Kael slowly stood up, his muscles still aching from the recent fight. He held the bloodstained stone, examining it carefully. Despite being improvised, it had saved his life. "I need to turn this into something more useful. I can't rely on luck again."
He looked around, surveying the terrain. The clearing was surrounded by tall trees, and the ground was covered with fallen branches and dry leaves. His mind began to work quickly, recalling things he'd seen in movies, games, and even documentaries. "If I can tie this stone to a sturdy branch, maybe I can create something that gives me a real chance against another attack."
Kael began scouring the ground, looking for a firm, straight branch. After a few minutes, he found one that seemed suitable. It was a piece of wood just over a meter long and thick enough to serve as a handle. He tested it by striking it lightly against a tree.
"This will work... for now."
The next step was finding something to secure the stone to the branch. He remembered the trees around him. If there were vines or creepers, maybe he could use them as makeshift rope. Scanning the area, he found a creeping plant with long fibrous stems. It wasn't perfect, but it could work.
Kael knelt down and got to work. He used one of the sharp edges of the stone to cut the vine, then carefully wound it around the branch and the stone. He tightened it as much as he could, creating a firm fit. The work was difficult; his fingers ached, and he had to redo the knot a few times.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finished. He lifted his creation and examined it critically. The stone was firmly tied to the end of the branch, forming a rudimentary weapon.
"It's not a perfect mace, but it'll break a branch... or a wolf's skull, if I need it."
He swung it through the air, testing the weight and balance of the weapon. It was heavy at the tip, which was good for impact. Satisfied with the result, Kael felt a brief flicker of pride. It wasn't ideal, but it was something — a step forward.
[You created a rudimentary weapon: Improvised Stone Mace]
[Damage: +2]
[Durability: 10/10]
Kael smiled as he saw the notification. "Well, at least now I have something to fight with. I just hope I don't need to use it too soon." But deep down, he knew that peace in this world wouldn't last long.
With the mace in hand, he began to walk out of the clearing, alert to any sounds. Kael barely had time to appreciate his improvised creation before the ground started to tremble lightly beneath his feet. He looked around, confused, as a growing sound of trees falling echoed through the forest. It was a terrifying sound, a deep, wild roar that made every fiber of his body scream in alert.
Suddenly, a figure dropped from the sky at high speed, crashing violently into a nearby tree. The impact was so strong that the whole tree bent, almost splitting in half. Kael stepped back, his eyes wide, watching as the figure hit the ground, coughing and struggling to get up.
It was a slender woman, her red hair a burnt orange hue, impeccably styled despite the situation. Even covered in scratches and bloodstains, she looked strangely calm, with that calculating gaze that seemed to pierce Kael's soul.
Her golden, glowing eyes made him freeze for a moment. He knew that woman. How could he not?
"What... How is this... Makima?" Kael murmured, incredulous. His heart raced. He could hardly believe what he was seeing, but before he could gather his thoughts, a deafening roar brought him back to reality.
He turned toward the sound and saw the monster that had caused the destruction. It was a giant goblin, at least four meters tall. Its gray-green skin was marked with scars and exaggerated muscles, and it wielded an enormous axe, its blade gleaming menacingly under the filtered light of the forest. The monster stopped upon seeing him, its beastly eyes narrowing as it sniffed the air, as if evaluating whether it was worth crushing him.
"Ah, this is a nightmare. It can't be..." Kael whispered, instinctively gripping his improvised mace tighter.
Makima, still leaning against the tree, slowly lifted her head and looked at Kael. Her face was expressionless, but her voice carried a subtle note of authority. "You. Low-level vampire. Don't die now."
"What?!" Kael shouted, completely confused.
Before he could say anything else, the goblin roared again and charged, raising its massive axe with such force that the air around it seemed to tremble. Kael had nowhere to run. He was trapped between a colossal monster and a woman he instinctively knew wasn't as defenseless as she appeared—or rather... She is one of the strongest beings in her own verse...
"Great. First Zero Two, now Makima. What is this, a parade of dangerous characters?!" Kael yelled as he took a step back.
Makima didn't answer. Instead, a faint smile curved the corners of her mouth as she raised one hand, as if preparing to do something. But before she could act, the goblin was already upon Kael, its axe descending with deadly force.
"Oh, shit!" Kael yelled as he dove to the side. He rolled across the ground, the goblin's axe striking with such force that it sent up a cloud of dust and debris. He gasped, coughing as he tried to regain his posture, but the monster was already turning toward him, its wild eyes fixed on its next prey.
"I'm screwed, I'm so screwed..." Kael muttered, his thoughts a whirlwind of desperation. The improvised mace in his hands felt like a useless toy against that thing.
Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed through the clearing. Before Kael could comprehend what was happening, Makima simply disappeared from where she had been leaning against the tree. She reappeared next to the goblin, holding a colossal sword with both hands. The blade looked almost supernatural—black with serrated edges, as though it was made to crush as much as to cut.
"You're annoying," she said calmly, with that unshakable, casual tone. In one fluid motion, she spun the sword and launched it at the goblin's arm holding the axe. The blade, with all its weight and force, struck the creature with an impact that seemed capable of splitting rock.
But what happened next left Kael incredulous.
The goblin simply shrugged off the blow. The blade cut superficially into its thick skin, but it wasn't enough to penetrate deeply. The impact pushed the monster's arm slightly back, but it quickly stabilized, roaring in anger.
