Falsely Accused, I Started Plundering Monster Traits

Lin Yan ran through the tunnel as pale notifications appeared one after another at the edge of his vision.

[Traits obtained: Battle Instinct I, Brawn I, Agility I and Goblin Language Proficiency I.]

[Duplicate trait detected: Brawn I.]

[Identical traits cannot be equipped simultaneously. Duplicate stored in Trait Library.]

He made his decision without slowing down.

"Replace Rough Skin I and Minor Regeneration I with Battle Instinct I and Agility I."

[Confirm trait replacement?]

"Do it."

Cold spread behind his eyes, followed by a faint warmth running through his legs. His next few steps landed more cleanly, and the spear in his hand no longer pulled his body off balance whenever he changed direction.

Ahead, Marcus reached the equipment-area door with the Crusher close behind him. The lock turned at the last moment, several arms reached through the opening and dragged Marcus inside, and the reinforced door slammed shut just as the iron hammer struck it.

The passage shook. A deep dent appeared in the metal, and the cabinet behind the door scraped across the floor.

Marcus had made it.

One of the Crusher’s pointed ears twitched at the sound of Lin Yan’s approaching footsteps. It tore the hammer free from the door and turned.

Its bloodshot eyes found Lin Yan first, then moved toward the empty tunnel behind him. None of the four smaller goblins had returned.

The Crusher’s face twisted. Its lips pulled away from its broken yellow teeth, and a furious roar rolled through the tunnel as it pointed the iron hammer at Lin Yan.

Lin Yan stopped several meters away.

The original plan had been to catch the creature from behind while Marcus kept its attention. Now Marcus had thrown away his axe and escaped through the door, which meant the planned attack from both sides was no longer happening.

Looks like this is the only way.

"Replace Low-Light Vision I with Goblin Language Proficiency I."

[Replacement complete.]

The tunnel darkened slightly, but the Crusher was close enough for Lin Yan to see clearly.

He turned sideways and raised the stone spear in one hand, its point aimed directly at the Crusher’s head.

"State your name!"

The Crusher paused.

For a moment, it seemed genuinely confused by the question.

Lin Yan struck the end of the spear against the ground.

"I am Lin Yan of the ancient Lin bloodline, firstborn son of my house, sovereign of East River Street after midnight, undefeated king of the three nearby McDonald’s, rightful heir to the empire, supreme lord of the night shift, ferryman of the dead, terror of unpaid overtime, and the man who walks among corpses yet always returns before dawn!"

Most of that title had been invented on the spot, but it sounded good enough.

The Crusher stared at him for another moment before beating one fist against its chest armor.

"My mother was Urga, warrior of the Stoneblood Trolls. My father was Krik of the Blackfang Tribe. I am Gorak, bearer of troll blood and the Iron Crusher of this cavern!"

Lin Yan’s eyebrows rose.

"A troll’s blood and the blood of the Blackfang Tribe, yet you still carved out a title of your own. Not bad."

Gorak lifted its hammer.

Lin Yan tightened his grip on the spear.

"Then come, Gorak! By the honor of our bloodlines and the names of our ancestors, let us fight to the death!"

He lowered his body, pointing the spear forward.

"Only one of us will leave this tunnel alive!"

"Replace Goblin Language Proficiency I with Low-Light Vision I."

[Replacement complete.]

The tunnel sharpened around him again.

Gorak threw back its head and roared.

Lin Yan shouted back and charged.

The two of them rushed toward each other. Gorak raised its hammer, while Lin Yan held the spear level with its chest as though he truly intended to meet the creature head-on.

At the final moment, Lin Yan planted one foot in the mud, twisted his waist and hurled the spear with a textbook overhand throw.

The spear left his hand.

Gorak’s eyes widened.

The stone point buried itself deep in its thigh.

The honorable duel had lasted less than three seconds.

The Crusher roared, grabbed the spear and ripped it from its thigh. Blood ran down its leg as it threw the weapon aside and charged again.

Lin Yan had already turned around.

He retreated deeper into the tunnel. The four smaller goblins lay where he had killed them, their weapons scattered across the mud.

Lin Yan pulled the first stone-tipped spear from beside a corpse and hurled it without breaking stride.

The Crusher swept one arm across its body. The shaft was knocked aside, but the stone point still tore into its forearm before falling away.

That only made it angrier.

Lin Yan reached the second corpse and snatched up another spear. This one struck the crude armor across the Crusher’s chest and broke against the metal, scattering pieces of wood across the tunnel.

