Look at everything and then take the action that works best – as quickly as possible. Following the rules of action engraved in his mind, Lin Yiyan's eyes widened and he clicked the situation like a wide-angle camera. The vault is basically circular and has a diameter of about fifty meters. The ground was covered in a thick layer of ice, but the central part cracked a large piece, revealing a blue-black surface of the water.

The orange light came from the two campfires that had been eaten all over the place. In the black iron cage, the firewood was crackling and burning. Also, around the two campfires, sat a group of things that were in the form of humans, but were clearly neither humans nor beasts. The number is more than thirty.

Everyone, or every one, is not very big. The head of the guy standing was only at the height of my chest. But their slightly hunched bodies were quite sturdy laterally, especially the strangely looking arms and hands with sharp claws at the tip that seemed to tear anything. They were dressed in shiny leather armor, and around their waists were a mixture of furs, bones, and small bags. And - a rough but powerful forged sword.

The skin is dull grayish-green with sparse bristles. Without exception, the heads are smooth and bald, except for the long hairs that grow like dense subway silk next to the pointed ears. There are no eyebrows, and under the protruding forehead are a pair of eyes that are too large to match the whole body, with a cloudy yellow.

It's incredibly anomalous—and it's something I've been used to for years.

They are completely low-level monsters that Lin Yiyan is familiar with, even if they will inevitably appear in RPGs-goblins. While realizing this, Lin Yiyan relaxed a little. Goblins are basically monsters that are used by beginners to practice and earn experience points, and their ability points are usually set very low.

However, this reassurance only lasted until the one closest to Lin Yiyan and Ugeo spotted us and turned his gaze. Feeling the emotion emerging from that guy's yellow eyes, Lin Yiyan felt that even his bone marrow was frozen. There was suspicion and surprise in its eyes, followed by cruel joy and bottomless hunger. Lodged enough to shiver like a worm stuck in the web of a large spider.

These guys are also shaking light? Lin Yiyan suppressed the horror in his heart and said in surprise.

It took less than a second to make eye contact with the goblin, and in front of Lin Yiyan, who didn't know what to do and could only stand still, the goblin made a chirping sound—maybe it was laughter, and stood up.

Then, it says, "Hey, look! What's going on today, two more white neum imps are coming! ”

Suddenly, the vault was filled with chirping and grinning cries. From the closer, the goblins stood up one by one with their brute knives in one hand, giving out a hungry look.

"What should I do, take them away too?" The goblin shouted at the beginning. There was a howl from behind, and all the goblins stopped laughing. Emerging from the horde of monsters that split into two sides was a circle of goblins that were larger than the others and looked like commander-level goblins.

Only this guy is armed with metal scale armor and has a decorative feather in the primary color on his forehead. The red eyes under the feathers radiate the overwhelming evil and ice-like intellect that makes people almost faint with their gaze. The corners of the Goblin Captain's mouth curled up, revealing his yellow crooked teeth, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Even if the male Neum brings it back, he won't be able to sell it for a few bucks." It's too much trouble, kill them on the spot and turn them into meat. ”

"Where's Celka?" Ignoring this surprising word, Lin Yiyan turned his consciousness to the scene in front of him. Following the Goblin Captain's instructions, four of his men dragged their blades in tow. Slowly, tooth-baring and smiling, seemingly intent on killing us.

The eyes of the other twenty or so goblins by the pool also showed excited looks, and their mouths let out a cheer, and behind them, Lin Yiyan finally found what he was looking for. Although he couldn't see clearly in the darkness, Serka, dressed in black monastic robes, was lying on a rudimentary cart. Her body was tied with straw ropes, and her eyes were closed, but from the look on her face, she was supposed to have just passed out.

In retrospect, the Goblin Captain said that the male 'Newm' - presumably a human - could not be sold even if he brought it back, so he killed him on the spot.

On the other hand, the woman will be sold. They plan to kidnap Serka and sell it as a commodity in the Dark Realm. If they continue like this and do nothing, Lin Yiyan and Ugeo will probably be killed. However, the fate that awaits Serka may be even more cruel than death. This kind of thing, Lin Yiyan absolutely can't treat it as a part of the simulation and die. Absolutely not. Because she's just as human as she is - a twelve-year-old girl.

In that case, what to do—

"Only one." Lin Yiyan whispered. Beside him, Eugeo's body, which was also frozen, shuddered violently. Definitely save Serka. Even at the cost of blocking their own lives.

Of course, it's not that simple. The gap in combat effectiveness was too huge, and in the face of the thirty goblins armed with brute knives and armor, Lin Yiyan didn't even have a single wooden stick on his side. Even if so, be sure to get on. What caused this situation was Lin Yiyan's careless words.

"Eugeo." With his eyes fixed on the front, he whispered quickly, "Listen, let's go rescue Selka." Don't move now. ”

Immediately got an "um" answer. As I thought, he was quite strong in his steadyness.