"This... This isn't possible," Kael muttered, the sight of Makima's attack being thwarted by something so simple momentarily easing his panic.
The goblin turned toward Makima, the axe still firmly in its hand, and attacked with a brutal horizontal swing. The massive blade sliced through the air with a menacing sound, but Makima didn't move an inch.
When the axe was about to hit her, she simply raised her free hand as if giving an order. The blow stopped mid-air, inches from her, as if an invisible force had interrupted its movement.
"You have resistance... interesting," Makima commented in her still calm voice, as she pushed the axe aside with the palm of her hand.
However... Quickly, Makima's magic broke, and she had to dodge...
Makima stepped back two paces with elegance, but there was something different now. Her normally calm, controlled expression was tinged with slight irritation. She shook her hand as if she had touched something sticky and unpleasant.
"Tch... So this is how this world works? No contracts, no absolute control..." She murmured, looking at the goblin who clearly had no intention of giving her time to think.
The goblin charged again, its axe swinging with devastating force. Makima dodged by a hair, spinning her body with impeccable agility as the axe slammed into the ground where she had been just seconds before. The impact made the ground tremble, and Kael stumbled backward from the shock.
"Damned disgusting world..." Makima muttered, straightening up. She stared at the goblin with cold eyes, but there was now a touch of exasperation. "I can't even use that basic magic. And you... you're not going to make this easy, are you?"
The goblin roared, raising the axe again, but this time Makima didn't wait. She advanced, the massive sword still firmly in her hands, and slid to the side, avoiding another strike. In one fluid movement, she attacked the creature's ankle with a fierce blow.
The blade cut deeper this time, drawing a cry of pain from the goblin. However, the creature was still incredibly resilient, and the wound, though visible, wasn't enough to incapacitate it.
Kael, watching everything unfold, began to understand the gravity of the situation. Makima wasn't operating at the same level of strength he had expected. She was limited. Trapped by the same rules as him.
"If she's struggling... then I'm really screwed..." he muttered, feeling cold sweat running down his back.
Makima stepped back again, evaluating the situation. "I need to improvise," she said, not looking at Kael, but clearly speaking aloud to herself. "This world won't let me play like I want... so let's do this the old-fashioned way."
She fixed her eyes on the goblin, her cold smile returning to her lips. "I hope you're ready. Because if this doesn't work... well, you're the next meal."
Kael swallowed hard, tightening his grip on his improvised mace. "Wait! Why me?!"
Makima didn't respond. She charged again, the massive sword prepared for a final strike.
Makima held off the impact of the goblin's axe with her sword, but the crushing weight of the blow made the ground beneath her feet sink. Her cold, calculating gaze locked onto Kael, now paralyzed by fear and adrenaline.
"Help me, you dog!!" Makima snarled, her voice laden with authority.
Kael swallowed hard, his heart pounding like a drum in his ears. He gripped his improvised mace even tighter, feeling the sweat slide down his palms. "Me? Help? With this?!"
"Yes, you, idiot!" Makima replied, leaning against the axe to buy time. "Either you stand there and die, or do something useful for the first time!"
The giant goblin roared, pushing the axe even harder against Makima, who was starting to lose ground. She screamed, using all her remaining strength to push the blade aside. That gave Kael the opening he needed—or maybe just the pressure to act.
"Okay, okay! I'm going!" Kael shouted, more to himself than to her.
He charged toward the goblin, holding the stone mace with both hands. The creature, distracted by Makima, didn't notice Kael's approach until it was too late.
Kael leaped, channeling all the strength he had—and maybe even a little more—and brought the mace down directly onto the goblin's injured leg.
CRACK!
The blow hit the exact spot on the ankle where Makima had cut earlier. The goblin let out a roar of pain, losing its balance.
"Yes! I got it!" Kael shouted, but the moment of triumph was brief. The goblin, even wounded, swung its massive arm toward him.
"Get down, dog!" Makima yelled.
Kael threw himself to the ground instinctively, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the creature's giant hand.
Makima took advantage of the opening, swinging her sword in a wide arc and aiming for the goblin's neck. The strike cut deep, but it wasn't enough to decapitate the creature. Still, the goblin stumbled back, falling to its knees as blood poured from its throat.
"Finish it!" Makima commanded, her eyes locked onto Kael.
Kael hesitated, looking at the goblin, which was now struggling, trying to resist. He tightened his grip on the mace, the weight of the decision hanging over him.
"Kill it already!" Makima pressed, her voice as cold as ice.
Swallowing hard, Kael rushed forward, aiming everything he had at the goblin's head. The sound of the impact was brutal, and the creature's body finally fell still.
Kael stood there, panting, staring at the blood now covering his hands and his improvised weapon.
"Did... did I do it?" he muttered, more to himself.
[Reward System: Combat Concluded]
Enemy Defeated: Giant Goblin (Wild Class)
XP Gained: 100
Loot Received: [Giant Goblin Claw (Common Item)] [Fragment of Worn Axe (Common Item)]
Status Points Acquired: +3
New Skill Unlocked: Survival Instinct (Passive)
Description: Enhances reflexes and perception in high-risk situations, increasing reaction chances in life-or-death combat scenarios.
[You have reached Level 2]