《3-Second Skill Grinder - An Adventure LitRPG》


 Chapter 1 - Death and Chance

    My head throbbed with each heartbeat, a dull ache pounding through my temples. Blood coated my tongue, thick and metallic, like my body couldn¡¯t decide how to handle whatever the hell just happened.


    Groaning, I pushed myself up off the cold, damp soil. Soil? That didn¡¯t make sense. The last thing I remembered, I was on the bus to work. Another dull day at the office. What the hell happened? My hand flew to my head on instinct, only for a sharp pain to flare, reminding me exactly what went down.


    Right. The tremors. It started with the tremors¡ªthe kind that made the ground feel alive, like some beast waking from a nightmare. The wheels of the bus groaned, the glass cracked under some unseen force. This wasn¡¯t an earthquake. No, this was worse. Much worse.


    And then the voice came. Calm. Cold. Completely indifferent to the chaos. And then¡­ black.


    You survived the integration.


    I froze, eyes darting around the strange forest I now found myself in. Integration? What the hell was that supposed to mean?


    Title Gained ¡ª Survivor: You have survived the system initialization. Prepare yourself. This is just the beginning.


    My heart dropped. This is just the beginning?


    Scanning area¡­


    ¡°Scanning? For what?¡± I hissed, clutching my head as it throbbed harder, my stomach turning with every pulse.


    Area code designated¡ªNightmare difficulty zone.


    Oh, fantastic. Nightmare difficulty? Why the hell not?


    Creating challenges¡­


    ¡°Creating what now?¡± I snapped, my voice cracking as panic started bubbling over. My hand tightened around my head like that would somehow stop it from splitting in two. ¡°And why is that plural?!¡±


    Challenge created ¡ª Slay the Goblin War-Chief.


    Challenge created ¡ª Slay the Hallowed Doll.


    Challenge created ¡ª Slay the Colossal Troll.


    Challenge created ¡ª Delve the Fetid Sewers.


    The words hovered there like a bad joke, and all I could think was: I don¡¯t want to play this game. A quick glance at my phone confirmed it¡ªno signal. Of course not.


    I swatted at the floating words, hoping they¡¯d vanish like an annoying app notification. No such luck. My brain, usually quick with an explanation, offered nothing. Only one thing made sense: the apocalypse had started. And for some godforsaken reason, it picked me for the opening act. Or maybe I wasn¡¯t alone. Perhaps it was my victim complex coming out again?


    Strangely, I found the energy to pluck myself off from the floor. I could feel my heartbeat striking against my chest. I could even hear it. The blood surging around my body.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He shouted, ¡°is anyone there?¡±


    There was no response. I felt alone. Perhaps I was. Seriously, what happened? Come to think of it¡­ where was the bus?


    I came to my senses a few minutes later. Alien-like words filled his vision, just like something straight out of a game. I couldn¡¯t help but think that monster¡¯s were going to be a new addition to the ever increasing shit-show he found himself in.


    It was time to get serious. I had to understand where I was.


    Wandering over to one of the trees. For some reason, it didn¡¯t look very familiar¡ªnot that I had a green thumb at all. I inspected it closer. The bark was light brown, bordering grey and when the sun hit it, the bark emitted a gorgeous sparkling purple.


    My vision wandered to my arm, where a dim blue light shone out from under my white shirt. I scrambled to lift my sleeve, only to notice round lines etched into my flesh. There were twelve circles in total, six one one side of his forearm, and six right next to it. The one on the left was lit up.


    Oh god. The first thought going through my mind was aliens. This was all alien¡¯s doing. They had finally begun their quest for world domination. But before my mind wandered into chaos, more words interrupted me.


    Quest obtained: Slay the Mutated Wolf


    | Reward: An Uncommon Chest.


    ¡°What?¡± Paul said to himself, head spinning. ¡°What wolf?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long to find out. I heard leaves crunch and felt my heart smash against my chest; it felt like there was a predator staring down at me.


    Head on a swivel, my eyes latched onto where I heard the footsteps. From behind a tree, a huge wolf¡ªand I mean huge¡ªappeared, lumbering into view. It was at least the size of a horse, armoured in gorgeous black carapace and a long, thick tail of a centipede.


    Level 16 Mutated Wolf


    That was Level 16? I could hardly believe what I was looking at. The moment it looked my way, my blood ran cold. I met its dark green, primal eyes. I felt my knees turn weak. It howled up into the tree¡¯s canopy before hounding forward.


