“Wha…!”

Having let his guard down after escaping the three goblins, Shoot found himself facing two more. He was instantly surrounded. The goblin in front swung its club and charged. Shoot instinctively slammed his backpack into the goblin's face.

The goblin whimpered and recoiled, but the attack did little damage. Judging that he couldn't afford to pick up his backpack, Shoot tried to escape again, but this time he failed, tripped by a kick from the goblin behind him.

“Damn it…!”

He tried to get up immediately, but the goblin in front lunged at him, and they grappled.

“What the hell, you ugly little monster!”

Looking down on the goblin—as if it were a game enemy—Shoot didn’t want to be bested by such a creature. He lashed out, punching the goblin in the face, stomach, and legs, but it wasn't enough to defeat it; instead, he enraged the creature.

As he landed yet another blow, Shoot felt a jolt, like an electric current running through his head.

(Again… What is this?)

He had experienced this sensation when running away from the three goblins. There was no pain.

Then, Shoot had a realization.

(Skill… “Super Strength”?)

It was a strange feeling. The skill felt as if it had always been there, and he had just now remembered it. It felt like something that should have been there all along. It wasn't like buying a new book or game; it was more like getting a permanent tooth or hair growth.

(Come to think of it, I had a similar feeling when I was escaping the first goblins…)

Shoot wanted to think about the strange things happening to him, but he couldn't afford to. He was in the middle of a fight with a goblin.

The goblin raised its club, trying to bludgeon Shoot to death.

Even if the goblin’s strength matched its small stature, it still had a weapon. Being hit with that club wouldn’t be pretty, Shoot realized the danger.

(What the hell… I’ve just arrived in what seems like another world, and I’m struggling against these weak enemies, about to be killed!?

Am I destined to be a loser, both at school and here… !?)

Facing the descending club, Shoot’s thoughts weren’t of a near-death experience; instead, it was a torrent of memories of the injustices he had suffered—the violence, the bullying.

As those memories surfaced, a surge of rage welled up inside him.

“G-GGRRRRRRRRRR!”

He abruptly stood up, grabbed the goblin’s shirt, and slammed it to the ground. Startled by the sudden attack, the goblin let out a cry of surprise.

Meanwhile, Shoot was furious. Rage at the unjust bullying at school, rage at being unexpectedly attacked in this strange world. His fear of the grotesque creature was overcome by overwhelming anger, giving him a surge of adrenaline.

He unleashed a furious kick to the goblin’s stomach.

“RAAAAAH!”

THUD!

He didn’t stop at one blow, delivering a series of brutal kicks without hesitation.

BAM CRUNCH WHUMP “Die, all of you! You, Nakazato, Tanimoto, Ohigashi, Gohara, Itakura! All of you should die!!”

Then, something strange happened after one of his kicks.

THUD!! “Gyaaa!? G… …”

The kick had far greater power than before, accompanied by a deafening impact sound.

“Whoa!? What was that strength!? Did I…?”

Even Shoot was surprised. He saw that the goblin he was fighting was lying still, eyes wide open, dead. Immediately after, the familiar feeling of realization struck him again.

(Skill… “Martial Arts,” it says…?)

Another skill, Shoot wondered. His punches and kicks had been amateurish before. Yet, he had acquired “Martial Arts.”

He tried shadowboxing on the spot.

WHAP WHAP WHAP “…!”

The sharp, precise jabs astonished him. Any boxer would have praised his technique.

“~~~…”

Shoot turned to the remaining goblin. It threw its club at Shoot. Shoot grabbed a fallen club and deflected the incoming weapon.

(My reflexes… have suddenly improved drastically…)

The goblin panicked at having its attack blocked. Shoot seized the opportunity, rushing forward and beating the goblin senseless with his club.

“You pathetic goblin! Don’t get cocky!! You’re just a weakling, so die already!!”

The sound of wood striking flesh echoed repeatedly. Shoot kept beating the goblin until it was dead. As the second goblin died, he felt the familiar acquisition of a skill.

(Skill… “Swordsmanship”? Does a club also count as a sword?)

The definition of weapon types was curiously vague, Shoot thought.

———

Later, Shoot encountered another group of goblins (five this time) and fought them. Although he was momentarily surrounded, he gained the skill “Tough Body” during the fight, increasing his defense so that the goblins’ attacks hurt less. With vastly increased attack power, durability, and agility, Shoot smiled for the first time in this world.

“Escaping those goblins gave me the skill ‘Speed’. Punching and kicking gave me ‘Super Strength’ and ‘Martial Arts’. Taking hits strengthened my body with another skill….

Every time I do something in this world, I get a new skill. And it’s incredibly easy…”

If everyone in this world was like that, this was an incredibly easy life, Shoot couldn’t help but think.

Shoot didn’t realize it then.

The power boost he experienced was unique to him in this world.

And that, even if someone else from his world were transported to this other world, they wouldn't gain skills and power up as easily as he did….