Danmachi: Goliath

Following the map, I made my way to a lone red dot. It was just the hallway over, and it was actually coming to me, probably to investigate the sound of the iron ball dropping.

I turned the corner and saw it. Another Kobold, a bit taller than the last. It looked calm at first, but once it laid eyes on me, its entire demeanor changed. The 'cute' dog's face morphed into that of a crazed monster, the hair on its body seeming to stick up. And then it leaned close to the ground and charged at me, its speed faster than the last.

I also charged forward, my muscles tensing and releasing like coiled springs. As I got within striking range, I kicked forward with my right leg, the massive bottom of my foot heading towards its head at an unavoidable speed.

At least I thought so.

The Kobold reacted in time, moving under my leg and continuing its charge towards me. 'Uh-oh.' My stance was too wide, so before my foot could touch the ground after the missed kick, the Kobold was directly in front of me, its yellow eyes glinting.

The Kobold leaped at me with its jaws wide open, aiming for my throat, and I quickly brought my left arm up to block its bite. Its teeth sank into the thick leather of the Caestus, but the metal studs prevented it from getting a good grip.

My right foot touched the ground, stabilizing me, and I swung my left arm to the side with all my might. The Kobold's teeth couldn't hold onto the Caestus, and it flew back, landing on all fours and sliding back with the sound of its claws grating against the stone ground echoing in the confined space, sending a shiver down my spine.

It growled, a low, guttural sound that reverberated through the hallway; its eyes locked onto mine with a burning fury, and then it lunged at me again, faster than before. I sidestepped its attack; my movements slightly slower due to the weight of the iron balls.

The Kobold's claws raked against the rocky ground as it turned to face me, its eyes filled with fury. It charged again, and this time, I was ready. As it closed the distance, I crouched low, feeling the muscles in my legs coil tightly like compressed springs. The pressure built up in my calves and thighs, ready to explode.

I sprung up with all my strength, driving my right knee into its chin. The impact was brutal—a sickening crack as bone met bone. I could feel the solid resistance of its jaw giving way beneath my knee as the force of the blow lifted the Kobold off its feet, its body flipping backward through the air.

The creature's jaws snapped shut with a click as its head was thrown back, its eyes rolling up in shock. Time seemed to slow as I watched its body arc through the air, a spray of blood trailing from its mouth, and then I charged at the flying beast.

The Kobold crashed into the ground, skidding across the rocky floor, but before it could recover, I was above it. I swung my right arm down in a powerful hammer-like strike, the iron ball of my fist connected with the side of the Kobold's head. The impact was devastating—a wet crunch as its skull caved in completely as blood and brain matter splattered against the walls.

I didn't stop. I brought my left fist down, the iron ball crushing its rib cage with another gruesome crack. The Kobold's eyes glazed over, its body finally going still.

Panting heavily, I stepped back, the metallic scent of blood overpowering, the kobold's lifeblood dripping from the iron ball. 

"Hmm…" This iron ball isn't quite as effective as I thought. Maybe against larger animals, but I wouldn't be able to use it effectively against smaller foes like this.

'Unequip iron ball.' With a white light, the iron ball disappeared, leaving only the Caestus and my hands light.

I continued forward while opening my stats. I almost forgot about my exp. From the two kobolds, my exp increased from 14318 to 14850. Pressing the + next to DEX, I added 14742 exp to it, bringing it up by 18 levels from 401 to 419. With that, my total level became 2861, with my actual level being 2808.

I felt the rush go through my body, but this time it lasted longer due to the higher increase. Yet, I did not feel different. 'Need more exp.' I at least need to reduce the level difference between my strength and dexterity to below 50%, so the goal I am aiming for is level 481 in dexterity.

With that, I called up the map and immediately rushed towards the next monster. 

Another monster rounded the corner and it barely had time to register my presence before my full-powered right knee slammed into the side of its face. The impact was brutal; my knee seemed to press into the goblin's face as if it were kneeing a balloon. The muscles around its face tore, and the bones of its cheek and jaw shattered audibly, the force of the blow sending the goblin flying into the wall.

