*you are now level 2: +5 HP, +2 MP, and SP, 2 stat points choose between one of three upgradable new skills to unlock:

(Active) Harden: Armor becomes tougher doubling defense for 1 minute while movement speed it halved costs 2 SP

(Active) Mend: Able to mend your armor regenerating HP equal to 1.5 times Intelligence per cast costing 4 MP per cast

(Passive) Soul Harvest: You feast on your enemies souls to strengthen your own, for every ten foes you kill you gain one stat point, but you receive 50% essence gain*

(wow, honestly all of those skills are good. Harden will help reducing incoming damage, but it might end up making me take more damage in the long run because I'm not very fast on my feet as it is. It would be great to be able to heal with Mend but I don't really have enough mana or intelligence to justify getting it. Soul harvest doesn't provide any power increase early but it will be immensely useful later, though... 50% essence gain... I might die of old age before I level up if that's even possible.)

The Knight ponders over his choice for roughly 20 minutes before he comes to the conclusion of the skill he wants.

(You know what, I am just gonna get soul harvest, it'll make me stronger in the long run, plus it's supposed to be upgradable so it might make it easy to get stats later.)

After accepting the skill, he was curious how much it would cost to upgrade the skill and his jaw would have dropped to the floor if he had one, when he saw how much it would cost to upgrade it

*Essence upgrade to level 2: 500 essence*

The knight preceded to facepalm himself.

(500... I could have leveled up multiple times with that.. Sigh.. okay let's stay positive, it will be a long time before I can upgrade it, but at least it will prove useful enough to make the high cost worth it, in the long run, considering I will probably have more stats than someone at the same level than me.)

After trying to hype himself up he decided to check over his stats and allocate his new stat points.

Stat window

------------------------------------

Name: none

Race: Soul Knight

Title: Minor Goblin Slayer-gives +2 damage to versus goblins

Level: 2

Essence needed to next level: 150

Essence: 0

HP: 13

Regen: only when rests

MP: 4

Regen: 1/6 seconds

SP: 6

Regen: 1/6 seconds

Strength: 4

Agility: 1

Vitality: 2

Intelligence 1

Melee damage: 4

Magic Power: 1

Defense: 2

Magic Resist: 0

-----------------------------

(Okay I have 13 HP now, which should provide me a little cushion when fighting. I have 2 stat points to allocate and I think right now it would be better to increase my damage so I will put it in my strength upping my damage to 6, 8 when fighting goblins.)

*strength now 6*

After putting the 2 points into strength he closes the stat window.

(Now that's over with, might as well find some more cannon fodder.)

The Knight proceeds in his quest of slaying all the little green monsters.

*Level 1 goblin slain: 5 essence*

*Level 1 goblin slain: 5 essence*

*Level 1 goblin slain: 5 essence*

*Level 1 goblin slain: 5 essence*

*Level 1 goblin slain: 5 essence*

After he defeated another 5 goblins he goes to wipe off the sweat from his forehead but remembers he doesn't sweat anymore.

(Right, I'm an animated suit of armor now, I don't sweat. It's gonna take a while getting used to not having to do things humans normally do, I also don't need to eat or drink, but I kind of hope I will someday be able to down a nice cold beer and a steak. Can I even taste? I can feel but I don't think I can smell anything, and honestly, I am thankful for that. I can't imagine goblins smell like soap.)

During my inner monologue of reminiscing about being human, I failed to notice the shadows around me shimmering, and I feel something sharp pierce my back.

-11....

(Argh! what the fuck....)

After being shanked in the back and almost got one shot, he spins around to find a black goblin, with what seems to be black Fog coming off of him, grinning with a demonic smile brandishing a black short sword that is 2 feet long and the metal of the sword is pitch black as if it is a shadow itself.

*Warning: Goblin Elite is higher leveled than you, very dangerous*

After the notification pops up, a red skull pops up over the goblin's head.

(Oh boy, this can't be good, red skulls in my experience of gaming never meant anything good I'm out of here)

The knight immediately sprinted down the hallway dodging the slashing from the persistent elite monster, praying to every god he can think of that he doesn't meet any more goblins along the way and his prayers were answers, though it may be a cruel joke, as he comes across a staircase surrounded by a pit of black where he can't see the bottom leading up to what seems to a door at the top and one slip and he will join the pit of nothingness.

(Gods! why you do this to me? I don't think I will make to the top before this goblin gets me what am I gonna do?)

The goblin and knight then engage in a dangerous exchange where each of them dodging attacks. The goblin has an advantage of a longer blade and faster move speed, bringing the blade only a couple of centimeters away from dicing the Knights rusty armor. As the Knight is being backed up the stairs slowly in this deadly exchange he comes up with a dangerous solution.

(Here goes nothing!) He lunges downwards at the goblin barely dodging his knife and colliding into him and crashing down the stairs and falls over the side barely grabbing the edge with his hand, but the goblin is still on the stairs, dazed as it struggles to stand.

(Get over here!) and he grabs the goblin's ankle and yanks it with one hand dragging the goblin off the side into the abyss.

