In the center of the Monster Room, five men lay scattered, their bodies sliced clean through at the waist. Standing amidst the carnage was a lone goblin.
I had never encountered someone else in a Monster Room before. While the probability was low, it wasn't impossible. I visited these rooms every day, after all. Other explorers could wander in at any time, and the reverse was true as well. Even in the relatively quiet Shinjuku Dungeon, that reality remained.
"No way..."
The reason I faltered wasn't just that we had company. It was my reaction to the single goblin standing there.
"Wait, is that thing a goblin?" "It's holding a longsword, but isn't it weird that it's only wearing a fur loincloth?" "It's pretty big, but other than the sword, it looks like a normal goblin..." "No, it has a sword, so it's a Swordman." "Swordmen wear leather armor. I don't think that's it." "I mean, doesn't it look kind of weak?" "Weak? It just slaughtered a party capable of reaching Floor 8!" "There’s something creepy about it." "Watch out, you two!"
The Viewers seemed just as perplexed, unable to decide if the situation was truly critical. Their confusion was justified.
The goblin standing before us gripped a steel longsword that looked much like the one I used to use. However, it wore no armor or accessories—nothing but a simple fur loincloth. It was a stark, minimalist figure.
Usually, as goblins evolve into Higher Species, they adopt equipment suited to their roles. A Swordman or a Warrior would wear leather armor over simple cloth garments. A Mage would have robes, and an Assassin would wear black gear to blend into the shadows.
In contrast, a fur loincloth was a look reserved for a Normal Goblin or a Berserker.
Yet, it clearly wasn't a Berserker. It was far smaller than the Berserkers found on this floor, and it wielded a longsword instead of a greatsword. From that perspective, despite the weapon, its attire made it look like nothing more than a Normal Goblin.
But its physique was in a different league entirely from the Normal Goblins on Floor 1 or Floor 2.
First of all, it was huge.
It stood nearly 180 centimeters tall, taller than me. While that was average for this floor’s goblins—and about a head shorter than a Berserker—its frame was corded with lean, rippling muscles that looked as though they had been carved from stone.
It was as if a Normal Goblin had reached an ultra-high level.
That was the only way to describe it.
And whether or not it was technically a "Normal Goblin," my skills had already proven one thing: it was undeniably high-level.
The reason I had lost my composure was that I knew exactly what that level was.
I didn't have the Appraisal skill, but thanks to my genius intellect and sudden flashes of inspiration, I had developed a way to determine an opponent's level. (Though for some reason, it hadn't worked on the Dungeon Terrorism Old Man.)
Basically, by combining Seeker with Indomitable Spirit, I could reverse-calculate an enemy's level based on my own stat increases.
The moment I had stepped into the room and witnessed the horrific scene, I had quietly activated Indomitable Spirit and checked my status. Using Intelligence as an easy example, the breakdown looked like this:
Intelligence: 107 (+101)
Currently, I was under the effect of Hinata-san’s Bless, which provided a buff value of 29. My base Intelligence was 6. Subtracting those values left a remainder of 72—the buff granted by Indomitable Spirit.
Incidentally, Goblin Genocider hadn't triggered yet. The goblin had definitely noticed us, but for some reason, it hadn't directed any hostility our way. It was bizarre and unsettling... but regardless.
At its current skill level of 1, Indomitable Spirit’s buff value was calculated by taking the amount the opponent’s level exceeded mine and multiplying it by 1.2.
That meant the goblin was level 60.
Level 60.
As everyone knows, the higher your level, the more Status Points you receive per level up. Monsters follow the same rule.
I was currently level 40. That was a 20-level gap. It was a much wider margin than when I had faced Divine Knight-san.
Back then, I had been level 28 while Divine Knight-san was level 40. That was only a 12-level difference, yet I had struggled immensely. If not for Mighty Blade, I probably would have been killed.
Now, consider this goblin. The stat growth between levels 40 and 60 is significantly higher than earlier levels, and it would have earned far more Skill Points as well.
I had Hinata-san with me this time, but my sense of impending doom was far more intense.
Furthermore...
"Wait, why isn't it moving?" "Is it scared of Leveling Junkie Bro?" "I mean, he is the Goblin Genocider lol. Makes sense." "Is this gonna be an easy win?" "No, it's not fear. The atmosphere around that thing is just wrong." "It's too quiet for a monster..." "It already killed five people! Don't let your guard down!"
The jokes in the Comment Section felt like a forced attempt to lighten the mood. Even through the screen, people could sense the goblin's abnormality.
The creature had already turned toward us. It stood silently, alert but without any hint of an impending charge. Usually, dungeon monsters attacked any human they saw with mindless aggression.
Yet, it didn't look afraid or even particularly wary. It simply watched us with cold, dispassionate eyes.
If we don't move, maybe we can avoid a fight?
