Chapter 29
Luke's heart pounded as he crouched behind the narrow crevice, the Broodmother's enraged screeches echoing through the cavern. His mind raced, torn between fear and resolve. If I run, that thing might follow me out of the cave. The village will be at risk. But if I stay… I might not make it out alive.
He clenched his fists, his thoughts swirling. This still feels like a dream, a game, a nightmare. But if I'm going to die, I'm not going to die a coward. Even if this is some manga cliché, I have no choice. I have to face this.
Luke opened his status panel, his eyes scanning the numbers. He had 22 attribute points and 50 Goblin Village Management points left. If the max stats for his current evolution were 21, he needed to push himself to the limit. If I'm going to die, I'm doing this with no regrets.
With a deep breath, he began allocating his points:
+6 to Strength (STR: 15 → 21)
+6 to Agility (AGI: 15 → 21)
+8 to Perception (PER: 13 → 21)
+2 to Vitality (VIT: 10 → 12)
+9 to Vitality using Goblin Village Management points (VIT: 12 → 21)
+9 to Resilience (RES: 12 → 21)
+11 to Intelligence (INT: 10 → 21)
+11 to Magic (MAG: 10 → 21)
The moment he confirmed the changes, his body began to transform. Pain surged through him as his muscles expanded, his senses sharpened, and his mind flooded with new information. He couldn't help but scream, the sound echoing through the cavern.
The Broodmother, drawn by the noise, turned its massive body toward him. Its legs skittered across the cavern floor as it charged, its mandibles snapping hungrily. Luke's transformation was still ongoing, his body writhing as the changes took hold. The Broodmother was almost upon him, one of its legs raised to strike.
At the last moment, Luke's body blurred. He moved faster than he ever had before, his enhanced agility propelling him out of harm's way. He stumbled and tumbled behind the Broodmother, slamming into the cavern wall. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but he quickly pushed himself to his feet, his movements still unsteady.
Whoa… Luke thought, his mind reeling. This speed… it's insane.
His perception was now crystal clear, the cavern no longer a shadowy maze but a vivid, detailed landscape. His Night Vision skill, now unnecessary, made the cave almost too bright. He deactivated it, his eyes adjusting to the natural darkness. Even without the skill, he could see everything as if it were daylight.
Luke looked down at his arms, now more muscular and defined. He felt taller, stronger, faster. His mind buzzed with newfound clarity, a hundred strategies and tactics forming in an instant. I can take this thing down. I know I can.
He also felt something burning within him—a strange, pulsating energy. Mana? he thought, recalling the Mana Edge skill he had purchased. He focused, channeling the energy into his machete. The blade glowed with a light blueish energy, illuminating the cavern with an ethereal light.
Luke grinned, his confidence surging. This is it. Time to end this.
The Broodmother turned to face him, its multiple eyes glowing with rage. It let out a deafening screech, its massive body trembling with fury. Luke tightened his grip on the mana-infused machete, his stance steady and ready.
"Come on, you overgrown spider," he muttered, his voice low and determined. "Let's dance."
Luke darted beneath the Broodmother's massive body, his movements a blur of speed and precision. His mana-infused machete slashed through the air, striking the creature's legs with enough force to crack its chitinous armor. The Broodmother screeched in pain, its legs flailing as it tried to strike him. But Luke was too fast, his enhanced agility allowing him to stay one step ahead.
The Broodmother, frustrated and enraged, smashed its body onto the ground, attempting to crush Luke beneath its massive weight. The cavern shook violently, dust and debris raining down from the ceiling. Luke barely managed to roll out of the way, his heart pounding as he felt the ground tremble beneath him.
This thing is the size of a house, Luke thought, his eyes widening as he took in the Broodmother's sheer size. Its legs were as thick as tree logs, its joints towering above him like pillars. Despite his newfound strength and speed, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt. How am I supposed to take this thing down?
He dodged another attack, his movements fluid and precise. But in his confidence, he underestimated the Broodmother's cunning. A sudden strike from the side caught him off guard. Luke raised his machete to parry, but the sheer force of the attack shattered the blade and sent him flying. His body slammed into the cavern wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He spat blood, his vision swimming as he struggled to his feet.
I got too cocky, Luke thought, wiping the blood from his mouth. I can't let that happen again.
With no melee weapon left, Luke reached into his inventory, his bow and quiver of arrows materializing in his hands. Time to kite this thing. He activated Snipe Mode, his vision narrowing as he focused on the Broodmother's joints. Combining Charged Strike and Mana Edge, he fired an arrow, the projectile streaking through the air with a faint blue glow.
The arrow struck the Broodmother's leg just below the joint, piercing through the chitinous armor. The creature let out a deafening screech, its body writhing in pain. But the shot wasn't enough to disable the leg completely. Damn, too low.
The Broodmother's cries echoed through the cavern, summoning swarms of spider hatchlings from the shadows. They skittered toward Luke, their tiny bodies moving with alarming speed. Luke cursed under his breath. This battle just got a lot harder.
He stashed his bow back into his inventory and switched to hand-to-hand combat, coating his fists with Mana Edge. The hatchlings lunged at him, but Luke was ready. His fists moved like lightning, each strike smashing through the tiny spiders with brutal efficiency. The notifications chimed repeatedly, the EXP rolling in.
[ You have slain 1x Dire Cave Hatchling.
+25 EXP ]
[ You have slain 1x Dire Cave Hatchling.
+25 EXP ]
[ You have slain 1x Dire Cave Hatchling.
+25 EXP ]
...
The battle was brutal. Some of the hatchlings managed to bite him, their venom burning his skin. But his enhanced Vitality and Resilience made him resistant to their attacks. He gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain as he continued to fight.
[ Congratulations! You have reached Level 20.
Evolutionary Path Unlocked.
Gene Shop Unlocked. ]
Luke's eyes widened as the notifications appeared. Level 20! Finally! But he didn't have time to celebrate. The Broodmother, enraged by the slaughter of her hatchlings, went berserk. Her attacks became faster and more erratic, her massive body thrashing wildly as she struck out at anything in her path—including her own hatchlings.
Luke barely dodged a flailing leg, the force of the attack sending him flying. He spat blood, his body aching from the impact. This isn't working. I need to end this now.
He stood up, his breath heavy but his resolve unshaken. Taking out his bow once more, he nocked an arrow and activated Snipe Mode, Charged Strike, and Mana Edge. The arrowhead glowed with a fierce blue light as he took aim at the Broodmother's joints.
Disable her mobility first.
He fired, the arrow striking true and severing one of the Broodmother's legs. The creature screamed in agony, her movements growing more sluggish. Luke didn't stop. He fired again and again, each arrow finding its mark and disabling another leg. The Broodmother was now immobilized, her massive body writhing in pain.
But she wasn't done yet. With a final, desperate effort, the Broodmother spat a ball of venom toward Luke. He dodged, but the venom struck his bow, melting it instantly. Damn it!
With no weapons left, Luke clenched his fists, coating them with Mana Edge. He activated Burst Sprint, his body blurring as he charged toward the Broodmother. The cavern seemed to slow down around him, his enhanced perception allowing him to dodge the Broodmother's venomous attacks with ease.
This ends now.
Luke channeled all of his energy into his fist, combining Charged Strike and Mana Edge into a single, devastating punch. He leaped into the air, his fist glowing with a blinding blue light. With a roar, he drove his fist into the Broodmother's head.
The impact was catastrophic. The Broodmother's head exploded in a burst of green mist, her massive body collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash. Luke landed gracefully, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.