The distance from Aethryndian Academy to Kragdeep wasn’t that great.
Severin took a bus to get there and arrived in just half an hour.
Getting off the bus, which was clearly very sci-fi compared to the buses in his previous world, he looked at the massive walls in front of him.
At the front gate, the words Kragdeep City were written in huge letters.
Kragdeep Dungeon and Kragdeep City were separated by a vast forest.
After taking a quick glance at the city gates, Severin turned around and started making his way toward the forest. He had no intention of entering the city for now. Instead, his destination was the dungeon located on the other side of the forest.
The forest wasn’t just an ordinary stretch of land separating the two places. It served an important purpose, acting as a natural barrier between Kragdeep Dungeon and Kragdeep City. In the event of a sudden dungeon break, this forest could slow down the monsters and prevent them from reaching the city immediately, giving the people inside some precious time to prepare for the incoming danger.
Of course, that didn’t mean the city was completely safe.
Dungeon breaks were among the most dangerous disasters in this world. Whenever a dungeon remained uncleared for too long, the monsters inside would gradually accumulate, and the dungeon’s stability would eventually become a concern. If things went too far, the dungeon could no longer contain its monsters, allowing them to flood into the outside world.
The consequences could be disastrous, especially for nearby settlements.
That was why dungeons needed to be cleared at least once a week. Regularly eliminating the monsters inside helped keep their numbers under control and reduced the risk of a dungeon break occurring.
However, even with regular clearing, there was no guarantee of complete safety.
Monsters from the first and second floors would occasionally find their way out of the dungeon. Although these creatures weren’t usually as dangerous as the monsters found deeper inside, they could still pose a serious threat to ordinary people who lacked the strength to defend themselves.
This was another reason why the forest separating Kragdeep Dungeon from Kragdeep City was so important.
As Severin continued walking toward the forest, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of monsters he would encounter this time.
After all, he hadn’t come here just to take a look around.
After walking for a while, Severin finally entered the forest.
The moment he stepped beneath the thick canopy of trees, the atmosphere around him changed. The sunlight filtering through the leaves became dimmer, and the sounds of the city gradually faded into the distance. In their place came the rustling of leaves, the occasional chirping of birds, and the soft crunch of dry branches beneath his feet.
Severin continued walking without much concern. He wasn’t here to admire the scenery, after all. His destination was Kragdeep Dungeon, and the sooner he reached it, the sooner he could get started.
He had barely been walking for five minutes when he heard something moving in the bushes ahead.
Rustle! Rustle!
Severin stopped.
A moment later, five small figures emerged from behind the bushes, blocking his path.
Goblins.
Each of them stood roughly around the height of a young child, with green skin, pointed ears, and ugly faces that looked as though they had been carved out of rotten wood. They carried crude wooden clubs in their hands, which they waved around threateningly as they stared at Severin.
One of the goblins let out a strange cry.
"Grik! Grik!"
The other four immediately followed, spreading out as if they were trying to surround him.
Severin looked at the five goblins, then at the wooden clubs in their hands.
For a moment, he remained silent.
Then a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Well, would you look at that. I’ve barely been here for five minutes, and I’ve already found a group of monsters willing to donate their experience points to me." (Note: There isn’t any leveling system)
He couldn’t help but feel that his luck was pretty good today.
Of course, these were only goblins. They weren’t particularly strong, and someone at a higher level could probably deal with them without much trouble. But that wasn’t the point.
He had come here to test himself in actual combat.
Training with a sword against a practice dummy was one thing. Fighting living opponents who could move, attack, and try to kill him was something else entirely.
And now, five perfectly suitable opponents had practically delivered themselves to his doorstep.
"What a considerate bunch."
As if understanding that Severin was making fun of them, one of the goblins let out an angry shriek and charged toward him.
Severin didn’t panic.
Instead, he calmly reached into his space ring and drew out his sword.
Shing!
The blade emerged with a clear metallic sound, its polished surface catching the sunlight that slipped through the trees.
Severin held the sword in one hand and adjusted his stance. His feet settled firmly against the ground, his shoulders relaxed, and his grip tightened around the hilt.
He wasn’t going to use any skills.
No Quick Slash. No Quick Draw. Not even the first form of the Golden Saint Sword Art.
For this fight, he intended to rely entirely on his basic swordsmanship.
After all, skills were useful, but they weren’t everything. If he couldn’t handle a few weak goblins using nothing but his sword and technique, there would be little point in getting excited about his future adventures.
"Come on, then. Let’s see what you’ve got."
The first goblin swung its wooden club at his head.
The attack was wild and clumsy, with far too much force behind it and almost no consideration for defense.
Severin simply tilted his head to the side.
The club whistled past his face, missing him by a considerable margin.
Too slow.
The thought barely crossed his mind before he took a short step forward.
His sword moved in a simple horizontal arc.
There was no flashy movement, no unnecessary flourish. Just a clean, straightforward slash aimed at the goblin’s torso.
The blade struck true.
Green blood splattered across the ground as the goblin let out a shrill cry and collapsed. Its wooden club slipped from its fingers and landed beside it.
Severin glanced at the fallen creature.
"One."
He had barely finished speaking when another goblin rushed at him from the left.
This time, Severin didn’t bother stepping backward. He turned his body slightly, allowing the goblin’s club to pass in front of him, then used the opening to bring his sword down in a diagonal cut.
The goblin tried to raise its weapon to defend itself, but its reaction was far too slow.
The blade cut through its crude defense and struck the creature, sending it stumbling backward. Green blood stained the grass as it fell beside its companion.
"Two."