Chapter 12 12: Goblin
I already killed several slimes and continued to gain experience. Slimes always attack if they encountered a enemy and ran off fast if they realized that they had low chance of winning.
I pursued them if they escaped and cleanly cut them in half in one hit. There were almost no uses in the slime's body aside from their magic crystal. I just dismantle only the magic crystal and let the body left behind. It will either rot or eaten by other monsters.
The magic crystal of a monster contains mana. It is the crystallization of a monster's mana reservoir. Creatures called monsters were the ones who had a magic crystal in their body. Animals, humans, and demi-humans do not contain a crystal in them. It usually used as a power source of a magic item.
The amount of mana in a single magic crystal depends on the monster's ranking. The more powerful the monster, the more mana in its magic crystal. Of course, the value increases the same as its capacity.
The color of the magic crystal becomes more saturated as the mana inside increases. I was holding a pure white magic crystal between my fingers as I staring at it over the sunlight. This was a magic crystal from a slime.
Mom told me that there were superior species of slime like the Black Slime and the Crimson Slime. Black Slime is a C-ranked monster while the Crimson Slime is B-ranked. Slime was only at F-ranked, the lowest monster rank.
"Are there any monsters other than slimes?"
After I dismantled the last slime with an iron knife, I raised both my arms and stretched my body. I've been killing slimes repeatedly and got bored of it. I want to encounter monsters other than slimes and gained more combat experience.
The wider my monster encounter, the more strategies I made. I've been repeatedly doing evade, chase and attack strategy against slimes. I gained level and power ups but not broad range of strategies.
That's why I decided to dive deeper in the forest. The deeper you dive, the stronger the monsters lurking around. Stronger monsters means having more ways to defeat it and more strategies for my disposal.
After walking deeper into the forest, my Detection detect something that was different from the slime. It was slightly more powerful than the slime. The Detection skill increases its accuracy if used frequently.
(This is it. This must be a stronger monster.)
I walked approaching the target and stopped when our distance was about fifteen meters. I activated Concealment and used the Telescopic Eye and observed the new monster.
As I can see, it was a humanoid monster at child's height. It had a pointed nose and ears, goat-like eyes and green skin. And this monster is a goblin.
The goblin had a wooden club as its weapon. The only clothing it's wearing was a loin cloth to cover its crotch. It was currently observing the area in search of food.
Unlike the slime, it uses a weapon and fight at close quarters. Upon seeing a new monster, I activated Analysis and appraised the goblin.
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Race: Goblin
Condition: Normal
LV: 20
MP: 70
STR: 360
DEF: 200
MAG: 50
MDEF: 150
AGI: 270
Skill: Martial Art: 3, Club Art: 2, Keen Smell
Resistance: Fear Resistance, Pain Resistance, Hunger Resistance
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This goblin had more level than the slime. It also had high stats especially in strength. It had no magic skills and had low mana reserve and magic power.
It specialized in physical attacks and learned some Martial and Club Arts. The goblin also had resistance to fear so it will not ran away immediately.
The slimes immediately ran away if they sensed danger and I had to finished it in one swipe because of its racial skill. If I face the goblin, I can use varieties of attack to defeat it. Goblins are humanoid monsters so I can use it as a reference against humans.
Unlike monsters, humans can use varieties of attacks and strategies in fighting. Monsters always use the same attack pattern again and again while humans can change their strategy depending on the situation.
The goblin halted and slowly turned its head to my direction, sniffing its nose. Its Keen Smell must have noticed my smell. Even though I activated Concealment, my scent still lingering my body.
When the goblin approached closer to me, I unsheathe the blade of my sword with my right hand. After killing slimes, this is my status now.
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Name: Raphael Raevender
Race: Human
Title: Reincarnator, Heir of the Raevender Viscounty
Condition: Normal
LV: 15
MP: 380+76
STR: 520+104
DEF: 260+52
MAG: 350+70
MDEF: 250+50
AGI: 390+78
Ultra Skill: Ultimate Art ,Monarch of the Night
Unique Skill: Parallel Profile, Plunder, Skill Synthesis, Computerized Mind
Extra Skill: Inventory, Regeneration, Limiter
Racial Skill: None
Skill: Item Enchant, Weapon Enchantment, Magic Sense, Thought Acceleration, Parallel Thinking, Martial Art: 4, Sword Art: 5, Close Quarter Combat: 3, Detection, Danger Detection, Weakness Finder, Concealment
Magic Skill: [Elemental Magic: Light Magic: 5, Lightning Magic: 5, Fire Magic: 4, Water Magic: 3, Wind Magic: 3, Earth Magic: 3, Dark Magic: 2, Compound Magic: 3] [Non-Elemental Magic: Space-Time Magic: 7, Pure Magic: 5, Force Magic: 5, Illusion Magic: 3]
Resistance: Pain Resistance, Impact Resistance, Asphyxiation Resistance, Exhaustion Resistance, Magic Resistance, Mental Attack Resistance, Visual Effect Resistance
Blessing: God's Vessel, God's Eye, God's Veil
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I had high stats and more skills than the goblin even though it had higher level than mine. Goblins are only at F-ranked in monsters tier list so it had lower growth rate than humans. Monster do not do training for their body so they do not gain more stats when they levelled up.
