Chapter 4 — Comprehension The goblin slowly stood again. Jaden tightened his grip around the branch. His breathing was already uneven. His stomach still hurt from the earlier wound, but there was no time to think about it. The goblin charged. Jaden watched carefully. Its right foot moved forward. The knife came from above. Jaden stepped to the side. The knife missed. He swung the branch. The goblin blocked. “Damn it!” Jaden immediately stepped backward. He knew its movements now. That was the strange thing. He could understand them. The goblin's attacks weren't random. There was a pattern. Every time it attacked from the right, it shifted its weight onto its left leg. Every time Jaden moved backward, it chased him. Every time he tried to strike its knee, it protected it. His ability was showing him information. But information wasn't enough. Jaden's Strength was still only 5. His Agility was only 7. The goblin was simply stronger. Jaden swung again. The goblin blocked. It pushed the branch away. Jaden nearly lost his balance. He quickly recovered and struck toward its knee. The goblin jumped backward. “Come on!” Jaden chased it. He swung. Missed. The goblin attacked. Jaden blocked. The impact sent pain through his arms. He stumbled. The goblin followed. Jaden rolled away. The knife struck the ground. He kicked the goblin's leg. It barely moved. Jaden stared. “Are you serious?” The goblin swung. Jaden ducked. He struck its knee. This time, the goblin stumbled. Jaden raised the branch. He swung down. The goblin blocked with its arm. The impact hurt Jaden's hands. He stepped backward. Both of them stared at each other. Neither moved. Jaden's breathing grew heavier. The goblin was tired too. But it still had the advantage. Jaden looked at the forest around him. There had to be another way. He couldn't simply keep exchanging blows. His body wouldn't last. So he ran. The goblin chased him. Jaden weaved between the trees. He remembered something he'd read once. Don't fight stronger enemies head-on. He jumped over a fallen log. The goblin followed. Jaden suddenly stopped. The goblin crashed into him. Both fell. Jaden rolled away and grabbed the branch. He swung. The goblin blocked. Jaden swung again. Blocked. Again. Blocked. “Why won't you go down?!” The goblin pushed him away. Jaden fell backward. His head hit the ground. For several seconds, he couldn't move. The forest spun around him. He slowly sat up. The goblin was already coming. Jaden raised his branch. Hours passed. Jaden wasn't sure exactly how many. He had lost track. The fight had become a cycle. Attack. Dodge. Block. Run. Rest. Repeat. Sometimes Jaden gained ground. Sometimes the goblin pushed him back. He tried using the environment. He threw rocks. He used branches. He attempted to lure the goblin into uneven ground. Nothing worked for long. His body was becoming exhausted. His stomach hurt. His arms felt numb. His legs were trembling. Even breathing was becoming difficult. The goblin wasn't doing much better. Its movements had slowed. It limped on one leg. But it refused to stop. Jaden fell to his knees. The branch slipped from his hand. He stared at it. His fingers wouldn't close properly anymore. “...I can't.” The goblin approached. Jaden reached for the branch. Nothing. He tried again. His hand shook. Still nothing. The goblin raised its knife. Jaden stared at it. His mind went strangely quiet. He had been transported to another world. He had been given an F-rank ability. And now he was losing to a goblin. A creature that fantasy novels treated like cannon fodder. He almost laughed. “This is pathetic.” The goblin stepped closer. Jaden's eyes became blurry. “I can't even beat one.” He looked down. “What's the point?” He remembered the status window. Strength: 5. Agility: 7. Intelligence: 14. Luck: 8. His Intelligence was the only stat that stood out. But what good was intelligence when his body couldn't keep up? The goblin raised its knife. Jaden closed his eyes. Then— “Stop!” A voice echoed through the trees. Jaden opened his eyes. The goblin froze. Someone stepped out from between the trees. Aira. She looked at the goblin. Then at Jaden. Her expression immediately changed. “What happened to you?” Jaden tried to answer. His voice barely came out. “I…” He looked toward the goblin. “Been fighting.” Aira looked at the creature. Then back at him. “For how long?” “I don't know.” She crouched beside him. “You're exhausted.” “Yeah.” “You've been fighting this alone?” Jaden nodded. Aira looked