Chapter 27: Eastern District Gate Challenge (8)
The forest arena flickered into view like someone slapped a cheap VR filter over his eyes. He barely had time to plant his boots on the damp moss before the first wave shimmered to life — four goblins, hunched over like they’d just crawled out of a bargain bin horror movie, each one brandishing a rusty blade that might as well have been a butter knife.
Zero cracked his neck once to either side, exhaled through his nose, and let the grin stretch under the cracked helmet. He could practically feel the dumb chant "Zero drip! Zero chance!" somewhere behind him on the plaza screens.
"Let’s see who’s dripless now, you sons of good mothers," he muttered, eyes flicking between the closest goblin and the one fumbling with its dagger near the back.
One heartbeat later, he was gone, boots scraping moss, the Aged Blade Fragment flashing like a jagged piece of moonlight. The first goblin didn’t even manage a proper squeal; its head went one way, body the other. He pivoted off the carcass, boots sliding smooth, and popped up behind the second, a short sharp stab right between the ribs, clean enough that the thing didn’t even slump forward until he was already on the third.
By the time the fourth goblin noticed its friends weren’t squealing anymore, Zero was behind it, blade hooked around its neck like the girlfriend you wished you had.
He flicked the blood off the Fragment in one lazy arc, boots scuffing over the moss as he checked the bodies for anything worth pocketing, but more importantly, the system pinged, which he didn’t expect at all.
[EXP +3]
[EXP +3]
[EXP +3]
[EXP +3]
The numbers stacked up in the corner of his vision like candy. He blinked, half-choked on a laugh that stayed buried in his throat. ’Wait... wait, I can gain EXP here? The other guys didn’t get squat. So is another dev perk, huh? Just for mweeee????? Thank you, System-Chwan!"
He flicked his system panel open on instinct, eyes scanning the bottom line as it ticked up: