As the battle raged on in the dim, oppressive cavern, a faint yellow glow flickered in Alister's vision. He turned his head slightly, and there it was—the system window, floating before him. The screen showed a rapidly depleting health bar.
[Warning to the player: HP dangerously low!]
[15/100%█▒░░░░░░]
[Additional warning! Time left: 00:52:10.]
[The player has less than an hour to complete the first quest!]
The message flashed urgently, it was a sign his body could give in at any moment, and from the look of things, either he died at the hands of the goblins or the system penalty would be the one to end him instead.
Alister gritted his teeth, his vision was starting to get blurry as the strain of the battle was starting to get to him. He could feel every cut, every bruise, and all the pain was threatening to make him fall unconcious.
'This… isn't looking good,' Alister thought, his mind racing as he looked around at his teammates.
'I'm running out of time, and they're just too strong. How are we supposed to survive this?'
Lila was desperately trying to keep everyone's wounds from becoming fatal, her hands glowing with the faint light of her healing talent.
But even her abilities seemed inadequate because soon after they would just substain another serious wound. Erik, bloodied and bruised, was barely holding his ground, each swing of his sword slower and less precise than the last.
Jarek, his usually indomitable spirit now visibly shaken, fought valiantly but with increasing signs of exhaustion. And Amelia—Amelia lay still where she had fallen, her blood pooling beneath her motionless body.
Alister's heart sank as he watched the goblins champions, closing in from all sides. Their eyes gleamed, causing him to nearly lose hope, no wound the goblins substained no matter how serious—closed almost as soon as they were inflicted. And their sheer numbers were pushing them to a corner.
'They're healing faster than we can damage them,' Alister gritted his teeth and thought futher. 'If we can't find a way to stop them, we're done for.'
Suddenly, a goblin lunged at him from the side, its rusty dagger aimed at his abdomen. Alister twisted his body just in time, the blade slashing across his ribs instead of plunging into his flesh.
He winced at the sharp pain but forced himself to counter, driving his own dagger into the goblin's neck. Blood sprayed across his arm as the goblin gargled and fell back, only for its wounds to begin closing almost immediately.
Behind him, Erik cried out in pain as another goblin's claws scratched across his back, tearing through his leather armor and leaving deep, bloody gashes.
Erik staggered but managed to turn and deliver a desperate slash to the goblin's chest. The creature barely flinched, its regeneration quickly closing the wound.
Jarek swung his axe with what little strength he had left, cleaving through the leg of an advancing goblin. The creature toppled but began crawling forward, its eyes locked onto Jarek with a hateful glare. "Damnmmmmm itttt!" Jarek roared, kicking the goblin back, his boot covered in blood.
Lila's face was pale, she looked terrified as she tried her best to heal her teammates faster than the goblins could harm them.
But she too was starting to get exhausted, and tears streaked down her cheeks. "I-I can't keep this up," she sobbed, her hands trembling as she channeled her mana to heal again.
And then there was the massive goblin, the one wielding the brutal, studded club. It had watched from the edge of the battle, its eyes glowing with delight. Now, it stepped forward, its enormous frame casting a long shadow over the group.
"Brace yourselves!" Jarek shouted, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. He raised his axe in a defiant stance, ready to meet the goblin's charge.
The goblin roared, raising its club high above its head. With a thunderous swing, it brought the weapon down on Jarek, who managed to block with his axe. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through Jarek's body, his knees gave out under the strain.
The goblin swung again, this time hitting Jarek in the side. The massive impact hurled Jarek across the cavern, slamming him into the stone wall. He crumpled to the ground, blood flowing from a deep gash in his side, his breaths started to become ragged gasps.
"Jarek!" Alister cried out, but there was no response. The massive goblin turned its gaze toward him, a cruel smile twisting its ugly face. Alister raised his dagger, but his hands were shaking, and his vision blurred from the pain and exhaustion.