Without giving it a moment to recover, I lunged forward. My right foot came down with all my might, pressing hard on the goblin's head against the jagged stone wall of the dungeon, with the sound of a wet crunch entering my ears as an experience notification flashed before me. 

[+738 EXP]

'???' That was a lot more exp than I thought. From such a weak monster? But I didn't care as I charged at the goblin following behind the first.

This goblin also charged while screaming and jumped towards me, its sword which I assume it stole from a dead body and raised above its head. The sword came down at a speed I wasn't expecting, but I raised my right arm, letting the sword slide down the side of my Caestus forearm. 

With my free left arm, I grabbed the goblin's head, its face fitting into my massive Caestus glove like I was holding an apple. Pivoting on my right heel, I slammed it into the wall on my right side. The force of the impact caving its skull in and blood splattering against the stone. I continued running forward, dragging its face along the wall until another experience notification popped up, and I released its limp body.

"Hmm…" I definitely have some psychopathic tendencies I did not explore in my past life. 

Pushing this thought to the back of my mind, I called up the map, looking for the closest monster, then moved towards it. Not wanting to keep calling and sending away the map, I tried to minimize it and place it in the bottom left corner of my vision.

It appeared there. 'Now I look like I am actually in a game.'

Turning the corner, I noticed two goblins just walking with their backs to me. I continued my forward run, my massive frame moving like a charging bull. They turned to look, but all they saw was my massive knee, the size of their heads, slamming into their faces with the force of a sledgehammer, sending them flying back. 

Landing, I leaped forward, my legs outstretched like I was performing a long jump, and then I landed, my feet smashing the two goblins chests who were on the ground. The bones caved in, like it was made porcelain, and two notifications popped up.

I immediately turned around where I came from as I noticed two green dots approaching from the hallway ahead, rushing into the next hallway. I really do not want to interact with humans right now. 

Turning the corner, I moved through the maze and entered a hallway with a charge. Before the two kobolds could react, my knee slammed into their heads, sending them towards the wall. Landing, I ignored the dying monsters and continued running.

You might ask, 'Why am I only using my knee to attack?' Well, it's because of the massive size difference. 

If a goblin and I stood side by side, the top of its head, with its 106 cm frame, would only reach my mid-thigh, and the kobold, only four cm taller at 110 cm, would reach slightly higher. Thus is the difference in size between me and these ants. I was a massive giant in their presence, and even while kneeling, I would still tower over them. My height of 240 cm wasn't for show. I am an absolute monster—

*Ding*Ding*. There it is! The two monsters that I left to die died!.

Just then, I lunged forward as I raised my left leg. The bottom of my foot slammed into the face of a charging kobold that wasn't quick enough to dodge. The weight of my foot carrying it forward and bringing it to the ground with the downward momentum of my foot.

My weight of 170 kg pressed down on its head, causing it to cave in. The bones from the skull would have pierced into my shoes if it wasn't a rank 3 item that can't be damaged without a 'rank-3 attack.' 

With that, I immediately turned around and entered another hallway, avoiding a group of three adventurers that were walking towards me.

'I feel like I am playing hide and seek.' I lowered my stance as I charged, grabbing the head of a goblin that was beating the dead body of a human on the ground with a club, with four more goblins laying dead on the ground. 

With its head in my palm, I continued my forward charge, carrying it with me. Before it could react, I palmed its face into a wall, a sickening wet crush sounding as I released it. 

Turning into another hallway, I continued forward, deciding not to think of the dead adventurer. It wasn't my concern. It's just a dead NPC on the road, like those skeletons you see in dungeons in some RPG games.

With that thought, I glanced at the map again, looking for my next target.

'Row, row, row your boat 

Gently down the stream 

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily 

 Life is but a DREAM!'

With that, my knee caved in the face of a kobold that just spawned out of the wall of the dungeon, slamming its head back onto the wall it just came out from.

'So monsters spawn from the dungeon's wall.' Valid information I have no use for.

