*Bang! *Bang!
*Ratatatata!
I fired as I ran, but I couldn't do much more as I watched my comrades' performance deteriorate.
(Damn it!)
"HAAA, HAAAA, HAAAA"
After all, humans don't have much stamina, especially those without optimal physiques or muta-genes like me.
So it's inevitable that exhaustion takes its toll.
*Bang! *Bang!
*Ratatatata!
This chase had taken us far beyond our planned route, to increasingly higher ground.
The growing cold was unsettling, but that wasn't the strangest part...
(Where the hell are all those monsters that were chasing us?)
Apart from a few owls watching the spectacle with interest, there were no signs of other monsters like wolves or bats.
"HAAA!, HAAAA!, WHAT DO WE DO?!" shouted Frederick, struggling to keep up.
Out of all of us, he was having the hardest time and was probably the next one to fall.
I couldn't think of anything except something terrible...
And I wasn't the only one, as Luke kept glancing at the surviving scout, probably thinking the same thing I was.
We needed another sacrifice.
*Bang! *Bang! *Bang! *Bang!
[You have killed an enemy of the enemy race (Gobrakian)!]
[You have killed an enemy of the enemy race (Gobrakian)!]
"Graaaa!!!"
"GRADDAA!!!"
There came a point where my comrades' performance was so poor that we could hear the bloodthirsty grunts of those goblins almost right next to us...
*Bang! *Bang! *Bang! *Bang!
The shots weren't accurate, and ammo was running low. It was a truly desperate situation.
That's when an idea struck me.
(If I stay with these guys, I'm going to get killed)
It might sound harsh, but the reality was that my comrades were holding me back a lot, especially Frederick and Yuki, who were getting slower and slower. So... what if we split up?
I hadn't done it yet because I didn't want to seem like a jerk or a coward, especially with those three being comrades, as I didn't want to lose their trust.
(When the opportunity arises...), I seriously considered implementing my plan.
There was a way to split up without seeming cowardly, but for that, I needed another distraction.
*Crunch, *crunch *Crunch, *crunch *Crunch, *crunch
We kept running, getting closer and closer to the base of the mountain, where many paths could be taken...
*Bang! *Bang! *Bang! *Bang!
"HAAAAA"
The sounds of my comrades' exhaustion were becoming more aggressive, but luckily for me and unfortunately for someone else, the opportunity came.
*Trip
"NO, NO, NO, NO!!", that was the cry of the remaining scout, right after tripping over a branch.
This time, none of my comrades looked back, trying to ignore the poor guy, all except me.
*Bang! *Bang! *Bang! *Bang!
I stopped for a moment and started firing wildly.
"Partner?!" Luke shouted, puzzled to see me standing still.
"RUN! I'LL DISTRACT THEM!" I shouted urgently as I helped the scout to his feet.
"THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" he thanked me, probably thinking I had sacrificed myself for him, but...
(It won't last long...), I thought as I saw him get back to running.
*Bang! *Bang! *Bang! *Bang!
"RUN! RUN!" I shouted again while shooting.
"... I won't forget this favor," said Frederick before running away.
Everyone seemed to feel that I had made the brave and honorable decision to die so they could be saved.
But the reality was different.
(Good! With this, I can go in another direction and hopefully save myself), I thought internally, hopeful.
"GRAAAA!!!"
But first, a bit of a show, you know, to make it more believable...
"AAAAAA!!, COME AT ME, BITCHES!!, I GOT PLENTY FOR ALL OF YOU!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs while pulling out the two submachine guns Luke had given me and firing like a madman.
*Ratatatata! *Ratatatata!
[You have killed an enemy of the enemy race (Gobrakian)!]
[You have killed an enemy of the enemy race (Gobrakian)!]
[You have killed an enemy of the enemy race (Gobrakian)!]
[You have killed an enemy of the enemy race (Gobrakian)!]
Some of the more injured goblins fell victim to this barrage, but the rest behind them kept coming, all with a reddish hue to their skin...
That was probably an ability, but I ignored it and instead saw the direction my comrades were taking.
