Solar Mage

Chapter 37: Corrupted Goblin Chieftain

I think I've heard about this before in the Study of Unexplained Mysteries before. There have been multiple sightings by adventurers who said they saw monsters that normally weren't purple, turn purple. None believed it at first but eventually they managed to catch one of them alive, they tested on it for days before the Monster suddenly died. But before the monster died, they finished their findings. In that experiment they found that the monster had black colored blood and its mana that spread all over its body, had weird properties. It was dark– almost evil– they called it. What was even weirder, after they dissected its corpse, they were unable to find its mana core. In the end, researchers labeled those with the symptoms, Corrupted Monsters. Its strength was multitudes of times stronger than the normal version of the beast.

The Goblin Chieftain, a high ranking monster that rarely appears in the Zidden Dungeon. From what I know about it, it's danger rating is B and I would say my chances of beating it alone would be around 80% but, in my current state– with less than half of my mana and my damaged body, it would drop to around 50%. That estimation barely has a foundation but if it's accurate and the Corrupted Monsters really are multiple times stronger, it would be considered an A rank monster, and my chances of winning would be less than 10%.

"Hooh, this danger and uncertainty of survival should be making me afraid– so why do I feel so excited?"

Cut to: My face, breathing heavily; smiling widely with excitement and eyes filled seemingly with strong desire.

"I want to kill it!"

Then the smile disappears.

What– was that?

I concentrate deeply but to no avail. I shake my head ferociously to snap myself out of it.

Forget it, I need to focus on the situation at hand. The monster seems to still be asleep so we might be able to get a surprise attack on it, maybe even killing it in one hit, before it even wakes up! But I need to get to Tin and Rachel first. If I attack it and it doesn't die in one attack, it will likely run away from me and attack Tin instead, who is injured, unlike me, and feast on his flesh. Except, I can't let that happen.

I stretch my legs a bit first.

I should've done this before I jumped down, but better late than never.

I activate Swift Wind and Heightened Senses.

I need to be extremely careful where I step, if I activate any traps, that could end up waking that corrupted beast.

I quickly made my way over to the dense dust cloud that had still not cleared up, where I thought Rachel was.

No traps so far? Maybe there really isn't any here.

I enter the dust cloud and whisper lightly.

"Psst. Rachel, where are you?"

"I'm over here."

She says in a normal voice.

"Be quieter, there is a sleeping monster here."

She gasps while I continue making my way to where I last heard her.

Ugh, I really can't see anything in this cloud–

I suddenly bump into something.

"Rachel? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

She replies a bit further than where my foot touched.

This must be Tin then.

I summon an orb of Dawn to be able to see in the dust cloud better.

That's a bit better.

"Come on, let's get Tin out of here."

Dawn lights up the dust cloud and allows more vision, but the dust still renders me unable to see clearly. I grab Tin's upper body while Rachel leads the way backwards, out of the dust cloud, carrying his lower body.

After making it out of the dust cloud, we set Tin on the wall and scout around the area.

"What's that?!"

She shrieks in a state of terror.

She must be looking at the sleeping Corrupted Goblin.

"You're talking about the giant purple goblin that's lying down right? That's the sleeping Corrupted Goblin Chieftain."

I say without my concentration on scouting breaking.

Ah, there's the exit, probably.

"Um, nameless, I think you're thinking of something else, because the giant purple goblin statue that I'm looking at is standing up and has its eyes open.

What?!

"GUAAAAAAARGHHHHH!!!"

The whole room tremors from its roar.

"Damn it, Rachel, run!!"

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Rachel is frozen in fear as the corrupted goblin chieftain charges at her, swinging it's club like a maniac.

Ugh, this annoying bastard! I have never put this spell into practice before, but there's no time to test it anymore!

Just as the monster is about to swing its club down at Rachel, I appear next to her in a ball of green particles.

"Sun's Gate!!!"

"CRACK!!!"

A large, translucent, orange gate constructed by two tower constructs appears in front of us, just barely forming in time to stop the Chieftain's swing. Rachel falls to the ground on her butt before scurrying back.

