Rhia and I sat in the dim corner of the goblin cave, away from the prying eyes of the others. After our earlier fight, no one dared to bother us—for now.
But I still couldn't shake the image of her stopping that goblin mid-motion. That wasn't normal. Not for a goblin.
I needed answers.
Revealing the System's Hidden Function
I opened my System Interface, my eyes scanning through the menus. Until now, I had only looked at my own stats. But if my system was anything like an RPG…
Could I see the stats of others?
Focusing on Rhia, I whispered under my breath, "Inspect."
[Target: Rhia]
[Race: Goblin]
[Level: 3]
[Strength: 3] [Agility: 5] [Vitality: 3] [Intelligence: 7]
[Skills: Mind Shackles (E), Enhanced Perception (F)]
[Unique Trait: ???]
I nearly flinched. A Unique Skill?
Goblins weren't supposed to have those. Just like me.
Mind Shackles—A Rare Power
"What's with that look?" Rhia raised an eyebrow.
I hesitated, then decided to be blunt. "Your ability… how does it work?"
She studied me for a moment before sighing. "Figures you'd notice. You're not normal either."
Fair enough.
"My skill is called Mind Shackles," she finally said. "I can force a creature's body to lock up—only for a few seconds. If they're weak-willed, it lasts longer. Strong ones… not so much."
That explained what I saw. It wasn't paralysis—it was mind control, even if just for a brief moment.
That was incredibly powerful.
"You got a skill too, right?" she asked.
I hesitated. Should I tell her about Devourer's Mark?
It was dangerous information. If word got out, I'd be hunted—not just by goblins, but by anything stronger.
But I had a feeling Rhia wasn't my enemy.
"…I can take the abilities of the things I kill."
Her violet eyes widened slightly before a slow grin spread across her lips. "Hah. No wonder you're different."
Something passed between us then—a silent understanding. We were both not normal. Both outcasts, but in a way that made us stronger.
For the first time since being reborn, I felt something other than fear or hunger.
I felt like I had an ally.
The Future Begins Here
"Alright, Leon," Rhia said, stretching. "Since we're both weird, we might as well stick together."
I smirked. "That was already obvious."
She rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
As we sat there, I thought about what came next. The other goblins wouldn't leave us alone forever. Stronger creatures lurked deeper in the cave. And beyond that… who knew what else existed in this world?
One thing was certain.
If I wanted to survive, I needed to grow stronger.
And with Rhia at my side, maybe—just maybe—we could become something more than just goblins.