Capítulo 7: A Massive Goblin
The horrible tearing, crashing sounds continued, echoing from the east perimeter. John pictured a horde of monstrous creatures breaking through the barricades, swarming into the shelter to feast.
He grabbed Stephanie's hand tightly, ready to run or fight. But no nightmarish beasts appeared. Only the cacophony of enormous destruction - metal screeching, concrete crumbling.
John guessed the eastern wall had finally collapsed under the constant assault. The area would soon be overrun with tentacled, fanged terrors unless the breach could be contained.
But Theodore only smiled serenely, unfazed by the attack. "Do not worry, my friends! Our brave security force will repel the invasion."
John grit his teeth. Theodore clearly had no intention of properly protecting these people. Maybe he even welcomed the carnage.
John met Stephanie's eyes and she gave a determined nod. Unbeknownst to them, Nelson looked at the insignificant exchange with envy. It was nothing significant, but perhaps a sign that his girlfriend began to trust a stranger more than she did him.
Just then, a group of green-skinned short humanoid monsters crashed through the windows. John surmised that they were goblins, at least they looked like it.
"Go!" he barked at the group, and they turned around immediately, only Stephanie seemed reluctant to leave John.
John sprung into action, his steps suddenly turning quiet as he activated his Quiet Steps skill. He flanked the goblins from behind a line of lean-to shelters and lunged at the closest one before the goblin could plunge its dagger into a panicked middle-aged woman. He swung his knife and stabbed the goblin's skull, blood splattering everywhere.
The woman had been in shock, but she recovered as John snapped her out of her stupor. She turned on her heel murmuring words of gratefulness.
[Goblin Killed]
[0.1 Strength Obtained]
John glanced at the notification and cursed the fact that he couldn't see his stats, yet, but he figured that was the point of the 'Full System Synchronisation' reward. He only had to survive the first wave.
He stepped out of the goblin's sight once more and hoped to catch another by surprise thanks to his Quiet Steps. He could try and massacre all of them, but anything could happen if they circled and ganged up on him. 'Better leave nothing to chance,' he thought.
Slipping away, John circled behind the creatures once more. He selected another straggler and took it down quickly with a throat slice. But taking them one-by-one was risky. Soon the horde would surround him.
Stephanie suddenly rushed out, swinging a heavy branch wildly to create a distraction. It worked - several goblins peeled off after her.
Seizing the opening, John leapt into the middle of the pack and became a whirlwind of lethal strikes. He took down two more before they realized what was happening. Stephanie continued disrupting them from the other side.
John fought relentlessly, drenched in foul blood. The notifications confirmed each kill, steadily boosting his strength.
As the goblins steered away from Stephanie, John pushed them towards a lonely hall. His aim to keep Stephanie away from trouble. He was thankful for her assistance, but it would only complicate things if he had to keep an eye on her.
As he drove the goblins towards the hall, their numbers began to dwindle, but something caught his attention. He peered through the window and saw a group of men in military uniforms. They were fighting against a group of quadruped monsters, but that's not what caught his attention...
The real surprise was one man, holding all the beasts on his own. He was wearing two iron gauntlets, but his punches sent shockwaves through the air and beasts flying.
John surmised that this man had a strong class, one that is particularly useful at the beginning. Would this skyrocket the man's strength or would his class have diminishing returns? He couldn't know, but he decided to keep an eye on the red-haired man.
Seeing the man fight all the beasts by himself awakened something in John, he knew he shouldn't fall behind. Who knows what this new apocalyptic world will look like in a matter of weeks? He had to become stronger.
For now, all he could do was kill monsters. Come nightfall, he could take advantage of his class quests. Unbeknownst to him, he was sporting a more than sinister grin. John had long given up on a normal life, the universe had played a cruel joke named his life and this was his opportunity to punch back.
He turned around and spotted another group of goblins trying to break down a door. He leaped through the window with ease, his steps making almost no sounds on the hard concrete.
As the goblins rained down slashes on the thick wooden door, blood splattered everywhere and with a thud, a goblin's head hit the ground. The goblins reacted swiftly and turned their attention towards John.
