The sound of screams and cries echoed throughout the building. Some begged for mercy, some called out for their mothers, and others simply couldn't accept their fate.
"Help! Please, someone help me!"
*Splat.*
And then, silence.
***
Noah stepped into the cafeteria, his eyes immediately drawn to the grisly sight before him. Ten goblins were ripping apart four girls hanging upside down from the ceiling. A single slit across their throats had drained their blood, leaving them lifeless, ready to be butchered.
"Hey, you sick freaks! Why don't you try adding me to your collection?!"
Noah's voice cut through the still air like a blade.
This will be tough, taking all of them down by myself... but not impossible.
The goblins began to move, slowly circling Noah. Their eyes gleamed with malice as they cut off any possible escape routes.
So, they're not complete idiots after all. They're trying to trap me.
As they closed in, the goblins paused for a brief moment, studying Noah. Then, in a coordinated surge, they lunged at him.
But Noah was quicker. With fluid movements, he dodged each attack by mere millimeters. For every missed strike, he landed a blow in return. The difference in their abilities was glaringly obvious.
Alright, time to finish this.
Noah's foot slammed down hard on a cafeteria tray that had been knocked to the floor, sending it airborne. With another swift kick, he sent the tray flying toward one of the goblins, momentarily stunning it. In the same instant, Noah closed the distance and drove his fist into the creature's heart, killing it instantly.
One down.
Taking advantage of the brief respite, Noah signaled his next move.
Now!
From behind an overturned table, his goblin skeleton companion emerged, brandishing two kitchen knives. With precision, it hurled both blades toward two more goblins. The knives found their marks, and two more enemies fell to the ground.
And that's three.
The remaining goblins, caught off guard, turned toward the direction of the thrown knives, exposing their backs to Noah.
You've made a big mistake!
Noah crouched low, his muscles tensing like a sprinter at the starting line. With a powerful leap, he shot forward, closing in on the nearest goblin. Grabbing its head, he twisted sharply, snapping its neck with a sickening *crack*.
That makes four.
One of the remaining goblins, seeing its comrade fall, charged at Noah, swinging its crude weapon in a wide arc. Noah jumped back, narrowly avoiding the strike.
So, you wanna dance? Fine.
With a burst of speed, Noah closed the distance once more. His body moved with practiced grace as his right arm cocked back, fist clenched tightly. His entire body moved as one fluid unit: his foot planted, his waist turned, and his fist shot forward.
*Boom!*
Noah's punch landed squarely under the goblin's chin, shattering its jaw and sending it flying backward.
Five left… no, make that three.
While Noah was busy, his skeleton companion had silently continued its assault, taking down two more goblins with ruthless efficiency.
"Khyahh!"
One of the remaining goblins screeched, its eyes wide with fear as it watched its comrades being slaughtered. The hesitation only lasted a moment before it let out another cry.
"Khyahh!"
The remaining three goblins lunged at Noah in unison, weapons raised high.
Damn! I can't dodge all three at once!
Noah's mind raced, calculating his next move in a split second.
This is my best option.
Instead of dodging, Noah reached down and grabbed the machete dropped by one of the fallen goblins. In one swift motion, he hurled it at the nearest enemy. The blade spun through the air and buried itself in the goblin's stomach. But that left him vulnerable to the other two.
Their weapons slashed into Noah's forearms, the crude blades cutting deep, all the way to the bone. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Noah seized the goblins' arms, using his strength to slam them into the ground with a brutal force, as if they were nothing more than ragdolls.
***
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CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE GAINED 8 EXPERIENCE POINTS!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE GAINED 8 EXPERIENCE POINTS!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE GAINED 8 EXPERIENCE POINTS!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE GAINED 8 EXPERIENCE POINTS!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE GAINED 8 EXPERIENCE POINTS!
CONGRA...
__________________________________
The message repeated itself ten times.
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CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE TITLE "ONE VS ALL."
__________________________________
ONE VS ALL: When the player is outnumbered in a battle, all stats receive a +2 boost.
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CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 2.
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YOU HAVE RECEIVED 3 (x10) COINS.
__________________________________
"We'll deal with that later... right now, I need to do something about these arms… Shop!"
Noah muttered as he glanced at his bleeding arms. A new screen popped up in front of him, displaying a list of items.
"It should be around here somewhere…"
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RECOVERY POTION - 100 COINS
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Ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his body, Noah tapped the screen with his finger.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR PURCHASE!
__________________________________
A small potion appeared in mid-air, defying all laws of physics. With trembling hands, Noah grabbed the bottle and, after popping the cork, poured its contents over his wounds, first on the left arm, then on the right.
Like magic, the deep gashes began to close. Tendons reconnected, followed by muscles, and finally, the skin sealed itself up.
"Good. Just a couple of scars left, but they're as good as new."
Where there had been deep, gaping wounds moments before, now only dark, raised scars remained.
"Alright... now, let's focus on the rest."