I was preparing to die, not really to fight. But being able to fight and avoid death was my first priority.

How difficult could it be? With the ax—blunt as it may be—and my physical ability should help me survive. After all, the lich was just bones and he had lived long enough.

Ok, I was not really stupid enough to think that way. I did know that surviving would be difficult, but I was also certain that I could do it. There was a sense of confidence within me.

Maybe it was because of all the books that I had read. Being a keyboard warrior as a hobby made me come across my fair share of fantasy stories. And though I never commented on it myself, there was some degree of agreement in my heart.

That if I was sent to another world—I would be breaking stones with a punch and killing ogres with a flick to their heads.

Of course, coming face to face with one was completely different.

A low growl resounded as a green being stood in front of me. Drool and bits of flesh were stuck around its tusk-like teeth. Bugs, cavities, and dung of any and every animal was stuck to its skin. A protruding belly, a heavy club in its hand, and a small cloth hiding its nethers—the being that was about half my height was a fantasy-world classic.

A goblin.

“Gerururk…”

It stepped closer, a damned grin on its mouth.

I had seen worse. I knew I had. The Lich was straight out of nightmares, and all his deeds were not worse either. Qualms about killing? Those didn’t exist. It was the same feeling that butchers had, that killing the animal was not as impactful as killing a person.

It was the same for me, I had butchered many animals, and a monster was far less important than any of those animals.

But…

My body was not listening yet again. I slowly took a step back, and a small twig broke under my feet. The cover of the forest was still strong, surrounding us from every direction. The goblin cackled as if it could smell my fear over its disgusting odor.

It was not looking for a fight, it was not careful, it was simply eyeing prey.

Kill Ogres with a flick? I would be lucky if I could get rid of this goblin alone.

Running around and looking for help didn’t cross my mind either. People were the last ones I could trust. I would sooner go to this goblin’s house for some tea and biscuits than expect someone, especially a knight or paladin, to help me.

The only option was to fight it myself.

I gulped and grabbed my ax tight. The goblin growled as if my resistance was cute for it.

And then, it jumped. With a great kick off the ground, the goblin crushed at me and swung its club. My hair stood on end and my vision narrowed.

Almost simultaneously, I backstepped and avoided the first swing of the club. Clumsily, I raised my hands.

“AAAH!”

The blunt ax slid through the air and went straight for the goblin. Instead of hitting it, the ax landed against its club.

My hands were trembling from a single swing. Not from fear or from pain, but from the thrill of a fight. It was the adrenaline making me act out.

I took a deep breath. As the goblin pushed off my ax with its club, I shuffled forward and kicked it.

The goblin, half my height, looked no better than a slightly stout teenager. Yet, it was a monster that had been living in the wild compared to me, who had come from the modern city.

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The goblin nimbly dodged the sloppy kick and jumped back. It seemed slightly angry as it ran at me again.

Fighting normally wasn’t going to work. I had to do something.

I brought my hand to the front and closed my eyes. The mana swirling around my heart without any organization or direction responded to my call.

It was nerve-wracking to use a skill in a fight.

It was also something I obviously shouldn’t have done.

Instead of forming a magic circle in my completely unnerved state, the mana coalesced at my hand and dissipated into the air.

A gasp left me, followed by a sharp pain in my head. The goblin had jumped up again and swung its club with all its might.

“Gah!” I groaned and lifted my ax again. It was a strong hit, blood was oozing out. If it had hit any lower I would have definitely fainted on the spot—but I didn’t even move.

I raised my ax and swung it down.

The goblin fell back to the ground and looked at me in surprise. It was too late for it to dodge the ax by then.

A thwack resounded as the blunt edge of the ax made contact with the goblin’s neck. The sound of bone breaking crackled through the forest, and the goblin fell to the ground.

Its head was twisted at a dangerous angle, its body twitched as froth and green blood seeped out of its mouth.

“Haah… haah…”

I raised the ax again and hit the goblin once more. Even its faint dying groans disappeared.

I took a step back after killing it and fell on my back. Heavy breaths left me, my vision was slightly tinted red.

“I’m bleeding…”

It had hit me straight in the head, enough to make it bleed. I don’t know why the goblin stopped in surprise, though. Was it because I didn’t flinch from its attack?

It was possible. I was used to getting my limbs ripped, a club’s strike was no better than being poked with a tiny needle.

“I should be careful. The damned spell…”

Reading something and following through sure was different—

“GRURUK!”

A scream echoed in my ears. A chill ran down my spine as I lunged forward and rolled on the ground.

At the place where I was moments ago, a needle made of wood was stabbed through the ground.

Sharp.

I frantically looked around in surprise, my heart was pounding. I almost thought the Lich was back, he had a similar way of sneaking up when he was frustrated.

“Another goblin…?”

My eyes scanned through the forest. From behind the bushes, following a rustle, another small green being emerged.

And then one more, this time to my left, and another to my right.

Multiple goblins surrounded me.

“Fuck…”

I looked behind. I had to run right away. As soon as I got on my feet and took a few steps back, yet one more goblin emerged from behind me.

“GRUURURK!” It screamed and swung a wooden club. I turned back and tried to step away.

But before the club could hit me, an arrow whistled from the midst of the trees and lodged itself in the head of the goblin.

It fell straight to the ground.

“Evans!”

“Keep me covered!”

Two distinct voices resounded in the place. One from beyond where the goblin had been, and another from behind me.

I turned back and saw someone slice the neck of another goblin, splitting it from the rest of its body.

It was a blonde-haired boy, one with a sharp jaw and thin eyes, donning a grin. With his sword, he nimbly jumped through the bushes and ran to the other goblin.

His first swing had dropped the goblin with the blowgun. He charged to the one on my left and kicked it. Unlike my sloppy actions, his movements were sharp and precise. The kick landed square on the goblin’s chest and sent it tumbling backward.

The boy swung his sword down and cleaved through the goblin’s shoulder down to its other side.

I looked to the other side—the last goblin was also on the ground with an arrow lodged into its head.

“Haah…” The boy placed his sword on his shoulder and turned to me. “These goblins always move in groups—Woah, you’re bleeding a lot.”

It was too sudden. I was too stunned to speak.

The only thought in my mind right now was how screwed I would have been if these two were here to kill me.

“A… th-that… thanks…” I managed to squeeze the words out, and the blonde-haired boy smiled brightly.

“Rimi!” He said. “It’s clear now.”

The bushes behind us rustled and a girl stepped out. A quiver of arrows was strapped to her back and a bow hung from her shoulder. The brown-haired girl in twin tails hopped over to us.

“Did you see that Evans? He’s still walking after tanking that hit. Just what we need!”

“Indeed,” Evans nodded and stepped closer.

Both of them were now in front of me.

“Are you lost here?” asked Evans. The girl, Rimi, on the other hand, came even closer and squished my cheeks.

“He looks cute. Definitely a nobleman, right?”

“Ask him!” said Evans. “And stop doing that, it’s rude.”

He sighed and yanked the girl back by the scruff of her neck.

“Are you a nobleman? Or maybe an adventurer from Scarlet too? I am Evans, a warrior,” he pointed at the girl. “And this is Rimi, a ranger. What’s your name?”

I didn’t expect it this soon.

But I was prepared to run into other people.

Hopefully, kind people. You end up having a lot of thoughts when you are stuck with animals and ghouls in a cave.

So I was prepared for this. A masterstroke of genius had struck me long before I even met these people.

“I am Ian,” I said. “I lost my memories, I don’t remember anything.”

Truly brilliant.

Sometimes I get scared of my genius.