The hobgoblins charged.

Kyle raised his shield, bracing himself. Tobias's fire spell crackled weakly in his palm, barely holding form.

I pushed off the wall, my legs shaking, the dagger slick with blood in my hand.

The first hobgoblin swung its club at Kyle.

He blocked it, but the impact drove him to his knees. The shield cracked down the middle.

"Shit—!"

The second hobgoblin came at me, its axe raised.

I tried to dodge, but my legs gave out.

I hit the ground hard, the world tilting sideways.

Get up. GET UP.

The hobgoblin loomed over me, before its axe could come down, Kyle's sword flashed, deflecting the blow at the last second. "Jin! Move!"

I rolled aside, gasping, my chest screaming in protest.

Tobias hurled another fire bolt, catching a goblin in the face. It shrieked and stumbled back, but three more rushed him from the side.

"Too many!" Tobias screamed, backing up against the wall. "There's too many of them coming!"

The lead hobgoblin swung its massive club at Kyle.

Kyle raised what was left of his shield.

But the club shattered it completely, the force knocking Kyle's sword from his hand.

He stumbled backward, defenseless.

The hobgoblin grinned, raising its club for the killing blow.

But before he could do that/

Whoosh!

An axe buried itself in the hobgoblin's eye.

The creature roared, staggering back, clawing at its face.

We all turned and saw her.

Sira. Standing at the tunnel entrance, breathing hard, her remaining axe still in her hand.

"I knew you idiots would die without me," she said, her voice sharp but steady.

She didn't wait for a response and ran forward, yanking the axe from the wall, still embedded in a dead goblin's skull, and charged straight at the nearest hobgoblin.

Kyle scrambled to grab his sword, his face pale but determined. "Sira—!"

"Less talking! More fighting!" she barked, her axes flashing as she engaged the hobgoblin.

Kyle ran to her side, his sword raised. "Together?"

"Obviously!"

They moved as one, Kyle blocking strikes while Sira struck at openings, their movements were desperate but coordinated.

I forced myself to stand, leaning heavily against the wall.

Tobias. Where's?

That's when I saw him, three goblins had him cornered, their crude weapons raised. He was backing up, his fire spell sputtering.

"Tobias!" I shouted, my voice raw.

He glanced at me, his eyes wide with fear. "I can't, there's too many—!"

"You can!" I pushed off the wall, stumbling toward him. "Just hold them!"

He gritted his teeth, thrusting his hand forward. The fire bolt exploded outward, catching one goblin in the chest and sending it crashing back.

I reached him, driving my dagger into the second goblin's throat. It collapsed, gurgling.

The third lunged at Tobias.

He screamed, throwing up his hands.

The fire exploded in its face, and it dropped, writhing.

Tobias slumped against the wall, gasping. "Oh god, oh my god—"

"Stay there," I said, turning back to the fight.

Sira and Kyle were locked in combat with one of the hobgoblins, their strikes were fast and desperate. Sira took a club to the shoulder and grunted, but didn't fall. Kyle slashed at the creature's legs, forcing it to its knees.

"Now!" Sira shouted.

Kyle drove his sword through its throat.

It collapsed.

Now only two hobgoblins left.

The one Sira had blinded with her axe was stumbling around, roaring in pain.

And the leader, the one with bone armor, was staring at us with cold, calculating eyes.

It pointed its club at me and Kyle.

Then it charged.

"Kyle!" I shouted.

"I see it!"

We moved together, flanking it from both sides.

Kyle struck first, his sword glancing off the bone armor. The hobgoblin swung its club at him, Kyle ducked, barely, and I lunged in, driving my dagger into its side.

It howled, twisting, and backhanded me across the chamber.

I hit the wall, my vision going white.

Get up. Get up. GET UP.

I couldn't.

My body wasn't responding. Blood filled my mouth, warm and metallic.

Kyle was still fighting, his movements slowing, exhaustion taking its toll.

The hobgoblin swung again, and this time Kyle wasn't fast enough.

The club caught him in the chest, and he flew backward, crashing into the ground.

And, he didn't get up.

No.

The hobgoblin turned toward him, raising its club for the finishing blow.

NO!

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself on feet, and lunged. Without any second thought.

My legs screamed. My chest burned. My vision blurred.

But I moved and threw myself between Kyle and the hobgoblin, my arms raised.

The club came down.

And instantly, I felt it.

The impact and the crack on my left arm.

Then it was gone.

Not broken.

Just gone.

The pain was white-hot, all-consuming, blinding.

I screamed.

Blood sprayed from the stump where my arm had been, soaking the ground beneath me.

But I didn't fall.

[Neural processing speed +50%]

Time slowed.

The hobgoblin was pulling back for another swing.

Kyle was still on the ground.

Sira was fighting the blinded hobgoblin, too far to help.

One chance.

I gripped the dagger in my remaining hand, my vision tunneling.

One shot.

And lunged forward, using the very last of my strength, the last of my focus.

The dagger drove into the hobgoblin's remaining eye, burying itself to the hilt.

The creature shrieked, dropping its club, clawing at its face.

I twisted the blade until it collapsed.

"JIN!"

Sira's voice rang in my ears.

She was there, her axes flashing as she finished the blinded hobgoblin with brutal efficiency.

Then she was beside me, her hands pressing against the stump of my arm, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Stay with me... Jin stay with me—!"

But I couldn't hear her.

The world was fading as the edges of my eyes were going dark.

And eventually.

I fell, hitting the ground.

And the last thing I saw was blood.

So much blood.

Then nothing.

[EXP: +850]

[Ding!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level 9 —> Level 11]

[HP: 3/245]

[Critical Injury Detected]

[Warning: Severe Blood Loss]

[Warning: Left Arm - Missing]

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