The courtyard trembled as the Goblin Warrior stomped forward, each step echoing through the shattered remains of the college.
It was twice the size of the others, its muscles bulging under dark-green skin.
In its hand gleamed a crude but sturdy sword — the blade shimmered faintly green.
[ Monster Detected: Goblin Warrior (Lv.4) ]
[ Weapon Grade: white – common ]
Lucas's eyes widened slightly. "common grade, huh? Guess this one's a cut above the rest."
Behind him, Ryan tightened his grip on a metal bat he'd scavenged. Clara scanned the battlefield, calculating escape routes. The others stood frozen — too scared to even move.
"Lucas, fall back," Clara ordered. "We need to regroup and plan."
Lucas grinned. "You can plan all you want. I'm taking that sword."
Ryan barked out a laugh. "You? You're barely level two. Don't act like some protagonist, loser."
Lucas didn't respond. He just tightened his grip, activated his skill, and rushed forward.
[ Skill Activated: Weapon Resonance (Lv.1) ]
> +20% Attack Power
+10% Handling Efficiency
The broken broom in his hands glowed faintly blue again.
The Goblin Warrior swung its sword downward with a roar. Lucas sidestepped at the last second, the blade slicing through stone. He jabbed his weapon into the creature's thigh — it let out a shriek, staggering back.
I guess it's not that strong, Lucas thought to himself.
Ryan and Clara exchanged stunned glances. "He's actually fighting it," Clara whispered.
Lucas ducked another swing and smashed the broom handle into the Goblin's face. The blow cracked its nose, but his weapon finally broke.
"Ah. Guess I'll have to upgrade soon," he muttered, dodging again.
I guess I don't need to distribute my stat points.
The monster howled and lunged forward — faster this time. The attack clipped Lucas's arm, drawing blood. He winced but smiled through the pain.
"Finally… something worth fighting."
He rolled under the next swing, grabbed a fallen metal rod nearby, and thrust it straight through the Goblin's chest. The creature froze, its eyes bulging before collapsing with a heavy thud.
[ You have killed a Goblin Warrior (Lv.4) ]
[ +120 EXP ]
[ Level Up! ]
The white sword clattered beside him. It shimmered briefly before the glow faded.
[ Item Obtained: Goblin's Ironblade (white – common) ]
> Attack +8
Durability: 90/100
Lucas picked it up, feeling the weight. "Now this… feels right."
Ryan and Clara slowly approached, still processing what they'd just witnessed.
"Lucky shot," Ryan muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.
Clara kneeled beside the dead Goblin Warrior, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Wait… what's that?"
From the monster's chest, a faint green light pulsed. She carefully reached in — her hand emerged holding a small, crystal-like orb.
It pulsed gently in her palm.
[ Item: Monster Core (E) ]
> Contains raw life energy. Can be absorbed to permanently increase one random stat by +1.
Everyone gasped.
"So… monsters drop these things?" one of the students whispered.
Ryan's eyes gleamed. "Stat increases, huh? Then hand it over."
Before Clara could respond, Lucas spoke. "Wait. Let me test it first."
Ryan scoffed. "Who died and made you leader?"
Lucas ignored him, pressed the glowing core against his chest — and the light sank into his skin. He shuddered as warmth spread through his body.
[ Strength +1 ]
Lucas's grip tightened around his new sword. "So it's true… monsters have cores. We can get stronger by killing them."
Clara looked uneasy. "That means the strong will grow even stronger… and the weak will be left behind."
Ryan grinned. "Then we'd better make sure we're not weak."
Lucas's eyes flicked toward the burning city in the distance. Monsters crawled across rooftops. The sky had turned crimson.
He smirked. "Good. Then it's time to hunt."
The others fell silent as he walked ahead — the so-called loser now carrying a glowing sword, his eyes filled with purpose.
For the first time, Clara saw something strange in Lucas's expression — not madness, but clarity.
He turned slightly and said, "This world finally makes sense. The apocalypse doesn't punish the weak… it just gives them a chance to change."