[ Chapter III (3): "03/20/2025— CAN YOU HURT ME? YOU CAN'T. BUT I CAN HURT YOU!" ]
Elias finished reciting the rushed prayer inside his head for the first tim, but no arrows came flying inside the room. So he moved slightly away, as he then repeated the prayer but in a much more calmer motion, yet still hoping for salvation... [ "Our Father who art in heaven,..." ]
The second round of prayer finished, nothing. The third round of prayer finished, nothing. Then another... This act of his lasted for about a few minutes, but nothing happened no matter how long he waited, which calmled down his nerves heavily.
[ "What is... happening out there?" ] Overwhelmed by curiosity, Elias swallowed the huge lump of saliva in his throat as he then approached closely the sole window of his apartment... As he then peeked out, his eyes wide, hoping to not see a Goblin or two thrown at his apartment by a rudimentary makeshift catapult of theirs.
Widening his eyes, he realized something that the Goblins are currently facing... They seem to not be able pass anything beyond his domain, as arrows, swords, and spears thrown by them could be seen blocked by the barrier of his, which bought him great amount of relief as he then remembers the words spoken in the skill's description.
[ ...WHEREIN NO LIFE OTHER THAN THE ONES GIVEN PERMISSION COULD ENTER, OR MOVE-IN ]
It talked about no life being able to forcefully enter his base, or move inside, but it said only about life i.e. anyone that has breath or such, but in not talking anything about objects it didn't bring him comfort at first. But now, in seeing the ability of the barrier first-hand, he realized...
That the description isn't completely throughout with him. Not fully telling the information it has on the skill, but also not lying to him in such, just withholding on certain information. Thankfully this certain information isn't a life-or-death which gave him the chance to life another day, as he watches the pissed-off Goblins on below.
[ "Can't hurt me... can you?" ] He keenly observed their reaction, especially the way they moved, all being futile thanks to his magical barrier. His grin disappearing slightly as he realized that one of them is reeving up the engines inside of his makeshift vehicle, a small car about to bump it to the building...
[ "Oh sh-" ] That surely is a problem, in how the first-floor isn't inside his barrier, or in how the apartment building isn't inside his barrier. Meaning, in some theoretical sense, no screw that, physically they could take down the building and kill Elias along with it. The power of his not being able to do a thing against it. Oh sh-
He watches while sweating the car below reeving it's engines, as it then crashes with the walls below. It not being much, but the fact it did put a dent isn't a great sign. He watches even more, as the Goblins gets more annoyed, as it then backs and goes into full throttle with the building again.
This time not doing much, not even causing Elias to shake from the 4th floor, but it made him even more worried. From the observation he had been subtly doing to those monsters, they are dumb, persistent and not one to easily give up. If they set their eyes on something, then they'll do everything on their power to complete it...
In this case, apparently destroying down the building he is in, or getting pass the barriers of his that they can't pierce no matter what. An strange phenomena that they had only experienced now, as one of them pulled his bowstring, firing another shot at the red barrier.
Elias who doesn't know what to do notice this, as he noticed the said Goblin slightly aiming at the window he is in, about to duck and take cover, he didn't, as he watches having reassurance through his abilities. [ "You one ugly piss of crap." ]
He is mentally cursing them all, also his ability in effect causing his location to be expose, on the dead of night wherein some key monsters are more active in... But step back in seeing the said monster pull the bowstrings, the arrow flying as it then collided with the barrier, deflecting it.
The arrow seemingly not strong enough to pierce it, as the said arrow the Goblin let go bounced back and hit him, on the foot which caused it to bleed, and for the monster to make weird screaming noise that alerted the other monsters.
[ "Oh yeah, they can... bleed..." ] He watches carefully as black blood oozes out of the pierced feet of the said Goblin. Contrary to beliefs, their skins aren't that tough, easily destroyed, as in this case, the remaining arrowhead of the arrow destroyed his feet as it lands on the street below.
Elias who knows of this fact on day one was ready to ignore it, as he was about to go and pack his stuff, perhaps go to another building by jumping from the 5th floor window, but no, he stopped... as he then remembers that Goblins are easily killed. [ "They can be killed!" ]
He watches on the start of the Apocalypse on how people started to rebel against them, on how they started beating the Goblins with ease, shooting them, crashing their cars on the said many abominables face... When hope was within reach, it was then pulled, as more Goblin and monsters appeared out of nowhere.
A bad situation even became worse as a said Goblin Chief started to appear with them, organizing the once disorganized Goblins... Now, that humanly resistance against monster dwindled to the point of disappearing, as all cowered, selfishness kicking in; Elias who didn't partake in it, was lucky, as he didn't get hunted by the monsters due to his cowardly ways.
That luck of his he is about to curse, as he realizes that hiding isn't a great thing at the moment, because he wasn't able to get any loot to protect himself. Other than wrenches, a hammer, and some dull knife, he has nothing, nothing to protect himself. Not knowing what to do, he slumps down beside the wall, as he feels slight vibrations coming from the collision of cars on the building he is in.
Worried for his safety he contemplates if he should stay in the building or find a way out, perhaps jumping out off the other apartment's window would do. About to take action and do just that, with his stuff, he paused as he then glanced at the blue shelaine gas of his, it reflecting under the red light seemingly waving at him.
