I don't know how long I was in the river when I finally awoke. It had been… amazing. Being able to heal… actually heal! From the day's aches and pains. It had been so mind boggling experiencing that. A slow cool replacing the burning agony my muscles had been in. I don’t know if I actually fell asleep, or really just didn’t even notice the passing of time, but when I opened my eyes, it was dark out. I was really so confused, and then it hit me. Oh.. Oh shit this was not good at all. Panicking, I looked around for everybody, but there was nobody. I couldn’t see James, Barry, Ashton, Diane, Sarah, or even Xi. There was nothing... Oh fuck no. Seriously, where was everyone? Hurriedly, I stood up out of the water, feeling the weight of my soaked clothes dragging me down. Fuck that was still so cold, I can’t believe I hadn’t even noticed. I shivered, before I turned to the shore and rushed out of the water, by breath misting in the night air. As I made it to the gravel shore, I stopped and looked for any sign of my classmates. All I saw was the trees rocking back and forth as the wind blew through the dark forest. It was scarily eerie, and I shivered again as I felt the breeze hit my skin. There was no one around the river, no matter how hard I looked. Still dripping from the cold water, I ran over to the tree where I had hidden my blade. I cautiously reached around the trunk searching for the leather wrapped handle. Thankfully, it was only a moment before I felt the leather grip in my hand. I let out a sigh of relief and grabbed it, pulling it out from its stache. I’d need a way to protect myself before I did anything else. I paused and took the chance to really look around, my hands shakily gripping the sword in front of me.

Where the hell had everyone gone? It’s not like a massive beast could have just ran in, and then eaten everyone! That definitely would have woken me up, right? Or wait, could there have been one? Did I really know what the beasts in this world were capable of? Or wait, more probably, did they just have left me behind? No, there's no way. At least one of my classmates would have noticed if I wasn't there, right? I ran all over the clearing, searching for any trace of my classmates, my breathing becoming more and more erratic as the panic really started to kick in. Still, after I raced back and forth for what felt like hours, I couldn't find anything. I gasped for air, and stopped, placing my hands on my knees as I tried to recover. As I looked out at the forest, I developed a heavy, sinking feeling in my gut. There was absolutely no way it had been an accident. Xi and my classmates had left me behind for some reason. Someone would have had to have seen me in the water right? I felt my fist grip the handle of my blade tighter as I took a step forward. No, it wasn't an accident. Xi had definitely left me behind on purpose. I didn’t know if it was either on Cylkia’s orders or for some other sick reason. It might’ve just been for entertainment. Ooh, I wonder how long the level one newbie lasts before they die! I wonder if it’ll be from hunger, cold, or some beast finding itself a free dinner!? I growled and spat on the ground, glaring off into the trees. I guess this world must have some version of Hunger Games too? That must be why they'd left me with the sword. So that I would feel hope for my survival? So that my struggling would be just that much more entertaining? I sighed and shook my head. No… I didn’t know of Xi might be some weird rich person trying to host their own version of hunger games, but I did know that my classmates weren’t. We had all only been here for one day. They couldn’t have all changed that quickly, at least one of them would have made a fuss. That’s what I would have done right? I definitely would have at least raised a ruckus, causing them to wake up. No, it wasn’t some sick game, but the only other option was if it was possibly a test? Did Xi want to see if I could make it back to the barrier without dying? I was the weakest out of everyone, but was I too weak? Did I even think that I could make it back alive? Nah, it couldn't be a test…

