(Bonus) Everything changed

The situation looked mysterious. But Joshua could only focus on the fight that was to come. Other things could wait, as it was his life who was on the line.

A massive club came in his direction. Joshua looked up and dodged sideways, not even trying to block that thing.

The goblin was slow, so Joshua took the opportunity to give a slash of his own. A greatsword cut the goblin's left leg. But, it did not pass its skin. It was the first time that his weapon was unable to cut through.

A smirk formed on the goblin's face, but before he could rejoice himself, another cut. But now, Joshua's sword was on fire, and it melted the goblin's skin, piercing through its defenses.

Most monsters were weak to fire. It looked like it was no different for that giant goblin. A greenish skin attached to Joshua's greatsword, and he swang it side to side to take it off.

Blood dripped from the wound, and it looked like a terrible wound. But Joshua knew different.

[-25]

The damage was pitiful. Joshua could see that the health regeneration of that goblin surpassed the damage he dealt. Could that mean he was impossible to kill? Not at all. It only meant that Joshua had to find another alternative.

Another attack aimed towards Joshua. He was so focused on finding a way out of that situation that he barely dodged it. It was so close that the impact almost made him fall.

[-30]

Thirty damage. That was the impact. Joshua knew that if he got hit, he could almost die. Everything looked weird. Boss-type creatures were sure strong, but this goblin was too strong. The goblin could also talk in human language. What exactly was happening here?

Strike after a strike. Joshua could barely dodge, and his health was diminishing after every hit. But it was precisely these hits that inspired him. Each hit had so much force that it broke whatever surface it hit. For that reason, Joshua dodged near crucial points of the cave structure. The goblin did not notice it.

Joshua wanted to make the place fall apart and bury all of the goblins. It was a shameful tactic, and some would call Joshua a coward. But what could he do? That monster was too strong, and Joshua was sure something was off about the whole situation.

"Are you going to keep running like a coward? Face me if you are capable, human."

"Don't worry. I'm doing precisely that." Joshua dodged for the last time, and it was now his time to strike. Not the goblin but the walls near the entrance of the room. He activated his Blazing Rage. All of the muscles in his body became huge, and he was now almost the goblin's size. With a flaming greatsword, he exerted all of his strength and hit the walls.

It did not break how the goblin's attack did, but it was still enough. The ceiling started to fall apart, and Joshua did not want to stay around to see what would happen. He was already at the room's entrance, so he dashed out of the cave, running non-stop.

"You despicable human. If I get out of here, you'll pay." The goblin yelled in rage, but it was not enough to stop what was happening. A giant rock from the ceiling hit his head, creating a pulp of goblin's brains. All of the minor goblins had the same fate. The only difference was that one rock could kill at least five of them.

Joshua gasped for air after he left the cave. That had been a tough fight, and it had been the only one he had used his intelligence rather than strength. Something fishy was happening.

'That goblin looked like he was mutated or something. Is this the work of someone?'

Well, at least some good things happened. Joshua not only gained one level. He gained two. It was finally the time when Joshua could proudly say he was level 5.

This time, he tried something different. Instead of putting all of his points into strength, he put 6 in strength and 4 in dexterity. Strength was important to increase his overall damage, but being fast and agile was also important. That fight taught Joshua precisely that. The only reason he had not died was due to the goblin being too slow. If it was a faster monster, but with similar damage potential, he would die for sure.

Joshua's status was looking good. He felt that he was getting stronger. The only problem was now the 1000 experience points needed to level up...

'This has to be a joke.'

[Name: Joshua Moore]

[Level: 5 (21/1000)]

[Class: Solan's Warbringer]

[Health: 540/540]

[Mana: 240/240]

[Attributes:

[Strength: 25(+3)]

[Endurance: 7(+2)]

[Dexterity: 10(+2)]

[Wisdom: 6]

[Intelligence: 6]

[Free points: 0]

'How will they react once they see that?' Joshua was already thinking about Richard's surprised face. 'How can you level up so fast?' That was what he would ask for sure.

Aurora would surely be happy for him. She felt joy in his accomplishments, and that made Joshua feel a warmth in his heart.

The trip to the capital was getting near, and now that he reached his goal, he could focus on other things. Like spending some time with Aurora and relaxing. Level up was important, but taking a break was also. It was not like he intended to fight the demon lord in the first place. Why would he push himself that hard?

With those thoughts in mind, Joshua left the cave's entrance. It would not take long to reach the village, but Joshua was excited nonetheless.

~~~~

On the way back, he felt that something was amiss. The air looked strange. It looked heavy. With hastened steps, Joshua reached the village in no time. But what he saw made his body tremble. A scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

A scene that would change the way he saw that world.