Chapter 2

He was unsure how many days he had been walking.

More than ten times it seemed he had been going up and down the harsh terrain. It made Vulcan feel uneasy that not a single monster had appeared, let alone an exit.

Too many times had he been sharpening his mind which became dull with despair and agony. Stray thoughts began to poison him.

‘Looks like there aren’t any mobs here.’

‘No… What if it was their plan to make me sloppy and ambush me in the dark?’

‘No no… if that as their plan, they would’ve done that a long a go. I should just take it easy.’

‘It’s been over a week since I’ve been walking, where’s the exit?’

‘Wish I could see something else but these rocks…’

‘What if I need to walk like this for an eternity…’

‘Don’t tell me this is all there is to it.’

‘Would I be able to… go back home?’

‘My family… I miss them…’

‘……’

With time, restlessness and stray thoughts swept away like a leaf in a tide.

A month has passed walking in silence. Darkness and gloom overtook Vulcan without him realizing.

Vision became blurred and the auditory system began to fail. Then the ability to smell, and later, to touch.

All five senses were extinguished and darkness overcame like plague. He could not feel anything. The sense of walking was already long gone.

Vulcan kept moving like a machine programmed to walk. His dull senses were just enough to pick up the sounds coming from the SYSTEM transceiver.

[You have cleared all NORMAL difficulty quests]

[You are now entering the Asgard territory – Difficulty: HELL]

[Act 1. Beloong city]

Darkness was lifted and the dazzling light awoke every cell in Vulcan’s body.

2. The strongest goblin of all time (TLN: This line randomly came up here)

The vast grassland was the first thing he saw after coming to his senses. The reflection from grass of the meadow revitalized Vulcan who had been in the dark for so long. But he also had some questions unanswered.

‘I thought there would be a boss monster or an ancient dungeon at the end of all this…’

But in front of him, was only a quiet, peaceful landscape. Something Vulcan had not been expecting.

With a bit of a thought, Vulcan opened up his quest window, but there were no other quests including [The final quest – enter Asgard].

It appeared to him that he must have finished the quest without realizing, or he was already on the Asgard continent itself.

‘No way. Couldn’t they have given somewhat of a reward after clearing a quest named as flashy as the final quest?’

Vulcan decided to wait a bit longer just in case he got a late message from his transceiver. But all he got in return was the feeling of void and a cool breeze coming from the end of the meadow.

Vulcan could not wait any longer and decided to start moving. His eyes traced on a dirt road which crossed the grassland from where he was sitting. The road was wide enough for two horse carriages to travel at once.

‘It’s obvious that I should follow this road’

Often inconvenient quests like this would appear.

Vulcan thought of using his skills to transport himself faster, but decided not to. It was better to conserve his stamina although he will arrive much later.

Vulcan leisurely took his first steps along the dirt road.

“FUCK!!!”

Two hours of walking had passed until Vulcan came across a sign and shouted.

‘200km till Beloong city’

Although he knew that there was a city somewhere he knows he could go, Vulcan felt uneasy. The letters on the sign plate were something he had never seen before.

Despite the fact the transceiver could translate most of the foreign languages, it had its limits of only being able to comprehend the exact meaning behind it. It did not give Vulcan the ability learn the language entirely.

‘Well this language is definitely not from Earth, nor is it from Rubel. HA! I guess this means I’m not back to Earth yet. Damn it.’

‘What if I came back to Earth and this is in fact somewhere on Earth, not Rubel?’ – Thought Vulcan whilst walking along the dirt road in hopes of coming back home.

He soon gave up on the hopes of returning to Earth. But it was bitter to face the reality.

“Ha….”

Vulcan sighed.

There was not a single thing that was easy; from the beginning when he first arrived, and until now.

Vulcan shook away the melancholy. On the bright side, he had found a way to a new city. That itself was a huge advance.

If he used the lightning spirit form, it would not even take thirty minutes to get to the Beloong city. He had no reason to save his stamina.

It had already been two hours since he had last seen a monster.

“Spirit form.”

As he chanted the word, Vulcans flesh and bones dissolved into the air and thunderbolts took its place instead. Soon after, a completed spirit form shaped like Vulcan had appeared.

“I should get going then.”

Excitement ran through his body in the thoughts of speeding through the meadow.

It was then; a small monster appeared at the corner of Vulcan’s eye.

A monster appearing to be an orc, or a goblin was confidently approaching him with a weapon in hand.

“Man, I was so tensed up and alert since I came here. And the first thing I see are some trash mobs? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Vulcan smirked and flashed towards the monster.

What had appeared to be a small dot, gradually became larger as he approached it.

As soon as the monster was within range, Vulcan threw a Lightning Spear and continued speeding his way to Beloong city without slowing down.

Then suddenly, the monster that was just hit by the Lightning Spear blocked his path.

Vulcan felt confused.

‘He didn’t die after that? A mere trash mob?’

Vulcan carefully examined the monster.

“Krrr… Krrrrak.”

It was a goblin.

“….”

It has got to be a goblin. It was a lot bigger than an ordinary goblin. However judging by the appearances – large ears, hooked nose, green skin; it was definitely a goblin.

Vulcan stood lost in words.

Average level of goblins are 10.

There are often goblins that rich level 25 through special mutation or being of a boss class. But even for them, it was impossible to withstand the Lightning Spear from a level 99.

The monster did not appear to have taken any damages. Instead, it was radiating a murderous intent.

‘What the fuck is that.’

“Maybe it’s not a goblin?” thought Vulcan as he inspected through his transceiver.

[Goblin Mukushu the Wanderer]

[90 Lv]

“…”

The second strongest foe ever battled.

The most powerful and ferocious monster following the 97 level boss monster: The Elder Lich Frezol.