I stopped that train of thought and took a deep breath. No, it was definitely a test. Xi definitely wanted me to make it back to the barrier. Though… at the end of the day, I guess I needed to make it back to that barrier either way. As I was, I was as weak as a baby, there was no way I'd survive if I decided to go off on my own. Though, if I made it back to the barrier, I’d be safe for at least a while. I could get stronger, or at least try to group up with someone else who was. Nodding my head, I slowly walked across the clearing to the trees, my senses on high alert. That snake had been there in the tree the whole time Xi had been talking. That means they must have known it was there before they brought us over. Xi had managed to sense the snake as soon as we left the barrier, so I should be able to as well, right? I strained my eyes, and whipped around at every noise. I began cautiously walking closer to the forest, one step at a time. I didn't know if I'd be able to take on a monster if I saw one, but I'd be damned if I didn't go down swinging. This wasn’t a matter of if this was a test, or if this was a training method. This was a matter of if I was going to die here, in this world so far from home, immediately, in a few days once I starved to death, or possibly never. I could see my life line, and it was heading back towards the barrier where my classmates were.

I walked closer to the forest, and brought my sword around to rest in front of me. I slowly sighed, and then cautiously sneaked through the forest, making sure to avoid making too much noise. I carefully stepped over and around all the leaves I could see, and forced myself to keep my breathing steady. Thankfully, it looked like whatever god of luck there was here was smiling down on me, because it must've rained recently. The ground was slightly damp and muffled most of my footfalls. Unfortunately, that also meant that it would muffle the sound of anything that might’ve been trying to sneak up on me. I needed to be careful, and watch to make sure I didn’t run into anything too dangerous. I peeked around a tree, looking left and right, before nodding my head. It was safe. I slowly walked around the tree, my eyes darting back and forth. I quieted my breathing, letting my Enduring Heart ability start to take effect. I’d noticed while I was swinging the sword earlier, but I definitely had a better cardiovascular system here. I didn’t need to breathe near as much as I should have had to, and my heart rate was nowhere near as high as it would have been back home whenever I checked my watch. Only 140? I would have killed for that during practice! Well, the only thing I can do now is just take advantage of that. I grinned, and carefully checked before I rounded each tree. This was an easy as hell test if I was being honest… we couldn’t have even been that far from the barrier right? I’d be there in a few minutes… max.

What I hadn’t think of, was that this was a big forest, and even if we weren’t that far in it, there was bound to be a lot of wildlife, and in the case of this new world, monsters. Xi’s presence and the large size of our group had probably scared off a lot of the monsters in the area, but that didn’t mean that they had all been scared off. A fact that I realized too late as I rounded a tree and came face to face with the exact thing I had been trying to avoid this whole time… a monster.

It had a humanoid figure, but was much shorter than me, its head only about chest height. I could see, even in the sparse light, that its skin was a dark forest green, almost allowing it to blend into its surroundings as it unmovingly stood there. In its hands, it wielded a wooden club, and strapped to its arm was a small bark shield. I held in a strangled gasp and flipped back around to the other side of the trunk. Thankfully, because I’d been so careful and had been holding my breath, it hadn’t even noticed me. In fact, if I had to guess, it looked almost bored as it stood there. It had been leaning on a tree trunk, staring in the distance at… Wait, wasn’t that the same direction as the barrier?

I felt the blood drain from my face, and I swallowed. I needed to check, but what was I going to do if it saw me? Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck… but… I have to check, don't I? I ground my teeth together, and steeled my nerves. Yeah… yeah I did need to check. Slowly, I snuck another glance from around the tree I was hiding behind, careful not to make a noise. Fuck me, it was staring in the direction of the barrier. Though… I was right, it did look bored… but its hands were gripping its club and shield as if it was ready to move at any moment. I narrowed my eyes. It was watching the barrier and my classmates, I wasn’t sure why, but what if this was a scout? What if it was mapping out the barrier and my classmates, and would report this to others and then set a trap for us the next time we went out to train? I knew that Xi and all of them were probably strong, but what if the scout reported this to a huge group of other goblins? Xi was still only one Knight, there wad no way they would be able to keep everyone safe… no. I needed to act now. I glanced down at my blade, and tightened my grip. It was me, it had to be me. Test or not, this goblin could be a serious threat… but just because I had a sword, didn’t mean I could do this. It was a living creature any way I looked at it, was I really just going to run out there and kill it?

My mouth went dry and I pressed my back to the tree, trembling. Oh what was I thinking? The only thing I’d ever killed before was a fly! I couldn’t just run out there and kill it in cold blood! What if it had a family or a child? Do goblins and monsters even have those? I just needed to sneak around it and act like I'd never seen it before. I just had to make it back to the barrier and I could let Xi and Cylkia and all of them know… they’d be way better equipped to handle this, right?

I nodded my head, more sure of it now. I was a coward sure, but I wasn't a dead coward. I might have been fucked over when I was brought to this world, but I was going to survive. Hell, maybe I'd be able to get a cool ability or skill through hard work? Cylkia had said that she couldn't bring us back to Earth, but if we had been summoned here, there must be a way back. I just needed to survive until I found that way.

I creeped out from behind the tree, and made my way around the goblin, my eyes intently tracking it. I couldn't just walk straight to the barrier, the goblin was watching it way too intently for that, but if I made my way to the left, I could just circle my way to the other side and walk back from there safe. Maybe I could even try out my Sprint skill? Even though it was my only skill, it was still a pretty high rank, I think. It was a good plan…

That was, it had seemed like a good plan. There were one massive problem with it though. If there was one goblin keeping watch on the barrier, then that probably meant there were more. It was a pretty obvious fact, and as I made my way around to the other side of the circle and started to relax, I regretted not having thought that far.

Less than six feet in front of me, there was another goblin. I hadn’t been paying that much attention, having thought I had evaded danger, and was in no way being as cautious as I should have been. It was at that moment, I knew it. I had fucked up. It wasn’t a matter of if I was a coward or the ethics of killing it, now. I was face to face with an enemy, and I needed to act… Instead I just froze. I stopped moving and just watched it stand there. It looked about as bored as the other goblin, but suddenly it straightened up from off the tree, its long green nose sniffing the air. Oh no… it had noticed me, hadn’t it? The fuck do I do now? I don't know what to do, I was just… standing there, watching as it kept on sniffing the air, looking around for me. I still just watched, almost like I was in another one of my dreams. Then its head finally turned in my direction, it's eyes locking on mine. It bared its teeth at me, two small tusks protruding out of its mouth. It didn't look bored anymore… It looked excited.

Screeching, and chanting something in a language I didn't recognize, it stormed forward raising its club in the air and rushing towards me. The sound of its guttural screeching was enough to break me out of my stupor, but it was too late. The goblin didn't know or care that I had a sword, and that I was bigger than it. It just wanted me, and as it got closer to me, it swung its club, letting out another loud screech. I yelped and tried to jump back, but I was way too slow and the club crashed down, bashing me in the thigh.

I screamed in pain, and cursed, leaping back and wildly swinging my sword, causing the goblin to back off for a moment, “OW! FUCK YOU, YOU LITTLE GREEN SHIT!” I placed my hand on my leg, feeling how tender it was where the club had hit me. Shit, for how small that goblin was, it really could pack a punch!

It cackled and swung its club over its head, leering at me and continuing its chant. A small part of me understood it in a weird way, but then I realized what it was chanting. It was chanting ‘meat’ over and over… Disgusting. I glared back, and spat, bringing my sword back in front of me, pointing the sharp tip at its mad face. I had been on the edge earlier, but I was sure of it now. This goblin needed to die. Not just to save my life, but the others. What if Mrs. Fletcher or Melody ran into one of these? They wouldn't be able to defend themselves in time, being a mage and a healer. Adrenaline rushed through my body, dulling the sensation of pain in my leg. I glared down at the goblin, and narrowed my eyes. I’d never fought anything before, but fuck it, now was the time to figure this shit out. We both slowly circled each other, feinting and jumping back. I watched as green sweat slowly dripped down the goblins forehead, getting closer to its eye. I barely dodged another club strike, and tensed. Now was the moment I had been waiting for. As the goblin leaned back after striking at me, I watched as its sweat fell into its eye, causing it to shut them for a brief second.

