Chapter 26. Thunderous Symphony.

After a few moments, I found myself in the center of the camp. The Goblin King roared as he rose from his seat, pointing his sword at me while I stood motionless. My heart seemed to begin a countdown in reverse.

Thump! Thump! Thump! My heart pounded like thunder, and an aura of lightning and thunder started gathering around me. Its violet hue drew attention with its extraordinary beauty, gathering an invisible, eye-defying power. Perhaps sensing something, the Goblin King quickly raised his shield in an attempt to protect himself.

Then, my heart surged with newfound strength. True to its name, my ability began composing a symphony. Loud soundwaves emanated from the center of my being. A deafening roar filled the air, causing the trees around to sway under the pressure of this thunderous music.

With each passing second, the thunder grew louder. My breath deepened and became more rhythmic, and my heart beat louder and louder. And then, I did it. Thunderous waves spread in all directions. The sounds of thunder and lightning became like a melodic tune in the air, carried by the invisible storm I had created.

The storm unleashed an impulse that swept through nearly all the goblins surrounding me. A moment later, after the impulse left my body, a network of lightning shot out, striking the nearby goblins, followed by a chorus of screams and cries. Powerful energy raged around, destroying everything in its path.

And then, after a few seconds, it all quieted down. I looked at the scene before me, witnessing the destruction I had caused. Goblins were scattered all around the camp.

The goblins, unprepared for such an onslaught, exploded from the strain, leaving only a few survivors struggling to regain their senses. One such survivor was the Goblin King, who stood there in shock, watching as his horde of monsters was defeated, and those left alive tried to recover.

I felt something akin to satisfaction and even pride; all of this was the result of my actions. I had gathered them together and then orchestrated a farewell concert where instead of a melodic ring, there was the rumble of thunder and lightning. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. The Goblin King regained his senses.

He charged towards me like a berserk warrior, moving rapidly. The thunder of his footsteps assaulted my ears, feeling like a heavy excavator slamming into the ground. Not wanting to face him head-on, I used Shadow Leap to ascend to a higher point.

A mix of adrenaline and inspiration coursed through every inch of my body. Every millimeter of my being was prepared for the final battle. There remained only the Goblin King and a small portion of survivors still struggling to recover.

And then, the immense Goblin King, whose skin still shimmered from the remnants of lightning, glared at me with pure rage in his eyes. He held his bloodied sword high above his head, ready to parry my strike.

My reaction matched his determination. With my axe charged with a "Cleaving Strike," I lunged downward, attacking the Goblin King. However, just before the collision, I used Shadow Leap and struck him from behind, but the damage was relatively minimal. Afterward, I felt a sharp pain.

In that moment, I used Shadow Leap to get to a safe distance, but the Goblin King was not so easily deterred. He continued to attack me with his bloodied sword. His eyes, filled with malice, were fixed solely on me, while within me, emotions intertwined—pain, fear, and a tiny fragment of determination, the determination to not give up.

Picking the right moment, I disappeared with my Shadow Leap. Waiting for a few seconds, I reappeared some distance away from the Goblin King. Next in line was one of the surviving goblins, who had yet to regain their senses. I unleashed a fully charged "Cleaving Strike" upon him, and the goblin, unable to withstand the blow, fell, slowly losing its life.

The Goblin King, witnessing yet another death among his kin, grew even more furious. His rage should work to my advantage, so I moved on to my next target. This continued for several minutes; I used my abilities—Shadow Leap and Cleaving Strike—until my mana was reduced to less than half.

Considering my remaining mana, I decided to hide within a structure that resembled the Goblin King's quarters, his home. Fortunately, my ability allowed me to enter without any hindrance. There, I was met with a horrifying sight.

My eyes fell upon something that froze me in terror. Bound to the floor near the Goblin King's bed was a young woman. She was covered in bruises and contusions, her clothing torn in places, leaving her exposed. Her eyes, filled with fear and pain, stared into nothingness. Her hair was matted with dried blood, and her face was marred.

