a reason for it, but his body became numb and unfeeling.
"......"
He felt a burning desire to get up; alas, no attempt to budge his body proved successful.
With his ever-heavy-growing eyes beginning to force themselves shut; his body telling him it needed to recover the spent energy as soon as possible...
It was then that he spotted something by chance in the periphery of his vision.
Something so insane it knocked him immediately out of his Wrath-induced stupor.
"Ahh..."
Walking towards him, there they were.
This really is...
The last scene reflected in Jae’s blurry eyes before they shut down was a pack of half a dozen goblins.
...An unfair world...
Skill 「Envy」 has levelled up [Lv.2]→[Lv.3]
Your soul quivers under the pressure of temptation...
[Oh, shit... Hey, kid, there’s more. You listening? There’s more for you to fight! Come, raise yourself...! ...Tsk! Humans...]
Ultimately, Jae passed out.