The simulation's abrupt end was a shock to Dick. An arrow had struck his knee, numbing it instantly. The realization that the Goblin Slayer's arrows were poisoned added a layer of dread; even if he survived the immediate threat, the poison could still claim his life.
"I won't miss the next arrow," the Goblin Slaying Knight declared, his voice like the tolling of a death reaper . Dick felt a shiver of fear, a cold sweat breaking out over his dark green skin. The time limit of the simulation was drawing near, and he couldn't afford to fail now.
Dick cursed himself for underestimating this Goblin Slayer. He had spent too much time dealing with the elder goblin, Blin, and now, with an arrow in his knee and poison coursing through his veins, his movements were severely impaired. Dodging another of Goblin Slayer's lethal arrows seemed impossible.
"Goblin Slayer! You must have a dear sister, or some other loved one, captured by goblin right, that's why you become a goblin Slayer?" Dick suddenly called out, his voice raspy with pain and exertion. The Goblin Slaying Knight hesitated, his finger tightening on the bowstring, visibly affected by the mention of his sister.
Dick saw his chance knowing he was right in his gamble. "Jie Jie Jie! You could only watch them helplessly, right? The person yoy hold dear to you, humiliated to death by a large group of goblins. You are as despicable a coward as a us filthy goblin, you couldn't do anything back then!" he taunted, laughing mockingly.
An arrow whistled through the smoky air, aimed directly at Dick's head. But, in a stroke of luck or perhaps due to the Goblin Slayer's momentary emotional turmoil, it missed, striking Dick's neck instead.
Seizing the opportunity, Dick crawled with all his might, dragging himself away from the cave entrance. Another arrow struck his calf, but he managed to evade a fatal shot.
[System Notification: Mission completed. Would you like to return to reality?]
The grueling ten minutes had finally elapsed. Dick, weakened and pale, chose to leave the simulation without a second thought. He vanished from the spot just as the Goblin Slayer arrived at the scene, only to find an empty tunnel, the echoes of the encounter still lingering in the air.
Beneath his helmet, the Goblin Slayer's eyes flashed a terrifying red glow, his aura intensifying with ferocity and determination.
...
Dick's consciousness snapped back to reality. He lay gasping for breath in a tree hollow, his body still reeling from the effects of smoke inhalation and poison. Though he had returned to his world, the goblin's body lay collapsed, paralyzed and unable to move.
Minutes ticked by before Dick slowly regained his strength, narrowly escaping death. "Damn it! The biggest threat in this world for a goblin like me is definitely encountering a Goblin Slayer!" he cursed, finally catching his breath.
He had encountered the notorious Goblin Slayers not once, but twice. The tales of the theee Slayer's danger proved true; Dick had been killed once and narrowly escaped the second encounter. He knew well that with his current strength, a real-life confrontation with the knight would be disastrous. His only option was to flee and grow stronger.
The system chimed in with an assessment:
[Simulation complete. Settlement in progress.]
Rating: B
Evaluation: Your performance was remarkable. As a goblin child, you claimed many lives, including high-level goblins, and amassed a significant number of evolution points. You also saved your birth mother, the dark elf, and narrowly evaded the Goblin Slayer.
Reward: 70% attribute inheritance; skill in archery specialization; two additional simulation opportunities.
Dick read the summary with relief. Rescuing his birth mother had positively impacted his score. "Looks like I need to reconsider my relationship with my birth mother," he mused.
[Host has met evolution conditions. Begin evolution?]
The system prompt indicated that it was time for evolution. Dick glanced at the sky; it was still afternoon, the sun beating down fiercely.
Deciding to evolve, he reviewed his current status:
Host: Dick Grayson
Species: Ordinary Goblin
Status: Adult (new)
Condition: Strong
Body: Weight 60 kg, Height 145 cm
Combat Strength: F-
Skills: Life Absorption, Tool Making, Archery Specialization (new), Playing Dead (new)
Evolution Points: 350/800 (obtained through hunting)
An hour later, Dick awoke from his slumber, the system panel vivid in his mind. He had transformed from a goblin child to an adult, his status upgraded to 'strong'. His weight increased, a typical trait of goblin stoutness, though his height remained unchanged.
One skill caught his attention: "Playing Dead?"
[Pretend to be Dead: A rare Goblin clan skill. Allows the user to simulate death, drastically altering bodily functions. The heart stops, blood flow slows, and the face turns purple to deceive opponents.]
Dick realized this was more of a survival skill than a combat one. It might be ineffective against cold, rational adversaries like the Goblin Slayer but could deceive less experienced foes.
Silently noting this life-saving skill, Dick focused on his immediate crisis. Peering out of the tree hollow, he saw a black wolf clinging to the tree, his eyes burning with a fierce resolve.
"Time to take you down, you mangy cur!" he declared, ready to face his next challenge.