Henry sat under the shade of an old tree, the roots stretching wide like claws gripping the earth. His back pressed against the rough bark, his eyes narrowed at the fading sunlight above the forest canopy. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
"Transformation skill… where are you?" he whispered, almost pleading to the sky. His voice carried both frustration and longing.
He closed his eyes, letting the fresh air flow into his lungs, the sound of leaves rustling gently around him. For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself to feel calm.
*Step* *Step* * Step.*
Distinct, heavy footsteps broke the silence.
Henry's eyes snapped open. His heart jolted, and instinct took over.
'Someone's coming…'
His gaze darted across the clearing, scanning for cover. His mind raced.
'How close are they? Should I climb the tree? Or… hide behind it?'
Every thought hammered at him in an instant. Finally, he moved, swiftly, quietly slipping behind a nearby tree trunk closer to the sound. He pressed his body against it, breathing shallowly. The footsteps grew clearer. From the dense brush, five figures emerged.
They wore polished armor that gleamed even beneath the forest shadows, their swords drawn, shields firm in their grip. The knights moved in perfect sync, every step deliberate, every turn watching their comrade's back.
'Knights again" Henry's throat tightened.
One of them stopped, his nose twitching faintly. "I can smell it… A Golbin been here recently."
"He's not far. Search the area," another muttered.
The knight at the middle gave a quick hand signal. Without hesitation, the squad split apart, two sweeping left, two sweeping right, and one advancing straight through the middle.
Henry's hiding spot was directly in the center path. His grip tightened around his bow.
'This is bad, If they find me…'
As the knights to the left broke through the underbrush, Henry acted. His fingers loosed two arrows in rapid succession.
*Fwish!* *Fwish!*
Both struck true, one piercing a throat, the other an eye. The men fell before they could even cry out.
[You've killed a human]
[+10 Experience Points]
[You've killed a human ]
[+10 Experience Points]
The sharp glow of the system text flickered before his eyes.
Henry's lips curled faintly. "Nice."
He turned quickly, sighting the knights on the right just as they entered his range.
*Fwhoom.*
The arrow sliced through the air with a faint whistle, sinking into the chest of the first. The second knight gasped, startled by his comrade's fall, turning in confusion.
*Thunk!*
The next arrow buried itself into his forehead. His body slumped silently into the dirt.
[You've killed a human knight]
[+10 Experience Points]
[You've killed a human knight]
[ +10 Experience Points]
[Five arrows fired]
[-2 Stamina]
[Stamina: 11]
The final knight, advancing down the center, froze. His eyes darted left and right, only to find corpses where comrades once stood.
"H-how…?!" His voice trembled in shock.
Before he could react further, Henry's arrow sliced through the back of his skull, the tip bursting out the front. The knight collapsed, lifeless.
[You've killed a human knight]
[+10 Experience Points]
The system buzzed with a rush of notifications.
[Experience: 400/400]
[Leveling up…]
[+20 Free Stat Points]
[You've reached Level 5]
[Evolution Crystals: 10/10]
[Unlocking Evolution Path…]
Henry's breath quickened. His chest pounded, not just from the battle, but from what he had been waiting for.
Ding!
[Three Evolution Paths Detected]
—High Goblin
—Hobgoblin
—High-End Goblin
[Pick one of the evolution paths]
Henry didn't heistsitate and selected his choice.
"I'll take… High-End Goblin."
Ding!
[Evolution will take 5 minutes to complete]
A white light engulfed his body, forming a cocoon around him. Heat surged through his veins, muscles convulsed, bones groaned. Yet strangely, he felt no pain. Instead, the warmth wrapped around him like a comforting embrace.
His eyelids grew heavy, but before he could lose consciousness, the system's chime echoed.
Ding!
[Evolution Complete]
[High-End Goblin: A rare species from ancient bloodlines. Skilled in combat, feared for their balance of power and intellect.]
[All Stats Increased by +15]
HP: 30->45
Strength: 15 -> 30
Agility: 14-> 29
Stamina: 11->26
Vitality: 13 -> 28
[You can now speak and understand the Goblin language without system translation.]
Ding!
[Traits Detected]
—Extraordinary Body
—Night Body
—Alloy Body
[Pick one trait]
Henry studied the options, brows furrowing.
Extraordinary Body: enhanced strength and double recovery rate.
Night vision: Can see clearly in darkness.
Alloy Body: hardened, defense-oriented physique.
Night vision was already his. Defense was tempting. His lips pressed tight. "Recovery… Strength… That's the path forward."
[You've chosen: Extraordinary Body]
[Extraordinary Body: Recovery rate increased 2x. Strength progression accelerated.]
[Status Updated]
[Name: Henry]
[Race: Goblin (High-End)]
[Class: Marksman]
[Level: 5]
[SP: 20]
[EXP: 0/500]
[Evolution Crystals: 0/500]
[HP: 45/45]
[Strength: 30]
[Agility: 29]
[Stamina: 26]
[Vitality: 28]
[Skills: Inspect Lv.2, Bouncing Arrows, Night Vision]
[Traits: Extraordinary Body]
Henry exhaled slowly, feeling his heartbeat steady. He glanced at the system panel hovering faintly before him.
A smile tugged at his lips. "More than I expected…"
His gaze shifted to the image reflected at the edge of the interface. His figure had changed.
The once-small goblin frame now stood taller, leaner, perfectly balanced. His rough, bristly hair had smoothed, his golden pupils gleaming like molten metal. His skin was darker, sharper—yet his face…
"My face…" he muttered, stunned.
It wasn't entirely goblin anymore. Beneath the features of the creature, he recognized fragments of himself. A faint echo of the human boy he once was.
Black hair,round eyes. Yet, golden pupils burning like fire.For a long moment, he simply stared at his reflection in awe.
"Next… should be the transformation skill." His voice trembled with anticipation, then his gaze shifted.
Above the corpse of the last knight, a crystal hovered faintly in the air.
Henry moved quickly, snatching it. Then, with a swift gesture, he pulled four more from his inventory.
"Time to count." He swallowed all five one after the other.
[+5 Evolution Crystals Absorbed]
[Evolution Crystals: 5/500]
A deep breath filled his chest. The surge of energy crackled through his body, strengthening him further.
'I feel stronger now… RAI,' Henry thought inwardly.
(I'm glad you've evolved.)
But before he could bask in the moment, the forest rustled violently, leaves scattered.
Henry's head jerked up, his golden pupils narrowing.
From the shadows, a group of twenty kobolds emerged, their snarls echoing across the clearing. But four at the front were different. Taller, their eyes sharper, their auras oppressive.
Henry raised his hand instinctively, activating Inspect.
Their stats flared before his eyes, confirming his suspicion, they were envolved Kolbolds.
Ding!
[New Quest Generated]
Quest: Defeat the Kobolds.
Reward: Transformation Skill +7 Stat Points.
Henry's chest tightened. His jaw clenched, then his lips parted with a grin.
"Yes… Transformation skill."
The bow was already in his hands. Without wasting another second, he fired.
*Fwhoosh!*
The arrow whistled sharply, cutting through the air before sinking deep into the skull of one of the evolved kobolds.
The creature collapsed with a guttural growl.
[You've killed an Evolved Kobold]
[+15 Experience Points]