Ronan panted for breath. It wasn't too difficult to improve his stamina mastery while using double strike and breaking charge in combination.

His teammates were shocked into the silence the first time he used it. Ronan was too, since it was also his first time trying it out.

The skill worked exactly as advertised. From the moment of activation it would allow him to charge around ten metres forwards in less than a second while empowering a single blow upon his arrival.

When used in combination with double strike it was devastating. The unfortunate lesser goblin warrior he tested it on exploded into a crimson mist of blood and guts as two lightning fast and hammer heavy spear thrusts pierced through its chest in a single breath.

You have killed [Lesser Goblin Warrior Lv.9-14]x4, [Lesser Goblin Archer Lv.10-16]x2, [Goblin Berserker Lv.15-18]x2. and [Goblin Shaman Lv.13]!

Experience has been split among your party members!

Party Experience Bonus has been applied!

+305 Copper Credits

+13 [Pain] Mastery

+11 [Spear I] Mastery

+19 [Stamina] Mastery

+Lesser Goblin Ears (Common) x6

+Goblin Toes (Common) x3

+Worn Spear Lv.13 (Common)

+Shaman's Bone Staff Lv.13 (Common)

You have leveled up to Lv.17!

You have leveled up to Lv.18!

You have been restored x2!

+2 Vitality

+4 Endurance

+4 Strength

+2 Resistance

+2 Tenacity

+2 Charisma

+4 Free Stat Points

They had reached the three wooden doors that marked the end of the weak, sporadic groups of goblins. Ahead of them was the final horde of goblins and then the final boss of this stage. Along the way they'd ended up forming a party on Jackson's suggestion.

However, before they faced their foes, Ronan had a difficult choice to make. He knew what lay beyond the door on the left and in all his recent lives he had chosen to keep that horror from his allies.

This time they might succeed in defeating Magriz'al. They might return to Earth. At least Ronan hoped that would be the case. If there was another tutorial stage that was even harder than this then he really would have some choice curses for the system.

Knowing the horrors that monsters were capable of would be a brutal reality check for the other four, but it might prove to be a necessary one. Until now they'd only fought goblins, but eventually they might need to fight other people.

Ronan knew that human nature was dark and violent. Seeing that scene might give them the icy determination to act when it was needed, rather than baulk.

In the end he chose to let them see. He wasn't a god. He couldn't play as one. They had to live their own lives. He was just a part of them.

Dana was the first to enter, pushing aside the wooden door and walking in. She froze, a mix of dread and rage in her expression.

Keith and Terry followed. Keith rushed to the corner and threw up while Terry grimaced. The big man tried to stop Jackson from seeing, but Ronan held his arm.

"He needs to see. We won't be returning to the same world. It's better that he knows that now," Ronan said, meeting Terry's furious gaze.

"That's not for you to decide," he snarled. "He's my son."

"And that means you can control his life?" Ronan retorted.

"No, it doesn't. It means I can protect him from horrible shit he doesn't need to see."

"What if you aren't there one day? What then?"

"Then I hope that what I've taught him is enough. Now let go of my arm," Terry snapped, grabbing Jackson and pulling him out before the boy could catch sight of what was inside.

Claiming the pile of treasure in the other room did little to raise their spirits. They all wanted to move on and forget about what they'd seen.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Goblin's treasure hoard has been obtained!

633 Copper Credits and 13 Bronze Credits have been split among all party members!

You have received 923 Copper Credits and 2 Bronze Credits!

His fortune bonus was putting in a lot of work here, giving him almost 200 extra copper credits compared to the first time he'd split this treasure. Ronan actually had a use for his money now in the form of his magic money skill.

In a pinch he could use it to gain extra mana. He suspected it might come in handy. Especially since he didn't have the mana regeneration bonus from the mage class.

It was expensive, but with no other obvious use for his credits Ronan could spend all of them and he wouldn't care. What was the point of having money if it sat there rotting away?

They took a short break to assign stat points and assess their loot drops. Ronan replaced the spear he'd stolen from the goblin earlier on with the most recently dropped one.

His old one had actually snapped during the battle. He'd been forced to use the splintered shaft as a makeshift weapon until the goblins were all dead.

He thought back to that elite goblin warrior who'd dropped Thurg's Razorspear. It would be a wild coincidence but I'd love to acquire that again. It was savage, he thought to himself.

He had 6 free points himself. He put 4 into strength, earning himself a second bonus point from mighty strength. Then he added the last 2 to agility.

