The First Venture

I head down into the passage. The ladder made of stone held me firm as I climb downward. Damp, and dark, I traded my axe for a torch to see better. It barely lit the place up, however that is natural, a fire a can only do so much. Now this makes me think I should have at least invested in conjuration spells for a simple light orb. I should add that to the list of what I must add to my priorities. However there is indeed one more benefit to this torch...warmth.

This place is rather cold yet dead air, it's as if this has not been disturbed for a long time by anything. Yet I feel fine, I don't feel suffocated.

Continuing on I find myself exploring a hallway. There is nothing special to it, yet I find it peculiar to have no torches to light the way. Surely if this was a basement of some sort, there should be something to keep it lit up. I don't see any lantern either while on my way here. Wait, I actually should just get a lantern next time and had it equipped in my accessory. I will instead do that instead of conjuration.

More and more I walked into the dead hallway. The only thing I hear are my footsteps, armor clanking and the flickering fire from the torch. Despite all of that, I am anticipating an ambush somewhere. Or perhaps a trap. I keep my eyes peeled for anything that may appear, while keeping my pace slow.

What is this place? Is this a crypt? It has been a long way yet no rooms nor even traps in sight.

Eventually, after what seemed like a thousand step I came across a huge room, much larger than the space in the hallway and I found stairs leading up to another room. Spacious, yet decorated with what seems to be a relief of a woman with a blindfold, her garment only that of robes while her expression is carved with sadness. Around her, people who kneel, people who weep and others with a weapon in hand.

Justice for those who follow, weep and fight for it?

Leaving aside my interpretation of the sculpture, I see nothing unusual with the relief. No secret buttons to open up a hidden passageway. Going up, I entered the room and find what seems to be an altar. A small figure of the goddess of justice at the shrine.

I walked further inside, intending to explore more of the altar. There I found a ring, a small glowing gem sits nicely in it. It doesn't seem weathered, and polished as if it is being taken care for.

This isn't cursed right? I better have it checked later when I get back at the town, an appraiser will have it done for me. If it turns out to be something rare then I can sell it.

Chucking the ring to my inventory, I waited and see if something would react to it. And soon enough, I did hear a sound coming from behind me. It's as if fragments are being pieced once again, like a plate being put back together.

Let's see if the risk is worth it.

I turn around and see a knight, tall enough to tower over me. Donned in an armor that glitters yet this place has no light except from my torch. I dropped my torch to the ground and took my axe. I was expecting skeletons and such and thought a torch would be effective either way, yet an armored foe would prove to be quite a difficult one to match with.

Can I take this on? Surely not, should I just run? But it's blocking the door.

The knight raises its longsword, ready to attack. And I readied myself for a fight. Looking closely, its body is falling apart. It is just as if it was indeed pieced together. The armor as well is broken apart yet now as if glued together by something.

"You must be a guardian?"

"No."

I wasn't actually expecting it to answer. But if it's not a guardian, then what is it? Before I could even ask that, the knight approached and increased its pace, swinging down that sword of his.

"H-heavy—! Shit..."

I felt my muscle cramp up from that heavy attack. Was it the sword? Or maybe it's just really strong? Whatever it was, I found my arm already going numb after receiving it. I'll take this opportunity while it's distracted.

I swung my axe to his side, hoping to get a clean hit while he recovers his stance. Dealing around sixty damage, but to no avail, it barely chipped away its health. I jumped back and prepared for another strike. While it may be possible to defeat this one, it's going to be a battle of endurance.

The knight presses on once again, advancing and attacked once again with its sword, swinging it and in response, I simply caught it and let it slide.

Great, let's do a cleave to it's wai—

The clash of metal echoes in the empty room, sparks flying as the two hits and slides in sudden motion. One, two and three strikes, continued on in an onslaught of sharp fury. Each strike it hits, the heavier it gets.

Since when did it get this fast?!

I can feel my grip loosening, my arm's weakening too. I don't think I can hold onto this shield. I got to push through and somehow lose this one's balance. It's weight is pushing me into the corner as well, sooner or later leaving me no room to escape once I fall down. Its attacks slowly draining my health as well just from the impact too.

