"I'm Max. And I'm here to turn that Goblin King into a crispy goblin kebab. You in?"
The stern-looking Mage, whose name I now saw was Elara exchanged a long glance with her team.
There was a Warrior, a stocky guy with a shield as big as a dinner table named 'Ironhide,' and another Mage, a quiet woman named 'ManaFlow.' The other Fighter was a nimble-looking guy with dual swords, 'SwiftBlade.'
Elara's gaze lingered on my dazzling new robes, then flickered to the faint crackle of lightning still dancing on my fingertips.
My Level 7 was probably screaming "Noob Alert!" but the robes and the A-level spell were doing a fantastic job of screaming
"This guy's secretly overpowered and probably has a sugar daddy who buys him legendary gear!"
"A crispy goblin kebab, you say?" Elara finally raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "That's… an interesting sales pitch. Alright, Max. Your gear looks top-tier, and that Lightning Bolt was impressive. We're willing to give you a shot. But if you're holding us back, you're out."
"Fair enough," I grinned. "You won't regret it."
"YES!" Lily shrieked from behind me, practically bouncing. "We're going to fight the Goblin King! This is gonna be awesome!"
Elara blinked, looking at Lily, then at Foxy, who had emerged from behind my legs and was now wagging his tail furiously. "And who are these… companions?"
"This is Lily, my apprentice," I declared proudly, putting an arm around Lily's shoulder. "And this is Foxy, our tactical support and morale booster." Foxy let out a tiny, confident bark.
Elara looked at Lily's pink hair and enthusiastic demeanor, then at Foxy, then back at me. A long, drawn-out sigh escaped her lips. "Right. An apprentice and a… tactical fox. This mission just got a lot more interesting."
Ironhide chuckled, a deep rumble. "Looks like we're bringing the whole circus to the Goblin King's party, Elara."
ManaFlow gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her eyes studying Foxy with a hint of curiosity. SwiftBlade just shrugged, a small smirk on his face. They seemed like a decent bunch, a little cautious, but not outright hostile. That was a win in my book.
"Alright, team," Elara announced, "let's move out. The Light Arena is a good hour's journey from here."
The journey to the Light Arena was surprisingly uneventful, thanks to my foreknowledge. I knew the optimal paths, the hidden monster patrols, and even a few shortcuts that shaved off a good fifteen minutes. This impressed Elara, who kept giving me curious glances.
"You seem to know these woods well, Max," she commented as I expertly guided us around a patrol of aggressive 'Stone Golems.'
"Just a lot of… exploration," I replied, trying to sound casual. "And a really good sense of direction. Like Foxy here!" Foxy, hearing his name, puffed out his chest and trotted a little faster.
Lily, meanwhile, was chattering away, asking Ironhide about his giant shield, ManaFlow about her favorite spells, and SwiftBlade about his dual swords. She was making friends, which was great.
My past life had been a lonely one, and seeing Lily so easily connect with others made me realize how much I'd missed out on.
"So, Max," Ironhide rumbled, "what level are you, anyway? You hit like a truck, but you don't seem to be showing off any high-level spells besides that lightning."
My heart did a tiny flutter. This was it. The moment of truth.
"Well," I began, trying to sound nonchalant, "I'm currently… Level 7."
Silence. Crickets chirped in the virtual forest. Elara stopped dead in her tracks. Ironhide's jaw dropped, almost hitting his shield. ManaFlow blinked slowly, as if processing a complex equation. SwiftBlade actually choked on air.
"Level… seven?" Elara repeated, her voice a strained whisper. "You're Level SEVEN?! And you have *those* robes and an A-level Lightning Bolt?!"
"Yep!" I chirped, giving them my most innocent smile. "Pretty cool, right? Got lucky with some drops."
"Lucky?!" Ironhide boomed, then quickly lowered his voice. "Kid, 'lucky' doesn't even begin to cover it! Most Level 7s are still trying to figure out how to equip their first rusty sword!"
"He did take down BladeEdgeLord, though," Lily interjected helpfully. "And he blew up a rock! It was awesome!"
Foxy barked in agreement.
Elara stared at me for a long moment, then slowly shook her head. "Alright, Max. You're either the luckiest player in 'Game World,' or you're hiding something. Either way, you're certainly… unique. Just try not to get us all killed, Level 7."
"No promises on the 'not getting killed' part, but I'll do my best to keep us all alive!" I said cheerfully.
Despite their initial shock, the team seemed to accept my ridiculously low level surprisingly well. Maybe it was my confidence, or maybe it was the sheer absurdity of the situation. Or perhaps the promise of a "crispy goblin kebab."
