Lucas dashed forward--this time, without the use of his movement Skill--and closed some of the distance between him and the corrupted goblin. The nilbogs were still lost in the makeshift earthen maze their combined efforts had constructed, searching for him, so for the moment, it was just the two of them. That was something he was eminently grateful for, because, as was proven mere seconds later, the goblin was all the challenge he needed.

The creature screeched and started shooting out near-imperceptible blasts of corruption in Lucas's direction, one after the other, forcing him to abandon the direct approach and fall into a wandering series of dodges. As far as he knew, the corruption, in essence, was some sort of mana. That meant the attacks had to exact some sort of toll on the goblin--but even though Lucas had dispelled the giant cluster it had been building to attack Belinda, it clearly had plenty of MP to spare.

Lucas dove forward and below another of the rapid-fire blasts, just barely getting out of its way in time, then immediately rolled to the side to dodge another one his senses had perceived coming. [Vigilance] was all but useless right now. It hadn't stopped blaring a constant warning in his head since earlier, rendering it little more than a distraction. The Skill had extreme potential for growth and had previously proven its worth time and again, but as Lucas strained to react to each incoming attack in time, he seriously considered forgetting the Skill, lest the distraction kill him.

For now, that action seemed a bit too drastic. Lucas's senses were proving up to the task, and none of the blasts had yet to hit him. Still, he couldn't entirely dismiss the idea.

After several minutes of dodging who knows how many blasts, Lucas still hadn't gotten all that much closer to the monumental altar's central dais. This was taking too long, and while the more time it took meant the more time all these monsters' attention wasn't put towards pursuing the others, from the sounds Lucas could hear coming from behind him, over a dozen nilbogs were about to join the fight.

He had a somewhat high opinion of his capabilities, but he seriously doubted he could take all the monsters on open ground. And the corrupted goblin had switched entirely to attacking with its twisted mana. It was no longer helpfully raising pillars and walls for him to use as cover. Lucas gave it maybe another two minutes before his options dramatically reduced in number. He had to switch things up.

The next blast of corruption took him directly in the chest, and Lucas froze up while the goblin yelled in celebration. It hurt--and more than that, it felt wrong. It was entirely according to plan.

[MP: 732/1380]

...

[MP: 733/1380]

Lucas's mana began to replenish as he absorbed and converted the small amount of corruption that had been in that attack. His HP took a corresponding drop as well since it struck before he could fully engage his Lesser Mana Authority, but he paid it no attention and it started regenerating a moment later. That much did not escape the goblin's notice, either, and the end of its celebration trailed off as Lucas took a step forward, none the worse for wear despite the hit.

This time, it didn't screech. The monster's gaze sharpened and took on an almost-sapient level of clarity, and its movements stilled. The strange twist in its behavior nearly put him off for a moment, but Lucas took another step forward. Then he [Quick Step]ped and the monster resumed its attacks.

Oh~ this is going to hurt. Ok, ok--let's do this!

Every single blast was a direct hit, and the corruption began accumulating around him, attempting to fulfill its purpose. Lucas's health started dropping one chunk after another. It didn't matter--he just diverted a considerable portion of the mana each attack gave him to [Arclight Renewal], and the drop became a concerning--but all-together meaningless fluctuation. It was no longer the time for dodging. The goblin was twenty paces away.

Roars filled the air and the sound of stone collapsing reached Lucas's ears from behind him. The nilbogs found their way out and had seen him, but it didn't matter. The monsters were much lower level than the first of their kind Lucas had seen, and not nearly as fast. They wouldn't reach him before the goblin was dead.

If anyone asked, Lucas wouldn't have been able to lie and say the goblin's attacks didn't hurt--because they did. They really, really did. He could neutralize the corrupting element of the mana and take it for his own, but he wasn't fast enough to handle each blast before it hit him. That first, initial strike was itself like a blast of sizzling acid that quickly eroded his mundane shirt and set into his skin. Just because it didn't leave any permanent damage didn't mean Lucas was entirely ok.

Luckily, the items his mother had given him were not as affected as his regular apparel. He couldn't engage the amulet's shield if he wanted to absorb the mana, but [Single Sting] was not damaged in the slightest. The blasts couldn't prevent it from taking the goblin's life.

The surroundings seemed to slow down as Lucas chained his movement Skill and rapidly ate up the distance to his target. The blasts never stopped coming, and in his senses, they looked more like a solid beam of corruption, rather than singular pockets of it, but after around the fiftieth of their number, [Adaptation] kicked in and the damage they were doing noticeably lessened.

Barely a second passed. Ten paces.

More and more twisted mana built up around him, faster than he could convert it. It didn't mean anything yet, but some part of his mind became a little wary that it might be possible to overwhelm his Lesser Mana Authority. Then he was close enough to see the dark pits of the goblins eyes, and their uncanny, intelligent glow, and [Single Sting] was swinging forward with an arc of resplendent electricity.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Got you.

