A fist struck him in the solar plexus, forcing the air out of his lungs and leaving him momentarily paralyzed.
He fell to his knees, gasping.
His opponent didn’t give him any time to recover, however. The goblin quickly closed the distance and delivered a kick to his chest that laid him on the ground.
“Stay,” the goblin towering over him said.
He didn’t respond, but instead gulped down a mouthful of stomach acid that had raised in his throat.
Four other goblins, all of them revealing various degrees of injuries, sat to the side and observed the fight in silence.
Today was the day they were choosing their captains.
Each captain commanded a team of five other goblins, usually the very same ones they had survived the battles in the nursery with. It was a position of great honor, just a step below the Chief in the hierarchy. But that wasn’t the only reason he was fighting so desperately.
Captains were recognized by the dungeon itself and bestowed with unique powers, corresponding to their special status.
“Fulfill the mission, protect the dungeon,” he mouthed silently.
If it were like the fights they had engaged in over food back in the nursery, he wouldn’t be in such a miserable position. There were several instances when he spotted an opening for a lethal counterattack, but was forced to pass them up.
The words of his Chief continued to ring out in his head. Their mission was to protect the dungeon. And to slay one of its servants was like raising your hand against the very entity you were created to defend.
More blows landed on his body as he refused to give in to his opponent.
The goblin he was fighting against didn’t fare that much better despite his advantageous position. His breathing was heavy and laborious. Blood seeped from the countless wounds carved across his body. There was an especially gruesome gash running from his chin all the way to his ear - the aftermath of a swipe aimed at the artery, the target changed at the very last second.
“S-stay…” the goblin spat out with difficulty.
He didn’t. Instead, he struggled to his feet and responded with a halfhearted attack of his own, just enough to demonstrate his unwillingness to submit.
There was only one way for him to win this battle. And that was to give his opponent an opportunity to completely exhaust himself first. He’d let the goblin waste his energy on kicking him and then launch a decisive counterattack.
Unless he lost his consciousness first.
His opponent might not have been able to realize his intent, but that didn’t mean the goblin was ignorant to the condition of his own body. Seeing that attacking the torso had little effect, he started targeting the head, hoping to end the battle as quickly as possible.
A sickening dry crack was heard as a foot connected with his head, making it snap back at a bizarre angle.
Darkness began to swallow his field of vision.
He continued to lift himself off the floor, but everytime he did, another blow would bring him back to the ground.
Each blow brought with it another dose of darkness. It didn’t take long before the world around him had completely disappeared.
Within the black void, he saw a spark of light.
It was extremely small, smaller than a single speck of dust when seen from several meters away.
Within that tiny speck of light he saw endless fire.
The flames danced, revealing a multiverse of colour.
“Freedom…”
Roaring like a maddened beast he jumped to his feet and threw himself on his opponent.
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The goblin immediately tumbled to the ground, his weakened body unable to support itself under the added weight.
They landed on the ground with a dull thud. Their jaws opened up, revealing rows of black teeth. Their claws, some of them broken off or ripped out in previous battles, searched the bodies for something to destroy.
They both understood that it was the final stretch, whoever managed to persevere a moment longer would win.
His eyes no longer perceived the world around him. He let his body move completely on instinct. Only the sensation of hitting something and being hit back made him sure that the battle wasn’t over.
In the black void.
Freedom…
Freedom…
Freedom…
[...]
[New title acquired.]
[Goblin Captain.]
Level: 1
Strength: 8
Agility: 11
Stamina: 7
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 5
Skills: [-]
[New skill acquired: Empowered Thrust (lvl. 1)]
[New item acquired: Steel Dagger of Minor Agility]
He struggled to his feet. He wasn’t able to tell for how long he had laid unconscious, but it shouldn’t have been long. The dungeon cared about its children - he could feel its caress, as it filled him with a power that sped up the regeneration of his injuries.
[User has left combat mode.]
[Regeneration rate: x10]
He picked up the dagger lying on the ground by his side. It was a gift bestowed to him by the dungeon and none of the other goblins had dared to have any designs on it, not even when he laid unconscious.
The design of the hilt was simple, lacking in any elaborate flourishes. The blade was matte grey. Its surface didn’t reflect any light, making it nearly invisible in the dark confines of the dungeon.
It was a simple and efficient tool.
The dagger came with a sheath and a short belt that he used to affix the weapon to his waist.
Although he didn’t outwardly reveal it, his heart was bursting with a great sense of pride. This weapon was his first personal possession, something that he acquired on his own, and that forever distinguished him from the rest of his brethren.
He stood upright, his hand resting on the hilt.
“I am your Captain!” he bellowed.
“Captain!” the goblins responded.
“I will bring you light! I will bring you freedom!”
“Captain will bring light! Captain will bring freedom!” the goblins shouted in unison.
He unsheathed the dagger and waved it around, slicing and dicing the air in front of him, hoping to emulate the impressive display of their chief. The blade was nearly impossible to perceive, but his swift movements created whistling noises as he fought off throngs of invisible enemies.
The goblins watched with awe. They knew that they could no longer hope to match their captain, not when he was armed with the dagger bestowed on him by the dungeon. Some of their eyes betrayed greed and jealousy, but that reaction was tempered by an even stronger instinct inherent to the goblin race. To obey the strong.
Satisfied with the reactions his little show was producing, he sped up his movements, making full use of the extra agility granted to him by the dagger.
The air whined, as the blade cut through it with tremendous speed. Trying to test his new limits, he lost himself in pleasure. His feet started to move on their own and he jumped and ran all across the room. He ran in between his comrades, stabbing and piercing, sending the terrified goblins fleeing in panic.
[Empowered Thrust!] he yelled in his mind.
Incredible power started to rise in his body. He felt as if the dungeon itself poured its boundless might into him.
He pulled back his arm and thrust the dagger at the wall in front of him.
A loud clang reverberated within the room. A few sparks flew off, briefly illuminating his features in a flash of light.
The dagger miraculously remained unscathed, but the force of the impact was transmitted back to his body. His inner organs endured a painful jolt and his arm nearly got dislocated from the shoulder in his attempt to prevent the weapon from flying off.
[Regeneration rate: x10]
Thankfully, the dungeon immediately took care of the minor shock his body experienced.
The goblins, judging that their captain had recovered from his frenzy, started to approach him warily, ready to flee again at a moment’s notice.
He turned towards his comrades and raised his arm high into the air. He took a deep breath and cried out at the top of his voice.
“I bring light!”
“Captain brings light!”
“We will defend the dungeon!”
“We will defend!”
“We will obtain our freedom!”
“Freedom!”
The goblins broke out in a celebration. He stood still like a statue, watching with satisfaction as the goblins under his command jumped and chanted his own words back at him.
Abruptly, his knees buckled under him. The goblins around him similarly stumbled and fell to the ground like marionettes whose strings had been cut.
His heart pounded furiously. He tried to lift himself off the ground, but his body was no longer obeying his commands. A far more terrifying power than he could ever hope to possess had assumed control.
His hunger had returned.