Oliver and the Crow continued to explore the expanse of the cave. After killing the Goblins from earlier the ones placed outside as scouts and the others he had slain which were part of the hunting party, he did not encounter any troubling numbers of Goblins anymore.
Sometimes he would meet one who was simply going about its daily life, lazily dragging its feet across the stone floor, and other times just two goblins or fewer wandering through the tunnels with dull, inattentive expressions.
Unlike when he first came here, grinding goblins had now become a walk in the park.
In total he had leveled up twice, and all the points gained he had placed into his agility stat.
"Fighting as an assassin is surely something else. In my first life during these earlier stages I never had to focus on evasion and blocking, since I could take all the hits," Oliver whispered to his Crow which was mounted comfortably on his shoulder.
"I am at level two at the moment," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck slightly. "Still a long way from level ten and the first evolution. I am making a lot of progress compared to my first life, but it is still not enough."
The crow simply cawed in response before suddenly flying off his shoulder.
This sign, Oliver recalled clearly, was the signal the Crow gave him whenever it sensed enemies up ahead that he could not see.
Without hesitation he equipped his two daggers, gripping them firmly as the cold steel reflected the faint light creeping through the cave.
This passageway was no different from what he remembered, and he had a good idea of what his crow had sensed to be in such a hurry.
"It's here the real battle begins," Oliver said to himself quietly.
A while later he reached the end of the tunnel he had been walking through. Not an ideal end, but a wooden door that was barely still standing. It had no hinges, just a crooked makeshift plank crudely nailed into the stone frame, meant to serve as a horrid excuse for a door.
Without hesitation Oliver approached it and struck the door with the sole of his boot.
The force was so strong it shattered the door into chunks of wood that exploded forward into the room, splinters flying like shrapnel across the floor.
"Sorry to be disturbing, but I have come to farm experience," Oliver boomed, the wisps of shadow around his entire body flickering violently like living smoke.
Inside the room was a scene of despair many would double over and vomit upon seeing.
Bodies.
Carcasses.
Corpses.
Humans torn apart, both female and male. The same fate had befallen animals as well.
The air itself was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the sickening rot of flesh left to decay.
And the horrid monster that orchestrated this nightmare…
A massive green goblin sat upon a throne of bones and wood—a grotesque throne crafted from the remains of its enemies and prey.
This goblin sat relaxed upon the morbid throne, one hand resting lazily on the armrest while it swayed slightly to the left, its other hand gripping tightly around a massive iron club.
[Boss Monster]
[Race: Hobgoblin]
[Threat: D Rank]
"It took me ten minutes to beat you in my past life," Oliver raised his dagger toward the Hobgoblin. "Let's see how I fare in this one."
"GRUUUUCCCCK!"
The monstrous beast let out a horrid cry as it sprang out of its throne with incredible speed.
It was fast. Each step made the ground tremble under its massive weight as it closed the distance between itself and Oliver.
Oliver, in turn, hurled one of his daggers at the Hobgoblin.
An obvious attack.
The creature swatted it away with its massive club with frightening precision.
Still, it continued its charge without stopping for even a single moment.
'I hoped it would have slowed it down… but I guess I'll have to handle it this way.'
Oliver thought, diving forward toward the Hobgoblin as it came within striking range.
It swung its heinous club at Oliver first and fast, but Oliver was experienced.
He ducked under the club entirely, the heavy weapon cutting through the air above his head with a thunderous whoosh.
Then he attacked the opening at the Hobgoblin's gut, driving his dagger deeply into its abdomen.
It was a deep, vicious cut that caused a shriek of agony to burst from the Hobgoblin's throat.
Enraged, it immediately swiped its massive hand toward Oliver in an attempt to catch him.
"Too slow, fatso," Oliver commented, jumping backward and evading the Hobgoblin's reach with ease.
[Bleeding has taken effect]
The Hobgoblin let out another cry of pain as the notification flashed before Oliver's gaze.
Still, it did not bother about the pain. Its face twisted into a resentful, murderous glower as it lunged forward with frenzied motion, reaching Oliver again.
It swung its club with catastrophic force, raising it high overhead before smashing it downward toward Oliver's skull.
Oliver sidestepped smoothly, letting the club crash deeply into the ground, sending mounds of dirt and splinters of wood erupting into the air.
"Riled up, are we!"
Oliver attacked again, this time landing a sharp stab across the Hobgoblin's forearm.
The monster groaned in rage, swinging the club once again at Oliver, but it was too late.
The club simply missed Oliver's head by a mere inch as he retreated backward with swift footwork.
[Stealth has been activated]
Oliver immediately hid using the Stealth skill after evading, completely throwing the Hobgoblin off.
The creature's eyes bulged as it spun around wildly in confusion.
At first it was filled with utter bewilderment, unable to fathom what had just happened.
GRUCCCK!
It snarled, swinging its club wildly around itself, whether to release its growing anger or to try and strike Oliver even while he remained hidden.
Oliver had no idea.
But from the way the monster moved, it had clearly slowed down. Its massive body had lost some of its ferocity, all thanks to the effects of the blood-drinking daggers.
Oliver smiled at this.
The sight of the boss slowly having its life drained away…
To think he had done this.
To think he had brought the boss to the edge of mercy all on his own—and in record time.
"Hahahahaha!"
He laughed.
The sound of his voice echoed loudly through the chamber, startling the Hobgoblin as it staggered backward and spun around frantically.
"I don't remember you being this weak..."
"Or is it me that has gotten stronger?"
The Hobgoblin reacted to the voice, lunging forward and swinging its club repeatedly.
But to no avail.
None of the attacks met their target.
Oliver smiled.
"Pathetic."
It wasn't that the Hobgoblin boss had grown weak.
It was simply that its entire threat relied on brute strength and stamina.
That was exactly why Oliver had invested everything into agility.
From his experience with the Goblin Cave, agility was the key to clearing it easily.
SPLOOOSH!
The gaze of the Hobgoblin Boss suddenly painted red.
Its body swayed violently as weakness overtook it in an instant, blood streaming endlessly down its face.
Oliver held tightly to his twin daggers, both of which he had driven deeply into the temples of the Hobgoblin Boss.
He watched as the body of the monster jerked several times, weakening with every passing second until finally—
[Ding! You have successfully killed a D Rank Boss]
It was dead.
Oliver pulled his blades from its cranium, allowing the corpse of the Hobgoblin to collapse heavily onto the ground.
[Achievements have been received]
[Crow is the third person to Solo Raid a Monster Civilization]
Oliver smiled at the notifications.
"At this rate I might as well build a showcase..."
His crow cawed in reply, settling back comfortably on his shoulder.
[You have leveled up]
[You have leveled up]
[You have reached Level 5]
[Dark Crow will now undergo a Minor Evolution]
Oliver's brows lifted slightly.
"A minor evolution?"