Chapter 51 51: Boss Battle?



Raven's body stepped forward, his eyes locked on the large goblin, its head slightly taller than his, with a large muscular chest with bulging blue veins, its body was nearly double his, but somehow it managed to move with strange agility, stepping forward with a loud thud, roaring untangible words from its mouth.

'This is a low-level dungeon; why do I suffer all this shit...' He thought, seeing the familiar strange mana oozing from its body to form the extended health bar and number.

=>Level 18. Ulk'Zoth - Bounty Hunter⇐

The two stared at each other for several long moments before it charged! The floor vibrated under them, but only Raven broke away from its lunge! His movements were extra swift as lightning crackled and arced from his legs with each step, but the drain on his stamina and mind increased with each moment. 

'Fuck this guy... why is it another boss like Ragovad!?'

He pulled an old axe from the stone pillar beside him; However, slightly rusted, its durability was enough as Raven looked at the happy Lilith, still fighting goblins endlessly like a ballerina dancing in the dark arena at night.

The constant experience that poured into his body allowed him to level up, as he instantly increased his body's attributes; what he needed for this monster was not some cheap tricks but pure unadulterated power!

Attributes 

Strength: 4.9 -> 5.2

Agility: 2.4 -> 2.7

Stamina: 6.4 -> 6.6

Vitality: 6.9 -> 7.2

Intellect: 3.2 -> 3.3

Wisdom: 3.4 -> 3.5

Raven's muscles began to writhe and tighten as he reached five times the power of an average human; the muscles bulged as his body dashed forward, faster than before as they constricted, shrinking, but filled with more explosive force, as his black shadow swirled around his iron axe, tearing through the air as his fierce hack, smashed into the goblin's body.

It seemed more intimidating when last he saw it! His arm strength increased fivefold—the axe pierced flesh and bone like butter!

Black blades shot from his axe, and it tore apart the goblin's arm, almost cleaving it off entirely with a single strike; as the second strike was released, Raven's body spun rapidly, his back bending backwards to dodge the goblin's mighty swing, the extended arm causing a blast of violent wind to howl above his face, sharp rocks throw from the force, cutting his cheeks slightly. Raven pushed off toward where he intended to attack next—the axe pierced deep into its chest before exploding into shards of molten metal that blew off most of its skin and bits of flesh—hitting deep into its heart and stomach!

"SHIT!" 

The arcs of lightning around his body caused the damaged axe to lose its durability, and the shadow strike was just too powerful for cheap weapons; as the goblin survived, its bellowing roar filled the arena as it began to enter an agitated state, swiping wildly as black blood oozed from its chest.

Raven wanted to finish the bastard, but it's left arm smashed into his cheek, the power causing his mind to blank out, his vitality dropping to below 3 instantly as he flew across the arena breaking through several pillars, using his tail to attempt to wrap around them, as it tore through them like foam, before rolling across the dirt, swaying as he stood to his feet.

The distant goblin's eyes still focused on him as it began to tear a huge stone pillar from the ground, the stone crumbling and cracking under his power as it started swinging it as a club. His mind was still blank and empty after that blow... 

His muscles went cold! His body felt heavy! And then... Blackness began to envelop him! He tried desperately to move but couldn't! He couldn't even think straight; Raven wasn't used to fighting enemies with a strength similar to his own; this fight was essential for him to win without any cheap tricks and just his body.

Shaking his head, he slapped his face, once again covering himself in the shadowy black aura and crackling lightning, watching as the goblin's colossal body began to rush towards him. Raven noticed Lilith seemed to want to help, but his mouth opened wide, bellowing.

"Stay back, Lilith; this is my fight!"

'I cannot be that stealthy and nimble fighter...'

'Nor do I want to!'

'Brutal'

'Powerful'

'Unstoppable!'

His ideal began to form in his mind, as his muscles started to restore their power, the goblin only a few metres away; Raven's legs tightened, his purple energy now pumping into all his strengths, slowly over time, learning how to use this force, remembering his failure in the training room, it couldn't be used to buff him permanently, but for a temporary increase in power, speed and strength. 

It was perfect!

"Yaaargh!" Raven yelled, his legs pushing off the ground, the dirt and sand bursting around him like special effects, the black shadows coating his entire body, swirling around the tip of his sharp, barbed tail as he stomped towards the goblin their bodies huge, muscular and super heavyweights; they looked like they would snap any average human in half!

And yet... Raven felt exhilarated as always!! With that thought in mind... he brought his right arm up rapidly while swinging across with all of his might at one of its arms—a peculiar sensation shot through him when he smacked against flesh and bone like it wasn't even there!

The goblin's eyes brightly illuminated as if it understood and praised Raven's actions, its opposite arm shooting forward, swinging towards him with the massive stone pillar, but before it reached him... Raven smashed past it with an electric blast! The post exploded into shards of rock, slicing their bodies. 