'Wait…' Is Bro running from me?

In front of me was a kobold that was sprinting with all its might, trying to escape me as it kept glancing back. 'Fear?' It showed fear, something other Kobolds had never shown.

Interesting…

I want to kill it!

~~~~~3rd person POV~~~~~

Leaning forward, Noah put all his strength into his legs and took off into a sprint, more like a jumping run. His massive frame of 7'10" carried him forward in long, powerful strides, each step covering nearly five meters. He barreled through the tunnel at an incredible speed, nearly 15 meters per second, his large body turning corners with difficulty as he chased the kobold.

The kobold, although small, was incredibly fast, especially now that she was running on all fours. She moved at nearly 10 meters per second, her body turning sharp corners with immeasurable agility, while Noah nearly slammed into the walls to make the turns. It was like a charging bull chasing an agile rabbit; his inability to turn corners at such speed due to his large frame was the only thing keeping him from catching up to the kobold.

The kobold breath came in ragged gasps, each inhalation a struggle as she pushed her small body to its limits. Her mind raced with fear, the image of the Goliath's massive form seared into her memory. She had never encountered anything like it before—a creature so much larger and more terrifying than any she had faced.

As she darted through the narrow tunnels of the dungeon, her limbs moved with frantic energy, driven by pure survival instinct. Her claws scrabbled against the stone floor, finding purchase as she propelled herself forward, but it still felt like it wasn't enough. The monster behind her was relentless, its heavy footfalls echoing in the confined space.

She took a glance back, and all she could see was a massive hand reaching towards her, the palm almost the size of her torso. 'No!' She quickly ducked under the hand, her body rolling to the side as the giant palm slammed into the wall, and she could hear its grunt. 

Ignoring it, she immediately scurried to her feet, turned the corner, and continued running, her hands and legs moving as fast as they could. She leaped off the walls of the dungeon for added mobility, her desperation to live giving her a speed she never knew she had.

Her eyes darted around wildly, searching for any escape route, any possible salvation. She turned sharp corners with agility that defied belief, her small body twisting and contorting to maintain her momentum. Her ears were pinned back, every sound amplified in her heightened state of fear. 

She could feel her muscles burning with exertion, but she couldn't afford to slow down. She could still hear the creature many hallways behind her, and the thought of being caught sent waves of terror coursing through her veins. Her mind flashed back to the others, the kobolds who had fallen so easily to this beast. She didn't want to end up like them. 

She couldn't.

As she rounded another corner, her body moving on autopilot, she caught sight of two adventurers in the distance, engaged in combat with a group of kobolds. But they were irrelevant to her. All that mattered was escaping the creature. She pushed herself harder, her limbs moving in a blur as she scampered on all fours, her desperation giving her a burst of speed she didn't know she had.

But just as she thought she might have a chance, the smell of the monster suddenly filled her nose again. It was close—too close. Her heart skipped a beat, panic surging through her as she realized it was catching up. 

'No, no, no!' she whimpered as she pushed her body to the utmost limit. 

But just as she thought she had escaped the creature chasing her, the smell of the monster suddenly entered her nose. It was closing in from behind her. And fast!

She turned another corner, her movements frantic and uncoordinated, and then time seemed to slow to a crawl. A massive knee appeared in front of her face, its presence impossible to comprehend. Her eyes widened in horror, her mind struggling to process how the monster had gotten in front of her. She was fast—she had been running faster than ever before. 

She knew it couldn't turn corners and had made sure she didn't go in circles, so how could this be?

How?

How?

Ho—and then the knee slammed into her face with a force that shattered her skull. The impact was like a sledgehammer hitting a fragile piece of glass. Bones crunched and snapped, blood spraying from her shattered nose as her body was thrown backward. Her last conscious thought was a desperate, futile question: 'Why?'

Her body hit the ground with a sickening thud, the light fading from her eyes. The last thing she saw was the massive foot of the monster descending, crushing her head against the stone floor, and then there was only darkness.

"Well, that was fun." Was the last thing she heard. 

'Fun?'