Ch-5: Clash of Bones and Orc

The hulking brute snarled in a deep baritone and looked up toward the cliff, its yellow eyes gleaming with malice.

The remaining goblins scattered, their fear palpable as they hurried to get out of the beast's way.

Ethan felt a cold chill run down his bony spine. "Okay, big guy, let's see what you've got," he muttered, trying to muster his courage. He knew he couldn't take this brute head-on; he needed to be smart.

As Ethan backed away, the brutish goblin's hulking frame became more defined. It carried a massive club of wood and jagged rocks, its eyes scanning the cliff until they landed on his skeletal form.

'That has to be an orc,' Ethan thought to himself, recalling his DnD knowledge. 'No way I can take that thing head-on at my current level. I need more stats.'

His thoughts were interrupted by the pitiful cries of the injured goblins below. An idea sparked.

He had initially dismissed the wooden spears as useless, but now they seemed like the perfect tool for his plan.

Ethan quickly scanned the area, spotting a few wooden spears scattered around. He collected all three and stored them in his inventory before making his way back to the cliff's edge.

Peering down, he saw the orc lumbering toward the path leading to the cliff, while the injured goblins continued their pitiful wails.

He needed to find a high-level goblin to maximize his experience gain. Scanning the goblins, his eyes settled on one that was slightly shorter than the rest.

Unlike the others, this goblin wasn't crying out in pain but was instead trying to splint its leg, showing a surprising level of intelligence and resourcefulness.

'That's my target,' he hoisted one of the wooden spears, testing its balance.

Satisfied, he threw it into the ground a little ways away to check his aim.

Nodding to himself, he aimed at the goblin, his increased dexterity making his movements smoother, and his boosted agility adding power to his throw.

The spear trailed through the air, straight and true, piercing the goblin's belly.

The goblin gasped, stunned, before falling back unconscious, blood pooling beneath it.

"Gotcha," Ethan whispered, feeling a mix of triumph and anticipation. He watched as the goblin's life force ebbed away, waiting for the experience points to roll in.

In the midst of this, the orc's roars grew louder, closer.

Ethan made a tch sound for not getting the insta kill. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. Instead of wasting another spear on the goblin, he shifted his focus to another injured target. He aimed carefully and threw the spear, this time nailing it squarely in the chest. A notification floated up:

[You killed a Level 3 goblin. You gained 30 Exp.]

"Nice," Ethan whispered to himself, feeling a small surge of satisfaction. He quickly targeted the last injured goblin, releasing his final spear with a swift, practiced motion. Another notification appeared:

[You have killed a Level 3 goblin. You gained 30 Exp.]

'So, the injured goblins were high-leveled,' Ethan deduced. 'That's why they didn't die immediately from the rock. Makes sense.'

Just then, he heard the Orc's voice—a guttural mix of grunts and growls. Ethan couldn't understand what it was saying, but the menacing tone was clear. The Orc was on the hunt, and Ethan was its prey.

'Why is that damn goblin taking so long to die? Higher endurance, maybe?' Ethan huffed in annoyance before focusing back on the Orc.

He realized he needed to use the terrain to his advantage. 'I have to get the high ground on the Orc,' he decided.

With newfound determination, Ethan quietly retreated from the cliff side and entered the forest. His higher dexterity now allowed him to move more fluidly.

He found a sturdy tree and began to climb, his bony hands finding purchase on the rough bark. Once he reached a suitable height, he perched on a thick branch, looking down at the ground below.

The Orc stomped around, its massive club smashing into trees and underbrush as it searched for him.

Ethan watched intently, his blue eye flames flickering with a mix of fear and anticipation. "Come on, Orc," he whispered. "Show me what you've got."

The Orc's rage was palpable, its roars echoing through the forest. Ethan could see the brute's muscles rippling under its rough skin, the club swinging with devastating force.

Ethan quietly retreated from the cliffside and entered the forest. With his higher dexterity, he easily climbed a tree, finding a perch that provided a good vantage point.

He sat atop, looking down as the Orc smashed its club around, trying to find him. The forest echoed with the beast's guttural roars and heavy footsteps.

Suddenly, the Orc paused, its eyes scanning the treetops. Before Ethan could react, it spotted him. With a deafening roar, it lunged at him, the massive club trailing behind.

In that moment, a notification flashed before Ethan's eyes:

[You killed a Level 6 goblin. You gained 60 Exp.]

[You have leveled up. 10 stat points obtained.]

"Finally," Ethan muttered, the thrill of leveling up momentarily pushing aside his fear. As the Orc charged, he quickly allocated his new points—6 to agility, bringing it up to 20, 3 to dexterity, and 1 to strength, raising them to 13 and 11 respectively.

A surge of power coursed through his skeletal frame, his bones clicking as he felt more nimble and strong. As he prepared to jump away from the tree, another notification appeared:

[Congratulations for reaching 20 points in Agility. You have been granted the skill "Dash".]

Ethan dismissed the notification quickly, knowing he had no time to check the details. The Orc's massive club smashed into the tree just as he jumped, his newly enhanced agility allowing him to leap to a nearby branch. He scrambled up quickly, his bony fingers finding purchase on the rough bark.