The goblins pressed their advantage, their numbers overwhelming the group's defenses. Erik was driven to his knees by a flurry of attacks, his sword slipping from his grasp. He tried to rise, but a goblin's kick sent him sprawling, his head hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
Lila screamed as another goblin grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back. She fought to free herself, but the creature's grip was too strong. Her healing faded, leaving her helpless against the monster's attack, plunging a dagger across her abdomen.
Alister tried to fend off the goblins surrounding him, but their relentless attacks were too much. He felt a blade slice across his back, another stabbing his thigh, and he fell to his knees, his strength nearly gone. The massive goblin loomed over him, its club raised for the killing blow.
"Am I..." Alister's voice was barely a whisper, his vision narrowing to a tunnel as he stared up at the impending doom. "Really just gonna die like this?"
The goblin's club came down with a massive swing.
Boom!
Alister was sent hurling trough the air, his weak hand letting go his his dagger.
Alister's body skidded across the cavern floor, the slickness of the blood making his journey even more chaotic and painful. His body, already bloodied and bruised, bounced and rolled before finally crashing into the jagged wall.
The impact sent a shock of agony through his body, causing him to gasp and clutch his side where a sharp rock had gouged into his flesh, piercing through to the other side, bloodied.
Above him, rocks and debris loosened by the collision tumbled down, clattering around him and landing on his legs and arms. He lay there, momentarily stunned, as the cold, damp stone pressed against his skin and the blood from his wounds mingled with the filth of the cave floor.
The pain was excruciating, but Alister found himself oddly detached, his mind drifting away from his pain.
'So, this is really it for me, huh?' he thought, his vision fading in and out as he struggled to remain conscious. 'I thought… things would finally change… But it seems I was wrong…'
He coughed weakly, tasting his own blood in his mouth. 'I always gave it my all, so… a death like this doesn't faze me…'
As the darkness began to close in, a memory surfaced, sharp and clear.
He saw a young teenage girl, his sister, Miyu, her long silver hair flowing over her thin shoulders, and her bright yellow eyes filled with hope and a touch of fear. She sat in her hospital bed, gazing out the window with a wistful expression.
"Big brother," she said, her voice soft but filled with a longing that made Alister's heart ache as he remembered the moment.
"Yeah, what is it, Miyu?" Alister in the memory replied, moving closer to her side. He tried to keep his tone light, but the worry was always there, lurking just beneath the surface.
"I want to step outside," Miyu said, her eyes still fixed on the world beyond the glass. "I've been in this room so long… I've forgotten what the outside world is like."
Alister's throat had tightened, and he struggled to find words. What could he say to her? He hated how powerless he felt, unable to fulfill such a simple wish.
Noticing his silence, Miyu had turned her gaze back to him, a sad smile spreading on her lips. "I'm sorry, that was a dumb question," she had apologized, her voice barely above a whisper. "Obviously, I'll be able to step out when I feel better."
She paused, her eyes filling with a sorrow that tore at Alister's heart. "I just hope… I would be able to see it soon."
Her words struck him like a dagger, and he clenched his fists against the sheets of her bed. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll make sure you see the outside world again. I'll find a cure for you no matter what."
Miyu's expression shifted to one of concern, worried that her words might have put pressure on him. But Alister forced a smile, standing up from the chair beside her bed and ruffling her hair gently. "After all, your brother is a genius. If anyone can find a cure for you, it's gonna be me."
Miyu smiled, happy at her brother's enthusiasm, she tilted her head, closed her eyes then said. "It's a promise then."
Alister grined as he nodded, "Yeah, it is!"
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"That's right… I made a promise to her… I'd make sure she sees the outside world again…"
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"So… I won't die this easily… something like a couple of wounds won't stop me from saving her."
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As he spoke, the Sclera of his eyes slowly turned black, his yellow Iris began to glow and look more reptilian.
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The system's voice echoed in his thoughts again.
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[Ding!! New skill detected!]
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[SKILL: Draconic Rage!]