Roaring in fury, the goblin charged forward, its massive crimson form shaking the unstable floorboards. Kai, drawing on a memory from a past street fight, seized a chipped ceramic mug from the debris and hurled it with all his strength.
The mug collided with the goblin's snout, shattering with a satisfying crack.
''!"
Momentarily disoriented, the creature stumbled back, a streak of crimson marking its injured snout. This was Kai's opening.
Seizing the opportunity, Kai lunged forward, the rush of adrenaline overpowering the dull ache in his head. He recalled his father's words, "Sometimes the element of surprise is your best weapon."
Knowing a knockout blow was unrealistic against this monstrosity, he aimed for the exposed tendon behind the goblin's knee. His fist connected with a sickening thud, eliciting a piercing shriek from the creature. Its massive knee buckled under the force, causing it to collapse.
However, the advantage was short-lived. Fueled by primal rage, the goblin slammed its massive fist into the floorboards, sending splinters flying. It used the leverage to regain its balance, its eyes burning with renewed fury.
Realizing he couldn't sustain this fight for long, Kai needed to think on his feet. Spotting a loose floorboard near the gaping hole in the roof, an idea sparked in his mind. He grabbed a broken table leg from the debris, its jagged edge gleaming in the twilight.
As the goblin charged once more, Kai deftly sidestepped, luring it towards the weakened floorboard. Blinded by rage, the creature failed to recognize the trap. With a sickening crack, its foot plunged through the decayed wood.
''Gugyah!"
A roar of pain erupted from the goblin as it dangled precariously, half inside the building and half teetering on the edge of the hole. Kai seized the opportunity.
Scrambling onto the remaining piece of floorboard, the wood creaking under his weight, Kai summoned the last of his strength. With a surge of adrenaline, he brought down the makeshift spear with all his might, targeting the exposed flesh on the goblin's chest.
The jagged wood tore through flesh and muscle, releasing a spray of crimson mist into the air. The goblin let out a shriek of agony that echoed through the ruined building. For a brief moment, it hung there suspended, then with a sickening thud, it vanished into the darkness below.
''Ah! Ah!"
Exhausted, Kai sank onto the remaining floorboard, his breath ragged and sweat-soaked clothes clinging to his skin. He peered down into the hole, a mixture of relief and horror washing over him.
He had survived, but at the cost of taking another being's life. Yet, he felt no regret. In this brutal world, it was a matter of kill or be killed, and he had made his choice without hesitation.
The victory tasted like ash in Kai's mouth. He lay sprawled on the precarious floorboard, chest heaving, the adrenaline slowly draining from his body. The metallic tang of blood filled the air, a grim reminder of the brutal fight.
Suddenly, a voice pierced the silence, a voice devoid of human inflection, cold and mechanical. It echoed in his mind.
[First mission successfully cleared.]
[Rewards: Access to the attribute panel and an additional 3000 Karmas obtained]
Kai blinked, 'Ah finally here' he thought. He had been waiting for this after all, moving on he wished to see his current Karma's count.
Then he saw it – Karma: 8000 Karmas. The number seemed to throb faintly, a constant reminder of the life he'd taken. With a jolt, the memory of the fight crashed back over him – the desperate scramble, the sickening thud of the makeshift spear, the goblin's final, agonizing shriek.
Disgust churned in his stomach. He felt like vomiting.
He wasn't a killer. But this new world, forged in the crimson light of judgement, offered no room for hesitation. Survival, the voice echoed in his mind, was the only currency that mattered.
Kai pushed himself up off the floorboard, wincing at the dull ache in his muscles. He surveyed the ruined room, the gaping hole offering a glimpse of the ravaged city below. This was his home now, a world gone mad.
He tightened his grip on the makeshift spear, a grim resolve hardening his gaze. He didn't know what this voice meant by missions, or what other twisted trials awaited him. But one thing was certain – he would survive. He would adapt. He would fight back against this cruel new reality, not just for himself, but for the flicker of humanity that still burned within him, a faint ember amidst the ashes.
With a deep breath, Kai clambered back through the hole, stepping out onto the broken remains of the street. The crimson moon cast an eerie glow on the ruined cityscape, and the silence was broken only by the distant sounds of growls and screeches.
The first mission was complete. But the real fight, the fight for survival, had just begun.
Kai returned to his room, intending to dispose of the goblin's body and avoid attracting any more monsters. However, he was taken aback when he found that the creature's corpse had vanished, leaving behind only a bloodstain on the ground.
''What the hell?" Kai let out a sigh of frustration and disbelief.
Using whatever materials he could find, Kai patched up the broken door and sealed the gaping hole in the ceiling. He knew that he needed to secure his shelter to prevent any more unwelcome surprises. Once he finished fortifying the room, he sank wearily onto a chair, his mind racing with thoughts and questions.
What kind of world was this, where creatures could disappear without a trace? The world has gone truly mad. Kai couldn't dwell on it for long. He needed to short rest, to regain his strength for the challenges that lay ahead. Closing his eyes, he drifted into an uneasy sleep, the events of the day still fresh in his mind.
After a rejuvenating hour and a half of sleep, Kai woke up feeling refreshed and ready to face the challenges of the new world. He knew that understanding his own capabilities and attributes would be crucial for his survival.