Alchemist

Without hesitation, Arsen used the remaining duration of the Power Surge to eliminate all the remaining goblins. However, he had no intention of chasing after the corrupted animals, as they quickly fled from the camp upon regaining their senses. It seemed like his intuition was accurate those corrupted animals would get back to their original states once Hanz died.

To begin with, dealing with the remaining goblins was surprisingly easy at the moment. Why? Because their morale had been greatly impacted by Hanz's death. Technically, goblins were the type of creature that typically did not care if someone died from them - it was simply in their nature. However, they were not foolish creatures, and could recognize who was superior to them.

At this point, the remaining goblins were petrified, and could do nothing but watch as the heads of their fellow goblins were sent flying through the air. Though they attempted to fight back, Arsen was already in his element and unstoppable.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

At this moment, the only sounds to be heard in the camp were the ripping of goblin flesh and their screams of agony.

__

Several minutes had passed, and all the previously aggressive goblins were now lifeless on the ground. Their limbs and heads were scattered throughout the area, and the once-dry brown surface was now coated in a green film of their blood.

Bam!

With no more threats around him, Arsen breathed a sigh of relief and sat down beside the nearest tree. He was panting heavily, as the effort of dealing with those monsters had taken a toll on his physical and mental health. "Huff... Huff... Huff... Is this the power of the ring?" Arsen wondered to himself, glancing down at the ring on his finger.

As Arsen continued to utilize the power of the ring, he discovered something new. More specifically, it was a side effect of the ring's power. It seemed that the skill was an enhancer, boosting his speed and strength twofold. In exchange, his body would suffer.

Arsen was so exhausted that even moving his feet was a struggle. However, he knew that he couldn't afford to stay in this camp for too long, for three reasons. Firstly, other monsters may discover the camp due to the scent created by the goblin's blood. Secondly, there were many items dropped by the goblins, and he feared that another party might find this location. Simply looking at the loot, there was an 85% chance that other players would try to rob him. Lastly, there was the injured Alchemist whom he had almost forgotten about amidst the intensity of the battle.

After defeating all those monsters, Arsen managed to reach level 5 with 31% progress. This increase in level didn't come as a surprise, given that he had fought a level 10 Goblin and many ordinary goblins. Additionally, he had gained a lot from the battle, including a +2 bonus to all attributes, 17 free attributes, and 2 skill points. Arsen wasn't too surprised by the skill points, as they were hard to come by at the very beginning.

"I will reserve them in the meantime."  He said inwardly before adding these words. "For now, I should recover my strength."

Arsen quickly consumed an orange juice to replenish his fatigue before running over to the injured alchemist. As he squatted beside her, he felt a sense of pity for the injury the woman had received. Despite his desire to help her, he knew he couldn't do anything since he didn't possess a healing skill. Fortunately, her injury wasn't life-threatening.

"I must bring her to the Mayor. He's the only person who knows the best thing to do in this situation," he muttered to himself, checking the woman's pulse. "Hays... It's good to see that she's just sleeping. In the meantime, I should collect all the items first and check them later on. Curing this woman is my main priority right now."

Without a second thought, Arsen quickly gathered all the monsters' cores and items from the goblins lying on the ground, his mouth watering at the thought of their potential value. With his task complete, Arsen scooped up the injured alchemist and headed back to town without delay.

Swoosh!

To avoid potential obstacles, Arsen decided to take to the treetops. By doing so, he hoped to minimize unnecessary battles with monsters. Of course, he couldn't discount the possibility of encountering an aero-type monster in the forest.

...

Fifteen long minutes had passed, and despite their efforts, the duo remained stuck in the dense forest. The reason for their delay was simple: he couldn't move at his full pace since he was carrying the woman on his back. Not only that, but he had to remain cautious and avoid making any unnecessary sounds that might alert the lurking monsters in the area.

As the seconds ticked by, the situation became increasingly tense. The woman could sense his apprehension and the seriousness of their predicament. Every step he took had to be precise and calculated, his muscles strained from the effort of carrying her weight. Meanwhile, the forest remained eerily silent, with only the occasional rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs disturbing the stillness.

Despite the difficulties, they pressed on, determined to reach their destination no matter what obstacles stood in their way. The man's eyes scanned the surrounding trees, searching for any signs of danger while his mind raced with potential escape routes.

But as the minutes turned into hours, they began to realize the harsh reality of their situation. Lost in the heart of the forest with no clear path forward, they were at the mercy of the wilderness and the creatures that called it home. Their only hope was to continue moving forward, step by step, until they found a way out.

"Huh? This is definitely the same path I took when I followed those corrupted animals. So why can't I seem to find a way out of this forest?" The confusion in his voice was palpable as he scanned his surroundings, searching for any clue that might lead them out of their predicament.

As he thought back to his earlier journey, he couldn't help but wonder if something had changed since then. Had the forest itself shifted, its paths twisting and turning in unexpected ways? Or had something else entirely caused them to become lost?

Frustration etched itself into every line of Arsen's face. He knew that the longer they stayed in this place, the greater the danger they faced. He desperately needed to find a way out of this forest, but it seemed like fate was conspiring against him.

As he caught his breath, his gaze swept the area, searching for a place where they could rest and gather their strength. The constant running had taken a toll on his body, leaving him feeling drained and exhausted.

Soon, he found a cliff where he can see a small cave that was perfect for them to rest. As soon as he leaned the woman to the cave wall, the woman groan all of a sudden.

Argh...

A sudden movement caught Arsen's attention, and he leaned in closer to the woman on his back. His heart quickened with concern as he noticed the furrowed expression on her face.

"Hey, can you hear me?" he asked gently, his voice low and soothing. "Is something hurting you?"

However, Arsen didn't receive a response from the woman. The only thing he could see was the shaking eyelids of the woman as she was starting to regain her senses. Right after, the woman opened up her eyes, showing her blue beautiful eyes.

Arsen was taken aback, didn't expect this woman to be way beautiful at a closer look. This was not the right for this. He eventually shook his head and asked him once again. "Hey, could you hear me?"

The alchemist's vision was hazy at first, struggling to discern the face of the man standing in front of her. But as her eyesight slowly returned to normal, a rush of memories flooded her mind, replaying all the scenes that had led them to this moment.

She immediately bowed her head to show gratitude for saving her life. "T-thanks for saving me! You didn't hesitate to sacrifice yourself just to save me. I don't have any idea how I can repay for all these things." Tears welled up in her blue eyes, and even though she was in pain, still, she continued thanking her savior.

Arsen knew this woman was enduring the pain as he could see the red blood soaking in her white lab gown. "I can see your sincerity. For now, calm down." He responded in a deep tone. "It would be bad for us if your injury get worse."

At this point, the alchemist realized that she must add weight to the burden she gave to this man. "Sorry about that, Sir!"

"Don't mind it," Arsen replied before adding these words. "First thing first, could you tell me your name and the reason why you ended up in this forest alone."

"I'm Ariya a beginner Alchemist."