Rivyn stood over the final goblin, its body dissolving into nothingness as he watched. He couldn't help but smile. He had done it. After so many tries, after dying countless times, he had finally defeated the wave of twenty goblins. His chest swelled with pride, his body sore but alive, as he savored the hard-earned victory.
"I did it," he muttered to himself, his voice shaky with exhaustion and excitement. I won.
He opened the system to check his quest progress.
[Quest: Defeat the waves of monsters]
[Reward: 10 System Points]
His heart sank. The quest wasn't finished. There was another wave coming. He stood there in disbelief for a moment, his smile fading. Another wave? How many more would there be?
He looked down at his body, covered in minor bruises and scratches. How bad would the next wave be? Twenty goblins had pushed him to his limit. What if the next wave had thirty? Or forty? His stomach churned at the thought.
Rivyn sat down, his sword resting beside him, and tried to catch his breath. I need to recover. His arms ached, and his mind was exhausted from the endless cycle of battle. He knew he needed to be at his best for the next wave, but dread gnawed at him. What if I can't handle it?
After about thirty minutes, Rivyn felt a change in the air. The next wave was coming. He pushed himself to his feet, gripping his sword tightly. Stay calm. Focus. He scanned his surroundings, looking for any sign of the approaching goblins.
Then he saw them—fifty goblins.
His heart dropped into his stomach. Fifty?! Not thirty. Not forty. Fifty.
"Are you kidding me?" he muttered, cursing under his breath. Fifty goblins. He had barely survived the last wave, and now there were more than double the enemies. How am I supposed to fight that many?
He quickly checked his status before the goblins caught up to him.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 4]
[Strength - 30]
[Agility - 27]
[Defense - 25]
[Mana - 18]
[Unallocated Stats - 6]
He was stronger than before, but even with the new stats, he wasn't confident in facing fifty goblins all at once. This isn't a fight I can win head-on.
The goblins were already charging toward him, their snarls filling the white void. Without hesitation, Rivyn turned and ran. I'll have to use hit-and-dash tactics. He couldn't let them overwhelm him. He needed to wear them down, just like he had done in the earlier waves.
He ran for a few minutes, creating distance between him and the goblins. Once he had enough space, he turned around, ready to strike at the nearest goblin. But something felt wrong. The air around him began to grow hotter, and before Rivyn could react, his skin began to burn. A wave of heat surged toward him, and he felt his skin swelling with pain.
What's happening?!
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, a searing blast of fire slammed into him. Fire. It was fire. He let out a scream, the intense heat consuming him in an instant.
[You Have Died]
Rivyn's eyes shot open, staring at the familiar red screen.
What the hell was that? He felt a wave of panic rush over him. He had died without even knowing how. I didn't even see it coming. His mind raced. How did I die?
He replayed the moments in his head, trying to piece together what had happened. The heat... There had been a sudden surge of heat before the fire hit him. He hadn't seen anything before that—no goblin had thrown anything at him.
He sat there in the void, frustrated and confused. I was close, but now I feel even further.
Rivyn had been trapped in the Tower for weeks. He had slowly climbed through the waves of goblins, growing stronger with each battle. But now, he had hit a wall. What was this new attack? And how was he supposed to counter it?
[Reviving...]
Rivyn returned to the white space once again, his mind still trying to process what had happened. The fire had come out of nowhere. He needed to be more careful—more observant. There has to be something I missed.
Determined, he fought his way back through the waves. One goblin. Two goblins. Four goblins. He tore through them, pushing himself to reach the wave of fifty again. His body moved with precision, his strikes more calculated than ever before. This time, I'll be ready.
It took several more cycles of death and revival, but eventually, Rivyn reached the wave of fifty goblins once again.
As they charged toward him, Rivyn's heart raced. This time, I'm paying attention. He kept his eyes on the goblins, scanning each one for anything unusual.
That's when he saw it—one goblin wearing a cloak, holding a staff.