From an outside perspective, it was a comical sight—an animated skeleton scrambling through the treetops. But Ethan had no time for such thoughts; his mind raced with survival strategies.

He continued jumping from tree to tree, the Orc following and swinging its club with relentless fury. Minutes passed, the chase exhausting the predator but not the prey.

Ethan noticed the Orc's momentum slowing, its panting breaths heavy with fatigue. Saliva dripped from its mouth as it trudged after him.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. As he jumped to another tree, the Orc didn't follow. Instead, it sat down with a heavy thud, its chest heaving as it tried to recover stamina.

'This is it,' Ethan thought, feeling a mix of relief and determination. He quickly checked the skill description of "Dash":

{Dash}: Level 1

Cost: Saps N/A stamina

Duration: 1 second

Cooldown: 1 minute

Saps a part of user's stamina to boost speed up to 500 percent for a second.

Ethan smirked inwardly. 'Being a skeleton is a cheat,' he mused. 'If I were human, I probably couldn't outlast the Orc. And while using this skill, I won't lose any stamina because I have unlimited of it.'

Dismissing the translucent blue screen, he focused back on the panting Orc. Using his enhanced agility and dexterity, he scrambled down the tree, his bones clicking against the bark.

The Orc noticed him and began to rise, albeit slowly, using its club for support. The blue flames in Ethan's eyes shone brighter with determination.

He darted forward, activating "Dash" and "Sharpen". His skeletal form blurred as he closed the distance in an instant, the blue light of the sword trailing behind him.

Before the Orc could fully react, Ethan struck with his newly acquired goblin sword.

The blade, sharp and lethal in his bony grasp, cut deep into the Orc's exposed neck.

The initial strike was precise, slicing through muscle and sinew with a wet, sickening sound.

A gurgling roar escaped the beast's throat as it staggered back, blood spurting from the wound in a crimson arc.

Ethan didn't hesitate. His skeletal form moved with a fluid grace that belied its macabre appearance.

He ducked under a wild swing from the Orc's massive club, the jagged rocks missing him by mere inches.

The force of the club's impact sent splinters flying as it smashed into a tree, but Ethan was already on the move.

He pivoted on one foot, spinning around to deliver a slash across the Orc's abdomen.

The mana enhanced blade cut through the tough hide, opening a gaping wound.

The Orc howled in pain, swinging its club in a desperate attempt to fend off the relentless skeleton.

Ethan's agility gave him the upper hand in the fight. He weaved and dodged, every motion calculated and efficient.

He feinted to the left, drawing the Orc's attention, then darted to the right, slashing at the beast's thigh.

The goblin sword bit deep, severing tendons and causing the Orc to stumble.

With the brute momentarily off-balance, Ethan leaped forward, driving his sword into the Orc's side.

He twisted the blade, feeling the resistance of bone and muscle giving way.

The Orc bellowed, its club dropping from its hands as it clutched at the wound.

Ethan pulled the sword free with a wet squelch and spun around, bringing the blade down in a powerful overhead strike.

The sword cleaved through the Orc's collarbone, embedding itself deep into the creature's chest.

The Orc's eyes widened in shock and agony, its roar turning into a gurgle as blood filled its lungs.

But Ethan wasn't done. He yanked the sword free and thrust it deep inside the Orc's chest, the blade tearing through flesh and bone and reaching its heart.

The force of the blow caused the Orc to crumple to its knees, its life force draining away with every ragged breath as its heart stopped beating.

Ethan stepped back, watching the Orc's massive frame tremble and collapse to the ground.

Crimson blood pooled around the fallen beast, its once powerful body now lifeless and still. A series of notifications flashed before Ethan's eyes:

[You have killed a Level 5 Orc. You gained 500 Exp.]

[You have leveled up. 10 stat points obtained.]

Ethan stood over the fallen Orc, his blue eye flames flickering with triumph.

"Gotcha," he whispered, allowing himself a brief moment of satisfaction.

His bones, slick with the blood of his foe, gleamed in the dappled moonlight filtering through the trees.

The thrill of victory surged through him, but he knew the hunt was far from over.

Ethan's thoughts raced as he wiped the blood from his bones. 'I need to reach higher levels quickly and clear this goblin nest as fast as I can,' he mused, glancing around the dark forest. 'Every second I waste, the goblins might regroup or reinforce. If they call for backup, I could be overwhelmed.'

He flexed his bony fingers, feeling the surge of power from his recent level-up. 'I can't afford to be complacent… The faster I level up, the stronger I'll become. And who knows what rewards or skills I'll unlock by then? Each new ability might be the difference between life and death.'

Suddenly, a notification appeared in his vision.

[New mission has been issued, check the mission description for details.]

Ethan's skeletal fingers hesitated over the glowing interface, the blue flames in his eye sockets flickering with curiosity and unease.

The forest around him seemed to hold its breath, the silence thick with anticipation.

With a final, steadying breath, Ethan reached out to open the mission description, the screen pulsing with ominous light.