The creature did not slow down.

A stone knife lay beside the third body. Lin Yan caught it by the handle and sent it spinning toward the Crusher’s face, forcing the creature to turn its head as the blade cut across its cheek.

Beside the last goblin was a crude stone mallet. It was too short to keep the Crusher away, so Lin Yan threw that as well.

The Crusher knocked it aside with the handle of its hammer and continued forward.

By then, Lin Yan had already crouched and closed one hand around a fistful of wet mud.

When the Crusher entered reach, he flung it directly into the creature’s face.

Mud covered its eyes.

The Crusher bellowed and swung the hammer blindly. The iron head passed through the space where Lin Yan had been standing and smashed into the tunnel wall, sending fragments of stone across the ground.

Lin Yan moved around its side. Battle Instinct showed him the direction of the next swing before it began, while Agility allowed his body to follow that warning without hesitation.

He tore the iron club from his belt and brought it down against the Crusher’s ankle.

Bone cracked beneath the iron.

The creature’s leg folded, and one knee struck the ground. Its hammer swept back in a wide arc, forcing Lin Yan to duck beneath the handle and move closer instead of retreating.

From that position, the Crusher’s unprotected head was finally within reach.

Lin Yan raised the iron club with both hands and swung.

Gorak threw up the arm holding the hammer. The club missed its head and crashed into the exposed wrist instead.

Bone cracked.

The hand folded downward, and the iron hammer slipped from its fingers.

The instant the blow landed, the skin between Lin Yan’s shoulders tightened.

Gorak’s remaining hand shot forward and closed around his right forearm.

Shit.

The grip tightened until the bones in Lin Yan’s arm ground against one another. Despite its broken ankle, Gorak forced itself upright on the other leg and twisted its entire body, dragging Lin Yan off the ground without releasing him.

The wall rushed toward him.

His body moved before the thought could form. Lin Yan lowered his chin, turned his head and brought one shoulder forward.

His back and shoulder struck the stone. The iron club flew from his hand and rang across the floor.

White light exploded across his vision. The impact emptied his lungs and sent pain tearing through his right arm, but his head missed the wall by only a few inches.

Without the new trait, those few inches would have killed him.

The Crusher pulled him away from the wall while still holding the same arm. Its body twisted again, gathering strength for a second swing.

Lin Yan’s vision had not fully returned, but his legs were still free.

He kicked the creature between the legs.

The Crusher’s body jerked. A pained roar escaped its throat, but its grip only tightened, and it continued pulling Lin Yan back for another strike.

Tough, aren’t you?

The first kick had landed without preparation and from a poor angle.

The second would not.

As the Crusher lifted him higher, Lin Yan planted one foot against the wall behind him. He pushed away from the stone, twisted his hips and drove his heel upward into the same place with every bit of strength he could gather.

Something cracked beneath the blow.

The Crusher’s roar broke into a strangled howl. Its knees pressed together, and the hand around Lin Yan’s arm finally opened.

Lin Yan fell onto the muddy floor.

Pain spread from his right shoulder to his fingertips, and his right arm hung uselessly at his side. He pushed himself upright with his left hand and looked at the Crusher.

The creature had fallen onto both knees. Its remaining hand pressed between its legs, while the shattered wrist hung uselessly at its side and the broken ankle left it unable to stand. Its mouth remained open, but the roar coming from it had become a long, broken whine.

Lin Yan picked up the iron club with his left hand and approached.

"Replace Low-Light Vision I with Goblin Language Proficiency I."

[Replacement complete.]

The tunnel darkened around him. He stopped in front of the kneeling creature, which forced itself to raise its head and glare at him through watering, bloodshot eyes.

When Lin Yan spoke, the harsh goblin words came naturally.

"Now that was one hell of a fight."

He let out a breath, then looked down at Gorak.

"The brilliance of fireworks needs no proof. Neither does the sweetness of lychees."

"The same goes for my power."

Gorak forced its bloodshot eyes toward him.

"You should be proud," Lin Yan continued. "You almost killed me."

He raised the iron club in his left hand.

"When you meet your ancestors, tell them you fought Lin Yan—and came within one step of winning."

Gorak’s lips trembled.

"Despicable..."

Lin Yan only smiled.

"The loser’s complaints were no different from a stray dog whining by the roadside."

He brought the iron club down.

[Trollblood Goblin Crusher killed.]

[Trait Plunder triggered.]

[Trait obtained: Trollblood I.]

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