I had been thinking a lot since Xi had shown us how to access our Status. Why was it something I’d found in my mind, and what was its purpose there? If it had been a way to assess my current strength, then I could have achieved the same result if I had kept around one of those crystals. If it was just to train us, then what was the training for? What did I accomplish by being able to pull that up? No, there was definitely a different reason, and I think I had finally figured it out.

A feral grin came over my face, and I reached into the same space where I’d first found my status and pulled. At first, nothing happened, but then I felt it. I had activated Sprint, and with that same mad grin, I dashed towards the goblin. I dashed forward too fast, and I let out a yelp as I flew past it. Gods I was fast with that activated, I had underestimated how fast it would make me, and by a lot. I cursed and turned, my eyes flashing over to where the goblin was. Fuck me, now I was behind the goblin, and I was panting, hard. The goblin was discombobulated, wildly looking around for me. I laughed, and hefted my blade, remembering all of the training swings from earlier. Each one was literally burned into my muscles, and I called forth the memory of every single swing, stab, and slash.

I gripped the handle, and as hard as I could, feeling all my muscles tense, pull, and tighten, I slashed towards the goblins neck. I watched as the blade flashed towards the Goblins neck almost as if I was a bystander. There was no way it could defend itself now, I’d signed its death warrant with this one swing, and it didn’t even know where I was. Then, at the last possible moment, it whipped around towards me, its mouth wide open mid-screech and its eyes staring at me full of hunger and rage. The goblin had started to raise its shield, which was the only thing that saved it from instantly dying. There was so much power and force behind my blade, that as it hit the edge of its shield, it sliced straight through. It was enough to slow down the blade though, and instead of cleanly chopping off the goblins head, the blade instead buried itself halfway through the goblins chest.

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It screamed in pain and jumped away, ripping the sword out of my hands. Panic obvious in its eyes, it dropped its weapons and fell to its knees, staring at the blade stuck in its chest. It looked… scared. In vain it tried to rip the blade out, green blood pouring out of the massive wound in its chest. It frantically grabbed the blade itself, yanking and tugging, while its own blood was being flung everywhere. As it cut its hands on the edge of the blade, it gave out another terrifying screech full of agony and pain. It struggled and pulled, but even I could tell that it was losing its strength as the blood continued to pour down its chest.

I backpedaled from the goblin only stopping when my back smacked up against something. I grunted, as I felt my back pushed up against a tree. As the adrenaline rush faded, I watched as the goblin weakly stumbled to its feet and cried out in pain. Then, after a moment that felt like eternity, it collapsed to the ground, its blood pooling around it. Its eyes slowly drifted to mine, full of rage, but also… respect?

I held its eye contact, partially out of fear, and partially out of respect. Until finally, they went lifeless and dull as it died, its head flopping listlessly to the forest floor. Trembling and exhausted, I slowly dropped to the ground and stared at the fresh corpse in front of me. I'd… killed it. This was the first time I'd killed something. What was I supposed to do now? Do I cheer? Do I cry? No, this wasn’t the only goblin scout around here, right? I needed to find and kill the other one before I did anything. I took in a deep breath of air, and looked down at my thigh. It was already starting to bruise, but it didn't feel like the club had broken anything. Good, now I wonder… Suddenly, I heard a ding and my status popped up in front of my eyes, unbeckoned.

LEVEL UP

Name: ???

