“My name is Kobalos (κόβαλος).”
The Elder Goblin introduced himself.
Seo Jeongin quickly searched up Kobalos.
[The word "goblin" is theorized to derive from the kobalos, a sprite appearing in ancient Greek mythology.]
-……That’s what it says.
Seo Jeongin informed him through the earpiece.
“So that’s why you’re an ‘Elder’ Goblin.”
He certainly seemed qualified to be called an elder among goblins.
-And he was a servant of Dionysus.
“Dionysus?”
Kobalos reacted to the new information Seo Jeongin updated him with.
“Oh!”
Suddenly making an adorable expression ill-fitting for his massive frame, Kobalos nodded.
“It seems you know my master. That’s right. The god of festivals is my master. And he commanded me to annihilate Hander Village.”
“……”
“It was Athena who vehemently opposed that. So you being here must be Athena’s will.”
Then Kobalos made a surprising proposal.
“Listen well, human. Though the god I serve is not yours, I do not wish to fight Athena’s chosen champion. So abandon Athena and come to me. The god of festivals shall protect you. If you seize Hander Village with me, I shall even give you my staff as a reward.”
[You have reached a scenario branching point!]
[Hidden Quest triggered!]
▶This quest is part of the main scenario.
▶Kobalos is a creature extremely hostile to humans, but because you possess the Owl of Wisdom, this special event has occurred.
『Cooperate with Kobalos to annihilate and burn all NPCs in the Beginner Village.』
▶Reward: Kobalos’s Staff, Dionysus’s Favor +50
▶Penalty: The Owl of Wisdom will leave. Athena’s Favor -100.
▶Warning: If this quest succeeds, Hander Village will disappear permanently!
At the same time, the hidden quest received from Clorence at the Adventurer Guild was updated.
[Hidden Quest triggered!]
▶This quest is part of the main scenario.
『Refuse Kobalos’s proposal and complete the existing quest.』
▶Reward: Originally promised rewards, all NPCs in Hander Village’s Favor +50.
▶Penalty: Dionysus’s Favor -100
-No way, this crazy…….
Seo Jeongin covered her mouth in shock.
-Hander Village will disappear?
The main scenario was one that could shake the game’s world itself.
“What happens if I annihilate Hander Village?”
-The game would become a complete mess!
Stunning Life wouldn’t go bankrupt or anything, but while the Super AI sorted out the situation, the beginners in Hander Village would be devastated and thrown into utter chaos.
“Is there even a need to hesitate? You cannot defeat me anyway. And if you raise your blade against me,”
Kobalos said.
“The god of wine shall be especially wrathful. On the other hand, if you join me, I shall give you my staff.”
“Sorry, but.”
If he had to choose between the two, it was obviously Athena’s side.
For one, he didn’t like a quest that told him to annihilate the beginner village.
“How could a sportsman beat up ordinary people? And.”
Even comparing rewards, Athena’s side was more profitable.
Not to mention, he couldn’t miss out on the 1.4 billion won (though untradeable) owl.
“Can’t I just pick up your staff after I kill you?”
That was the choice that yielded the most rewards.
“Foolish.”
Kobalos snorted and pulled out his staff.
“Sweet Hangover.”
The monster’s staff gleamed.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the world spun before Seo Minjun as if he were completely drunk.
The floor seemed to rise up, so he grabbed the wall to steady himself. He shook his head violently from side to side.
“What is this…….”
[Status Ailment: Hangover]
A message floated before his eyes.
-Oppa! Get a hold of yourself!
Seo Jeongin screamed.
A massive fireball flew in from ahead.
***
‘I’m screwed.’
It was the word that flashed through Seo Jeongin’s mind in that instant.
To be honest, she hadn’t thought it would be resolved easily. If it was an Elder Goblin foreshadowing that had been brewing for 50 years, it was highly likely a boss monster.
And any boss monster in Hander Village couldn’t be soloed by a user under level 15.
A party raid was the standard.
So Seo Minjun entering this dungeon alone had been unreasonable from the start.
Then why didn’t she stop him earlier?
