Chapter 4: Coliseum
Three days have passed, and this time, fate has chosen me.
I anticipated this moment. It's a matter of kill or be killed, fight or die. The question lingered: could I really take another's life? Me?
I've never been in such a situation before, nor do I possess the skills for it. But now isn't the time for such contemplation. Survival demands adaptation.
After all, my life hangs in the balance, and everyone here fights for the same.
Before I could step out of the cell, Gou's words echoed in my ears:
"Do whatever it takes to survive."
And that's precisely my intention.
After a brief walk, we arrived at the armory, tasked with selecting our armaments. Uncertain of what would suit my petite frame best, I deliberated.
Eventually, I settled on a buckler—a small shield not only for defense but also for offense. As for my second choice, I opted for a dagger, as ordinary swords proved too cumbersome.
Once armed, we were led by guards to a waiting room, where a somber silence enveloped us. What's the point of conversing with those you may soon be forced to confront?
Time passed, and fear crept into every fiber of my being. This could be the end, I mused. I've never engaged in combat, let alone taken a life. I'm uncertain of what a goblin's capabilities are in battle.
Suddenly, a window appeared before me:
[ New Task ]
Mission Objective: Survive the encounter with the cyclops.
Reward: Access to the training hall.
In case of failure: Death.
A cyclops? What cyclops? I don't see anyone among us with a single eye. Perhaps cyclopses in this world are different, I speculated. Nevertheless, before I could dwell on it further, a guard directed us on our path.
Proceeding down a dim corridor, our destination was obscured by a bright light ahead. Before my vision could adjust, the grandeur of the coliseum unfolded before me, with thousands of spectators filling the stands.
Their uproar sounded like an earthquake, yet the specifics eluded me from this distance. Our quartet comprised myself—a goblin, a Kobold who warmly greeted all newcomers, a minotaur, and another goblin.
The Kobold was armed with two long swords, indicating his prowess. The Minotaur wielded a massive two-handed axe, while the goblin opted for a crossbow.
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They appeared formidable opponents, albeit with the exception of the latter.
As we reached the coliseum's center, a massive iron gate swung open before us. I had envisioned orcs as large creatures, but what emerged dwarfed any orc I'd encountered—a giant, a one-eyed behemoth exuding raw power.
Gripping a massive club, his expression belied his intellect. So, it's the four of us against him? Had I known what awaited us, I might have chosen a long-range weapon.
Speaking of which, the goblin with the crossbow approached me and said:
"Goblins, together, strong."
"Yeah, whatever"—not that I cared much for his life, but enhancing our survival odds seemed prudent.
When the cyclops emerged from behind the iron gate, tension spiked. Gripping the dagger tightly, I felt the impending confrontation weigh heavily upon me. As he advanced, each of his steps reverberated through the arena.
With a signal from the Kobold, our group leaped into action. The Minotaur charged headlong at the cyclops, leading the assault, with the kobold, myself, and the goblin following closely behind.
Despite the cyclops's imposing stature, he suffered from a critical flaw—limited visibility. While the Minotaur diverted the cyclops's attention, we aimed our blades at his legs, aiming to disrupt his balance.
Though my efforts seemed futile, the kobold executed his task flawlessly. Amidst the cyclops's swings, I observed the goblin's agility—no challenge to evade his attacks.
Perhaps that's why my statistics favored agility. Despite my limited contributions, an idea struck me.
"Aim for the eye; I believe it's his weak spot" I instructed the goblin, who shared my ineffectiveness.
It proved to be a stroke of luck. Struck by an arrow, the cyclops's eye welled with tears, and the combined assault of the Minotaur and the kobold unbalanced him, causing a fall.
We converged around his head, raining blows upon him in rapid succession. Despite his anguished cries, I focused solely on the task at hand.
With each strike, the warmth of his blood on my hands served as confirmation of our impending. A moment later, a message appeared in front of me:
[You've killed the cyclops]
[You've gained a level]
[You've gained a level]
[You've gained a level]
Without hesitation, I opened the status screen.
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Name: Rock
Age: 1 year
Race: Goblin
Class: None
Titles: -
Level: 4 [8/80]
Stats:
HP: 18/30
MP: ?/?
Strength: 4
Stamina: 6
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 3
Intuition: 6
Skills:
Passive:
[S+] Hero's Guide
[A] Self-awareness Eye
[A-] Polýglōssos
Active: -
Affiliation: Slave of Freypass Kingdom
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It seems that the stats are distributed automatically; one point in strength, two in stamina, two in dexterity, and one in intuition.
It appears that with each level increase, I gain two stats.
So this is the coliseum; honestly, I'd rather stay in the mine.