Race: Human

Level: Two (New)

Title: Goblin slayer (New)

Abilities:

Enduring Heart (INCOMPLETE)

Skills:

Sprint (Apprentice)

Sword Slash (New) (Novice)

I'd leveled up? And it looks like I had even gained a title and… wait, was that a sword skill!? Oh fuck yeah! And wait… my leg didn’t hurt anymore. I looked down at my leg, and I watched as the bruise slowly faded away, my skin turning back to its normal color. I felt all my exhaustion and aches from the fight suddenly disappear, and a grin slowly bloomed over my features. What… What an invigorating sensation! I stood back up and rolled my arms, cracking my neck. I even got healed once I leveled up? I wonder if that was some kind of magic? Maybe I actually did have a chance of surviving here!

Wait… the best part of killing a monster… loot! Gleefully, I rushed over to the goblin and checked out the corpse in more detail. My sword was still stuck in its chest, and its weapons were still resting a bit away where it had flung them during its final death throes. Okay, I was pretty sure it had died, but I should arm myself before anything else. I carefully placed my foot on its chest and grabbed the handle of my blade and yanked, hard. The blade resisted, but after I wiggled it from side to side, it slid free with a squelching noise. I frowned at the disgusting noise, and looked at the blade which was coated in green blood. I grimaced and wiped the blood off in the grass, a slight shiver running through my body as I did.

I looked over the dead goblin again. It had died face down, so, using my foot, I nudged the goblin over. It wasn't wearing much except a small fur kilt, but I did notice a small bag tied to a string around its waist. I gripped my sword, and using the edge of the blade, I cut the string. The bag clunked down to the forest floor, and I reached down and cautiously picked it up. It was heavy, heavier than what I would have expected from a mere scout honestly. Carefully, I opened it up and peered inside. There were a couple copper and silver circles, but nothing else. I had to assume that these were coins or something similar right? I smiled and cinched it shut again. Better bring these with me, in case I ever needed to make a break for it.

I cracked my neck, and then walked over to the shield it had dropped. I hesitated, before leaning over and picking it up. I would definitely need one once our little boot camp finished up, and the extra protection couldn’t hurt, right? I nodded and then slipped my hand through the leather straps on the back, hefting it up and doing a couple practice blocks with it. It was a rather nice fit, considering it was made for a four foot goblin, and rather lightweight which was a plus. I blushed when I realized how dumb I probably looked and eyed the direction where the barrier was. Cautiously, I started walking towards the barrier again before a thought occured to me.

Wait… there was another goblin scout on the other side right? I'd killed this goblin sure, but was I really just going to leave the other one? For that matter, was I even ready to fight another one if it came down to it? One wrong move, and that little shit would have clubbed my skull in and dragged me back to do who knows what with me. Hell, my leg was still a bit tender where it had smacked me. Still… I don’t know if it was because I could still feel a bit of that adrenaline rush, or because of the self confidence boost I’d just gotten from killing the goblin, but a part of me was whispering that I could. This really hadn’t even been that hard, even after it had hit me. As long as I just made sure it didn’t hit my head, I’d be okay, right? I could feel myself walking in the direction of the other goblin scout, and I allowed it.

As I kept on walking, I let my mind wander again. Why did they leave me behind? If it was a test, what were they testing me for? And if they wanted to kill me, wouldn't it have been easy enough to kill me themselves? It's not like everyone else would have been able to or willing to stop them. What was even the point?

As I got closer to where I’d last seen the other scout, I heard something. That was… odd, if I had to say… it was almost like… snoring? I slowly crept around a tree, but paused as the sound suddenly got louder. Nope. That definitely was snoring. Had the scout really fallen asleep? I know it looked like it was bored back then, but really?

I cautiously made my way closer, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when I saw the goblin. I probably could have stomped up and I would have been fine. The goblin scout that I had first ran into, was just laying there, passed out and leaning on the same tree. Its snores weren’t necessarily loud, but to me, they sounded like thunder. I can’t believe this, after I’d gotten my courage up and everything… What am I gonna do now? It's not like I really wanted to just kill him while he was asleep. That felt a bit too low, even against a monster… but this was also the safest kill I was ever going to run across. I nodded, and crept closer, raising my blade. I’d gotten a skill earlier right? I should be able to activate it… Except Xi hadn’t taught us how yet. No, Xi hadn’t taught me how to use my Sprint ability either, but I’d figured that out on my own. Was I going to be able to access it in the same way? Fuck it, well, I might as well try right? I slowed my breathing and relaxed, reaching into my mind and searching for that void again.