She had been a victim of the goblins, enduring their inhuman torture and brutality. My heart constricted with horror and anguish as I beheld this scene. New emotions surged within me, and I couldn't hold back the tears welling up in my eyes. My consciousness was filled with indignation and a burning desire for revenge against those who had inflicted such terrible pain upon her.

Slowly, I approached her, being as cautious as possible, as if afraid of scaring her even more. My heart bled with sympathy for her because the closer I got, the more horrifying the scene became. She was barely breathing, and the bodies of several other girls lay nearby, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that there was no hope left for the others.

There was only a step left between me and her, so I decided to finally open my inventory in the hope of finding something resembling a blanket or a shawl. Fortunately, my search paid off. With careful and gentle movements, I covered her with the blanket, but as soon as it touched her, my eyes caught a small movement.

Finally, I noticed what emerged from beneath the girl, or rather, who emerged. A small child, a half-human, half-goblin. His eyes were filled with fear and confusion. Most likely, he was born from the union between the victim before me and the Goblin King. This child was living proof of the horrors the goblins had inflicted upon her.

My emotions, which were already in turmoil, now took on new shades, dominated by a seething rage. My anger surpassed even that of the Goblin King. He dared not only to defile the girl but also to bring into this world something that should not exist. I felt sorry for the child, but...

Filled with anger and fury, I rushed out of the building straight towards the Goblin King. Now alone and without his army, he looked at me with the same fury burning in my eyes. My rage consumed me, and I raised my mana-charged axe over the goblin's head. His massive shield blocked the attack, after which I dodged using Shadow Leap.

Evading his attack, I summoned "Earthly Traps" around the goblin, attempting to restrict his movement. My attacks became more ferocious, not giving the Goblin King a moment's respite. This continued until the "Thunderous Symphony" was restored. Without much thought, I sent thunderclaps through my body, forming a connection between me and the traps that were set around him.

My plan succeeded, and the earthly traps, under the strikes of thunder, created something resembling a net. The Goblin King, temporarily immobilized, couldn't move, as thunder and lightning drained his strength. With a strong strike charged with "Cleaving Strike," I knocked the shield out of his hands.

A few more attacks, and I managed to wrest the sword he had stubbornly held over his head from him, trying to defend himself against my assaults. The Goblin King, now disarmed and shieldless, stood before me, powerless and stunned. Our eyes met, and in that moment, I saw submission in his gaze.

The Goblin King lowered his head, allowing me to end his life. Finally, with the last strike of my mana-charged axe, a "Cleaving Strike," the life of the last goblin in this place came to an end. His head rolled down, rolling several meters away from the goblin's body. And so, the Goblin King ended his life.

As for me, I stood over him, breathing heavily and feeling pain throughout my body. My anger hadn't dissipated, for I could not forget what I had witnessed. Slowly, I made my way back to the structure where the girl lay.

"Ever, upgrade 'Healing Aura' to its maximum level," I uttered weakly.

"Of course, 650 points have been deducted," she replied.

"It's only the 4th level," I said regretfully and added, "How much health per second will be restored to the people around me after activating the ability?"

"After activating the ability in your vicinity, the regeneration for surrounding allies will be 1 health point for every 10 mana points," she replied.

"But when I acquired it, it was passive," I said angrily.

"For you, it might be so, but not for her. My abilities are primarily meant for the bearer, not for outsiders. My task is to guide you, not to change the destinies of the people around you," she said sternly.

"Then use all the skill points I've earned from leveling up on intelligence. Also, I want to purchase the ability to read emotions," I said as I entered the building.

Slowly approaching the girl, I activated the "Healing Aura" ability, attempting to help her. Time passed, but there was no visible effect on her, as if the ability didn't reach her. My determination kept me from giving up, which eventually allowed me to witness a "miracle." Her unfocused eyes regained some life.

"Ah..." she uttered weakly.

