Mark emerged from the depths of the cavern, his steps lighter, his movements smoother. The lingering soreness from his transformation was a mere annoyance compared to the surge of power coursing through his veins. He flexed his hand, feeling the increased density in his muscles, the latent power waiting to be unleashed.
The oppressive darkness was only pierced by the faint bioluminescent glow emanating from strange fungi clinging to the cavern walls.
He willed his senses to heighten, straining to detect any signs of movement or any indication of lurking danger. "Hunter's Instinct," he silently commanded.
It felt as natural as extending an extra limb, the skill activating effortlessly. Mark felt his vision sharpen, subtle nuances in color and texture becoming more pronounced. Distinguishing the natural features of the cavern from anything out of the ordinary grew easier. He zeroed in on faint drafts of air, picking up stale, musty currents that whispered tales of long-abandoned passages.
Still, no immediate sign of goblin activity.
After regaining consciousness, a sense of urgency had bloomed within him. His mind raced with calculations. He had weighed his options, his mind abuzz with a flurry of thoughts. On the one hand, looking for a safe spot and cowering in safety was tempting. Yet, to simply survive the trial seemed...lacking.
Something deeper within him craved growth, craved the thrill of surpassing his limits. The brutal upgrade, painful as it was, had stoked the fire within Mark-- a hunger for something more.
But he couldn't afford recklessness. His newfound strength, while exhilarating, was untested so he made a small goal for himself.
He decided to reach Level 10, then look for a way to leave the cave and he had to do that as fast as possible because he didn't know the consequence of staying here before the last 11 hours of the quest would elapse.
Mark pressed deeper into the tunnels, Recalling the newly acquired "Zen Mastery," he activated it, feeling a calming sensation wash over him, further optimizing his mana regeneration.
The silence in the cavern pressed down on Mark, broken only by the dripping of water somewhere deep within the darkness. The faint scent of burnt wood lingered in the air, a grim reminder of the collapsed bridge and the chaos it had unleashed.
He crouched behind a jagged rock formation, his enhanced perception scanning the vast cavern opening before him.
The bridge, once a precarious link between the entrance and the deeper recesses of the cavern, now lay in a broken heap at the bottom of a steep chasm.
It had served its purpose, buying him valuable time and causing significant casualties amongst the goblins, but it had been hours since he collapsed the bridge, severing the goblins' direct path across the chasm and the goblins looked relentless.
Mark knew they wouldn't be easily deterred. He needed to figure out how they were going to overcome this obstacle. His gaze darted around, searching for any signs of activity.
Suddenly, a guttural shriek pierced the relative silence. It came from the opposite side of the cavern, from the direction of the goblin encampment. Mark narrowed his eyes, his gaze drawn towards a towering stone pillar that jutted out from the cavern wall like a jagged tooth.
A rickety rope bridge, barely visible in the dim light, hung precariously from the pillar, swaying gently in the faint breeze. His heart sank. The goblins had found an alternative route.
Mark observed as a goblin passed the bridge, a hulking brute with crude tattoos adorning its muscular arms, cautiously inched its way across the precarious bridge. The logs creaked and groaned under its weight, threatening to give way at any moment.
But the goblin persevered, its eyes fixed on the other side. Slowly, painstakingly, it made its way across, the tension palpable even from afar.
As it reached the other side and let out a triumphant roar, a wave of relief washed over the remaining goblins.
A slow grin spread across his face. The goblins weren't wasting any time. They were attempting to bridge the gap themselves.
He watched intently as a group of goblins emerged from the shadows, and started crossing the makeshift bridge and some must have probably crossed the bridge already.
Mark knew his window of opportunity was closing, he couldn't simply hold his ground and fight them head-on; the narrow bridge offered them a bottleneck, a disadvantage for him.
He needed a new plan, a way to utilize the environment to his advantage and eliminate the goblins in a more efficient manner.
He would start with goblin scouts likely patrolling ahead.
A flicker of movement in the distance caught his eye. A faint blue glow, emanating from deeper within the cavern, pulsed erratically.
Curiosity piqued; He needed to investigate this strange light. It could be a trap, another ploy by the goblins, but his intuition (changed from sense in the past chapters) urged him forward. And it had not failed him since he started the trial, perhaps it held the key to leaving the cavern.
With a deep breath, he rose from his hiding spot, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword.
Suddenly, a flash of movement from his right. A guttural growl ripped through the air. A hulking goblin, at least twice the size of the ones he had killed. Its matted fur was a dingy grey, and its eyes burned with feral intelligence. Beside it stood a goblin with intricate bone ornaments adorning its leathery armor - a goblin warrior, from his earlier deduction.
Adrenaline surged through Mark. He wouldn't avoid this fight.
