Chapter 46: Massacre
The forest howled with madness.
HWWWL!
Shrill war-cries echoed through the gnarled trees as goblins surged forward like a tidal wave of snarling green bodies. From the canopy above and the underbrush below, they came—Goblin Scouts, their wiry bodies twisted with sinew and rage, leapt from tree to tree wielding heavy clubs. Goblin Archers hissed, closing in for a deadlier shot. Their yellow eyes gleamed with malice, their mouths wide with battle-roars that tore through the choking silence of the hollow.
Lei Feng stood atop a massive branch, calm amid chaos, his robes crackling with arcs of lightning. The branch beneath him creaked from the tension of waiting. His storm-blue eyes scanned the swarm below—calculating, cold.
He didn't flinch.
He waited.
The goblins charged. Their twisted forms hurtled toward the tree like living battering rams.
Then—
BOOM!
Lei Feng kicked off the trunk, the bark cracking from the force as his body shot forward like a bolt of lightning. In a blur of silver and blue, he hurtled into the heart of the goblin swarm, his sword raised high.
"Lightning Slash!"
ZZZRAAAAK-SHRRIP!
Stormpiercer sang through the air, trailing lightning in its wake. The strike carved a brutal arc, cleaving three goblin scouts in one smooth stroke. Their bodies crackled and fell apart mid-scream.
The formation collapsed.
And then—the massacre began.
Lei Feng was a storm made flesh.
Each movement was fluid, controlled, deadly. With every step, he released a strike—lightning lashing outward from his blade, slicing through green flesh and bone like wet paper.
SLASH!
A goblin scout lunged from above—he sidestepped and carved its legs off mid-air.
CRACK!
Another tried to flank—he turned with a pivot, blade whistling in a full arc, slicing it across the chest. The creature exploded in a flash of blue energy.
Sparks flew. Bodies fell.
But the goblins still came.
Their eyes lost the glint of bloodlust—now there was only fear. Their roars turned to frantic shrieks, the madness replaced by raw survival instinct.
From somewhere in the crowd, one archer bellowed:
"KURRUN!"
The signal was clear. Retreat.
Like rats in a flood, the goblins turned and fled—stumbling over their own fallen, shrieking in terror, scattering into the shadows.
But Lei Feng's voice cracked like thunder.
"And who gave you permission to retreat?"
He dove from the treetops, trailing lightning like a falling star.
"Lightning Steps!"
He vanished and reappeared in front of the goblins' path, cutting off their escape.
"Lightning Slash!"
ZRRRAAK-KRSHHH!
The wave of energy exploded from his blade, raking through a dozen goblins. Screams pierced the air as their bodies crumpled like burnt leaves.
He moved like wind between trees—slashing, parrying, striking. His sword danced death through the chaos.
Slash. Parry. Step. Thrust.
Goblins fell in twos and threes, their dying howls swallowed by the rising storm of Lei Feng's might. Some tried to leap from the trees, others to crawl into the underbrush—but none escaped his blade. Their blood stained the leaves, their corpses hung limp from branches like cursed fruit.
And when the last of the scouts fell, and the last of the archers crumpled into the dirt, Lei Feng stood alone amid the carnage.
The air stank of scorched goblin flesh. The trees dripped with dark blood. Lightning still flickered faintly along his sleeves, crackling with suppressed power.
He looked around at the mayhem—dozens of bodies piled at his feet.
No pity. No regret.
Only stillness.
But it did not last.
RUMBLE.
A low, primal tremor coursed through the hollow. The shadows shifted.
And from them emerged the next wave.
They came slowly, like a wall of muscle and menace. GoblinWarriors—towering beasts nearly six feet tall, their green skin armored with bone and crude iron. In their hands, they held heavy axes carved with tribal sigils. Their eyes glowed dimly with restrained fury.
Behind them came the GoblinShamans, hunched and twisted, their tattered black robes stitched with skulls and charms. They held twisted staffs that pulsed with dark magic. Their mouths moved in a strange, gurgling chant as smoke curled from their fingers.
Lei Feng smiled.
No fear.
Only confidence.
Overwhelming, absolute confidence.
"More toys," he muttered.
The battle resumed.
The warriors charged first, their heavy feet shaking the earth. One swung its axe with a roar that split the air—but Lei Feng moved like a whisper.
"Storm Shield!"
Lei Feng executed the additional skill of the Storm Dragon Robe.
A dome of crackling lightning shimmered into existence just as the axe slammed down. The blow bounced off harmlessly, sending sparks flying.
Lei Feng ducked low and countered.
SLASH!
The warrior's torso exploded in a burst of electricity.
Another roared from behind.
"Lightning Flash!"
In the blink of an eye, Lei Feng vanished—reappearing above the shaman ranks.
They gasped—too late.
"Lightning Pulse!"
BOOOM!
A shockwave erupted from his body, rippling outward in a blue explosion. The shamans shrieked as the force shattered their wards and flung their bodies like dolls into the trees.
He landed in a crouch, breathing heavily. Mana churned in his veins, and electricity danced across his fingers.
One more warrior charged, foaming at the mouth, roaring in rage.
Lei Feng held his blade back.
"Come."
It lunged—and Lei Feng stepped sideways, his sword slicing upward in a perfect arc.
SHHHHRRRIP!
The goblin was cleaved in half, a clean, precise strike.
The ground trembled, but no more enemies came.
Lei Feng glanced around—three more warriors had fallen under his lightning assault, and the remaining shamans had been turned to ash or shattered bone.
Yet his breath grew heavier.
A flash of system data flickered in his mind's eye:
[MP: 90 / 210]
"Hmm, although I am clearly more powerful than before my control over Mana have barely increased," Lei Feng muttered inwardly.
He reached into his inventory and retrieved two vials of clear blue liquid.
Gulp. Gulp.
The mana potions slid down his throat, cool and sharp. His core pulsed with energy as the numbers surged.
[MP: 210 / 210]
> ━『 Inventory 』━
3 Low Grade Health Potions
3 Low Grade Mana Potion
5 Intermediate Grade Stamina Potions
5 Intermediate Grade Health Potions
Invigorated, he burst forward.
A final frenzy ignited.
His blade blurred through the clearing. Lightning surged along the ground, arcing from corpse to corpse. Goblin warriors fell with their bones shattered and nerves fried. The last shaman tried to conjure a curse—Lei Feng silenced it with a blade through the throat.
Crackling energy tore the battlefield asunder.
Until finally—
Silence.
The forest no longer whispered.
It watched.
All the goblins—gone.
Dead.
A field of corpses lay around him, the ground drenched in blood and ash.
Lei Feng lowered Stormpiercer. His chest rose and fell slowly, and he gazed into the dark forest depths.
No more enemies.
No more ambushes.
Only the calm after a storm.
And then—
DING!
> Level Up!
Host has reached Level 17!
+10 to Health
+10 to Mana
+1 to all Stats
+5 Free Stat Points Awarded
DING!
> Level Up!
Host has reached Level 18!
+10 to Health
+10 to Mana
+1 to all Stats
+5 Free Stat Points Awarded
DING!
> Level Up!
Host has reached Level 19!
+10 to Health
+10 to Mana
+1 to all Stats
+5 Free Stat Points Awarded
Lei Feng exhaled slowly.
He looked at his bloodstained hands, then up at the moonlight piercing the canopy.
His eyes glowed—
Not with rage. Not with madness.
But purpose.
This was only the beginning.