"I counted to three, and I crashed into the four in front of me and broke through them. There is a gap in physique, as long as you are not afraid to shrink your hands and feet, you will definitely succeed. Then I threw the bonfire on the left, you on the right, into the pool. Don't throw away that bright grass. When the fire was extinguished, he picked up his sword from the ground and guarded my back. Don't force them down. I took this opportunity to clean up the big one. ”

“…… I've never wielded a sword. ”

"Same as an axe. On the ...... One, two, three! Although it was on ice, neither Lin Yiyan nor Ugeo skidded and ran at top speed. Praying that this luck could continue to the end, Lin Yiyan shouted from the dantian.

"Uh-oh!!" A shot late, Yugeo also 'Wow aa The earth cried out. Although it was a bit like screaming, it seemed to have an effect, and the four goblins stood still with rounded yellow-green eyes. Perhaps it wasn't the shouting, though, that it was because of the surprise that 'Newm's little imp' had given up his life.

After running ten steps, Lin Yiyan lowered his body, aimed at the gap between the goblin on the far left and the goblin next to it, and sprinted forward with his right shoulder and collided with all his might. Perhaps due to the surprise and the correction of the size gap, the two goblins spun in circles and skated on the ice with their hands and feet around. Glancing to the side, Yugeo's charge was beautifully successful, and the two goblins slid away like turtles that had flipped over.

Lin Yiyan's footsteps did not stop, and he continued to accelerate towards the goblin circle. Luckily, those guys weren't very responsive to changes in the situation, and they didn't stand up yet, including the captain, but just stared blankly. That's right, just stay still. Lin Yiyan prayed like a curse, running through the gap between the goblins for the last few meters.

At this time, probably with a slightly higher intelligence than the other guys, the Goblin Captain's angry voice rang out.

"Don't let them get close to the fire—" But, a little finished. Lin Yiyan and Yugeo rushed to the campfire and kicked them down in the water. There were a lot of sparks scattered, and two clusters of flames sank into the water, leaving a thud and a white vapor extinguished.

The vault was plunged into complete darkness for a moment—and then a hazy blue-white light dispelled the darkness. It was the light of the dogtail that Yugeo was holding in his left hand.

At this time, there were two flukes. The surrounding goblins let out a high-pitched scream, some covering their faces, and some turning their backs. As far as the eye could see, even the Goblin Captain facing the pool turned his body upside down and covered his eyes with his left hand.

Yi Yan...... This is......?! Yugeo whispered in surprise. Lin Yiyan replied to him briefly, "Probably...... Those guys are scared of this light, now is the chance! ”

Lin Yiyan picked up a large iron plate-like crude straight sword and a curved knife with a wide front from the weapons haphazardly stacked around the pool, and stuffed the knife into Yugeo's hand.

"This knife is used in the same way as an axe. Listen, just use the light of the dogtail to drive the approaching guy away. ”

"Easy ...... What about Yi Yan? ”

"Down with that guy." He replied briefly, and took a step towards the Goblin Captain, who was glaring through his fingers covering his face. Lin Yiyan held the straight line with both hands and waved it left and right quickly. Contrary to its appearance, it lacks a bit of a feel, but it's much better than the overweight Sword of the Green Rose.

"Whoa! Nyum's imp...... Do you want to take on my lizard killer, Lord Ugaqi! The captain stared at Lin Yiyan, who was slowly approaching, and yelled. At the same time, with a bang, he pulled out the huge brute knife at his waist. The pitch-black knife was covered with rusty blood, with an unusual force.

Can you win——?!

Faced with an enemy who was not much taller but whose weight and muscle mass were far superior to him, he was timid for a moment. But Lin Yiyan immediately gritted his teeth and continued to move forward. If you don't defeat this guy here and rescue Serka, it's like coming to this world just to bring her the worst fate. Size is not an issue. In the old Ian Grant, Lin Yiyan had also fought countless battles with enemies three or four times larger than him. In the condition that you only need to lose once and you will really die.

"That's not right! Not against you – but against you! Half yelling at the captain and half at himself, Lin Yiyan rushed across the remaining distance in one go.

Take a big step with your left foot and aim your sword at the enemy's left shoulder and slash down diagonally. Although he didn't underestimate the other party, the Goblin Captain's reaction was still faster than expected. It ignored Lin Yiyan's attack and swung his brute knife flatly, and Lin Yi lowered his body just to dodge. The hair was swept to one strand, and there was a tearing feeling. Although the sword hit, it only shattered the metal shoulder armor.

If you stop, you will be overwhelmed by the force, with this thought, Lin Yiyan lowered his center of gravity and turned to the enemy's side, aiming at the flank of the big empty door and slashing horizontally. This time, too, although it had a feel, it didn't penetrate the rudimentary scale armor, and only five or six pieces of armor flew away.

Sharpen your knives! Lin Yiyan scolded the owner of the sword in his heart, and at the same time took the knife that would dodge the counterattack that fell from his head. The blade's heavy blade pierced deep into the ice plate beneath the ground, and once again shuddered at the goblin's arm.

It can't be solved with a single attack. Make this judgment and take a big step forward to launch a counterattack before the goblin recovers from his stupor. Half of the body moves automatically, ready to reproduce the movements that have been performed countless times in other worlds. A special move in the name of 'sword skills'.

