DUNGEON 2

Before us stands a portal, its fractured edges resembling shattered glass, with a vibrant vermillion hue at its core, tinged with subtle hints of black. This portal is positioned along a vast road, positioned approximately 3 to 5 kilometers away from the hospital. As we focus on the portal, we're drawn to a chaotic scene unfolding nearby—a fierce battleground. Countless awakeners are locked in combat with the menacing goblins, their bladed weapons clashing against the crude clubs wielded by the monstrous adversaries. Amidst the fray, some goblins, lacking weapons, meet their untimely end at the hands of the awakeners.

Yet, within this spectacle of battle, our attention is drawn to a solitary figure within this tumult. It's a child, distinctively garbed in attire that stands apart from the rest of the combatants. This young warrior possesses a remarkable fluidity in his movements. His lightning speed allows him to seemingly vanish and reappear across the battlefield, leaving his enemies vulnerable in his wake. With a masterful pivot and a smooth shift of weight, the deadly dance of his dagger slashes through the enemies, sending dismembered limbs airborne with each precise strike.

In the midst of battle, it almost seemed as if Xin was dancing across the battlefield. His body gracefully soared over the goblins' heads, and while suspended in the air, he executed swift, precise slashes to sever their necks. As he landed, he assumed a horizontal stance, one hand supporting his balance on the ground as he cut the Achilles tendons of the goblins, rendering them disabled. It was as if time had momentarily slowed down only for himself.

Time passed and it had been a while since he faced these relentless goblins. Although fatigue hadn't yet caught up with him, Xin couldn't help but be perplexed by the never-ending surge pouring out of that accursed portal. "How many more of these wretched creatures are going to crawl through?" Xin muttered, glancing at the weary awakeners around him. "This can't go on like this; I need a strategy."

Swiftly, he hurled one of his daggers at an approaching foe, aimed precisely for its head, then lunged towards another goblin, thrusting his dagger straight into its heart. Effortlessly, he yanked the blade from the fallen creature, a seamless motion that slashed down nearby enemies who foolishly thought him vulnerable. Xin efficiently retrieved the thrown dagger and pondered his next move. "The portal," he thought, recognizing it as a potential key to stemming the tide. If he couldn't halt the goblin invasion at its source, he would make sure to dispatch any adversaries, all while defending the portal's entrance from within.

He cast a quick glance at the brave awakeners fighting alongside him and rallied them, "Stand firm, comrades! Through sheer perseverance, we shall claim victory!" With resolute in his voice, he added, "This trial shall soon be vanquished" Xin propelled himself toward the portal, his body seemingly emerging from the other side as if passing through a transparent curtain.

A hint of amusement crept into the voice of an awakener with dyed grey hair, who quipped, "That kid must've watched a few too many cartoons."

"True," chimed in the female awakener, wielding a bow and arrow, "but for a young one, he's got strength that defies his size."

Together, they observed the grim scene, a formidable pile of goblin bodies strewn across the ground, forming a macabre tableau amidst the swirling pool of blood.

After stepping through the portal, Xin found himself in an otherworldly realm that bore a striking resemblance to Earth. The skies painted a vivid shade of green, casting a verdant glow upon the landscape. Above, a radiant star of brilliant gold illuminated the cloud-covered expanse. Meanwhile, on the ground below, a vast horde of goblins, numbering in the hundreds, charged toward the portal, their chaotic and relentless advance creating a foreboding sight.

As the mass of goblins surged towards the portal, one figure at the edge of the horde stood out—an imposing goblin of the hobgoblin race, towering over its kin. It was adorned in a patchwork of crude armor, a haphazard collection of scavenged metals and leathers, giving it a menacing and battle-worn appearance. Its immense size and brawn marked it as a higher-tiered, more formidable version of the standard goblins, a true chief among them.

In its massive hands, the hobgoblin gripped a colossal axe, its blade glinting ominously in the peculiar green light.

As Xin surveyed the approaching horde of enemies, he realized that a weapon better suited for facing numerous adversaries was imperative. With focus, he invoked the skill of "Creation," channeling his energy to conjure the perfect weapon for this scenario. The weapon materialized in his grasp, bathed in an eerie glow.

The dark light, akin to shattered glass, swirled and coalesced, unveiling what seemed to be a single arrow. "Yinglong" Xin declared silently with reverence.

A notification emerged, luminous blue, displaying "Chaos power: 967"

"Chaos points? I have no memory of such in the azure square interface before," Xin mused, quickly dismissing it as the urgent horde of goblins closed in on him.

