Terrified Matt

"I GET IT!!!" Ashton said as he saw the screen in front of him.

"What? You get what?" Matt asked in confusion.

"Can't you see it, the screen?" Ashton spoke as he pointed his finger where the status bar was.

Matt just shook his head; he truly couldn't see anything.

Ashton nodded his head when he got the whole information, "Alright. Let me explain. There came a screen in front of me when I crushed the card, it said status window. It tells me my status."

"Strength, agility, intelligence, etc. Just like games. You see, when I crushed the card, I got the power of metal. It's a natural elemental ability, when you will crush the card later, you will get this too."

Matt nodded his head in understanding.

Ashton continued, "There is more. Every time we kill monsters or those dead humans. These cards will pop out. Cards can contain anything. Weapons, abilities, skills, stats, consumable items."

"In simple, the more we kill, the more cards we get. The more cards we get, the more powerful we become. I mean, just look at me, I can turn my whole body into iron. I can even change shapes. Look." As Ashton happily showed Matt by turning his hand into a long sharp sword, then a screwdriver, then a knife, then a Saber, and finally an ax.

Matt speechlessly looked at Ashton's hand becoming all those above items.

Somehow, Ashton looked cool and weird. Metallic Ashton or whatever.

"Alright. Enough playing around. Tell me, how do you feel?" Matt asked patiently.

"I am feeling fine. Just a little painful. My wounds have started healing. Gaining this ability and the status bar has increased my body regeneration speed." Ashton replied.

"Good. Then let's move." Matt spoke as he pushed Ashton forward.

Ashton nodded and started walking, and without any surprise, they didn't find any more monsters on the eighth floor.

If there was, then it would've come to kill them a long time ago after hearing the ant's screech and their yelling.

They both silently made their way to the seventh floor and found only one room unlocked, and without any surprise, there was nothing. No human, no monsters, no awakens.

Ashton slowly made his way toward the sixth floor, and like a spy, he looked at the corridor and found a green-colored kid standing in front of the fourth room.

Alone.

It had two long pointy ears, a long nose, and long sharp teeth. It was wearing a dirty rag on its private part, holding an iron stick in its hand, had the same height as the ant, and looked ugly as hell.

It was a goblin.

Ashton gave a stop sign to Matt and turned his entire body into iron.

He clenched his fists and three long nails came out of his knuckles just like Wolverine.

He nodded his head towards Matt and with a swift motion he ran towards the goblin with his full power.

The goblin slowly tilted its face and saw an Iron human running towards it.

It wanted to shriek, but before it could, its throat was pierced and three long nails drilled into its neck.

Ashton smiled, too easy. Then he turned and saw the open room. There inside the room were six goblins who were looking at the scene of him piercing their comrade's throat.

"Eh?" Ashton confusedly looked at the six goblins. Even in his wildest dream, he never thought there would be more of them together.

There were none before, but looks like he was just too overconfident this time.

"SHRIEKKKKK." All the six goblins shrieked as they ran towards Ashton, raising their iron stick, ready to hit and kill.

Ashton didn't falter. He had an iron body this time, not to say he was sure he could kill them.

So, he stepped his left leg and kicked with his right leg from top to bottom fiercely, and his right leg became a sharp knife that directly cut one of the six goblins that was in front into two halves, right from the middle.

This was the gruesome scene Matt saw when he came behind Ashton. He just gulped and ignored it.

With his whole power, he threw his knife, and it hit right between the brow of the goblin which was hiding in the corner, ready to lunge at Ashton.

This all happened within five seconds. But nobody stopped.

Ashton grabbed one of the goblins, raised it in the air, and stabbed it continuously.

STAB STAB STAB as the blood flowed out of its body.

Blue blood.

While the other three goblins got the chance and fiercely smashed their iron stick at Ashton.

Their moves were aggressive, and they all hit at the same place.

Ashton's kneecap.

Ashton flinched. Painful wouldn't even describe it.

He fell on his knee but still didn't stop, raised his right hand, and punched the goblin which was nearest, right in the face, piercing three nails.

Two ended up in the goblin's eyes, while the middle one pierced between its brow.

Matt panicked when he saw Ashton falling onto his knees. He wanted to help Ashton, but goblins were taking advantage of his body and covering themselves.

Matt controlled his emotions as he patiently waited for his moment which came when Ashton struck one of the goblins.

The other two goblins got their chance and raised their iron stick, ready to strike, but Matt again threw his second knife.

This time it pierced the nearest one's shoulder, making it falter.

But the other one didn't stop and directly hit Ashton's head with the iron stick.

Blood started pouring out of Ashton's head. He nearly fainted. His head became dizzy. But he didn't care.

He just fiercely grabbed the one who hit him

, turned his fingers into small blades, and crushed its skull with his all might. It was so gruesome that Matt felt a chill crawling down his spine.

Blood spilled like a fountain, as the brain matter dirtily flung, and with a small whimper, the goblin died.

The last goblin, instead of hitting Ashton, ran towards Matt, lunged with its all might, and flung its iron stick.

Matt was stunned, then instinctively he took two steps back in fear, and the iron stick just waved and passed in front of his both eyes.

If he was just one step late, his head would've snapped open.

He didn't possess an iron skin.

He didn't possess the strength of an adult.

He was just a nine-year-old kid.

Weak and fragile.

Just like other human kids.

At that time, the fear rushed through Matt's brain.

There was only one thought in his mind. If he didn't kill the goblin, he would die.

So, he raised his leg and kicked the 3-foot goblin which was ready to hit him again. And with a thud, the goblin fell.

Matt with his all might grabbed the goblin's neck, took the small knife that he was hiding from his belt, and stabbed the goblin's head. Once, twice, thrice, four times.

He just stabbed, stabbed, stabbed, losing his mind, as his hand continuously smashed the goblin's head until there was a mass of goblins flattened head.