Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer

Chapter 107

To gauge the situation and buy time for Pyne and the others to evacuate, Tenji sent the Goblins to charge several times, prepared to die if necessary.

However, even among first-class monsters, the so-called Devil, the Black Keroberos, made quick work of the first Goblin squad led by the little Goblin. In fact, the Goblins do not possess the fear of death, but rather, each of them has the determination to risk everything for their master. They hope to be useful to their master and to be summoned again in the future.

Tenji carefully observed the Black Keroberos, considering how to build his strategy. However, even without its lower jaw, the Black Keroberos proved impervious to the strength of the Goblins. It seemed to regard them as nothing more than annoying flies.

[Well, a second squad won't be able to do anything. The Goblins are only second or half-third-grade level combatants, after all. There's no other choice. Hmm, I've decided. The Goblins will serve as a diversion... I'll have to defeat it with just Goblin-kun, Goblin-chan, and myself.]

Then, he saw Pyne and the others successfully evacuate from the corner of his eye. He took a deep breath and focused all of his nerves on the Black Keroberos before him.

Without breaking eye contact with his enemy, he spent 100 points to summon the first Goblin squad again. He then issued orders to the Goblins that emerged from the gate of hell.

"Stay alert and disperse in a surprise attack formation! 2-1 formation!"

Hearing Tenji's words as their master, all of the Goblins' feelers twitched in response. With high-level coordination, they encircled the Black Keroberos, maintaining a moderate distance while surrounding it completely.

The Black Keroberos showed signs of agitation at this sudden, bizarre behavior. Moving its three heads around restlessly, it watched the small Goblins surrounding it.

The Goblins, whom it had easily defeated with its overwhelming power just moments ago, had suddenly been resurrected and now stood in opposition. This sight caused the Black Keroberos to feel a slight unease.

"No."

If it's going to be revived, then just strike at its source...

The newly born Black Keroberos quickly came to this realization and directed its six ruby-like eyes, located on its three heads, towards Tenji who emitted a particularly strong aura of a powerful individual.

'Equal... No, that person is weaker than me.'

Using its sensory organ unique to monsters, Black Keroberos instantly made this judgment.

However...

In any era, when the strengths are evenly matched, it's always about quantity over quality.

"Heavenly Star Release! Lift the ground!"

A command that was so powerful it felt like it was a magical spell.

In an instant, a deep purple haze rose up from the bodies of all the Goblins that surrounded the area.

At the same time, their eyes and horns, which had been a mixture of red and purple, changed to a vivid red color.

"GRrrrrrooOOOO!?"

In response to this sudden and bizarre situation, Black Keroberos let out a cry of surprise.

When Tenji spoke some words, the presence of the Goblins around him grew stronger.

"Rock Breaker," a heavenly star skill specific to Hell Beasts.

By consuming 100 MP of the Goblins, it temporarily enhances their attack power by 3 times for 60 seconds.

Their original attack value was around 300 on average, but it jumped up to nearly 900 for a while.

A status value of 900 is equivalent to that of a professional third-grade explorer. However, Hell Beasts are represented by a different standard than that of the Earth, and are represented by the standard of Hell.

In other words, their attack power temporarily rose to that of a professional second-grade explorer.

At second grade, they are at the very edge of what is possible to attack against Black Keroberos.

Realizing this fact, Black Keroberos pondered how to break through this situation.

But it was soon overwhelmed.

"Grr, GloOOOO!?"

Suddenly, their body was thrown into the air. No, that wasn't quite it. The surrounding Goblins forcibly stuck their hands into the hard ground and, with the stupidly strong power of 40 of them, lifted the ground beneath the Black Keroberos and hurled it high into the air. Normal monsters couldn't understand human language, so understanding Tenji's instructions was impossible.

Disoriented and with their heart pounding, the young man disappeared from view.

"Dull," a voice was heard from outside of Black Keroberos' vision as it was thrown into the air. The next moment, a dark Red Dagger pierced one of Black Keroberos' eyes. Tenji then activated the skill "No Guidance" and spun the sword rapidly inside the wound, directly disrupting its brain function.

The excruciating pain that rushed through its head was shared among all three of its heads, resulting in a roar of pain with an overwhelming "strength" compared to its previous howls.

The skill "Devil Dog's Fury" was automatically activated as Black Keroberos' fur, originally waving like black heat, began to burn more fiercely, and its red eyes changed slightly to a deep shade of vermilion.

The pressure that was released from its body was like a shock wave, causing Tenji, who had jumped and taken a stance in mid-air, to be blown away and sent crashing into a nearby tree. Although the tree's branches and leaves cushioned his fall and prevented serious injury, he felt pain in his ribs.

"What kind of attack is this? Ah, did I crack a rib?"

Many types of monsters can launch magic and long-range attacks. However, Tenji had never experienced an attack that was like an invisible "pressure". It was no wonder that he couldn't evade it. He quickly summoned a HP recovery demon lantern from the "Hell Granny's Shop" and gulped it down.

"Then a warm mist-like substance began to flow through his body, and the area around his cracked ribs that had been hurting began to squirm. And in just a few seconds, the cracked ribs were healed.

At that moment, a black laser attack approached in front of Tenji, who had collapsed in the woods.

"Watch out!"

He held up the Red Demon Dagger just in time to fend off the surprise attack.

The smell of burning iron rose in the air, and Tenji quickly made a decision.

[Black Keroberos seems to have higher sensing abilities. If I can't see him, I have no chance of winning.]

Standing up on a thick branch, he easily cut it off with the Red Demon Dagger, and immediately landed on the open ground in his field of vision.

Although the branch had been cut off as a dummy just in case of attack, the Black Keroberos did not attempt a surprise attack.

And there was a hole about 30 meters away in the ground, where he was.

"Well, yeah."

Looking at the scene, Tenji muttered as if it were natural.

There was not a single Red Demon in sight, and Tenji, who felt the sensation of the Goblins falling one after another, guessed that they had been killed by a colorless and transparent area attack.

Currently, the Black Keroberos's level is in a different league compared to its previous state, and its presence told the story.

[Now, what to do...)]

Honestly, the Goblins won't even be able to buy time with the Black Keroberos in its current state of rage.

"Groooaaaarrr!"

The head that was bleeding a considerable amount of red from its eyes growled menacingly as if to intimidate.

It looks as if it wants to say it's my turn now.

"So this is where the real rematch starts?"

Tenji also determined his heart to match the mood.

He lowers his Red Demon Dagger and takes a superior posture against the quadruped monster.

If fair and square doesn't work, he can use a surprise attack with the Goblins.

Speed and attack power are evenly matched.

No, the attack value is a little bit more.

All other stats are inferior.

What comes next is a true one-on-one battle where lives are on the line.

To avoid revealing his intention, Tenji smiled with his mouth upturned.

"Now, come. It's time for me to kill you and settle the score with myself."

"GROOOOOOOOAAAARRR!!"