Emily knelt beside one of the more severely injured fighters, her breath calm and focused. The man before her, a grizzled veteran named Dorian, had taken a Hobgoblin's blade to his side, cutting deep into his torso. His breathing was ragged, and blood soaked the grass beneath him. Emily's hands hovered over his wound, her expression intense as she channeled her magic. A soft green light emanated from her palms, casting an eerie glow over the scene.
"Hold still," she instructed softly, though her voice was firm, betraying no hesitation. "This will hurt."
Dorian groaned, his fingers digging into the earth, but he remained still. As the magic began to take hold, the gash in his side slowly started to close, the torn flesh mending itself. Blood stopped spilling from the wound, the jagged edges of skin sealing as muscle and bone knit back together. Dorian's breathing steadied, though the pain still lingered in his eyes.
"That should hold," Emily muttered, her voice softer now, the strain of using so much magic evident in her tone. She wiped the sweat from her brow before moving on to the next wounded.
Noah watched from a short distance, cradling his injured hand. His index finger was gone, severed cleanly during the chaotic clash with the Hobgoblins. He held his hand tightly, blood trickling down his palm, though his expression showed more annoyance than pain.
"Come here," Emily ordered without looking at him, her voice cutting through the din of the battlefield.
Noah raised an eyebrow but stepped forward, holding out his hand. Emily grabbed it without hesitation, her green light once again flickering to life around his fingers. For a moment, nothing happened, just the soft hum of magic in the air. Then, slowly, like the budding of a plant, his missing finger began to regenerate. Skin stretched, bone grew, and muscle formed in a process that would have been painful had it not been for the numbing effect of the magic.
"You're lucky," Emily said, not looking up from her work.
"Next time, try not to lose any body parts."
"I'll keep that in mind," Noah replied with a smirk, flexing his newly grown finger.
But there was no time for banter. Emily was already moving to the next wounded fighter, her hands glowing as she mended shattered limbs, stitched gaping wounds, and kept death at bay as best she could. For all her efforts, however, she could not save them all. Bodies littered the ground, their faces pale and lifeless, too far gone for even her magic to reach.
Noah turned his gaze to the rest of the battlefield. Blood and entrails were scattered across the now-red grass. Limbs, weapons, and broken shields lay strewn about, testaments to the brutal violence that had taken place.
"Are you finished?" Yong Nam-joon asked, crushing another Hobgoblin's skull beneath his boot with a sickening crunch.
"Almost," Emily responded, wiping the blood from her blade without even flinching.
"We need to head back," Emily said, her voice steady but weary. "There are too many injured, and some of them can't be saved with simple bandages."
Yong Nam-joon scoffed, his arms crossed as he surveyed the carnage. "Maybe you haven't figured it out yet, girl, but this isn't a school field trip. Everyone here knew what they were signing up for. The medics will take care of the wounded, and those still standing will come with me. If these bastards were here to ambush us, there are more of them out there."
Without waiting for a response, he ground his heel into the skull of another dead Hobgoblin, the bone shattering beneath his boot with a wet, crunching sound.
Noah stepped forward, his gaze cold.
"It doesn't make sense for all of us to go. Someone needs to stay here."
He looked directly at Yong Nam-joon, his voice steady.
"I'll go alone."
Yong raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical.
"You don't have the skills for this."
Noah's eyes narrowed.
"I don't think you understand. That wasn't a request. If I'm not back in a couple of hours, do whatever you want. Until then, I'll handle finding and killing the rest of those monsters on my own."
Without waiting for a reply, Noah turned and disappeared into the forest, his form vanishing into the shadows between the trees.
____________
The forest was thick with overgrowth, each step muffled by the damp earth beneath Noah's boots. The sounds of the battlefield faded behind him as he pushed deeper into the woods, his mind focused on the task ahead.
How am I supposed to find them?
He mused, glancing around at the dense foliage. Then, an idea struck him. Now that he had a mana circuit, perhaps he could try that.
Closing his eyes, Noah let his mana flow through his body, sending it out in controlled pulses. Slowly, the world around him began to take shape, even though his eyes remained shut. Everything appeared in shades of gray, sharper and more detailed than usual. He could see the ants crawling along the bark of a nearby tree, the leaves swaying gently in the breeze, the deer hidden in the underbrush.
Noah concentrated harder, expanding his mana further, pushing it outward like ripples in a pond.
There you are.
___
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE FORCIBLY UNLOCKED THE SKILL "MANA VISION."
___
Noah opened his eyes, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. Without wasting any time, he took off in the direction where he had sensed the Hobgoblins. His feet barely made a sound as he sprinted through the undergrowth, the trees blurring into streaks of green as he moved.
Join me.
