Nova locked eyes with the goblin king while observing its status.
[Goblin King]
Rank: 0
Name: None
Species: Goblin
Affiliation: None
Level: 2
Class: None
Attributes:
Strength: 114
Vigor: 107
Dexterity: 103
Speed: 94
Intelligence: 67
Wisdom: 74
Will: 1
Luck: 1
Nova assessed the situation as he steadied his stance, mentally comparing the goblin king's stats with his own. ‘My Dexterity and Wisdom are higher. The rest, though... he has me beaten. Fair enough, he’s level 2. This should be a good final challenge before leaving the trial’ he thought.
The goblin king, seemingly unfazed, wasted no time. Without hesitation, he shot toward Nova like a predator closing in on prey. Nova instinctively retreated, his movements fluid and quick.
The goblin king raised an eyebrow, almost mocking him, as if to say, ‘Why are you running away?’
Nova couldn’t help but shake his head. This opponent was far too human in his actions. The goblin king’s intelligence and reflexes were sharp, and Nova recognized that this would be no ordinary fight.
The goblin king didn’t give Nova any time to think. He dashed forward again, this time closing the distance with deadly intent. Nova mirrored his opponent’s speed, charging back towards him, determined not to be forced on the defensive this time.
In a split second, they were nearly on top of each other. The goblin king swung his sword horizontally with a mighty roar. Nova didn’t hesitate for a moment. He slammed his feet into the ground, propelling himself into the air just as the sword swept beneath him.
Suspended mid-air, Nova shifted his grip on his spear, holding it halfway up the shaft like a sword in his left hand. He yanked it back before plunging it downward, aiming for the goblin king’s head with all his might.
The goblin king's sword swept just below Nova's feet as he gripped his spear midway up the shaft with his left hand, holding it like a sword. He pulled his left hand back while still mid-air, gathering all his strength before thrusting it towards the goblin king. But just as he did, a punch shot up toward his chest. Instantly, his focus sharpened, and his mind raced to find a way to evade the blow. In a split second, he identified his move. Using the force of the incoming fist to his advantage, Nova placed his right hand on top of it and pushed himself upward. The goblin king, seeing this, swiftly retracted his sword and swung it again at Nova, who was now directly above him.
Thinking fast, Nova twisted his body, performing a mid-air summersault. He eyed the incoming sword and, in a swift motion, gripped his spear with both hands. With precision, he swept the spear across the path of the sword, just enough to deflect its trajectory. The sword grazed his side, but the deflection was enough to allow Nova to follow through with his attack.
As his feet landed, Nova’s left leg shot out in a powerful kick toward the goblin king’s head, the final blow in his flurry of evasive maneuvers.
The goblin king saw Nova’s movement, but his downward swing was already in motion. He had to use its force to his advantage. Pivoting on his right foot, he executed a spinning side kick aimed at Nova’s left leg. Nova wanted to shout at the shamelessness of this king, but he forced himself to suppress the thought. He had only one option now. Quickly, he swung his spear at the goblin king’s incoming kick.
When the two forces collided, the shaft of Nova’s spear bent unnaturally. For a moment, he feared it would snap, but luckily it didn’t. The force of the impact sent him flying backward toward the edge of the arena. His insides trembled, and the taste of iron lingered in his mouth like an illusion. He stood still for a moment, recovering as he watched the goblin king retrieve his raised leg. The two locked eyes.
The goblin king’s expression shifted from one of battle to one of reluctant respect. He knew Nova was weaker, but the fact that he could trade blows, even if it left him injured, meant something. His gaze, once that of an enemy, now regarded Nova as a warrior he needed to kill.
Nova felt the change in the air. The pressure, once light, now thickened as the goblin king prepared to take him seriously. Nova smiled and nodded before launching himself back into the fray. The goblin king’s mouth curled up, exposing his jagged teeth. He met Nova halfway.
