After the death message, I stood with difficulty. I wiped the blood from my face and looked ahead, exhausted but determined.
The moment had finally come to enter the boss's chamber. As I opened the second door, I swallowed hard.
The lighting was dimmer than in the first room and corridors, but surprisingly, I had no trouble discerning my surroundings. "Is it because of my perception stat?" I couldn't deny that my vision had improved significantly.
In the center of the room stood a monster slightly taller than an average adult man. Surrounding it, six goblins formed a perfectly organized circle, all armed warriors wielding rusty swords.
The boss of the first floor, positioned at the center of the formation, had a body brimming with bulging muscles, massive fangs, and intense crimson eyes.
But most striking was its full steel armor. It looked less like a monster and more like a medieval knight. Its helmet, breastplate, and boots were solid steel, leaving only its arms and thighs exposed. In its hand, it held a gigantic axe.
I couldn't even imagine how much that brutal weapon weighed. I probably couldn't lift it with both hands, let alone wield it with the dexterity the monster displayed by holding it with one.
When the hobgoblin saw me, it opened its jaws and let out a deafening roar. The force of its bellow caused long strands of viscous saliva to drip from its jaw, clinging to its jagged, serrated teeth.
I knew it was more powerful than a mere goblin fighter. The system had classified it as a Hobgoblin, a superior variant of the first evolution. This creature surpassed my current capabilities, a grade F+ monster with unknown abilities.
I gripped my bone spear tightly as I observed the monsters. My throat dried, and thick beads of sweat dotted my forehead. Though anxiety gripped my heart, my mind continued to analyze the situation coldly.
The energy now flowing through my body reached my arms, but it didn't seem to extend to the spear; it was as if my power wasn't enough to enhance the weapon.
"Should I wait for them to make the first move?"
No, that would be a mistake. If I remained passive, these creatures would regroup, forcing me to face enemies from both front and rear simultaneously. In that case, the best option would be…
The one who strikes first wins the battle.
As I aimed my spear, the goblin fighters moved in unison. Before charging at them, I regulated my breathing, aware that each inhale could be my last.
"Let's do this," I told myself.
I had adopted the correct stance, and my gaze regained its focus. Aware that time was a luxury I didn't have, I activated the only attribute at my disposal without hesitation.
[Attribute activated: The Man Who Overcame Adversity.]
Time seemed to slow before my eyes due to the drastic increase in my capabilities. My clothes and hair began to flutter slightly, as if caressed by an imperceptible breeze. With a lightning-fast movement, I cleaved the body of the goblin in front of me. My spear struck with such force that it split its torso in two, turning it into fodder for the Tower.
In an instant, my left leg pushed off the ground with force as I extended my arms. A second goblin nimbly dodged my attack and countered with ferocity. The monster closely watched my spear.
The weapon would miss in that trajectory, no doubt. But I reacted immediately. When I saw the monster evade my thrust, I adjusted my grip on the spear.
My technique shifted from "Thrust" to "Slash."
The spear's tip traced a precise arc and severed the goblin's throat. The sensation was like cutting a block of hardened tofu. I watched the blood gush from the wound for a second before leaping back; the claws that tried to ambush me barely grazed my waist.
The third goblin's sneak attack missed by millimeters. The monster slid across the ground before twisting its body with the grace of a martial arts master, leaving deep furrows in the earth.
When it tried to locate me with its gaze, my spear was already piercing its skull, sinking deep into its brain. Its body convulsed violently before collapsing lifelessly.
I had eliminated three goblins in a matter of seconds, but the battle was far from over. I withdrew my spear, now dripping with greenish blood, performed a roll, and launched another lethal attack.
The fourth goblin's extended claws aimed for my back, but they only managed to scatter its own blood through the air. The creature spun several times before crashing headfirst into the ground with a dull thud. It writhed briefly like a dying worm before falling completely still.
I gazed at the corpse with a mix of astonishment and satisfaction.
Suddenly, another goblin leaped into the air, its claws ready and jaws wide open. My vision filled with that monstrous maw lined with razor-sharp teeth.
My bone spear pierced its mouth, splitting it in half. I advanced and drove the weapon deeper. With the added force of the goblin's own attack, the bone tore through its throat and emerged from the back of its neck.
As its companion fell instantly, the next one tried to attack my left flank with a rusty knife. Before it could reach me, I delivered a downward punch that sent it flying. My fist sank into its skull, killing it instantly with an impact that buried its head into the ground. Fragments of bone and brain scattered as the body collapsed.
The weight of the fallen monster momentarily threw me off balance. From both sides, two more goblins charged with their knives as I crouched to retrieve my spear.
I noticed these last specimens were larger and more muscular than the others. I pulled my weapon from the corpse and, with a fluid motion, sliced through the body of a goblin speeding past.
I stood quickly. Another monster attacked from behind as I moved to dodge a thrust, preparing to counterattack.
*Crack!*
This time, the goblin's forehead was pierced cleanly. I gritted my teeth as I was pushed back by the force of my own attack.
Just as I had anticipated…
*ROAR!*
The armored hobgoblin let out a thunderous bellow and charged at me, wielding its gigantic axe like a frenzied berserker.
My heart shuddered violently.
I neutralized the attack of one last goblin and took four quick steps back. Simultaneously, the hobgoblin leaped into the air. Its axe rose above its head and descended toward my skull with blinding speed. In that critical moment, its eyes gleamed with a murderous glint that promised annihilation.