Kaelan was now in the center of the clearing, wearing a somewhat stiff expression as he watched Hiroshi bring an unconscious goblin to him. After leaving a rusty dagger near the goblin's dirty hands, Ayako woke the goblin in the same manner as before and returned to our side. The goblin opened its eyes, confused, and the first thing it saw was the face of one of its fallen comrades, a victim of the previous fight.
The goblin panicked, its eyes widening as it looked around and noticed Kaelan's presence. An intense expression of fear dominated its face, and it started running in the opposite direction of Kaelan. Hiroshi had to intervene, blocking the goblin's path and using his aura to create an intimidating presence, forcing it to retreat again toward Kaelan. Even I felt a bit intimidated by Hiroshi's aura; I had never seen anything like it, and that certainly didn't help calm my nerves.
The goblin, still trembling with fear, spotted the rusty dagger on the ground. With shaky hands, it picked up the dagger and pointed it at Kaelan. Kaelan seemingly felt the same way I did, as he immediately exchanged his stiff expression for one of nervousness, but that didn't stop him from taking a step toward the goblin, raising his mace threateningly.
The goblin, intimidated and frightened, threw its dagger towards Kaelan in a desperate act and tried to flee once again in another direction. Kaelan, narrowly avoiding the dagger, had no intention of letting it escape once more. He dashed toward it with his mace raised, hitting the back of its head, producing a sound of something breaking that sent a shiver down my spine. Kaelan then prodded the fallen goblin on the ground with his mace to ensure it wouldn't rise again, which, judging by the unnaturally dented state of its head, didn't seem necessary.
The camp fell into a tense silence as Kaelan stood up, his expression now resolute. I looked at Yuki, who still regarded me with concern, and wondered how all of us, in one way or another, were being prepared for the journey we would one day face.
Hiroshi stepped forward, congratulating Kaelan for the well-executed dodge in the face of an unexpected attack and the assertiveness in counterattacking. He turned his gaze to the other students and shared the lesson learned:
Hiroshi: "What just happened is a perfect example of what I explained earlier. All living beings have an innate survival instinct. Faced with imminent death, each one of they will act unpredictably to try to save themselves."
Still feeling quite unsure about facing the goblins, my heart raced as Hiroshi asked who would be next. Yuki, giving up on trying to find words to comfort me, gently placed his hands on my shoulders to calm me and volunteered to go next, giving me time to gather enough courage until my turn arrived. The brief exchange of glances between us conveyed a mixture of nervousness and determination.
Yuki wielded his sword and shield, facing the newly awakened goblin holding a rudimentary spear. However, this goblin reacted entirely differently from its predecessor upon encountering the lifeless bodies of its companions. A wave of anger seemed to overtake it, and it charged blindly toward Yuki.
Internally, I was torn between the tension of the moment and gratitude for Yuki, who now bravely confronted the enraged goblin, giving me time to compose myself. However, the goblin, consumed by anger, attacked with uncontrolled fury, momentarily catching Yuki off guard. He quickly regained his composure, placing his shield between him and the goblin's spear.
Yuki skillfully blocked five strikes, but the goblin's poorly crafted spear broke on the sixth. Seizing the opportunity, Yuki swung his sword in a vertical cut, hitting the goblin's shoulder. As he withdrew the sword, the goblin's wound sprayed a burst of purple blood onto Yuki's face, eliciting a disgusted expression and causing him to lose focus in the battle.
The wounded goblin, barely able to move, took advantage of Yuki's distraction to grab the broken spear tip and hurl it in his direction. Distracted while wiping blood from his eyes, Yuki was caught off guard. That's when Ayako intervened, kicking the spear in mid-air, altering its trajectory and preventing it from hitting Yuki.
Hiroshi, approaching swiftly, seized the goblin's head and slammed it against a rock, producing once again the unpleasant sound of something breaking. He addressed Yuki, assuming the role of a mentor lecturing his apprentice:
Hiroshi: "Never divert your attention from your opponent in a battle, Yuki. There will always be consequences when you do."
Yuki lowered his head and apologized, promising to be more careful next time. When Hiroshi directed his gaze at me, I felt a knot in my stomach that made me unconsciously take a step back. My turn had finally come.
I stared intensely at the goblin that Hiroshi had positioned in the center of the clearing. Swallowing hard, I assumed a battle stance as Ayako approached to wake it up. My heart pounded, anxiety making me tremble.
When Ayako stepped away, the goblin rose, looking around with an unsettling calmness. In its hands, it wielded a longsword broken in half, likely once belonging to an adventurer. It seemed more cunning than its companions, reminding me of what Hiroshi mentioned about hobgoblins. Could it be that... this goblin is just steps away from evolving? Its movements appeared more refined than the others. It advanced toward me, but contrary to my expectations, it didn't rush like the goblin Yuki faced; instead, it walked slowly, observing my movements. My insecurity and fear caused me to miss the opportunity for the first strike.
The broken blade cut through the air in my direction, but I remembered the training and evaded by somersaulting backward, still afraid to counterattack. The goblin, surprised by my unusual dodge, prepared to attack again.
I focused all my strength on calming down, forcing myself to overcome my fear. When the goblin attacked again, I leaped over its sword and delivered a kick to its head. It staggered backward, but my kick proved too weak to knock it out.
The goblin continued its assault, but I finally managed to calm my mind, and with a sudden flash of inspiration, I began to mimic the movements Ayako demonstrated when she faced the goblins for the first time. Ayako immediately noticed what I was doing, and with an approving smile, she began to cheer me on like a cheerleader would.
After getting used to dodging the goblin's attacks, I decided to infuse my next kick with a bit of magic. During another acrobatic move, my feet started emitting a purple glow as sparks danced around them. Before the goblin could react, I raised my feet as high as I could, and, using all my strength, I delivered a kick against it. My kick left a trail of lightning in its path, hitting the goblin's head directly. What happened next turned my stomach. The goblin's head, along with a piece of its torso, exploded upon impact, scattering brains and hard bone fragments in all directions, leaving me covered in blood and pieces of what used to be the goblin's head.
The shocking scene paralyzed me for a moment, but then nausea took over. I knelt on the ground, holding back the urge to vomit, as my mind emptied of coherent thoughts. What have I done... I just killed someone. Even if it was just a goblin, it was still a life. Is this the reality of the adventurer's world? Am I ready for this?
Ayako rushed toward me, her face expressing concern. She knelt beside me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
Ayako: "Kaimmy, it's okay. You did what was necessary. In the world of adventurers, we can't always choose the cleanest solution, and each of us has to face these challenges head-on," she said, her gentle voice trying to dispel the turmoil within me.
I looked at her, grateful for her understanding, but thoughts swirled in my mind. The image of the goblin's head exploding continued to replay inside me, causing a profound sense of discomfort.
Hiroshi, who had been observing the scene from a distance, approached, giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Hiroshi: "Kaimmy, this is part of the path we've chosen. The adventurer's life is not free of difficulties and tough choices. Each of us carries the weight of these decisions, but that's how we become stronger."
I nodded, trying to absorb their reassuring words. Ayako helped me to my feet, taking out a small bluish stone from her bag. The group gathered around me, expressing silent support. Yuki, Mei, Kaelan, and Yui looked at me with a mix of compassion and understanding.
The stone Ayako retrieved was a magic stone imbued with water mana, which she used to help clean the blood from my clothes and my face.
Deciding that the lesson had been learned and it was time to return, Hiroshi swiftly dealt with the remaining goblins as we made our way back to the village.