As they collided, Nova thrust his spear forward, just as the goblin king swung his sword in a vertical arc, aiming to sever Nova’s arm. Nova didn’t flinch. Instead, he stomped with his right foot, spun to the left, and maintained his thrust. His spear was aimed true, but the sword soon loomed in front of his eyes. Reacting instinctively, Nova adjusted his motion, spinning as he swung to avoid the blow.
In the blink of an eye, the goblin king punched with his left arm to intercept the incoming spear. The force of the punch sent Nova’s spear flying toward the edge of the arena. Without hesitation, Nova pulled back his left fist, focusing all his strength into it before unleashing a powerful punch toward the goblin king’s chest.
The impact created a small dent in the goblin king's armor, and Nova winced from the force of the blow. He wasn’t sure who had suffered more from that exchange, but as the air cleared, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
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As soon as Nova delivered the punch, he stomped on the ground and quickly retreated toward where his spear had fallen. The goblin king, infuriated by the punch and Nova’s seemingly unscathed retreat, didn’t hesitate to chase him down.
Nova barely gripped his spear when he sensed the goblin king behind him. Without warning, the goblin swung his sword in a vertical arc from right to left, aiming to finish him off. Seeing this, Nova reacted instantly, dashing to the right, where the sword strike began. In that split second, he revealed his true speed to the goblin king.
Reaching the goblin’s right side, Nova thrust his spear directly toward the king's chest. The goblin king, stunned, had thought he had already seen everything Nova could do. He had judged him as someone weaker than him, but this unexpected speed and precision took him by surprise—and it would cost him dearly.
Nova stomped on the ground, driving the spear forward with all his strength. The tip of the spear pierced through the goblin king's armor and lodged itself deep between his ribs, puncturing his right lung. The goblin king froze in shock, his mind struggling to comprehend the blow. Blood began to pour into his lung as he coughed violently, unable to breathe properly.
Nova calmly retreated, leaving the spear embedded in the goblin king’s chest as he observed the unfolding scene. He knew the injury was fatal. Seeing the goblin king remain motionless, save for the violent coughing of blood, Nova decided to inflict further damage.
Without hesitation, Nova returned to the spear, gripping it with his left hand. He twisted the shaft left and right, causing the spear tip inside to shift and tear through the goblin king’s internal organs.
The damage escalated rapidly as Nova twisted the spear. The goblin king’s lung filled with more blood, and soon, his liver and stomach were punctured as well. Blood poured uncontrollably into his organs, and the goblin king’s breath became shallow and ragged.
Finally, Nova decided to withdraw the spear. With a burst of speed, he dashed away from the goblin king, gripping the weapon tightly with both hands. As the spear slid free from the goblin king’s chest, a fountain of blood erupted from the wound.
Securing the weapon, Nova distanced himself and stood silently, watching as his strongest enemy to date succumbed to his death throes.
‘It could've been me if I hadn’t risked it all so many times during the fight’ Nova thought as he watched the goblin king's final moments unfold. ‘Life is so fickle—it can be extinguished with a snap of someone's fingers. Today I killed an honorable goblin king, tomorrow I might die. That's what makes it exciting. If I were certain to survive every fight, where would the fun be?’
He couldn’t help but reflect, ‘No need to pity anyone in this world. This goblin king probably killed thousands to reach his position. People walk over others' bodies to thrive, and I’m no different. There's no room for pity in this world.’
These thoughts came naturally, as if Nova was discovering his true self through the heat of battle and the bloodshed that surrounded him.
Time passed, and after what felt like an eternity, the goblin king finally stopped moving, collapsing to the ground as blood continued to pour from his body.
[Received 90,000 Stat EXP]
Finally, a notification broke through Nova’s intense focus. He had blocked out everything except the fight, but now, as he looked around, he realized there were several unread notifications.
[Title acquired: King Slayer]
[Skill: Regeneration has been learned]
[Skill: Keen Reflexes has been learned]
Nova raised an eyebrow. ‘Regeneration and Reflexes?’ He thought, then focused on the title first. The description appeared in his mind:
Title: King Slayer
(All Stats increased by 5% against King opponents.)
