Kobolds.
A species of creatures that one might refer to as mutated rats. A hunched, skeletal creature no taller than a child, with patchy grey-brown fur clinging to his ribs like mold on bone.
Its tail is naked and whip-like, constantly twitching as if even it is disgusted by it. One ear is torn; the other stands upright like a filthy banner of defiance.
Its fangs jut from its mouth at uneven angles, yellow and crusted, perpetually wet from a mix of drool and infectious sludge.
Paired with a 3-liner characteristic, it came together as the lowest monster of the food chain.
If shiny—steal.
If edible—eat.
If bigger—grovel. Until the back is turned, then stab.
It was the first ever monster that Lucian had ever created out of the pen of his imagination. And of course, the worst.
Not even in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined that he'd be looking at such a creature face-to-face.
But still, since it had already happened, Lucian had no plans to tuck his imaginary tail under his pants and run away while screaming in a loud feminine voice.
Unaware of him, the kobold simply continued to chew over the dead corpse's flesh. Lucian, on the other hand, tucked his hands closer to his body, flaunting the daggers outwards.
With fast and precise steps, he closed the distance with the kobold in no time. The closer he went, the more the sounds of his footsteps increased.
All of a sudden, Kobold's ears twitched. It twisted its neck around in an instant; its beady, bloodshot eyes darted towards Lucian.
"Kieeek!" It screeched in an almost deafening sound, sending waves of frequencies towards Lucian.
For a moment, it distorted his mind and blurred his vision. It was only for a moment, yet it was enough for the kobold to act.
As his vision cleared, the corpse lay lumped over the ground—half eaten—while the kobold was nowhere to be seen.
His eyes slightly widened, but Lucian understood that it wasn't the best time to be shocked.
As soon as his foot landed on the ground, with all the power he had within his leg, he leapt forward.
Rolling mid-air, he saw the blurred silhouette of a kobold, smiling deviously. Its eyes were filled with an insatiable hunger, glaring at him with a primal instinct to devour.
At that moment, the time seemed to have slowed down exponentially. Lucian's body, the kobold, and everything seemed to be stuck in their place.
However, Lucian did not mind it. In fact, he did not even notice anything since his focus had been disrupted by the vicious smile and dreadful eyes that looked down upon him like a prey.
For some reason, he found it strange. Even more so, he found it uncomfortable as he recognized such eyes—not from monsters, but humans...
'How dare you...' His facial muscles relaxed, but his gaze only grew sharper.
A penniless boy who became an orphan at the young age of 12. With not a single shoulder left to cry upon, he saw the ones that were cherished by his parents fight for the custody of the leftover assets like a bunch of hyenas—gluttonous and shameless.
It was something that had tortured his mind for days, even months. In the nights, when he slept over the park benches, he often asked himself about the situation.
What would my parents have done if they saw such a thing...?
Why did they have to leave me so early?
Did they not care about me? Not even for a bit?
It wasn't that he didn't care for his parents that he was questioning such things. But it was a totally different thing if a child so young had to witness the lifeless bodies of his parents hanging within their room.
Ever since that day, Lucian had seen countless gazes. Some disguised mockery in fake empathy. Others that blatantly asked the child, "Why are you still alive?"
There were many who proclaimed themselves as someone 'dear' to him, but no one batted an eye over his dreadful cries.
'How dare you look at me with those eyes!?' He tightly clenched his jaw, veins bulging over his forehead in anger.
Lucian saw the same gluttony hidden within the kobold's eyes, once again, looking at him as if trying to devour whatever was left of him, just like before.
It seemed to have ticked him off in the worst way possible, since for the first time, he felt the rage to simply forget about the world and gouge its eyes out.
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[Passive Skill—Indomitable Will (F)—is in effect!]
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All of a sudden, a strange calmness washed over his mind as he noticed a small system window right beside him from the corner of his eye.
Realizing what had just happened, his lips curled into a smirk. "Damn, I nearly lost it." He muttered in a low but confident tone.
The time resumed, and his body twisted midair. In a fraction of a second, he straightened his body and landed over ground on his feet. Instantly, he launched himself forward and heard a loud clanking sound from behind.
In a literal sense, monsters such as kobolds were the weakest monsters. But as of now, with the average stats of 10, facing even the weakest monster was nothing less than a grave challenge.
Because of their small physique and strong legs, kobolds are extremely agile. Combined with their sharp claws and strong jaw, they create their own unique destructive force. Not to forget about their mind-distorting screech.
But even in such circumstances, Lucian thought of a very simple way to handle the gap between their strengths.
"If agility is its main weapon, then I think I chose the best weapons to deal with it."
Mid-step, he solidified his right foot on the ground and twisted his whole body around. At the same time, using the momentum as the boost, he swung his dagger in a full circular motion.
As his eyes adjusted to the sudden change of view, he saw the blurred image of the kobold, slowly coming close as it leapt with its claws bared towards him.
Without a doubt, Lucian did not possess enough strength to kill him in a close bout. But things were different if the kobold itself was the one jumping into danger.
As the kobold closed its distance, the dagger came down. Then, just as the kobold was about to reach him, the edge of his dagger stood right between. Before it could even realize, its head slammed into the blade's edge.
"Bingo," he said, as murky crimson blood splattered all over his face.
"At the end, the kobold died due to its own blessing, huh? Quite catchy." He lowered his gaze, looking at the split body of the monster.
*[Ding!]*
The same notification alert resounded in his mind. Lucian quickly raised his head and saw a system screen materializing in front of his eyes.
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[Congratulations!]
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It read...
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[You have leveled up!]
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