The blue edge of Mark's short sword pierced in the goblin Taskmaster's throat. The magical energy of the critical hit of the Heavy Strike skill exploded with a painful snap.
[Critical Hit! Heavy Strike Activated! You dealt 68 physical damage to the Goblin Taskmaster.]
The big brown goblin froze. His yellow eyes rolled back and with a metallic clang, the iron battle axe slipped from his fingers. Taskmaster emitted a gurgling sound and, like a felled tree, his bulky body twisted to the floor at Mark's feet. A moment later, the Taskmaster's body disintegrated into the ashen dust from which the goblin had been born.
[Elite target defeated! Goblin Taskmaster (Lv. 5) killed!]67Please respect copyright.PENANAh7tsOU9dhI
[You gained 150 Experience Points]67Please respect copyright.PENANA64ukqehSkF
[Experience: 155/300 to Level 4]
Mark panted and leaned against a tall pillar in the corner, sliding down to sit on the floor. He pressed a hand against his ribs, massaging the painful place where the Taskmaster had smashed him in the stomach with an axe handle. His health was at 65%. "That was close," he groaned, wiping sweat and dirt from his brow.67Please respect copyright.PENANAsDzjF3eTVd
Mark rummaged through his inventory. He pulled out the last Low-grade health potion in the world. He did not want to waste the two remaining potions, and right now, health regeneration on a low level was definitely not an option. He unscrewed the glass cap on the bottle and drank the bitter green liquid.
A warm glow rose from within, soothed the pain in his ribs, and Mark's health was back to full.67Please respect copyright.PENANACrFb1Mtvmm
[Health potion used! +50 HP restored. Current health: 100/100]67Please respect copyright.PENANAIxhFCPhm9d
The warrior stood and walked over to where the Taskmaster had died, inspecting the items that had fallen from the giant goblin's body.67Please respect copyright.PENANALMF1y3YfIf
First, a leather wallet full of coins.67Please respect copyright.PENANAgRGos1ZRn8
[You found: 15 Silver Coins, 50 Copper Coins.]67Please respect copyright.PENANA3q5XkFnGp7
Second, a pair of leather boots with knee-high shin plates.67Please respect copyright.PENANAnOGTWjA7HK
[Taskmaster's Iron-plated Boots (Uncommon)]67Please respect copyright.PENANA5f85N7TXwk
Defense: +867Please respect copyright.PENANAUFHum9Mc4c
Attributes: +1 Agility67Please respect copyright.PENANAxmCIZ4HxeP
Durability: 40/4067Please respect copyright.PENANAFh7zMW0RV9
Description: Heavy leather boots typical for goblin leaders. The iron plates provide good protection against low blows.67Please respect copyright.PENANAskG7Sd4row
Third, a glowing triangular crystal.67Please respect copyright.PENANAFIM7cgpYXL
[Skill Crystal: Minor Cleave (Common)]67Please respect copyright.PENANAcU08qO3ghD
Description: A disposable crystal used to permanently learn the Active Skill: Minor Cleave. To learn this skill, 15 points in Strength are required.67Please respect copyright.PENANACDiosEteSj
Mark's eyes narrowed. A skill crystal was an extremely valuable find. He looked at his character sheet. After leveling up to Level 3, he had 5 attribute points to spend.67Please respect copyright.PENANAqq8cn68rtd
[CHARACTER SHEET]67Please respect copyright.PENANArG3miLY8K5
Name: Mark Vance67Please respect copyright.PENANA36CH2aNZIi
Class: None67Please respect copyright.PENANAk7S1SmoqcR
Level: 3 (155/300 XP)67Please respect copyright.PENANAXJAfPFuRBQ
Health: 100/10067Please respect copyright.PENANA517SGXkgAP
[STATS]67Please respect copyright.PENANAFTDOen9Yt0
Strength: 16 (14 + 2)67Please respect copyright.PENANA6tTHx3k0ZK
Agility: 14 (12 + 2)67Please respect copyright.PENANAXkLdS8xMn7
Constitution: 16 (15 + 1)67Please respect copyright.PENANAB6TdYdvTud
Intelligence: 1067Please respect copyright.PENANATyuwGK2hNy
Wisdom: 1367Please respect copyright.PENANAOh7Fw3EYfU
Willpower: 1867Please respect copyright.PENANAXHyIr8tM3U
[ATTRIBUTE POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE: 5]67Please respect copyright.PENANA3X4LxfsH4y
67Please respect copyright.PENANAvfsYjAFB2j
