Level Up The Colony-Chapter 18: Pain

Exhausted, he muttered under his breath.

The goblin knights hesitated for a moment, then let out deafening roars.

Timothy wasn't surprised.

Gritting his teeth, he activated Dash once more, only to feel his body nearly collapse under the strain.

His breaths came ragged, his vision swam, and exhaustion clawed at his limbs.

He couldn't stop now.

But he had already missed his timing.

The thorough-green goblin knight suddenly exhaled a thick cloud of green mist, its toxic fumes expanding rapidly. Timothy didn't need a second thought, he leaped backward, retreating further and further.

The other goblin's body swelled unnaturally, muscles bulging as black lines spread across its skin, glowing faintly like living veins of power.

It was evolving? No, transforming.

The axe-wielding goblin, standing a distance away, unleashed a guttural roar.

This time, the dark red stripes along its body pulsed and spread, engulfing its entire form and axe included.

Its berserk state was far more intense, its eyes burning crimson.

Timothy's gaze swept over them.

He had a rough idea of their abilities now.

The green goblin's mist was dangerous, it best to stay clear of that.

Yet, strangely, neither of them moved to assist each other.

The axe-wielding goblin knight's murderous gaze locked onto him alone.

Timothy's mind raced.

He was at his limit, and the goblin knights were only growing stronger.

If this dragged on any longer, he wouldn't make it.

He pulled up his status.

---

Status:

Level: 14

HP: 1005

MP: 22/40

Fatigue: 76

Strength: 40

Stamina: 20

Agility: 23

Intelligence: 20

Perception: 20

Free Stats: 10

---

His arms trembled.

His legs wobbled beneath him.

The axe goblin advanced with slow, deliberate steps, its presence suffocating.

'Think, Timothy.'

His mind swirled with possibilities.

If he dumped all his free stat points into Strength, he might match the goblin knight's raw power, but with this much exhaustion, he doubted he could unleash even seventy percent of his true strength.

A waste.

Should he invest in Stamina instead?

Would it restore his endurance, or just increase his maximum reserve?

'Too risky. Too optimistic.' he thought.

His gaze flickered toward the throne, where the red-eyed goblin still sat motionless, watching.

No.

He couldn't afford to think that far ahead.

He had to survive this first.

Decision made.

"There's no time to hesitate," he muttered as the goblin knight loomed over him.

"Add all free points to Stamina."

---

[ Stamina: 20 >>> 30 ]

[ Fatigue: 77 >>> 50 ]

---

Just in time.

Timothy's breathing steadied, his exhaustion lifting just enough.

He braced himself as the axe-wielding goblin lunged forward, its blade arcing down in a devastating slash.

With a sharp breath, Timothy activated Armament on his arms his body surging with energy.

He caught the axe mid-swing, his palm slamming against the cold steel.

Even so, he was being pushed back.

The goblin knight snarled, pressing down harder.

Timothy's feet skidded across the stone floor, his heels grinding against the ground.

Until the wall was just behind him, nowhere left to go.

7 seconds left on Armament.

His mind raced.

The goblin's smirk widened as it sensed its victory and pressed harder

But Timothy had already spotted something else.

The knight's grip on the axe was unequal; it had weakened.

A sudden knee strike to the goblin's stomach made it grunt in pain.

Timothy shifted his strength, not pushing back, but redirecting. Instead of resisting the axe, he guided its force upward.

The axe's momentum carried it over his head, embedding it deep into the wall behind him.

He immediately deactivated the armament with two seconds left.

The goblin knight staggered from the sudden shift of force, its torso wide open.

Timothy didn't waste a second.

An uppercut to its chin.

Another.

Then another.

The goblin reeled, dazed.

Its grip on the axe slipped further.

Timothy delivered a sharp elbow strike to its forearm disarming it completely.

The knight's massive body collapsed forward, toppling toward him.

Too big.

Too heavy.

But he wasn't about to let this chance slip through.

His Muscles tensed.

Every fiber in his body strained.

A roar tore from his throat as he seized the goblin by the neck, pivoting on his heel.

The weight difference was overwhelming, but he had momentum.

A perfectly executed overhead throw.

The goblin's massive body slammed into the stone wall, sending cracks spider-webbing across the surface.

