It had been a few days since the participants faced their first combat, and if there was anything to say, these 10,000 people had made remarkable progress. It would be hard to imagine that these were the same people who had been dragged here against their will by a mysterious force.

  "Bronze sword, 1 silver!"

  "Basic healing potions, 20 bronze each!"

  "Leather armlets—perfect for archers! 1.5 silver!"

  All throughout the field—the very place where they had first arrived—voices echoed, calling out offers and promoting all sorts of goods.

  Weapons, armor, food, potions…

  The air was filled with energy, excitement, and determination.

  The first day had been a chaotic mess. The second? A wake-up call.

  By the third day, everyone knew they had no choice but to survive.

  With that knowledge, they had cooperated, organized, and systematically gathered resources.

  No longer fighting blindly, people had taken stock of their strengths and weaknesses, forming better strategies to handle the monsters.

  The difference was clear.

  The battlefield was no longer a place of fear—it was a place of progress.

  Each encounter honed their abilities, each fight a lesson in survival.

  The goblins, once overwhelming, were now stepping stones to strength.

  Through repeated battles against goblin soldiers, everyone had honed their skills, refining both hand-to-hand combat and spellcasting through experience.

  The goblins, once seen as nightmarish creatures, were now treated as stepping stones to improvement.

  "Ash Blast!"

  A swirling burst of flame erupted, sending a goblin screeching as its arm was seared.

  "Mud Bind!"

  A participant slammed their hands into the ground, causing thick mud to rise and ensnare two goblins, holding them in place.

  "Bolt Strike!"

  A flickering blue light surged forward, striking a goblin’s club mid-swing, sending a shockwave through its body.

  Swords clashed against clubs.

  Daggers pierced through flesh.

  Spears skewered goblins, pinning them to the ground before a well-placed strike to the head finished the job.

  The goblins weren’t helpless.

  They had learned, adapted, and fought back fiercely.

  One goblin soldier, its eyes filled with rage, swung its club wildly, forcing a participant to duck and roll. The club slammed into a nearby tree, splintering the wood from the sheer force of impact.

  "Iron Veil!"

  A participant aligned with Reinforced Earth raised both arms, summoning a thin, metallic sheen over their skin. The next goblin’s attack crashed against them—yet the participant barely flinched, their defense amplified by their Force.

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  Taking advantage of the moment, they punched forward, their knuckles striking with the density of hardened stone, knocking the goblin’s head back with a sickening crack.

  A participant barely managed to parry an incoming strike, his beginner sword cracking under the sheer force of the goblin’s attack. He twisted his body, pivoting to avoid a second blow, before delivering a desperate kick to the creature’s ribs, knocking it off balance.

  "Gale Lacerate!"

  Another, wielding the Cutting Wind Force, swiped their dagger through the air. The movement sent out an invisible blade of pressurized wind, so sharp that it sliced clean through a goblin’s club, severing the wooden weapon in two before cutting across the creature’s chest.

  The goblin staggered, confused—until blood gushed from the thin, precise wound.

  A well-trained archer, positioned on a ledge, fired a well-placed Vine Arrow, the enchanted shot sprouting tendrils mid-air before wrapping around the legs of two goblins, pinning them just long enough for her teammates to land finishing blows.

  Some participants had developed synergy, working in pairs or groups.

  A shield-bearer blocked a charging goblin, bracing against its impact.

  "Now!"

  The moment the goblin staggered, a teammate leapt in from the side, slashing its exposed throat, bringing it down in one clean motion.

  "Magma Coil!"

  A girl, her Force aligned with Molten Flow, slammed her palm against the ground. The soil beneath a cluster of goblins liquefied into bubbling magma, dragging them down as they screeched in terror. Before they could escape, the molten pit solidified mid-motion, trapping their limbs in stone bindings, rendering them helpless as the warriors struck them down.

  Others preferred to fight alone, darting between enemies, dodging strikes, countering with well-timed stabs, slashes, and spells.

  Each battle was a lesson.

  Each fight forged them into better warriors.

  Buffs were applied. Strength-boosting skills made slashing attacks more devastating.

  Speed-enhancing abilities allowed quicker movement, dodging goblin attacks with ease.

  Debuff skills weakened the enemy—blinding goblins with flashes of light, sapping their strength, slowing their movements, or outright disorienting them before finishing them off.

  "Pale Hand!"

  A participant aligned with Waning Death clenched their fingers, summoning a translucent, skeletal hand that lunged toward a goblin. The moment it grasped the creature’s shoulder, a sickly gray aura spread across its skin, sapping its strength. The goblin withered, its movements slowing as if its very life force was being drained.

  With a swift strike, a nearby swordsman ended its misery.

  With each defeated goblin, they became faster, stronger, and more efficient.

  The goblins weren’t easy prey, but the participants had adapted.

  "Cascading Flow!"

  A girl aligned with Rushing Tides twirled her spear, summoning a thin but forceful jet of water around the blade. She lunged forward, thrusting her weapon through a goblin’s defenses. The pressurized water pierced through its flesh like a drill, creating a clean, devastating wound.

  She withdrew her spear in one fluid motion, the water dispersing into a fine mist.

  "Crackle Net!"

  An archer aligned with Branching Lightning fired an arrow infused with crackling blue energy. The moment it struck a goblin’s shield, the lightning detonated, sending out snapping arcs of electricity that leapt to nearby enemies, stunning them momentarily.

  The frontline warriors rushed in, cutting them down before they could recover.

  By the end of the fight, they no longer saw the goblins as overwhelming threats.

  They were just another obstacle—one that wouldn't hold them back.

  A collective silence followed.

  Then, notifications appeared.

  [Victory Achieved]

  [Experience Gained]

  [Rewards Dropped]

  Bronze coins and varying beginner equipment lay scattered among the fading corpses.

  The participants stood victorious, panting, bruised, but undeniably stronger.

  And the best part?

  They knew there was so much more room to grow.

  This scene had been carried out in multiple areas. Therefore, at this moment, the participants were no longer virgins to combat, simply because their circumstances didn’t allow them to be.

  And thus, more battles commenced. More goblin soldiers were killed. More and more participants bled furiously, but their attacks, skills, and Force usage became more refined.

  Over the next few hours, leaders were being born. Although it was still the early stages of their journey, a few individuals had begun cementing their roles as commanders.

  Some had already been in leadership positions before arriving in this world, experienced in directing others. Some naturally stepped into the role. A few unexpected leaders emerged, and unsurprisingly, many were those familiar with MMORPGs—the act of carrying team battles wasn’t new to them. It was just a matter of bringing that experience into real life.

  Others preferred to work alone, figuring things out at their own pace.

  One way or another, everyone was adapting.

  And they had only just begun.