Tower of Paradise

Chapter 63: The third floor (2)

[You have killed a first evolution goblin (F)]

[You have killed a goblin (G)]

[You have killed a goblin (G)]

I remembered what I had seen just a few hours ago.

A woman with a rusty dagger stuck in her intestine. Her stomach cruelly opened, showing a bloody mess of torn organs.

Beside her, lay a dead man whose only protective equipment was a thin breastplate, insufficient to save his life. His body was stabbed in multiple places, a clear display of the violence he had faced.

With such a horrible sight before me, I couldn't help but breathe with difficulty. I quickly analyzed the details: fresh footprints, bloodstains, disturbed earth, and marks of something being dragged through the forest grass.

I understood it immediately. The goblins had no mercy toward humans who came to subjugate them. They were creatures that many considered weak, childish, inexperienced, poor, and unfortunate. But their number... their number was simply too large.

The night deepened in the forest when suddenly, the forest shook with a rumble. I could make out dozens of shadows that continued pursuing me.

Crunch, crunch...!

I heard a shrill squeal. The goblin archers tensed their bows with demented screams that resonated in the darkness. It was the moment I had been waiting for.

Snap, snap...

I gently stepped on some branches as arrows flew in my direction, but they couldn't reach me. When the thin branches broke under my weight, I propelled my body upward.

Flat-

My unexpected movement took the nervous goblin who was now trying to escape by surprise.

With a precise cut, I severed his throat. The bright green blood began to gush like a fountain, testimony to the effectiveness of my attack.

Plat, plat—

I moved quickly, concentrating the stellar energy in my legs. This allowed me to move freely through the complicated forest terrain. Not even the goblins, who dominated this environment, could match my speed or anticipate my movements.

Carefully, I extracted the arrow that had embedded itself in the chain mail, between the gap in my armor and my shoulder. Examining the tip, I noticed a black, sticky, foul-smelling substance.

I had been poisoned.

The goblins' arrows were impregnated with poison, a disgusting mixture of poisonous herbs combined with their own urine, excrement, and saliva. A primitive but effective method.

The effect was immediate. I felt an intense heat rising from the back of my hand, irrefutable proof that the poison had already begun to penetrate my body.

I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain that grew in intensity with each second. My agony did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it intensified to unbearable levels. The scorching heat traveled through my veins as if it wanted to consume my entire body in flames.

It was genuine torture.

Although it was a hell-level test, I knew that not all rewards were equivalent to the effort invested. I wanted to overcome this level with exceptional performance, where the reward would be more abundant than usual.

I had carefully considered it when I began the third floor test. If the purpose was to flee from the goblins and survive without losing the treasure, the most effective solution would be to annihilate all the goblins, regardless of how long it took. To continue challenging the tests of each floor, I needed to obtain the greatest possible reward. That's why I hadn't fled from the goblins but decided to confront them directly.

But I had made a miscalculation. I had let my guard down. I never considered that the goblins might use poison on their arrows, and now I was paying the price for my negligence.

The numbers were slowly increasing. No, it wasn't just a matter of numbers. Even among goblins, there were strong and weak individuals. Not only was their quantity growing, but also their threat level.

This was not a test that could be overcome in one or two days. Additionally, it was crucial to know when to stop and rest to successfully complete this long marathon.

I spotted a nearby cave and headed toward it. As I entered the depth of the cavern, I could see rays of light filtering through some cracks in the ceiling.

[You have entered a safe zone.]

[Here you are safe from attackers.]

A safe zone, also known as a neutral zone. It was the first place I had found after my confrontation with the goblins.

These zones existed in different types of tests, although there were some where they were not present, which represented their rarity. Safe zones were considered separate spaces, disconnected from the main test.

I breathed deeply and collapsed on the ground, unable to move. The poison flowed through my blood vessels, systematically attacking every part of my body. My nerves and internal organs were succumbing to the toxic assault.

Despite the unbearable pain, I didn't emit a single cry. My entire body was as rigid as a statue.

My eyes opened excessively due to the extreme pain. They were bloodshot, as if blood had sprouted everywhere and was about to spill in the form of tears.

As the poison attacked my body, the heat continued to intensify. I never imagined that poison could be so terrifying.

I couldn't scream. I could only endure the pain in silence. It would have been less torturous to lose consciousness, but perhaps due to the effect of the poison, my mind remained lucid, forcing me to experience each wave of pain with full awareness.

The suffering invaded my entire being. Drifting in and out of consciousness, I felt that every part of my body burned as if it were wrapped in voracious flames.

At some point, I lost track of time. Perhaps only minutes or seconds had passed, but for me, who felt like I was being burned alive, those moments seemed like an eternity.

I knew that, from a logical point of view, I should stop. I should stop moving, eliminate all possible sensory information, and curl up. It was the smartest, most rational thing to do. If I surrendered to sleep, my torment would end.

But something in me rebelled against this idea. My expression turned wild and bestial as I understood that surrendering would mean dying.

I bared my teeth like a cornered beast, with veins pulsating throughout my body, twisting under my skin like independent serpents.

I spent an entire day enduring indescribable pain.

The last hours were more painful and seemed longer than all the time I was confined in the underground orphanage.

Different parts of my body broke while I suffered, gritting my teeth until they almost fractured.

After more than a day, the paralysis began to ease. The numbness that dominated my body gradually yielded, and the feverish heat disappeared.

In the end, I had won the battle against the poison. I managed to preserve my life, but the price was not small.

I had overcome the poisoning, but most of my internal organs, muscles, and nerves were severely damaged. I trusted that in time I would recover my original state, but for now, I was weakened.

I had no energy to move, but I forced myself to do so. I crawled toward the only exit that led outside. My mouth was dry, and I couldn't taste anything, but I needed to find food to survive. I moved like a venomous snake.

I will not die, no matter what!