"(Phew, that was a tough experience...)"
I sighed as I crawled out from under the fallen tree. I had lost track of time during my training, but this seemed like a good point to pause and check my progress.
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Skills:
* Indomitable Spirit
* Flexibility (NEW)
* Whip (NEW)
* Focus (NEW)
* Compact Whip (NEW)
* Rapid Strikes (NEW)
* Folly (NEW)
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The training seemed to have paid off, as my list of skills had significantly increased. Let's review each one.
First, "Indomitable Spirit" enhances my ability to stand firm, making it harder to be blown away. I had this skill even before the training and likely acquired it while observing the battles between giant beasts.
Next, "Flexibility" proves to be quite handy. It aids in controlling my body. Maintaining a whip-like form became easier midway through the training, likely due to this skill. From now on, I can transform my body more freely.
"Whip" and "Compact Whip" are skills for delivering powerful lash attacks. The latter, as the name suggests, allows for a quick strike with fewer openings, though at a reduced power.
"Focus" increases concentration on a single task, while "Rapid Strikes" enhances the power of consecutive attacks. While continuous attack opportunities are rare, like earlier, it's uncertain how practical they will be in real combat.
"(So far, so good...)"
The problem is the last skill. Its name is quite disheartening, but I can't ignore it. I focus my awareness on my status.
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Skill Details:
* Folly: Enhances all stats except Life and Mana during folly. Constantly boosts disease resistance.
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Uh, okay... Is this strong?
While the increase in all stats is powerful, the condition "during folly" is vague. Besides, for someone like me who always acts cleverly, opportunities to use this might be scarce. Hahaha.
Setting that aside, increased disease resistance is genuinely appreciated. Even slimes aren't immune to diseases. I've seen comrades succumb to illnesses when I was part of a slime colony. The sight of bodies covered in spots and weakening is still chilling to recall. Though my resistance is high, having extra precautions is always beneficial.
Stolen novel; please report.
Having reviewed my skills, I realized one more thing. 'My Unique Skill has changed.' Perhaps it upgraded to a higher version due to frequent use. Though I hadn't felt like I used it much since waking up yesterday, "Maximize Harvest" might have applied to the unique skill itself.
I wonder what the new effect is. Before checking, I glanced towards the bushes.
"Slrrrsh (They've come.)"
Whether drawn by the sound of the falling tree or just passing by coincidentally, a certain group appeared. They were bipedal, with green skin and child-sized bodies. With pointed ears, dull eyes, and exposed blackened canine teeth, they were quite distinctive.
'Goblins'
In short, they resembled the goblins from games and anime. They were a common sight in this forest, and I had fought them several times before regaining my past life's memories. At that time, I mostly played a defensive role. Their strength was low to mid-tier. They were weak magical beasts positioned at the bottom of the ecological pyramid. Stronger than a single slime but evenly matched against two, and disadvantaged against three. Against slimes with throwing skills, they'd be at a further disadvantage.
Despite being magical beasts, they were smart enough to wield weapons. The four approaching goblins carried rusty swords, spears, axes, and knives. Their weapons were in poor condition; the sword, for example, was broken in the front. And seriously lacked the sharpness a sword would have. Likely taken from dead humans, which makes sense.
"Gegyaaa!"
The goblins charged at me, thinking I was easy prey. As I analyzed the situation, I questioned whether I should fight. Recovering my human memories made me hesitate to attack humanoid creatures. But only for a moment. I reminded myself that goblins were enemies of humans.
'Perfect, I'll use them for a test run.'
I targeted the second-fastest goblin, the one with the sword, not the knife-wielding one. Transforming part of my body into a whip, I grabbed a stone with the tip and launched it.
"Gegya!?"
The stone hit the sword-wielding goblin squarely, causing it to fall. My throwing attack now packed quite a punch, thanks not just to the "Throwing" skill but also to my long arms and decent power. With the knife-wielding goblin slightly isolated, I struck with my whip the moment it entered range.
"Giguh!?"
The whip sliced through the air and landed a blow on the goblin's face. The pointed weight at the tip of the whip gouged into its cheek. Flesh and blood splattered through the air. The knife-wielding goblin fell forward, scraping the ground. But it could wait for now.
"(Whip, whip!)"
I landed blows on the other goblins as they charged. One after another, they all ended up sprawled on the ground. When the knife-wielding goblin tried to get up, I quickly used "Compact Whip." It sliced into its leg, making it fall again. If any other goblin tried to stand, I attacked it too.
I kept attacking them one-sidedly, but with one against four, I was running out of hands. They gradually got closer, making it harder to use the whip effectively.
"Srrsle(Well, I can always run!)"
I slipped through the goblins' swinging weapons and repositioned, starting the one-sided attack anew. I continued to overwhelm them in this cycle, using "Taunt" and "Alluring Glare" to keep them from escaping.
A while after the battle started, one goblin bled out and died. The whip, strengthened by "Rapid Strikes," had the power to gouge into trees. After taking multiple hits, it was inevitable that the goblin would succumb.
"(This is the end, Whip!)"
With the first goblin's death as a signal, the others quickly followed. I finished off the last one with a powerful lash, bringing the battle to a close.