Chapter 7: New Reality
Von spotted Ren sprinting toward him, but his attention quickly shifted to the pack of goblins following closely behind his friend. The odds were stacking against them, and it was time to prepare for another intense battle.
Ren skidded to a halt in front of Von, his breaths coming in quick gasps as he turned to face the oncoming goblins. Von quickly stepped beside him, ready to defend their position. The goblins, their faces contorted in anger, closed in on the two friends.
Von's eyes met Ren's, "What's the plan, Ren?"
Ren grinned, seemingly undeterred by the goblin horde. "Well, it's a little late to turn back now, isn't it? So, I guess we'll have to throw them a 'goblin-welcome party'."
Von chuckled, shaking his head." A goblin-welcome party? You really know how to pick your moments."
With a playful wink, Ren replied, "Hey, it's all about making the best of every situation, right?"
Von nodded and replied, "If we manage to defeat all these goblins, I'm pretty sure we'll be one step closer to completing the quest."
The goblins charged forward, their numbers overwhelming, but Ren and Von stood their ground with determination. Von, ready to showcase his skills, grinned at Ren and said, "Watch this, Ren. Time to give them a taste of my shadowy tricks."
Ren replied with a playful smirk, "Alright, Von, but try not to wander too far, or I might accidentally take a swing at you, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"
Ren, skillfully wielding his sword, blocked and deflected the goblin's attacks with his Perfect Parry. His blade moved with grace and precision, knocking aside the goblins like pesky flies.
Amidst the frenzy, one particularly sneaky goblin managed to skip through Ren's defenses, poised to attack from his blind spot. Just as the goblin lunged, Von reacted with impressive speed.
His ebon chain shot out, snaring the goblin's arm and halting it's attack, leaving the creature to struggle helplessly.
Ren, turning to Von with an appreciative smile, couldn't hello but add a touch of humor to the dire situation, "Von, you're my night in shining shadowy armor, you know that?"
on grinned beneath his hood, "Anything for you, my friend. Let's keep this party going!"
With the goblin now contained, Von seized the moment to unleash his Shadow Strike skill. He momentarily disappeared into the shadows, reemerging with his weapon infused with dark energy.
He aimed for the most menacing goblin in their vicinity, and with a powerful strike, he cut through the creature with deadly precision. The dark energy added an extra layer of damage, leaving the goblin to crumple to the ground.
Finally, after a series of expertly coordinated attacks, they cleared the battlefield of goblins. Their foes lay defeated, and the system's voice rang out triumphantly, "Quest completed!"
As Ren and Von celebrated their triumphant victory over the goblins, a series of system windows began to pop up, signaling their achievements and rewards:
Level Up!
Congratulations! You have leveled up 3 times!
Rewards:
Golden Coins: +500
Attribute Points: +15
Skill Points: +5
Quest Complete!
Objective: Slay 15 Goblins
Rewards:
Experience Points (EXP): +1000
Golden Coins: +500
Achievement Unlocked!
Goblin Horde Slayer
Rewards:
Golden Coins: +1000
New Skill Unlocked: "Shadow Step"
Achievement Unlocked!
Goblin Horde Slayer
Rewards:
Gil (Currency): +1000
New Skill Unlocked: "Blade Resonance"
"Sweet! We leveled up and got a new skill! Did you get a cool skill too?" Ren asked, checking his skill.
System:
Congratulations! You've learned Blade Resonance.
Description: Blade Resonance is a powerful sword technique that allows you to harness the energy of your blade's strikes, creating devastating shockwaves upon impact.
"Yeah, I think this skill will help me in fights." Von said.
System:
Congratulations! You've learned Shadow Step.
Description: Shadow step is a versatile skill that allows you to instantly teleport a short distance in the blink of an eye. Whether you need to evade an enemy's attack, close the gap with a foe, or reposition yourself strategically, this skill provides you with swift and silent movement.
Requirements: Dark Magic: Level 2, agility 13
Cooldown: 15 seconds
"I'll assess my stats and skills at a later time and plan how to improve them." Von said.
A bell rang, and everyone who had survived received a system window.
System Window:
[Zone 5]
Chosen Ones: 4.83 million
Area 6 Survivors: 2.415 million
[Survival Rate: 50%]
The shocking revelation that only half of the people in the area had survived left everyone in a state of disbelief. Some felt immense relief that they were among the survivors, while others were deeply traumatized by the loss of their fellow residents.
The mix of emotions in the aftermath of this grim event created a heavy atmosphere in the area.
Ren's stomach churned as he surveyed the area. Among the lifeless goblins, there were also the bodies of fellow people. The realization hit him hard, and a wave of sickness washed over him.
The gruesome aftermath of the battle left him in shock and filled with a sense of sorrow and horror.
Von, though feeling deeply distressed, spoke words of wisdom and resilience. "I know this is incredibly tough, but we must accept that this is our reality now.
We've survived, and that's what matters most," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of the situation.
The angel addressed the survivors, a hint of amusement in their tone, "Congratulations to all those who survived the tutorial. I told you we'd help you adapt. Now, for the person who took down the most goblins, there's a reward waiting – a gold box with a random item inside!"
As Von extended his hand towards the newly appeared gold box, a sense of anticipation filled the air. The others watched with bated breath, curious about what mystery item might be concealed within.
"Alright, everyone, the tutorial is officially over," the angel declared. With a wave of her hand, she used her power to instantly return each person to their original locations, just as they were before the tutorial commenced.
Von and Ren was returned to their location before.
Von and Ren found themselves back in the exact spot they were in before the tutorial.
The transition was seamless, as if their adventure had never taken place, but the experiences and knowledge gained during the tutorial remained with them.