[ "This could... I-I think it'll work." ] If he isn't wrong, then it weighs something in the 10-11kg. Glancing outside at the Goblins which are calling for a bigger vehicle for support, he decided to just wing it and protect himself for the moment, he could just run whenever the situation turns worse.
Moving away the covers and shutters he placed on his window, Elias then ran to where the shelaine is and grabbed it, disconnecting it to the stove as he then carries it with difficulty, it making noises as he does so. [ "Come on, move!" ]
After some time, he was able to finally carry it to where his window is. Huffing some air for himself, he then grabbed it, as he then aims it to the densely populated location where Goblins are present... About to let go, his eyes briefly met with the slit bloody red-eyes of the Goblin, both pausing.
Snapping out of his stuppor first, Elias then smiled at it, as he let go, watching the heavy shelaine fall off from the 4th floor building that he is in. In the quiet of night, it shines, especially seconds later as what little gas it has inside then exploded damaging and/or killing 2/3rds of the unsuspecting green monsters below.
[ GOBLIN LVL. 3 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +13 SYSTEM CREDITS REWARDED ]
[ +25 EXPERIENCE REWARDED ]
[ GOBLIN LVL. 5 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +25 SYSTEM CREDITS REWARDED ]
[ +33 EXPERIENCE REWARDED ]
[ GOBLIN LVL. 6 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +31 SYSTEM CREDITS REWARDED ]
[ +43 EXPERIENCE REWARDED ]
[ PLAYER LEVEL-UP! ]
[ ... ]
Out of breath, sweating and out of care, Elias was bewildered by what he is seeing in front of him, but for the moment he didn't glanced at it, as he instead put his head out to look at the state of the Goblins below... And in seeing it, he smiled wildly to himself.
[ "You get what you all fucking deserves!" ] Karma is true, as he watches the purging Goblins that murdered innocents— both children and women without care. Now either turn to piles of ash, blown away by the bang, or without limbs or torso, heavily damaged whatever way you slice and dices it. Some vehicles having exploded in effect.
This act of the shelaine exploding inexplicably crippled them all, except for those which was far-away and was quick to react, any other Goblin nearby was blown away, literally. As he watches their insides sprawled out on the street, some still alive and trying to crawl out to safety.
Perhaps due to adrenaline rush, or due to the fact that he realized that his spot is compromised, in turn about to be raided by them. Elias didn't even bother hiding anymore, as week worth of resentment poured out to any and all unlucky green skins below.
As he then throws furniture after furniture, hitting and killing those that are lucky to survive the explosion, and to some that is trying to crawl away. Ending them. [ "Hey! Don't run away, I'm not done with you!" ]
Grabbing a broken speaker nearby, Elias was ready to throw it and hit someone, as he then sees the remaining Goblins, about 7 if his count isn't wrong, run away into any and all directions they could. Knowing that they would report to a bigger group of Goblins, he wanted for them to die here, to conceal his location...
But alas, after throwing his speaker with all of his might, Elias wasn't able to hit anything alive, with the noise even causing the Goblins to crawl and/or run faster, as they make annoying noises in doing so, annoying Elias the more to the point that he punched the wall besides him in anger.
[ "S-shit, I-I'm... This is a huge problem..." ] Bawling his fist in anger, he watches as monsters below slowly get fried or lose blood in turn dying. The others having already died in-so. He curses at himself, but at the very least he delayed the inevitable.
About to prepare his stuff, which is nothing much other than the grocery and what little soft drinks he has. He stop on his tracks, as he watches the floating text in front him pause in showing kill notifications, instead showing him another notification.
[ PLAYER LEVEL-UP! ]
[ PLAYER HAS REACH LVL. 5! NEW SPECIALIZED SKILL/S AND FEATURE UNLOCKED! ]
[ +ULTIMATE DWELLER'S EYES LVL. 1 ]
[ +SYSTEM SHOP LVL. 1 ]
About to ignore it, he paused, as he then realized he unlocked one of the big 3 features of the System— the System Shop. Realizing he doesn't have anything better to do, he instead called out to the System Shop, as a holographic window then flicker into existence in front of him.
[ SYSTEM SHOP LVL. 1 ]
[ 573 SYSTEM CREDITS ]
[ CANNED VEGETABLES (51 oz) ] [ 25 SYSTEM CREDITS ]
[ BASEBALL BAT (COMMON) ] [ 55 SYSTEM CREDITS ]
[ SMALL RED BACKPACK (26L) ] [ 40 SYSTEM CREDITS ]
[ SMALL SURVIVAL KIT (5-7 ITEMS) ] [ 50 SYSTEM CREDITS ]
[ RANDOM COMMON SKILL ] [ 500 SYSTEM CREDITS ]
[ THE SYSTEM SHOP WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESET EVERYDAY ]
Seeing that he is gonna die either way, perhaps sooner than later, especially due to the Goblins and other monsters having the uncanny ability of hunting, Elias bit his lip and decided to stay where he is and defend his turf, wherein he wouldn't be hurt by any and all monsters land or flying type.
[ "Screw the monsters, I-I'm staying." ]
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 06/10/2025 ]
[ 06/11/2025 ]