The leader roared.
It wasn't just a shout — it was a thunderclap that rattled the cave walls, making loose pebbles tumble from the ceiling. His eyes glowed red like burning coals. His massive axe gleamed faintly even in the pitch black, catching what little light reflected from the wet stones.
Then he charged.
The ground trembled beneath his heavy steps. The axe rose high, cutting a wide arc through the air before crashing down.
Satou moved. Instinct screamed louder than thought. He rolled aside, the blade slamming into the stone floor where he had just been. The impact shook the cavern, spiderweb cracks crawling across the ground. Dust exploded upward.
Satou's cheek burned — the axe had grazed him, slicing skin. Blood trickled down.
"Too close…" he hissed, his breath ragged.
The goblin leader pulled his weapon free with a growl. Satou inhaled sharply, compressing mana in his throat, and spat.
CRACK!
A stone shard shot out, smacking the leader squarely in the chest.
It bounced.
The shard ricocheted harmlessly off the thick iron plates clinging to his skin.
Satou froze for a second. "…Stone Spit is trash against you. Fine—guess it's fang time."
The leader roared and swung again.
Satou ducked, feeling the wind of the blade rush past his head. He darted forward, aiming for the throat. His jaw snapped—fangs clamping down.
CLANG!
His teeth scraped against hidden armor beneath the skin.
Satou's eyes widened. "Even your damn throat is armored?! You've got to be kidding me."
The goblin snarled and kicked. Satou flew back, tumbling across the stone floor. Pain shot through his spine.
He pushed himself up, panting, his body screaming in protest.
The fight dragged on. One minute. Two. Five.
The leader swung relentlessly, the massive axe cutting through the air again and again. Every swing carried death, and yet every swing was sloppy, heavy, and wild. Satou ducked, rolled, sidestepped, scraping by with inches to spare. But each dodge took its toll — his breath grew sharper, his chest heaved harder, and his legs trembled more with every passing second.
I can't keep this up. If this keeps going, I'll collapse before he does.
His eyes flicked to the scattered weapons on the ground — the crude tools of the nine goblins he had already slain. Rusted swords, bent spears, broken axes. Satou dashed and scooped one up.
The leader's axe whooshed through the air. Satou raised the rusted sword.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted. The sheer force of the impact cracked the blade in half. But it also redirected the strike just enough. Satou slipped inside and swung at the leader's chest.
TING!
A dent. Small, but real.
Satou grinned through blood and sweat. So that's it. I just have to keep hammering until it breaks.
The leader bellowed and swung again. Satou ducked low, the blade passing overhead, the sound of rushing death echoing in his ears.
He slashed again. Another dent.
The leader grew angrier, movements wilder. He smashed his axe into the floor, into the walls, roaring like a beast. Each miss shook the cave. Pebbles rained from the ceiling.
Satou didn't stop. He grabbed a broken spear tip and hurled it.
THUNK! Another dent.
He picked up a bent axe, swung with all his strength.
CRACK! The armor split slightly.
The goblin leader howled in rage, spittle flying from his tusks.
Satou grinned, panting heavily. "Got you…"
He inhaled deep, mana burning his throat. He lined up the crack in the armor and spat.
CRAAAACK!
The stone shard pierced the weak spot. The armor shattered.
Satou's eyes lit up. "Finally!"
But before he could take advantage, the leader lunged. His massive hand shot out like a vice and grabbed Satou by the torso.
BOOM!
Satou's back slammed into the wall. The impact rattled his bones. Pain exploded through his chest as blood spurted from his lips. His vision blurred white.
The leader grinned, eyes glowing brighter, as if savoring the kill.
Satou coughed, choking on blood. His body screamed. He staggered forward. Then he froze.
The wound he had opened — the crack in the armor, the flesh beneath torn by his shard — was gone.
Regenerated.
His heart sank. "No… no way… He has regeneration too?!"
The leader roared in triumph, slamming his chest as the wounds knit shut. His muscles bulged, glowing faintly in the dark.
Satou's knees trembled. His ribs were cracked. Blood ran down his arms. Every breath was agony.
But he laughed. His voice was hoarse, broken, but sharp.
"Fine… fine… if you've got regeneration, then there's only one way I can kill you. Poison. My fangs."
The leader swung again, axe whistling through the air. Satou ducked under, his body screaming in protest. His feet slipped on the bloody floor. His vision spun. He charged anyway.
"NOW!"
He leapt, jaws snapping forward—
CHOMP!
His fangs sank deep into the goblin's exposed neck.
The leader screamed, a guttural roar that shook the cavern. His body thrashed violently.
Satou clung to him like a parasite, venom pumping into the goblin's veins.
The leader panicked. He rammed his back into the wall.
BAM! Satou's ribs cracked further. Blood spilled from his mouth.
The leader rammed again.
CRUNCH! Satou's spine screamed.
He coughed blood, vision blackening, but he didn't let go. His fangs only sank deeper.
The leader flailed, smashing into walls, into pillars, into the ceiling. The cave thundered with every impact. Rocks fell, dust filled the air.
Satou's body broke piece by piece. Cuts split open. Bruises blossomed. Bones cracked. But his jaw remained locked.
Don't let go. Don't let go. This is the only way. If I let go—I'm dead.
Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. Satou lost track. Pain blurred into numbness.
The leader's movements slowed. His roars weakened. His muscles twitched. His swings turned sluggish.
Finally, his legs buckled. His eyes dimmed.
He fell.
The ground shook as his massive body collapsed, unmoving.
Satou rolled off, collapsing against the wall. His body was wrecked — bleeding, broken, half-dead. His breaths came shallow and wet, blood gurgling in his throat.
But the leader lay still. Dead.
Satou coughed weakly, blood staining his teeth, and laughed. "Hah… told you… I don't… let go."
With trembling hands, he tore off a chunk of the goblin leader's flesh and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, nearly choking, the bitter taste burning his tongue.
Just one bite. That was all he could manage.
And then—
DING!
[SSS-Rank Skill Activated: Devourer]
Skill Acquired: Regeneration
Satou froze as warmth spread through his veins. His wounds sealed. His cuts closed. His ribs snapped back into place. His breathing steadied.
He looked at his hands as strength returned.
"…Hahaha…" His laugh grew louder.
"Hahahahahahaha! Now THIS—this was worth it!"
The cave echoed with his manic laughter.
Satou stood, still battered but healing, his red eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
But then—
His vision flickered. The cave walls warped, bending and twisting like melting shadows. The taste of iron flooded his mouth again, thick and bitter. His legs trembled beneath him.
"What…? No, I just—"
Dark spots swarmed across his sight. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, louder and louder, until it drowned out everything else. The world spun violently.
Satou reached out to steady himself against the wall—missed—and stumbled.
His knees buckled.
"…Tch…" A weak grin tugged at his lips even as his body failed him. "Guess… even monsters need rest…"
And then his eyes rolled back.
He collapsed, hitting the bloodstained ground with a dull THUD.
Satou had just fainted due to exhaustion.