(hah.. hah.. I did it but how am I gonna get back up)

The knight struggles to hold his grip, wondering if his glorious adventure is already over when he hears the familiar *Ding*.

*Congratulations: you defeated the Elite goblin shadow goblin while being under-leveled and only doing it in one blow, gaining bonus rewards.

Defeated a Level 4 Elite shadow goblin: +2 levels, +500 essence, +4 stat points, +1 Silver grade obsidian shortsword*

*Leveled up to level 3: +5 HP, +2 SP and MP, +2 stat points*

*Leveled up to level 4: +5 HP, +2 SP and MP, +2 stat points*

*Soul Harvest: Elite Goblins soul was strong enough that it counts as +5 kill count, now have enough to get a free stat point*

After the Knight leveled up he fully healed and Immediately the stat points he received from leveling up into strength raising it to 8 giving him enough power to be able to pull himself back up to the stairs. When he finally was entirely on the surface again he laid there trying to calm his nerves as he went over all the rewards he got.

(Holy shit, even though I almost straight up died that was entirely worth it. I got 2 free levels which is insane because of my slow essence gain, and I got a ton of stats, lets check out my current stats)

Stat window

------------------------------------

Name: none

Race: Soul Knight

Title: Minor Goblin Slayer-gives +2 damage to versus goblins

Level: 4

Essence needed to next level: 500

Essence: 525

Used to level up and upgrade skills

HP: 23

Regen: only when rests

MP: 8

Regen: 1/6 seconds

SP: 10

Regen: 1/6 seconds

Strength: 8

Agility: 1

Vitality: 2

Intelligence 1

Melee damage: 10

Magic Power: 1

Defense: 2

Magic Resist: 0

----------------------------

(It's to actually look pretty nice, I still have the 4 free stat points from killing the goblin, and I have a free point already from Soul Harvester and a new shortsword)

*(Silver grade) Obsidian Shortsword: +4 damage and double damage on the sneak attack, +2 Int, +2 agility*

(Honestly wasn't expecting any equipment that can buff stats yet, but after a near-death experience I'll take it)

The Knight immediately stowed away his old crappy dagger for his new shortsword increasing his damage, Int, and agility.

(Alright, now that I checked out my loot, I think it's time to distribute my 5 stat points and do something with my essence.)

He thought for a couple of minutes deciding to distribute 2 points into strength and 3 points into Vitality.

(I can either upgrade Soul Harvester or I can level up to 5, and I remember that I can get a class at level 5, I honestly think a new class would be worth it because I don't have any active skills yet. Maybe that will help.)

*Leveled up to level 5: +5 HP, +2 SP, and MP, +2 stat points, Class feature unlocked*

(Let's put 1 point into strength and vitality, then see what classes are available)

*Juggernaut: A knight that becomes an unstoppable force on the battlefield ignoring swords as if they were flies.

Requirement: 10 Vitality, 5 strength*

*Shadow Knight: A knight that blends in the shadows striking enemies before they know what killed them

Requirement: 10 Vitality, 5 Intelligence*

*Guardian: A knight that protects allies with his own body

Requirement: 8 Defense, 8 vitality*

*Soul Eater: A knight who is able to consume enemies to strengthen himself or bend their souls to his will

Requirement: Soul Harvester skill, 8 Strength, 8 Agility, 8 vitality, 8 Intelligence*

(Guardian is out, considering I don't want to be useless if I don't have people I can trust. Shadow Knight is out because I don't want to have to sneak to win fights. The only choices for me are Juggernaut or Soul Eater. They both are good, it would be cool to be an unstoppable tank but with the sole class with a skill requirement and I have that skill, I think that Soul Eater is the better choice. Soul harvester is pretty strong and I am excited to see what the class offers. Though, it will be a while before I can use it because of the hefty skill requirements.)

After confirming his later class choice he got up and went to the metal door at the top of the staircase and pushed it open.

*Ding*

*Welcome to floor 2*

Stat window

------------------------------------

Name: none

Race: Soul Knight

Title: Minor Goblin Slayer-gives +2 damage to versus goblins

Level: 5

Essence needed to next level: 800

Essence: 25

Used to level up and upgrade skills

HP: 44

Regen: only when rests

MP: 12

Regen: 1/6 seconds

SP: 18

Regen: 1/6 seconds

Strength: 11

Agility: 3

Vitality: 6

Intelligence 3

Melee damage: 15

Magic Power: 3

Defense: 2

Magic Resist: 0

Equipment

Rusty knight set: a set of rusty knight armor that gives a combined 2 defense

Goblin dagger: +2 damage

(Silver grade) Obsidian Shortsword: +4 damage and double damage on the sneak attack, +2 Int, +2 agility

Skills

(passive) Essence Eater: you gain essence by defeating enemies

(passive) Translation: you understand the common language of the world

(passive) Living Armor: you can assimilate any type of armor into your own merging into yourself

(Passive) Soul Harvest 0/10: You feast on your enemies souls to strengthen your own, for every ten foes you kill you gain one stat point, but you receive 50% essence gain*