    It moved so fast, I hardly had time to react. With the tree to my back, I quickly used it as cover. I was too late. The wolf¡¯s claws gouged into my shoulder and I felt hot liquid spew down my back.


    I tried shifting round the tree, but the damn beast was fast¡ªtoo fast. It grabbed my elbow, latching the bone in between its razor-sharp teeth.


    My heart pumped adrenaline around my body so fast that I didn¡¯t feel anything. I could only hear the sound of bone scraping against bone, and my flesh tearing.


    Skill Learned ¡ª Pain Resistance (Level 1)


    Pain Resistance has reached Level 2.. 3¡­ 4


    It kept on increasing, but I stopped counting after the wolf flung me to the floor with a savage turn of its head.


    Landing harshly against the floor, I scrambled backwards. This was it. I knew that. I wasn¡¯t getting out of this alive. I couldn¡¯t move my left arm and I was afraid if I looked at it now, I¡¯d lose my will to live.


    The wolf whipped its tail at the nearby tree, exploding a chunk out of it.


    For some reason, all that came to mind were flashes of memories. Memories of me trying things, hobbies, jobs, only to give them up in the end. Always giving up.


    I didn¡¯t want to give up. Not here. I didn¡¯t want to die.


    Gritting my bloodied teeth, with my free hand, I grabbed onto a sharp rock just as the wolf tore towards me once again.


    With a bravery I didn¡¯t know I had, I timed it just right, smashing the rock into the wolf¡¯s snout. But it didn¡¯t matter. The beast was like a titanium ball shot from a cannon. It was unstoppable.


    The last thing I saw was its savage maw opening over my head before everything turned black.


    Pain Resistance has reached Level 7.


    Common Skill Learned ¡ª Stone Mastery (Level 1)


    Rare Skill Learned ¡ª Death¡¯s Embrace (Level 1)


    Common Skill Learned ¡ª Increased Strength (Level 1)


    Common Skill Learned ¡ª Toughened Flesh (Level 1)


    Rare Skill Learned ¡ª Brink of Death (Level 1)


    I snapped my eyes open just to see the wolf staring at me again. Confused, I picked up the stone again, and the monster leapt at me once more. I smashed it in the face with the stone, harder this time, but the same scene replayed.


    [Common] Stone Mastery ¡ú (Level 3)


    [Rare] Death¡¯s Embrace ¡ú (Level 2)


    [Common] Increased Strength ¡ú (Level 2)


    [Common] Toughened Flesh ¡ú (Level 2)


    I opened my eyes, only to see the same scene replay itself. I kept¡­ dying. Only to return a few seconds in the past. Was it a¡­ Skill?


    I noticed a difference, though. Just as I was about to die, I received a burst of strength. It still had no effect on the wolf, but it showed more of a reaction this time. And when I died, I also gained a burst of power after it.


    I was so confused. I didn¡¯t know what to do apart from just keep on trying to survive, no matter what. It was now the eighth time, or the ninth, it was difficult to keep track of. All my Skills just kept on growing every time I died, and every time, my attack kept on growing stronger.


    At some point, I tried dodging, but that only resulted in agony. The wolf caught my leg and munched on it like it was some kind of meaty cracker.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Just how was this wolf Level 16? It should be way higher. Was it because of the Nightmare Difficulty zone?


    I didn¡¯t know. The only thing I understood was delaying my death only resulting in more pain, so I stopped doing that. I just hit the wolf on the nose, died, and repeated those actions. The more my Stone Mastery skill grew, the more damage I dealt. It gave me¡­ hope amongst the despair.


    Things changed on the fortieth time? I didn¡¯t know. It was just a guess. I think I was losing my mind.


    Stone Mastery has reached Level 15.


    Pick an evolution choice based on your Memories¡ª


    I died again, dammit. Upon waking up again, I hurried to the choice selection.


    [Common] Hardened Stone: Stones used by the user become denser and more resilient, allowing them to deal more damage and resist breakage during combat. The increased durability also makes stones more effective when used to block or deflect enemy attacks.


    | Memory: Fighting with stones.


    [Common] Heavy Throw: Stones are launched with an explosive force that delivers a heavy impact.


    | Memory: Throwing stones.


    [Uncommon] Chitin Toss: Drawing inspiration from the strength of beetles, this ability lets the user hurl a stone with chitin-enhanced precision and force. The impact delivers a solid blow, staggering enemies.


    | Memory: Using stones to fight against a bug related monster.


    I died a few times more just reading the abilities. In the end, I chose Chitin Toss. I needed something to kill this damned animal.


    Stone Mastery ¡ú Chitin Toss


    Dying again, this time I opened my eyes with spite. With a thought, the Skill activated and I threw the rock in my hand just as it opened its stupid mouth. To my astonishment, the rock practically flew out of my hand at a speed an olympian could only dream of.


    It rocketed forwards, smashing into the wolf¡¯s face¡­ and nothing. I was shocked. And then I laughed. Right. It was just a rock. The wolf didn¡¯t care for my self deprecation as it whipped its tail around and crashed into me so hard I swore all my limbs literally tore off my body. I didn''t really know. I died in an instant. And then I evolved more of my Skills. It gave me a lot of bug-like choices. Probably because I was fighting the wolf and it was part bug, so the system was using my fight with the beast as experiences, banking it into my Memory.


    Increased Strength (Level 15) ¡ú Bug¡¯s Might


    Toughened Flesh (Level 15) ¡ú Brittle Carapace


    I was stronger than before. Much stronger. But even so, the result was the same. The wolf still tore through me like I was nothing. The only difference now was that the beast actually recoiled from my strikes¡ªa small, pitiful win. The black armor that now coated parts of my body gave some added resistance, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The monster¡¯s claws and centipede tail cut through it like paper-mach¨¦.


    This wasn¡¯t just some monster. It was a boss. And me? I was the unlucky bastard who woke up in its path. Typical.


    The pain was unrelenting. Each strike, each death was an agony beyond words. My body shattered, my mind stretched thin with every repeated attempt. Yet, every death brought with it a grim determination. Each notification of a Skill inching higher felt like a shot of adrenaline, reigniting my resolve. I was growing stronger. My armor was harder, my throws hit heavier, and I lasted longer against its brutal assault.


    The fight blurred together into a haze of death and resurrection. I lost count of how many times I died. Hundreds? Maybe more. The beast didn¡¯t tire. It was relentless, and yet, so was I. My throws became more precise, more powerful. I could feel the progress, slow but steady, carving its way into my very bones.


    At some point, I stopped thinking. I stopped feeling the pain. My body moved on instinct, every motion born out of countless attempts. Dodge. Throw. Die. Repeat. Over and over.


    And then, as I blinked back into existence after yet another gruesome death, a new notification caught my eye, glowing faintly in my peripheral vision. My dazed mind barely registered it, but the words were there¡ªa wall of text outlining new Skill advancements. At first, I thought it was just another hallucination born of endless torment. But the next death confirmed it:


    Chitin Toss ¡ú Bombardier¡¯s Throw


    Bug¡¯s Might ¡ú Colossus Might


    Brittle Carapace ¡ú Iron Carapace


    The moment I selected them, I felt the change. My body grew heavier, denser, but the previous chunky armour around me vanished, revealing only pale white flesh. Strength surged through my limbs. The beast¡¯s tail slammed into me again, a hit that once would¡¯ve turned me into pulp. But this time, I flew backward, crashing into a tree with enough force to splinter it in half. And I stood. I stood!


    I wiped the blood from my mouth, a grin spreading wider than it should have. Madness burned in my eyes as I stared the beast down. ¡°It¡¯s my time now, you bastard!¡± I bellowed, my voice raw with fury.


    The wolf lunged, but I was faster. My hands found stone after stone, each one groaning under my power. I hurled them with the force of a catapult, the impacts echoing like thunder in the forest. The beast stumbled, its carapace fracturing under the onslaught.


    Bombardier¡¯s Throw not only increased the power of my toss, but when the rock detonated, a corrosive liquid seeped over the monster¡¯s face, burning its fur.


    For the first time, it hesitated.


    ¡°You feel that?¡± I roared, pelting it with another volley. Each strike was a culmination of every death, every ounce of rage and determination forged into raw power. ¡°This is pain!¡±


    The wolf fell. But I didn¡¯t stop. I wouldn¡¯t stop. Stone after stone smashed into its skull, blood spraying like a crimson fountain. The beast twitched, its once-proud form reduced to a shattered, bloody husk. I stood over it, panting, my body shaking with the aftermath of adrenaline and exhaustion.


    When its skull finally cracked open, spilling its life across the ground, I dropped the last stone, my hands trembling. Everything was red¡ªmy flesh, the ground, even the air seemed to carry the stench of iron and death.


    But I had done it. I¡¯d won.


    For a moment, I just stared at the corpse, the enormity of what I¡¯d endured finally catching up to me. And then, a laugh broke free¡ªa wild, unhinged laugh that echoed through the forest.


    ¡°I told you,¡± I muttered, kicking the lifeless beast for good measure. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who dies anymore.¡±


    You have defeated a Mutated Wolf (Level 16)!


    Your Skills have Levelled up!


    Quest complete!


    Panting, I collapsed onto the ground. I wasn¡¯t tired¡ªfar from it. Supernatural strength coursed through me, a sensation beyond words. But I was drained. Mentally. The rush of victory ebbed, replaced by the sharp sting of reality.


    That¡¯s when I noticed my arm. Bone jutted out grotesquely, blood flowing freely down my forearm. Because of Pain Resistance, the pain had dulled. I tore off my shirt and tightened it around my arm as much as I could. Blood blossomed through the white shirt. I hoped it was enough.


    And then, a greenish box bordered with ornate gold shimmered into view. For a moment, my thoughts froze.


    This really is like a game, I thought, crawling toward it. With trembling hands, I pried the box open. Its groan revealed a¡­ club.


    (Uncommon) Club: A basic club designed to dish out blunt trauma, created by the system to help the initialised in the beginning.


    So, it really is a system.


    The pain in my arm dragged me back to focus. My vision blurred. Shit, I thought, the binding wasn¡¯t working. Blood loss was taking its toll. I couldn¡¯t keep going like this. I had to think of something before I passed out.


    ¡°Open,¡± I muttered, desperate for answers. The system responded instantly, bringing up my status:


    Name: Paul Webb


    Race: Human (F-Grade)


    Titles: Initiated Survivor, Terror¡¯s Bane, Skill Skulptor, Reaper¡¯s Reject


    Core Skill: Chrono-Requiem [Unique]


    Loadout 1 (Rename):


    | Skill 1: Bombardier¡¯s Throw (Level 24)


    | Skill 2: Pain Resistance (Level 15)


    | Skill 3: Iron Carapace (Level 17)


    | Skill 4: Death¡¯s Embrace (Level 15)


    | Skill 5: Colossal Might (Level 15)


    Loadout 2 (Rename):


    | Skill 1: Brink of Death (Level 1)


    | Skill 2: (Blank)


    | Skill 3: (Blank)


    | Skill 4: (Blank)


    | Skill 5: (Blank)


    Loadout. The term was familiar, something I¡¯d encountered countless times in games. It referred to everything equipped¡ªarmor, weapons, and Skills. Did I have both active at the same time? Could I swap them?


    Testing the theory, I shifted to the second Loadout without thinking. The result was immediate and excruciating.


    Pain Resistance vanished, leaving me fully exposed to the agony of my broken arm. I cried out, clutching at the injury. Frantic, I swapped back, and relief surged through me like a wave, dulling the edges of my suffering.


    It wasn¡¯t enough. The blood kept flowing. My vision dimmed, nausea churning in my stomach. Gritting my teeth, I stumbled forward, driven purely by instinct.


    I managed only a couple minutes before the world went dark.


    ***


    When I woke, I noticed no Skill. I died a few more times before I figured it out. I needed a blank slot in my arm¡ªmy Loadout¡ªto form a new Skill. With that in mind, I swapped over Pain Resistance to my second Loadout.


    After a few more deaths, a glowing system notification greeted me. It took a moment for everything to sink in. My arm still throbbed, though the bleeding had slowed.


    Brink of Death has reached Level 2.


    Skill gained ¡ª Blood Control.


    Even with the new Skill, the blood loss was so great, I kept on dying. But, with every Level I grew, the time it took me to die also increased. From three seconds, to six, to ten, and so on. And that kept on going until I finally hit the threshold.


    Blood Control has reached Level 15!


    Brink of Death has reached Level 15!


    A flicker of hope stirred in my chest. Though Blood Control had been useless at lower levels, perhaps now it could save me. Without hesitation, I selected its evolution¡ªwhich also just happened to be bug themed. I wondered if it was my subconscious mind that desired it, and using the fact I had faced a bug-wolf hybrid, it was granting me choices based on that. I could only guess.


