Solus didn't use the flask immediately.
Instead, he waited.
The first Rockhide Goblin lumbered toward him, its crude stone club dragging across the rocky ground. Solus tightened his grip on the common spear and deliberately stabbed the monster's thick shoulder.
-1
The attack barely pierced its hardened skin.
"GRAAAH!"
The goblin roared in fury, its crimson eyes locking onto him.
Good...
Stay angry.
Solus retreated without turning his back. Every few seconds he thrust his spear forward, dealing another miserable point of damage just to keep the monster's attention fixed on him.
Then—
Heavy footsteps echoed behind him. Another Rockhide Goblin emerged from a side tunnel.
Its club whistled through the air.
BOOM!
The strike shattered the stone where Solus had been standing only a heartbeat earlier.
He twisted his body at the last possible moment, the wind from the club brushing against his cheek.
'Too close...'
'If that landed, I'd be dead.'
His memories—those impossible memories that no player should possess—guided every movement.
They no longer felt borrowed. They had become his own instincts.
Without hesitation, Solus continued retreating, allowing the second goblin to join the chase.
He refused to kill either one. That was never his objective. His goal... was five.
The deeper he ventured into Blackroots Mine, the narrower the tunnels became. More Rockhide Goblins emerged from abandoned mining paths.
A third.
Then a fourth.
Each one joined the pursuit after receiving nothing more than a weak stab from his spear.
-1
-1
-1
The damage was laughable. But every strike fueled their rage. Soon four massive goblins thundered after him.
The cave shook beneath their footsteps. Sweat rolled down Solus' forehead. His breathing became heavier.
One mistake.
Just one.
And he would be crushed beneath four stone clubs.
A club descended from above.
He ducked.
Another swept toward his ribs.
He jumped backward.
The third slammed into the tunnel wall, sending fragments of stone flying into his face. One sharp rock sliced across his cheek.
- 10
"...Still alive."
A bitter smile appeared.
"I've been through worse."
The chase continued. Several times he nearly lost their aggro, forcing him to risk another stab.
Each time...
The goblins became even more enraged.
Finally...
The cramped tunnel opened into a massive underground cavern. At its center stood another Rockhide Goblin.
Unlike the others, it continued mining an ore vein with a rusty pickaxe.
Solus stopped.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"There you are."
He rushed forward. The mining goblin looked up.
Before it could react—
-1
The spear struck its arm. The goblin roared and threw away its pickaxe. All five monsters immediately surrounded him.
At that exact moment—
Ding!
A system notification echoed throughout the cave.
System Notification
《Rockhide Pack Resolve》 Activated
"When Rockhide Goblins sense an isolated prey, their hardened bodies and crude instincts synchronize, making them increasingly difficult to stop."
Activation Conditions
- Five Rockhide Goblins are simultaneously attacking the same player.
- The effect ends if fewer than five remain engaged.
Hidden Effects
- Defense: +25%
- Attack Power: +20%
- Movement Speed: +10%
- Crowd Control Resistance: +30%
Aggro Effect
- Ignores all nearby targets unless heavily provoked.
Synergy Effect — Rock Pressure
- Every successful hit applies Rock Pressure for five seconds.
- Stacks up to five times.
- Each stack reduces movement speed by 3%.
- At five stacks, movement speed is reduced by 15%.
A faint earthen glow spread across every Rockhide Goblin. The rocky skin covering their bodies became denser.
Their footsteps grew heavier. Their growls echoed throughout the cavern. Anyone seeing this for the first time would panic.
Solus...
Smiled.
"Finally."
"The hidden attribute."
"It only strengthens your defense, but your HP never changes."
Everything he had done—
Every dodge.
Every narrow escape.
Every miserable point of damage—
Had been preparation for this very moment.
He sprinted toward the center of the cavern. Five enormous clubs rose simultaneously.
"They're coming."
"Now!"
The clubs descended together.
BOOOOM!!
The cave trembled.
Instead of retreating—
Solus slid beneath one of the attacks, his boots carving a trail across the dirt. The impact behind him exploded into flying debris.
Using the momentum, he planted his spear into the ground.
The spear bent dangerously. Then launched him upward. While airborne, Solus reached into his inventory.
A crimson flask appeared in his hand.
The five goblins were too slow to change direction.
Perfect.
"Burn!!!."
He threw the flask directly above them.
BOOM!!
Flames erupted. The explosion engulfed all five monsters.
-30
-30
-30
-30
-30
A second later—
System: Burn Activated.
Orange flames crawled across their rocky bodies. The damage continued.
-18
-18
-18
-18
-18
"It isn't enough..."
"But it doesn't have to be."
Solus landed.
Without wasting even a second—
He charged.
The first goblin raised its club. Exactly as he expected. Its arm lifted exposing the gap beneath its rocky shoulder.
The weakness.
His spear shot forward like lightning.
Critical Hit!
-15
The goblin howled.
Solus immediately rolled beneath another incoming swing. A massive club scraped across his back.
- 50
His LP dropped sharply to 40
Pain exploded through his body. He gritted his teeth.
"Stand up."
"You're not dying here."
"If I fall now, everything was meaningless."
He forced himself back onto his feet. The fight continued.
For thirty agonizing seconds he danced between death and survival. Stone clubs shattered the cavern floor.
Dust filled the air.
Each dodge came within inches of death. Each mistake nearly became his last.
Finally—
The cooldown ended.
The second Minor Incendiary Flask materialized in his hand.
"The last one."
He rushed back toward the center. Five enraged goblins charged together.
Exactly like before.
Exactly as planned.
He leaped.
The flask spun through the air.
BOOM!!
Fire erupted once again.
-30
-30
-30
-30
-30
System: Burn Activated.
The flames returned.
Five seconds.
That was all he had.
One second would be consumed by the final burn tick.
Meaning—
He had only four seconds to land five critical strikes.
"No room for mistakes."
"No second chances."
He exploded forward.
The first weakness appeared.
Critical Hit!
-15
Before he could recover—
A club descended toward his skull.
Solus raised his spear.
CLANG!!
The common weapon screamed under the impact. Cracks spread across the wooden shaft.
Its durability plummeted.
The overwhelming force threw him sideways.
Instead of resisting—
He embraced it.
The impact launched him directly toward the second goblin.
"...Perfect!"
He twisted midair.
Critical Hit!
-15
A third monster charged.
Solus planted one foot on its knee, vaulted over its shoulder, and stabbed beneath its raised arm.
Critical Hit!
-15
The fourth swung horizontally. He ducked so low that the stone club shaved strands of his hair.
His spear flashed upward.
Critical Hit!
-15
Only one remained.
The last goblin roared and brought both hands down with enough force to split the earth.
"There!"
Solus dashed into the tiny blind spot beneath its arms.
His vision blurred.
His breathing burned.
His muscles screamed.
Everything slowed.
One thrust.
One chance.
The spear pierced beneath the creature's armpit.
Critical Hit!
-15
Silence.
For a single heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then—
The final burn tick ignited.
-18
-18
-18
-18
-18
The HP of all five Rockhide Goblins reached zero at the exact same instant. The earthen glow vanished.
The monsters froze.
Cracks of blue light spread across their bodies.
One after another...
They shattered into countless blue particles.
The cavern became silent. Only Solus remained standing. His broken spear trembled in his hands.
His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to breathe.
A smile slowly appeared on his exhausted face.
"...Success."