Ascension Through Skills

The Former Goblin Lord(1)

TL: handCream

PR: Kasaix

Tae-san pulled back from the unrealistic sight. A large sword that was almost the size of a human was held by the goblin in front of him.

‘Keik?’

It was a named monster called the Goblin Lord. Just as his name suggested, he must be higher ranked from the elite goblins he had encountered before. The ghost became pale at this sight.

[Uh… This isn’t good. Why is there a Lord-level monster here?]

“Do you know anything about it?”

[Well, he’s the king of his race. They are unique and every race only has a single lord. Their existence and qualities are beyond the limits and concepts of their race.]

“It seems so.”

Its size was three times bigger than the other goblins.

Tae-san observed and noticed there was actually more to it than it seemed at the first glance.

Indifferent eyes and tightly equipped muscles.

An unwavering posture.

It was embarrassing to call this being a goblin. Even its clothes were neat just like that of humans, not torn like those of the savage goblins before.

[It no longer matters if this one is a goblin, it is most definitely a Lord. But this high-level monster shouldn’t loiter around the lower floors. What is it doing here?] 

The ghost continued to mutter how he ended up in this unexpected situation. Tae-san took a stance with all the new information compiled in his head. 

The Goblin Lord observed Tae-san silently.

“Are you challenging me to attack you from this side?”

He had no reason to refuse such an offer. Tae-san put strength on his ankle.

Whoosh!

His body accelerated. The wind hit his face harshly. He covered the distance in an instant and lowered his sword.

Kaang!

The sound of iron clashing echoed throughout the room. Tae-san frowned.

The Goblin Lord blocked his attack without moving an inch from his sitting position. The Goblin Lord looked at him, spoke calmly.

“I don’t resent you.”

The voice was soft and calm. Until now, Tae-san had never heard such a voice from a monster before.

“Because you’re also a part of the picture they drew. And just like you here… I’m also playing a role, the role of a monster.”

The Goblin Lord’s hands were tensed, it swung his sword. The sword was moving. Rod spoke calmly again.

“So I must kill you.”

His strength burst.

Tae-san felt the sense of energy flowing in the Goblin Lord. He was exploding with power. 

[You have activated the Block. The next attack will be blocked.]

It was the only skill that was close to Reflex. The trajectory of the sword was directed back and it hit the wall, leaving a big gash on it. 

“Huh?”

Kaang!

The Lord moved his hand without getting up. The sword created a storm. Tae-san clenched his teeth and focused all his strength on his arm.

Clang!

The clashing sword created a thunder-like sound. The Lord was impressed by this sight.

“You’re strong.”

“How the heck?”

Tae-san was bursting with energy. His Strength was 37. In Easy Mode, he would have had no problem reaching up to the 50th floor which is such a number.

However, the Goblin Lord’s sword was significantly heavier than he could handle now. He knew even if he reached the 40th floor he would hardly be able to make any difference. How could this monster be here, just on the 3rd floor? 

“Crazy f**ker.”

While Tae-san was swearing, the Lord calmly wielded his sword once more. The weapon the size of a grown adult attempted to split Tae-san apart. 

Tae-san made a quick decision.

His shield was of no use. With the raw power of the Lord, he wouldn’t be able to stop it even if he tried. He ditched his shield and held the Lakiratas’ sword with both hands.

Klang!

Knees bent, his sword stiffened. But Tae-san wouldn’t back down. 

Even if he accumulated all his powers, he wasn’t at the level to hold out. Tae-san rushed towards the Lord. Sparks followed their clash.

Clang!

This situation could be an opportunity for him. The Lord struck, aiming low. And lifted it again, raising his arm. But Tae-san was holding out, feet dug into the ground. Here, he wouldn’t be attacked by the weapon. 

Tae-san was going to stick to his timing to deal greater damage. His opponent had a large sword and would be at a disadvantage in a close battle. 

However, the Lord pulled back his sword expressionlessly. 

Without lowering the blade, he pointed its handle toward Tae-san’s face.

In a clear response, Tae-san clicked his tongue and activated his skill.

[You’ve activated Block. The next attack will be blocked.]

The trajectory of the handle twisted, forcing Tae-san to take the damage with his shoulder. 

Skills were absolute in the labyrinth. To overcome it, the only way to respond a sill was to counterattack with a higher-ranked one.