    Blood Control > Blood Weave


    | [Uncommon] Blood Weave: The user can manipulate their blood to form thin, web-like strands, knitting together damaged vessels to temporarily seal wounds. Inspired by the intricate patterns of a spider¡¯s web, this ability focuses on stopping blood loss with efficiency and precision.


    ¡°Thank god,¡± I whispered.


    I focused on my arm, delving beneath the flesh. The sensation was strange¡ªlike seeing with my veins. Carefully, I willed the blood to stop flowing. Underneath, microscopic webs stitched up the gushing wound. But my inexperience was on show. The blood blasted through the webs, and continued to gush.


    I passed out once, waking up groggily with renewed determination. It took fifteen or so loops before I got the bleeding to stop. Only the grotesque sight of bone protruding from my skin remained, a grim reminder of my situation.


    I shoved down my fear. There was no time to dwell on it. My immediate goal was survival, and the system seemed to hold all the answers. I had to understand it if I wanted to keep going, to grow stronger.


    I took a shaky breath. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡±


    I began evolving the rest of my Skills to the first tier, forcing myself to adapt to this strange, brutal new world.


    Pain Resistance ¡ú Steady Resolve


    Brink of Death ¡ú Endurance Surge


    Death¡¯s Embrace ¡ú Chill of Mortality

 Chapter 2 - Gaining Skills

    Brink of Death > Endurance Surge


    Endurance Surge: Grants a temporary surge of stamina and reduced pain sensitivity when on the brink of death. Enables the user to perform one last effort like escaping or counterattacking despite critical injuries.


    Death¡¯s Embrace > Chill of Mortality


    Chill of Mortality: When near death, enemies within a small radius experience a chilling effect, reducing their attack speed and mobility slightly.


    Pain Resistance > Steady Resolve


    Steady Resolve: Pain does not disrupt concentration or basic motor skills. The user can maintain accuracy and focus even under duress.


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin upon seeing how much I had grown. Sure, it felt like an age because of the repeats, and the pain¡­ I still smelt the reek of the wolf¡¯s breath, could still see the flesh¡ªmy flesh¡ªstuck in between its teeth.


    I shook my head. Even after all of those Skills, there were still more notifications to go through.


    Titled gained ¡ª Terror¡¯s Bane: You have killed your first Nightmare-difficulty creature and lived to tell the tale. Not many can say the same. +1 to all Offensive Skills when fighting in environments classified as ¡°Nightmare zones.¡±


    Titled gained ¡ª Skill Sculptor: You have evolved five of your skills, unlocking new potential for growth. Skills progress 5% faster.


    Titled gained ¡ª Reaper¡¯s Reject: You have died and returned from death¡¯s grasp. The dead no longer claim you easily. You deal 10% more damage to monsters who are at death¡¯s door.


    And finally, the cause of his death defying ability:


    Chrono-Requiem [Unique]: Upon death, turn back time for three seconds. Every time you turn back time, you lose one hour of lifespan.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± The words left my mouth. Frantically, I tried to recall how many times I had died. It had to be at least two-hundred already. That meant¡­ That meant that I had lost two-hundred hours of my life just like that.


    I bit my tongue. There was nothing I could do about that. Maybe there was a Skill that could increase my life? There had to be.


    Well, that was a future me problem. Right now, I had to survive.


    After countless deaths, I realised that the corpse of the wolf wasn¡¯t just a corpse¡ªit was a treasure trove. So, returning to where I slain the beast, I took care of my surroundings. I didn¡¯t directly go up to the wolf, I darted from tree-to-tree, making certain that the area was devoid of anything else that wanted a morsel of my flesh.


    When I was sure it was safe, I knelt by the wolf and brushed my hands across its fur. It was soft under my touch, so fluffy that I just wanted to bury my face into it. The only armour it had was on its spine and ribs. Then, I glanced at the barbaric centipede tail that trailed at least seven-foot long. It left a longing impression on me. Perhaps it was the reason for all of my bug-related evolutions.


    Shaking my head, I knew I had to be fast. If Nat Geo Wild taught me anything, it was that predators loved the scent of blood. And with the system enhanced shenanigans, I was certain the wolves of today could probably sniff out his weed stash from the next town over.


    I didn¡¯t know how to skin an animal. I had done my fair share of camping, setting up a fire, gathering wood, cooking on a fire, the usual. But this wasn¡¯t the usual.


