I glanced to the side and noticed that goblins had already flanked me. How? I was beginning to grow sick of these crafty bastards.

  Turning, I sprinted as fast as I could. It didn’t last long. From behind a nearby tree, a goblin shouted out from the cover, lashing a kick straight to my chest. It connected head on, sending me tumbling backwards.

  Groaning, I looked at the beast with venom and swapped to Leaping Clubber in a flash. I activated Leap and moved at a speed the goblin didn’t expect. Eyes wide, it quickly brought up its weapon in defense.

  In a flash, I changed back to Rock Slinger and threw a rock so hard it swished through the air. I missed my original target, the rock slamming into the goblins shoulder, stumbling the creature. I missed it, but it would work.

  Swapping Loadouts again, I unsheathed my club from my belt. In one swift motion, I swatted the goblins throat crushing its wind-pipe. Right after, I heard the twang of a bow.

  I grit my teeth, grabbed hold of the goblin I had just killed, and swung its body around to the direction of the sound. The arrow thudded against my flesh shield, but at the same time, I felt something dig into my bag. Pain blossoming, I snapped my head over my shoulder just in time to see another archer.

  Ignoring the arrow, I threw my body to the side, snapping the arrow in my back in the process. I hurriedly swapped Loadouts to stop the blood. However, as I finished doing that, I realised that I was now completely swarmed.

  Goblins on every side, most of which had bows aimed right at me. My heart panicked, thudding, threatening to break through the blood clots I had just created to stem the bleeding.

  The goblin warchief stomped forwards. No other monster dared to act. I was on my knees at this point, and the boss of the little green men stood over me, hammer in hand.

  But instead of losing myself to fear, I smiled—a wide, maddened grin. I had bought enough time. Just enough to stand face-to-face with the warchief. Now it was time to die. Over, and over, and over again.

  The goblin warchief returned my grin, raising his massive, bone-and-metal hammer high above his head.

  “Smile while you can,” I said, glaring up at the beast. “I’ll take you down, no matter how many deaths it takes.”

  The hammer swung down. I didn’t see the impact—only darkness. But I knew the outcome. A bloodbath.

  The toughest part of dying wasn’t the pain—my Skill dulled most of that. It was the emotional toll. At first, it was pure terror. Then I got used to it. But eventually, that fear crept back, turning into something worse. There were times when my mind crumbled, leaving me too broken to fight.

  That never lasted long.

  Of course, I wasn’t just dying over and over with nothing to show for it. Each time I returned, I ground my Skills one Level at a time, climbing steadily until they hit the fifties. That’s when everything changed. That’s when they evolved.

  And my god, the results were incredible.

  The System didn’t just reward effort; it rewarded experience—pain, struggle, and perseverance. Each death added to my arsenal, and I made damn sure to use it.

  I jumped, snapping my club at the beast, and did everything I could to gain the upper hand against the warchief, but each attempt ended the same way: with my death. How could anyone beat a monster like this so early on? Was the System designed for failure? Or was this entire ordeal a sick test? I had evolved my physical Skills twice already…

  I didn’t care. I had one goal: bring the warchief down to my level, which just so happened to be flat on the floor.

  But I needed more. Something stronger. Something magical.

  After the 100th-odd time I died, I started focusing on Chill of Mortality. If Skill evolution relied on experience, this was my best bet. With every Level, the icy sensation deepened, until it felt like shards of frost stabbing through my veins. I pushed further, experimenting, honing my control, and then it happened.

  Skill learned — [Rare] Mana Mastery

  | You have touched the essence of mana. Though brief, the connection is yours to command. You have formed a mana core.

  Between deaths, I felt the new energy inside of me. Although small, insignificant, even, I focused on it. The more I played with it, the more it Levelled up.

  And then—

  Chill of Mortality (Level 50) → [Epic] Ice Control

  | From your mastery over Chill of Mortality and a budding experience with mana, you have gained an understanding of ice. Shape it to your will.

  Mana Mastery (Level 15) → Frostbound Mana

  | Your mastery of mana evolves, unlocking its icy essence. Ice-based abilities now regenerate mana 15% faster, reflecting your growing bond with frost.

  And that wasn’t all. The more wounds I suffered, the more adept my Blood Weave became. Leveling it all the way to fifty was, in my mind, absolutely impossible without his time-reverting Skill.

  Each time I woke up, the plan for evolving the skill was simple. My goal was to take as much damage as humanly possible, re-using the skill repeatedly until I couldn’t handle the pain any longer and welcome the warchief’s hammer.

