A Debt Repaid

His focus came to the three goblins that had been stationed further down the corridor, all of which readied their shoddily-made bows. 

"Hmm–?" 

Realizing what was about to come his way, he quickly grabbed one of the small shields carried by the goblins, sprinting down the corridor as arrows sailed in. The force behind each projectile was felt as the arrowheads stabbed into the damp wood. 

As he drew in close enough, he used the shield to bash against the foremost archer. The ruthless strike broke the sharp nose of the goblin, knocking it back as he stuck his blade through its chest. 

"Gruuu!" The fiend spat out. 

He used the goblin itself as a shield, moving forward with it on his blade as he let its comrades release their arrows into its body. Reaching the next archer, he pushed the meat shield against it, piercing them both. 

[EXP: +40] [122/150] 

Just as he slid his bloodsoaked blade from their bodies, he turned around just as an arrow came for him–squelch. 

"Ghh!" Blake winced as the arrowhead sunk straight into his shoulder. 

He ignored the pain for that moment, dashing in as he slashed the last archer across its torso. 

[EXP: +20] [142/150] 

As the final one of the goblins fell limp, he was at last able to come to a stop and catch his breath as the self-hypnosis left him. It was like a surge of adrenaline, pushing his body's physical prowess beyond its limits. 

The process left his body aching as he breathed out, holding his wounded shoulder. With his mental state returning to norm, he looked back at the carnage left in his brief battle; blood painted the walls of the now quiet corridor. 

'I did all of this,' he realized, still catching his breath. 

Stomp. Stomp. 

Amidst his thoughts, the ground vibrated beneath his feet with the daunting echo of footsteps. They were too large and heavy to belong to a nimble goblin, leaving him to turn back around to face what had arrived. 

"Just great," Blake remarked through bated breath. "I'm too tired for this." 

What towered over him with a height that hardly fit into the corridor was of green skin and pointy ears like the goblins, yet of a build like that of a strongman. 

To put it bluntly, the advantage in size he held against the goblins was reversed, with the brute before him dwarfing him. 

'Shit…This guy looks like trouble—all that means is more experience, right?' He thought, attempting to motivate his tired body. 

It wasn't as though he was a complete coward in his original life, though certainly not a daredevil. For a reason he didn't quite know, however, he discovered a thrill in the daring circumstances he faced now. 

The towering brute reached back before swinging the massive hunk of stone in the shape of a club down. 

He jumped back just as the massive force slammed down into the stone tiles. 

"—Close!" Blake remarked to himself, having to check that he wasn't hit. 

Getting close felt like asking to die, leaving him to raise his hand as he clenched his fist, attempting to activate the bracelet he wore. He didn't expect much from it, going off the dud that was the fire sphere, though he would take anything he could get. 

"C'mon…water, bubble, whatever!" He urged the magical accessory as the hulking brute stomped closer. 

The sapphire rune embedded in the item started to glow as he forcibly activated it with random invocations. Each stomp from the green-skinned brute vibrated through the hall, making each step closer tangibly felt. 

As the muscle-bound barbarian reached out to him while presenting its massive tusks from its underbite, the bracelet finally responded–Plop. 

"Ah–?" He reacted. 

Dozens of bubbles released at once; the pristine orbs floated into the air between the desperate man and the brute. To his surprise, the oversized goblin stopped, blinking a few times in clear confusion at the presence of the bubbles. 

'It's…distracted?' He realized. 

The curious brute used its finger to touch one of the orbs—POP. As the fragile bubble broke, the brute jumped back with a frightened shout. 

It was almost comical to the exhausted adventurer, though he didn't waste the opportunity given to him. He held his sword up with an inhale meant to solidify his resolve, "Become fearless and eliminate him." 

[Hypnosis successful.] 

As he imbued himself with the necessary bravado, he sprinted straight for the dumbfounded barbarian. 

POP. POP. POP. 

He ran through the wall of bubbles, causing the erratic noises to throw the thick-skulled one into a confused flurry. 

As he reached the perplexed giant, who thrashed around, he bent his knees before jumping up with an athletic leap that could win him an Olympic medal. 

Without an ounce of fear, he drove his blade down amidst his jump, allowing it to befall the head of the oversized goblin. 

"Guuuerh…" The weak groan left the monster's lips as it fell limp to its knees. 

Before it could faceplant, he pressed his boot against its head to withdraw his blade. 

"Phew," he breathed out as he plucked his sword from its skull. 

[Mountain Hobgoblin Defeated.] 

[EXP: +50] 

[Level Up!] [5 —> 6] [42/175] 

[New Skill(s) Obtained: "Elemental Invocation"] 

<Base Strength Increased> 

<Base Agility Increased> 

<Base Magic Increased> 

Upon reaching the next level of the system, he felt his body become infused with new strength, as well as a flourishing warmth he could only assume to be magic. 

'I need to check on Emma…Maybe take a nap, too,' he tiredly thought. 

He practically dragged his feet with each step, holding his arrow-pierced shoulder as he made his way back. Puddles of blood and limp bodies of the fiends were left in his tracks. 

Somehow, he managed to drag himself back to the flower-covered hut just before collapsing in exhaustion. He couldn't recall what he saw nor heard, only falling asleep soundly. 

"Kip!"

"Kip! Kip! Kip!" 

The strange chirps played against his ears. It reminded him of hearing birds just outside of his window when taking an afternoon nap. 

"…Uhhn?" He groaned quietly. 

His eyelids felt heavy, slowly parting them as he found himself staring up at the ceiling of flowers. Looking down at his face from multiple sides were the curious, child-like plants. 

"Kip? Kip?" 

"Kip!" 

As he sat himself up, he watched some of the mandragoras run off. He looked down to find himself shirtless, feeling his right shoulder that was no longer pierced by an arrow. 

Instead, it was wrapped up in leaf-made bandages. There wasn't much pain in his body besides a slight ache, much to his surprise.

"You're awake already? My, you're a resilient human," the familiar, silken voice met his ears. 

He looked over to find the nymph sitting on her knees, placing an unknown ointment on the unconscious girl's leg. 

"Your friend here hasn't woken up yet, but she will soon. Don't push her too hard afterwards," Basil suggested with a smile. 

"Basil…So, it was you that did this?" He said, touching his patched-up shoulder. "Thank you. We're in your debt." 

The words brought a small laugh from the nymph, who moved over and ran her hand through the young man's hair. 

"There will be no debt of any sort. If I must say, those goblins would often come by my garden and trample my flowers, so you did me a favor," Basil assured him. 

Being in such close proximity with the woman of mysterious origins caught him off-guard, as her chest and privates were on full display. 

"However, if you did feel any need to repay me, I may accept such in a certain…method," Basil spoke with a more soothing tone, guiding the man's hand to her body.