genuinely surprised. “Why didn't you run?” “I did.” “And?” “It followed me.” Aira couldn't help but smile slightly. “You're unbelievable.” Jaden gave a weak laugh. “Thanks.” “That wasn't a compliment.” “I'll take it anyway.” Aira stood. The goblin suddenly moved. It charged toward them. Jaden's eyes widened. “Aira!” She raised her hand. “Stop.” The goblin froze. Its body locked in place. Aira's expression remained calm. “Stay.” The goblin couldn't move. Jaden stared. “Sovereign Command…” Aira nodded. “Yeah.” She looked at the exhausted boy beside her. “You really fought this thing for hours?” Jaden nodded. “Couldn't beat it.” “But you didn't give up.” “I almost did.” Aira was silent. Then she said, “You don't have to do everything alone.” Jaden looked at her. For some reason, those words hit harder than he expected. He looked away. “...Thanks.” Aira smiled. “Let's find the others.” Jaden slowly stood. His legs nearly gave out. Aira caught his arm. “Careful.” “I've got it.” “You almost fell.” “I said I've got it.” Aira released him. Jaden immediately stumbled. She caught him again. “Right.” She sighed. “Of course you do.” Jaden looked embarrassed. Then something appeared before his eyes. [COMPREHENSION ACTIVATED.] Jaden froze. He looked at the goblin. The window changed. [TARGET ANALYSIS] Species: Goblin Level: 3 Strength: 8 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 2 Luck: 3 Weakness: Right Knee, Neck Behavior Pattern: Aggressive / Repetitive Jaden stared. He could see it. The goblin's stats. Its weakness. Its behavior. Everything. Then the window disappeared. “Wait.” Jaden blinked. He tried again. “Comprehension.” Nothing. He looked at the goblin. Nothing. “Come on…” Aira looked at him. “What happened?” “My ability.” “What about it?” “It activated.” Aira's expression became curious. “What did you see?” “The goblin's stats.” “Can you activate it again?” “I don't know.” Jaden tried several times. Nothing happened. He frowned. “It just appeared.” “Then we'll figure it out later.” Jaden nodded. The two began walking through the forest. Aira explained that she had been searching for other students. When everyone entered the tutorial, they had been scattered across different locations. Some students had already found one another. Others were still alone. “We need to find everyone,” Aira said. Jaden nodded. “Alright.” They continued searching. Eventually, they found another group. Then another. Students who had spent days alone finally began gathering together. Some had discovered how their abilities worked. Some had found food. Some had built temporary shelters. Others had barely done anything at all. By the fourth day, most of the class had been reunited. Jaden spent the remaining time listening. Learning. Watching. Testing his ability whenever he could. But he still couldn't figure out how Comprehension activated. It happened randomly. At least, that's what he thought. Then, on the fifth day— A familiar sound echoed through the forest. Ding. Everyone stopped. A blue window appeared. [TUTORIAL OBJECTIVE COMPLETE.] Another message appeared. [Congratulations, Players.] [You have successfully survived the Tutorial.] For a moment, nobody reacted. Then— “We did it!” “We're done!” “Finally!” Students began cheering. Jaden sat against a tree. He closed his eyes. Five days. It had only been five days. Yet it felt like months. He opened his status window. A new notification was waiting. [TUTORIAL REWARD ACQUIRED.] Jaden opened his inventory. A new item appeared. [NOVICE ARMAMENT BOX] Description: A reward granted to players who successfully complete the Tutorial. Contents: Choose one basic weapon. Jaden stared. “A weapon…” A student nearby suddenly shouted. “There's a reward!” Everyone immediately checked their inventory. “What did you get?” “A weapon box!” “I can choose a sword!” “I'm getting a bow!” “Does anyone know if there are spears?” The atmosphere suddenly became excited. Then someone asked a question. “What happens if someone doesn't complete the tutorial?” The excitement disappeared. Nobody answered. The students looked at each other. The same thought seemed to cross everyone's mind. They had been scattered for five days. They had found most of their classmates. But not necessarily everyone. Jaden slowly looked at the countdown. [TIME UNTIL FLOOR 1: 23:18:42] Less than a day. The tutorial was over. The protection of Death: Disabled would soon disappear. Tomorrow, they would enter the first floor. And whatever waited there... Would be real.