  His strength was absolutely monstrous.

  After the twentieth death Leveling the skill, I took on the pain with stride, and battled on. My legs and arms were chopped off, my skin was split down the middle, and every trace of my being was cut up as if I was on the slaughter table.

  I didn’t run. I fought on, no matter what it took. At some point, my mind was ready to give up. But something urged me on. When that happened, I forced a smile on my face and continued—my mental be damned.

  I just wanted to grow stronger. To become someone new. All I knew was death and pain.

  When it was ready for evolution, I picked a choice right away.

  Blood Weave (Level 50) → Regenerative Blood

  | Used to stopping the flow of blood, you have learned to tap into its restorative properties. Heal basic wounds very slowly.

  And—

  Leap (Level 50) → Frost Leap: With your mastery over ice, every time you leap, create a ring of frost from where you stood.

  Leveling Leap wasn’t easy. I barely had time to move out of the way, let alone do anything else. So, oftentimes my legs would be pulverised mid-air. I Leveled both at the same time.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Blunt Weapon Mastery (Level 50) → Leaping Explosive Clubber

  | You have a knack for jumping and clubbing. When you jump, the next attack has its damage doubled.

  When I had finished jumping and training to stop my blood from leaking everywhere, I then spent hundreds of loops attacking. I swung and slammed and crushed at the warchief’s absurdly strong body that resembled a damn tank, getting off any damage I could.

  Most of my time was spent Leveling Blunt Weapon Mastery, but thankfully, fighting in a life or death battle seemed to accelerate the learning by quite a lot..

  How many times had I died in three seconds? Two hundred? Maybe more. But it didn’t matter. My time had come.

  Eyes snapping open, I grinned and summoned the mana within me. A lance of ice formed in my palm, and I hurled it at the warchief’s eyes just as his hammer swung down. I used the opportunity to roll out of the way as the hammer slammed into the earth, sending soil spluttering in all directions.

  Heart pounding, I scrambled to my feet and blasted the warchief with another ice lance to the face. Frost coated its skin as the six-foot goblin roared, the sound almost splitting my ears.

  With fury blazing in its eyes, it charged straight at me, each footstep a thunderous impact on the ground. Nearing me, it swung its massive hammer in a wild, savage arc aimed at my torso.

  At the last moment, I activated Leap to dodge sideways. But now, the Skill had evolved. From where I landed, a ring of ice erupted outward, freezing the goblin’s legs. It staggered, momentarily immobilized, and I saw my chance. Using Frost Leap again, I shot back toward it, club in hand.

  I roared and crashed my weapon against the monster’s skull with a sickening crunch and a small explosion following. Its skull split as blood ran down its face. But I knew it wasn’t enough.

  The warchief roared again, its shoulders glowing with a red haze as it charged once more, reckless and unthinking. Unlike the other goblins, this one relied solely on brute strength. It had no craftiness to its attacks—and that would be its undoing.

  The fight dragged on for another three minutes. It may have been a short time for most, but in a battle of life and death, it felt like a century.

  Every time the warchief closed in, I used Frost Leap to evade, striking back with Ice Lance and Bombardier’s Throw. Each projectile chipped away at its flesh, and the icy chill seeped deep into its bones. Even its blood-fueled rage wasn’t enough to stave off the cold. Its movements eventually slowed just as my mana was dwindling to fumes, and every one of its steps grew laborious.

  As it faltered, I saw my chance. With a roar, louder than I thought possible, I threw myself forward, club raised high. My emotions surged through me as I smashed into the warchief’s already injured skull, exploding the bone cage and going onwards, mashing its brain into a bloody pulp.

  You have defeated the Goblin Warchief (Level 31)!

  Your Skills have Levelled up!

  You have completed a Challenge!

  Granting Challenge rewards:

  | Title Earned: Goblin Vanquisher — You have defeated a goblin warchief in a nightmare difficulty zone. Let it be known that no goblin shall defeat you. (+10% damage to all goblins)

  | Uncommon Equipment Chest

  | All your Skills have Levelled up twice

  Renithor, the God of War, smiles upon you.

  | Blessing received — Weapon Expertise: Any new weapon Skill you learn, will begin at Level 10. All Melee Skills Level up a little faster.

  Vestick, the God of Rock Throwing, smiles upon you.

  | Blessing received — Rock Above All: All rock throwing abilities Level up a little faster.

  Silence reigned in the forest as I stared at the warchief’s lifeless form. I thought I was mentally strong. After all the deaths I had endured, all the grief and pain… but now, it was as if a dam had broken.

