"I need to reach the bunker," Kenji thought.
As he dashed through the chaotic hallways, he knew he had to level up. Gathering resources from the goblins would be crucial, and he realised he needed more critical information to figure out what was going on. Getting to the bunker was essential; he needed a moment to regroup his thoughts.
Kenji used his crossbow to strike down goblins blocking his way, switching to a melee weapon when in close combat, Defend and Counter. He used less energy, and his attack was based on targeting the most vital point he could think of.
The goblins had a humanoid form, a human fatal part was also their fatal part, making every Kenji strike effective.
"The goblins seemed weak, physically inferior to an average human, yet they still possessed surprising agility and resourcefulness. They relied on their numbers, executing sneak attacks and using the environment to overcome stronger opponents. Despite their low strength, their cunning tactics made them formidable."
Kenji analysed the goblins' moves as he pushed forward. He didn't even realise that a group of people had gathered around him as he kept striking down goblins who were either ready to attack a student or were distracted. Kenji was seen as a hero by his new companions, who gathered around him; he was like a shepherd leading a flock of sheep.
"The bunker is just ahead." The chubby student said out loud, and he sat very close to Kenji.
The bunker loomed before him, its façade a masterwork of iron and shadow. The first door, a grand slab of polished iron, was adorned with intricate scrollwork that spoke of wealth and power.
Two goblins were blocking Kenji's path to safety, an archer goblin and a "shield-bearer." The shield was wooden and rectangular, with an iron spiky-plated edge fixed around it.
As Kenji advanced, he quickly assessed his surroundings, noting the goblin shield bearer's stance and the archer's position. The shield bearer focused on blocking incoming projectiles while the archer prepared to unleash a bolt his way.
As Kenji advanced, he rifled through his inventory in his mind, recalling the items he had looted. One item caught his attention: a half-broken wooden shield he had picked up earlier.
"This could offer some protection against the archer's arrows," he thought, but he decided not to equip it just yet. The goblins had the upper hand, knowing he only had a crossbow and the distance.
"They would let their guide down," he thought. He looked vulnerable and was an easy target.
Kenji quickly stowed his loaded crossbow and pulled out another, loading it with an arrow. He repeated the process with five crossbows in total.
Once ready, he picked up his pace, running faster toward the goblins. The students who gathered behind weren't able to keep up, but they tried with all their might to push on.
The shield bearer noticed the sudden movement, and Kenji aimed to use the element of surprise to his advantage, ready to unleash a flurry of arrows.
Kenji immediately shot the shield-bearer with one crossbow. The shield-bearer had a confident smile; he trusted his shield. Kenji's attack seemed futile to him.
The shield bearer raised his shield, successfully blocking Kenji's attack. The archer took advantage of the moment and steadied himself on the shield bearer's right shoulder, aiming directly at Kenji.
"I need to act fast," Kenji thought, realising he had to disrupt their coordination. he equipped two crossbows and quickly aimed at the shield bearer's leg and the archer goblin.
Kenji and the archers fired at the same time. The shield bearer faced a tough choice: protect himself or his companion. He chose to shield the archer, taking the arrow to the leg.
In anticipating the shot, Kenji had equipped a shield just in time, blocking the arrow that would have struck him. He now had an opening, seeing the shield bearer stagger, ready to press the attack and capitalise on their moment of vulnerability.
Kenji dashed like a crazy man equipping two short rusty swords on his two harms, just like a capitalist who just spotted a gold mine; his intent was clear, the shield bearer was in pain, his movement restricted, and the archer was on the floor as he had to be pushed away by the shield-bearer to block Kenji's attack, the archer immediately started reloading his bow, the goblins happy expression had long disappeared, Kenji was already close to the shield bearer ready to strike.
The shield bearer wasn't ready to go down.
Kenji came to him with a single horizon slash with the proper sword. The shield bearer blocked his view. All he was expecting at that moment was Kenji's sword clashing with his shield. With that, he could counter, but he never got the sword clash he wanted; instead, he got a kick to the arrow wound inflicted on him by Kenji.
The shield bearer groaned in pain from Kenji's attack; the arrow pierced deeper and broke inside his leg, his guard dropping as he stumbled. Kenji's attack exposed him further, leaving him vulnerable and unable to defend himself effectively against Kenji's next move.
"Such a battle tactic," the chubby student couldn't help but be amazed.
Seeing the opening, Kenji pressed his advantage, ready to strike again before the archer could fully reload and join the fight. The tide was turning in his favour, and he was determined to finish it.
With a swift strike to the throat, blood poured out of the shield goblin's throat, his body lying cold on the floor. The archer was very angry, his expression carrying murderous intent toward Kenji. He was about to fire when Kenji returned the shield to block the archer's arrow attack.
The archer shot he blocking, changing his shield back to a bow, and he hit the archer goblin in his head.
The bunker door swung open with a heavy thud, revealing a narrow passage spiralling downward into darkness.
As Kenji dashed forward, other students followed close behind. However, not everyone was as fortunate; some were quickly picked off by the goblins, falling victim to their swift attacks.
Immediately, the last student locked the door from inside, not letting any other student in. The screams of the other students, knocking and banging, blade swings, and the sound of bodies dropping made him cry, but he couldn't risk it; he barely managed to get in alive.
As Kenji moved deeper into the darkness, visibility dropped, and he barely registered the danger. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past his face, leaving a small cut as it grazed him.
A female companion beside him wasn't that lucky. The arrow went straight to her stomach. Kenji immediately equipped his last loaded arrow and shot in the direction the arrow came from; he didn't see, but only heard the sound of a body dropping.
Immediately, the sanctum hallway light brightened up, and Kenji could see the archer's body, which he had just shot.
Kenji looked back at the female student who had been shot. She didn't die right away but was fatally wounded; another female student ran to her aid. The girl lying on the floor was coughing out blood. Touching her wound, they found the color of her blood somewhat strange, as it was showing a greenish color.
"What on your face?" a male student asked, looking at Kanji's face. The small cut was green.
Kenji touched his cheek, confused.
"It was just a small cut." he thought.
["The arrow has poisoned you."]
Hearing the system alert, Kenji fell to the ground, his senses struggling to normalise. His vision was blurry; all he could hear was the system alert till he lost consciousness.
["The arrow has poisoned you."]
["adapt skill activated."]
["The poison has been reduced."]
["You have adapted. "]
"Poisoned," he thought as he woke up again.
Tho the adaptation skill made him not lose consciousness but the poison effect was still there. The pain crosses through its entire body.
"Poison, Kenji thought he remembered the small pouch he looted from the goblin's corpse he killed
Herbs bag was the name it was stored in. Kenji immediately opened his inventory and brought it out, opening the bag where there were many types of herbs.
"Shit, which one?"Without thinking twice, he gulped it all down. His head tilted back, eyes fixed on the harsh ceiling light, and then everything went dark as the world folded into silence around him.