Rivyn's eyes narrowed. A spellcaster? He hadn't seen a goblin like that in any of the previous waves. The cloaked goblin raised its staff, and Rivyn noticed a faint glow of red energy surrounding the tip of the staff.
That's it! That's where the fire came from. He didn't have much time to think. The goblin pointed its staff toward Rivyn, and he immediately dodged to the side.
A ball of fire shot out from the staff, hurling toward him at incredible speed. It's a fireball!
Rivyn managed to dodge it, but the explosion from the impact knocked him off balance. He stumbled backward, trying to regain his footing, but before he could, the other goblins had caught up to him. There were too many of them.
One goblin slashed at his side, and another struck his leg. Rivyn grunted in pain, but he couldn't keep up. There were just too many. His vision blurred as the goblins overwhelmed him, their blades cutting into his flesh.
[You Have Died]
I almost had it. Rivyn clenched his fists as the red system screen flashed before him. That spellcaster is the key. He had seen the goblin in the cloak. If I can take out the spellcaster, the rest will be manageable.
[Reviving...]
The familiar sensation of revival washed over him. Back again. Rivyn stood in the white void, his mind racing. The spellcaster is the biggest threat. But he still had to deal with fifty goblins at once. I can't just charge in blindly.
This time, Rivyn decided to be more strategic. Take out the weaker ones first. If he could reduce their numbers while keeping an eye on the spellcaster, he might have a chance. He fought his way through the earlier waves, his confidence growing as his stats continued to increase.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 5]
[Strength - 32]
[Agility - 29]
[Defense - 27]
[Mana - 19]
[Unallocated Stats - 9]
Rivyn paused for a moment, thinking carefully about where to place his unallocated stat points. He decided to balance things out, adding 3 points to strength, 3 to agility, and 3 to defense. His body felt lighter, stronger—he could feel the difference immediately.
[Strength - 35]
[Agility - 32]
[Defense - 30]
[Mana - 19]
[Unallocated Stats - 0]
With his new stats, Rivyn fought more efficiently. He made it back to the wave of fifty goblins and immediately focused on the spellcaster. I need to take him out first.
As the goblins charged, Rivyn darted around the group, avoiding the mass of goblins while keeping an eye on the cloaked one. When the fireball came, he dodged again—but this time, he was ready. I won't get knocked off balance.
He lunged forward, closing the distance between him and the spellcaster. If I can take him out, the rest will fall easily. His sword gleamed as he aimed for the goblin's head.
But just as he was about to strike, the other goblins closed in.
Rivyn gritted his teeth, forced to retreat before he could land a clean hit. This is harder than I thought. He couldn't afford to focus on the spellcaster while ignoring the rest of the goblins. I need to be faster.
The next few minutes were a blur of dodging and slashing, avoiding fireballs while trying to whittle down the goblins' numbers. But every time he got close to the spellcaster, another group of goblins would rush him, forcing him to retreat.
[You Have Died]
Rivyn groaned as he revived again. This is going to take forever.
[Reviving...]
Back in the white void, Rivyn took a deep breath. Okay. I've got to focus. He couldn't let frustration cloud his mind. He needed to be methodical, careful.
And so, the cycle continued. Rivyn fought his way through the goblins, died, revived, and tried again. Each time, he learned a little more about the spellcaster's patterns. Each time, he grew a little stronger. And slowly but surely, he started making progress.
Several waves and deaths later, Rivyn stood before the final group of goblins once again. The spellcaster had to go. He was stronger now, faster, more determined than ever. He charged at the goblins, dodging the fireballs and cutting down the lesser ones until he was face-to-face with the spellcaster.
This time, he wouldn't retreat. This time, he would win.
With a powerful swing, Rivyn's sword cleaved through the spellcaster's staff, shattering it. The goblin's eyes widened in shock, but before it could react, Rivyn's blade pierced its heart.
The spellcaster collapsed, and the fireballs stopped. The remaining goblins fell soon after, unable to fight without the magical support.