‘Vanguard has reached Foundation Level 67’

Only 8 levels? That was so not worth dissolving.

The adrenaline and shock were beginning to wear off. The pain in his partially dissolved hands was intensifying. Even with pain tolerance 1, the injuries were near debilitating. He was having enough trouble keeping himself from wincing every time a breeze went by. Staring down at the exposed muscles of his hands, he doubted he would be in any condition to fight once the adrenaline fully wore off.

Health: 638/940

Holding his sword up to his face, Kai carefully examined it. After slaying over 30 slimes his sword was surprisingly still sharp and not dissolved like his hands. Maybe slimes can’t dissolve metal that well? Even though his bracer had been partially inside the slime still looked relatively new.

Grunting, he sheathed his sword.

With his hands free, he gingerly took out his weak health potion. Just holding it was causing his nerve endings to feel as if they were on fire. He was in luck that the slimes hadn’t reached the point where they were dissolving his bones. The weak version of health potions couldn’t heal bones well. But it did fine with repairing muscle and skin.

Putting the cork between his teeth he pulled it off and spit it away. He chugged the vial in one gulp. Well, now I just need—.

“Heavy,” he moaned so softly he could barely hear himself. He couldn’t find his voice or the energy to speak. Why do my eyelids feel so heavy? He was having trouble moving his arms, everything just felt so heavy like his body didn’t want to respond to him. His blurry vision began turning black once again.

“WAKE UP.” Kai’s eyes shot open as he heard a voice in his mind yell at him.

What?... I’m moving?

That made no sense to Kai. He wasn’t walking so why was he moving? Through his blurry vision, he could see green and brown shapes go by. Blinking rapidly, the blurriness started vanishing. With his vision restored he discovered that he was moving across the ground.

Someone or something was holding onto his ankle as they dragged him across the ground. Memories were coming back to him now. Something had hit him in the back of his head right after he took his health potion, knocking him out. It must have jarred him hard even with the armor on.

Health: 767/940

His health was actually still slowly going up. It hadn’t been that long since he took the health potion. In fact, he had probably lucked out because he had just taken the health potion right before being knocked out, meaning it was also healing his head assuming he didn’t have a fractured skull. All he felt at the moment was a headache near the back where he had been hit.

He looked around without moving his head, realizing he was being dragged on his side. The side of his head would knock against the rough, uneven forest floor occasionally bumping against rocks or tree roots. He continued to lay limp as he didn’t want whatever was dragging him to know that he was awake. He was lucky. He gave Knock a small prayer of thanks, knowing full well he could have died from being bludgeoned in the head.

Kai needed to find out what he was up against so he could determine his next course of action. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head down, tucking his chin towards the base of his neck. With his head in place to look down his body, he opened his eyes ever so slightly so that he was able to see but would look as if he was still unconscious.

The creature was small like a child, but its skin was a pale sickly green with brown circular spots across its naked back. When it turned its face side to side, he could see a large, hooked nose and sunken black eyes. In one hand it held a sizeable, jagged wooden club half the size of its own body, in the other, it gasped his ankle tightly.

[Goblin – Foundation Level 99]

A goblin! What is it doing in the Ashbourne Kingdom?!

Concentrating he could hear the goblin mumbling.

“Spa’kar find prize. Now Spa’kar join warrior tribe,” the goblin muttered softly. He was clearly talking to himself and from his tone was upset about something.

“Spa’kar hungry...”

Through Kai’s slitted eyes, he could see the goblin taking peeks at him, his eyes looked like Akane’s right before a big meal. Fucker wants to eat me!

“Just one bite. No one in tribe notice. Spa’kar tell them he was like that when Spa’kar found him.” Kai really didn’t like that look in his eyes. “Just a nibble,” the carnivorous goblin added as he wiped away a thread of drool coming out of his mouth.

Time to fight. Checking his status, he noticed his health had crossed over 800 and he had 40 attribute points available. Right! I leveled up. Between being knocked out, waking up disoriented, and finding himself being dragged to become dinner, he had forgotten he had attribute points available. Can’t waste time thinking. 20 into strength and intelligence each.

Vitality: 90 (94)

Strength: 90

Dexterity: 35

Endurance: 35

Intelligence: 80

Wisdom: 65

Health: 803/940

Stamina: 334/350

Mana: 478/650

Good enough for now. Alright, when its head turns away, I’ll pull my sword out and strike. Kai waited a few moments, as his head passed more rocks on the ground. Apparently, the goblin was tenderizing him using the ground as he pulled him.

Now!

Kai’s eyes flashed open as he activated [Gravity Pillar] on top of the goblin. At the same time, he pulled his sword out of his sheathe. He slashed at the goblin’s arm holding him, but it never connected.

“Eeeek,” the goblin screamed. Unpredictably the goblin had one-handedly thrown him into the air. He soared for a few seconds before crashing into a tree.

Groaning, Kai pushed off the ground. The back of his chest piece had taken the brunt of the attack when he crashed into the tree. Still, he had the wind knocked out of him. Even under the mild effects of Kai’s gravity increase, the goblin had thrown him over 10 meters.

The sunken eyes were wide and overly large now as they stared at Kai like an impossibility. “Stay still food,” Spa’kar spoke. He raised his club in the air and then ran at Kai.

Stopping the goblin was his priority, especially since he had apparently lost his sword somewhere in flight. He kept activating his gravity pillars, replacing the old one with a new one every time Spa’kar stepped out of one. Under the effects of his gravity which was close to three normal gravity, the goblin trudged towards him. With every step, his tiny foot sunk into the ground slightly. Undeterred he kept coming as if he possessed a one-track mind.

Metal gleamed beyond the goblin catching his eye. His sword was flat on the ground near where he had been thrown.