[The Goblin Lord launched an attack. The next attack will inflict heavy damage.]

The system prompt blocked Tae-san’s view.

With force, the handle went for Tae-san’s head.

Tae-san’s pupils shook, but he immediately took advantage of the situation. Quickly, Tae-san inserted his sword into the giant’s body, trying to block the attack.

Twak!

“Ah!”

[You’re going into shock. All actions will slow down for 10 seconds.]

His body trembled with numbness. His movement became slow enough for him to feel its immediate effects. The situation was degenerating in a worse direction. With his condition, right now, it was impossible to get out of the Goblin Lord’s attack range. There was only one answer left.

He’ll have to change the game in the next 10 seconds.

Tae-san took a breath and pulled himself up.

The Lord picked up his sword.

Kaang!

Two swords clashed! Neither in strength nor agility, there was not a single part where Tae-san had the upper hand. His slowed movement was taking a toll on him. Even blocking a single attack that was heading towards him was a great struggle. 

[You’ve activated Counter. The next attack will be counterattacked.]

His body moved automatically. The skill controlled his body to find the best route. 

It’s a skill to retaliate against the opponent’s attack.

But still, it was his best bet. Even If the attack wasn’t countered, the skill would at least find a way to avoid the attack. 

Even if he just avoided the next attack which seemed unavoidable it would be a boon for him. The large sword passed right next to him, it was only an inch away! The fast blade cut off his hair flying in the air. 

5 seconds!

The Lord without stopping for a second pulled his large sword again to its side and swung it once more. 

The sound of the air whistling created an eerie atmosphere.

The blade was avoided by an inch again as Tae-san picked himself up from the ground. 

3 seconds!

Tae-san collapsed. The next attack seemed unavoidable.

[You’ve activated Block. The next attack will be blocked.]

[The Goblin Lord launched an attack. The next attack will inflict great damage.]

[You’ve activated Block. The next attack will be blocked.]

The trajectory of the opponent’s strike was twisted, then returned to its original position, then twisted again. The large blade slashed Tae-san.

[46 damage was dealt to you]

0 seconds!

His battered body had returned to its original state. 

He pulled back up as if he was full of energy again. And now, instead of going after the Lord, he took a stance.

“Hehe!”

Tae-san laughed. He concluded. The opponent though hadn’t risen from the throne, this meant that Tae-san was overwhelming him.

[The opponent is an impossible enemy to win against]

He didn’t need the system to remind him. In this way, he would never come out of the 3rd Floor. Perhaps, only when he reached the 7th floor, could he be on par with the Goblin Lord. 

[You must run away.]

The ghost no longer sounded playful, he was speaking with a serious tone.

[Right now, he is not an enemy you could win against. Runaway, get stronger, and then come down to fight.] 

“What will happen after that?”

[What?]

Tae-san was calmly observing the Lord. It was still sitting on the throne. The ghost pounded his chest in frustration. 

[Can’t you see? He is the Goblin Lord. The 3rd floor didn’t mention such an adventure! I am telling you, he’s not going anywhere.] 

“If so, then what’s there to gain? If I were to leave like this, the system would decrease the floor rewards significantly.]

The chattering ghost stops.

[… How do you know?]

“Obviously.”

A player had the freedom to move from one floor to another. But there was a consequence for that. This action would significantly affect the rewards he would gain. 

As soon as he chose this option, the compensation would decrease proportionately every floor he went down before coming back to kill it. Experience and the Gold acquisition would decrease by the ratio of ⅕. And all the special rewards would also disappear. That’s why only a few get to clear the lowest floors of the labyrinth.

So, not to be affected by this damage, he had to complete his task here.

“I’m not backing out.”

He was going to stay here and kill it.

The ghost was frustrated, he couldn’t understand Tae-san’s decision. 

[Arrogant and ignorant! Just because you have gained a few skills and improved a bit, you think you can fight it head-on?!] 

“What are you talking about? Then why is this challenge here?!.”

Just for playing it safe, he couldn’t miss such an opportunity. 

If he was so scared of death, he would have chosen the Hard Mode. Even if he were to clear the labyrinth in that Mode, he would still get significantly stronger than his previous life. 

However, there was a reason why he chose Solo Mode.

He wasn’t here just to survive.

He chose this path to challenge the labyrinth.

