People often find themselves lost in fantasies. What would they do if they won the first prize in the lottery one day?
What if an apocalypse struck, turning people into zombies? What if the world's sexiest person alive fell in love with me...?
Such daydreams are common for both men and women, especially during adolescence. When Ethan was in his first year of middle school, just starting to learn kendo, he was no exception to this.
It was the kind of grand, epic battle that most boys his age would imagine at least once in their lives.
It had been two months since he began receiving instruction from his Kendo master, who was introduced to him by the orphanage director. At that time, the master was in his 50s, with a muscular and well-built physique and a pleasant demeanor. His laughter always left many wrinkles around his eyes.
"However, if you were to face multiple opponents... Let's say more than 20 people; how would you win?" Ethan, who matured earlier than his peers and was usually quiet, asked this question.
His fighting spirit during practice was exceptional, even compared to the adults in the class, but in everyday life, he remained reserved and focused on his tasks.
In response to Ethan's question, the kendo master couldn't help but smile.
"You're quite the curious one, aren't you? Sometimes boys your age debate things like, 'If furious Barry Bonds and ten African elephants got into a fight, who would win?' Something like that."
"Even if you're a skilled martial artist, you can't win against twenty people. So, running away would be the best strategy."
"What if you can't run away?" Ethan persisted.
"Then you fight," the master replied.
"But sometimes, you have to accept that you might lose."
"That's not it," the master gently patted Ethan's head as he spoke.
Majority of animals, including humans, naturally form groups. It's an instinct engraved in their genes for survival.
Mathematically speaking, it's only natural that the majority overpowers the minority. However, it's not always the case that the majority wins. As long as there are emotions involved.
The master continued, "That emotion is fear. It's also related to the instinct for survival. To defeat the majority, the minority must harness that fear. The method is simple: overpower the leader at the center of the group. Once you do that, the rest will likely fall apart."
That advice proved effective. In fact, during Ethan's first year of middle school, he found himself surrounded by dozens of third-year seniors. When he engaged in a one-on-one fight with the leader among them, a muscular tough guy, he relentlessly targeted his head...
"Head, head, head! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
"Come on, man up! Fight fair and square with your fists, no weapons!"
"I don't want to! Head, head! Thud! Thud!"
As a result of repeatedly striking the head without mercy, the other observing seniors were intimidated and hesitated to join the fight. While three of them managed to gather their courage and rushed in to throw punches, the outcome was obvious, given the fear that Ethan had instilled in them through his relentless strikes to the head. With swift motions, he subdued them. Observing the goblin horde, Ethan recalled his master's teachings, vowing not to forget his words.
"I'm not dead yet, you bastard! Is it just my imagination, or am I hearing things? Anyway, I have no particular tricks up my sleeve. I'll straightforwardly charge and subdue the goblin horde's leader."
But first, he had to deal with the two goblins guarding the entrance.
As Ethan closed the distance from 300 meters to 200 meters, the goblin sentries noticed him and swiftly raised their spears, which had been hanging loosely, striking the large gong positioned at the entrance.
Dang! Dang! Dang!
Ethan remained unfazed. He had already accepted the fact that if he chose to charge straight in, he would have to face all the goblins at once.
The previously quiet goblin encampment began to bustle, and the goblins inside could be seen gathering their weapons, preparing for the confrontation.
"These goblins look ferocious."
"I saw a video where they could barely handle five goblins. Can he really handle fifty? Viewers knew that the battle was about to begin."
"Why is he so tense about fighting goblins?"
The broadcast's sensory assimilation rate, effectively replicating reality, drew viewers in with its intense pain simulation. Every blow inflicted on Ethan sent a jolt of real sensation to the brain.
"Where is he?"
As comments flooded the chat, Ethan focused on two things: locating the goblin "leader" amidst the horde and staying alert to the magic-wielding goblins and archers. His slow steps quickened as more goblins gathered near the entrance, their hostility evident, ready to clash with Ethan.
"Mage on the right, archers on the left..."
Five goblins held staves, charging firebolt spells—the same ones Ethan encountered the day before.
"Last time, it took them about ten minutes to cast the spell."
But they might be faster now. Ethan warned himself not to drop his guard and maintained heightened awareness. He particularly watched out for arrows that could be shot from a distance.
As the ten goblins armed with bows stood before Ethan, he swiftly calculated that they could shoot an arrow approximately every ten seconds. With no other option, he had to keep deflecting the arrows while pressing forward.
"Seizing the moment depends on acting in an instant."
