Chapter 5: Merciless

Chapter 5: Merciless

I heard it again and again, the sound of metal hitting the ground.

There was more to it. Before the normal clang, I could hear another sound... as if something was being torn apart. Something was being cut down... something... something that involved liquid. Squelch was the sound, probably, but clang and clang were included.

I opened my eyes.

And there was darkness. No, I could clearly see the view in front of me, but my future seemed dark.

I wasn't killed. The female, erm, warrior Eliyah, if I recall from the memories, didn't mix Mage Gilbert's body with poison powder. Instead, she used sleeping powder.

I wondered why... why would she do this when she could simply kill us? It was a matter of fact... collecting ears, was that not her intention?

I realized how foolish my thoughts were when I noticed a smirk... a grin or a smile, whatever one would call it... sat on her face as she butchered my kin, clearly knowing that I'm awake and watching... our eyes met after all.

Revenge was it? Yes.

She was taking revenge for the death of her comrade. Her family.

Her intention was to make me suffer. She wanted to see me cry and beg for her to let go of my family.

I was on the ground, my limbs intact but I couldn't move. Ropes were what she used to restrain me.

She could have easily cut my arms and limbs to prevent any movement, but then again, I would end up dying from loss of blood.

In conclusion, I was motionless and forced to watch my kin die.

'Pete.' Was that his name?

I watched the young goblin child, fully conscious, crying out loud and flailing his arms left and right.

"Elder! Save me elder! Elder! El—"

Ah, his tongue was ripped out.

I was calm.

The warrior made sure I was watching, by looking at me just once, and continued.

She grabbed Pete's neck, her fingers piercing slowly and steadily until finally, she could form a grip around his... uh, windpipe to be precise.

Pete's futile resistance only bloodied her hands as she ripped out the windpipe... the rings of cartilage clearly visible all while green blood sprayed everywhere.

Choking on his own blood? No, Pete died gasping for breath when his windpipe was separated from his body and fed to... little kid Gabor.

Gabor, just ten days in age, trembled at the sight of such brutality yet obeyed the female's commands.

He had already eaten his father's intestine, mother's stomach, sister's lungs and now it was his brother's windpipe... yup, foodpipe included.

The female let out a cruel laugh but made sure to calm herself immediately. A lot more fun awaited her.

I was calm.

Seventy-two goblins resided in this cave, seventy-three if I was included, and now there lived ten in total. Gabor was dead.

His neck wasn't sliced off like Elder Gobrot, nor were his organs ripped out like the rest. Rather, there were no signs of an external wound... save for the bloated belly that was visible even now.

The poor kid was forced to eat almost and over sixty goblins... his stomach bulged up till he couldn't breathe anymore...

I was calm.

The rest of the goblins shuddered in fear as the female stood up. I could tell... she was bored.

All this time, I had a monotonous expression on my face.

She clicked her tongue and walked towards the rest of the goblins, giving them a swift death. Now, I was the only one of my kin, alive...

Her blood-stained blade was now pointed at me.

She said something... shadows covered her eyes. I didn't understand nor could see her expressions as the shadows extended all over her face.

But I could see... her trembling hands that gripped the hilt of the sword.

Either she was extremely angry, or she was just so saddened by the loss of a fellow human that she could barely hold it straight.

I didn't guess. I didn't even want to know.

I lowered my gaze, just a little bit, and sighed.

The time she wasted till now ended up benefiting me. I was able to increase my strength.

I gambled.

I looked at Stucky, now knowing that I could summon him with just my thoughts, and watched proudly...

...at this new skill that I had obtained.

『Fire Bolt Lv.1』

『—>You can cast a small bolt of fire that deals small damage to a single target.』[Cost: 10 MP/bolt]

Stucky informed me that every skill that I would learn would start from level 1. It made me frown but I didn't grumble...

...after all, I had already checked my pitiful profile.

『Name: Gubzo』『Lv.5』

『Race: Goblin』『Rank: F』『Age: 20 days』

『HP: 10/10』

『MP: 10/10』

『Strength: 2』

『Agility: 3』

『Intelligence: 10』

『Perception: 2』

『Dexterity: 10』

『Constitution: 5』

『Stat Point(s): 16』

I could feel my eyes twitch. The highest number Stucky showed me was my age.

I ignored it for the second time.

It wasn't all that hard to understand what these things meant. The information was already in my head.

HP was like my health. If I reached '0', then I'd die.

MP was similar to energy. It would help me use skills...

...and this is where I realized that I was pitiful.

I got a skill where I could throw fire. But thanks to my awfully low MP, I could use it only one time.

I sighed internally, thinking about this, but not too much because I already had a plan.

It was the other thing which my Devour skill gave me... mimic!

The female was just a meter or less away from me when I decided, it was finally time to take action.

『Notice!』

『You have mimicked MP: 250』

It changed. The information displayed by Stucky changed in just a second.

『Name: Gubzo』『Lv.5』

『Race: Goblin』『Rank: F』『Age: 20 days』

『HP: 10/10』

『MP: 250/10』

Ah... I couldn't help but grin again. The nasty smile that sat on my face after knowing what I would do... it made the female shudder.

Her eyes widened... not too much, but noticeably enough when fifteen balls of fire darted towards her.

BOOM!