Finally, the forest thinned, and before us stood the Light Arena. It wasn't a grand, open-air coliseum like I'd imagined as a kid. Instead, it was a massive, ancient structure carved into the side of a mountain, its entrance a gaping maw of darkness.
Strange, glowing runes pulsed faintly on its stone facade, and a low, guttural chanting echoed from within.
"This is it," Elara said, her voice grim. "The Goblin King's domain. Stick together, everyone. And Max, try not to get one-shotted."
"No problem!" I said, already feeling the familiar thrill of battle. This was what I was here for.
We stepped inside. The air immediately grew colder, damp and smelling of damp earth and… well, goblin. The entrance tunnel was dimly lit by more of the eerie glowing fungi, casting long, dancing shadows. The chanting grew louder, more rhythmic.
"Creepy," Lily whispered, clutching my arm. Foxy, however, seemed unfazed, his nose twitching, sniffing the air.
The tunnel opened into a vast, cavernous chamber. It was circular, like a natural arena, with jagged rock formations serving as makeshift pillars. In the center, a crude throne made of bones and rusty weapons sat atop a raised platform.
And surrounding the platform, scattered throughout the chamber, were dozens of goblins.
But these weren't the small, pathetic goblins of the tutorial forest. These were 'Goblin Archers,' lean and wiry, armed with shortbows and quivers full of crudely fletched arrows. Their eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, and their scrawny bodies were covered in tribal tattoos.
"Goblin Archers!" Elara hissed. "They'll try to pin us down! Ironhide, shield up! SwiftBlade, get ready to dive their backline! ManaFlow, prepare your area-of-effect spells!"
The moment we stepped into the chamber, the Goblin Archers reacted. A volley of arrows, tipped with jagged stone points, whistled through the air, aimed directly at us.
"Incoming!" Ironhide roared, raising his massive shield. Arrows clattered against it, sending sparks flying.
"Alright, Lily, this is where you shine!" I yelled, already channeling my Lightning Bolt. "Target practice, my friend! Show them what a pink-haired Mage can do!"
Lily, despite the sudden onslaught, grinned. "You got it, Max! Mana Bolt party!"
Foxy, meanwhile, let out a surprisingly loud bark and darted forward, a tiny, furry missile. He wasn't attacking; he was weaving between the goblins, causing chaos and distracting them. One of the archers, startled by the sudden blur at its feet, stumbled, its arrow going wide.
"What in the…?" Elara muttered, watching Foxy's antics.
"He's a very distracting tactical support," I explained, then unleashed my A-level Lightning Bolt.
ZAP!
The lightning arced, not just hitting one goblin, but jumping between three of them, turning them into smoking, twitching piles of green goo. The other archers flinched, their volley momentarily interrupted.
"Whoa! Chain lightning!" Ironhide exclaimed, impressed.
"That's not a standard Mage spell!" ManaFlow added, her eyes wide.
"It is now!" I yelled back, already charging another. "Lily, keep up the pressure! ManaFlow, focus on the ones trying to flank us!"
Lily, emboldened by my display and Foxy's chaotic distraction, was a force to be reckoned with. Her Mana Bolts flew true, each one finding a target, sending goblins reeling. She was moving with a confidence I hadn't seen in her before, dodging arrows and retaliating with precision.
The Goblin Archers, initially confident, were now looking panicked. They were being picked off one by one by my lightning, Lily's relentless Mana Bolts, and the coordinated attacks of Elara's team. SwiftBlade was a blur, weaving through the chaos, taking down archers with swift, silent strikes.
Ironhide was a rock, deflecting arrows and occasionally slamming his shield into any goblin foolish enough to get too close.
"They're breaking formation!" Elara shouted, a rare grin on her face. "Keep pushing!"
The first wave of Goblin Archers was quickly decimated. Their crude bows lay scattered, and their green bodies dissolved into motes of light. The chamber fell silent, save for our heavy breathing and Foxy's triumphant panting.
"We did it!" Lily cheered, pumping her staff in the air. "First wave down!"
"Nice job, team!" I said, feeling a surge of satisfaction. This was what teamwork felt like. And leading them, even as a Level 7, felt… right.
But the silence didn't last. From the far end of the chamber, a massive, iron-bound gate slowly began to creak open, revealing a darker, even more ominous passage beyond. And from that darkness, a new, deeper growl echoed, accompanied by the heavy thud of approaching footsteps.
"Looks like the Goblin King's sending in his heavy hitters," Elara muttered, her grin fading, replaced by a look of grim determination.
I knew what was coming. The Goblin King's elite guards. And beyond them… the King himself.