“STOP MAKE HEAVY!” Spa’kar furiously yelled. Under the effects of his gravity, the goblin began glowing red. He raised the club towards the sky, then brought down his arm in a flash, and released the club like a javelin.

Kai’s eyes widened. He was too close and had no time to dodge. The club turned javelin smashed into his shoulder, throwing him back. He landed on his back with an oomph, staring up at the canopy. “I hate this forest,” he said to no one in particular. He activated his domain on reflex, in incase the goblin was still coming at him. His shoulder wasn’t broken or wrenched but it definitely hurt.

He groaned and stood up as quickly as he could. Between the increased gravity and his battered body, he was having a tough time.

He only had a second before the goblin upon him. The goblin stretched its green hands out to grab him. Weaponless, Kai grappled the goblin’s hands. Using his superior height and weight, he pushed at the goblin under the effects of his gravity.

Grappling was not his forte, but even 30 levels under, Kai thought he would win. But that’s not what happened. In the contest of power, Kai quickly realized he was being pushed back. The small goblin was much stronger than him. Two indented lines formed in the ground from where his boots were pushed back through the topsoil and grass.

This has to stop. Kai started squeezing the goblin hands, hoping to get him to let go. In response, the goblin squeezed back, immediately causing Kai’s legs to buckle under the pain. His fingers felt like they were going to break as the freakishly strong goblin caused him to kneel. Fucking strength build, he screamed in his mind.

“Food stay dead!” Spa’kar screamed even though Kai was one meter away.

I’m in trouble if this keeps up.

“Wait! Spa’kar, let’s talk.”

“Hmm. How you know Spa’kar’s name?” The goblin tilted his head inquisitively. His grip loosened slightly.

“Everyone knows Spa’kar’s name! He’s the greatest... umm. The strongest!” Kai nodded his head, reassuring the goblin everything he was saying was true.

“Spa’kar knows this! Spar’kar great warrior. Other goblins don’t see. But they will when Spa’kar brings them food.”

Ah, to hell with this. Kai jumped and immediately kicked out with both his feet against the goblin’s face. Stretching his legs, he pushed and pushed against the goblin’s face while his arms were taut. Horizontal against Spa’kar’s face, the goblin kept his grip on Kai’s hand.

“Take this!”

Kai bent one knee back and then shot his leg forwards kicking the goblin in the face. Again, he kicked at the goblin’s bare face, but he only growled.

“Let go.” He used [Heavy blow] with his leg attack, kicking at the goblin’s face stronger and faster than ever. He felt the crunch of bones under his boot. The next second Spa’kar twirled around with Kai who was still horizontal. He spun quickly, letting go of Kai’s hand, as he launched him once more through the air.

Landing on the ground, he scrambled to his feet and canceled his domain. His mana was running low, barely a third of what he had when he started. His health decreased and was lower than when he had ended the fight with the slimes. The alderlite armor was still mostly unblemished, but it didn’t do much to dissipate the force behind the blows, causing him to feel wrecked underneath it. There would probably be a lot of bruises forming underneath the armor. Back near his sword, he hobbled over and grabbed it, while the goblin likewise picked up his club.

Even though the goblin didn’t look it, under that sickly skin was compact muscle backed by attributes in strength much higher than his. Kai also seemed to be more affected by his gravity than the small hulking simpleton. His stats were definitely more spread out than his green nemesis.

Strong as the goblin was, he lacked the necessary dexterity that would make him truly fearsome. As long as Kai wasn’t caught off guard and avoided the slow and steady goblin, he would win.

The two beings stared at each other. While Kai was measuring and inspecting his opponent, the goblin had a bead of drool fall once again from his mouth.

Between all the chaos he hadn’t really seen what the goblins face looked like. Now he could see its jaw was dislocated and had shifted completely off the center. The goblin still opened and closed his mouth despite the misalignment, completely uncaring or unnoticed. A bruise in the shape of a shoeprint had begun forming on Spa’kar’s face where Kai had continuously bashed him causing one of the goblin’s eyes to swell shut.

Kai also noted the area had grown a little darker since the fight began a few minutes ago. He had been out in the forest for a while now, the sun was starting to set. Going to have to end this quickly and find my way back.

Kai shot across the ground, running fast as he quickly approached Spa’kar, who also ran toward him. Glowing red, Spa’kar swung down from overhead. But Kai dodged the club, as he jumped to the left. Clumps of dirt and grass sprayed against his side from the massive blow to the ground. Responded in kind, he activated [Gravity Pillar] over the goblin, in an effort to throw him off balance, since his weapon arm was down. At the same time, his sword slashed at the creature under the usual effects of heavy blow. It flashed across Spa’kar’s upper chest, causing a mist of blood to spray out.

The sword nearly ripped itself out of his hands from the swing, but he held on. Twisting his body, the other way and taking a step he swung again with his heavy blow combination. There was a chopping sound as his sword cut deep into the club. The goblins eyes were wide and alarmed.

Kai kicked against the goblin’s hand, pulling his sword out. He didn’t pause as he made sure to keep the pressure on before Spa’kar could get another attack in or move out of his pillar. He struck again, this time without holding back to account for the momentum.

The top half of the club flew up as Kai’s sword strike passed through the rest of the club until it stopped halfway through the neck of the goblin.

Dropping his half club to the ground in shock, the goblin reached out toward Kai with a slow-moving hand, grasping at the air. Ripping his sword out, blood arced and fell across the grass.

“Spa’kar hung— “

The goblin’s green sickly skin turned even more pale as he swayed on his feet for a moment before collapsing.

‘You have slain [Goblin – Foundation Level 99]

Kneeling in exhaustion, Kai took a deep breath. I did it.