‘Because I needed to verify the Elder Goblin.’
She literally intended just to see its face.
He had death resistance so he wouldn’t die immediately, and oppa was fast at running so she thought he could escape.
‘But to think he’d land a mez.’
This was why warrior classes had a hard time against mages in Stunning Life.
What good was having the world’s strongest body if that body couldn’t do anything?
-Ugh…….
Staggering like that, completely soaked in hangover.
“Oppa, let’s run away for now!”
Seo Jeongin said through the earpiece. The battle unfolding on the screen right now was in too bad a situation.
Kwaaang!
Blocking the incoming fireball with his shield, Seo Minjun was continuously knocked backward.
The distance from the boss was already 15 meters.
He had already left the boss room and been pushed back to the corridor.
He couldn’t use Javelin now. A player afflicted with the ‘Hangover’ status ailment truly felt like the whole world was spinning round and round.
“Even for you, oppa, throwing the spear and hitting now would be impossi—”
-Javelin!
“Huh?”
Kwaaang!
Amazingly, Seo Minjun’s spear pierced Kobalos’s chest.
Along with Kobalos’s gurgling groan, Seo Minjun spoke from the monitor.
-Ah, I’m getting used to it now.
“Used……to it?”
He was adapting to the hangover state?
To Seo Jeongin, those words sounded as if he had adapted to an airless environment and was surviving without breathing.
Did that make sense?
Adapting to a status ailment?
No matter how monstrous a talent he was, was that even possible?
***
In the golden age of classical sports, the ‘hurdle spacing’ in the 110-meter hurdles was fixed.
But modern times were different.
As a result of frantic struggles to survive in the era of Stunning Life, several sub-events were created for the 110-meter hurdles.
The most difficult among them.
‘110-meter Random Hurdles.’
Athletes didn’t know the hurdle positions until right before the start. Because they were hidden by a large cloth, rendering them invisible.
With the starting gun, the cloth was removed and the hurdles appeared.
The gaps between hurdles were random; in some cases they were spread 10 meters apart, in others only 2 meters apart.
One of the essential abilities required of a hurdler was analyzing the hurdle patterns while running and adjusting the allocation of steps accordingly.
Pattern analysis ability, sense of rhythm, physical adjustment ability according to that, and strategy. These four had to harmonize at a level worthy of being called a ‘miracle.’
Seo Minjun was someone familiar with such training and competitions.
‘This dizzy swaying isn’t random either—it has a pattern?’
While taking several fireballs and rolling around afflicted with hangover, Seo Minjun grasped that pattern.
‘It’s not like actual alcohol is flowing through my body’s blood vessels inside the capsule.’
What that meant was this hangover state was the result of some manipulation performed on his brain to mimic the state of an actual drunk person.
Then what manipulation did the AI perform?
First. His vision darkened overall and undulated in waves clockwise.
Second. Core, leg, arm, neck, leg, neck, then core again—alternating in that order, strength faded for 1 second each.
Third. When trying to move, the body’s reaction speed followed 1.5 seconds slower.
Once the analysis was complete, he just had to move accordingly.
He advanced the process of power transfer through leg-waist-shoulder-arm 1.5 seconds faster.
Matching the order in which his body was neutralized.
“Javelin!”
Then like this.
The thrown javelin pierced Kobalos’s chest with exquisite precision.
“Kkeoheok…….”
Kobalos clutched the spear and suffered in pain.
“Return!”
Seo Minjun summoned back the spear, but.
“Keu-euheok!”
Amazingly, Kobalos began holding onto the spear with his hand.
Deu-deu-deuk!
His massive body scraped along the floor as it was dragged. But he still didn’t let go of the spear. Rather.
“Keuaak!”
Kobalos hooked his arm around a pillar and began holding firm.
This fight wasn’t going to be resolved easily after all.
“Now……what will you do, having lost your weapon?”
The speaking monster asked with a vile smirk.
At the same time, he activated new magic.
“Crimson Festival.”
“Kkiiiiik!”
Chilling screams were heard from the crevices throughout the cave. Dozens of goblins were crawling out.