At this moment, a completely unexpected phenomenon occurred. Lin Yiyan's sword emitted a very faint but certainly present light. At the same time, the body flashed at a speed beyond the physical laws of this world. It's almost as if someone is pushing behind with an invisible hand.

The first blow of the upward slash from the lower right position swept past the enemy's left foot, stopping him from his movements.

The second blow, swept from left to right, slipped through the breastplate of the armor, skimming the flesh inside.

The third blow of the sand, which was quickly slashed from the upper right, cut off the enemy's left arm, raised to prepare for defense, a little below the elbow.

The blood that burst out of the cut off was pitch black in the blue-white light. The goblin's left hand grunted and spun into the pool on the left, making a heavy thud of water.

- Win!

While being so convinced, Lin Yiyan was deeply shocked.

The attack just now...... The one-handed sword triple combo 'Sharp nail' isn't just a façade, it's the real thing. During the slash, the blade left a trail of red light in the air, and Lin Yiyan's five bodies were accelerated by the invisible force. In other words, "Light Effects" and "System Assistance".

In other words, in this world, there are sword skills in the underlld. Swordsmanship is programmed into the system that moves the world. This phenomenon cannot be explained simply by 'reproducing it through imagination'. Because I barely realized what the technique I was unleashing was. The system detected Lin Yiyan's initial pattern, activated his sword skills, and corrected his movements through assistance. If this were not the case, this phenomenon would not have happened.

However, if this is the case, there is a new doubt.

Yesterday, in order to cut down the Demon Tree Kigascida, he used "Sword of the Green Rose" to use the one-handed straight sword technique 'Horizontal'. It's a less difficult beginner than Sharp nail - just a horizontal slash. However, the system did not help itself. The sword did not shine, the body did not accelerate, the blade completely deviated from the target, and he fell down ugly.

But why is it possible to use sword skills now? Because this is actual combat? But how exactly does the system tell if a player is fighting seriously ......?

To make these thoughts, Lin Yiyan only spent a blink of an eye. In the old SAO, this was not a flaw at all. Because he is in the middle of a stiffness after a combo, and the enemy is knocked back by a lot of damage, he can't move for a while. But - in this world, even if there is sword skill, it is not a VRMMO game. Lin Yiyan foolishly forgot about this.

The Goblin Captain, whose left arm was chopped off, was different from the polygonal monster and didn't stop even for a moment. There was neither wincering nor emptiness in its glittering yellow eyes, only an overwhelming hatred rolling. Black blood erupted from the wound, and a burning roar erupted from the mouth.

"Gollum!!" Swiftly wielding the brute knife in his right hand. Facing the heavy blades flying horizontally, Lin Yiyan couldn't completely dodge. Approaching the tip, it swept over his left shoulder, and the pressure alone knocked it out more than two meters, slamming it into the ice with its back.

At this point, the Goblin Captain finally leaned down, held the brute knife in his mouth, and held the section of his left arm with his right hand. A terrible creaking sound sounded. The Goblin Captain crushed the flesh with all his might, and in turn stopped the bleeding. His movements are clearly not uniform AI. Right...... Lin Yiyan should have noticed the inherent name of 'Ugaqi' in that guy's newspaper. This is not a battle between players and monsters, but between people with weapons.

"Yi Yan! Got beaten!! In the distance, Yugeo was holding a curved knife in his right hand and glowing grass in his left hand to contain his goblin men.

Lin Yiyan wanted to answer, 'It's just a bruise', but his stiff tongue couldn't move as he thought in his heart, so he only made a trembling sound and nodded. In order to stand up and hold the ice with one hand, the moment -

A burning sensation that seemed to burn all the nerves in the body popped out from his left shoulder, and sparks appeared in his vision. I couldn't help but shed tears, and a whimper appeared in my throat.

What - a sharp pain!

Far beyond the limits of patience. Nothing can be done but curl up on the ice and repeat shallow breaths. Even so, he struggled to turn his head and look at the injury to his left shoulder. I saw that the sleeves of the tunic were completely torn, and there was a large ugly wound on the exposed skin. It's more like a torn wound like a giant hook than a knife wound. The skin and the flesh underneath were sliced off entirely, and bright red blood spurted out in an endless stream. The left arm was left with a feeling of paralysis and heat, and the fingertips were as if they were no longer their own.

This world is really too real, if this is in the real world, how can I be bullied by this kind of early mob goblin? How did they kill each other! Bastard, I can't use any strength, it feels like returning to the novice village in an instant, and then meeting the big boss!

After complaining, desperately looking away from the wound, Lin Yiyan smiled self-deprecatingly.

Blurred by tears, Ugaqi stopped the bleeding of his severed left hand and looked at Lin Yiyan quietly. The anger radiating from its eyes seemed to vibrate the air around it. It put the knife in its mouth into its right hand and swung it with a stroke.

“…… This humiliation will not be repaid if you are dismantled and eaten clean...... But anyway, let's do it first. Ugaqi whirled his knife over his head and slowly approached.