Haha, how do you like that? This is the complete stage one design of my fire pillar imitation! It's an indestructible gate resembling the light and heat of the sun and the fortifications of a castle gate. I'm a genius aren't I?

The goblin stumbles back a bit in its daze after failing to destroy something with all its strength and bouncing backwards. Immediately after regaining its balance, the beast goes in for another swing.

"WHOOOOOOOSH... CRACK!!!"

Cracks begin to form around the gate and its supporting towers.

Am I just imagining it, or is my indestructible gate being broken? I'll have to fix that problem later. But for now, I need to take care of this monster. Let's not play with it too much, I don't want any unforeseen incidents occurring.

Three Dawns appear, forming a triangle shape, locked onto one point. Just before they fire, the Goblin goes in for one last swing.

All of them, aim for its chest, where it's manaheart is.

In a split second, the Dawns turn from orbs into beams into beams and shoot toward the center of the monster's chest as it brings its club down. Then, the area is covered in a thick dust cloud as the monster's club strikes.

"CRACCKK... BOOOOOM!!!"

Did it die? It seems like my indestructible gate was destroyed so I'll need to work on that. How could it have possibly broken though–

My thought is cut short as my heightened senses suddenly activate and I instinctively activate Iron Body.

A massive wooden swooshes through the air, dispersing the dust cloud around it with its incredible force, right before it reaches its end goal of striking me. Just before striking, I noticed its bare chest through the dissipated dust cloud.

Impossible... my magic barely left a mark?!

"WHOOOOOSH... WHAM!!!"

I fly through the air at extreme speeds.

"Fwoooooooooooshhhhhhh"

My flight comes to an immediate stop as I hit the wall on the complete opposite end of the room.

"BOOOOOOOM!!"

Oh you bastard, I barely even felt a tickle from that, but it's bringing back memories that I have a hard time recalling. So it's really on now.

I enhance my legs with aura and use Swift Wind. Then, surpassing my maximum leg strength for a single second, I jump out of the small crater in the wall, in a straight line back to the now, near dissipated dust cloud, as if gravity had no effect on me.

If the skin is too tough for my magic to affect it, then I just need to attack someplace else!

The dust cloud completely dissipates as I continue to soar through the air.

Rachel! That dirty goblin dares to try to hurt her? I will definitely torment you for a long time before killing you. Hahaha!

Flames begin to spew out of my eyes once again.

Haha, yes! I feel so much stronger! This gives me an idea as well.

I summon two orbs of dawn, but instead of turning them into beams and shooting them out, they are condensed into an arrow shape.

This would normally make the result worse, but I'm not aiming to try to hurt its body, I'm aiming for something specific. And there are only two possible outcomes. Whether it works, or it doesn't. And my calculations say that this shape will generate the outcome I want with a higher probability of success.

Then, I envelop the arrows in a swirling flame before firing them. They travel at higher speeds than me, and have their course set to where the goblin will be in two seconds.

As long as this dumb monster moves at a constant rate, all will be okay.

The goblin does not notice the arrows approaching him and continues to move slowly and steadily. Then, the arrows strike.

"GUAAAARRGHHHH!!!"

The monster screams, the air itself trembling, from the monster's voice-caused vibrations, while it holds its burning eyes.

How do you like that? Your skin may be tough but your skin isn't the only exposed part of your body! Blame your own stupidity for getting hit.

"Sage, Dustin's Sword!"

Dustin's sword is taken out of the inventory and appears in my hands.

This is the end, monster!

I rapidly approach the defenseless, blind monster and descend through the air, aimed down at its chest and pierce its center.

"GAAAAUUUU"

Yes!

The beast howled in pain, but didn't fall.

Why is this monster not falling down? I pierced his mana core– wait, come to think of it, I didn't feel my sword pierce through anything other than flesh!

The monster begins to move its arms trying to swat me away.

Crap, I need to get out of this situation quickly!