"Yaaargh!" He yelled again at its monstrous speed while lifting one of its arms with all of his might while swinging at its chin with a fierce hooking blow—the blow was powerful enough that he could have crushed an iron log or boulder, but instead... he had destroyed the hulking goblins jaw with a crunch!

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrek!" The goblin stumbled back with its lower jaw now hanging off, the bloody skin of its cheeks holding it attached as it began to ooze with blood, spitting and swallowing the broken teeth, but the goblin's dazed eyes could not take any breaks, as Raven's assault didn't end, his body like lightning, identical to his father's movements appearing at the side of the goblin, throwing a brutal knee into its kidney

"Yaaargh!" The giant stumbled backwards on its knees while collapsing forward, its arms falling limply down as it fell onto its back before finally getting up once more—it didn't seem much different from when he first saw it.

Raven's thick tail began to stab towards the goblin, rapidly with countless thrusting blows, like an army of wasps as he ripped and tore the goblin's chest and stomach into a disgusting mess of flesh and blood, a step from victory as the goblin suddenly swiped the sharp shards of sandy dust into Raven's eyes.

His vision went completely white! The sand exploded in front of him and blinded him! His strikes suddenly slowed down; before the goblin, desperate to survive, fired a powerful uppercut, smashing into the face of Raven, sending his back soaring into the air, as blood oozed from his nose and lips.

Raven's head bounced across the arena floor before slamming against a stone pillar, the world spinning around him! He couldn't feel his hands or his body, but there was something else! Blood—so much of it.

He was drowning in it! As the blackness lifted from his mind and his vision began to return, the goblin's torso was a pulpy mass of bloody tissue; he was so close!

Then... he was back, but it wasn't over yet... he could see the goblin staring at him with its one good eye as it struggled to stand on two legs; its jaw hanging loose, but the other was broken.

'I should be dead! Damn, it!'

He was shocked at his luck; if not for his fantastic regeneration... that uppercut would have killed him, now seeing less than 1 Vitality remaining; although it was quickly restoring, the goblin was already on its feet.

In the distance, he could see Lilith, her eyes filled with hatred and anger as her body was visibly shaking, her hands swirling with pink and black mist, likely her [Shadow Spike] spell being cast, but held back...

'She is cute... following my words... I need to get up; this girl will probably steal the glory if I don't...'

"Gaha..." His body felt heavy; blood seemed to cover the entire arena... when he noticed something grim. 

On the ground, several steps from his body, there was a crushed pulpy mess with bits of skull hair and flesh, some teeth and neon eyes. Raven suddenly felt a surge of anger, of pain in his body. 

'Eh... isn't that my head?' 

He was suddenly feeling a strange realisation. He looked up slowly; how could he see if that blow knocked his head off? The goblin's body staggered towards him, its eyes tired, body oozing black blood. While Raven felt his face...

A smooth touch, large eyes, deep brows, and a sharp but powerful nose; his fingers began to slide over his "face", two tusks protruding slightly from his lips, as all his face remained, only two massive curved horns now grew from his temples... his hair felt silky and long... when pulling a strange it wasn't black... but Silver like Lilith's hair.

'I'm... a Manticore, a real one?'

The giant goblin snarled as he brought a clawed hand down on the sand, aiming at Raven. Its red eyes glared into his, filled with unnatural power and madness; the claws were sharp and razor-sharp—like nothing else!

But raven's arm filled with fur and sharp talons grabbed the goblin effortlessly, his lower body now two long thick pole-like limbs, with black hooves denser than iron, stronger than steel. His colossal tail caused the wind to howl and whistle merely by swaying as it flickered over his shoulder, piercing forward like a scorpion's, the sharp tip lunging towards the goblins half exposed heart.

It pierced straight through the organ, boring into the goblin's stomach, leaving a gush of black blood and gore to pour. 

The goblin roared with fury as it tried to strike back, but its massive body was far too slow, too large and weak compared to his now enlarged physique; the stinger became lodged deep into its stomach, the force tearing off most of its ribs, causing it to howl in pain as a strange venom began to pump into its body, the goblin's body now shuddering, as a new emotion showed on its face.

FEAR!

"GRRRAARR!"

The creature's body trembled, its eyeballs bulged from their sockets, and then... it exploded, sending black blood and chunks of flesh and bone flying about the arena.

Raven stood, shaking; his eyes glowed brightly, his skin covered in the black mist. He had won. But then... the black smoke vanished as quickly as it appeared, returning his skin to normal, his hair back to being a black mane; before his body could reach the ground, a soft pair of hands wrapped around his body, gentle and lovingly stroking his bloody body and cheeks.

'I think I pushed myself too far...'

"You were so cool.... so sexy....." Raven's distant hearing listened to Lilith's praise; as his scenes grew distant, somehow, her hands began to touch him lustfully before his mind went black.