Focused, Xin shut his eyes momentarily, channeling his qi into the arrow in his hand. The arrow, enveloped in a yellow ki, began to float. As his eyes reopened, the arrow shot forth at heightened speed, leaving a blurred trail to the naked eye. It punctured the body of the goblin in front of Xin, piercing through it and continuing to impale a couple of others behind it. The arrow's trajectory shifted, targeting the heads of more goblins. In mere seconds, a dozen of the creatures fell motionless, dispatched by the blade-like precision of the arrow. However, as Xin executed this feat, notifications repeatedly flashed beside him, reading: "Chaos power: -1," a consequence of his qi manipulation to levitate the arrow.

Once again, Xin invoked his "Creation skill," summoning a single-bladed curved sword in his right hand. He christened it "Yanyue," a weapon whose elegant form evoked the image of a crescent moon.

As he gripped Yanyue, one hand securing the hilt and the other towards the pommel's end, the weapon seemed to meld effortlessly with his being. Standing in a balanced stance, prepared to move with fluidity.

The battlefield seemed to fade away as Xin delved into the rhythm of combat, a graceful cadence driven by the flowing nature of the curved sword. Circular motions flowed effortlessly from his body, an intricate dance that transformed his blade into a deadly whirlwind of steel. Each swing of Yanyue transitioned seamlessly into a defensive block or a nimble parry.

The goblins, charging like a relentless tide, bore witness to this masterful display. With a motion that belied his speed, Xin sent his blade slicing through the midst of the horde. The arcs of his strikes seemed choreographed, a single sweep beheading multiple goblins, while the next curve sliced through the mob behind. The dance of combat played out in a single, breathtaking sequence.

As Xin charged, the battlefield turned into his stage, each move a note in the crescendo of battle. His strikes landed with surgical accuracy, finding the weak points in the goblins' defenses, leaving them helpless from Yanyue's lethal grace. A repeated, flickering, transparent "Level up" notification accompanied his relentless onslaught.

His speed was a marvel, allowing him to seemingly disappear from one target only to reappear behind another, as if time itself struggled to keep up with his relentless assault. This uncanny ability to appear and vanish like a phantom allowed him to navigate through the goblins' ranks with the ease of a seasoned dancer, never overextending, always in perfect control.

With a fluid step, he'd slide into the heart of the fray, the curve of his blade tracing a deadly path, a painting of crimson arcs in the air. In a breath, he'd step back, just out of reach of the goblins' desperate counterattacks, their swings cutting through empty air as Xin's nimble footwork kept him elusive.

The ebb and flow of battle felt like a symphony, and Xin, the conductor, dictated the rhythm, leaving a trail of fallen foes. Amidst the swirling chaos, a glint of luminous power stood out—Yinglong, his floating arrow. Like a spectral dancer in this deadly ballet, the arrow's trajectory seamlessly intertwined with Xin's masterful movements. As he wielded Yanyue, each sweep of the curved blade and calculated step was in harmony with the ethereal flight of Yinglong. Together, they painted a vivid canvas of destruction and precision, the symphony of Xin's combat prowess played out against the backdrop of a goblin horde.

In a mere 5 minutes, the horde of hundreds of goblins had been vanquished, leaving their lifeless forms strewn across the crimson-soaked meadow. Amidst the aftermath, only two figures stood tall – the red-haired boy and the formidable hobgoblin chief.

"Chaos power: 617" the notification gleamed.

A wry grin played on Xin's lips. "Not bad," he quipped.

However, his expression shifted abruptly, contorting into a mask of surprise as he suddenly coughed up blood, crimson droplets staining the ground before him.

"What the hell..." Xin's surprise was palpable. His body seemed to be betraying him, torn apart from within. Instinctively, he pressed his trembling hands against his chest, desperately attempting to heal himself.

"Do I have some sickness that I know nothing about?" he muttered to himself.

"Looks like it's just you and me, overgrown verdant visaged apparition," Xin remarked, raising an eyebrow and pointing his finger at the hobgoblin.

The hobgoblin gazed at Xin, a mix of astonishment and terror playing across its features. "What manner of creature is this? Not a human, surely; it's the devil himself," the hobgoblin muttered, taken aback by Xin's macabre appearance—blood-red eyes, fiery hair, and menacing shark-like teeth.

Hearing the hobgoblin's murmurs, Xin realized that, unlike the other goblins who could only growl, this one was capable of speech, though in an unfamiliar tongue.

In a masterful display of precision, Xin assumed his stance with a grace that eluded the hobgoblin's perception. Before the creature could even react, Xin's lethal strike had severed its head from its body. A gory fountain of blood erupted from the severed neck, and the lifeless form of the hobgoblin collapsed to the ground mere moments after Xin's weapons dissolved into the shadows, leaving fragments of dark light.

"I might've gone a tad overboard with that one," Xin commented, a touch of ruefulness in his voice.

As Xin reflected, he knew that if he had hesitated for even a second longer, he might've reconsidered the kill.

"Seems like I've got another tale to add to my nightmare collection," Xin quipped, a hint of dark humor in his words.