He flexed his hand, a surge of power coursing through his muscles. He felt like a coiled spring, ready to unleash devastating force. With his "Identify" skill, he scanned the cavern, the blue glow outlining a smaller group of five goblins, their postures relaxed, Goblin Brute (Level 5), and 5 Goblin's each at Level 3.
The brute's movements were slow, brutish, but its reach was formidable. The goblins, however, seemed faster, more agile than the brute.
He decided to use his newfound agility to his advantage. Dodging the brute's clumsy swing, he unleashed a flurry of attacks on the warrior. His sword strikes, honed by countless hours of practice, found their mark with surprising precision. His "Sword Fighting" skill seemed to flow naturally, responding to his movements instinctively.
The brute snarled, parrying several blows but Mark pressed his attack, his muscles burning with renewed stamina, thanks to his increased "Endurance." He activated "Mana Augmentation" and focused his mana, channeling it into his blade. A faint blue glow emanated from the tip of the sword.
The Brute charged, its massive fist whistling through the air. Mark, fueled by his enhanced agility, effortlessly sidestepped the blow. He countered with a swift slash of his sword, empowered by his increased strength.
The blade met flesh with a sickening thud, leaving a deep gash across the creature's arm. The injured Brute roared in pain and staggered backwards.
The remaining goblins were charging at him. As it were the opening had presented itself, Mark suddenly had an idea, he channeled his mana to his hand, then condensed the mana and unleashed it. The projectile, a shimmering sphere of blue energy, streaked through the darkness, striking a goblin squarely in the chest making a large hole through its chest.
The remaining goblins spun around; Mark used this momentary confusion to his advantage. He charged into the fray, a blur of motion.
His enhanced agility allowed him to dodge their clumsy attempts to parry with their crude weapons. His "Crushing Strike," empowered by his increased strength, landed with devastating force. Each blow shattered bones and sent goblins flying. In minutes, the cavern floor was littered with the fallen, their guttural cries silenced.
The goblin charged, its powerful arms swinging wildly. Mark met the charge head-on, his enhanced strength allowing him to deflect the blow with ease, He capitalized on the opening, unleashing a flurry of attacks, his movements precise and controlled.
Each strike was imbued with his increased strength, landing heavy blows that visibly dented the creature's hide.
He weaved around the Brute's clumsily swung attacks, their fight a dance of predator and prey. He used "Hunter's Instinct" to predict the creature's movements, dodging with practiced ease. As the battle raged, Mark noticed a subtle shift in his perception. He wasn't just reacting; he was anticipating, his movements flowing in a seamless rhythm with the Brute's attacks.
A wave of understanding washed over him. His connection to the sword had deepened. It wasn't just a weapon; it was an extension of himself.
He realized that his skill wasn't just about technique; it was about understanding, about flowing with the weapon rather than forcing it. He was on the cusp of something greater, a new way of fighting.
He delivered a final, powerful blow, the mana-infused strike cleaving through the Brute's chest with ease. The creature crumpled to the ground, defeated.
He heard a ding; He checked his notification and his "Sword Fighting" skill had leveled up to 10 and Mana augmentation to 4. He also got 150 EXP from the Level 5 Goblin and the level 3's didn't give him EXP.
During the fight, he also discovered another layer to "Hunter's Instinct." It wasn't just about perception. As he fought and used the skill, he felt a faint connection to his surroundings, an intuitive grasp of the environment and the creatures within it.
He discovered another useful skill: "Mana Shield." By channeling his mana towards a direction of his choosing, he could create a shimmering barrier, deflecting weak attacks.
But time was of the essence. He couldn't afford to dwell on his newfound insights. He pressed on, his steps lighter, his senses attuned to the surrounding environment. He reckoned the Goblin's would spread around the cavern trying to search for him so might be easier to hunt.
He continued his exploration, eliminating small groups of goblins with ruthless efficiency, actively utilizing his skills and abilities.
Exhaustion gnawed at Mark's muscles, the metallic tang of blood coating his tongue. Yet, his spirit soared. Each fallen Goblin, another notification filling his vision, was a victory, a step closer to his goal. His mind, honed by countless battles, dissected every movement, extracting a precious lesson from each encounter.
Gone was the initial shock of his transformation; he now moved with the ease of one wielding a familiar tool, his body responding instinctively to his commands.
He hunted relentlessly until he reached Level 9, receiving the usual 5 stat points. Checking his status, he saw there were still 5500 Goblins remaining out of the original 10000. Although he had slain a significant number, many were lower levels (1-3) and provided minimal experience.
Trusting his intuition (the "sense" from the previous chapter), he decided to stop hunting lower-level Goblins and instead venture towards the Goblin settlement and investigate the strange light he saw. He hoped it might be a way out of this cavern and that he could still slay enough higher-level Goblins to reach his goal of Level 10.