Goblin Slayer

He decided it'd be best to confront the fiends before they could reach the chamber, bringing himself into the corridor of old stone. As soon as he walked into the hall, he was immediately met with the sight of no less than a dozen of the savages. 

"Kraaa!"

"Ke-ke-ke!"

The goblins pumped their weapons into the air, sticking their tongues out and jumping as if all too excited to tear apart the lonesome adventurer. 

Blake stayed calm, reaching into his pocket as he brought something out, revealing it to the eyes of the curious fiends: a fiery sphere. 

"Firana!" He invoked. 

What he expected was a grand manifestation of fire roaring through the corridor, though what came out was merely a wisp, no greater than a single ember. 

"Huh–?" Blake let out. 

The fluttering flame sputtered out in front of the force of goblins, who broke out into heinous laughter at the miserable display of magic. 

'That chick totally scammed me?!' Blake realized, tossing the useless orb aside. 

There was no getting around the fact that he was going to have to handle the approaching goblins directly. Though their number was greater than any he'd faced, and it was his first time doing so alone, he held confidence in the fact that he had bested the creatures before. 

As he watched the first set of the green-skinned savages approach, he drew in a focused breath, expelling it in a command to himself: 

"Become a master of slaying goblins." 

[Hypnosis successful.] 

Both in body and mind, the command altered him as untouched experience inlaid itself upon him. 

"Graaa—!" A shout came from the foremost goblin as it leapt towards the adventurer, wildly swinging its club. 

SQUELCH 

In a single flick of his blade, he split the fiend from its groin to its head. 

[Valley Goblin defeated.]

[EXP: +20] 

[Level Up!] [4 -> 5] [2/150]

There was sheer focus left in his gaze as he didn't pay any mind to the downpour of blood that fell upon him. The goblins right behind the one so efficiently split in two were shocked at the sight, leaving them unready for the human's assault. 

He quickly rushed in, slashing at the rightmost goblin's neck as he flung its head from its shoulders. 

[EXP: +20] [22/150]

At the same time, the fiend to his left finally lashed out, wildly thrusting its spear. 

The narrow corridor left little room for error, letting the young man who embodied a goblin slaying savant catch the spear. 

"Guu?!" The yellow-eyed goblin reacted as its weapon was caught. 

Before it could let go, Blake tugged the spear to drag the fiend straight into the swing of his sword. With merciless strength, the blade split through the goblin into a bloody mess that painted the stone wall. 

[EXP: +20] [42/150]

There wasn't a moment of hesitation as he spun back around, finding another pair of goblins coming his way through the narrow corridor. Thinking of ways to combat and kill the fiends came to his mind with lightning quickness, embodying the persona he convinced himself as. 

He glanced over, quickly picking up the spear wielded by the slain one beside him before tossing it forward. 

It was thrown with perfect precision, striking the left fiend straight through its eye and piercing through the back of its head. 

"Kaaa!" The goblin yelled in pain, falling onto its back. 

[EXP: +20] [62/150]

The kin beside the impaled monster stopped for a moment to look at its comrade, though that split second allowed the young man to close in. 

"Ku–?" The goblin let out as a shadow cast itself over it. 

There was no hesitation as the man brought his sword over his head before bringing it down, splitting the skull of the fiend before him. 

[EXP: +20] [82/150]

The swift, calculated brutality came from the trance he placed himself in. From self-hypnosis, what came as a result of his command wasn't apparent to him before he hypnotized himself. He wasn't aware of how effective it would be, granting him the focus and skill of a goblin slayer. 

His focus came to the three goblins that had been stationed further down the corridor, all of which readied their shoddily-made bows. 

"Hmm–?" 

Realizing what was about to come his way, he quickly grabbed one of the small shields carried by the goblins, sprinting down the corridor as arrows sailed in. The force behind each projectile was felt as the arrowheads stabbed into the damp wood. 

As he drew in close enough, he used the shield to bash against the foremost archer. The ruthless strike broke the sharp nose of the goblin, knocking it back as he stuck his blade through its chest. 

"Gruuu!" The fiend spat out. 

He used the goblin itself as a shield, moving forward with it on his blade as he let its comrades release their arrows into its body. Reaching the next archer, he pushed the meat shield against it, piercing them both. 

[EXP: +40] [122/150] 

Just as he slid his bloodsoaked blade from their bodies, he turned around just as an arrow came for him–squelch. 

"Ghh!" Blake winced as the arrowhead sunk straight into his shoulder. 

He ignored the pain for that moment, dashing in as he slashed the last archer across its torso. 

[EXP: +20] [142/150] 

As the final one of the goblins fell limp, he was at last able to come to a stop and catch his breath as the self-hypnosis left him. It was like a surge of adrenaline, pushing his body's physical prowess beyond its limits. 

The process left his body aching as he breathed out, holding his wounded shoulder. With his mental state returning to norm, he looked back at the carnage left in his brief battle; blood painted the walls of the now quiet corridor. 

'I did all of this,' he realized, still catching his breath. 

Stomp. Stomp. 

Amidst his thoughts, the ground vibrated beneath his feet with the daunting echo of footsteps. They were too large and heavy to belong to a nimble goblin, leaving him to turn back around to face what had arrived. 

"Just great," Blake remarked through bated breath. "I'm too tired for this." 

What towered over him with a height that hardly fit into the corridor was of green skin and pointy ears like the goblins, yet of a build like that of a strongman. 

To put it bluntly, the advantage in size he held against the goblins was reversed, with the brute before him dwarfing him. 

'Shit…This guy looks like trouble—all that means is more experience, right?' He thought, attempting to motivate his tired body.