Mustering up all of my strength, I rooted my foot to the ground and bashed my shield to its sword. I can feel myself clashing with the weight of its attack, and I can feel my bones break a little from catching it hard. I see my health decrease, but this isn't just what I have. Another one, I pushed it back again with another bashing attack. This time my shield finally gave on and the attack left a huge dent, but it's still a slab of metal for me to hide from. I pushed, pushed and pushed till I can feel my legs—no, my whole body strained from receiving those hits head on. My left arm, shaking from the impacts it received.

"HNNG—AHH!!"

I shouted and it rang all over, one more moment I pushed through one last time and one desirable sharp sound of iron being struck back echoed next. The knight's sword bounced back to the air and staggered the knight back. Sparing no time, I ran away and left. Simply jumping over the stairs and heading back to the long hallway, dashing my way out. Taking out the torch, I navigate through the hallway, which is just a straight path.

This is really not worth the trouble at all!

I screamed at myself, running without stopping for a breather. The floors quake, I see the armored shit coming from behind, chasing after me with such speed. Going as far as to lower its body to increase its speed, decreasing it's surface and letting its weight drag itself.

"Y—you're really...really going to follow me?!"

I can't really talk and waste breathe in this situation. I need to get this guy to stumble somehow. There's no traps and there's no monster to slow this monster out.

While running, I keep my eyes peeled for anything I can use. Though there really isn't much. If I keep running then it's going to eventually catch up to me, if I even get to the ladder then I'll need to climb up then it's going to catch me, and that leaves me no other choice.

I can feel the ground shaking harder and harder, the sound of its armor closer and it's footsteps ever growing. I took one deep breathe and prepared myself. This one moment is all I need. I turned around, as I ran and slid on the ground and ran back. I only need to face it head on, but for this to happen, I need to catch it off guard.

Our momentum meets and our steel will clash. Before it could even raise its sword, I threw my axe, leaving everything to instinct. It simply brushed it off with its arm and my torch easily left behind, but this is exactly what I need. Now distracted, its arm hiding its visibility for one second, and only this one second I need, I gathered my strength to my legs for a dash.

"[Shield Bash]!" I executed the skill. It's prime use is to push opponent in front of the user away.

I can't exactly push it, not with its weight against mine. I would simply be squashed easily.

Dammit, it's too heavy!

I thought to myself. It's such a strange feeling, it is as if time is slowed down. But I pressed on, and pushed myself further, closer to recovering control. It's as if my body is disobeying my mind, automated actions now guiding my body. It would have been best to have left the game system do what it needs to do, guide my body to the motion and execute the skill. In any normal situation that is—but right now I need this control!

It's as if I'm pushing my body back, the stiffness breaking away like a shell. My arm, regaining my own control over it, I changed its direction. One step, I placed all my weight there and bended my waist to let my arm reach where I need it to be. Twist and then punch. I used the edge of the shield to hit the crap out of its face, the helm did receive most of it however the impact surely must have reverberated inside.

The beast fell down. Heading straight to the wall with an earth-shattering impact. True enough, the wall crumbled at its force and became a rubble that crashed on its head. I'm successful, but I'm not safe yet. It's health only losing around one fifth of it, but there is a stunned status on it. This is what I am going for. All that trouble to bypass the automated skill execution, just so I could stun this monster. [Skill Bash] has a stun to it, only if I successfully push my opponent away.

My own strength wouldn't have been able to stun it at all, much less push it back when it's coming to me with all its weight. I would have been tackled on instead. But if I can use that weight against itself, I would lose. I'm not a wall. So I opted for a fatal attack to the head, using its momentum as most of its force and using my own momentum to deviate its course. Technically speaking, I did push it away.

Leaving my shield to be lighter, I started to run away again. My shield is rather battered anyway, it needs a replacement. Running and running, fatigued and everything, I doubt if I escape here I can even get back to the town at this state.

My legs are tired, but if I stop I can feel it worsening. Numbing then turning to a stinging pain if I stop. I took out another torch so I could see the way, and eventually I didn't need it so much anymore as I see light coming from above. The passage from earlier is near, and with that I escaped the shrine.

After I've climbed up, I checked my surroundings. No goblins around. The sun was setting, and it was obvious I need to take a rest here. I can't go on, neither in this state nor in the dark. So I stayed for the night on the ruins, hiding myself in the corner.