  Tears streamed down my face. I sniffled and wiped them away with my dirty, tattered sleeve. My gaze shifted to the remaining goblins, most of whom stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

  Wordlessly, I summoned an ice lance into my hand and hurled it at the nearest goblin. The icicle pierced through its chest, a vivid reminder of the sheer difference in durability between it and the warchief.

  The forest erupted with chaos. The goblins screeched, hissed, and turned tail to flee. But I didn’t let them. One by one, I hunted them down, killing every last one I could find. By the time I stopped, breathless and soaked in blood, the System chimed to inform me that Ice Control had gained another Level.

  The goblins had fought back, leaving my body riddled with cuts and arrows. But as long as nothing struck my heart or brain, I was okay. Still, the overuse of magic had taken its toll. My hands were encased in ice that crept halfway up my arms, the chill sinking deep into my bones. It was probably what the warchief had felt toward the end.

  Once my breathing calmed, I swapped Loadouts and activated Healing Blood—the evolved form of Blood Weave. My wounds began to close, but the process was agonizingly slow. Better than nothing, I told myself.

  I glanced at my left arm. The bone was still sticking out, rendering it practically useless. That had to be dealt with.

  Gritting my teeth, I limped toward a nearby tree. “Here goes nothing,” I muttered. Bracing myself, I slammed my arm against the solid bark. A sharp crack rang out as the bone snapped back into place. I barely felt it.

  There was a good reason for it—

  Name: Paul Webb

  Race: Human (F-Grade)

  Blessings: Weapon Expertise, Rock Above All

  Titles: Survivor, Terror's Bane, Skill Sculptor, Reaper's Reject, Goblin Vanquisher

  Core Skill: Chrono-Requiem [Unique]

  Loadout 1 (Leaping Clubber):

  | Skill 1: Leaping Explosive Clubber (Level 50)

  | Skill 2: Pain Ignorance (Level 50)

  | Skill 3: Frost Leap (Level 51)

  | Skill 4: Iron Carapace (Level 54)

  | Skill 5: Colossal Might (Level 54)

  Loadout 2 (Rock Slinger):

  | Skill 1: Ice Control (Level 50)

  | Skill 2: Healing Blood (Level 50)

  | Skill 3: Sneak (Level 2)

  | Skill 4: Bombardier's Throw (Level 54)

  | Skill 5: Mana Mastery (Level 17)

  I chuckled. Progress was satisfying.

  My Pain Resistance Skill had evolved.

  As for Mana Mastery, it took a lot longer to reach the next stages for some reason. Was it because it was a higher tier Skill that required more mastery? I didn’t know.

  The blessing I received was also added to the system. But, what exactly was a blessing? From the God of War, no less. Were gods watching him?

  For some reason, it was an unsettling notion. I quickly moved on to my other Skills.

  (Rare) Pain Ignorance: You have suffered through unimaginable pain and lived to tell the tale. All pain is reduced by 90%.

  I recalled the torment of those loops, replaying them in my mind. Indeed. What I had suffered through—no-one would be able to get close to my Level in pain resistance. Although I had gotten used to the pain after a while, at least it was a blanket to keep my mental, or my calm.

  With my arm somewhat functional, I staggered back to the warchief’s body. He didn’t have much on him, save for the massive hammer lying by his side. It was clear the weapon was something special.

  (Uncommon) — Titan’s Hammer: Crafted from the bones of the Bulwark Beast and forged with dark-metal, this hammer is designed only for the strongest.

  Grunting, I hoisted the hammer onto my shoulder. It was heavy, but not impossible to move. I swung it, and the air swished from the power. I moved over to a tree, and swung again. The hammer head crashed into the tree's bark, creating a small crater within.

  I smiled, but realised that the pain from my left arm surged once more. It seemed that although my flesh was healing, the bone would take a lot more work.

  I decided to keep the hammer. If I ever had to deal with a monster with high armour, a hammer was going to work wonders compared to my club.

  Next up, was the Uncommon Chest. I summoned it, then opened it up, revealing a pair of bronze shin-guards. They weren’t amazing, and my flesh felt even tougher than the supposed armour, but I wore them regardless. Maybe it was my non-system brain working, not realising the greatness of my current durability.

  With all of that done, I crouched down and touched the footprint one of the retreating goblin’s had left. Thanks to my Tracking Skill, I saw their path.

  It was time to hunt them down. If he wanted to become even stronger, he had to keep grinding more Skills.