Chapter 44

“I’ll take the shield hob,”

After saying that, Rain made a single step forward towards the growling Hobgoblin while unsheathing his sword. He then poised it beside him in a thrusting position. The Hobgoblin fighter seemed to best him in speed and power, so Rain chooses the turtle—the Hobgoblin who uses a Tower Shield.

Although its strength and toughness are obviously greater, hopefully, its speed should be lesser than him. Rain knows that if he chooses the Hobgoblin Fighter, he would be defeated due to the vast difference in speed where he excelled in. Though, both still would give him a difficult battle nonetheless.

“Good choice,” Stagna nodded in agreement.

Between the two opponents, only against the Shield Hobgoblin can Rain has the chance of victory. She grinned in appreciation. It seems like she was happy that he made the right call.

“Wish me luck,”

After jokingly saying that Rain put more strength into his right foot and with a BGM, his figure shot towards the Hobgoblin holding a tower shield and an ax. He was barely touching the ground as if he virtually flew through the air.

Seeing his action, the Hobgoblin Fighter reacted and rush towards Rain, trying to intercept him. However, before it could reach him, several arrows shot towards his direction causing the Hobgoblin to stop on his tracks. It angrily turned towards Sarete and roared.

It was saying something that Rain had, in his mind, automatically translated into, 'You Wh*re snake, I'll make you my b*tch' or something along those lines, which somehow enraged him. Although Rain can understand the language, since this was the first time he had heard the Language of the Goblins, it would still take time for him to speak it. It would need quite a long time of conversation for him to understand and completely assimilate the language.

If only he could, Rain was tempted to sprint down the obscene bastard and curse back in anger for the sin of insulting Stagna.

“Don’t you dare disturb my little brother, ugly beast. I’ll be your opponent,”

Stagna, not caring about whatever the Hobgoblin was saying, not like she tried to understand it, and grinned, taunting the Hobgoblin.

As usual, Stagna was crazily incredible at her bow. She was so fast; the next arrow was already notched right after the previous shot.

Ooooooaaaaahhh!!

When the Hobgoblin fighter changed its target, Rain had already reached his target. His rapier turned into a blur as it thrust with incredible speed. However, the Hobgoblin held its shield firmly, barely moving even a step as it blocks his attack. Rain frowned. Despite changing his attack midway, and targeting its exposed left shoulder instead, it was still able to defend against it.

Truly, it’s really troublesome—that tower shield that almost covers its entire body that is. To be able to move while using that, how much strength did it possess?!

The Hobgoblin snorted in contempt after blocking Rain’s attack and then used its axe to slash him from the left side, creating a flash of cold light like earlier. Rain nimbly ducked, dodging the attack and jumped backward. Though, perhaps due to the heavy shield, its movement speed was greatly reduced. As long as Rain was careful of its charge attack, this would be like fighting a defensive turtle!

Rain gritted his teeth and attacks. His, sword, hands, and feet striking seemingly all at once-attacking from every angle, stabbing and grabbing, groping for any hold. However, they were all easily blocked by the tower-like shield. The speed of the blows increases-

The attacks and block, and then counter, in perfect sync as though each knows exactly what the other is going to do before they do it. But then his attack came to an end. Another charge and Shield Bash incoming, the shield's surface gleamed, signifying the attack activating. But before the Hobgoblin's shield can reach for him, Rain leaps into the air, somersault and jump back.

Ooooooaaaaahhh!!

The Hobgoblin roared, then rushed at him and swung its hand ax downwards. It was another skill, Rain immediately realized as he saw the handaxe gleamed brightly. He sidestepped to dodge, but he couldn’t evade it completely and was knocked down by the shockwave emitted by the attack.

The second strike then swung at him without hesitation.

How many skills does this Hobgoblin possess?!

Rain was astonished, his teeth were clenched so forcefully that he couldn't even yell any louder than a throaty growl. He was completely outmatched!

Not only it has incredible strength, but it also knew Charge, Shield Bash, and Axe-based Combat Arts!

If Rain was not mistaken, what the Hobgoblin used should be [Power Strike], or at least similar to that.

He knew how to use it since most of the Lamian warriors know it as well. While thinking that, his rapier barely managed to deflect the attack in time. Then, he felt an impact across his whole body as the force from the attack once again hit him, causing him to stagger a meter or two away from his original position.

As expected, its strength is far beyond mine!

As sparks flew off the two blades, the monster’s axe hit the ground.