Unlike the previous day, he couldn't afford to proceed slowly, giving the goblins enough time to take aim at him. If he spotted the leader goblin, he would immediately rush forward.
The goblin charging toward him would likely have a poor accuracy rate in hitting a moving target. He hoped, at least.
"Kerrrk."
One emitting a particularly low growl among the assembled goblins caught Ethan's eye. Its eyes, visible between the torn sockets, locked onto him, and with a shriek, it raised its fist toward the sky.
"Found you."
At the sound of what seemed to be the leader goblin's cry, the goblins wielding close combat weapons within the encampment charged forward in unison.
Ethan's movements adjusted accordingly. His steps gradually quickened, and then he shot forward at full speed, darting between the goblins. Over 30 rushed toward him, brandishing weapons such as wooden maces, hand axes, spears, short swords, and maces, ready to tear apart the foolish human who fearlessly challenged their overwhelming numbers.
As the goblins stood before him, Ethan appeared to be charging straight at them head-on. But just as a collision seemed inevitable, he swiftly turned his foot to the right and forcefully slammed it into the ground.
The front-row goblins, who had raised their weapons to strike him, were caught off guard and slowed down. Meanwhile, the rear goblins, following at high speed, collided with the front row like dominoes, falling in a line.
"Kerr, kerrrk!"
With the path momentarily cleared, Ethan quickly veered left and rushed toward the open entrance. Time was of the essence; even with this brief advantage, the fallen goblins would soon regain their footing and catch up.
"Kerrrk!"
Seemingly infuriated by the chaos among its subordinates, the leader goblin roared. Simultaneously, the tightly pulled bows of the archers were released, and a rain of arrows poured down.
"I can see them."
He could see the trajectories of the ten arrows, some of which he could evade, while others seemed unavoidable. Instead of trying to process all the arrows rapidly approaching, he focused on the direction the goblins' bows were pointing as they drew them back, predicting the path of the arrows in advance.
Three of the ten arrows would precisely hit Ethan's moving path. He swung his sword in a wide arc.
Clang!
The sword formed a semi-circle, creating a shield-like defense, and three arrows sputtered sparks as they were deflected by his blade.
[Your understanding of swordsmanship has increased.]
[Your agility has slightly improved.]
"?"
What just happened?
He only managed to block one arrow with an Arrow Counter?
"Kerrrk!"
He closed the distance with the leader goblin quickly. As he got closer, he noticed that the leader looked significantly different from the other goblins.
While ordinary goblins were around 1.5 meters tall, the leader in front of him stood at 1.8 meters and had a robust, muscular build. The giant goblin wielded a massive double-edged axe, which felt highly threatening.
"Are there monsters like this too?"
Is it only in the tutorial?
[Goblin Lord expresses its anger towards you.]
"Kerrrrrk!"
With a resounding roar, a strong gust of wind spread out from the center of the Goblin Lord.
- Could this be a boss monster?
Heroes Saga doesn't have boss monsters, right?
His body shivered, not out of fear but out of excitement at the prospect of facing such a formidable opponent. Even though the Goblin Lord's weapon was not a sword, it promised a different kind of thrill.
"I can't take the axe head-on."
It was obvious what would happen if a rusty, slightly curved rail and a steel double-edged axe clashed. Ethan had to avoid it as much as possible and strike during the gaps.
He couldn't afford even one mistake, as a single attack would likely send him on a journey to the afterlife. But...
Attacking during the gaps while avoiding the axe would require a double-edged sword. He needed to overwhelm the Goblin Lord, the focal point of the gathered goblins, to make them lose their morale. They shouldn't even dare to think about retreating.
There were two ways to do it. The first was to defeat the Goblin Lord with a single decisive blow. He thought about stabbing or slashing at a vulnerable spot like the neck, but the thick muscle around the neck area made it seem nearly impossible. Other areas were similarly well-protected. So, he had to resort to the second method...
He wasn't sure if it would work, but he had to try.
As the goblins charged towards him, the one casting magic, the archers pulling their bows, and the Goblin Lord roaring again, Ethan looked at them one by one.
Finally, he gazed at the boss goblin with a melancholic and nostalgic expression. He raised his sword, extending it with determination.
"Seeing lor level of skills truly saddens me..."
"Kerrrk?"
This person had "something."
[Your understanding of the situation has increased.]
He had to make the enemies aware of that "something."
Just that knowledge alone would make them hesitate. Intelligent beings, including humans, harbor wariness and fear toward the "unknown."
"Come at me. I'll go easy on you, matching your abilities."
Of course, Ethan planned to fight with all his might, putting his full heart and soul into it.