I struggle immensely as I try to pull the sword out of its flesh.

Why– won't– it– come– out?!?!

His palm, the size of my entire body, smacks his upper chest, just above the sword. Immediately, I duck down, while hanging from under the sword as he strikes himself.

I will probably be crushed if I get hit by that. I need to pull this sword out, now!

I suddenly gain a realization in my struggle of trying to release the sword.

Wait– how could I forget something so important? Corrupted Monsters don't have mana cores!

I kick myself off its body before it swings at me again.

I'm sorry Dustin, your sword will be sitting in corrupted mana for a bit.

"Rachel, I know you're scared but I need you to get up! I won't be able to win this without you!"

She hesitantly rises and backs away.

All right, good. I need you to get me Tin's axe.

She doesn't say anything but I hear her frantic steps as she runs.

"Looks like I'm going to have to fight you without any weapons.

"GUARGHHHH!!!"

It cries out.

How annoying. The first thing I'm cutting off when I defeat you, is definitely going to be your tongue.

I use Swift Wind and stay as silent as possible.

Yeah, you've lost your eyes so it's impossible for you to detect me anymore. All you can do now is to wait for your eventual death once I get my axe.

My heightened senses activate out of nowhere and I jump to the right, just barely managing to dodge the goblin's swing.

What the hell was that? I made no sound and he couldn't see me! Could it be– he's detecting me through smell? Ugh... how disgusting...

He tries, and tries again. But he fails each time as I swiftly dodge.

"Come on, I was a bit worried for a second, but it looks like I was just overreacting. Try harder, why don't you?"

It swings furiously once more, but misses again. Then, Rachel comes along while dragging Tin's giant axe. I run over to her.

"Thank you, this was very brave of you."

She doesn't respond and runs back to Tin.

"Hoh see what you've done now? I am really, really going to enjoy this."

I say as I slowly walk toward the beast, with the roles of predator and prey now reversed. As I pick up my pace, the monster begins to move backwards. Eventually, it starts crawling on all four limbs to get away.

After having my way with it, its remains lay on the platform it was sleeping on in the beginning, that are now just a torso with its legs and arms gone, and a scar in the middle of its chest where my sword pierced through. The only thing left other than its torso being its head.

What stupidly fast regeneration, after losing its limbs, it has already healed the area of the wound and stopped the blood flow. Of course, I am in no position to be saying that because I have a greater regeneration than even that.

"Well, I've done everything I wanted to do to get revenge on you, so I feel satisfied now."

I look over at Rachel who is helping the now-awake Tin heal his legs.

"Do either of you want to do anything to him before I end his miserable life?"

"No, I'm fine."

Tin says, weakly.

Rachel however, gets up and picks up a large fragment broken off the even larger club and without hesitation, stabs the goblin through its mouth. The goblin tries a desperate scream, but doesn't manage a sound.

"I'm finished."

She says while walking back, unfazed from the previous situation.

Wow, she is ruthless. Well, it's better to see her like this than for her to be terrified at least. Time to finish this.

I raise the axe to swing but abruptly, I drop the axe and fall to the ground while holding my head as the lost information rushes into my head like a waterfall.

"AAACCKKKKKK!!!"

I scream while writhing on the ground as saliva leaks from my wide opened, screaming mouth.

Tin and Rachel come to my side and try to calm me, and hold me still, but their attempt does not succeed.

Several minutes pass, Tin is sitting, leaned on a pillar, while Rachel continues to pray. Out of nowhere, my endless, endless loud screams come to a halt and my eyes force themselves open.

"Hufff— Hufff— Hufffff—"

My head aches with terrible, but more bearable pain.

Ughhh my head!! I can't believe I forgot all that! That despicable demon put that injury on me and even erased my memory, I almost let him take over again by killing this monster. I was uncertain what caused these outbursts before, but I am certain that it doesn't just come out randomly, but when I'm fighting. More specifically– when I'm about to finish an opponent off. Does this mean I can never kill anyone ever again? No. That just means, I need someone else to do it for me. Out of everything in the memory I regained, the one that makes no sense, no matter how much I think about it, I can't figure out what that demon meant by heir.

