"Wow, this is incredible...."
"What's up with that guy? He's an unbelievably skilled fighter."
"Black Sickle? Your nickname is pretty cool too."
Those who had been awestruck by Ryu Min soon turned their anxious gazes elsewhere.
The urgency of the situation left little room for admiration.
Before long, goblins emerged right before them.
'Ha, you've got this. In the game, goblins are easy prey, right?'
'This isn't reality anyway; it's just a well-crafted virtual reality game.'
'That guy is taking out dozens of them by himself. If I faced him, he wouldn't seem so impressive.'
Had they gained confidence after witnessing Ryu Min's massacre?
Suddenly, the fear vanished from their eyes.
But that was only for a fleeting moment.
Pok- pok- pok-!
"Ahhh!"
"Oh, it hurts!"
As the goblins swarmed in and began stabbing with their daggers, shrieks filled the air.
"Stop it! It really hurts!"
"You little monsters!"
"Whoa! My arm! My arm!"
Those who had once ridiculed me like a child now cried out in terror.
"Hey, help me!"
"Help us! Save us!"
"T- this isn't reality. This isn't reality… ugh!"
One person was struck down by a club and passed out.
Another was stabbed and crumpled to the ground.
Someone else stumbled while trying to flee, falling hard.
Individuals crouched down, trampled on by the chaos.
The goblins targeted these helpless people, stabbing away.
In a situation devoid of return, no one believed it was just a game any longer.
Honestly, I lacked the energy for that.
All anyone could think about was survival.
The instinct to live dominated our minds.
Is that why?
"Die! Die, you freakin' monsters!"
Many fled, but just as many fought back.
These were individuals who had no choice but to engage when goblins got too close.
Thud- thud!
"Kkieek!"
I managed to stun a goblin by swinging my fist with all my strength.
But that was the extent of my accomplishment.
Killing was an entirely different matter.
Modern people, who had never taken a life, could hardly break a goblin's neck.
Phew-!
"Ugh!"
Instead, I got stabbed and fell helplessly to the floor.
What happened next?
Pok- pok- pok- pok- pok-
I was surrounded by goblins that charged at me like relentless hyenas, utterly helpless.
[Kyohohoho, this is amusing. A fight between humans and goblins.]
The angel observing from above smiled broadly.
For the angel, this confrontation was akin to watching a cat and dog fight.
It was merely a simple source of entertainment.
[No matter how inexperienced the opponent is, there's no way to withstand a swarm of them. Especially armed with daggers.]
But something was odd.
There was one human who stood strong even as dozens charged at him.
He was the one who had been relentlessly slaughtering goblins from the start.
'Who is that human? Black Scythe?'
Angel Briel looked down at him with curiosity.
She didn't know his name.
Even as an angel, she could not see the players' status windows due to system limitations.
Of course, she didn't know what rune had been engraved.
'This is a truly frustrating system. You can see quest progress, but player information remains hidden.'
Brielle's brow furrowed once more.
Although she had been ordered to guide these humans, the task felt beneath her dignity.
It didn't align with her nature at all.
But that thought was fleeting.
As she observed the scene of carnage, a slight smile graced her lips.
'It wounds my pride that a being as noble as I must serve as a guide for these lowly humans… but…'
The intense brutality unfolding was precisely to her liking.
To be honest, she hadn't expected it to be this engaging.
Just moments ago, she had complained about how dull it would be to watch humans and goblins fight.
'Kyohohoho. But, isn't it turning out to be more entertaining than I anticipated?'
People were struggling, their faces painted with despair.
Painful screams, blood spurting—all the elements of a grim spectacle.
As time passed, the smile on Brielle's face remained undiminished.
'Yes, kill them, kill them! Let's enjoy a grand tussle between these lowly creatures! Hehe.'
Brielle's gaze shifted, now focused on one particular area.
Unlike the others drowned in red blood, this place was soaked in green.
In the midst of it all was the player dubbed Black Scythe.
'What on earth is that person doing? Is he still alive?'
When she first emerged and saw him slaying goblins, she thought he was impressive.
She believed she had acquired beneficial runes for battle.
But that was as far as her expectations went.
She glanced away, believing, like others, that he would eventually tire and succumb.
Yet, he continued to thrive.
Still alive?
He moved like a mad dog, slaughtering goblins relentlessly.
'This is remarkable. He's already killed 70. Other humans can't even reach 20!'
Brielle, who monitored the quest status, couldn't stifle her surprise.
It was indeed an impressive feat to achieve so much alone, especially for a newcomer.
'This must be his first time in a situation like this, yet he appears unfazed, as if he's experienced it before.'
His moves were calculated and unhesitant, making even the goblins hesitate.
'Could it be he has experience as a killer on Earth?'
She wasn't sure, but things appeared to be unfolding better than she had anticipated.
The corners of Brielle's mouth curled into a pleased smirk.
* * *
Squeak-!
"Keeeeeek!"
A goblin, having lost both of its eyes, staggered and fell.
Ryu Min wasted no time, lunging forward to stab the fallen goblin in the neck with his dagger.
Phew-!
[Goblins Killed!]
[Experience +4%]
[Gold +10]
[Level Up!]
[Quest Progress: 75/100 Goblins]
[25 Goblins Left to Complete the Quest]
Though I leveled up, I dismissed the message and immediately rolled away.
Knock-!
A dagger struck the ground right where Ryu Min had just been.
