Goblins were weak,ugly but cunning creatures.They were far more intelligent than most monsters,and used their numbers and wit to fight opponents much stronger than themselves.
They were quite similar to humans really...
Some more smooth-skinned and cute versions of their kind even became pets to some eccentric noble families.Some with stronger bodies even managed to integrate with human armies and helped mercenaries in menial tasks,though such a occurence was exceedingly rare.
But goblins of higher ranks were different,They were strangely prideful and brutal,lacking empathy and ruling creatures weaker than themselves with an iron fist.
Especially the Goblin duke,starved and desperate for any form of food,who was rushing towards the new arrival.
But a Goblin duke was a goblin nonetheless,instead of immediately rushing and slaughtering its prey,
It hesitated and stopped behing a particularly large portruding black rock to observe it's unlucky victim.After all if the young man turned out to be a fearsome weilder of mana,even the duke would be in mortal danger.
It was a resonable move,
but this choice bought his prey a couple of seconds to adjust to his situation and recognise the duke's presense,if only barely.
The young man quickly sensed the danger and tried his best to supress the memories flooding his mind.
He forced himself to focus on the approaching threat
He somehow knew the creature but also felt as if it was his first time encountering it.
'A goblin'
Just as he felt the floodgates of his memories open up once again he tried to focus only on the memories pertaining to the creature near him.
The goblin duke also was busy calculating his approach
A good third to half of a minute passed in the duke's hesitation.
Was it afraid?A great duke being fearful of a mere human?
The goblin didn't like the thought,angered by it's own emotions,it lunged forward and dashed once again.
But then it heard a voice,the voice of a human ready to attack...
"Open status window"
"Open inventory"
It had made a massive mistake; it gave the prey time to prepare,and that mistake might end its life very soon.
The young man regained some vast knowledge of a world atleast a thousand years ahead of this one.
A world of computers and virtual reality.A world where creatures like the one infront of him and abilities like the 'system' were documented extensively.
Not for practical use but for enjoyment and entertainment in videogames,webtoons and novels.
The three-meter tall greenish duke immediately changed stratergy
Duke put the full force of it's lean and starved but powerful physique into a lethal punch aimed at the prey.
'Fuck'
It seems the young man had figured out how use the 'system' but he realised something in the twenty or so seconds the goblin gave him,
He had nothing-no weapons,no cheats,no spells.Absolutely nothing that could harm the beast.
Well, he did have something
[Designation: Constructer
Grade:II
The user can construct any physical or quasi-physical object or substance,as long as they have an in-depth understanding of it's structure and process of formation.
However,the amount of mana required will be dependent on the object's mass and complexity and will follow the following formula:
Mana required= E = MC^2 * 1/20
{Note:Due to the user's current mental disorientation,this ability is heavily restricted}]
'Damn it...'
The ability was currently useless and he had absolutely nothing to fight against the abomination in front of him.
So he found the only logical choice that could be made,It hurt his pride a little but dying to a goblin would be far more humiliating.
'Stratergic retreat it is!'
He ran as fast he possibly could to the nearest form of shelter.
But the Goblin duke was much,much faster,It's massive body rushing at terrific speed towards the human.
It was much stronger and girthier than the young man's rough idea of goblins.
It was actually terrifying,It could likely kill the young man with only a couple good hits.
' 'Lesser monster'?What a damn joke. '
As soon as that thought entered his head-
The goblin was already there.
It lunged at the young man,launching a powerful punch towards the young man.
But the young man had luckily taken a glance back while running away,he rolled on the ground and avoided the punch by a good distance.
He shivered
'That fist...that speed...that force..would have turned my skull into a mashed potato if it landed.Damn! why is a goblin so strong?'
But the goblin didn't give him any time to curse his luck.
The goblin got into something like a battle stance and seemingly readied a powerful attack with its left fist.It readied it calfes and leg muscles for a powerful lunge forward.
The young man hurridly tried to dodge the attack but the goblin just didn't move.
It stood dead still.
Then it's eyes pointed behind the young man and an expression of grave,deep fear appeared on it's hideous face.
The young man sensed this and looked behind himself.What horror was making the fearsome goblin so fearful?
He saw nothing.The goblin had played him.
By the time the young man understood this,
The goblin's right fist rushed ahead like a overspeeding bus and barely avoided the young man's torso,thanks to his almost inctinctual dodge at the attack aimed at his heart.
....but hit his leg instead,crushing the limb between the rushing fist and a large portuding rock.
The young man felt a slight tinge of relief,but only a second later he realised that he was in no better a situation,he did avoid loosing his life directly but...
The most terrifying sound he heard in a long time rang in his ears
The sound of bones being crushed...his own bones
The young man didn't think anymore.He just ran,even while limping,he ran as fast as he possibly could away from the seemingly inevitable doom.
Death
'I'm going to die'
What did he want to do in life?
What was he trult passionate about,enough to live his entire life doing it?
These questions were birthed from his own fear or recognition...
of death.
Suddenly something clicked in the young man's mind.
He didn't know it but the text saying
'{Note:Due to the user's current mental disorientation,this ability is heavily restricted}'
Disappeared.
He had realised something,but didn't have time to ponder what
The monster had already reached him.
He narrowly avoided the impending punch only to horrifyingly realise-
It was a feint
The monster had legs too
and it used them malevolently,delivering a powerful blow which the young man's bones and body took in full force.
The young man was blown away and landed on another portruding black rock with tremendous...fatal force.
If only bones were broken ealier,the young man now felt the rupturing of organs and the destruction of his spine.
The young man,or what was left of him,lay paralyzed on the ground.
Then looking down at the defeated enemy beneath it,The duke let out a smug smile.
It then picked up its delicious lunch,its mouth watering after having spent a good fortnight eating only dry,dusty grass.
The driping blood made the meal even more exquisite.
But its jocularity was interupted by the prey's flailing.
It ignored the pitiful thing's weak fists,
And opened its mouth,revealing two layers of sharp,jagged teeth
"Use...c-construct..abili...ability.."
soon some runes formed a intangible blue rectangle,about the lenght of two walking canes placed upon eachother, which portruded into the creature's forehead.
But the duke paid it no mind,rather it couldn't feel anything-the rectangular box was not physically present and more like an illusion or a mirage.
Then the rectangular box changed shape,formed intendations and developed small wheels.
The holographic projection soon materialised directly in the abomination's brain.
and the abominable creature died
and a small explosion of blood escaped it's forehead
[You have summoned-Palstom p14 Metro rolling stock-Miniature]
[You have slain a lesser monster 'Goblin duke']
[Tutorial cleared,congratulations!]
What did he want to do in life?
What was he trult passionate about,enough to live his entire life doing it?
Building public transportation.
That was the answer.
It was a very silly way to dispatch of an odious monster
but he survived and killed his opponent,that was what truely mattered and also...
He learnt his purpose and what he spent his previous life,in his original world doing.
"P-P...uplic transport is...the answer..."
The young man smiled weakly,blood flowing down his face,adreline helping him ignore the excruciating pain.
"Dam..n you..."
'..We both gutted eachother but I came out on top.Have a nice time in hell,Goblin duke,since I'll be going to heaven'
He was going to die by a pathetic goblin's hands.
But he didn't die alone.
He gained a strange solace from this thought.
He closed his eyes,ready for....death.
Then opened them.He had changed his agenda.
'I will live'