Hobgoblin is a monster that evolved from its earlier state which is a goblin. There are multiple evolutionary trees for goblins and one of them was hobgoblin. They are ten times stronger than a regular goblin because every monster who has evolved from its regular state will gain significant boosts in their strength by ten times.
However with the current strength Soma possesses. As far as Soma knows Goblin has a status with a single-digit number in it. Then the ten times power from the hobgoblin was simply not a threat before the current him.
The hobgoblin has a huge body of around two meters tall, with its bulky hard-stone-like muscle and its rough green skin. Its face was given a more ferocious aura rather than hideous with its tusk protruding from its lower jaw and its eyes that had more intellect compared to the regular goblin.
The brown and sturdy thick club as if it just uprooted from the ground on its shoulder giving him the mighty presence amongst the others. For the lower part, the hobgoblin is wearing a rag that is made from some leather.
Soma marveled at the appearance of the new enemy, and the army it brought. His heart began to throb as he tensed his body and squinted his eyes before taking his battle stance. Closing his eyes for a bit before inhaling some oxygen to ease the throbbing heart inside and calm his nerves. Soma waits for the other side to move first before making his response.
Opened his eyes and simultaneously their gaze met each other and the hobgoblin raised his club before pointing it at Soma shouting his command.
"GAAAAA!".
"Gyaa!".
"Gyaa!".
As the cue for the upcoming battle, the regular goblins raised their club, and more than half of them began to charge at Soma. While the rest who stood in place were pulling their bowstring.
Soma observed the upcoming tidal with squinted eyes but didn't forget to look at his surroundings. Careful not to get caught in the ambush of some arrow.
The goblin began to approach and create a spear in their advance, it became Soma's advantage, and when the first goblin appeared before his range. Soma began to lunge forward.
He clutched his right fist tight before delivering a straight punch towards the first goblin in front. The cracking sound of a skull being crushed with the strength he got alarmed the other. It also created a wind pressure that made the nearby goblins stop in their tracks.
Soma began to continue forward as he plunged himself into the tidal that was coming to him, facing the horde head-on. It was a one-sided battle even if he was surrounded. With every punch and kick he delivered one life got taken a complete massacre. The remaining goblins began to enrage further because of the fallen comrade and began to lunge at him at the same time.
[You gained 2 Exp]
[You gained 2 Exp]
….
Those emotionless voices keep ringing and keeping him in check, adding to his spirit to be rejuvenated, determined to not waste this experience field the goblin has given him.
In a matter of seconds, he wiped out the horde that charged at him as the hobgoblin commanded.
He felt some tingling sensation in his spine when his gaze was focused on the scattered mana core in his surroundings. So he ducked down and with a devilish stick that cut through the wind, inches away from his hair. He turned his gaze forward and saw dozens of arrows flying in a straight line aiming to reap his life.
Luckily the arrows didn't fly in the wide way they gathered into a single point which Soma was at. So he kicked the ground to the right side and began to dash away in a circling motion. Trying to ambush the left flank of the enemy stronghold and uses the fact that there are a bunch of pillars in the room to help him avoid the arrow chase.
The goblin archer couldn't follow his movement and eventually in just a matter of seconds. Soma arrived at the left flank of the goblin stronghold. He could see a stone mound in his sight before kicking it and sending the debris flying to the archer to confuse them.
"Take this!".
The goblin archers got bombarded by the debris Soma delivered. Then Soma began his one-sided massacre again. With the speed he is currently having he launched a roundhouse kick and used that momentum before spinning around and delivering another back kick. Then finished it with a straight punch to the goblin's gut that flew away hitting the other goblins because of the force of his attack.
[You gained 2 Exp]
…
"Gaaa".
"Oops".
A strong cry shook the air beside him, gave him the alarm from the incoming danger, and when he turned his gaze up. The hobgoblin raised his club and then swung it down intending to squash Soma to a pulp.
Soma who saw that coming jumped forward before rolling his body and took his stance. Kill the remaining archer swiftly with a single punch or kick.
