Voro laid at the base of a stone column with a torch lighting him slightly. Adrenaline was fading and left behind muscle aches and soreness.
[POP !]
Another blue window appeared, although a bit more of it this time
[Level Up! 1 --> 2]
[Unallocated stat points : 3]
[Strength 5] +
[Agility 7] +
[Stamina 4] +
[Wisdom 8] +
[Intelligence 8] +
'Huh'
It was surprisingly obvious to understand, even if it was surprising to see this on its own.
But then again, Voro just slaughtered over a dozen goblins today and it was high time for something for it apart from random garbage. And even better, the system just gave him the stat points and freedom of choice just [do whatever you want]
'Strength for the kill, Agility for the hunt' Voro put his finger into the glowing plus signs.
Effect was not a grand glowing pulses or sound cues, just a very minor changes around him. The lightness in his feet was weird, as if gravity just started to give up but kept pulling down. Arms previously having to grip the knives now had them comfortably sitting in his fingers.
The feeling was .... good. Very good.
But it didn`t overwrite the previous soreness in his body, only made it easier to manage. For that, some proper rest was needed. And for that again, some nice place.
Looking through the cleared halls, one of such places was found. A bookshelf, or remains of one, were taller than Voro yet slightly shorter than the ceiling and perfectly to high for the goblins to reach. Maybe with the spears they will, but with their current tendencies and brain power - unlikely.
Voro closed the door as a precaution still, jammed the metal spike as a second one and then very tightly jammed himself into the wall as a third. And then he listened - for anything.
Footsteps, fire, mice or flies. anything. But.. after minutes there was nothing.
He slowly loosened up, slowed down his breath and ....
Shaking of the bookshelf woke him up.
Something was happening and it didn`t seem like the goblin`s doing. Voro got up and listened again with various success, since of course would be moving if the ceiling started to shake, but also in the meantime he himself was going out in a hurry,
Spike and knife in his hands he went into the now very dusty hallway and started running. Not walking not sneaking or even jogging . Just running.
The noises kept on coming and kept on getting louder, and that could not mean anything good for him. So he went forward, passed all the corridors he cleared of goblins and passed a few new. The noise followed. Until he found the one place he never noticed before.
When the nicer looking section seemed to end, a large wooden doorway was placed as if it was splitting the place in half with a large wall to both sides and cutting into the floor tiles.
Voro opened it up and closed it right behind him. Maybe not the smartest idea, but at least the noise was quieter here.
Nnnnghrhrh....gooorllrrowwwlll The sound of closing doors woke something up behind him.
Sitting on a pile of bones and ....remains... of different animals and creatures, laid a goblin.
Just a bit bigger. just a bit more hairy. and with a bit more armor on him, with clothes and actual metal armor pieces on him.
It rolled over from the bone pile and made its way to a cleaver next to it, while swaying from side to side.
'Is it...drunk?' Voro question its behavior, while preparing for the fight. Clearly, after a whole dungeon of goblins there is bound to be the boss somewhere.
The goblin boss managed to lock his head at Voro and his pupils sharpened momentarily. It`s limbs snapped and the monster lunged at him from the great distance. Voro ran. Sideways along the rooms wall and while being a tiny bit slower, goblin wasn`t far behind.
The utility knife flew backwards, missing the boss entirely. The whole 5in1 too, hitting on and tripping the goblin a bit, but not for long. He needed something else, even if there was no fight here it`s almost ending now.
Abrupt stop from Voro and a massive swing with the metal spike did something at least, hitting the goblins head and grounding him, as well as almost breaking his wrist and fully dropping the weapon.
A second of breathing room.
His hand went to his belt for the big knife while his head looked around.
Bone pile
Goblin getting up
Metal pike next to him
Knives he threw back
and
The ceiling above him
"YES" he actually shouted with joy for the first time in a while when he noticed the solution.
The room taller than the rest and the ceiling was a weird gothic-like ceiling, with wooden beams supporting them and other beams across the room, creating a solid structure under them. And each beam next to a wall, had a small triangle support where the across beam met it, creating a small space.
To small to fit a human, but big enough to grab it and hold for life. And barely low enough that Voro jumped onto the wall and grabbed the beam with everything he got.
NAGHGJKAKA GAKA NIHHA goblin got obviously caught up to him but his shorter statue couldn`t jump high enough, scratching his clothes with the cleaver was the best he could do.
Voro climbed higher, fitting between the wall and the beam, locking his legs in and somewhat be in a stable position.
Inhale
'Now what' The boss was still down there, and the noise started to come back. Quick thinking started again, but options were already used up. No throwing, no torches, no darkness.
But he did have something , something he already tried before.
'I have the high ground'
And very nicely, a decent 2 meters directly under him was a target. The only thing needed now was timing and aim.
Goblin boss jumped up and tried to cut him.
Exhale slowly
It tried again and managed to cut the wood a bit, but not really enough.
Inhale deeply
The goblin looked up at Voro and paused the attempts for a bit and tried to catch a small breath.
Instant exhale
Voro dropped, held his knife with both hands and the handle at his shoulder, tip pointing straight down. The boss didn`t have react in time, as it managed to notice him falling and start to pick up the sword again.
But in that split moment, the blade hit its shoulder, pinning it to the ground and almost ripping through its arm. A gutting scream filled the room, but the fight wasn`t over.
The cleaver may have been dropped, but the monster still had other tools, claws and teeth,they punctured the clothes Voro had and scratched and bled him. No matter.
Another strike was ready, as the blade once again hit the goblin. This time properly, aiming at its right eye directly into the brain.
Blood splattered and the goblin punched and clawed him as hard as he could.
Voro held his weapon steady and pushed down.
Convulsions. Screams. And then.
Silence.
The boss was dead.
Voro still held the knife in its head. And then he stabbed it again. and again. and again.
Until its face stopped looking like a face and just a pile of mush on a skull. Voro stood up slowly, dropped the knife and moved away from the bloody mess onto the boney pile.
He threw his head back and let out a roar that tore through his throat. It wasn't a "victory" shout;terrifying sound that rattled the bones he was standing on.
"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGH—!"
And after a while again.
Shouting out over the corpses, just screaming out the pain from the fight, but also....just felt right to do so. Fuck the goblins he killed, fuck the boss. But more ... more importantly. Fuck the life he had. No need to sit quiet behind the counter, no need to chop up dead meat.
[1st Tower Floor Cleared]
[CONGRATULATIONS CHALLENGER]
[Voro Vane lvl 2]
[Please choose your reward]
[Random Skill]
[Random Item]
[Random Stat + 3]
Blue windows appeared around him, causing him to slowly go back into more "human" behavior. But not in his great mind yet, he picked the first from the left and went for his knives on the floor.
[Random skill selected]
[Acquired skill : Dash lvl 1]
[Activate to gain a burst of speed]
The window lingered on next to his face as he picked up his tools, making him miss them a few times while he read the pop-up.
But it disappeared after while, leaving him now in an empty room with the noise still somewhere in the castle.
[Teleporting in 5]
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
'Shit' his mind worked now thankfully and he grabbed the backpack as the countdown reached [0]
And he felt like a flashbang just got exploded in his face.