It dug a huge hole into the ground with an explosion-like sound effect.

Rain rolled a few times, before flipping and steadying his balance.

“Are you okay, Rain?!”

He heard an anxious voice from the side. Rain saw Stagna with her short sword locked in combat with the other Hobgoblin—well, this is the first time he saw her using a sword instead of a bow. Although she preferred using her bow, it doesn’t mean Stagna was weak in melee combat. In fact, she was also good at it or so he heard from Lafetti and Drova. Just that, Stagna prefers fighting with a bow, rather than engaging in close combat.

The Lamian’s tail lashed like a whip, and the Hobgoblin immediately jumped back to evade. It’s nimble movement and speed was obviously faster than he even with his enhanced speed. However, if one looks closely the Hobgoblin had already suffered several wounds on its body. Hence, Rain concluded that it’s just a matter of time before her battle comes to an end. But not his.

“I’m alright,”

Rain answered with a wry smile. Though, his body slightly aches. The strength of the monster is truly heart-numbing. So this is the strength of a true Goblin Elite?

Even before the battle started, Rain knew that he was in an unfavorable situation. However, nevertheless, he was not afraid. He kicked against the ground and leaped up. It looked like his opponent was disturbed by his speed and combat ability that was beyond the opponent's expectation.

I don’t know what kind of paranormal techniques they can use, but…

If he panicked, his techniques would be useless anyway. Even more, if his opponent was beyond in terms of level, strength, and speed. His only advantage was his nimbleness and flexibility, as well as intelligence.

Monsters had weak heads and they tend to follow only their instincts.

That goes the same with the use of their skills. Hence, they tend to be a bit predictable when they used human weapons.

I just need to aim for their heads!

Without hesitation, Rain was leaping upwards with the intention of aiming at the back of the monster’s neck. However, the monster followed his movements closely with its eyes and swung the axe horizontally in full rotation like a spinning top. It was an unexpected attack.

It can also do this?! Not Good!

Rain was caught off guard.

He had never expected the monster’s mobility.

Although the monster’s attack power was greatly reduced, at this kind of range, that flaw was almost non-existent. The axe approached him with most of the energy it had when swung.

It's fast!

Rain was instinctively amazed, the axe swung towards him much faster than he had even thought.

I can’t dodge!

“Tsk!”

Because of that, although he moved to dodge, he wasn't going to make it in time. Rain felt the time slowed down—the monster’s attack and even his movement seemed to have moved in slow motion. From behind him, he can hear Stagna’s frantic voice and he was certain that she should be rushing towards him with all she got to save him. However, even with the speed of her arrow, it would still be a second too late.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Rain and the Hobgoblin’s distance were way too close. However, that's when something strange happened. Having jumped away to dodge, his body suddenly began accelerating. It was as if something invisible had pushed him away with all of their might.

Thanks to that, Rain avoided a direct hit from the axe, and it instead drilled into the ground and created a large crack.

“What was that!?”

Rain was stupefied by his body’s sudden speed boost. He even saw the arrow breezed through the side of his head, and whizzed through the Hobgoblin’s shield, striking it and blowing the Hobgoblin away along with it. The shield cracked as the arrow struck to it, several centimeters deep—if not for the tower shield’s durability, the arrow would surely have pierced through the Hobgoblin’s flesh killing it instantly.

However, that’s not what Rain was concerned—

[Master! Are you okay?!]

“Was that you, Sylphy!? You saved me!!”

Stagna behind him had been surprised by Rain’s timely dodge, but he was more delighted rather than surprise. He knew that Sylphy had controlled his body at the last moment and released all his limiters for a single second, boosting his physical abilities altogether.

Human brains limit human strength.

This is a common logic—human muscles are far stronger than you can imagine. However, your brain will tend to shut them down to avoid hurting yourself. But, by releasing all his physical limiters for a second, which Sylphy was more than capable to of due to her, literally being a system that directly involved with his mind, she was able to grant him a power boost for a second or two, short enough that he will not be in pain from the sudden muscle strain.

That was how Sylphy managed to save Rain in that critical moment.

While being controlled by Sylphy, Rain landed in a calm fashion and using the momentum, began running at full speed to make a distance.

At this moment, however, the Hobgoblin was able to immediately recover from Stagna’s attack.

It roared in anger and turned towards Rain with a hateful, angry-filled gaze. It roared and once again used Sheild Bash to chase after him.

[I will be the one to protect Master!]

