Bully Lord

Part-240

Having accumulated 4 unallocated stat points, James felt a surge of excitement tinged with anxiety. He knew that every decision he made regarding his stats would impact his future battles, and there was no room for mistakes. He decided to allocate the points evenly between his Strength (STR) and Dexterity (DEX), bringing each up by 2 points. With his stats now reading STR: 55.9, CON: 56.1, DEX: 49.4, INT: 54.3, WIS: 51.3, and CHA: 102, he felt a rush of power coursing through him.

The thrill of gaining more power was intoxicating, but he knew that this was only the beginning. With newfound determination, James stepped into the Level-2 Normal section. As soon as he entered, he was met with the sight of four goblins—short, muscular, and wielding crude weapons. Their eyes narrowed as they locked onto him, and without a moment’s hesitation, they charged.

“Time to put this training to the test,” James muttered, activating his Sloth View.

Immediately, everything slowed down. What was 60 seconds for the real world stretched into 80 seconds for him, giving him ample time to assess the situation. The first goblin swung its rusted axe at him, but James calmly sidestepped, catching the creature's wrist and twisting it with a practiced motion. The goblin howled in pain, and before it could recover, James delivered a powerful slap across its face, knocking it off balance.

The second goblin lunged at him, brandishing a jagged spear. James parried the attack with his sword, the rhythmic training he'd undergone the day before allowing him to counter with a swift, precise slash across the goblin's chest. It fell back, screeching in pain, and disintegrated into smoke.

The third goblin attempted to attack him from behind, but James anticipated the move. With a swift spin, he gripped the goblin by its neck, lifted it off the ground, and brought his sword down in a heavy swing that cut through flesh and bone alike.

The final goblin hesitated, fear flickering in its eyes. Its gaze darted around, searching for a way to escape. It was clear that the creature was terrified, its fear evident in its trembling body, wide, frightened eyes, and shallow, rapid breaths. The goblin's heart pounded in its chest, its blood racing through its veins. It was paralyzed by fear, unable to move or think. James took a step forward, his gaze locked onto the goblin. "Are you going to make this easy, or are we going to drag this out?" he taunted, raising his sword. The goblin's fear intensified, its eyes widening in terror. It let out a low, guttural growl, its voice trembling with fear. It lunged at him, its movements frantic and desperate, but its strikes were weak and inaccurate. James responded by driving his knee into its stomach, watching with satisfaction as it crumpled to the ground.

As the goblin dissolved into smoke, James couldn’t help but feel a sense of exhilaration. He had never felt this in tune with his body before, and every movement seemed to flow effortlessly from one action to the next. He was starting to understand what Carlos meant when he spoke about finding rhythm in combat.