A dagger thrust rushed by him as he sidestepped the incoming attack and swung his leg to send the goblin flying.
"Take that, you little shit," he roared, a smile plastered on his face.
Another goblin lunged toward him and he aimed his knife against its head, but he had to block another dagger coming from his left flank.
He blocked the attack and grabbed the creature's bony arm, leaping back to isolate it. The goblin's shriek cut the air as John's grip tightened, crushing its limb. He silenced it with a brutal eye stab.
John let out a sharp exhale, centering himself. The familiar thrill of combat flooded his veins. For too long he had been powerless - but not anymore. The tables had turned.
A pair of goblins charged toward him. John's eyes narrowed, assessing their approach. The system had gifted him strength, but he could not rely on power alone. He needed cunning, precision.
With a stomp, he bolted straight for the faster goblin. Better to eliminate threats quickly rather than be surrounded. John swung with controlled fury, his blade slicing deep through its throat.
The other goblin was upon him now. He cursed inwardly - he had hoped for a moment to reset after the kill. But hesitation meant death. So he pivoted, channelling his motion into a driving kick.
The blow connected, pushing the creature back. But its dagger still grazed John's calf, drawing a hiss through clenched teeth. The pain only focused him.
With savage precision, John buried his knife to the hilt in the staggered goblin's skull. Two more dead. He was surviving, turning the tide. And so far, he mused, this apocalypse was proving to be the opportunity he had hoped for.
He smirked at the notification, making it a total of 14 goblins, meaning a 1.4 bonus in Strength.
However, before he could celebrate, a loud, rhythmic thumping caught his attention. As he turned his gaze towards the source, he spotted it, a massive goblin charging at him.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Anaesthetic_Dawn Another chapter coming later today! Don't forget to leave your comments and reviews. Let me know what kind of things you'd like to see. And of course, add the book to your library.
Capítulo 8: Stephanie's Doubts
The hulking goblin stomped toward John, each thundering step shaking the ground. It towered over him, muscles rippling beneath warty skin. A meaty fist swung, nearly caving in John's chest. He rolled away, the blow crunching into concrete.
John ducked under another swing and tried to slice its thigh. But his knife barely cut through the thick hide. A massive hand seized him, squeezing agonizingly. John grit his teeth, stabbing at the wrist joint. The goblin roared and hurled him away.
Slamming into a wall, John crumpled to the floor. He struggled up, gasping. The monster barrelled forward, intent on trampling him. At the last second John leapt aside, the gigantic foot crushing the space where he'd been. He glanced at the crater and a shiver ran down his spine.
Seeing an opening, John hacked at the Achilles tendon. Dark blood spurted but the beast only staggered briefly. Its next swing clipped John's shoulder, knocking him down again.
Staggering to his feet, John barely dodged another mammoth fist swinging his way. The glancing blow still rattled his bones. He needed to catch his breath, but the beast pressed its advantage.
John evaded and deflected its strikes, buying precious seconds to recover. The hulking goblin was slow, but devastatingly powerful. John had to outmanoeuvre it.
'This is the most fun I had in ages,' John thought. He wouldn't have minded if that was it, dying at the peak of his life.
Spotting a ladder, he leapt and clung to it as a giant fist pulverized the wall beneath. From above, John landed on the creature's shoulders and plunged his blade repeatedly into its neck. It thrashed wildly until John lost his grip, thrown clear across the room.
Hitting the floor in a battered heap, John coughed blood. The goblin was weakened but still coming. Its meaty hands seized him, squeezing the air from his lungs. John writhed and twisted the knife deeper into its wrist.
Howling, it hurled him again. This time John slammed into a steel shelf, metal containers raining down around him. Agony wracked his body but he staggered up once more.
The beast charged, its steps making the ground quake. At the last second, John dodged left and its massive frame crashed into the shelf instead, burying it under heavy debris.
Seeing his chance, John leapt onto the fallen creature, activating his Critical Hit skill and drove his blade straight through its eye into its brain. With a final shudder, the hulking goblin went still.