He was here to obtain those rare rewards. 

He was here to increase his chances even by a tiny bit. 

He was here to unravel the labyrinth’s mysteries, acquire hidden skills and raise their proficiencies. 

[No judgment required. You’re not overwhelmed by an enemy you can’t win against!]

[No judgment required. You have increased your fighting spirit against an impossible enemy!]

[No judgment required. You have increased your will against an impossible enemy!]

[All stats has been increased]

[You might not see another battle.]

[You have a hawk’s eyes to see through your opponent’s weaknesses.] 

[The system respects you, one who is not greater than the Lord]

“You’re a brave warrior.”

There was admiration lingering in the Lord’s indifferent eyes. He tightened his grip onto the blade with a serious face. 

“I see that you won’t back down. In honour of such a fighting spirit, I shall fight you seriously.” 

Tae-san was still looking at the Lord. He knew there was no way the labyrinth would put an enemy if it were impossible to win against. He knew there was something, somewhere that could turn the table. As a reward for taking on this impossible challenge, he got to know that the Goblin Lord never got up from his throne. 

Not once in this fight did the Lord get up from the throne. At first, Tae-san thought it was because he was on the weaker side. But now that he looked closely, that wasn’t the case.

“…the Lord’s legs.”

[Huh?]

The ghost noticed a bit later.

[His legs are crushed!]

There was a glaring wound on the Lord’s legs. They were hidden by his overwhelming presence, but now he could see them clearly. The wound was big enough to make the Lord stuck to his throne. The cut was present through his entire thigh. 

[Did he get kicked out of his territory?]

“Is such a thing possible?”

[Yes, it is. Either another race invaded their territory, or someone challenged the Lord and won.  For one reason or another, monsters ruthlessly kill each other or die fighting.]

Come to think of it, the title said that he was the former Goblin Lord, not the current. It meant he had no authority among his race.

Whatever the reason was, right now his opponent had no mobility. Tae-san took this opportunity and put a large distance between the two. The Lord stayed still on his throne. 

He was sure of it now. The Lord was bound to his throne. 

In this case, there was still the slightest possibility of victory. 

***

“Aren’t you going to attack me?”

The Lord asked with a dull face. It had been more than 30 minutes, still, Tae-san remained still and unmoving.

“In a minute.”

Tae-san’s mind was lightning speed ahead. He was looking for every possibility to find tactics and different ways of fighting to win.

He immediately found the answer he was looking for.

The Lord chuckled.

“Come on, brave warrior. Come fight me!”

[Holy sh*t! I don’t think this is a good idea.]

The ghost grumbled, but there was no sign of pessimism like before.

[But I guess it’s still better to try. I am looking forward to seeing you try.] 

Tae-san approached the wall to catch his breath. 

[You have activated Slowed Breathing.]

He was gathering his strength. He reached the limit, to the point where Tae-san’s muscles ruptured.

He hit the wall roughly.

Bam!

The vibration spread through the wall. He didn’t have enough power to break the wall. He could only drop the decoratives attached to the wall. 

There were numerous ornaments decorated in the room. The bones of beasts, wooden decoratives, etc. Heavy and large things hung from the ceiling.

All fell at once.

Those pieces collapsed like hail. 

“You sure, you are going to attack me like this?”

The Lord smiled gleefully and raised his sword. Those fallen ornaments were quite large. If he were to be hit by them, quite a large damage could be dealt. He had no choice but to attack.

Tae-san quickly pulled out his wand.

[You have cast Fireball]

As soon as the flames gathered for the attack. He pulled out his bow and quickly drew two arrows.

Whoosh!

Paralyzing arrows and Poisonous arrows were shot together. The arrows then combined with the Fireball to upgrade into flaming arrows. He pulled out the Staff of Random Minds. 

[You have cast Confusion]

[Judging…]

The Lord let out a small groan.

The spell wasn’t difficult to shake off. Tae-san also expected it. He couldn’t let go of the small gap, so he cast using his Staff of Random Minds.

The decorations blocked the view. They were scattered all over the floor, there was no place to escape even for Tae-san.

But instead of blocking Tae-san, they bumped into his feet. He ran towards the Lord ignoring the collapsing floor.

[You have activated a forced duel. For 10 seconds, the user cannot be dealt any damage except by the opponent. No third party could be involved.]