Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Hardworking Pay-to-Win Knight
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"Dwarf? Dwarf? Dwarf?"
"They're insulting us! Insulting us, human! Knock him down! Knock him down!"
"Kill him! Kill! Rip off his head and limbs and stab him with spikes!"
Goblins armed with daggers, poison needles, and shortbows screeched wildly as they swarmed forward.
They weren't to be dismissed just because they were about a meter tall like dwarves. Though their bodies were small like children's, their muscles were those of monsters.
They were faster than imaginable and could leap as high as their own height. Their grip strength surpassed that of an average adult, making it hard to shake them off once they latched on.
'Well, that's to be expected. These guys are higher level than the wild boars.'
If they were weaker than the boars, they wouldn't be in Red X Territory—they'd be further up the line. Even as [Normal] grade respawning beasts on the outer edges of the board like Go stones, monsters were monsters.
'Of course, to me, they're just food.'
The wild boars were actually more of a hassle. Compared to their thick necks that took effort to sever, the goblins' slender necks snapped off like strawberry stems.
"Kieek! Human's charging! Charging!"
"I'll kill him! Me! Me!"
"I'll stab him with the skewer, skewer!"
Of course, goblins had their tricky points compared to boars. Possessing intelligence, they were capable of malicious strategies and tactics. On the flip side, they had no real combat technique, and their chaotic, unreasoning assaults were unpredictable.
But the moment the green wave crashed over me, I could tell.
'Two to the instep. One to the shin. Five to the thigh. They're really going for the legs.'
And on top of that.
'Paralysis needle. Right shoulder.'
I kicked off the ground and accelerated. I crushed the frontal goblin targeting my legs with my knee and stomped several others underfoot.
Clang clang!
I batted away the flying paralysis needle with my sword.
[Parry successful!]
'Oh, it counts as a parry.'
Pleased, I swung the orc warrior's sword.
Kwaduduk!
Green blood sprayed. The moment four headless goblin skulls flew into the sky.
My temple throbbed.
Ping!
I jerked my head back, and an arrow grazed past.
"Hahaha! Sharpshooter, huh!?"
I laughed heartily and slammed my sword down.
Thud!
The goblins charging head-on couldn't withstand the immense force and collapsed in a heap.
"Kyak!?"
"Human! Human! Strong! Strong!"
"Swarm him together! Swarm!"
"I'll stab the skewer! Me!"
Even as blood painted the air, they screeched and charged. But I blocked, parried, stomped, and crushed them.
They lacked the power to kill dozens in one blow against me, but in return, I had enough battle sense to hold out unscathed in the middle of their surging waves.
[Inexplicable Combat Foresight].
It was the top contributor that let a cursed eternal beginner like me, forever unable to advance past novice due to my aptitude, beat down other ability users.
This near-superpower sense let me intuitively foresee the surrounding combat situations unfolding around me.
I could anticipate most attacks, so no sniping or blind arrows fazed me. The only issue used to be 'knowing but still getting hit,' but with my bolstered stats now, even that was no problem.
[Critical hit!]
I sliced a neck. Even swinging just with my arm sent heads flying every which way, letting me massacre goblins regardless of stance. With [Inexplicable Combat Foresight], I took no wounds even in the chaotic melee.
'They're no better than scarecrows!'
Strong foes who could land attacks I foresaw but couldn't block were the problem. These small fry weren't opponents at all.
Of course, getting surrounded like this left no room to rest, and I'd normally lose to attrition.
"Log out!"
I returned to Earth. Drank some water, slept soundly, then.
"Log in!"
Back to the battlefield.
[HP increased by 1 point for unknown reasons!]
Pushing through dense combat non-stop raised my stamina.
'Was my stamina at its limit? Is it growing to keep up with my transcendent strength?'
I pondered that but kept fighting.
Naturally, the soldiers weren't idle either.
"Help the lord! Kill the monsters!"
"For humanity!"
While I dove into the goblin horde and wreaked havoc, the soldiers who'd taken in the refugees stood like a massive breakwater blocking the goblins.
"Shields up!"
"Thrust spears!"
"Any clinging to shields, smash their faces with swords!"
The soldiers roared fiercely as they slew goblins.
Not just goblins were dying, of course.
"Skewer thrust! Skewer! Skewer!"
"Urk! P-Poison...!"
A non-negligible number of soldiers fell. Even if I'd granted them classes, it wouldn't have changed much. In brutal cold weapon combat, zero casualties were a pipe dream.
No matter how armored in leather coats, humans would fall.
However.
For every one human down, five—no, ten or more goblins fell.
'Right on plan.'
Me rampaging in the goblin army's center kept them from focusing on the frontline soldiers. Even full focus ahead was barely manageable; with their backs exposed, how could they fight?
And above all.
The sheer number of goblins dying by my hand alone.
[Critical hit!][Critical hit!][Critical hit!][Critical hit!]
Kwak! Shwaak! Splat!
One swing felled five or six goblins. Dozens of berserk goblins tried to swarm and topple me with their bodies, but I planted my feet firm and shoved back hard.
"Kwaaak!"
"Don't push! Don't push!"
"Kyarruk!"
The goblin pack, outmatched in raw power, toppled in a fan shape. The shocking sight halted even the soldiers' swordplay momentarily.
True superhuman strength on display!
With strength transcending human limits backing my movements, I could do anything I wanted.
Swinging my sword full force sent goblins flying like they'd been hit by a car.
"Haha."
Laughter bubbled up. I couldn't hold it back from the thrill.
"Hahahahaha!"
Different from fighting orcs. These tiny monsters were light and tender, unable to resist my sword's momentum.
Everyone who's played games knows: massacring mooks is the most fun thing in the world.
"Hik! Kieek! Monster! Monster!"
"I run! Run! Running!"
"Too strong! Can't win! Can't beat!"
The goblins, who seemed fearless in their frenzy, finally broke.
Those at the rear turned and fled, and others followed suit in a panic. Soon, all goblins were retreating.
That was the battle's finale.
In war, the most casualties happen during retreats.
"Drop shields! Chase them down!"
"Kill them all!"
"Run! Laggards are losers!"
The soldiers, disciplined like elites, unleashed their savagery in pursuit. Not just them—territorial folk grabbed bone longswords or daggers and joined the chase.
Though nimble, the goblins were exhausted from pursuing refugees and fighting, so few escaped successfully.
"Victory!"
"Waaaaah!"
Cheers erupted, but only briefly. Soon, cleanup began: sorting the dead, treating the wounded.
Fortunately, the potions I'd distributed worked well, stabilizing non-fatal injuries.
As for goblin corpses...
Fuss...
After a short time, the piled bodies dissolved into dust. The sticky blood coating the ground vanished without trace.
"Ah...."
"My god...."
Territorial folk stared blankly at hundreds of bodies dispersing.
"Unlike magical beasts. What are these? Are they even alive?"
To Steelstone's words, I pulled out a bundle of potion bottles and replied.
"A new reality we might have to adapt to."
"New reality...."
Where the goblins had vanished, items remained.
From the Revenge site, goblin drop tables:
[Red Spike Goblin (Normal) drop items.]
Normal Class Summon Scroll (No Grade). Short Sword (Normal). Short Bow (Normal).
Healing Potion (Normal). Bone Arrows. Goblin Clan Seal (Shop Sale). Gold.
'Nothing special.'
All normal grade as expected, but no food drops meant no self-sufficiency—a big drawback.
'I can't forever supply food for the territory. Eventually, we'll push to the wild boar fields.'
Then I noticed the shortbows the soldiers gathered.
'Huh? Look at this.'
I'd dismissed them as goblin junk, but they looked decent. The wooden limbs had good elasticity, and the mystery beast sinew string seemed sturdy.
Trash white items in Revenge, but solid military gear here.
'They drop actual used gear. Well, wild boars don't drop bone longswords just because they use them.'
Revenge drops follow no clear logic—just dev whim.
Boars drop hides, but hellhounds drop armor (Hellhound Armor), giant lions drop magic skillbooks. Hard to predict from the monster.
"Hundred."
"Yes, my lord."
"Gather soldiers with archery experience and form an archer unit. Cut branches for practice arrows and train them basics. We're camping here tonight."
"As you command."
Camp prep began immediately. Soldiers had recruits gather firewood, sorted refugees, and Flower—now a priestess—led maids in treating wounded.
Refugees usually strained supplies, but we had plenty, absorbing them smoothly.
"Huh, this for us? Meat stew...."
"Roast over open fire outdoors...."
"Sob.... sob.... So good...."
As terrorized refugees calmed, Steelstone and soldiers gathered intel.
"Good. Keep it up."
I watched, then checked inventory.
My Ardenia inventory.
Plus Revenge's [Killians]. [Killians Two]. [Killians Three]. [Killians Four] inventories.
Result: realization.
'Ah, out of meat.'
I'd stuffed all four characters full, hoarding player-ignored boar meat in huge quantities, but feeding thousands burned through it.
'Well, time to restock.'
Seated in my custom carriage, watching busy soldiers, I said.
"Log out."
The blood-soaked battlefield, people crying over corpses while eating meat stew—all vanished.
Ding dong!
"Welcome. Looking for something?"
"Sky Mountain. Four 1.5 liters."
"Yes. Bag them?"
"No. Give to my lump here."
I loaded mana-activating drinks popular with mages into the golden retriever's bag following its owner.
Beep!
"Have a nice day."
Ding dong!
I glanced at the man's back as he left without a word, then at Cheddar on the counter.
Killians was shown diligently hunting boars.
"Time for some spending... Gotta stay on Earth a bit. Welcome!"
Bowing politely.
I, part-timer Han Jaeyeon, greeted the new customer.