    Drawing in a breath, I stuck the blade into the wolf¡¯s fur. When I felt my new dagger cutting through the first layer, my shoulders relaxed. Good, I thought. Was the dagger in my hand sharper than regular, or did monster¡¯s lose their durability when dead?If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Although I had a hundred questions in my head, there was no-one to answer them. I had to rely on myself. It was a scary thought, but I pushed on. Soon, I had taken the entire pelt off the wolf.


    Skill Learned: Skinning (Level 1)


    Nice, I thought, looking at my handiwork. I grimaced. It was dishevelled, and blood had gotten everywhere despite my best efforts. Regardless, it was a start. If civilisation really had ended, then at least he had a way of making clothes.


    Damn, wouldn¡¯t I need a cloth making Skill for that? Sighing, Paul bundled up the pelt using a line of his shoe-laces, then cut off a leg of the wolf to save for later. There wasn¡¯t a lot of blood on it, so hopefully the would-be-hunters would fancy the whole corpse, instead of just a leg.


    With that done, I was about as ready as I could ever be. Basic survival told me that it was best to remain on the spot and wait to be rescued. But something else told me that there was no chance of that happening.


    So, club in one hand and a pelt stuffed with wolf leg on his back, I left the battle-ground. With a final look back, a million emotions emerged all at once. I shoved them down, turned, then continued on my way.


    ***


    It wasn¡¯t long before I caught sight of something in the distance. Ducking, peering out from behind a tree, there were at least four little green men walking from left-to-right. Goblins?!


    I forced myself to calm down. So it wasn¡¯t just mutated animals from Earth. Great. I mean, I had the idea from the very beginning when it mentioned the challenges. But seeing them all wander in the forest was a startling sight.


    I was secretly relieved that they were going in the opposite direction. Because although I had an incredible ability that nullified death, the thought of losing my lifespan everytime wasn¡¯t exactly a comforting situation to be in.


    Breathing out a sigh of relief, I was about to move when I heard a twig behind me snap. I spun around just in time to notice a goblin in mid-air, mouth open wide in raw violence; yellowed teeth on proud display.


    That was the last thing I saw before my vision turned dark. Damn it. It was strong enough to penetrate my carapace-infused flesh? It was a startling realization.


    Snapping my eyes open, I threw my body to the side. The goblin landed right where he stood and glanced at him in surprise, as if wondering how the hell he dodged its perfect ambush.


    I heard creature¡¯s scream nearby. They were the other goblins, I realised. They must have already known he was here, and they were feigning ignorance to mount an ambush. Sly bastards.


    On the floor, I snapped my foot at the goblins knee, but I was too slow. Dodging my kick, it dashed right for me. Club in hand, I swung in a wide arc at the incoming beast, my weapon swishing through the air, but it hit nothing.


    The goblin somersaulted over my strike, and plunged its jagged dagger into my chest. Pain blossomed, and if not for my pain resist Skill, I¡¯d have lost all composure. The dagger didn¡¯t get too far into my body, which was thanks to my Iron Carapace, so I grabbed hold of the goblin¡¯s throat, and threw it onto the ground so I was on top.


    Club in hand, I made sure the goblin couldn¡¯t escape this time. I smashed my club against the goblin¡¯s face and watched as blood splattered over me.


    Skill gained ¡ª Blunt Weapon Mastery (Level 1)


    I ignored the stench of iron and attacked again.


    Before I could finish off the goblin, I heard the sound of something twang, and then in the next second, that something hit my good arm. I lost control of my hand and my dagger thudded to the floor.


    The goblin under me thrashed, but there was no way in hell I was going to die before killing the little shit. Bracing myself, I cracked my skull against the beast¡¯s own. Dazed, it lost resistance. I didn¡¯t stop there. I hit it again, and then once more before another arrow plunged into my side.


    Skill gained ¡ª Skull-fu (Level 1)


    The other goblins were here now and I realised that I was in deep shit. Even if I returned three seconds in the past, there were four more bloodthirsty monster¡¯s hounding me. That was a three-second later problem.


    I felt life fade from being, which I had not gotten used to yet. It was like a primordial fear had grabbed onto me, but it was evident I wasn¡¯t the only one affected by that.


    A freezing cold radiated outward, with me in the centre of it. The oncoming goblins, one of which had a bow, and the others with machetes and daggers, slowed, their legs turning sluggish. Chill of Mortality had taken effect.


    I quickly placed Skull-fu in place of Bombardier¡¯s Throw, and headbutted the monster under me again. I received the kill notification before I died.