Ch 12
Clutching one rock-cutting tool in each hand, Matt maintained an intense focus on every goblin that came within the striking range of his weapons. Unfortunately, there were too many of them, and he soon found himself enduring one minor blow after another. He was somewhat relieved that the vicious creatures wielded nothing more than clubs and lacked the brute strength he’d expect from a human adversary. Their reckless abandon—charging without any semblance of self-preservation—gave Matt a glimmer of hope that he could prevail or at least dispatch enough of them to make a meaningful difference.
That hope was shattered when he felt the sharp teeth of one goblin sink into his left arm just above the wrist. Rage surged through him, as he lost his grip on the tool in that hand, and he instinctively swung his remaining tool at the goblin’s skull. Even as the creature relinquished its bite, another enemy landed forcefully on his back. With quick reflexes, Matt slammed himself down onto the intruder before it could inflict further harm. Still, he found himself pinned on his back while the remaining goblins continued their relentless charge.
Frantically, Matt kicked and punched, desperately trying to prevent the goblins from swarming him. He had no time to think or plan—only to fend off each attacker as they surged forward. Blood splattered everywhere, mingling with the red smear of his own, as every part of his body throbbed with pain and each breath became a struggle. His vision blurred into a chaotic scene where he no longer saw fear in the eyes of the goblins. Instead, they seemed to be grinning at his inevitable demise. At some point in this chaos, he lost his remaining cutting tool, leaving him defenseless against the onslaught. Death loomed large for both him and his attackers, and amidst the chaos, he couldn’t help but wonder why he had risked everything for a group of women he barely knew.
There was a small consolation in the thought that, when alone, he would have been attacked even more relentlessly—which, in theory, could have helped him level up quickly enough to become immune to weaker foes. But that line of thought vanished as he felt another set of sharp teeth sink into his already screaming leg, battered by countless blows. In that agonizing moment, memories of the life he once knew and the peace of days long past flooded his mind.
Time itself seemed to slow down as he savored what felt like his final moments, reflecting on the life he had cherished until now. Yet, those final minutes dragged on interminably, and he felt that his entire life should have flashed before him—instead of merely the moments preceding his inevitable end. It was at that exact moment, as his thoughts swirled in a haze of impending doom, that a deep chuckle reached his ears. Instantly, he recognized the gravely familiar voice of the one who had welcomed them to this nightmare.
“How pitiful—so much potential, all destined to be lost because you rush in to save others rather than seizing the gains and abandoning the dead weight.”
“That’s just what humans do!” Matt mentally shouted, sensing that the very fabric of time was being manipulated.
“Yes, humans—a foolish race that cannot achieve harmony with that which they deem inferior, like ants or bees, yet fail to rise to the magnificence of the dragons they so fantasize about.”
“Are you here just to mock me before I die!?”
“No. Were I inclined to mock you, I wouldn’t be addressing you now. Rather, I am here to offer you a chance to survive.”
“Oh, and what will it cost me? My soul?”
“If only it were that simple. No, what I require are the last threads of what you call your humanity.”
“What?”
“You need not understand; simply know that if you refuse, this is where you will meet your end.”
Matt hesitated, processing the weight of the words and pondering what it truly meant to lose his humanity. Was it his humanity that compelled him to save the women? Was he being given the option to become one of the monsters, or was there something even more nefarious at work?
“No,” Matt finally responded, astonishing even himself. “I will not die, and I will not change who I am for anyone—much less for some disembodied voice sent to tempt me!”
In that moment, Matt thought he could almost hear a smile in the tone of the unseen speaker.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Such a pity. Still, show me, prove me wrong and survive this fight.”
Time seemed to resume, and Matt found his body moving on its own as he forced himself upright and unleashed a primal roar. Without a second thought, he thrust his right arm toward the nearest goblin’s throat and clutched it. In a wild frenzy, he swung the goblin’s body around like a cross between a club and a flail, smashing it into one goblin after another as he ignored the searing pain that coursed through his body. It wasn’t until, after approximately a dozen savage swings, that the goblins head came free from the relentless combat, and Matt found himself crouching to pick up another stunned goblin that hadn’t yet recovered from his brutal assault.
Embracing the role of a demon in the eyes of the goblins, Matt felt inspired by the sinister deal he suspected had been offered by a devil himself. Aware that he couldn’t win if every goblin engaged him simultaneously—he had already come dangerously close to being overwhelmed—he surrendered to the only option remaining: to become a monster, so long as he maintained control. At least, he reasoned, if those who viewed him as a monster were, in fact, the true beasts, then he could at least see himself as a hero on one side. He wasn’t entirely sure why he longed to be a hero, but he decided to embrace the mantle and push forward.
