Chapter 23: Boss Killed
The Boss Falls
The Goblin Chief tilted his body ever so slightly; the dagger missed.
It sliced through empty air, passing inches from his armour before Damien stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance.
A low, guttural chuckle escaped the monster; the surviving goblins laughed with him.
Even the three Elite Goblins made no attempt to intervene.
Their chief was playing. Damien’s face burned with frustration; he gritted his teeth and swung again.
Left. Miss.
Right. Missed again
A thrust.
The chief casually knocked the dagger aside with the back of his hand before taking a lazy step backwards.
The distance between them never changed; it was as though Damien was chasing a shadow.
Another swing and another effortless dodge.
The Goblin Chief’s grin grew wider with every failed attack.
He wasn’t trying to kill Damien; he was humiliating him.
He was showing the remaining humans the hopeless difference between their situation and his.
Behind Damien, several survivors lowered their weapons. John, Imran and Rahul were knocked down, not killed. They weren’t going to respawn.
Some closed their eyes; others silently prayed. It was over.
There was no miracle waiting to save them, no hidden reinforcements and no legendary hero.
Only a sleep-deprived college student desperately waving around a dagger far too small for the monster standing before him.
Damien’s lungs burned; his arms felt heavier with every swing.
The world around him blurred.
’Think... there has to be something.’
Another slash. The chief leant back.
Another thrust. The monster twisted his shoulders.
Each movement was minimal and elegant.
As though avoiding Damien required no more effort than avoiding falling leaves.
"Come on..." Damien muttered between ragged breaths. "Just... Stand... Still!"
The Goblin Chief laughed. The Goblin Chief let out a harsh, mocking laugh that echoed throughout the cave.
Then... for the first time. He attacked Damien.
The massive cleaver swung horizontally towards Damien’s waist.
His instincts screamed; Damien threw himself backwards.
The blade passed so close he felt the wind brushing against his shirt.
The cave wall behind him exploded as the cleaver buried itself halfway into the solid stone.
Rock fragments showered the ground.
Damien stared. One hit, one direct hit.
That was all he wanted to do; the hours would pass one way or another, and players wouldn’t even die.
Keeping all that in mind, he wanted to pay back the humiliation at least once.
His hands shook harder than ever. The Goblin Chief effortlessly pulled the weapon free.
Then... he deliberately lowered it, inviting Damien to attack again.
The message couldn’t have been clearer. ’Come. Try again.’
Damien’s breathing slowed; his heartbeat steadied.
Something felt... wrong. It’s not about the chief; it’s about the dagger. He glanced at the First Blood Dagger.
The chief smirked, clearly growing impatient. He raised the cleaver once more.
Damien inhaled deeply – one chance. That’s all he had.
He charged; his feet pounded against the stone floor.
The chief watched calmly; Damien swung, and the chief stepped aside.
Exactly as before. But Damien didn’t stop; he pivoted immediately, his entire body turning with the momentum.
A second slash, faster and lower. The chief’s eyes narrowed.
He was excited; for the first time, he chose to defend.
With complete confidence, he brought the enormous cleaver down to intercept the tiny dagger.
Weapon met weapon. Except... there was no impact.
There was no clang, only a soft whisper.
SHHHK
The Goblin Chief frowned. His cleaver... It felt strangely light.
His eyes slowly drifted downward. A perfectly smooth line ran through the centre of the weapon.
The upper half slid away; it fell onto the stone floor with a heavy clang.
Ever since entering the cave, he acted haughty and confident. But now, confusion appeared on the Goblin Chief’s face.
He looked at the broken weapon, then back at Damien.
The dagger hadn’t stopped; it continued forward in one clean arc.
The blade brushed gently across his neck, but it was too gentle.
So gently, the chief barely felt it. Damien landed several steps behind him.
Silence: nobody moved and nobody breathed.
A single drop of blood rolled down the Goblin Chief’s neck.
He slowly reached towards the wound; his fingers touched warm blood.
His eyes widened. The thin crimson line suddenly deepened.
His head slipped sideways. Then... Gravity claimed it.
The enormous head separated cleanly from the neck, spinning through the air before crashing onto the cave floor with a sickening thud.
Blood erupted like a purple fountain. The headless body remained standing for a heartbeat, then collapsed onto its knees.
Another second passed. Finally... It slammed face-first into the ground.
BOOOOOOM!!
The cave trembled.
Every surviving human stared at the corpse. Every goblin froze.
The three Elite Goblins stood motionless; their expressions slowly shifted from disbelief... to terror.
Damien remained where he stood, breathing heavily.
His own eyes were just as wide. "I... Killed him?"
A familiar chime echoed inside his head.
Bing!
---
➤[Goblin Chief Lv. 15 Eliminated.]
➤[+195 Experience]
---
Another window appeared immediately.
---
➤[Reward for Eliminating the Boss of the Second Tutorial]
➤[+300 Experience]
➤[Reward Acquired]
〈Horn of the Chief〉
〈Boss Killer (Title) 〉
---
➤[Level Up]
➤[Level Up]
➤[Level Up]
---
Experience flooded into him faster than he could comprehend.
His exhausted muscles suddenly felt lighter; the cuts covering his body began to close.
His breathing steadied. The surviving players watched in stunned silence.
Rahul, lying against the cave wall, forced one eye open.
Through blurred vision, he saw the Goblin Chief’s body lying motionless.
A weak laugh escaped him. "He... actually did it..."
Besides him, Imran smiled despite the blood covering his chest. "I told you... never underestimate... the smart coward."
Damien was still stunned; he couldn’t believe it. He opened the profile of the dagger, and his eyes widened.
Everything started to make sense.