The six kijn

Haruki wandered through the goblin village, marveling at the craftsmanship of the structures. The buildings, carved from stone and reinforced with sturdy wood, stood as a testament to the dwarves' hard work and ingenuity. "This place is amazing," he muttered, brushing a hand against the fur coat draped over his shoulders. His white hair shimmered in the sunlight, catching the attention of a few villagers as they passed by.

He stopped to adjust the coat and smiled faintly. "This looks good on me," he murmured. Then his thoughts darkened. "But I can't relax just yet. I still need to get back to that town… though there's no point if I'm not strong enough. Even with all the skills I've gained, I don't stand a chance against him."

Before his thoughts could spiral further, an older man from the village approached him. Beside him were a few other villagers and Grix, the goblin who had been Haruki's main with Haruki since he got here a month ago

"Haruki," Grix called, his voice rough but kind, "we're heading out on a hunting mission. We could use an extra pair of hands."

Haruki nodded, snapping out of his thoughts. "Sounds good to me, i'll give you my wolf companion. He should be able to help y'all out the goblins nod and walked off a couple of hours later. he felt a weird feeling. He was about to dismiss it as paranoia when his wolf companion telepathically connected with him using the skill Soul Link.

"Master," the wolf's voice echoed in his mind. "They're in trouble!"

Haruki's heart raced. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the wolf's location, his white hair flowing behind him as he donned the ornate mask he had found days earlier. The mask's enchantment activated, sharpening his senses and focusing his mind.

When he arrived, the scene was chaos. Six imposing figures surrounded the hunting party. Each one was a Kijn, their horns glowing faintly as they radiated raw power. The first Kijn, a man with fiery red hair and two jagged horns, stood at the forefront. His crimson eyes burned with anger as he held a massive claymore. He snarled at Haruki. "Human! You dare enslave these people? You're nothing but scum!"

Haruki's eyes narrowed, his voice calm but tinged with anger. "Enslave? I don't know what you're talking about. Stand down before someone gets hurt."

The red-haired Kijn, now identified as Renji, roared in response. "Lies! All humans are the same!" He lunged forward, his claymore slicing through the air with immense force.

Haruki sidestepped just in time, the blade grazing the edge of his coat. "You're too quick to judge," Haruki muttered, flipping backward to avoid another strike.

Before he could recover, a second Kijn joined the fray—a girl with short black hair and hazel eyes, wielding twin crescent-shaped daggers. Her movements were fluid, almost like a dance, as she lunged at Haruki.

"Humans don't deserve mercy!" she shouted. Her name was Mina, and her combat style was sharp and unpredictable.

Haruki flipped over her, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge of her daggers. "You're quick," he said, smirking slightly. "But not quick enough."

Just as he landed, a third Kijn came at him—a woman with pink hair tied into a high ponytail. She carried a spear, its tip glowing with an ominous energy. Sakura, her name as vibrant as her hair, thrust the spear at Haruki with deadly precision.

Haruki raised his arm, activating his armor skill Steel Guard, and deflected the spear. Sparks flew as the spear's tip scraped against his magical armor.

"Persistent, aren't you?" Haruki said, his voice steady.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Sakura retorted, spinning her spear and lunging again.

Before Haruki could retaliate, another voice boomed through the forest. "Enough talk. Die already!"

The fourth Kijn, a muscular man with black hair and sharp black eyes, swung a colossal axe toward Haruki. His name was Kaido, and his strength was as intimidating as his weapon.

Haruki ducked, feeling the rush of wind as the axe narrowly missed him. He retaliated with a swipe of his dagger, but Kaido's thick armor absorbed the blow.

"You'll need more than that to hurt me, human," Kaido growled.

As Haruki strategized, a gunshot rang out. The fifth Kijn, a lean man with green hair and sharp features, had taken position in the trees. Shin was his name, and his weapon of choice was a sleek rifle imbued with magic.

Haruki barely dodged the bullet, the shot grazing his cheek and sending sparks into the air. "Tch, a sniper?" Haruki muttered, wiping the blood from his face.

Before he could act, the sixth Kijn, a mysterious figure with blue hair and a calm demeanor, stepped forward. Hikari, the leader of the group, exuded an aura of authority. She carried no weapon but moved with a grace that hinted at immense power.

"This ends now," Hikari said softly. With a wave of her hand, a barrier formed around the Kijn, repelling Haruki's attacks. Realizing he couldn't win alone, Haruki activated Duplicate, creating multiple clones of himself. The forest erupted into chaos as the clones attacked the Kijn from all sides.

Renji swung his claymore, shattering one of the clones. "Cheap tricks won't save you!"

Haruki ignored him, focusing his energy. "Let's see how you handle this," he muttered, activating his skill Rising Storm. A miniature cyclone formed in his hands, crackling with lightning and wind.

He hurled it toward the Kijn, the storm ripping through the trees and throwing the group off balance. Mina and Sakura stumbled, their attacks faltering as the storm raged around them.

But Hikari remained unfazed. She raised her hand, dispelling the storm with a calm wave. "Impressive," she said. "But you're outmatched."

As Haruki prepared for another attack, Mina lunged at him again, her daggers aimed directly at his chest. Haruki dodged, but her relentless assault forced him on the defensive.

with Mina's dagger mere inches from Haruki's throat, her hazel eyes burning with determination.

The chapter ends