By the time the second goblin’s neck finally gave out, the remaining goblins and hobgoblins had scattered, leaving only the redheaded sword-wielder and the bow-user behind. Feeling his strength beginning to wane, Matt scoured the battlefield for any goblins still breathing and finished them off. In that instant, whatever governed the nature of this experience recognized the fight as over, and Matt received three messages detailing the gains he had earned from the battle.
Monsters killed: 6 level 3 goblins.
Base experience multiplied by two.
Awarding 360 experience.
Current experience to next level 1379/2000.
Kill more things while in a rage if you wish to pursue a path of wrath.
Monsters killed: 2 level 4 hobgoblins.
Base experience multiplied by three.
Awarding 160 experience.
Current experience to next level 1539/2000.
Kill more things while in a rage if you wish to pursue a path of wrath.
Monsters killed: 4 level 4 goblins.
Base experience multiplied by three.
Awarding 320 experience.
Current experience to next level 1859/2000.
Kill more things while in a rage if you wish to pursue a path of wrath.
Matt was just about to curse his luck for coming so close to reaching the next level and being able to continue his quest when the last group, carrying the overweight staff-wielder, came into view. His world was a haze of pain, but he still managed to smile as he grasped the neck of the nearest dead goblin and hurled it at the hobgoblins struggling to carry Maria. Without even waiting to see the results of his throw, Matt grabbed another goblin corpse and put everything he had left into charging forward with renewed determination.
His actions had the desired effect as the smaller goblins scattered in fear, and the two hobgoblins carrying Maria collapsed. The thrown goblin had crashed into the front hobgoblin, leaving the one at the back unable to handle the weight alone. This made dispatching the pair and earning 160 experience points almost too easy, as the notifications came streaming in.
Experience has reached threshold prepare to level up!
Matt felt like his entire body was on fire once more as every injury he had sustained during the fight began to heal. This was once again followed by the revelation of his new stats.
Matthew Pierce
Level 3
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 8
Durability: 8
Stamina: 10
Spirit: 9
Mind: 6
Species Human (H) (pending evolution to G)
Bloodline: (Not evaluated at this level)
Path: None
Titles: Integrated
Skills: Auto translate
No path detected: increasing all stats by one due to the lack of path.
A path is required to evolve areas, select a path.
Matt once again felt the world come to a complete stop as several options of paths were displayed before him, shimmering with potential. In that frozen moment, the deep, resonant voice of the unseen entity invaded his mind:
"Good, good—what a delightful bit of entertainment. It always pleases me when my expectations are exceeded. Still, it does not erase the fact that you once refused my hand, and I do not take kindly to such defiance."
"Go to hell—if you’re not already there," Matt shot back, his tone edged with defiance. "I know nothing about you or your motives, so excuse me for not entrusting my fate to someone like you."
"All someone as feeble as you needs to understand is this: I possess power, and you do not. Judging from the world you hail from, I can see why you might naively believe that standing up to those with true might is even possible. Allow me to enlighten you about the reality you now inhabit. Planets like the one you once called home are as numerous as the stars, with at least ten new worlds discovered each week and claimed for purposes known only to those who wield genuine power.
"Take your solar system, for instance. Though it boasted the only world with what you deemed intelligent life, it contained eight significant worlds and hundreds of insignificant ones. Even now, as you struggle in this very moment, everything is being reshaped according to our design. Several worlds will be merged, while others will be torn apart and their fragments distributed among various factions. Worry not—at least for now—we intend for these places to remain habitable for survivors, though life will become far more treacherous than you can imagine.
"In these early trials, we need you all to endure hardship so that the strongest of you may rise, much like cream separating from milk. It is then that we can reap something of true value—the experience gained by eliminating those who refuse to comply with our designs, much like you seem so determined not to. After that, your world will transform into nothing more than a desolate place where the weak are condemned to mundane tasks that barely yield enough experience to capture our interest.
"So, what occurs when someone grows too powerful for even those in power to eliminate?" asked Matt, a challenge in his tone.
"How do you suppose we came to be the ones in control?" the voice countered. "Make no mistake, we are not all allies, and not every world suffers the fate I’ve just described. Some become barren wastelands, while others evolve into paradises in their own right. Now, will you accept my help—"
"Thanks, but I intend to forge my own path," Matt interrupted. "Allowing myself to be subjugated by another’s power is simply not an option."
"If that is your decision, then I shall not waste time explaining which paths offer true promise and why you must avoid those that appear deceptively alluring."
At that instant, time resumed its relentless march, and once again, before Matt’s eyes, a screen lit up with a myriad of possible paths awaiting his choice.
Available paths…
