Ryan's mind spun, trying to reconcile the impossible situation.
This stranger, this leather-clad warrior who had appeared from nowhere and stunned a Level 5 monster with a single palm strike, was looking for the SSS-Rank Lord.
He was looking for him. And he was disappointed because Ryan had a name.
The irony was so thick he could have choked on it.
The Goblin Chieftain was stirring, letting out a low, guttural groan as it shook its massive head.
They didn't have much time.
"Wait," Ryan gasped, pushing himself to his feet and leaning on his spear for support.
"About that… I think I'm the guy you're looking for."
The man in leather raised a skeptical eyebrow, his sharp eyes scanning Ryan's simple clothes and bruised, dirt-streaked face.
"Hah? You're kidding me, right? The system announcements were for a nameless Lord. You just told me your name is Ryan."
"It is now," Ryan said, his voice gaining a bit of strength.
"The first announcement, for the gift pack, that was when I was still nameless. The second one, for this spear…"
He held up the Blood Hunter, letting the crimson cloth flutter in the hazy red wind. "...That announcement named me 'Ryan'. That was me, both times."
The man's expression didn't change, but a flicker of doubt entered his hawk-like eyes.
He saw the spear, a weapon clearly beyond the scope of any normal novice, and then he looked at the terrified but resolute faces of Ryan's people huddled by the lean-to.
"You're telling me you went from a nameless rookie with a gift pack to crafting a Level 2 weapon in the span of a few hours, right before the Calamity hit?" he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
"That's a pretty tall tale, kid."
"It's the truth!" Ryan insisted. He mentally pulled up the Blood Hunter's information panel and willed it to become visible, a feature he'd only just discovered was possible.
The transparent blue screen shimmered into existence between them, displaying the weapon's incredible stats for the other Lord to see.
The man's eyes widened.
He stared at the description, his gaze lingering on the words 'Level 2' and 'Infinite Path of Evolution'.
His jaw tightened, and a low whistle escaped his lips.
The final traces of skepticism in his expression melted away, replaced by a look of sheer, unadulterated shock.
"Well, I'll be damned," he finally breathed, a slow, wry grin spreading across his face.
"The legendary SSS-Ranker is a scrawny kid who almost got turned into goblin paste. This world is full of surprises."
He extended a hand, his demeanor completely changed.
"The name's Kael. My talent is A-Rank 'Kinetic Burst'. Lets me store and release kinetic energy with my body. Nice to meet you, Ryan. Sorry for the rude introduction."
Ryan shook his hand. Kael's grip was like iron.
"Nice to meet you too. And thanks for the save-"
ROOOOAR!
The Goblin Chieftain was back on its feet, its red eyes burning with twice the fury as before.
It had been humiliated, and now it was out for blood. It hefted its massive club, its gaze flicking between the two Lords.
"Alright, SSS-Ranker, playtime's over," Kael said, dropping into a low, ready stance.
"That palm strike of mine used up most of my stored energy. I can keep it busy, but I can't break its defense. That spear of yours is our only real weapon. You're the damage dealer. I'll be the distraction. Got it?"
Ryan nodded, his heart hammering in his chest.
This was insane.
He was about to fight a boss monster alongside a high-level player he'd just met.
"What's the plan? Where do I aim?"
"It's a living creature, not a golem," Kael replied, his eyes never leaving the Chieftain. "It has weak points. Joints, eyes, throat. Don't just stab wildly. Wait for an opening. I'll make you one. Just try not to get yourself killed in the process."
With that, Kael shot forward like a bullet.
He was impossibly fast, weaving and ducking as the Chieftain swung its club in a wide, horizontal arc.
The club whistled through the air where Kael's head had been a moment before.
While the monster was off-balance, Kael leaped onto its outstretched arm, sprinting up its bicep like a squirrel on a tree trunk.
"Now, Ryan! The knee!" Kael yelled.
Ryan saw it.
As the Chieftain twisted to try and grab Kael, its left knee was exposed and bent at a perfect angle. Ryan didn't hesitate. He charged forward, channeling all his focus into a single, powerful thrust.
SCHLICK!
The Blood Hunter's crimson tip sank deep into the back of the Chieftain's knee joint.
This time, there was no thick hide to stop it. He hit tendon and cartilage.
The monster let out a pained, gurgling roar and its leg buckled, sending it crashing down to one knee with a ground-shaking thud.
Kael used the momentum to leap off its shoulder, landing gracefully a few meters away.
"It worked!" Ryan shouted, a surge of exhilaration coursing through him.
"Don't celebrate yet!" Kael shot back. "It's just angry!"
The kneeling Chieftain, enraged, abandoned its club and swung its massive fists wildly.
Kael danced around the blows, a blur of motion, while Ryan was forced to retreat, stabbing at the creature's arms and hands whenever he saw a sliver of an opening.
Each successful hit caused the Blood Hunter to glow faintly, and Ryan could feel the 'Blood Scent' effect invigorating him, pushing back his pain and exhaustion.
They fell into a deadly rhythm. Kael, with his incredible speed and skill, would harass the Chieftain, forcing it into clumsy, predictable attacks.
Ryan would then use those openings to land deep, bleeding wounds with his spear.
It was a battle of a thousand cuts.
From the camp, a new sound joined the fray.
Elias, seeing his Lord in a desperate battle, had rallied the others. "Throw rocks! Distract it! Help the Lord!" he commanded.
Leo, Sam, Mara, and even Elara began grabbing stones from the ground and pelting the Chieftain.
The rocks were tiny and harmless, bouncing off its thick hide like raindrops. But they were an annoyance.
The Chieftain roared, swatting at the tiny projectiles as if they were flies, its attention momentarily diverted.
"The eye! Ryan, go for its eye!" Kael screamed, seeing the crucial opening.
This was it. The final gamble.
Ryan sucked in a deep breath, ignored the burning in his muscles, and charged.
The Chieftain turned its head back towards him, its single, massive red eye wide with rage.
Ryan leaped, using a nearby rock as a launchpad. For a fleeting second, he was airborne, soaring directly towards the monster's face.
He held the Blood Hunter like a javelin, its crimson tip aimed true.
He plunged the spear deep into the Chieftain's eye.
There was a sickening, wet squelch. The Chieftain let out a sound that was half-scream, half-death rattle.
It thrashed wildly, its massive hands flailing, and one of them caught Ryan in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He landed in a heap, the wind knocked out of him, but he didn't let go of his spear.
The Frenzied Goblin Chieftain stood for a moment, the black shaft of the Blood Hunter protruding from its eye socket like a grotesque horn.
Then, with a final, shuddering sigh, the light in its other eye faded, and it collapsed forward, its massive body hitting the ground with a final, definitive THUD!
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Ryan lay on the ground, gasping for air, every bone in his body aching. But he was alive.
A flood of notifications filled his vision.
[You have slain a Frenzied Goblin Chieftain (Level 5)!]
[You have earned 50 Development Points!]
[Your level has increased! You are now Lord Level 2!]
[As part of a team kill, loot will be shared. A special item has been dropped!]
Kael walked over, looking just as exhausted as Ryan felt.
He offered a hand and pulled Ryan to his feet.
"Not bad, kid," Kael panted, a genuine smile on his face. "Not bad at all."
In the spot where the Chieftain's body had dissolved into motes of light, a single object remained, pulsing with a gentle, blue glow.
It was a shard of crystal, about the size of a fist, humming with a strange, territorial energy.
[Territory Core Fragment (Rare) obtained!]