[You gained 20 Exp]
[Exp: 84/140]
The hobgoblin's eyes were filled with blood. because Soma dodged his attack effortlessly and killed all of his brethren. "GAAAA!". The hobgoblin roared with anger, then swung the club to the side creating the pressure that shook the air.
Soma jumped up to dodge the swing and landed on the ground safely but the hobgoblin was not finished. The hobgoblin began to trash away by swinging the club like a madman.
However, with Soma's sharp sight and enhanced brain, he could see the trajectory of the swing. Then the hobgoblin swings the club diagonally from the top right. Soma began his counter.
He chopped the hobgoblin hand that was holding the club, the monster's face contorted because the cracking sound that resonated in his ear sobered him up for a bit. The hobgoblin didn't think that the boy before him had that much strength in his little body.
Because of the pain in his right hand. The hobgoblin released the club in his hand and began to hold his throbbing right hand.
Soma, who witnesses that closes his distance and faces the monster's abdomen.
"This is the end".
He pulled back his right fist, clenching it hard and without noticing, a faint red glow appeared on his skin before it disappeared again inside his body. Then he delivered a straight punch using all of his body weight from the tip of his toes toward his right hand.
A boom reverberated inside the space and it created a thunderous resonance that shook the air in the dungeon, with its mighty roar. After the collision, a bloody hole could be spotted once you called an abdomen from the monster, who stood still not knowing that his life was reaped.
[You gained 10 Exp]
[Exp: 94/140]
The hobgoblin's body began to glow before it burst apart into a million particles of light that scattered around the air, and then a single stone as big as a ping-pong ball dropped with its yellow color, lying on the floor asking to be taken.
Soma relaxed his tensed body and sighed in relief. He straightened up his posture and looked toward his still-clenching fist. He didn't know that he could muster that monstrous strength with his current stats. His heart began to throb but he shifted his gaze to the scattered mana core and the window before his eyes. Showing that all his effort is being rewarded right before his eyes, eases up his tense nerve.
The corner of his mouth lifted, as he turned his attention toward the yellow marble that sprayed on the ground. He bent his knee and picked it up at the cold and hard texture on his skin and he once again breathed a sigh of relief.
"I did it. But.. I need more".
He clenched his hand, holding the mana core before a fire of determination flashed in his pupils. He looked toward the door that was five meters away from him. Determined to dive deeper.
However, a growl that came out from his pit, echoed inside the empty wide space where he was the only soul. It reverberated inside his ears and a realization soon came as he shook his head to the side trying to get rid of the resolve to dive deeper.
Soma realized that he still hadn't put anything inside his stomach except for water. The plea that echoed earlier must be some sort of cry of protest for it demanded a definite substance, in this case, food.
"Let's call it a day".
He shrugged his shoulders before storing the mana core inside the ring and collected the other mana core before turning his way intending to climb up, leaving the place.
As he stood before the huge twin door. Soma put his hands trying to push away the door, but no matter how much strength he put the door won't move an inch. So he began to change his method, then began to pull the door when it creaked and the door was opened.
Slipped past the gap between the door. Soma was greeted by the appearance of the people whose jaw was lowered to the ground with wide eyes staring at him. He remembered that those guys were the ones who ridiculed him earlier. His inner child screamed, he smirked and took away the yellow mana core inside his ring, and showed it to them.
They began to agitate and then pointed their index finger at him.
"Yo-you.."
"Don't tell me, that..".
"".."".
Soma just waved his hand and stored back the mana core inside the ring, and walked past the dumbfounded party. He chuckled before leaving the safe floor on the fourth floor.
On his journey to climb the dungeon floor, his face was etched with a frown as he began to realize something more urgent.
"Shit, I never knew that on the way home from the dungeon could be this annoying".
The matter of his empty stomach, also traveling on the same path he took, must be repeated four times before he reaches the surface where the grace of the sunlight will bathe him in its Holy light.
"Tch, I must get that item for easy travel in the dungeon".
Soma clicked his tongue and swore to himself while running on the long straight maze in some place on the third floor of the dungeon.