Magriz'al the Crazed was fast as lightning, so Ronan needed to be quick enough to react to the champion's blows. Once they were all done, Ronan put a hand on the door handle and turned to the party to see if they were ready.

"I'm guessing this might be the final showdown. I've got a gut feeling," he explained when they were confused at his first statement. "We got this. Let's kill some goblins."

"Fuck those little shits," Dana hissed.

"Agreed," chimed in Keith.

"Whatever it takes," Terry declared.

"You can count on me and my magic," Jackson added. He hadn't seen the horrible dungeon, but from the serious atmosphere he could guess something was wrong.

Ronan wasted no time in swinging the heavy wooden door open. They streamed in and took up their positions.

Soon after, the door slammed shut and the lights went out. None of them panicked. They had fought enough monsters by now that they weren't the same scared individuals they'd been back in stage 1.

When the torches flared back to life in the braziers, the sight of almost endless goblins was startling for the others. Ronan didn't even flinch.

Before the first goblin could screech at him, he'd already lunged forward and thrust his spear through its face. After that, chaos erupted.

The five threw themselves into action. The sounds of clashing steel, Dana's cracking whip, and the scream of mana bolts and arrows crescendoed until the only thing Ronan could hear was death and violence.

A potent stench of iron and emptied bowels filled the air, but his focus was absolute. As he was still trying to master stamina and pain, he had to make sure he didn't block any strikes from the goblins around him.

There were so many that he didn't have to try very hard. By focusing on killing one at a time, he knew his masteries were steadily increasing.

With all his stamina skills, there was no need to run around like a headless chicken in hopes of gaining an insight. He had a growing feeling that he was missing an important piece of control, however.

If there was a mana mastery and a stamina mastery, there should be a health mastery too. Additionally, mana was a formless energy, while stamina a physical force. But given that he could spend stamina to activate skills, then perhaps it too could be sensed and controlled.

His spear whirled and arced through the air, trailing blood and death in its wake. Thrust, parry, lunge, riposte, slash.

Ronan knew nothing but the feeling of his own limbs and the cocktail of blood and adrenaline pumping through his veins. With every strike of his spear, he grew more confident.

Stronger and faster.

BANG.

The guts of the elite goblin berserker sprayed across its allies, shocking them into stunned silence. In the moment his spear had struck, Ronan had felt a tremor deep in his muscles.

Mana crackled and tingled, but this was different. It was almost an explosion. Either I tore a muscle or I'm onto something, he couldn't help joking.

Cleaning up the rest of the horde didn't take much longer once the elites were dead. The lesser goblins were cowards. Without their powerful leaders they fell like wheat to the scythe.

"Alright, let's quickly assign our stats and take stock of our loot. You never know what might happen now. There was no stage complete notification," Ronan called out to the others.

He had to make it seem believable while still priming them for what came next. He didn't try to check all the details of his kills.

The only thing he cared about was assigning his stats and checking if he'd gained any useful gear. Especially if he'd got that spear.

The elite warrior he'd claimed it from the first time had fallen to his spear once more and Ronan hoped the drops would be in his favour. He was pleasantly surprised when he spotted it among the long list of rewards, immediately swapping out his damaged spear for the barbed one.

There were also a few pieces of the 'goblin' gear set, which he equipped. He split his stats between strength and agility and then walked over to the door with nothing but bricks behind it.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. When they nodded, he ripped it open.

A few gasps and murmurs of complaint echoed through the room at the sight of more wall, but Ronan stood firm. When the ground began to tremble he immediately knelt down and then after pretending to check the tremors he walked to the middle of the room.

Rather than meet the boss head on, he had a devious strategy. "Everyone, be alert! Something's coming. Terry, keep them safe," he shouted.

Then he walked over the other side of the room, pretending to check what was happening. A few seconds later the ground exploded in a shower of bricks and dust.

[Magriz'al the Crazed — BOSS]

[Hobgoblin Champion Lv.40]

The two lines hovered in the air. Flashes of green skin could be seen through the clouds of dust. The giant hobgoblin was facing towards Terry and the others.

Ronan heard it cackling and then watched as it stepped forward, punching out with its fist. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

He'd trained to his limits. Mastered weapons and even his own body.

If he couldn't even fight this motherfucker now, then he might as well curl into a ball and die. Gripping the barbed spear tightly, he inhaled and activated all of his skills at once.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.