The monster that was showing a superior, vicious aura was not an ancient mythril golem, nor a high rank demon, nor an enormous monster.

It was just… a single goblin.

To be frank, Vulcan had let down his guard.

There have been times when monsters were either easy or harder to defeat in relation to its level.

However, it was only due to a minor difference in skills, not because the monster was showing a wrong level.

Goblins were an easy prey even for Vulcan at level 5, who had relatively good combat skills and intelligence.

Upon reaching level 30, they were treated as if they were mere pebbles on the ground because they did not provide much experience.

Therefore, it was hard to think that a mere ‘pebble’ was radiating a killer intent, swinging his falchion faster than a high-class Death Knight.

There was nothing unnatural about being surprised.

KINNNGG!! GAAAAKINGGGGG!!!

The Goblin Mukushu was swinging his falchion faster than an ordinary eye can catch. His stance and swinging style was that of an amateur; however the raw strength and speed was a master class. It seemed he had a strong will to crush anything that comes across his path.

An aura that only comes from an ancient high general of a civilization which kept its place for thousands of years… Vulcan felt uneasy.

‘A sword… won’t be enough.’

Vulcan acknowledged the enemy.

The monster in front of his eyes was a level 90 top-ranked monster, not an ordinary goblin. There was no embarrassment in bringing out everything he had.

Vulcan launched towards Mukushu with his sword. Weapons clashed and with recoil, Vulcan pushed himself away from the goblin to make some distance.

“Hellfire. Hellfire.”

Two head sized meteors shrouded in inferno were molded behind Goblin Mukushu.

Vulcan started with controlling one Hellfire to attack the enemy. The fiery meteor flung on top of the goblin and began to strike down. The second meteor floating mid-air, was looking for an opportunity of a second strike, if the goblin dodges the first Hellfire.

‘As soon as you dodge the first Hellfire, I will destroy you with my second Hellfire along with the God of Thunder*!’

It would be near impossible to avoid the second Hellfire and God of Thunder after dodging the first Hellfire falling at a high velocity. It would at least injure the creature, which will make the next step easier.

Vulcan firmly grasped his sword in the prediction that he had won the fight.

However, Goblin Mukushu did not maneuver as he had predicted.

“KRRRRP!”

“BAANNGGG!!”

With savagery, Mukushu slammed the Hellfire with scorpion kick with his right leg.

Hellfire began to fly towards Vulcans chest with greater acceleration due to Mukushus pure strength.

“…!”

Vulcan quickly snapped out of astonishment and quickly pulled his Pure Lightning Blade and flung his sword to redirect the Hellfire away.

Immediately, two hatches flung across the plain and towards the ankle and the chest. Vulcan jumped high and evaded both.

Vulcan’s and Mukushu’s eyes met in mid air. Vulcan felt nervous when he began to wonder if the goblin was showing a hint of a self-satisfied smirk. Suddenly, a 10 meter sword clocked in crimson chi surged from Mukushus elbow and began to strike down.

“SPIRIT FORM!!”

He was able to dodge the sword with the thunder spirit form. Shock wave and thunder echoed to every corner of the field.

The grassland was carved where the crimson chi had run through. Two things came into the eyes; the unreal change in scenery which appeared to have been cut like butter, and the Goblin Mukushu which was bouncing on spot, pleased with his warm up.

*Smirk.*

Although a different species, Vulcan was fully able to apprehend Mukushus barbarous grin. His whole body was telling him to snap out of it and start moving.

Vulcan decided to test his new skill on the Goblin Mukushu.

“… The Inferno Abyss.”

A chunk of mana withdrew seconds after enchantment.

It was a large amount of mana for a skill that only lasts for a single minute. Spell power so great that you cannot cast it twice in a row without taking mana potions.

‘Although I can’t use it because the cooldown is two hours.’

But there was no way he needed to cast the skill twice.

Let alone a minute, just ten seconds was enough.

“KIIRRRIII? KIRRRIIIKK!!”

Flame poured out from Vulcans feet and began to incinerate everything within 500 meters in diameter.

There was not a single place that was not on fire. It was an immense heatwave that cannot be fully blocked by chi alone.

Goblin Mukushus cry echoed, expressing the unbearable pain.

“KKKIII!!!!!!!!!!! KIRIK!!! KUUU…. KKKKRRIIII!!!!”

Realising he cannot defend himself under the spell zone, he attempted to run out of the circle with vigilance towards Vulcan. Only 500 meters. With a few seconds of sprinting, he could get out.

But Vulcan would not let that happen.

“EXPLOSION!”

Detonation thundered and ripped across the battlefront like a volcanic eruption.

Mukushu attempted to dodge the Explosion, but its left shoulder was already burnt to the very bones and the cartilage. It would not be able to use his left arm with a blow like this.

“Can’t compare it to some other fire magic right? It’s a skill that concentrates all combustive elements around me. And my Inferno Abyss was a perfect medium for it.”

“KKRAWWWWWR!!”

Mukushu dashed towards Vulcan in pain and fury.

It could not escape due to Explosion spell, nor stay in place as The Inferno Abyss will burn him.

As soon as it realized that the only way to escape was to kill the caster, it charged without hesitation. The falchion in its right hand emitted a menacing aura.

However, as ready as Vulcan was, it did not intimidate him.

“Spirit form.”

Vulcans body scattered into the air and quickly forged back into a flame spirit. Mukushu was swinging his falchion with great momentum until Vulcan materialized behind the giant goblin. He was holding the Jinroi in his right hand. It was sparkling in gold under the sunlight.

Terror filled Mukushus eyes as he rotated his neck to glance at Vulcan with his weapon in hand, ready to swing. A merciless voice echoed into the distance.

“Punishment of the thunder god.”

The goblin was cleaved clean right down in the middle from the crown to the groin with a flawless swordsmanship.