Beyond the Boundaries

After a grueling battle, Ryan emerged from the forest and found himself on flat land surrounded by a thick fog. Trees were scattered haphazardly, and stones were piled up in odd shapes, like the remnants of an old battle. The tension was palpable, and the air grew heavier with each step he took.

As he tried to catch his breath, a strange sound broke the stillness of the air. It sounded like intermittent laughter, raspy like the echo of decaying voices. Ryan quickly turned toward the source of the sound, only to find faint lights glowing a few meters away. As he cautiously approached, the picture began to become clearer: a group of goblins spread out around what appeared to be a small village.

The village was surrounded by a simple wooden fence, with two guards standing at the entrance. Inside, about twenty goblins were scattered among small wooden huts, carrying rudimentary weapons of wood and stone. Their features were demonic: green skin, protruding fangs, and glowing eyes reflecting greed and hostility. They seemed to be waiting for an opportunity to attack.

Ryan felt his heartbeat increase, but his mind didn't stop working. There are too many of them. A direct confrontation would be suicide. He decided to utilize his new skill and use caution and stealth to gradually reduce their numbers. He knew that his strengths lay in his speed and strategy, so he allocated the free points he had earned to Speed, bringing it up to 8.

Ryan moved swiftly, disappearing into the shadows, and approached the first guard, who was standing close to the wall. In a split second, he used a stone to slam it into the guard's head, causing him to fall without making a sound.

He grabbed the dead guard's knife and headed toward the second guard, who was looking into the darkness with suspicion. But Ryan was faster. With a swift step, he approached him and plunged the knife into his heart. The guard had no chance to react and fell dead next to his companion.

[Eliminated: Green Goblin (Level 1) x 2]

[Gained: Stealth Skill - Level 1]

[Effect: Reduce your chance of being detected by 15% for 1 minute]

'Hahaha, just in time!'

After finishing off the two guards, Ryan turned his attention to the group spread out inside the village. Five goblins were moving out of one of the small huts. He hid in the trees, watched their movements closely, and then began to execute his plan.

He threw a small stone away to attract the attention of one of the goblins. As soon as the goblin approached the sound, Ryan swooped down and plunged his knife into its neck. He then hid again in the shadows, waiting for the next target.

One by one, Ryan brought down five goblins in a clean and swift manner. His movements were calculated, utilizing the darkness and fog to keep himself invisible. When he was done, he had significantly reduced their number.

Remaining: 12 Goblins

As Ryan approached the hut to check inside, he heard strange mumbling sounds coming from within. He peered through the cracks in the worn wooden walls and saw a group of goblins, about twenty of them, lined up in a circle around a leader dressed in strange leather and bone clothing. The leader held a long staff that emitted faint green lights and performed incomprehensible rituals.

Ryan could feel the danger rising; this was no ordinary gathering of goblins. If he intervened now, he might find himself in a very difficult confrontation, especially since they were so numerous, and the ritual might give them even more power.

He decided to change his strategy. He noticed that the hut was made of dry wood and straw, easily flammable materials. A bold idea came to his mind: set the hut on fire to distract the goblins and eliminate as many of them as possible at once.

Cautiously, Ryan began to gather dry branches and flammable materials from the surrounding area. He placed them near one side of the hut, then lit them using the flint he kept in his pack. As soon as the fire was lit, smoke began to rise into the sky, and the goblins inside began to sense danger.

'Angry screams!'

The goblins were screaming in an unintelligible language, trying to escape from the burning hut. But Ryan was ready for them. He stood strategically placed a few steps away from the only entrance to the hut, knife in hand, eyes watching every move.

The first goblin to emerge from the hut was engulfed in flames and immediately collapsed to the ground. The second was carrying a stick but didn't make it to Ryan before the latter quickly struck him in the chest. The third and fourth goblins met the same fate. Ryan moved like a ghost, striking with precision, taking out anyone who tried to escape.

As for the leader, he finally emerged from the hut, trying to survive. He was holding his glowing staff, his features full of anger and fear. He tried to use his wand to cast a spell on Ryan, but the latter was faster. He used the skill of light sprinting to get close to him quickly and then delivered a powerful blow to his hand, causing the wand to fall to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Ryan plunged his knife into the leader's chest, ending the ritual. The chief fell to the ground, the staff extinguished beside him. Most of the hut was engulfed in flames, and the goblins who couldn't escape were screaming inside the crumbling walls.