Lightning Unleashed

Chapter 4: Lightning Unleashed

The status update was a minor detail, nothing much changed except for the system now having class like those in video games, 'mages', 'knights', and whatnot. easily ignored when faced with the immediate threat of the goblins. With a flick of his wrist, Alex closed the screen, emerging from his hiding place. The goblins spotted him instantly, their guttural screeches filling the air. Ignoring the wave of nausea triggered by their stench, he focused, molding his hand into a gun shape.

Mana coursed through him, gathering at his fingertips. A crackling ball of electricity formed, condensing into a miniature lightning bullet. He visualized it taking shape, refining it until it was perfect. With a flick of his finger, the bullet shot forward. A sizzling hiss filled the air as it streaked towards a goblin, striking true and detonating on impact. A spray of gore splattered on the ground as the creature's head dissolved into a charred mess.

Fear flickered in the eyes of the remaining goblins. They snarled and hissed, their bravado replaced by a primal fear. Alex, emboldened by his success, saw this as his chance. This would be easy.

He raised both hands, mimicking guns once more, unleashing a volley of lightning bullets. The attack was devastating. Nine goblins fell victim to his crackling projectiles, their lifeless bodies littering the ground. Only ten remained, now closing in on him in a ragged mob.

A glint of metal caught his eye. One of the goblins lunged, a rusty dagger flashing in its hand. Instinct took over. Mana surged through Alex, his body reacting with lightning-fast reflexes. He sidestepped the attack with a blur of movement, simultaneously returning fire with a bolt of lightning aimed at the goblin's head.

The creature twitched, its body convulsing before going limp. Panting, Alex glanced around. An arrow flew past, whistling harmlessly by his ear. Spotting the last goblin archer, he quickly visualized a shimmering shield of crackling energy.

The next arrow slammed into the shield, disappearing in a sizzle of sparks. The meager protection offered by his low authority over lightning proved insufficient, however. The shield flickered and dissolved. He had to end this quickly.

With a surge of mana, he launched a bolt of lightning at the archer's chest, the creature collapsing in a heap. He needed to create some distance. He retreated, taking stock of his remaining mana. It was down to a worrying two points.

This was a tiring fight, a drain on his resources. He needed a more traditional weapon, something more suited to close combat. Spotting a discarded dagger, he snatched it up. Focusing his will, he channeled a small amount of mana into the weapon, the metal crackling with contained lightning.

The remaining three goblins charged, their faces contorted in a feral snarl. Alex met their charge head-on. He poured all his remaining strength into a horizontal slash, the lightning-infused blade slicing through two goblins like a hot knife through butter. The metallic tang of blood filled the air.

The last goblin, witnessing the gruesome demise of its companions, turned to flee. "Not so fast!" Alex roared, channeling mana into his legs, a surge of electricity coursing through his muscles. He moved with unbelievable speed, closing the distance in a blink.

His lightning-charged dagger found its mark, severing the fleeing goblin's head with a clean swipe. Silence descended on the battlefield, broken only by Alex's ragged breathing.

He looked around at the carnage, a wave of nausea washing over him. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the system's notification:

[DING] [KILLED LV1 GOBLIN 9X] [EARN 9 EXP]

He chuckled, a touch of humor breaking through the tension. The system called them goblins because of him? Maybe it was still under development.

With weary curiosity, he called out the command, "STATUS."