I considered that space in my mind, and tried to remember what it was like, but I was still searching for something new. But, my mind wasn’t that vast thankfully, and I smiled as I brushed against that cold void again. It was a surprisingly empty void, but as I pushed and pulled on it, I could tell it was all a sham. The void might have seemed empty, but it had substance, and as I pushed and pulled on it, searching for something that would power up my blade, I found that I could access a small part of it. I grinned, and a small part of me sung, knowing exactly what I had to do. Still, even with this knowledge and the potential of an easy kill, I was no coward, not anymore. I dropped my blade to my side and looked around for something to toss at the goblin… There! I walked over to a nearby rock, small enough to fit in my hand, but not big enough that it could cause any serious damage. I tossed it up into the air, and then caught it, my eyes narrowing in determination. I turned and strode over to the sleeping goblin, not even trying to hide my presence anymore. I eyed the distance and nodded, yeah this was good enough. I squeezed the rock and then threw it, smacking the goblin square in the chest.

It’s snoring suddenly stopped, and the forest went quiet once more. Then, slowly, it opened its eyes, staring down at the rock I had just hit him in the chest with. Rage slowly replaced the look of confusion it had, and its eyes darted around, looking for the source of the disturbance. I smiled as they fell on me, and as it picked up its weapons I raised my sword and newly acquired shield, getting into a fighting stance. As its eyes landed on the shield, I think it noticed that the shield was its buddies. It screeched and stomped its feet, stabbing a bony finger in my direction and saying something that I could only assume were curses directed towards my family and bloodline.

In response, I laughed, and beckoned it forward with my shield hand, “I can take you on ugly, you ready to die like your buddy? Or are you going to tell me why you’re out here, watching that barrier and my friends?” I was clearly goading it, but I doubted that it was going to notice. I wasn’t too sure of the range or how long it would take me to activate the sword slash skill, but I had a feeling it was going to take a second. If I goaded it into charging, I’d probably have a better chance of activating it in time. At least, that had been what I was thinking.

Instead, the goblin charged forward at me with a wild screech. My eyes widened as it closed the gap, moving much faster than the other one had. It wildly waved its club in the air, and held out its shield held out in front of it to block any strikes from my sword. I panicked as my heart slammed in my chest and I tried to summon that same feeling from before, pulling on that void again, but I was way too slow. The goblin was already right there, and I was forced to wildly swung at it with my blade. It jeered at me, cackling as it blocked the strike and swung its club around in response.

I tensed up as my body remembered the feeling from being hit the last time, and I cursed, “Oh fuck not this again-” As it crashed into my side, I desperately jumped back and gasped for air.

It didn’t let me catch my breath though, and screamed its victory, lunging after me with its club. I yelpef and desperately tried to fight it off, swinging my sword back around and blocking its wild club swings with my shield, but it was too close now. It leapt on top of me, knocking me back and into a tree, bashing my skull in the process. I saw stars as my vision went black and I screamed in pain. It cackled as I struggled to try and push it off, and it lashed out grabbing my arm and digging its nails into my flesh hard. I roared in pain as I felt the nails puncture my arm, drawing my blood. I couldn’t think, and I struggled to move right, but I couldn’t… It was almost like I was malfunctioning…

Terrified now, I clawed at the goblin, digging my fingers into its sides and slamming my fists into it, hoping that the pain would force it to let go. Instead, it locked its rage-filled and victorious eyes on mine, and screamed. I flinched back, feeling its spittle land on my face. Fear, panic, and pain raced through me, and my eyes widened as it bit down on my arm. I screamed in agony, trying in vain to rip it off of my arm, but it had latched on, and I felt as its teeth bit through my skin, tearing off a large chunk of my flesh. I saw red, and roared, jamming my fingers into its flesh and throwing it off of me with a massive roar. As it sailed through the air and slammed into a tree, I stared down at the gaping wound in my arm, my face paling. It was almost too surreal to witness. I could see my flesh and bone, and my arm was visibly thumping in tune with my racing heartbeat making it look like it was alive. It was sickening, and I keeled over, throwing up in the grass.