Mark's Strength was at 16, which was enough to learn the skill written on the crystal. The warrior thought it over. Heavy Strike was a great skill, but if he were to find himself in a bad situation with several annoying goblins again, he would be glad of an AoE skill like Minor Cleave.67Please respect copyright.PENANAP3CqUcUmZs
Mark distributed the 5 attribute points. 2 points in Strength, 2 points in Agility, and 1 point in Constitution.67Please respect copyright.PENANAklQ7eiWbXM
67Please respect copyright.PENANAOEboW8w9BZ
[Stats updated. Strength: 18, Agility: 16, Constitution: 17.]67Please respect copyright.PENANAIiolQTFYoC
[Current maximum health: 120.]67Please respect copyright.PENANAYKgbpzi90i
Grinding his teeth, Mark examined the skill description.67Please respect copyright.PENANAAT0nJgBYzh
[Skill Learned: Minor Cleave (Active - Level 1)]67Please respect copyright.PENANAAIuWVX5Z3r
Cost: 15 MP. Swing your weapon in a wide 180-degree arc in front of you, dealing 110% physical damage to all enemies. Cooldown: 15 sec.67Please respect copyright.PENANAXm47cCnlVL
67Please respect copyright.PENANAVITamOVMZD
"Perfect," Mark muttered. Now, he had a single-target burst damage skill and an AoE utility skill. He took the glowing green crystal in his right hand and crushed it. A bunch of bright green particles shimmered in his palm and disappeared inside his skin.67Please respect copyright.PENANAx9qQPzjHFp
Mark unfastened his old, torn combat boots and slipped on the new Taskmaster's boots. He tied the straps and immediately felt a warm comfort around his feet. The +1 Agility bonus gave him a nice burst of speed. Mark walked a few paces and took a look around the Guard Room. The bonfire in the center had burned out, casting ghostly shadows on the opposite wall. At the far end of the barracks, where the goblin Taskmaster had been sitting, there was a set of broad stone stairs leading upward. According to the mini-map in his field of vision, these stairs led straight to the surface.67Please respect copyright.PENANAaugv3dkRcG
Mark walked up the stone stairs. With every step, he left the dungeon's foul-smelling and damp air behind. He climbed higher and higher, and the stench of dirt and old wet concrete faded away. A light breeze touched Mark's skin, carrying the scent of pine needles and freshly cut grass. The young man sighed happily; he longed for the open sky, although he did not know if it was still there. Earth was gone, and he would never return to its dusty embrace, but the instinctual yearning to see the sun remained in his bones.67Please respect copyright.PENANAMeHu2bFBiu
The steps led upward for ten long minutes until Mark reached the top. The warrior found himself in a huge stone hall. The ceiling was open, revealing the sky above the ruins.67Please respect copyright.PENANAXTwWgNLgQV
Mark stared in disbelief. The sky of Aethelgard was mesmerizing. Two moons hung in the darkened sky, one large and pale, the other smaller and violet. Millions of unfamiliar stars glittered like bright diamonds.67Please respect copyright.PENANA6jWo8I6u08
"I'm really not on Earth," murmured Mark, feeling his tears slide down his face.67Please respect copyright.PENANAzR09eRhNdm
He stepped out of the stone hall and into the open courtyard. The grass was long and wavy, and the remnants of broken stone pillars stood like petrified trees around the building. Mark took a few hesitant steps when his Danger Sense warned him. Something was wrong.67Please respect copyright.PENANANk1aYLpBV4
A growl reverberated from the darkness, and two glowing red eyes burned in the distance, fixing their gaze on Mark. The warrior immediately took a combat stance, raising his short sword.67Please respect copyright.PENANAnHpECVJFHa
Whatever it was, it had come out of the bushes to one side. Mark did not know what he was facing, but he was no longer the helpless and frightened human who had stumbled into this world. Mark Vance was a Level 3 Soldier, and he would show this mysterious predator who was the stronger of the two.