When Sylphy shouted that inside his mind, Rain’s view changed greatly.

“This is...”

Rain’s overall perception and calculation speed increased beyond normal. He now perceived the entire surrounding much better than before, and his decision making as well was enhanced further than his own. It's like having a computer program working behind his mind and was supporting him, doing all the calculations needed. The techniques he had learned from training with Lafetti, Drova, and the other Lamians came out naturally.

His body moves faster, well that was perhaps his own misunderstand due to how he was now capable of moving before the opponent move—in other words, with Sylphy’s help, he was now capable of predicting what the opponent was going to do much easier and accurate than normal.

His body even moved faster than his thoughts, and he was now able to fight without having to think about his next moves to some degree as his body naturally responds faster. Sylphy seemed to have done all the calculations he needed, and all he needed to do was synchronized his to her thoughts and move his body along with her. And since Sylphy had also removed any unnecessary mental noise, his movements became a lot more accurate.

This was the power that Sylphy had given him.

And to think she was not fully possessing me like before…

Since Sylphy knows that Rain wanted to become stronger and that he could only do it by fighting monsters himself, Sylphy didn’t do any unnecessary actions that would cost this precious experience, like controlling his body completely just like before.

Although she can save him by doing it like before, it would be like her fighting instead, rather than him. And he wouldn’t be able to learn much—there’s a lot of difference than fighting personally to watching through a camera lens.

The current situation could be described as Sylphy taking over Rain’s body, but moving as he wanted. Hence, the thrill and the actions on how to fight is still being experienced by him.

There’s no better training than this!

Up until now, Sylphy was unable to do this because she was afraid that Rain’s body wouldn’t be able to follow, or at least, even endure the strain caused by the rapid speed of her calculation. However, now that body had been enhanced double, or perhaps even triple than before, she was certain that Rain can at least endure the rapid movement even for a few moments.

This is the moment where Sylphy was now truly capable of supporting Rain at everything he wanted to do.

This is the moment where they truly had become one and the same!

There it is!

Rain who distance himself, not daring to enter the Hobgoblin’s attack range, suddenly saw its body glowed a pale golden light and woosh, its body seemed to have expanded in front of his eyes.

The [Shield Bash] in an instant, with the shield in front, the Hobgoblin charged towards him once again, like a truck running at full speed. Rain knows better to receive it head-on and he hurriedly rolled on the ground. Even when rolling on the ground, he concentrated intensely on observing the Hobgoblin’s movements with his improved vision and perception due to Sylphy’s power.

The monster had huge muscles, especially on its arms and leg. It was almost triple the size of his arm. However, it was not fast enough to beat him. The monster’s foot landed on the area where Rain had been standing a moment ago. It let out a thunderous roar and the rock debris around it flew up.

Rain’s hawk-like eyes watched the monster’s every movement and moved in tandem with them in order to dodge the strikes to the best of his ability. The attacks approached him in slow motion in his eyes. He could see every detail of his opponent, the breathing, compression of muscles, and enlargement of the pupils…

Rain could grasp everything happening around him at this state. He didn’t attack for almost a dozen minutes as the monster chased after him relentlessly. Once he figured out the pattern in the enemy’s movements, he'd be able to fight to the best of his ability. It was just like in shooting games or in action games.

For gamers, concentrating on the enemy’s movements and combining that with past experience was the key to success.

And Rain was doing the same.

As a human, in this place, he was the weakest creature…weaker than even a Slime. However, he has something that no one has. And that is Sylphy. As he was analyzing the monster’s characteristics, Sylphy was doing the same. And hers was even more accurate and meticulous than his. It’s as if through his eyes, Sylphy could see everything, even the opponent’s weakness. And she can help Rain make many kinds of tactics and strategies to win and survive any kind of battle.

He was never alone!

Rain’s left palm slammed against the ground and used the force to flip his body in the air.

[Master]

Rain heard Sylphy’s call.

Finally, both of them had seen the path of victory.

In an instant, his entire demeanor change.

The Hobgoblin who was chasing Rain suddenly felt its weak opponent’s body atmosphere have some slight transformation, clearly, magical power did not at all consequently strengthen, but he did not know why, at its current level, it felt some danger.

A weak human child unexpectedly would let it have a feeling of danger? The Hobgoblin somewhat disbelieving pressed to use its magical power to strengthen its body, walk towards Rain with large strides. It ignored the dangerous feelings, and charge without any care or concern. And this caused the prelude of its downfall!