I look beside me and see the corpse of the Corrupted Goblin Chief, with its head now severed.

Thank goodness, it would've been terrible if I had to see its ugly face staring back at me right after I woke up.

"You're awake."

I look up and see Tin's eyes focused on me.

"Yeah."

"So, what was that? I can't tell if your actions have just been changed because you're unused to the dungeon life or because of something else."

Should I tell him the truth?

"Yeah– I think that it's just that being in a dungeon for so long is affecting my mental health."

I pause momentarily before speaking again.

"Actually– I think there's a demon that's trying to take control of my body who takes control, momentarily, when I'm about to kill someone."

He pauses again but then opens a compartment in his armor and takes out a bottle with a kind of clear liquid inside.

What is that? Is that just water? There's no way he has a compartment just for water though.

He rips the cork out with his teeth and chugs the whole bottle in one gulp.

"Haaaa, that's some strong liquor. God I really needed that."

What the hell? He stored alcohol there?

The air around him changes.

Wait– instead of acting like a drunk guy, it feels like that one night where he told me about his dream. Maybe he's going to impart some kind of knowledge onto me again?

Then, Tin opens his mouth, as if about to speak.

"Buuuuurrp!"

Maybe not...

"Listen, if what you're saying is true, and a demon really does take over your body when you're about to kill someone, I don't think it's specifically that scenario. Think, has there been any other time other than when you're about to kill someone that you suddenly feel like you're not yourself?"

There was that time when the D Rank adventurer was arguing with Amy, that I suddenly felt the urge.

"Yeah!"

He shakes the near empty bottle of alcohol into his mouth and a few drops fall out. He uses his tongue to lick the outside of his mouth, trying to get all the alcohol.

What the hell is this guy's obsession with alcohol? I would have rathered him to bring more alcohol instead of having to witness this disgusting, desperate scene...

"Do you remember what emotion you felt before you lost yourself?"

"Yeah, I remember feeling rage."

"Then it looks like what causes your demon to take over is when you feel rage."

What the hell kind of advice is that? Isn't he just drunk? I already knew it had something to do with anger. Wait– he might be onto something– if I remember correctly, the demon who attacked me called himself the Sin of Wrath. Aha, all the pieces are coming together now!

"So it seems. Do you have any advice on what I should do now? To fix it?"

He shakes the empty bottle of alcohol upside down, above his mouth.

"I do have an idea, but you have to trust me on this. Even if I don't look like much, I've traveled the world more than I've done adventuring."

What does that even mean? Those are both the same thing!

"You must think I'm crazy-drunk right now but when I'm drunk, that's when my mind is the most active. I've ventured out into the Balid Temple before."

I've heard of that temple before, it's one of the biggest temples located in the southern kingdoms.

"It was like a school but instead of learning about magic or writing, all you did was meditate and repeat the same teachings verbally every day. But, there, I also saw something I wasn't allowed to. On my visit, I accidentally peeked into the training room where they said only the monks there were allowed to go in. I don't think anyone saw me but I will forever remember it."

He stops midway and grabs the water pouch on his waist and drains it into his mouth.

"Ha, much better. In the room, there were monks that sat in a fire, who looked extremely malnourished, about three times as skinny as you. Despite all of that, those monks sat in the fire and continued chanting, their faces unfazed and completely focused. I think the thing you're missing is mental strength. You're smart, but that does not mean you can defend yourself from mental attacks. What you need to do is to meditate to strengthen your mind, instead of your mana. Instead of clearing your mind, you need to focus on it."

Focusing instead of clearing the mind huh? I've never thought about that. Should I try it right now–

We sit in silence after witnessing that powerful quote then, Tin speaks up, becoming sober again and returning to his unserious side.

"Or at least, that's what the monk sitting outside the temple, below the stairs said to me, haha."

This crazy, drunk old man!!