[Chief Goblin Killed]
[0.5 Vitality Obtained]
Gasping raggedly, John slid off the corpse. He was battered and bleeding, but triumphant. The tide had turned.
However, John swayed unsteadily, his injuries finally catching up to him. The adrenaline rush gave way to overwhelming pain and exhaustion. Collapsing beside the massive goblin corpse, darkness engulfed his vision.
Some time later, urgent cries roused him. Blearily, John blinked up at Stephanie kneeling over him, her face etched with worry. She had found him unconscious and battered amidst the carnage.
"John! Oh thank god, just hold on," she said, attempting to lift him. But even with her enhanced strength, John was dead weight. Dragging him was agonizingly slow.
Gritting her teeth, Stephanie persevered, stopping often to rest. The sounds of continued battle rang out, adding dread urgency. She couldn't give up now.
After what felt like hours, the lean-to shelter finally came into view. Stephanie cried out for aid. Two men emerged and helped carry John inside, laying him down gently.
Stephanie quickly grabbed medical supplies and began cleaning his wounds. John faded in and out of lucidity, muttering disjointed words she couldn't understand.
"You're going to be okay," Stephanie whispered, more to reassure herself. Seeing him collapse had shaken her. But he was alive and safe for now.
Exhausted, she settled next to him and held his hand. He had fought like a demon to protect them. Now she would remain by his side until he recovered.
After an agonizing wait, the shelter's forces finally eliminated the last of the attacking goblins as night fell. Stephanie remained steadfast at John's side, ignoring Nelson's protests.
As moonlight filtered into the lean-to, she saw John's eyes finally flutter open. Relief flooded through her.
"John," she asked hoarsely, "how are you feeling?"
He opened his mouth but only a grating rasp emerged. Clearing his throat, he managed, "Like I got hit by a truck."
Stephanie chuckled weakly at the dark humour. John slowly managed to prop himself up, stifling groans of pain. The stats he had gained seemed to have accelerated his healing.
"What time is it?" he asked, noting the darkness and silence beyond their shelter. The attack felt like days ago.
Stephanie checked her phone, the blue glow revealing the dark circles under her eyes. "It's just past midnight. You were out for hours."
"I see...well, thank you for taking care of me," John said, a hint of a genuine smile tugging at his lips.
Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't used to this new warmth smile of his.
"I'm starving," John added abruptly, snapping her out of her stupor. "Oh, uh, let me get you some food!" She hurried off to retrieve the sandwich she had saved for him.
She handed him the messy mishmash of ingredients. John ate ravenously in silence. As he finished, Stephanie noticed a stain on his shirt. She grabbed a cloth and hesitantly started dabbing at it.
John tensed briefly at her touch, then relaxed. "You don't need to do that," he muttered.
"I want to," Stephanie replied firmly. "You fought hard to protect all of us. Let me help now."
As Stephanie tended to him, she glanced up, finding her face inches from John's. Before she could react, he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Startled at first, she soon melted into the passionate kiss, the room silent except for their breathing.
But as John's hands began wandering over her body, an uncomfortable tension seized Stephanie. She pulled back, pushing him away.
"What's wrong?" John asked, confusion creasing his brow.
"I...I don't know," Stephanie stammered. "I'm just not sure how I feel right now." She avoided his piercing gaze, flustered by her own uncertainty.
Stephanie hurried off, needing space to process the swirling emotions. Meanwhile, John watched her retreat with a puzzled look. He believed he understood her reservations. But he remained confident she would eventually be his.
Stephanie leaned against the outer wall, catching her breath. Everything was happening so fast in the wake of the attacks. While drawn to John's strength and magnetism, part of her hesitated, not ready to abandon herself to him yet, unsure of her role and her current relationship.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Thanks to everyone reading this! I know why you've all come here, don't worry. For now, I'm focusing on establishing the power system and the apocalyptic world, but we shall soon get some of those scenes you guys are likely waiting for. Bear with me for now!
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