Congratulations! You have learned a new Physical Spell: Red Berserker (F).
Victor quickly absorbed the knowledge from the spell book, and the secret technique of unleashing the Red Berserker flowed into his mind. He understood how it utilized Stamina, integrating it with his muscles, blood, and specific body parts to transform into a Red Berserker, granting him immense strength.
However, the Red Berserker's Stamina consumption was extremely high. With his full Stamina, Victor could only maintain the form for 2 minutes.
Once his Stamina depleted to 0, he would be paralyzed or unable to move, with the duration of this debuff depending on how quickly he recovered from the negative Stamina.
Once again, Victor realized the critical importance of Stamina. Yet, he also understood that focusing solely on increasing Stamina would leave other vital aspects—such as Strength, Agility, and Intelligence—underdeveloped.
Balancing these attributes would be key to his growth and survival.
If only his class had granted him more attributes per level-up, it would have been great. But alas, he knew this dream of his wouldn't be realized anytime soon.
"Hey, you guys, haven't you noticed something odd yet?" Suddenly, Philip's confused voice echoed beside them.
"What do you mean?" Kierra asked, scanning the area but finding nothing unusual. No Hobgoblins were in sight—all of them were dead.
"Look carefully. Our quest hasn't been completed yet. Why is that?"
Victor had noticed it too. But he wasn't overly concerned. The System wouldn't cheat them without reason. His high Intelligence quickly processed the situation, and he arrived at a logical conclusion.
"Maybe there are still a few Hobgoblins left, hiding inside the huts," he suggested, his gaze shifting toward the cluster of huts and the larger one in the distance. That one was likely the Goblin Chief's dwelling.
"You're right. Let's check the huts. And don't forget—we still have hostages to rescue," Kierra said, taking the lead as they moved forward.
After carefully searching the huts, they found Hobgoblins—but not the larger ones. Instead, hidden within a secret compartment, they discovered children.
Perhaps they needed to die as well. That's what extermination meant, didn't it?
To complete to Quest, they needed to slay them too.
With that thought, they granted them swift deaths—painless, efficient.
Victor hand trembled after committing the heinous act, while Kierra and Philip remained unfazed.
"I really am soft-hearted after all," Victor muttered to himself with a strange chuckle. He knew those creatures would eventually grow into the same ruthless beings as their forefathers—it was in their nature. And yet, he still felt pity for them.
With that realization, he steeled his heart. If he wanted to survive, he couldn't afford to be softhearted.
A mysterious cold, refreshing sensation spread from his chest, clearing his mind. His thoughts sharpened, his resolve solidified.
The other two remained oblivious to his internal struggle as they arrived at the Goblin Chief's hut.
Inside, the darkness was suffocating. No light seeped through, save for the dim glow from the entrance. Outside, the sun was beginning to set, making darker than normal.
Kierra conjured a small fireball, just bright enough to illuminate the hut's interior.
At first glance, there was nothing in the hut but a crude, king-sized bed. However, as they searched further, they discovered a set of clay pots.
Curious, Victor opened one and found it filled with bronze coins.
Checking the other two revealed the same contents. There were thousands of bronze coins stacked inside.
"Jackpot!" Philip exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Indeed, these coins will be valuable once we reach a human settlement—but not here, not in this forest," Kierra said, dampening his enthusiasm.
"Ah, you're right, Kierra," Philip muttered, clicking his tongue.
Suddenly, Victor's attention snapped to a faint sound in the distance. Soft and weak whimpers echoed from the farthest corner of the hut, where the light hadn't yet reached.
"Hey, there's something here," he called out before stepping closer.
"Could they be the hostages?" Kierra asked, following beside him with the small flame glowing in her palm.
Finally, the figures hidden in the darkness came into view.
They were indeed hostages—five of them. And all of them were girls.
Huddled behind old wooden bars, they sniffled softly. But the moment they saw the approaching light and shadows, fear gripped them. Their bodies tensed, and they curled up tightly, burying their faces in their arms like frightened worms.
Kierra glanced at the five girls, a hint of pity flickering in her eyes.
"Hey, don't be scared, girls," she said, softening her voice as much as possible. "We're here to save you. Come out and see. All the green monsters are all dead."
Hearing the human language for the first time in a while piqued their curiosity.
Cautiously, they glanced toward the light beyond the bars, where two figures stood—humans. Their faces were bright with warm, gentle smiles.
Not just two—another boy, wearing a hat, was illuminated by the glow.
The trio were alive. Well. Safe.
Could this mean the strangers were telling the truth?
Were the noise from earlier, happened due to them? The ugly green monsters really gone because of them?
Were they… finally free?
"Yes, you're all free now. We've come to rescue you," Kierra reassured them with a smile as Raizel worked on the cell's lock, making a few quick adjustments before it finally creaked open.
The five girls hesitated at first but slowly rose to their feet. Step by step, they cautiously made forward, their eyes darting around in search of any lingering monsters.
Finding none, they relaxed—if only slightly.
As a result, carefully, the girls stepped outside the prison.
They surveyed the area cautiously, staying close behind their three saviors.
It was true. There were no green monsters in sight.
"#@%&!%@#&?@%#@!"
"T-Thank you for saving us!"
The unfamiliar words spilled from their lips, yet Victor and the others understood them perfectly.
Maybe the system was acting as a translator in their minds as well.
For a moment, they paused, having just divided the bronze coins among themselves. Each of them received over 1,000 bronze, with the larger shares going to Raizel and Kierra. Philip didn't seem to mind.
Just as they were about to respond to the girls, a notification flashed before their eyes.
[ Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Exterminate the Hobgoblins and Save the Hostages. ]
[ You have received your quest completion reward. ]
[ EXP +5000, Reputation +10 ]