Kento sat still in the dark log, breathing slow, sharp breaths. His body still ached from the poison, the fall, and whatever disgusting water he drank earlier.
But he didn't care anymore.
He thought back to when he first arrived in this stupid world. That green light. The sudden weightlessness. The shock.
And then—those little monsters. Those laughing, drooling goblins that jumped him right away, like he was some level-zero loot crate.
They tackled him. Took his bag. His shoes. Even his phone.
His PHONE 12 Pro.
He had saved for months for that thing. No backup cloud. No second chance.
It was gone. Probably smashed. Probably turned into some goblin necklace.
And that made him angry.
"For my dear Phone 12 Pro…" he muttered, eyes cold. "I swear I'm making these primitive goblins go extinct."
Kento cracked his neck and slowly crawled out of the hollow log. His stomach still burned, but the worst had passed. The night air was cool now. Sharp, like the forest had taken a breath.
The goblins were quiet.
He tightened the blood-soaked bandage on his arm and gripped his Stick of Destiny like it owed him rent.
"All right," he whispered. "One down. Four to go."
📜
[Quest – Beginner Hunt]
Eliminate 5 Small Goblins
Progress: 1/5
Status: Active
He peeked around the log. Trees danced under the moonlight. In the distance: low grunts, quick steps, and those childish giggles he'd come to hate.
Goblins.
He took a deep breath. Focused.
No rushing. No screaming.
Kill clean. Move on.
He spotted them near a rotted tree stump—two goblins standing close, twitchy, alert. One had a jagged club. The other dragged a sack full of bones.
They muttered in high-pitched gibberish:
"Hrrgg! Ggak-kkree… shaaaga!"
"Kkkrrrk! Grraagk hurr!"
Kento couldn't understand a word.
Didn't need to.
This was revenge.
He crouched low and crept closer, shadow to shadow. Five steps away now.
📜[HP: low]
[Stamina: 40%]
[Stealth: Active]
He lunged.
The first goblin didn't even scream. The stick jammed up under its chin. It dropped.
The second spun, club raised—
Kento ducked low. The swing missed.
He jabbed the stick into its thigh. It screeched.
Then he twisted and slammed the butt of the stick right into its face.
It dropped, twitching.
📜
[Goblin Defeated]
[Goblin Defeated]
Progress: 3/5
EXP Gained
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Something warm was still leaking from his side. Maybe blood. Maybe not. He didn't stop to check.
His grip on the stick tightened.
"Two left," he whispered.
The smell hit him first. Rot. Sweat. Something burnt.
He crouched low and peeked through a thick bush.
Two more goblins squatted by a small fire pit. The fire was weak, just red coals now. One goblin was chewing raw bird meat. The other picked its nose and flung something into the flames.
Kento scanned the ground. His eyes locked on a small rock near his boot. He picked it up. It was smooth on one side, jagged on the other.
📜
[Item Acquired: Rock]
Simple but solid. +0.5 attack (if it hits).
He rolled it into the clearing.
The rock bounced once, twice—then landed near the fire.
One goblin looked up. Sharp eyes. It stood and stepped toward it.
Kento moved.
He darted out of the bush, low and fast.
The sitting goblin didn't even see him. Kento drove the stick straight up under its ribs.
It gasped. Gurgled. Collapsed.
The second goblin roared and rushed him.
Kento sidestepped, dropped low, rolled under the goblin's swing—and slammed the rock into its head.
The goblin staggered. Dizzy.
Kento didn't wait. He shoved the stick forward, straight into its chest.
It let out one weak sound before it fell.
📜
[Goblin Defeated]
[Goblin Defeated]
Progress: 5/5
EXP Gained
Silence.
No more fire crackle. No more goblin breath.
Just his own.
Kento dropped to one knee.
His hands trembled, soaked in blood and sweat. His heart beat like a drum. Loud. Constant. Unstoppable.
And then—it appeared.
📜
[LEVEL UP!]
You have reached Level 1
• Strength +1
• Agility +1
• Endurance +1
• Intelligence +1
• Stamina +1
• HP fully restored
• Special Trait: Unreal Plot Armor Level 1 upgrade
• Passive Skill: Flail & Flee upgrade to level 1
📜
[STATUS – Kento]
Class: Summoned NEET
Level: 1
HP: Full
Stamina: 1
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Endurance: 1
Intelligence: 1
Charisma: 4
Luck: 1 (somehow never dies)
Special Trait: Unreal Plot Armor (level1)
Passive Skill: Flail & Flee (level 1)
Inventory:
• Pointy Stick (Broken – 20% durability)
• Rock (1)
• Bloodied Cloth (used bandage)
Kento stared at the glowing words in front of him. His mouth was dry. His legs were sore. But he felt… lighter.
He whispered, voice rough:
"…I leveled up?"
No one answered. The system didn't speak. The forest did—wind through the branches, far-off howls.
He stood.
New energy hummed under his skin. Not strong, but steady. It felt real.
Earned.
He looked at his hands. Still shaking. Still stained with blood. But something had changed.
He smiled. Just a little.
"Three hours ago," he muttered, "I was shitting myself in a log."
He looked around the empty clearing.
Goblins. Dead.
His body still hurt. But he was standing.
He took one step forward. Then another.
Then he stopped, turned back toward the camp where the last two goblins had fallen.
The fire was dying now. Just soft orange glow on the dirt. Smoke curled into the trees.
He stared at it for a long second. Bloody. Bruised. Breathing.
Then he spoke. Voice low. Cold.
".…You see, GOBLINS…"
His hand tightened around the broken stick.
"Back then—I was just summoned to this hell place. Back then you started chasing me like my boss when I come late to work."
His eyes darkened. Something sharp flashed in them.
"But look at you now."
He pointed the stick at the twitching corpse by the fire.
"I DEFEAT YOU"
Silence.
Only the wind answered.
He turned, stepping back into the shadows of the trees.
Somewhere out there, more waited. Another group. Another pack.
Another chance to hit back harder.
But this time, he wasn't running.
This time—they would run.