I fell to my knees, breathless.
My entire body felt shattered, as if it had been pulverized by an unrelenting force. Not even the surge of adrenaline flooding my veins could dull the pain and exhaustion that consumed me to my core.
Above the goblin's corpse, a celestial blue flame formed, ethereal and pulsating. As I fully regained awareness of what had happened, a suffocating knot tightened in my stomach, but I refused to show any weakness, even to myself.
I forced myself to calm down and halt my movements, though my whole body trembled uncontrollably. The rock I had used as an improvised weapon slipped from my shaking fingers, falling to the ground with a dull thud that echoed in the sepulchral silence of that corridor.
My breathing was ragged and shallow. My heart pounded faster than my gasps, and as I gazed at the lifeless goblin beside me, the harsh reality of my actions struck me with devastating force: I had killed a living being with my own hands.
—Damn it —I murmured, bowing my head as the foreign blood dried on my skin.
I couldn't feign indifference; the corpse lying beneath my gaze was filthier than the rag that had covered it in life. The scene was grotesque, stirring an indescribable mix of repulsion and relief within me.
I realized I couldn't stay in this place. The metallic scent of blood was beginning to permeate the air, and every passing second increased the risk of attracting more creatures.
I forced myself to move, feeling an inexplicable pull toward that celestial flame hovering over the body. I approached with hesitant steps toward the faint blue fire that burned without consuming anything.
Driven by an impulse I didn't fully understand, I reached out toward it, moved by an almost childlike curiosity to uncover its nature. To my surprise, it radiated no heat; it didn't seem capable of burning.
Suddenly, my hand absorbed that celestial light as if my skin were a magnet for its essence. I froze, my eyes wide with shock. After a moment that felt eternal, the Tower's voice whispered in my ear, clear and crystalline:
[You have received the soul of a goblin.]
[Soul fragments: 1/10]
I needed ten fragments to level up or, in other words, to awaken. In simple terms, ten soul fragments equaled the stellar core of a third-evolution mutant. While it didn't seem like an exorbitant amount, for an ordinary being like me, it was no different from facing a death sentence.
And yet, awakening was merely a basic requirement to challenge the Tower's first trial. Without this fundamental step, it was impossible to clear the first floor in Hell mode.
As I meticulously analyzed my situation, I recalled that the Tower offered various types of rewards for defeating monsters.
One of them was souls, whose function was relatively simple: they served as points to increase an Ascendant's level of existence and abilities.
Stat points were important, of course, but soul fragments held incalculable value. These fragments were essential for learning and using abilities!
The required amount could vary significantly depending on the Ascendant's level and the degree of the ability one aimed to acquire.
If you chose the path of the mage, for example, you could learn different types of magic: fire, ice, wind, earth, among others. Selecting one and focusing exclusively on that single skill tree was the most effective strategy.
Mixing acquired magic types would prevent you from advancing efficiently in the skill tree or receiving the synergy effect gained from specializing in one type.
Anyone ascending the Tower could store soul fragments in their body and use them later. They could also trade them with other Ascendants.
In conclusion, souls were a vital currency in the Tower, serving both for personal enhancement and commercial exchange.
Setting these reflections aside, I scanned the surroundings for my lost spear.
Though I hadn't been able to use it due to the goblin's surprise attack, I was convinced it would prove useful in future confrontations. I've always firmly believed there are no useless weapons, only incompetent users.
I advanced cautiously while exploring the corridor. The passage was steeped in oppressive gloom, barely alleviated by the torches burning faintly on the walls, casting dancing shadows over the damp stone.
It didn't take long to find another goblin's corpse in a pool of black, viscous blood. Even among monsters, the relentless law of survival prevailed. There was something called evolution.
Ascendants had fixed stats that gradually increased as we raised our level of existence. Monsters, however, lacked predefined stats; instead, they had to fight fiercely to evolve into more powerful versions of themselves.
—This stench turns my stomach —I whispered, covering my nose with the back of my hand. The goblin emitted a nauseating odor of rotting fish, a smell that, unfortunately, wasn't entirely unfamiliar to me.