He commanded through his mana link, and his skeletons obeyed without question. Led by Gozen, the undead warriors kept pace with him, their bony feet silent against the forest floor.
The forest abruptly gave way to a clearing, revealing an inlet to the ocean. Beyond the trees, a small beach stretched out before Noah, and nestled against the shore was a makeshift encampment. Crude wooden buildings stood in rows, surrounded by a hastily constructed wall. A single gate provided access to the camp, and two Hobgoblins stood guard, their eyes scanning the horizon.
"My lord," Gozen rasped, his voice a low growl.
"I advise we wait until nightfall and enter the camp stealthily. We are too exposed here. They will spot us."
Noah's smile widened, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"Gozen, you need to understand one thing… I never wait."
Without hesitation, Noah began walking toward the gate, his steps confident and measured.
___
*Hobgoblin POV*
"How are the little ones?"
Gobzest asked, his tone light as he glanced at his companion, Krerkozy.
"They're doing great! The youngest just started walking yesterday!"
Krerkozy beamed, his tusks gleaming in the sunlight.
"I can't wait to finish this shift and head back to them. What about you? Ever thought about settling down?"
Gobzest chuckled, shaking his head.
"Maybe someday. Right now, I'm just enjoying the peace here. This planet's not so bad, you know? Plenty of food, easy hunting, and no predators. It's almost like paradise."
"Yeah, it's a good life. Better than where we came from," Krerkozy agreed, leaning his spear against the gate.
For the Hobgoblins, life on this new world had been a blessing. They had been transported from their war-torn homeland to a place where food was abundant, and danger was scarce. It was a place where their young could grow strong and healthy without the constant threat of death looming over them.
"Hey, our shift's almost up," Gobzest said, stretching his arms as he glanced at the sky.
"What do you say we grab a bite before heading back home?"
He turned to Krerkozy, expecting a jovial reply, but his blood ran cold at the sight before him.
Where Krerkozy had been standing moments ago, there was now only a pool of dark blood, spreading rapidly across the dirt. Gobzest's eyes widened in horror as he took in the sight—the remains of his comrade's body, mangled and twisted, were barely visible in the gore-soaked mess.
"W-we're under attack!"
Gobzest screamed, his voice cracking with terror as he reached for his weapon, heart pounding in his chest.
Before he could lift his spear, a shadow fell over him. His breath hitched as he looked up, his entire body freezing in place. The last thing he saw was a pair of glowing, predatory eyes—before his skull was caved in by a bone-crushing blow.
Noah stepped over the body, wiping the blood off his sword onto his tattered cloak, his expression blank, devoid of emotion. The guards had been easy prey—too busy chatting, too complacent. They hadn't stood a chance.
Behind him, Gozen and the skeletons arrived, their lifeless eyes surveying the scene. They spread out along the treeline, waiting for their next command, while Noah walked toward the encampment gate.
"Kill anyone who resists. We don't need prisoners," he said, his voice calm and steady, yet carrying the weight of certain death.
Gozen growled in acknowledgment, motioning for the undead to advance. The skeletons obeyed instantly, moving forward with eerie silence, their weapons drawn and ready for slaughter.
Inside the encampment, the Hobgoblins were blissfully unaware of the massacre unfolding just outside their walls. Families went about their day, mothers tending to their children while the warriors sat around, discussing the day's hunt. It was peaceful.
Then, the gate exploded inward, shards of wood flying in every direction. The first Hobgoblin to react was cleaved in half by Noah's greatsword, his body crumpling to the ground before he even realized what had happened.
"Kruaaaagh!"
Panic erupted.
Hobgoblins screamed and scattered as the skeletons poured in, cutting down anyone in their path with ruthless efficiency. The once-peaceful camp was quickly turning into a slaughterhouse. Blood splattered across the wooden huts, staining the ground as bodies fell one after another. The air filled with the sounds of metal clashing, flesh tearing, and the agonized cries of the dying.
"Kruaaaagh!"
The Hobgoblins howled in desperation, grabbing whatever weapons they could find to defend themselves.
But it was hopeless. Noah moved through them like a force of nature, his blade slicing through flesh and bone with brutal precision. One warrior tried to block his strike with a shield, only to have it shattered by the sheer force of Noah's attack. The Hobgoblin's head followed, split cleanly in two as his lifeless body toppled to the ground.
A mother tried to shield her child, but Gozen's claws ripped through her chest without hesitation. Her body slumped forward, lifeless, as the child wailed in terror. Gozen stepped over her corpse, uncaring, his eyes fixated on the next target.
"Cowards!" one of the Hobgoblin leaders roared, rallying a small group of warriors.
"Fight back, you pathetic worms!"
He led a charge toward Noah, his eyes burning with fury. His battle axe swung down with tremendous force, aiming to split Noah in half.