He jumped up as if propelled, shaking off any disorientation.
Phew-!
"Kiaaaaak!"
He plunged his dagger into a goblin's chest, spinning around to target another.
His movements were a continuous flow of action.
There was no room for complacency.
Ryu Min's gaze swept across the battlefield.
"Keeeeee...."
The goblins were retreating, terror evident on their faces.
All the ones who dared approach had met their end.
But that didn't mean he could let his guard down.
'I think I can catch my breath for a moment.'
Now regaining some composure, Ryu Min opened his status window.
To his surprise, he had reached level 4.
His fingers swiftly navigated to the stats.
'For now, I'm going all in on agility.'
When leveling up, he was granted 2 stat points.
Ryu Min allocated both into agility, raising it from 3 to 9.
'Nothing is more crucial than agility.'
Among strength, intelligence, agility, and luck, agility was his immediate priority.
With increased agility, his evasion rate, attack speed, and movement speed would all benefit.
Ryu Min turned to observe the allies not far off.
About 30 meters away, goblins were entangled with a group of people.
The scene was chaotic.
"Help me! Aaaah!"
"Die! Die, you little monsters!"
Red and green blood mixed together in the melee.
The dramatic contrast to Ryu Min, who was piling up a mountain of goblin corpses alone, was stark.
'But I guess that's to be expected. It's likely many of them are engaging goblins for the first time.'
Even adults would find it difficult to slay a goblin.
It would be frightening and unsettling.
When faced with real combat, the body could freeze in fear.
Ryu Min understood this well.
He had been paralyzed with fear during his first encounter.
'But running away won't resolve anything.'
It had taken him dying twice to realize this crucial truth.
While fleeing might buy some time, it would not shift the reality of the situation.
'The angel unleashed the goblins because she intended for us to fight under any circumstances.'
And this meadow, though seemingly vast, was bordered by invisible walls.
'Even if you manage to slip past the angel's notice, you are still a trapped rat in poison.'
The sole escape from this hellish ordeal lay in completing the quest.
However, even if the quest was successful, only half the participants would return.
'The system only sends back those who complete the quest in order of their success, so remaining idle would mean actual loss.'
It's better to kill even one quickly than to let it escape.
Though taking down 100 goblins alone was no easy feat.
'But it's not utterly impossible. With so many people, it's easier to distract attention.'
In more flattering terms, having many around could attract attention, but it was also accurate to mean many would serve as potential shield for him.
'People are beginning to realize that cooperating can yield results.'
Of course, cooperation would not necessarily lead to increased kill counts.
Only significant contributions to slaying goblins would count toward one's tally.
'But even a blank slate is better.'
Humans had other advantages too.
Goblins stood less than half the height of an adult.
They were smaller than middle schoolers.
In terms of reach, humans naturally had the upper hand.
'Although unlike goblins with their clubs and daggers, humans lack specific weapons…'
Ryu Min's gaze fell to the ground.
'That all changes if you manage to find a weapon.'
Weapons are so ubiquitous nowadays that they can be utilized to trip someone.
These items were the ones the goblins had held before their demise.
'But it would be impossible for them to fight like me.'
There was a shared limitation among Ryu Min and the others.
Their basic stats started at the same point—3.
No matter one's muscular or lean physique, all humans began with identical stats and conditions.
Essentially, this meant that others could potentially move like Ryu Min…
'But that won't come easily, unless they gain sufficient experience through numerous encounters.'
Unless they were elite killers from the movies, replicating Ryu Min's massacre wouldn't be feasible.
Moreover, he had now gained agility, making his movements all the more nimble.
'I believe I've attracted the angel's attention, so I should make my move now.'
As Ryu Min advanced, the nearby goblins began to take notice and retreated.
He swiftly picked up a dagger lying on the ground.
With precise aim, he threw the dagger, hitting a goblin squarely between the eyes.
"Keeek!"
The remaining goblins flinched at the fall of their comrade.
"Aren't you going to come at me?"
As Ryu Min advanced, the goblins hesitated, holding their ground.
He snatched up the dagger once more and threw it; another goblin dropped.
"If you're not coming, then I will."
Ryu Min closed the distance in an instant and engaged, dancing with his blade.
Green blood splattered everywhere.
[Goblin Killed!]
[Experience +4%]
[Gold +10]
[Level Up!]
[Quest Progress: Goblins 100/100]
[Round 1 Quest Completed!]
The moment he slain 100 goblins and completed the quest, a translucent pillar of light enveloped Ryu Min.
It formed a protective shield, isolating him from the monsters immediately after successfully completing the quest.
'I breezed through the first round.'
Having the shield placed him among the top players.
If you don't achieve a high rank, you'd be eliminated immediately.
'I hunted goblins frantically, partly to get the angel's attention, but...'
Ryu Min's gaze snapped back to the notification flashing before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest as the top player in your area!]
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest as the top player in all areas!]
[Your nickname will be listed in the rankings.]
'I also rushed to finish to secure my spot as number one.'
The faster you complete quests in each round, the better your rewards.
'Because rewards are distributed differently based on ranking.'
Rewards are given out to the top three players, both by region and overall.
The top player in each district would certainly receive substantially better rewards than anyone else.
This meant he had achieved the quest as the number one player out of 1.8 billion participants.
Soon after, a message appeared before Ryu Min's eyes.
It contained information about the rewards.