With [Surreal Creation] now permanently his, there was no reason to delay.
The Hobgoblin Chieftain, Kravash the Club-Breaker, was the first true milestone of any Stream Hunter's journey.
Slaying him wasn't just about experience, it was basically a statent.
Conquering the first floor's boss ant proving oneself beyond the rank-and-file newcors who spent their ti grinding goblins and slis.
It ant stepping out of the beginner's refuge and into the real Tower.
The path to the fortress was well-trodden.
While the inner regions of Floor 1 were secure, the further one ventured from the cities, the wilder things beca.
Lesser orcs, goblin stragglers, and the occasional oversized boar made sure the journey wasn't entirely peaceful.
Adam didn't mind.
It gave him a chance to test his new ability...
He halted at the edge of a forest clearing, rolling his shoulders as he scanned the trees.
He hadn't encountered any trouble yet, but he could feel it.
That subtle weight in the air, the sensation of unseen eyes watching from the underbrush.
The goblins in this area weren't the mindless fodder that road near the settlents...
These ones had survived despite the Tower's constant turnover of new hunters.
That ant they knew how to ambush!
A smile tugged at his lips. Good.
He reached into his mana pool, the knowledge of [Surreal Creation] unfurling in his mind like a muscle he had always possessed but never flexed.
It was an odd sensation, both familiar and foreign.
He shaped the illusion carefully...
It was an exact replica of himself!
The illusion stood just a few feet ahead, appearing to survey the trees.
Then, he waited.
The attack ca fast.
A shadow darted from the foliage, a goblin barely three feet tall, its rusted dagger glinting in the dim light.
It lunged straight at the illusion's back...
Only for its blade to pass through empty air.
The mont of confusion cost it dearly.
Adam moved, closing the distance in an instant.
His dagger flashed, cutting cleanly across its throat before it could recover.
The goblin gurgled, clawing at the wound as it collapsed.
[ 24 Exp, 0.01 Basic Soul Core.]
He exhaled, watching as the illusion faded.
'It works well...'
It wasn't perfect.
He could tell his mana was still inefficient, the illusion not solid enough to fool a prolonged interaction.
But it had been convincing enough to bait an attack, and that was all he needed.
[5th Style Sword Master] : Odd... that illusion looked so real.
[WeaverofStories has donated 5 coins]
[WeaverofStories] : For a second there I thought that was the livestrear...
[Prankster of Kingdoms] : ???
[Prankster of Kingdoms] : Hey wait. What did you just do? I thought you could only copy skills after turning them into really weak versions... Why did that seem like the perfect illusions I make???
[White_0781 has donated 10 coins]
[Frog Eater] : Where are all these strange usernad viewers coming from?!
[Experienced Old Knight] : I presu they're from a universe that had just recently achieved the pre-requisite of becoming a viewer... Although, it is odd how they're gathering into this one livestrear.
Adam ignored the livestream chat as a rustle in the bushes signaled more goblins.
This ti, he didn't just create a copy of himself...
He created three.
Each one mimicked his stance, his breath, even the subtle shifts in his posture.
The goblins hesitated, their beady eyes darting between the figures.
That hesitation was all he needed.
He struck with ruthless efficiency, passing between illusions as he cut them down one by one.
His enemies barely had ti to react, their last monts filled with uncertainty as they lunged at phantoms while the real threat slipped past their defenses.
[ 24 Exp, 0.01 Basic Soul Core.]
[ 24 Exp, 0.01 Basic Soul Core.]
[ 24 Exp, 0.01 Basic Soul Core.]
When the last goblin fell, he let out a slow breath, his illusions vanishing like smoke.
[Prankster of Kingdoms demands an explanation!]
[Prankster of Kingdoms says he'll sue you for copyright]
'This ability is even better than I thought...'
Satisfied, he continued his journey.
The forest thinned as he neared the fortress.
The air grew still, the usual sounds of wildlife absent.
Ahead, jagged stone ruins lood against the skyline, their crumbling towers casting long shadows over the land.
The remnants of the goblin empire... now nothing more than a graveyard.
Adam tightened his grip on his dagger.
He could see movent within the ruins.
Figures lurking among the rubble, torchlight flickering in the distance.
The goblins who remained were not the forest dwellers he had faced earlier.
These were Kravash's loyalists... the last warriors of a dying kingdom, clinging to whatever power they had left.
And at the heart of it all, in the throne room of shattered stone and broken banners, the Hobgoblin Chieftain waited.
Just as he took another step forward, a system notification popped up.
[You are about to challenge the First Floor Boss.]
Hobgoblin Chieftain, Kravash the Club-Breaker.
[Confirm?]
Adam barely hesitated. He pressed [Yes.]
Then, new notifications popped up.
[Hidden Conditions Triggered!]
[You possess more than 80% of information about the First Floor's history.]
[Kravash the Club-Breaker has activated True Body status.]
[Floor 1 Authority has been distributed.]
[May the battle…]
[BEGIN!]
A strange sound filled the air.
Chattering.
Teeth clicking together.
Laughter.
The goblins lurking in the shadows began to move.
They looked different now.
Their dull, mindless expressions were gone.
Their skin stretched tighter over their bones, their muscles tensed, and their eyes which were once dim and lifeless now glead with sothing that made them seem more... aware.
Their movents weren't random anymore.
As though understood everything that was happening...
And then, without warning—
They charged!
A dozen goblins, weapons raised, rushing straight for Adam.
But before they could reach him—
Adam disappeared.
And in his place stood…
Kravash the Club-Breaker.
The goblins froze.
Confusion flickered across their faces.
Where had the intruder gone?
Why was their boss standing there instead?
The figure before them was massive...
Green skin, bulging muscles, sharp teeth, and glowing red eyes.
His heavy club, made from the spine of so ancient beast, rested easily in his grip.
He looked exactly like their chieftain.
The goblins hesitated.
Then, instinct took over.
They lowered their heads.
They were about to bow—
Until "Kravash" moved.
With a single twist of his body, crimson colored spikes shot out from the air, stabbing through their throats.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The goblins collapsed, their bodies twitching for a second before going still.
The illusion faded.
Adam exhaled, standing over their corpses.
[Surreal Creation] truly was amazing...
But he wasn't done yet.
Because on the throne, the real Kravash was standing up.
And he was grinning.
"We.... will... live...!"
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