A goblin wielding a bloodstained club approached him, chuckling as it almost seemed to sense the inexperienced nature of the young man.
Blake swung the sword without any proper form wildly, "Hah–!"
The formless slashes did nothing but hit air as the goblin kept its distance, laughing at his worthless attempt at an attack.
"Blake! There's too many!" Emma said, releasing arrows as quickly as she could.
It seemed the goblins were quick to adapt, and just as fast on their feet as the blisteringly swift projectiles were dodged by their nimble bodies.
'Shit–will hypnosis work on them? It's worth a try!' He thought.
Looking straight at the goblin that taunted him, a shout left his lips, "Drop your weapon!"
[Hypnosis failed.] [Insufficient language.]
'What?!...I guess that makes sense, but damn!' The panicked thought raced through his mind.
As he felt the intensity of the situation boil in, there was one concept he recalled–the very one that could infuse him with the skills needed.
"I'm a swordsman…" He whispered to himself, focusing as he tried to think of the first figure that came to mind, "...like Miyamoto Musashi!"
[Hypnosis successful.]
[EXP: +5] [12/75]
There was an immediate change felt throughout his own mind; the panic that shook him was washed away as a serene calmness replaced it seamlessly. The sword he wielded felt natural in his grip; not too heavy, not too light.
["I'm a swordsman like Miyamoto Musashi!"]
That command manifested itself thoroughly as he calmly watched the goblin in front of him.
Laughter continued from the club-wielding fiend before it dashed towards him. It waved its tongue out while its feet slapped against the soil, wildly swinging its club.
In the eyes of the young man, it appeared to move slower; he accurately deduced where it would try and strike as he leaned out of the way.
With the same motion as he evaded the barbaric swing, he countered with a swift slash. It felt as though new memories had been etched into his muscles as he gracefully moved the blade in a downward swing.
Through the green-skinned fiend's left shoulder to its right hip, it was cut cleanly.
SQUELCH
A spray of repugnant blood left from the split goblin as it let out a gargled cry, falling into a puddle of its purple fluid.
'…That worked. It felt so…natural,' he thought, looking at the slain fiend before staring at his blood soaked sword.
[Valley Goblin defeated.]
[EXP +15] [27/75]
"There's more coming!" Emma called out, taking to one knee as she precisely aimed her next shot.
He glanced back just to see the surprisingly efficient archer plant an arrow between one fiend's eyes. As he turned back, he found himself immediately rushed by a pair of goblins.
"Kraaa!"
"Ke-ke-ke!"
The smug war cries of the small-statured savages met his ears. He met them halfway with a seamless pivot off his right foot, using the masterful swordsmanship imbued into his body.
It wasn't just skill with swinging his sword, but his footwork and mindset. He dashed in, slipping by both goblins as a pair of quick slashes left the fiends eviscerated cleanly.
[Valley Goblin defeated.]
[EXP +15] [42/75]
[Valley Goblin defeated.]
[EXP +15] [57/75]
"Phew," he exhaled smoothly, swiping his sword of the blood that lingered on it.
Just as he relaxed his body for but a single moment, he could feel the mastery leave him. All it left was a sudden cramp across his body, bringing him to a grimace.
"Ngh…!" He winced, holding his arm.
"Blake! Are you alright?!" Emma asked, taking some steps to stay back-to-back with him.
He caught his breath, nodding his head, "…Yeah. I'm fine."
"I tried shooting them, but a couple got away, dashed into the bushes—they could still be—" Emma warned him before gasping.
At that moment, the bushes to the right and left of the pair rustled before two figures dashed out from both sides.
The sneaky goblins each carried spears, honing them for the unwelcome guests' flesh.
"Blake!" Emma shouted, launching an arrow at one.
A showcase of skill came from the goblin she aimed at, as the wild fiend used its spear to deflect the projectile.
"Shit!—" Emma reacted, reaching for her quiver.
There was no time; quick-footed and aggressive, the pair of scarred goblins seemed to be of a high caliber.
Blake struggled to make any meaningful movement from his cramping body.
'This pain…it must be a side-effect of using a strong self-hypnosis like that. I can barely move, but—I still have this,' he thought, gripping the handle of his sword.
Lifting it as close as he could to his lips, he whispered words meant for the blade itself:
"Skewer those ugly bastards."
[Weapon Persuasion successful.]
[EXP: +10] [67/75]
From his hand, the broadsword flew out on its own. Unlike an arrow shot by a bowman, the blade shifted its own trajectory, impaling the body of the goblin that charged at Blake.
"—Woah," the young man reacted quietly in astonishment.
The sword shot straight through the misfortunate savage before spinning around, bouncing off the air to a new direction.
Emma struggled to line her arrow up, pulling the string back just as the vicious fiend leapt towards her, "Hnn!—"
A splatter of blood rained down as the scarlet-haired girl watched the goblin's chest be impaled mercilessly.
"Ah?" Emma let out in confusion.
Like a needle through cloth, the sword seamlessly passed through the goblin's body before returning itself to its owner's hold.
Blake looked at the blade, still catching his breath as his body ached, "…Nice work."
[Valley Goblin Warrior defeated.]
[Valley Goblin Warrior defeated.]
[EXP: +40]
[Level Up!] [3 —> 4] [32/100]
The level-up status presented to him was confirmed through the newfound energy he felt flowing through his limbs, feeling as though his body had gained renewed vigor.
As he clenched his fist to feel the heightened strength gained, he looked up to find the red-haired girl with a dumbfounded expression.
"Your sword…flew around," Emma remarked, glancing over at the lifeless goblins, whose blood painted the grassy path to the mountain, "Is that some kind of spell?"
"Something like that. A family secret," he bluffed.
"You don't plan on telling me, do you? Totally mean," Emma whined with an exhale before smiling, "Anyway, you definitely have the skills of a Gold rank, even though you looked frozen there for a second."