The goblin, who had been briefly stunned from getting thrown off, screeched again, scrambling forward to where its club was and picking it up. It stood up and began chanting that same fucking word again. Meat. It chewed loudly on the piece of me it had ripped off and swallowed it with a cackle, licking its lips loudly. It screeched again and eyed my arm where it had ripped off a piece of my flesh and eaten it, and it definitely wanted more. I should have been scared. I should have felt fear. Instead I felt pure rage. This little forest shit had ripped off a piece of me, and thought it was just gonna be able to go back for more? NO. Fuck this!

I stood back up from where I had thrown up, and wiped my mouth, shooting it a withering glare. It grinned a bloody grin back, spitting out a piece of my flesh and mockingly cackled. I was killing it. If it was the last thing I did, I was ripping this little fucks throat out! I was going to wrap my hands around this fucks throat and little fuck and throttle it until it couldn’t breath breathanymore! I roared and rushed forward, and crashed into the goblin, throwing forth my entire body weight and crushing it into the earth. It had not been expecting that at all, and its rage- filled and victorious eyes were filled with surprise and panic now. It screamed at me, and I screamed back, stunning it. It was dead! Dead! Dead! Dead! I was dimly aware of its nails ripping into my chest, tearing out more of my flesh and causing more blood to run down my skin. I guess this shirt was ruined, huh? I laughed wildly and gripped its throat with my hands and squeezed, watching as the surprise in its eyes turned to rage and then into panic. HAHA! Oh yes! I grinned as it struggled more and more, wildly flailing and punching my chest, struggling to get me off of it. It was foaming at the mouth now, green blood leaking out of the side of its mouth as its fists weakly punched my sides, and its struggles became even more faint underneath. Finally, it stopped moving, and its eyes went dull, but still, I didn’t let go.

Slowly, its eyes locked onto mine, and I could have sworn I saw respect in them like I had in the other goblins eyes. Then, the last of its wild flails slowed down, and then finally stopped. Its hands fell to the side, and I watched as the life in its eyes faded away, but still I squeezed. I squeezed until I couldn’t anymore, my muscles screaming in agony. I squeezed and squeezed, all until my muscles finally gave out and my arms fell limp to my sides. Only then did I let go and stumble away, crashing into a nearby tree. I heard that same similar ding echo through the air, and my heart raced with excitement. My status window popped up again, and I excitedly looked it over.

LEVEL UP!

Name: ???

Race: Human

Level: Three (New)

Title: Goblin slayer

Abilities:

Enduring Heart (INCOMPLETE)

Skills:

Sprint (Adventurer)

Sword Slash (Novice)

“Oh… I leveled up from that… cool…” My breath was coming faster and faster, and I felt my heart beating a million miles a minute. I felt all of my muscles clench, and I laughed, gasping for air. What was happening? I looked down at my hands, blanching as I saw them covered in green blood. I’d… killed it. With my bare hands I’d choked the life out of a living thing. What… Why… Why did I feel good? I felt better than I ever had before. All my aches and pains had vanished without a trace, and I felt like I could run a marathon. Elation was arcing through my body like electricity, making me want to giggle and laugh. Then I looked back at the corpse and it hit me what I had done all over again, making me feel sick in my stomach. I had throttled that goblin to death, my hands crushing its windpipe until it couldn’t even breathe. I didn’t even feel bad about it either… What was happening to me?