Smoked Meat and Pebbles in the Rain

"Watashi wa jibun jishin to hitoribotchidesu,

Totemo mechakuchana kibunda yo soshite,

Asahi ga kuru demo watashi ni totte wa kibō wa kagayake nai~"

A low voice echoes all over the cave as it fights with the muddled sounds of raindrops. It had been almost a week since he fought with the goblins. Besides training his body, spearmanship, throw, and reflexes, Ran is also digging traps in the forest, primarily, the area surrounding the pit.

Tap, tap, tap.

His fingers tap with the rhythm of "Enemy Within", an OST from one of his favourite action anime. His half-functioning earphones and mp3 become his only source of joy in this solitude.

Sometime later the rain stopped and Ransom came out from the cave. He looked above and saw a stretch of grey clouds hovering all over the sky.

He called on his profile.

[ *Profile*

Name: Ransom King

Title: Survivor of the First Ascent

Level: 4

Ascended: ×

*Status*

Strength: 10

Agility: 8

Fortitude: 9

Psyche: 8

Free Stats: 0

*Abilities*

•Fleet Footwork (Passive) - You have tapped into your inner potentiality and can now move 1.5x faster based on the limit of your body.

• Throw (Passive) - You can throw things better.

• Reinvigorate (Active) - A skill that immediately heals the user's body based on their Fortitude and Psyche.

*Can be used once a day after a good night's rest.

Talent:

Vengeance - The more someone has inflicted pain on you, the more powerful you become.]

Excluding Psyche, 3 of his stats have increased by 1. He used the remaining 2 free stat points he got in Agility and Strength. He figured he needs at least the strength equivalent of those of an adult to crush the goblin's bones. With his current stats, skills, talent, and training, he knew he can defeat 4 goblins now without suffering so much like what happened last time he overestimated himself.

'That won't ever happen again.' He promised to himself.

If it didn't rain today, then he would have taken his way to hunt goblins again. Over the past week, he has already killed another 3 goblins roaming in the area, and every time this happens, it gets closer to the pit.

The moment he decided to take this day as a rest, the back of his head tingled as he suddenly jumped back, almost sliding due to mud.

SIZZLE. SIZZLE

A ball of fire as large as a fist came flying from his previous location hitting mud.

'Is that a FIREBALL!?' Fireball is a famous skill in RPG games.

At this time, he saw a goblin that dresses differently with a necklace and staff, shouting at a group of goblins, around a dozen or so.

When the goblins heard this, they issued a roar as they jumped down the 3-meter-pit, and some tumbled down.

'What happened to my traps?' He doesn't know if the traps he dug were useful but what he knows is that...

"Perfect! You guys have jumped into your death!" He wasn't shaken by the surprise attack by the goblins or how they find his hiding spot because he already knew deep inside his heart that he will be caught. What's interesting though is the excitement he's feeling right now.

He took from his pockets, 6 pebbles of around a finger's length and an inch wide. It's like a pencil which has a sharpened end which was done by the handiwork of an axe and grinding of stone. A truly remarkable throwing weapon due to the pebbles' pretty heavy weight.

What's more, he has practised countless times with these, adding the normal throw a spin that aims directly at their glabella.

SMACK!

A goblin was hit at its forehead, penetrating its skull and mangling its brain.

He threw another rock and this time it directly snapped the neck of the running goblin.

The closer they got, the weaker the shots become. And when they're only 5 meters away from Ransom, he has already killed 5 goblins.

He threw his last stone at the crazed goblin wave and crushed a goblin's leg, immobilizing it.

SIZZLE!

But the moment it falls, a fireball sneaked and flew from its back towards Ransom, surprising him.

'Shit! That's cheating!'

At this distance, he won't be able to evade it. His reflexes saved his head from blowing off as he used his left arm to block it.

SIZZLE!

"Arghhh!" He immediately soaked his arm in the mud, stopping the burn from spreading. Still, a part of his arm is already dead as black and blue covers it, together with the view of his raw meat. The pain and the smell of his own cooked arm trigger something within Ransom. His eyes are becoming red and his muscles are expanding beyond his skin, making his every movement like he's in hell, yet he still regains a calm state of mind.

[Your Talent, Vengeance has been activated.]

At this moment, the fastest goblin is already unto him as it swung its sword. Ransom was infuriated and with a flick of his spear, stabbed its mouth to its brain.

Another attacked him but was also stabbed fiercely by him. No edge can hit him, but his spear always pierces.

The shaman saw this and backed away from Ransom while chanting something.

Ransom saw this and he was overcome with fury. He ignored the other goblins and rushed to the shaman. The shaman's face contorted as it summons a colourless shield made of mana to protect it while it's chanting its most powerful skill, "Blaze Explosion", which makes a 1-meter area explode. He has full trust in his Shield anyway,

SLAM! SLAM! STAB!

Ransom slammed his body to the shield as it staggers. He then smashed and stabs the shield with his spear, slowly making cracks appear on it.

The goblin shaman was truly scared this time, so it decided to change its casting to Fireball and scare Ransom away. At this time all, it could ever wish for is a Talent that instantaneously casts spells.

Albeit, his wish will forever be invalidated as with Ransom's last stab, the shield disintegrated and the spear penetrated the shaman's skull. It died, just like that.

The moment Ransom felt a warm light crawling to him and the redness of his eyes disappeared while his muscles turns to normal. Everything around him now becomes crystal clear. The pain from the burn tingling, the cold mud and energy used every time he walk, the warm blood on his hands, the terrified expression of the goblins.

'Shit! I must use Reinvigorate!'

[Skill Reinvigorate was used, wounds are slowly healing.]

Now, the wound in his arm is slowly closing up and his body heats up. He's itching for a fight.

"These f*ckers dare to invade my territory! You'll have the taste of your own medicine!"

The remaining goblins became experience points one by one.