[You have entered E-rank dungeon [Goblin Tunnels]. Do your best to entertain the gods.]
[5 gods are currently watching.]
"Those sick bastards are always there. Follow me closely newbies!" Shouted the party leader, Johnathan Vrain.
The team put up their guards and began to look out on all sides. Meanwhile, I was examining the sword in my hands.
´This feels natural but I've never used a sword before. It feels as normal to me as guns and knives. I guess growing up on the streets has its uses.' I thought.
"I detected 18 goblins in these tunnels, the layout is very simple, three tunnel entrances leading to three separate tunnels that converge at the end. The boss, a Hobgoblin is at the end. I'll only make a move if one of you is about to die, so use this dungeon to get used to the monsters and the act of killing them." he detailed.
"Yes, sir," we replied.
"Now let's go through the middle tunnel," he ordered.
Past my interest in the feeling of the sword in my hands, I was overwhelmed with anxiety. The abyssal dragons flashed within my mind, almost materializing in front of my eyes, though they were illusions, the terror they represented was very much real.
A bit later we started to hear screeching noises coming from the tunnel.
The party leader suddenly called for me.
"Since you can use [Enhancement] to deal with the two goblins up ahead on your own. Remember, the most important thing for a hunter isn't just strength, it's decisiveness," he said to me in a serious tone.
"I..I'll go!" I replied with a false conviction.
The others stood in place and I walked forward on my own, my sword shook slightly even though I gripped it so hard my hand turned white.
"Just two goblins…just two small goblins.." I murmured to myself.
Soon, I reached them, two small and savage green humanoid creatures the size of a child. In their hands daggers made of bone shards.
"Kreeeee!!"
"Screech!!!" screamed the goblins at my sight.
Once I fully saw their savage forms made for slaughter, I froze. The armor linked to my brain by my personal-link sounded repeatedly warning me of danger and yet I was completely still, my pupils unmoving, my blood moving slowly and my breath slowing to a halt. The goblins were 5 meters away running towards me with their swift and small bodies.
Their eyes focused into pins as if they had found a prey, and their acidic drool dripped onto the stones leaving slight marks of char.
If I did not move, I would certainly die. Strangely though, I felt serene.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Two balls of flame passed by my sides and struck the goblins burning them to ash. The source was the mage of the squad, a woman named Harley. The serenity that filled my body dispersed like the ashes of the goblins and I was left there standing.
"Harley! I told him to kill them, why did you interfere?!" The party leader, Johnathan Vrain said to the mage.
"He wasn't doing anything just standing there! He's clearly an [Undead]," she replied as if she was wronged.
"You idiot! He was about to…*Sigh* Never mind, go forward again. We'll clean out the 3 tunnels and then head to the boss room." he said.
I had already silently returned to my place at the back. A notification had appeared to me.
[Your party member killed 2 goblins, you will receive 100 exp.]
[Next level requires another 100 exp.]
"Huh? That can't be right.." I thought in bewilderment.
"It should only be 100 for the first level, unless..the description of the [Curse] said I needed double the exp to level up compared to others but If that's true then is the first part also true…?"
Soon we had cleared all three tunnels and were waiting to recover before we went towards the boss. Of course, I had contributed absolutely nothing to the killing of the goblins, and yet I still received exp.
"This doesn't feel right…" I said as I examined my status.
NAME: John Crane
LEVEL: 3
RACE: Human(#9998)
GIFT: [Transcendant].
CURSE:[The Immortal].
STATS: Physique-09, Mana-00, Spirit-03
STAT-POINTS: 15
CLASS:None.
SKILLS:[Enhancement(B-rank)].
[SHOP](locked)
"Let's put 5 into each stat, since they're already so low it should be a significant increase."
After I distributed points I instantly felt faster and stronger and my stamina felt endless. Not to mention the mana I could feel from outside had also materialized within my heart. As for the spirit, It was hard to feel as it was more metaphysical.
