My eyes burned, leaking a harsh blue glow that refused to dim.

I drew my sword.

Metal whispered free of the sheath as my gaze lifted to the remaining goblins. Floating strings and panels flickered into view above them.

I stepped forward.

"Nothing here leaves."

They came at me all at once.

No strategy. No formation. Just raw, animal aggression.

Perfect.

The first goblin swung a club at my head.

[String Edit: Air Resistance +40%]

The club moved through the air like it was underwater, sluggish and slow. I sidestepped easily, my sword cutting across its throat in a single clean motion.

Two more lunged from the sides.

[String Edit: Ground Friction → 0.15]

Their feet slipped out from under them mid-charge, and they crashed into each other. I drove my blade through the first one's chest, kicked the second in the face, then finished it before it could recover.

A goblin threw a spear at me.

[String Edit: Trajectory → 15° deviation]

The spear veered off course, clattering harmlessly against the wall.

I closed the distance and drove my blade through its chest.

My vision blurred slightly. The edges of my sight darkened.

Neural strain.

But I ignored it.

Another goblin came at me, swinging wildly. I parried, but my arms were getting tired. The sword felt heavier now.

[String Edit: Muscle Efficiency +10%]

The exhaustion faded slightly, my movements sharpening. I cut the goblin down.

Silence.

I stood there, breathing hard, surrounded by corpses.

Then the notification appeared.

[EXP: +420]

[Ding!]

[Level Up!]

[Level 8 → Level 9]

[+5 Stat Points Available]

[Total Unallocated: 15 Points]

I opened the stat menu without thinking, my hands moving on autopilot.

[Allocate 15 Points → INT]

[INT: 47 → 62]

[Confirm? Y/N]

I confirmed.

The change was immediate. My mana pool expanded, the numbers shifting in my vision.

[MP: 26/67 → 26/82]

But the strain was still there.

The headache pounded behind my eyes, worse now, sharper. My hands trembled slightly, and I felt something warm drip down my upper lip.

Blood.

I wiped it away with the back of my hand, staring at the red smear.

Push too hard. This is what happens.

I heard movement behind me.

I spun, sword raised.

"Whoa! Jin! It's us!"

Kyle.

He stood at the tunnel entrance, sword drawn, eyes wide. Behind him, Tobias, his flame spell flickering weakly in his palm.

"What the hell are you doing back here?" I rasped, my voice rough.

"Helping you, you idiot!" Kyle snapped, running forward. "You think we were just gonna leave you to die?!"

"I told you to get them out—"

"They're out! Sira and Kai got them to safety!" Tobias shouted, moving to my side.

Then I heard it.

More shrieking.

From deeper in the nest.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

Kyle's face went pale. "Please tell me that's not."

The tunnel ahead erupted with movement.

More goblins.

At least a dozen.

And behind them, something bigger.

Taller. Broader. Wearing crude armor made from bones and scrap metal.

A hobgoblin.

Kyle's grip tightened on his sword. "Oh, fuck."

Then four more stepped out from behind it.

Five hobgoblins total.

Each one stood at least seven feet tall, their muscles corded and grotesque beneath mottled green skin. They carried real weapons, steel blades, spiked clubs, a battleaxe that looked like it had been looted from a corpse.

And behind them, the smaller goblins chittered and shrieked, emboldened by their larger kin.

Tobias's flame flickered out entirely. "We're dead. We're actually dead."

"Shut up," I said flatly.

Kyle stepped beside me, his shield raised, his face pale but determined. "We can do this."

"No, we can't," Tobias said, his voice shaking.

"Then we die trying," Kyle shot back.

The lead hobgoblin—the one with the bone armor—let out a low, rumbling growl. It raised its massive club and pointed at us.

The horde charged.

"Here they come!" Kyle shouted.

I moved first.

My sword met the first goblin, cutting it down before it could even swing. Another came from the side, I ducked under its club, drove my blade through its ribs, kicked it off.

Kyle blocked a hobgoblin's strike with his shield, the impact driving him back a step. "They're strong!"

