Shit hits the fan

Kaden slid back into the edges of the clearing, crouching low behind a fallen trunk to observe which kobolds were too preoccupied or wounded to notice him. The boars, meanwhile, seemed far too enraged to distinguish between scaly foe and interloping human. Even the elite boar, still full of fury, was busy chasing a cluster of panicked kobolds that scattered in its wake.

Kaden grinned at the sight of his handiwork. He could already spot four kobolds who were almost dead and a couple of boars bleeding profusely. It was time to do some bargain hunting.

Without drawing attention to himself, he threw the spear in his hand, aimed at one of the bleeding boars. The spear struck right in its eye, immediately giving him a notification.

The next one was tricky as it was thrashing wildly. Kaden ignored it and went for the kobolds. He had to personally make the trip for this one after trying a couple of times the spear throw trick. Surprisingly, his presence was still unnoticed and he managed to grab the four kills.

[Ding! You have leveled up]

[Level 7 > Level 8]

[Ding! You have gained +1 Mental Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Physical Strength, and 5 free attribute points]

Kaden distributed the free points equally to all stats as the stats that were important for his class as anyways getting buffed from the level up. He did not want to lag too much on the other aspects.

He then swiftly resumed his work. 

The kobolds were more in number but the boars were more unruly. If he picked off the boars one by one then the kobolds might be able to turn the tides and he would be in danger. 

It was best to target the kobolds and Kaden already had his sights on five wounded ones. In the blink of an eye, another level up notification popped up in front of him. He quickly distributed the stat points in all his attributes and moved on to the next one.

The last time around he had struggled so much to overcome these initial few levels but this time it was only day one and he was already close to reaching level 10.

He would be happier if only he did not know what awaited all of them. Unfortunately, progress like this was simply not enough to stand against that madman. He still needed to do more. Push himself more.

Only a true elite can stand against what is to come.

This means he needed to grab more achievements and titles. While level 10 was good, his real aim was to hit level 25 by tonight. This would get him two or if he was lucky three titles in a single swoop. This was the first target he was aiming for.

The first step in building true strength.

Kaden did not waste time and immediately aimed for another pair of kobolds. However, it looked like his luck had finally run out. 

The kobold magician with the powerful staff was finally done casting his magic.

Kaden's eyes went wide as the air warped with a sudden burst of heat, and the kobold magician extended its staff toward the sky. 

A blazing, crimson sphere winked into existence at the tip—then another, and another—like miniature suns forming in rapid succession. The surrounding temperature spiked, prickles of sweat beading on Kaden's forehead.

"Oh, hell no," he muttered. He knew that look in the mage's eyes: that single-minded fury of a caster who'd finally completed a high-tier spell. Around the staff's tip, orbs of roiling flame shimmered, each one gradually drifting into a loose orbit.

Several battered kobolds rallied behind the mage, snarling in triumph. They seemed emboldened, as though anticipating a grand retaliation that would scorch the entire clearing. 

Meanwhile, the boars still rampaged in parts of the field, but even they paused at the sudden spike of heat, snorting nervously. The very air crackled with energy, and the faint forest breeze felt singed, as if the oxygen itself might ignite.

Kaden swallowed hard. His eyes were not deceiving him. The kobold magician was only level 7. 

An ordinary low-level mage couldn't possibly conjure so many orbs of fire at once—not without a powerful conduit fueling it. Sure enough, the red crystal embedded at the staff's tip glowed with an intensity that threatened to melt the very air around it.

The next second the fireballs roared and flew towards the boars. The kobolds watched in glee as the boars got hit by the attacks one after the other. 

Balls of flame hissed in the air, each one slamming into a boar with frightening precision. Scorched flesh and squeals of agony erupted across the clearing. 

In less than a heartbeat, the once-rampaging boars—so dangerous just moments ago—were being reduced to piles of burning fur and convulsing limbs.

The kobold magician snarled something guttural, staff raised high. More orbs formed, swirling around the scarlet crystal as though dancing to some silent, nightmarish tune. 

The surviving kobolds whooped in vicious glee, their morale skyrocketing now that the boars—previously their biggest headache—were getting obliterated one by one.

And then something unexpected happened.

One lone fireball came right for the bush Kaden was currently hiding in. Right on cue, every single kobold turned to look at the bush.