"I feel like a different person!" I shouted unconsciously after the euphoric burst of strength.
I could sense the glares aimed at me, their eyes carving words into the air. As if they were angered by the prizes I received for being dead weight. The party leader however smiled and gave me a thumbs-up.
"*Sigh* the gods that decided on this party system are assholes."
[Watch Your Words.]
"The system even says things like that?" I said with surprise.
Soon we were on our feet again and standing at a giant wooden gate.
"Behind this is the dungeon boss, a Hobgoblin. John, you'll be our close-quarters dealer, Jake will be the tank, Harley and Ben will deal the long-distance damage. As for me, I'll keep all of you alive but don't get careless." said the party leader with a serious tone.
Looking back, it's funny that a wolf like him was playing sheep in an E-rank dungeon.
"M-me? But-"
"No buts John. Get past your fears or you'll die."
In the end, I could only sigh and tighten my grip on my sword. As the party leader opened the gates a notification appeared.
[You have entered the boss room. Boss [Hobgoblin] will be dispatched.]
[The gods felt insulted by hunter John Crane's words. Boss rank has been altered from E-rank to D-rank.]
[The gods will grant the greatest contributors a skill card and 3000 exp points.]
The other party members glared at me instantly.
The party leader just sighed and opened the gate.
"GOROOOOOOO!!!!!" Screamed the hobgoblin. 2 meters tall with dark green skin and leather armor. In its hands, a large bone axe was already covered in blood.
"That's as big as an orc!" shouted Ben the archer.
"Go forward and fight, John. Jake will defend the big attacks and you'll deal the damage."
"Yes, sir!"
"Let's take down a D-rank for our first raid!!"
I rushed forward while gritting my teeth, my anxiety had lessened slightly after seeing the monsters and my body froze less. My brain was filled with a warm energy that electrified my veins and neurons with every passage. As I approached the hobgoblin the sword in my hands already felt like an extension of my body.
"Fuck! Die!!" I shouted, my sword about to reach its chest.
"GOROOOOOO!!"
*THUD!* *CRACK!*
Reality as always favored the calm.
Throwing caution to the wind in order to get past my fears was an idiotic attempt at bravery. The moment the axe struck my body, my ribs shattered and I was sent flying in a rain of blood.
*Boom!*
I struck the cave walls and the world went dark.
[You have died. Thank you for entertaining the go- go- god- error! Error! Error!]
My eyes snapped open as pain, unlike anything a human could bear flooded my every sense.
"AHHHHGHHHHHHHHHGGGGGHHGHGHGH!!!" I cried out unconsciously. My eyes, ears, mouth, and nose all bleeding profusely. My heart cut in half and my ribs shattered as my inner organs were clear to see. Blood was everywhere along with pieces of my heart and yet I failed to die.
"AHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGHGHGH!!!"
As the pain reached its climax a crimson energy permeated my body and it began to heal at a visible pace. My ribs grew back together and returned to their original positions as my heart was pieced back together by the crimson energy and placed behind them. My organs were the same recovering and returning to normal in an instant, soon the wound closed and only the ocean of blood was left as proof of my death.
The entire event took less than 20 seconds since I was first struck.
After the pain stopped, I was in a state of near madness, even the stones touching my skin and the air passing by my bare chest felt dangerous. My body had recovered even when my armor was turned to scraps but my mind was far from recovered.
My eyes were hyperfocused and my skin even more sensitive, fearing even a fly that passed by me I shrieked away.
"AHHH PAIN!!"
[X-Rank gift [Transcendant] has activated.]
My mind almost broken was suddenly covered by a warm energy and my veins, neurons, and even blood felt nourished and transformed.
[You have gained a skill [Pain Tolerance(E-rank].]
[You have gained a skill [Cold Heart(S-rank)].]
[Due to the possession of a [Curse] You will be limited to three skills. You have one skill slot left.]
"Huh? I…..I'm not dead…?" I said as the pain, fear, and anxiety suddenly dispersed, and all that was left was confusion.