Chapter 6

"Damn, it didn't work."

One hour later. Due to the unfamiliar dungeon and its popularity, I had a hard time finding goblins. However, I managed to successfully slay the 100th goblin, which raised my level to 11 and my 'Luck' to 80.

However, no rare monsters related to goblins appeared.

"Was the 100 consecutive kills limited to slimes? Or did I fail due to the 'Luck' probability? With this 'Luck,' slimes should have a 90% chance of spawning. Is the probability different for goblins? ...Or did it go wrong because I killed other monsters along the way?"

In this beginner dungeon's first floor, in addition to goblins, there is another type of monster called a Killer Rabbit, which is a rabbit with horns. Despite sounding weak, it is a tough monster known as the first wall for beginners. They are rare, but they are small and swift, and their horns can pierce through your body if they hit an unarmored spot. Fortunately, with a 'Toughness' stat of 30, it would only cause a scratch, but I didn't want to test it.

I ended up fighting one of these monsters right after slaying the 34th goblin. It wasn't that I initiated the fight; the moment I turned the corner, it charged at me. Surprised by the sudden attack, I fought back and easily defeated it.

I had braced myself for a tough opponent, but it wasn't a match for me with my 'Body Reinforcement.' However, I didn't want to fight it as it might have interfered with my goal of 100 consecutive kills. Accidents can be terrifying.

"Anyway, I still have time. I might as well hunt goblins again. Another 34 should be manageable. ...Ah, but I don't want to waste my level, so maybe I'll use the gacha."

Referring to the map, I entered a dead-end alley and used the 'Level Gacha' on the wall. Without hesitation, I pressed the '10 Gacha' button.

*Jingle*

This time, two red and eight blue capsules appeared.

"Getting red capsules even without the guaranteed ones means I have pretty good luck. ...Maybe the 'Luck' bonus is affecting this too?"

There's no way to verify this without the probabilities, so I'll just have to keep trying.

* * * * *

Name: Shota Tenchi

Age: 21

Level: 1

Strength: 41 (+37)

Dexterity: 18 (+14)

Toughness: 31 (+27)

Agility: 43 (+39)

Magic: 21 (+19)

Intelligence: 14 (+12)

Luck: 80

Skills: Level Gacha, Appraisal Lv2, Appraisal Interference Lv1, Auto Mapping, Body Reinforcement Lv2

* * * * *

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

"Auto Mapping is really convenient."

This new skill, 'Auto Mapping,' displays a semi-transparent map when I say 'Map.' It automatically maps any area I've visited. Moreover, the map shows red dots for newly spawned monsters and white dots for humans. Unfortunately, it doesn't show any information about areas I haven't visited, but once I explore everything, it won't be a problem.

With 'Appraisal Lv2,' I can now read the skills of targets. However, goblins are just ordinary monsters and don't have any skills.

"Alright, this is the 100th one."

Using this 'Map' information, I focused on hunting monsters in areas where no other humans were present. I also avoided any unexpected accidents, so I didn't encounter any Killer Rabbits and easily achieved 100 consecutive kills. During this process, my level also increased to 7, and I allocated all the points to 'Luck.'

At that moment, a strange phenomenon occurred.

The usual green smoke appeared from the goblin's body, but its movement was clearly unusual.

"What?"

Instead of lingering over the monster's corpse and eventually dissipating, the smoke seemed to rise as if it had a will of its own. Not only that, but green smoke that seemed to be from goblins also emerged from the walls, floor, and ceiling, and was absorbed into the rising smoke. The smoke then expanded and flew into the depths of the cave.

"Hey, wait!"

Chasing the smoke and turning several corners, I arrived at the dead-end where I had used the gacha earlier. However, when I reached it, the space was filled with even more smoke, so dense that I couldn't see the back wall.

Holding my breath, I watched as a giant hand reached out from the smoke.

"Whoa!"

I quickly jumped back as the smoke cleared, revealing a giant goblin over two meters tall.

*Grrrr!*

Wincing at the ear-piercing roar, I used my skill.

"Ugh, 'Appraisal'!"

* * * * *

Name: Hobgoblin

Level: 10

Equipment: Steel Greatsword

Skill: Super Strength

* * * * *

"Haha, so this is the rare monster on the first floor. It's completely different from the slimes in both strength and appearance."

*Roar*

The moment the hobgoblin recognized me, it charged and swung its greatsword. Sensing the danger, I dodged to the side.

*Crash!*

The sword struck the ground without breaking, but the rock shattered. The force and the sight of the shattered rock made me feel a chill.

"An attack like that would kill me if it hit!"

*Roar!*

Angry at missing the first time, the hobgoblin continued to swing its sword relentlessly. Fortunately, my 'Agility' was the highest among my stats. In contrast, the hobgoblin, while having a monstrous 'Strength' due to its skill, moved in a predictable and simple manner.

"Here goes!"

*Swish!*

After dodging several attacks, I found an opening and landed my first hit. However, the wound was minor. Despite not wearing armor, the hobgoblin's muscular skin was extremely tough.

"My 'Strength' has increased significantly, but this guy's 'Toughness' is even higher. It's depressing to see such a difference, even though he's only level 10."

It seemed that just scratching the surface was a challenge due to its toughness. However, giving up and running away wasn't an option. Even if the attacks were difficult to land, they weren't completely ineffective. Besides, I had summoned this monster for an experiment. If I ran away and someone else became a victim, it would be the worst. As the one who summoned it, it was my responsibility to see it through to the end.

Continuing to attack without giving up, another strange thing happened. After several repeated attacks, my attacks would occasionally hit critical spots, easily slicing through the hobgoblin's steel-like body and causing deep wounds. The hobgoblin, now covered in blood and injuries, was in a sorry state.

*Grr, Roar...*

No matter how strong its 'Super Strength' skill was, swinging its sword recklessly and taking such injuries repeatedly must have drained its stamina. Its movements lacked the vigor they once had. After about 10 minutes of hit-and-run tactics, the hobgoblin finally fell to the ground and turned into smoke.

[Level Up]

[Your level has increased from 7 to 17]

"Phew... I'm exhausted."

My level increased dramatically, something I had never experienced before. It must have been a very strong opponent. After allocating all the SP to 'Luck' as usual, I had a thought.

"...Hey, if the next rare monster appears here, wouldn't that be bad??"

In front of me, the smoke from the hobgoblin still lingered.

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