‘This is going to be useful’ Nova mused. ‘The 15% Strength from the medallion saved me today, but having 5% to every stat against King-level opponents is easily the best reward I've gotten so far.’
Next, he turned his attention to the skills he had acquired.
Skill: Regeneration
(Increases body healing.)
Skill: Keen Reflexes
(Increases body reflexes and decreases the time of action between mind and body.)
"Insane. The more generic the skill, the better, and these two are crazy good” Nova muttered. "Feels like I’ve won the lottery." With that, he turned his focus to his Status screen.
[Status]
Rank: 0
Name: Nova Grey
Species: Human
Affiliation: None
Level: 0 (150/500)
Class: None
Titles: Goblin Exterminator, King Slayer
Stat Points: 1
Attributes:
Strength: 72
Vigor: 70
Dexterity: 120
Speed: 80
Intelligence: 36
Wisdom: 80
Will: 7
Luck: 10
Skills
Active: Spear Thrust (10) (4002/512000), Spear Jab (7) (16175/64000), Spear Sweep (1) (519/1000), Spear Lunge (2) (176/2000), Spear Overhead Strike (2) (150/2000)
Passive: Regeneration (0) (0/500), Keen Reflexes (0) (0/500)
‘I’ll add that to Strength,’ Nova decided. In his opinion, power was what he needed most at the moment. His survivability seemed sufficient for now, but his offensive capabilities were lacking.
Suddenly, more notifications echoed in his mind.
[Mission: Survive for 1 day has been completed]
Rewards:
* Gold: 5,000 coins
* EXP: 650
* Title: Survivor
Granted to those who endure harsh conditions and outlast all odds, the "Survivor" title symbolizes unyielding perseverance and mental fortitude.
Bonus:
* +10% Vigor
* +5% Resistance to Environmental Hazards
* +5% Healing Speed
* Light Armor: (+2 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Speed)
A white, form-fitting light armor materialized before Nova. He eyed it appreciatively, nodding. "The style is good, and it's very light. Perfect. It's a shame the stats are a bit low for me right now, but it's still better than nothing." Without hesitation, he stripped and donned the new armor.
"Feels good" he muttered, before calling out, "Status."
[Status]
Rank: 0
Name: Nova Grey
Species: Human
Affiliation: None
Level: 1 (300/500)
Class: None
Titles: Goblin Exterminator, King Slayer, Survivor
Stat Points: 0
Attributes:
Strength: 78 (+2)
Vigor: 75 (+8)
Dexterity: 125 (+3)
Speed: 85 (+5)
Intelligence: 41
Wisdom: 85
Will: 7
Luck: 10
Skills
Active: Spear Thrust (10) (4002/512000), Spear Jab (7) (16175/64000), Spear Sweep (1) (519/1000), Spear Lunge (2) (176/2000), Spear Overhead Strike (2) (150/2000)
Passive: Regeneration (0) (0/500), Keen Reflexes (0) (0/500)
‘I just realized I leveled up—+5 to every stat per level. Not as much as I expected’ Nova thought to himself. He then checked his Stats. ‘So the stats in brackets haven’t been factored in yet. That means my Strength is already at 80.’
Before he could continue his musings, a portal materialized before him, accompanied by a notification.
[Portal will close in 10:00]
"Finally, time to go back home. I wonder how much has changed in just one day on Earth" Nova said with a smile. Without a second thought, he stepped into the portal.
The familiar sickly sensation washed over him, though it was milder now than before. A brief discomfort lingered, but it soon passed. His feet touched the ground, and as he opened his eyes, he was greeted by an unforgettable sight.
The city was burning.
Humanity had returned to its roots, but this time, they wielded power beyond imagination.
Nova took in the scene, a crazed smile creeping across his face. He muttered to no one in particular, “This is what I’ve been waiting for. A chance. A chance to escape the cage—and I will not let it slip away.”
Will 7 → 8