The thought crossed my mind for a split second, but I immediately dismissed it. Our retreat was cut off. The only way to leave this room alive was to go through that goblin.
Drenched in a cold sweat, I steeled my resolve.
"Hinata-san."
"Takeo-kun...?"
"Stay as far back as possible. And keep your healing magic ready to cast at a moment's notice."
"O-okay. I understand, but..."
Hinata-san was hesitant. She probably still hadn't grasped how dangerous this thing was. I looked at her and spoke plainly.
"That goblin is level 60."
"Eh...?"
She let out a confused sound, followed by a beat of silence. Then, a murmur that was practically a scream escaped her lips.
"Level... 60!?"
"What!?" "You've gotta be kidding!" "Are you serious, Junkie!?" "Level 60? There's no way a monster like that shows up on Floor 8!" "How does he even know the level!?" "Junkie doesn't have Appraisal, right!?" "Wait, a single super-high-level monster... I've seen this before!" "Holy crap, it's like Divine Knight-san all over again!" "So this thing is actually a monster!?" "But Junkie beat the Divine Knight, so he can win, right...?" "No, this is bad. Seriously bad!" "Level 60 is no joke! That's a Floor 20-tier monster!" "You need a party of top-tier pros to take those down!" "Run!" "They can't run! They're trapped in a Monster Room!"
Even with the Drone chattering away, the goblin didn't move. Honestly, its reaction was so alien that it was more terrifying than a sudden ambush.
But I had to fight.
To seize the initiative, I decided to make the first move.
I roared.
"Don't act cool just because you're a goblin! Come and get some!"
I activated Taunt alongside my shout.
However...
"——"
Are you kidding me? How is this even possible? It was a new discovery, but one I wasn't happy about at all.
Even after using Taunt, Goblin Genocider didn't trigger. That meant I hadn't generated any aggro. Or rather, the skill had been flat-out resisted.
In that case... I activated Fighting Spirit and Sword Aura. I also funneled MP into the bracelets on both wrists—the Bracelet of Fleet-footedness and the Bracelet of Technique—activating their effects for the first time in ages.
Naturally, I had deactivated Seeker and wasn't using Asceticism. This was an opponent I wasn't sure I could beat even at full strength. I couldn't afford any handicaps.
I did, however, keep Indomitable Spirit active. Since the enemy's level was higher than mine, the skill remained effective even without Seeker.
All out. From the very first second.
I kicked off the ground.
The moment I lunged forward to close the distance, the goblin finally moved.
In an instant, its body was shrouded in a red aura, and its longsword was engulfed in pale blue light. Fighting Spirit and Sword Aura. At level 60, it was only natural it could use them.
A brilliant flash of light streaked horizontally.
By the time I registered the motion, the sword had already been swung. The arc of the blade detached and flew toward me as a projectile.
"——!?"
A chill raced down my spine.
The trajectory wouldn't hit Hinata-san even if I dodged, but the monster had timed the attack perfectly to catch me right as I started my charge. I couldn't pivot into an evasion. Worse, the speed of this Flying Blade was far beyond anything I had ever seen.
Despite the distance between us, I couldn't avoid it.
I realized it in an instant. I couldn't dodge; I had to intercept.
Now that the goblin had taken an aggressive action, Goblin Genocider finally triggered. I stacked Berserk on top of it and swung my sword in a rising diagonal slash.
My own blade of aura flew out to intercept the goblin's attack.
My stats at that moment—including Hinata-san's Bless and the effects of my magic tools—were as follows:
Strength: 586 (+456) Constitution: 519 (+399) Intelligence: 94 (+88) Spirit: 258 (+182) Agility: 564 (+439) Dexterity: 386 (+256)
Between my level ups and Hinata-san’s support, these were the highest stats I had ever possessed.
With a Strength score pushing 600, my Flying Blade was further enhanced by an 8x damage multiplier. It was a strike powerful enough to bisect a Goblin King in one hit.
And yet—
The moment my Flying Blade collided head-on with the goblin’s, mine was shattered.
It wasn't a trade. The enemy’s projectile remained completely intact.
Shock and terror gripped me, but I didn't panic. I had sensed the outcome a split second before it happened. Even after I had fired my attack, the alarm bells of Danger Sense hadn't stopped ringing.
I barely made it in time.
I twisted my wrist, reversing the momentum of my rising sword into a downward strike. The aura covering my blade flared with blinding intensity.
"Mighty Blade!"
I slammed my sword into the incoming projectile, crushing it.
The impact of the Flying Blade felt incredibly heavy, even through a direct physical strike. But at the very least, I had confirmed that Mighty Blade was enough to break it.
However, there was no time to celebrate.
"——!"
The moment I finished crushing the projectile, the goblin was already in my face.
It had closed the gap with impossible speed.
The creature had its worn steel longsword raised high. The blade, shining with a ferocious light, swung down toward me.