I gently lifted her head, trying to let her see me. My feelings and emotions were in turmoil, ranging from compassion to rage, but I had to restrain myself, burning inside from the conflicting emotions. After half a minute more, she was finally able to see me.

"Be... safe..." she barely whispered.

Suppressing my emotions within became increasingly difficult. I tried not to show my sympathy on my face, and instead, I wanted to smile and say, "You're saved. I'll get you out of here," while holding back tears.

"I... I'm saved... But what about..." she began with joy, but her voice trailed off as she realized that the others had perished.

"Hang on," I immediately reassured her, but, unfortunately, my mana was running out.

My limit was almost depleted, and if I stopped, she would die. So, I squeezed out every ounce of strength I had to try and save her.

"Ever, help me," I shouted.

"I can't help you. Her life is over," Ever replied.

"But I'm healing her!" I yelled again, not giving up.

"Her health doesn't work the same way as yours. She's a regular human in this world. The system exists only within you," Ever stated emotionlessly.

"I'm ready to spend all the earned points, but please save her. Please!" I pleaded.

"You don't have enough points for that. You should come to terms with her death. It's better to help her child," she said with a more humane tone.

"But... he's a goblin..." I said, while the girl, having spent her last strength, turned towards the child.

The ability that had been dormant within me awakened at that moment. I felt her emotions coming from the depths of her soul. She cared for the child; her heart felt him and didn't want to abandon him. Her emotions pierced me like a powerful stream, conveying her motherly love and tenderness for the child, her reluctance to leave him, and her desire to live.

I looked at her, worn out by the goblins, holding the infant born of her suffering. She was close to death, but her tearful and pained eyes were fixed on the child. In that moment, as she was ready to say goodbye to this world, her gaze met mine. It was as if she was trying to convey a message to me, to protect the child, even though he was half-goblin, half-human.

Because of her gaze, a burden seemed to fall from me, making me let go of the vengeance I had wanted to exact. Before my eyes, she took her last breath, and her life faded away. I slowly closed her eyes, trying to give her soul some peace.

The child remaining in her arms emitted only fear. At an instinctual level, he was afraid of me. His blood, infused with the essence of goblins, marked me as an enemy. Alongside fear, there was another emotion – loss, which was characteristic only of humans. He understood that his mother had passed away, and he was overwhelmed by grief.

He cried on her lifeless body while I struggled to figure out what to do. What should I do with him? I wasn't sure if he would be left in peace, and I, myself, was just a guest in this world. My emotions raged inside me, creating a storm.

And then, a voice intervened.

"Oh, what a pity," a voice suddenly sounded behind me.

"Who are you?" I shouted, drawing my axe from my inventory, ready to confront the newcomer who had appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm more interested in who you are. I thought only B-rank hunters could handle this boss. And yet, here you are," he said with surprise.

"You knew what was happening here?" I yelled.

"Of course, I knew because I arranged all of this," he said with a laugh.

My anger, which had almost been erased by the emotions of the deceased girl, flared up again, driven by a sense of justice or revenge. My axe filled with "Cleaving Strike," and using "Shadow Leap," I appeared behind him and struck.

"Oh, you have that ability too. Interesting, very interesting. It's a shame to let you go, but I need this child. So, we'll have to part ways this time," the stranger said slowly, evading my strike.

As if cutting through space, he suddenly appeared right above the girl and swiftly snatched the child, then used an ability that incinerated the bodies of the girls.

"Well, I'm done here, but I won't say goodbye to you. See you!" he said with a smile before cutting through space in front of him and disappearing.

I was left alone. My anger and hatred had turned into weakness and desolation. I hadn't managed to at least preserve the bodies of those girls, and the loss of the child hurt the most. He wasn't to blame for being born like that. It was only after the stranger appeared that I realized that all of this was the work of humans.

Realizing this, I understood that Ever had been communicating with me all this time:

"As there are no goblins left, this location is considered cleared. Would you like to collect all available materials and rewards?" her voice rang out while in my mind echoed the fragment of a sentence: "There are no goblins left..."