Insomniac Player

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➤[Scarred Alpha Wolf Lv.8 Eliminated.]

➤[Experience +85]

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Damien stared at the notification. "Eighty-five?"

John raised an eyebrow. "Good?"

Damien nodded. "The second highest I got."

Rahul walked closer while wiping blood from his spear. "I am exhausted?" His eyes moved toward the timer.

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➤[Remaining Tutorial Time: 01:26:17]

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They still had time, not much. But enough.

John followed Damien’s gaze. Then he looked beyond the fighting goblins.

Farther into the clearing, the ogre stood beside a broken tree.

It was enormous.

Nearly fifteen feet tall, with grey skin that resembled cracked stone. Its lower jaw carried two thick tusks, and its hands were large enough to crush a human’s skull with a pinch.

A tree trunk rested across its shoulder like a club.

The creature had remained outside during the battle inside the cave.

Now it watched the players advance through the horde.

Its tiny eyes narrowed. John lifted one thick arm and pointed. "That one."

Damien followed his finger. "No."

John looked at him. "I was going to say we should kill it."

"No," Damien retorted.

Rahul nodded. "I agree with Damien."

John looked between them. "Why?"

Imran answered calmly. "Because it is an ogre."

John gestured toward the corpse of the goblin chief behind them. "We killed that."

"The Chief was careless," Damien said.

"And the ogre is stupid."

"You do not know that."

John studied the creature.

The ogre picked up a goblin that had moved too close and threw it aside without looking.

John smiled. "I feel he is as stupid as an ordinary goblin."

"That is not evidence," Damien uttered, rejecting the idea.

"It is to me," John confidently said.

The ogre released a roar; the sound shook leaves from the trees.

Several nearby goblins flinched.

John’s smile widened. "See? It accepted our challenge. How stupid."

Damien sighed; there was no point arguing.

John had already started walking.

"Fine," Damien said. "But we do it properly."

John stopped. "You’re joining?"

"If I let you go alone, you’ll try to block the club with your face."

John considered that. "I might."

"I know." Damien looked toward Rahul and Imran. "Keep the line moving. Don’t follow us."

Rahul frowned. "You’re leaving us with the horde?"

"You have Mark."

Mark stared. "Why did that sound like an insult?"

Damien turned toward the ogre. "Mr. John."

The giant tightened his grip around his mace. "Ready."

The two moved through the goblins. John cleared the path by force.

Damien used precision stabbing and slashed.

A goblin rushed from the right; John’s mace broke its chest.

Another goblin attacked from a low position, and Damien cut its throat.

They reached the edge of the clearing together.

The ogre stepped forward. A blue window appeared.

➤[Ogre Lv.12]

Damien’s stomach tightened.

Level Twelve is stronger than the elite goblins but weaker than the chief. The ogre lifted the tree-trunk club.

"Don’t get hit," Damien said.

John looked offended. "That’s your advice?"

"It’s excellent advice," Damien yelled as he gazed at the club.

The club descended; both men jumped in opposite directions.

The ground exploded. Mud, stones, and goblin corpses flew into the air.

John rolled, came up on one knee, and struck the ogre’s leg.

The mace slammed into its shin.

The ogre grunted; it did not fall.

John stared. "That usually works."

The ogre kicked; John crossed both arms over his chest.

The massive foot launched him backwards.

He crashed through two goblins and rolled across the ground.

"Mr. John!" Damien called for a check.

"I’m fine!"

He was already standing; that was encouraging.

Damien circled behind the ogre. The creature turned toward John, focusing on the larger threat.

Exactly what Damien needed; he rushed forward and slashed at the ogre’s ankle.

The dagger cut deep; the ogre roared and spun.

Damien ducked beneath one enormous hand; the fingers passed above his head.

He stabbed the creature’s calf; the ogre kicked backwards. Damien barely escaped.

"Legs!" he shouted.

"I noticed!"

John charged again; this time, he did not aim at the shin.

He struck the wounded ankle; the mace connected with the cut Damien had created.

A bone cracked, and the ogre stumbled. Its knee struck the ground; the entire clearing shook.

Goblins scattered away from the falling monster.

Damien saw the opening. "Again!"

John raised the mace with both hands and slammed it into the ogre’s knee.

The joint bent sideways; the creature screamed.

It swung the tree trunk blindly. John ducked. The club passed over him and crushed six goblins.

Damien climbed onto the ogre’s back.

His fingers caught rough strips of leather wrapped around its shoulders.

The ogre reached for him; Damien moved higher.

Toward the neck, the skin there was thick, too thick for an ordinary blade.

But the First Blood Dagger was not ordinary; the ogre grabbed the back of Damien’s shirt.

Its fingers closed, and Damien cried. "Mr. John!"

John saw him; he moved without hesitation.

The mace struck the ogre’s injured leg for the third time.

The damaged joint collapsed completely; the monster fell forward. Its grip loosened.

Damien pulled himself onto its shoulder, then drove the dagger into the side of its neck.

The blade sank to the hilt; the ogre roared and tried to rise.

Damien dragged the dagger across; a deep wound opened. Blood poured down the creature’s chest.

Still, it moved; still, it tried to stand. John stepped in front of it.

He raised the mace; the ogre looked at him.

John smiled. "This is for kicking me."

The mace crashed into its forehead; the skull cracked.

The ogre’s eyes rolled back, and its body collapsed.

Damien jumped clear before being crushed beneath it.

The huge corpse struck the ground with a thunderous impact.

For a second, neither man spoke. Then the notification chimed for Damien.

Bing!

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➤[Ogre Lv.12 Eliminated.]

➤[Experience +150]

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Damien stared at the window, then he looked at John.

"One hundred and fifty."

John nodded before asking. "I thought I was the one who gave the finishing blow."

"I thought the same." Damien was confused too.

John pointed toward the remaining horde of goblins. "There are more."

Damien looked at the timer, then at the sea of goblins.

A tired smile appeared on his face.

"For once..." He tightened his grip around the dagger. "...I was thinking the same thing."