"No shit!" Tobias hurled a fire bolt at one of the smaller goblins, the flames catching it mid-charge and sending it shrieking to the ground.

I felt something press into my hand.

A mana potion.

Kyle had tossed it to me without looking, his focus locked on the hobgoblin bearing down on him.

I caught it, uncorked it with my teeth, and drank.

The warmth spread through me again, dulling the edges of exhaustion.

[MP: 26/82 → 71/82]

Better.

I pushed forward, editing as I moved.

[Muscle efficiency +25%]

My arms moved faster, the sword cutting through goblins like they were made of paper.

One of the hobgoblins slipped mid-swing, its club crashing into the wall instead of Kyle's skull. Kyle took the opening, driving his sword into its exposed side.

It roared, more angry than hurt, and backhanded Kyle across the chamber.

Kyle slammed into the wall, gasping.

"Kyle!" Tobias screamed.

I moved, cutting down two goblins blocking my path.

[Air resistance around enemy weapon +50%]

The hobgoblin's axe came down slow, sluggish. I sidestepped, drove my blade into its leg.

It howled, dropping to one knee.

I pulled the sword free and struck again, this time at its throat.

But it caught the blade with its bare hand.

What?

And grinned, blood dripping between its fingers, and yanked the sword out of my grip.

Then it punched me.

The impact lifted me off my feet and sent me crashing into the ground. Pain exploded across my chest, my vision whiting out for a second.

Fuck—!

I rolled, barely avoiding the axe that buried itself in the stone where my head had been.

Then scrambled to my feet, weaponless, my chest screaming.

A goblin lunged at me with a dagger.

I grabbed its wrist, twisted, snapped the bone. It shrieked. I took the dagger and drove it into its eye.

Not ideal. But it worked.

I turned back to the hobgoblins.

Three were still standing. Kyle was back on his feet, barely, blood dripping from a cut above his eye. Tobias was hurling fire as fast as he could, but his hands were shaking, his aim getting worse.

We were losing.

I pushed harder.

[Neural processing speed +25%]

The world slowed.

Not much. Just enough.

I moved between them, the dagger flashing. Cutting tendons. Stabbing joints. Exploiting every opening.

But my head was splitting.

The pressure behind my eyes was unbearable now. Blood dripped from my nose, warm and thick.

I didn't stop.

[Blade sharpness +30%]

A hobgoblin swung at me. I ducked, drove the dagger into its knee, twisted.

It collapsed, screaming.

I pulled the dagger free.

And coughed.

Blood splattered onto the ground in front of me.

Shit.

My vision blurred, doubling for a second. My legs wobbled.

But I couldn't stop.

Not yet.

Another hobgoblin came at me, its club raised.

I tried to dodge.

But the club caught me in the side, and I felt ribs crack.

Then hit the ground hard, gasping, blood filling my mouth.

Get up.

Get up.

I tried.

But my body didn't respond.

The hobgoblin stood over me, raising its club for the finishing blow.

Then Kyle was there, his shield slamming into the creature's face. "Not today!"

The hobgoblin staggered back, and Kyle drove his sword into its chest with everything he had.

It collapsed.

While Kyle dropped to one knee beside me, his face pale. "Jin... Jin, stay with me—"

I coughed again, more blood. "Still... alive..."

"Barely!"

Tobias was screaming something, but I couldn't hear it over the ringing in my ears.

Two hobgoblins left.

And we were all at our limit.

Kyle pulled me up, half-dragging me toward the wall. "We need to retreat—"

"No." I spat blood onto the ground. "They'll... follow. Kill us all."

"Jin—"

"We end it. Here."

Kyle stared at me, then nodded, his jaw tight. "Okay. Okay."

He turned back to the remaining hobgoblins, his sword raised, his hands shaking.

Tobias stood beside him, his flame spell barely holding together.

And I leaned against the wall, my dagger still in hand, blood dripping from my mouth.

This is it.

We win here.

Or we die.

Then the hobgoblins charged.

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