“Go! That one has no weapon!”
“Kyaaaaak!”
The goblins, following Kobalos’s command, began charging all at once.
-You really have to run now!
Seo Jeongin shouted.
-You don’t even have a weapon!
But Seo Minjun didn’t retreat. He held his shield straight.
“Huu.”
After taking a deep breath.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
He began running toward the goblins.
‘The hangover is lifted.’
Seeing Kobalos’s flustered eyes in that moment, Seo Minjun intuitively realized this was a surprise blow.
It was probably timing Kobalos hadn’t expected.
Because from the start, the duration of the Hangover status ailment had been halved by the ‘Tutorial Pioneer’ achievement.
-Oppa, are you crazy!?
Even so, charging at 30 goblins without a weapon looked like a crazy act.
Seo Minjun had no intention of scuffling with them.
‘I just need to take down the boss, right?’
The hangover lifting meant the neutralization where leg strength faded every 3 seconds was gone, which meant he could sprint at full power, and with sufficient approach speed,
Kwaang!
He kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
It was about 11 meters to where Kobalos was. Between them, goblins of about 1 meter in height swarmed. He had to clear over their heads in one go. His legs couldn’t get caught.
Then how?
Sswhaaek!
Seo Minjun’s body suddenly curled into a ball in midair. His legs folded so they wouldn’t get caught on the goblins’ upstretched arms.
-Huh?
Seo Jeongin must have been seeing this for the first time.
Momentum that preserved the inertia and speed from his run while minimizing air resistance.
It was a technique developed by long jumper Tuariki in 1974 that the Olympic Federation banned for being dangerous.
But it was revived in 2072. As one of the sub-events of long jump.
‘Somersault Long Jump.’
The superhuman body performing a somersault in midair compressed and moved like a single shot put. It flew 11 meters, clearing the heads of over 30 goblins.
Maintaining that incredible approach speed that covered 100 meters in the 8-second range.
If he converted his body weight into impact force and slammed down from midair,
Kwaang!
The shield would drive the spear point in like a hammer striking a nail.
“Kuaaak!”
The spear pierced through Kobalos’s back and burst out.
The massive boss monster collapsed just like that.
Seo Minjun mounted on top, taking a mount position.
[Penetration!]
[Bleed Status!]
[Fatal Wound!]
Kobalos was afflicted with status ailments, and the spear had returned to Seo Minjun’s right hand.
Kwaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
In the next few short seconds, a frenzied barrage of spear and shield violence poured down.
“Kyaaak!”
And the steps of the goblins rushing back to protect their boss halted abruptly.
Seo Minjun immediately realized why.
[Death]
That message had floated above Kobalos’s head.
[Quest Complete!]
▶You have slain Kobalos.
“Got him!”
Seo Minjun shouted in joy.
“Hey, Jeongin, did you see? I got him!”
-I saw. I saw but……. what did I just watch…….
Seo Jeongin’s pupils trembled.
Charging into a horde of goblins wielding only a shield and bare-handed to beat the boss to death?
-Is this what you call romance……?
“Kkiiiiik!”
“Kkik!”
The goblins who had lost their boss were fleeing madly outside the cave.
“It’s a cliff outside, so there’s nowhere to go.”
Seo Minjun ahemmed, cleared his throat, and composed himself.
Facing the camcorder, he fidgeted and delivered his line.
“W-well then, everyone. Now I’ll try item looting. Ah, damn. I really can’t do commentary, it’s too cringey. Edit this out, please.”
-…….
He’s probably the only person who gets more nervous delivering lines than fighting a hidden boss.
With that thought, Seo Jeongin decided the title for this video.
[I Cleared the Main Scenario’s Elder Goblin Dungeon with a Transcendent Performance]
It was a collection of clickbait words that would draw explosive attention, yet surprisingly, it was an honest title.
Seo Jeongin resolved to upload this video even if she had to stay up all night tonight.
Because she was curious too.
What kind of reaction the users of Stunning Life would show to the appearance of this monstrous rookie.
At this point, wasn’t this past the level where words like “talent” could explain it?