Right, going to a lower part, probably thinking of circling back once they didn't see any enemies.
Only one apparent path left.
(Left it is then!), I thought, and putting away the guns, I prepared to make the longest sprint of my life.
The left path was higher, and from what I could see, it led to a small mountain, right next to the mountain where Frederick's mine was.
*Crunch, *crunch *Crunch, *crunch *Crunch, *crunch
Haaa.... Haaaa.... Haaa...
I didn't look back and ran with all my might, internally thanking a certain muta-gen for optimizing my body.
"Graaaaa!!!", the frustrated sounds of the goblins chasing me grew fainter.
But I didn't stop.
*Crunch, *crunch *Crunch, *crunch *Crunch, *crunch
Haaa.... Haaaa.... Haaa...
I ran and ran, climbing the small mountain, trying to tire out my pursuers, but also looking for a place to hide.
The goblins chasing me were getting fewer, but their numbers were still considerable enough to be a problem, and for the second time, I wondered: Where do all these guys come from?
Haaa.... Haaaa.... Haaa...
I kept running, but I could feel the exhaustion creeping into my limbs.
I needed to rest, I needed a place.
That's when I saw something.
A blue glow.
(What's that?), I wondered.
It was a blue light, further ahead right on a wall, but that wall looked strange...
(Hidden? A spell or something?)
Haaa.... Haaaa.... Haaa...
"JAAAA!!"
I thought quickly, and once I passed by it, I threw myself roughly in its direction, betting it was a hidden cave.
*Crashh!!!
(Good!)
My bet was correct when I fell to the ground, entering that hidden place.
"Graaaa!!!"
"GROOO!!!"
I stayed silent and didn't move a muscle...
"Graaaa??!!!"
"Griiiaaa!!"
The growls of some goblins sounded nearby, but after a few moments, they almost disappeared.
"Phew, close one," I exhaled in relief.
I had accomplished my goal without seeming like a coward, quite the opposite.
(Now they'll see me with respect)
As for sacrificing myself for others? That's something only heroes in stories do; reality is much crueler.
(If I ever sacrifice myself for someone, it'll probably be for my children)
Your children will remember and honor you for a lifetime, whereas people who don't share your blood will forget you over time.
I pondered this for a few minutes before getting up and looking around.
This hideout, or rather, this hidden cave, had a faint blue light, at least where I was, as further ahead, that blue became more prominent.
(Hmmm, why not?), with nothing better to do, I decided to follow the illuminated path.
As for going back, it wasn't possible, since it's likely the goblins, seeing that I 'mysteriously' disappeared, would comb the area looking for any trace.
(And if I stay here, there's a small chance a goblin might find the hideout)
With that in mind, I proceeded to move forward...
--
And so Ethan advanced through the mysterious cave.
*Steps *Steps
With only the sound of his footsteps, he kept moving further in the direction of that blue glow.
The cave wasn't very wide, maybe two people could pass side by side through the path...
"This is..."
After walking for a while, Ethan finally saw the source of this mysterious blue glow.
They were some kind of elongated blue minerals, situated on each side of the path, each glowing faintly.
*Squatting down
Ethan squatted down to take a closer look and, with a bit of hesitation, touched the mineral.
Neither the tech core nor the tower messages reacted to the touch.
"Hmmm, maybe I should break it to find out what it is," Ethan speculated before standing up and continuing down the path, losing interest.
*Steps Steps
As he moved further, the number and brightness of these mysterious minerals increased until...
"Wow"
Ethan was left speechless upon reaching a wide area where the walls and even the floor seemed made of that mineral he had seen.
His gaze wandered around, seeing minerals the size of a person or even larger, before noticing something different.
"A sarcophagus?"
In what seemed like the center of the chamber, Ethan saw a dark blue crystal sarcophagus and curiously approached it.
*Steps *Steps
He climbed a few small steps before positioning himself in front of it.
The sarcophagus seemed open, but nothing could be seen unless you leaned in.
Ethan did, and what he saw was...
"A woman?"