Swish!
The one-eyed goblin hadn't finished speaking when its shadow twisted unnaturally. The next moment, Kaito emerged from the darkness, his dagger poised at the goblin's throat.
Clang!
Steel met steel as a silver sword blocked Kaito's strike. A powerful figure loomed before him — the Goblin Knight.
"Trying to kill someone in front of me?" the Goblin Knight sneered. His eyes narrowed, voice sharp with disdain.
With a powerful swing, the Goblin Knight struck. Kaito barely registered the force before he was flung against the stone wall.
Bang!
"Kaito!" Rosentine's voice trembled with panic. She rushed to his side, magic already glowing from her hands.
"Don't..." Kaito rasped. But Rosentine's magic wrapped around him, healing his battered body.
"Please," Rosentine begged, gripping his arm tightly. "You can't win this."
In the weeks since their escape, Rosentine had come to see Kaito as her own son. She knew what the Goblin Knight was — a high-ranking warrior, far beyond Kaito's current strength.
"Mom... don't cry," Kaito whispered. He reached up, wiping her tears with bloodstained fingers. For a moment, she froze, then grasped his hand tightly.
The Goblin Knight chuckled darkly.
"So, you understand Elvish, do you?" His grin widened. "That's good. It'll make things easier. Step aside and let me take her."
His voice dropped to a cold snarl. "Today she's going to the breeding pits. Plenty of goblins are waiting."
Before the words had finished, Kaito was already moving.
Swish!
Kaito's blade lashed out again, but the Goblin Knight easily parried the strike.
"Not bad," the knight muttered, blocking a flurry of attacks. "You're stronger than before."
"Why?" Kaito demanded through gritted teeth, his attacks intensifying. "Why tell me about her fate?"
"Because," the Goblin Knight sneered, "I knew it would drive you mad."
Fury surged through Kaito. His blade danced faster, relentless as a storm. The Goblin Knight's smug grin faltered as the attacks came faster... and faster.
"You've improved... but not enough," the knight barked. With a powerful swing, he found an opening and struck.
Bang!
Kaito blocked just in time, but the impact sent him hurtling back into the wall. Before the Goblin Knight could press the attack, Kaito lashed out again — but this time, his blade struck elsewhere.
Thunk!
The one-eyed goblin — once a taunting presence — collapsed, a knife buried deep in its skull.
"What?!" The Goblin Knight's eyes widened. "That was your plan all along..."
The ground trembled beneath Kaito's feet. A pulse of power surged from his core. The Goblin Knight's confidence wavered.
"What... what is this?"
The Voice of the World rang in Kaito's mind.
[Congratulations on killing the Goblin. Based on the effect of your skill "Predation," you have gained 1 point of strength.]
[Your strength exceeds the limit.]
[Beginning to break through race stage restrictions.]
[Applying... application failed.]
[Applying... application failed.]
[Applying... application successful.]
[You have broken through your race's limit with your own strength.]
[You have evolved from the infancy stage to the growth stage.]
[Your stage limit has increased.]
[As a result of surpassing all three attribute limits, you have earned additional rewards.]
[Your rewards are accumulating...]
[You have unlocked a new talent: Magic Affinity.]
[You have unlocked a new talent: Magic Control (D).]
[Due to the influence of your special talent "King Seed," your growth path has shifted slightly.]
A deafening crack split the air as lightning snaked around Kaito's body. Arcs of blue-white light danced along his arms, illuminating the dark chamber.
His body changed before Rosentine's eyes — muscles tightened, limbs lengthened. His hunched frame straightened, and his once-gaunt face sharpened into something noble yet fierce. Kaito now stood over 1.4 meters tall — no longer a frail boy but a warrior in the making.
His skin gleamed like polished jade, and his sharp teeth, once twisted and gnarled, aligned into a clean row of lethal points. His emerald eyes flashed with power.
Though still a goblin, Kaito now radiated strength, confidence, and something else — something far greater than the creature he had once been.