The Hobgoblin's speed was not at all fast, but its pace was extremely steady, under each step, the ground would faintly tremble.

“My turn!”

Rain suddenly ferociously raised his head, his original blue eyes turned bluish purple. Seeing those purple eyes, the Hobgoblin was immediately startled, underfoot pace also slowing. After all, relying on eyesight confusion attacks was among magical abilities the most difficult kind to resist.

But very quickly the monster realized, in Rain’s eyes the change in eye color did not at all have any attack effect. And at his slowing. the latter's hands hanging on either side of his waist swiftly rose.

Wooosh.

Wooosh.

Wooosh.

From Rain’s both hands’ ten cold lights lightly twirling burst forth, separately shooting towards the monster’s eyes, shoulders, throat, heart, knees, genitals, and abdomen. The ten cold lights’ attacking locations unexpectedly were not the same, furthermore aiming for all the vitals.

The ear-piercing air splitting sounds startled the Hobgoblin, in all his ability, nimbleness was his least feature, and even after the body enhancement, although its speed increased somewhat, because of the huge build, added to its astonishing defensive power, when facing enemies the monster would choose to the way of meeting force with force.

To suddenly be confronted by the extremely accurate ten cold lights, the Hobgoblin hides behind its tower shield.

However, as if expecting such action, after emitting throwing his steel needles, Rain did not pause the slightest moment—enhancing his speed, he immediately retreated backward.

Ten clanking sounds echoed practically simultaneously, the ten cold lights hit the tower shield, but they all bounced back. Furthermore, it did not cause the Hobgoblin any harm. In retreating, between Rain’s hands, like butterflies passing flowers, his hand blurred as he kept his distance while shooting several pieces of sharp needles.

Each needle was 20 cm long with one-inch width.

It’s a throwing weapon that Rain had made carefully and meticulously with the help of Miyabila.

Miyabila was ignorant of its use. However, with her interest in all kinds of weapons, she still complied with his request and helps him made them. All of them were hidden within his clothes so that they can easily be pulled out and used in a moment’s notice.

Aside from their feather-like weight due to being made from a durable, but light rare metal, their sharpness and penetrating power was even higher than his rapier—and to prove that, in the Hobgoblin’s tower shield, several throwing needle was still sticking out.

With Rain shooting numbers of sharp needles, the Hobgoblin was forced to hide on its shield, as the moment its head or limbs appeared out of the thick metal plate, a sharp needle would fly towards it without mercy.

The Hobgoblin didn’t know the frightening power of the needles, but it can feel the danger of being struck by one. It could only roar in anger, and frustration, feeling somewhat humiliated that it had hidden behind its shield like a coward, by a weak, and fragile human being!

"Amazing..."

Not only the Hobgoblin was flabbergasted by the sudden change in battle, Stagna as well was surprised. She watched the battle between Rain and the Hobgoblin and felt extremely overwhelmed. She had never seen Rain fight like this before—more so, she had never seen anyone fight as he did.

The Hobgoblin she was fighting was already in the ground, cold and dead—this kind of opponent was not worth her time.

But the way Rain fight intrigues her.

And his opponent was even more than one higher in level compared to him. With the human’s judging system, the Hobgoblin should have been double or worst even triple in strength compared to him and yet, to think he's still keeping up...

Stagna couldn’t help but praise Rain inside her mind because he was able to fight against the enemy that was much powerful than him.

The difference in level is not just mere deference like one and two. It means their overall capability, physical attributes, and power are incomparable to each other.

The evolution of a monster was not comparable to Human’s increase in level. It meant the strengthening of its muscles several fold, increasing the speed of its reflexes and enhancing the activity in its brain than the original. Because of that, the monster would become even faster and stronger than before. It would be like a dog transforming into a tiger- that kind of power-up is not something easily surpassed by one or two levels.

That's why even those evolution comes rarely for monsters, the monsters still dominated the world. Their based power and standards are completely different than those of humans.

Since the monster was moving almost as fast as the human mind could handle, a normal person shouldn't be able to keep up with it. Much less, Rain who was below it by several levels.

She was certain that, Rain was just Lv1.

Despite that, he was somehow barely doing just that.

It was too surprising. Stagna just wanted for Rain to have some experience fighting a monster of its level and was prepared to save him the moment it was necessary.

She never had any expectation of Rain’s victory.

This should be according to Logic…

According to common sense!

But what's happening in front of her, greatly deviated from that said, common sense!