My spirit maintained its facade of bravery, whispering that I wouldn't succumb, no matter how many crimson eyes I faced. Naturally, I was deceiving myself; my mask of courage was no sturdier than wet paper.
I ignored the corpse and continued on my way. Further ahead, I spotted the silhouette of another goblin walking calmly, unaware of my presence.
It wore a rusty helmet and looked ahead cautiously, blood dripping from its notched sword. Its features were grotesque: yellowish fangs protruding from the corners of its mouth, red eyes glowing like burning embers, and bumps on its greenish skin speckled with dried blood.
Its limbs were thin and seemingly fragile; in terms of muscle mass, it likely didn't surpass that of an average adult man. Whether facing a primary or secondary school student, a well-placed sword thrust would suffice to end it.
The mere thought of attacking it made my legs tremble uncontrollably.
The atmosphere seemed to darken further, and I felt my breathing falter. A warm breath escaped my parched lips as I wondered: how much pain would I feel if that sword struck me?
I had no intention of finding out; it would be an unbearably painful experience.
I crept closer, observing the goblin's every movement while firmly gripping the handle of the recovered spear.
When I was close enough, I lunged at it with a swift, fluid motion. I raised the spear with precision and drove it into its unprotected back.
Explosion!
The sharp tip of my weapon pierced its flesh with disturbing ease, splattering blood in all directions. The goblin collapsed heavily, but I knew it still clung to a thread of life; I hadn't heard the Tower's message resonate in my mind.
I lifted my feet and stomped on it with savage determination as it lay helpless on the ground. Then, once more, I pierced its body with the spear I gripped firmly.
The flesh of its neck opened like a macabre flower, and its head separated from its torso, rolling across the floor as filthy blood gushed in spurts, splattering my face with a warm, viscous spray.
I closed my eyes reflexively, a fatal mistake that nearly cost me my life. The weight at the tip of my spear was greater than I had anticipated, and I felt my right shoulder twist painfully as it was lacerated by razor-sharp claws, even as I rolled backward after hastily releasing the weapon.
Another goblin had attacked me by surprise. All this happened in a fraction of a second.
Don't freeze!, I screamed at myself in desperation. Don't blink! Don't close your eyes! Watch until the end! If you look away, you'll die!
From my position on the ground, I grabbed the neck of the goblin that had pounced on me with both hands, barely managing to keep it from thrusting its head toward my face.
I stared in horror at its sharp teeth snapping inches from my face, its fetid saliva splattering my skin as it violently shook its head in an attempt to tear me apart.
I released its neck and delivered a forceful kick to its stomach, but the momentum was already pushing me inexorably backward. The moment I landed the kick, I fell heavily to the ground. As the goblin momentarily recovered, I desperately tried to reach my abandoned spear.
But at that precise moment, a blade grazed my nose, and I felt as if a block of ice formed in my chest. I had come within a millimeter of meeting death.
If I had been a fraction of a second slower…
—Piece of shit! —I roared as I hurled the iron spear with all my strength. The handle struck the goblin's helmet with a metallic clang that echoed through the corridor, causing it to stagger in disorientation.
Seizing its momentary confusion, I lunged at it and attacked with animal ferocity.
I took the dominant position and delivered a devastating punch to its face. With both knees pinning its shoulders, I crushed its nose with my hardened fist. A wet crunch sounded, and its nose sank into its skull, splattering blood in all directions.
Feeling as if my head were engulfed in flames, I stayed mounted on the goblin, pummeling it savagely like a deranged madman.
I completely forgot about the spear, fully aware that if I let my guard down even for a fleeting moment, I would perish right there.
I focused all my strength into each blow, continuing to punish its body until my knuckles threatened to fracture under the pressure.
After what seemed an eternity of unrestrained violence, I pulled away from the goblin and collapsed, exhausted, onto the ground. Every muscle in my body ached painfully, as if screaming in agony. The goblin, now unrecognizable beneath a mask of blood, twitched slightly before falling completely still.
The piercing metallic smell of blood flooding my nostrils caused intense dizziness, but I forced myself to rise with difficulty and absorbed the soul fragments from the two fallen goblins.
[Soul fragments: 3/10]