---

[ Congratulations! You have killed a Goblin Knight. ]

[ You have leveled up! ]

[ You have leveled up! ]

[ Silverback Termite (Gray) has leveled up! ]

[ Silverback Termite (Gray) has leveled up! ]

---

Timothy glanced at the notifications, then raised his head.

A goblin was pinned to the wall, his own axe buried deep in his chest.

He hadn't expected that to work.

In the end, it was more the goblin's weight that had killed it rather than his own strength.

"Imagine dying by your own weapon," he thought.

Speaking of weapons, maybe that was what he needed to turn the tide of battle except he was still under the no-weapon ban.

If there was any silver lining, it was his title's effect.

He hadn't noticed it much before, but the 10% damage boost was just enough of an edge.

> [Title: Goblin Slayer]

Effect: Increases damage against humanoid monsters by 10%, but significantly increases their hostility toward the user.

---

> [You have reached Level 15]

[You have gained a Status Recovery]

[Do you wish to use it?]

[Y/N]

Timothy froze.

Then a grin spread across his face.

"I love you, system!" he said with a smirk.

Still, he muttered a soft, "No."

A familiar presence stirred in his mind, his one and only spectator.

"Gray..." He nodded...

He had two extra levels and ten free stat points to allocate.

His exhaustion faded slightly, but the battle wasn't over.

The last two goblin knights stood before him, their wary eyes filled with disbelief.

How was this human still standing?

Even with overwhelming odds, even bleeding like this, why was he still smiling?

To Timothy, this was just the crisp of battle.

He had already decided: he would win, even if it cost him everything, not like the system gave him a choice.

---

"Haa!!!"

He charged forward, ignoring the swirling mist.

He had no time to hesitate.

One goblin knight, the defensive one moved to intercept.

Timothy feinted, swerving sideways before dashing twice in quick succession.

His body screamed in protest as sharp pain tore down his thighs to his ankles.

His speed faltered, but he still reached his target the mist-producing goblin.

---

> [You have come into contact with deadly toxins.]

[You have been afflicted by physical debuffs.]

[You have been blinded temporarily.]

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

[You have entered a bleeding status.]

[All bodily functions have been slowed temporarily.]

[-10 HP/sec]

---

His vision darkened.

His limbs grew sluggish.

Nausea swelled in his gut.

Still, he clung to the goblin's arm with a death grip.

His body was losing sensation, his strength fading.

But he was sure of one thing: if this goblin was the source of the mist, killing it would stop the poison.

He swung his free arm.

Missed.

Another swing, faster, but still off the mark.

A third, slower this time, and ... Contact.

Timothy immediately latched onto it.

The goblin thrashed violently.

He gritted his teeth.

His strength was failing.

He was losing grip!

"If only I could kill it..."

The poison was getting into him

He had seen something similar before.

'This is probably an advanced variant of the poison goblin from before' he concluded

That meant that t was weak in every other attribute

"System, add all free stats to Strength!"

> [Strength: 40 >>> 50]

A surge of power flooded his limbs.

He pulled.

The goblin's arm stretched unnaturally.

It struggled.

Timothy pulled harder.

Something gave.

With one final, brutal yank...

He didn't know what got torn but the system didn't lie.

> [You have killed a Goblin Knight.]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[Silverback Termite (Gray) has leveled up!]

[Silverback Termite (Gray) has leveled up!]

...

His HP ticked downward still

> [HP: 472]

[HP: 462]

[HP: 452]

The poison lingered, the debuffs were still active.

He remained kneeling, gasping for air, but he didn't let go of the goblin's corpse.

There was still one more.

His senses were failing.

His hearing was gone.

His smell was gone.

His sight was useless.

But his perception remained.

"Just one leak. One mistake. Show me." He said in careful anticipation

Then, a flicker.

A familiar disturbance...Gray.

It wasn't a proper signal, but for a split second, it was as if their senses had merged.

Timothy whispered,

"Left."

He tried to leap, but his body coordination betrayed him.

Instead of leaping, he stumbled forward.

His body features were really failing

> [HP: 252...]

His lungs burned.

His insides twisted.

But his arms and legs still moved.

That was enough.

---

He launched himself toward the last goblin with force and pain

He didn't attack though

He waited.

And just as he predicted, the goblin panicked at his appearance

It wasn't a fighter.

It relied on counterattacks to reflect damage.

The moment it tried to circle behind him

Timothy smirked.