In a dimly illuminated cavern, a substantial entrance gradually began to open. As the door swung fully ajar, the entire cave was instantaneously illuminated, startling the adolescent who had ventured inside.
"Damn, that scared me,"Kai sighed. When he directed his gaze forward, his eyes landed upon a diminutive, shadowy goblin seated upon a throne constructed of mud. A somber aura emanated from the goblin, and its eyes brimmed with a murderous intent fixated upon Kai.
Without hesitation, Kai inspect his status, which left him shocked.
Status panel:
Name: Deru
Race: Hobgoblin
Rank: Player
STR: 18
INT: 09
VIT: 25
MAG: 15
DEX: 16
[Status: Berserk due to blessing of dark lord]
[!!Warning!!! "Monster above host level detected"]
[Suggested course of action: Host should flee with utmost haste]
"Damn," Kai cursed.
It wasn't that he didn't desire to escape, but rather that he couldn't. Once a player entered the boss chamber, they were unable to flee until they either vanquished the boss or utilized an emergency item such as a teleportation scroll.
When Kai glanced back, the door behind him had also vanished.
Just as Kai was about to make his initial move, the hobgoblin was already standing before him, sword poised to strike at his neck.
[Dash]
As the sword neared Kai's neck, he vanished and reappeared 50 meters away from the hobgoblin, leaving the goblin bewildered.
"I was on the verge of entering paradise, phew," Kai breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's fortunate that I procured the dash skill from the shop. Otherwise, I would presently be headless."
Deru charged at him once more, even swifter than before. Kai once again employed [dash], infusing mana into his sword and aiming for the goblin's neck. Both combatants harbored the same intention of targeting the neck.
Their swords collided with a resounding 'clank' that reverberated throughout the cavern. Kai's hand was already trembling from the impact.
Had he not reinforced his sword with mana, it might have shattered under the force.
Both individuals locked gazes momentarily, stepping back to process the recent occurrence and strategize their subsequent moves. A peculiar voice reached Kai's ears.
"H-U~M AN, you~ a~re~ st~rong."
Kai was perplexed. How could it speak? Monsters were not supposed to possess the intellect to communicate with anything other than their own species.
"Could it be due to the blessing of the Dark Lord?" Kai pondered.
However, he did not possess the luxury of squandering time. At any given moment, he could perish here.
Thus, Kai refrained from responding and employed [dash] to materialize behind Deru. Deru sensed his presence and prepared to counter.
[Slip]
Suddenly, Deru slipped and tumbled to the ground. Without delay, Kai infused more mana into his sword and swung it with all his might. Yet, a peculiar dark aura began to emanate from Deru's body, momentarily paralyzing Kai.
Seizing this opportunity, Deru retreated, readjusted his stance, and swung his sword with full force at the paralyzed Kai.
[Clankkkk]
Realizing the situation, Kai began to struggle and infused even more mana into his sword than before, endeavoring to block the incoming attack with the flat side of the blade.
[Bammmm]
Kai was hurled 40 meters away, colliding with the wall. After four seconds, he slumped to the ground, blood trickling from his right shoulder, and barely able to remain upright.
[Low heal]
Kai employed [low heal]. It mended the wound, albeit with a stinging sensation.
"He's formidable, but I am not incapable of keeping pace," Kai declared, intensifying his focus. This time, he commenced circulating mana throughout his entire body, and a surge of mana began to radiate from his sword. He was utilizing his unique skill to its fullest potential. A pink aura enveloped Kai.
Observing this, Deru harbored a sense of foreboding. Both combatants charged toward each other, releasing their respective auras. Both sought to conclude this swiftly.
Due to the circulation of mana throughout his body, Kai's senses soared. He could perceive his surroundings and comprehend everything with greater clarity than before. His hearing, sense of smell, and particularly his vision.
He began to move slowly, gripping the sword with both hands in a back right sword stance. He gradually raised his sword, lightly swinging it to deflect the oncoming sword.
Witnessing this, Deru was momentarily startled, retreating four steps.
"Yes, I can win this," Kai said with a calm expression.
Upon hearing his proclamation, the hobgoblin became incensed.
A substantial amount of dark aura enveloped Deru and his sword as he bellowed and charged at Kai. Kai noticed this and began utilizing all his mana to launch an attack.
The sound of their swords clashing reverberated throughout the cavern. Neither was yielding nor prevailing; they were evenly matched.
After yielding no results, Kai resolved to conclude this swiftly. He resolved to invest all his strength into his next maneuver. The hobgoblin harbored the same intention.
Both combatants charged toward each other, bellowing loudly.
[Dash]
In the final moment, Kai channeled all his strength into his sword, activated the skill, and materialized in front of Deru, startling him. Deru instinctively swung his sword.
As both swords were on the verge of colliding, Kai gradually altered the position of his sword, adopting a sliding sword stance, disregarding the incoming sword and aiming for his adversary's neck.
Due to infusing all his mana into the sword, it effortlessly sliced through the hobgoblin's neck, and Kai halted his charge after some distance.
After ten seconds of silence, both combatants collapsed to the ground. The hobgoblin was bereft of its head, while Kai lay on the ground, breathing heavily.
He raised his hand and clenched his fist.
"Ah, I won," Kai said, panting, and then succumbed to unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, within the association building...
After hours of deliberation, no conclusions were reached, further exacerbating their frustration.
"Leader, what course of action should we pursue now?" Lina inquired of the association leader.
Before he could respond, the secretary opened the door, and a man hurriedly entered.
"Association leader, an incident has occurred," he stated, breathless.
"The first floor trial has just been successfully completed," he exclaimed in excitement, shocking all those present.