Lucas would have to make a quick escape, but with the monsters' leader dead, he hoped they would be distracted long enough for him to at least get out of the camp unnoticed. Mary, Belinda, and Harry had likely taken the survivors through the pass's eastern exit, back toward the village, so he would go in that direction as well. All the monsters would probably still pose some sort of threat, and he still didn't know the source of the corruption, but without their leader they wouldn't be as organized.

Everything was going to turn out okay.

But the moment the tip of Lucas's blade touched the monster's neck, a shadow seemed to pass over the both of them, and it smiled. In the same amount of time it would take a child to blink, a roiling dark wave of corruption flooded out from the goblin's position, and Lucas's body locked up before his blade could puncture more than an inch of flesh. That was enough to fully deliver his [Shock], and likely a dose of poison as well, but the mana was muted and subdued under the effects of the wave of corruption, and the visible effect was very minor.

What...is...this?!

The goblin stepped forward, and spoke. It was roughly the same height as him, but with its hunch, it had to lean up to speak into his ear. Yet its presence seemed to tower over him. And when its words came out, they were not the unintelligible screeches of a goblin--nor what should come out of any monster.

Power. True Power.

It leaned back and looked him in the eyes, still smiling. Its smile obviously wasn't a kind one, more like that of a predator. Combined with the monster's presence, it came across as condescending. It aggravated Lucas like nothing else, the way it looked at him as if he were a bug, but with the persistent cloud of corruption that still inhibited his movements, a bug might have been preferable in the moment.

It took him a moment to realize the monster had answered his question, despite his current inability to open his mouth.

You can hear me? You're not a goblin...but the System--

Lucas couldn't move, but that didn't mean he didn't have access to his Skills. There was very little he could do to get away at the moment, but before he did anything, he needed to know what exactly he was speaking to. He targeted the monster for a second time and activated [Identify].

This time, he didn't get the same result. He didn't get anything at all. His Skill activated properly, but it just kept traveling as if the target was an impossible distance away. As it did, the looming presence grew.

[*ding [Identify] has reached level 47!]

[*ding [Identify] has reached level 48!]

[*ding [Identify] has reached level 49!]

[*ding [Identify] has reached level 50!]

The level notifications shocked Lucas at first, as they appeared in quick succession. He had a feeling that, if the Skill hadn't hit his current level cap, they might've kept coming. However, even with the experience doubtlessly building up beyond the cap, Lucas had to quickly cancel out his Skill as the presence continued to grow to crushing proportions. He felt a trickle of something wet run down his face.

Yes. You feel it, I can tell. You should know not to cast your eyes upon a higher existence, but the ignorance is only to be expected.

The goblin, that was obviously anything but a goblin, started walking around Lucas's frozen body--inspecting him. Lucas was entirely at its mercy, and it terrified him. Still, he stuck around. He still had a way to escape, but he couldn't leave without knowing what he was facing.

There was not a shadow of a doubt in his mind that this thing was the source of the corruption.

The creature walked a full circle around Lucas, and when it stopped in front of him, it reached up to roughly grasp his jaw. It looked directly into his eyes and seemed to stare through him.

You do not have the soul of a child. Legacy, and one bearing a familiar touch.

The tyrannical presence redoubled in intensity and the monster's eyes started to release a dim, red glow. It squeezed Lucas jaw hard enough he was afraid it might shatter.

Tell me, Legacy.

Where is she?

Lucas was just beginning to wrap his mind around its words when, all at once, the presence receded from him. It didn't vanish entirely, and he could still tell it hung over the immediate area, but it no longer felt like a weight upon his shoulders. The air seemed to still in its absence, and it took Lucas a moment to realize the monster had stopped moving.

Legacy.

If he could jump, he would have. Lucas wasn't generally quick to fright, but voices randomly popping into his head were just the thing to manage it, and the high-stress situation didn't help.

You again, he thought. You are what this thing is looking for.

It was a baseless accusation, but Lucas had a strong feeling he was right.

Yes, I am.

Then get it away from me, from my village! If it is your problem, then deal with it!

Nothing I can do would completely solve your problems.

Lucas deflated. Then what can I do?

The being didn't respond immediately, but when it did, it sounded different. Resolved, maybe.

I can give you a chance.

He won't leave you alone, even after his monsters are excised, but you can save your village and banish his presence for the time being.

Eventually, you'll have to draw his attention away. Seek me out in the Pocheon Abyss.

Lucas knew next to nothing about this being, and he might have declined its help. Accepting it would put a target on his back for a powerful creature with a demonstrated capability of controlling corrupted monsters, and eventually separate him from his village. But he felt the sincerity in its--her--words, and he remembered the crushing weight of the presence. He already had the attention of the creature before him, and he didn't feel like it would be quick to leave him alone. He made his choice.

Ok, I will seek you out. I'll accept your help.

A feeling came over him unbidden--a complex wave of emotion that he knew was not his own. It was happy, but also unbearably sad. Tired, but unflinchingly resolved.

Good.

I can give you time, but you will have to be quick. Good luck.

With those last words, Lucas's vision began to fade, starting from the corners. It happened quickly, too quickly for any panic to take root, and the last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was a notification he had seen once before.

[*ding Commencing Class Selection!]