"Speed Boost, Power Up, Acceleration, Defense Break."
I activated some Martial Arts and readied my sword. I jumped over the bush and ran towards the goblin.
"Giiiiii?!"
The goblin screeched in surprise and raised its wooden club. The goblin panicked for a moment and charged towards me. I ran forward until I reached its attack range.
The goblin's club glow a pale light indicating that it just activated a Martial Art Technique. The club swing downwards with great speed and aimed at my head.
I did a side step to avoid the club and leaped at the right side of the goblin. The club hit the earth and the goblin raised it again. The club glowed again and swing it horizontally to me.
I took a duck to evade the swing. I swing my mithrill sword to scrape the goblin's right lower leg.
"Giyaaa!"
The goblin screamed in pain as a strip of red line appeared on its leg. It was tougher than the slime but it is still easily sliced due to my superior strength and the sharpness of the blade.
It took multiple step back to distance itself from me and increase its awareness. The goblin hesitated for a second then attack me without fear that its awareness from before looked like a lie. Its starvation must have overpowered its fear.
I stood from my ducking position and brandished my sword. Then I held the hilt with both hands and raised it overhead. I silently cast Level 1 Martial Art: Concentration to narrow my mind and focus to the approaching goblin. Upon reaching the appropriate distance, the blade of my sword glowed and I slashed the empty space vertically.
"Sword Wave!"
"?!"
A blade-like wave was released from the swing of my sword. The wave flew fast straight to the goblin. The goblin stopped upon seeing my attack and reflexively covered its head with its club.
The wave was so fast and sharp that it easily sliced the wooden club. It continued its way until it reached the green flesh of the goblin. The wave cleanly cut the goblin in half from head to crotch. A large tree trunk nearby finally stopped the wave leaving a deep vertical mark behind.
"Phew."
I wiped my forehead after the two halves of the goblin fell to the ground, splattering its blood. I just unleashed my current strongest sword technique in my disposal. It was the Level 5 Sword Art: Sword Wave. It releases a fast and sharp wave by slashing the sword at incredible speed. It also consumes too much stamina so it is commonly used for a certain kill.
<Experience fulfilled. You levelled up by 1. MP +15, STR +30, DEF +10, MAG +30, MDEF +15, AGI +20.>
<Skill Club Art can be plundered. Would you like to obtain it? Yes/No.>
I levelled up again and I can plunder the Club Art from the goblin. But I have to say No for now. I want to focus on my swordsmanship and magic right now. Maybe if I acquired a good club in my own hands, I will definitely learn it.
I approached at the goblin's corpse and took my knife from its scabbard. Like the slime, there's nothing to loot from the goblin aside from its magic crystal. The hue of its crystal were the same as the slime since they were in the same rank.
"You observed your opponent and easily killed it afterwards. But I noticed that you used your sword more often than magic."
"I'm very sorry, mom. I just can't find an opponent worth of my magic."
"Really?"
Mom suddenly appeared out of nowhere and said that with a sad tone. I apologized for not using her forte and find a reasonably excuse. I cannot really say what my forte is. Is it swordsmanship, magic, or something else? Base on my stats, I am more to physical type than magic. But I have more magic skills and spells than my physical techniques.
The more important is that I have more power and many types of abilities that I can use to protect myself and my family. But I doubt that I can protect my parents who had monstrous strength. Even though, I will still try my best to protect them.
"For the next monster, I'll try to use magic to fight it."
"In that case, let's find a monster right away. Look, I've detected a goblin a hundred meters north. Let's go and show me the results of my lessons!"
"Affirmative, mom!"
Mom already found a monster in a distance that my Detected cannot covered. She pointed her finger to the direction of the goblin as she ran dragging my hand.
When we reached the destination, I immediately cast a Level 4 Fire Magic: Flame Pillar and easily roast the poor goblin in one shot. Mom looked so happy to see me using her forte in a fight.
We continued looking for monsters to be used as my target practice for magic. Not only I could see the results of my training, I also gained experience and levelled up. I also gained more combat experience and made my parents happy. So its like killing four birds with one stone.