Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey
Chapter 288: Mid-Term Exam [6]

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned my sword and held it inches away from Hora's throat, the sharp edge glinting ominously in the dim light of the cave.

"Now, you have two options," I said, my tone cold and unwavering. "One, you can crawl back to your masters and tell them that you failed to eliminate me. Or two, you can stay here and suffer the consequences."

Hora's eyes widened in fear as he realized the gravity of his situation. He knew that he had underestimated me, and now he was paying the price for his arrogance.

With a trembling hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of potion, offering it to me in a desperate attempt to buy his freedom.

But I merely shook my head, a cold smirk playing on my lips. "I don't need your pity, Hora. Consider this a lesson learned."

With that, I sheathed my sword and turned around to the cave, However, that was the moment Hora waiting for.

As soon as I turned my back he tried to stand up and attack me from behind me but I was already aware of it.

-Bam!

Turning around I grabbed his head and implanted on the ground!

"Let go of my head!"

Glaring at me, Arnold with both hands on the ground tried to stand up.

…I said he tried, but it's not like I was going to let him stand up. Since I had the advantage, I wasn't just going to throw it away like that. Pulling him by the hair, I smashed his face on the ground.

-Bam!

"Khhhhhauuu!"

"Nope, stay down. You need to rest a little more"

"I'll kill you!"

With his nose dripping with blood, I soon found, to my surprise, Hora's head lunging in my direction. Almost like he wanted to bite me.

"Wow!"

His action caught me off-guard.

Moving my head backwards, raising my hand by reflex, a loud slap resounded across the space.

-Slap!

Staring at my hand that had turned red, I couldn't help but raise my voice at Arnold.

"My God, what is wrong with you Hota? There's no need to resort to biting. What are you a monkey?"

"I'll kill you!"

-Slap!

Slapping him once again, a red mark appeared on Hora's face. Looking at Hora, I apologetically said

"Arnold, I'm just trying to calm you down. Please don't take it to heart"

-Slap!

"As a rule-abiding student, I must help fellow students who are in trouble…"

-Slap!

Ignoring the fact that Hora's cheeks were progressively getting bigger, I continuously slapped him in the face.

Like that, for the next minute, loud slapping sounds reverberated across the area I was in.

As I continuously slapped Hora in the face, I soon saw tears streaming down from the side of his cheeks. They were probably due to the pain. But I didn't care.

He needs a lesson and I'm gladly giving him that.

I'm sure that after this he won't be bugging me anymore, no he won't come any near me.

-Slap!

Once again I slapped his cheeks, he wasn't in any condition to save himself from me, So I continued to slap him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I released my grip on Hora's hair and allowed him to collapse to the ground, gasping for air and clutching his bruised face in agony.

"Are you done?" I asked, my voice laced with a mixture of frustration and exhaustion. "Because I don't have time to deal with petty grudges."

Hora glared up at me, his eyes burning with anger and humiliation. But there was also a glimmer of fear lurking behind his defiant facade.

"I'll get you for this," he spat, his voice strained and hoarse.

I merely scoffed in response, shaking my head in disbelief at his stubbornness.

"You are an idiot you knew that. I was going to let you but I can't do that. What if you tell the professor about this?" As soon as those words left my mouth, Hora came to realize what mistake he had made.

However, it was already too late. I can't let him talk about what happens here to others.

Since I can't kill him because of rules, I have something else in my mind.

I stomped my foot on his face. Knocking him out unconscious.

-Khueekh!

A couple of seconds after I knocked Arnold unconscious, my ears twitched and I soon heard the sound of goblins coming from the middle path of the forked roads.

Without a second thought, I quickly hid both me and Hora in the corner, beneath a boulder. I then patiently waited for the goblins to come by.

-Khueekh! -Khueekh! -Khueekh!

"One…two…five…perfect"

Counting the goblins that passed in my direction, I managed to spot five goblins. A smile appeared on my face.

"huuuup!"

Without a second thought, jumping out from the boulder, I quickly appeared before the goblins.

-Khuaaak! -Khuaaak! -Khuaaak!

-Bam!

Catching the goblins off guard, using my fist, I precisely hit every goblin towards the middle of their brows. Their weak spots.

-khhhha! -khhhha!

Under my quick and fast punches, the goblins died instantly.

It wasn't even a fight…

"Done…"

Soon after the goblins died, without skipping a beat, I dragged their bodies towards where Hora was and proceeded to stack them on top of him.

"Alright, this should be perfect"

Clapping my hands in satisfaction, I stared at Hora who was currently buried beneath a pile of goblins.

When I killed the goblins, I made sure to not use my sword precisely so that it looked like it was Hora who fought them.

With Hora buried beneath the pile of goblins, I took a moment to catch my breath and assess the situation. Despite the physical exertion and the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I remained focused and vigilant, knowing that I couldn't afford to let my guard down.

As I glanced around the cave, my senses on high alert, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having dealt with both Hora and the goblins in such a swift and efficient manner. It was a testament to my skills and resourcefulness, proving that I was more than capable of handling whatever challenges the dungeon threw at me.

But there was still work to be done. With Hora out of commission and the goblins disposed of, I needed to press on and continue my journey through the cave. The exam was far from over, and there were still plenty of monsters to defeat and obstacles to overcome if I wanted to achieve my goal of reaching the top 100.

With a determined nod, I set off once again, navigating the winding tunnels and dark passages of the cave with purpose and determination. Each step forward brought me closer to my objective, and I was determined to see it through to the end, no matter what obstacles lay in my path.

As I ventured deeper into the cave, the air grew colder and the darkness more oppressive, but I refused to let fear or doubt cloud my judgment. With my skills honed and my resolve unwavering, I pressed on, ready to face whatever challenges awaited me with courage and determination.