Chapter 3: Blood and Loyalty
Pain dragged me back to consciousness.
My head pounded. My arm throbbed. Every breath felt like fire in my lungs.
Then I heard it—snarling. The clash of claws on stone. A guttural roar that shook the cave walls.
"Verg…?"
I forced my eyes open. The world swam into focus.
Blood. Everywhere.
Verg stood twenty feet away, his black fur drenched in gore—green and red smeared together in thick streaks. His chest heaved with each breath, sides trembling, one of his forelegs slightly bent as if it hurt to stand.
My pulse quickened. "Verg…"
Then I saw it.
A massive body lay crumpled against the cave wall—its head caved in, jaw twisted at an impossible angle.
[Hobgoblin – Level 31] [DECEASED]
I stared, stunned. "You… you killed it?"
But Verg didn't look at me. His crimson eyes stayed locked forward, his fangs bared in a low, broken snarl that carried more fatigue than fury.
Then I felt it—the shift in the air.
Another presence. Heavy. Angry.
A second Hobgoblin stepped into the dying torchlight, its shadow stretching long across the cave floor.
[Hobgoblin – Level 31]
My stomach turned to ice.
"Two of them…?"
"Verg… you fought two?"
"Shit!" I coughed, the taste of iron filling my mouth. "Verg… he protected me while I was unconscious…"
My gaze darted to the corpse again. "I thought there was just one Level 31—" I winced, choking back a groan. "Gurgh—ugh! Damn it… my insides are wrecked!"
I tried to push myself up, but pain lanced through my ribs like fire.
"Verg!!!" I shouted, but he didn't react. His ears only twitched, his stance unsteady. He was barely holding himself together, blood dripping from his shoulder where the flesh had been torn open.
"Damn it… he's too hurt to fight another Hobgoblin!" My heart pounded as the second one roared, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground.
"I need to help him… somehow!" I gasped, forcing my trembling hand up. "System! Give me a Health Potion—now!"
The air shimmered—and a small glass vial materialized above the ground before clattering onto the stone floor.
[Low-Grade Health Potion – Acquired]
My eyes widened. "There…!"
I reached for it, but my arm refused to move. Pain flared through me, white-hot and sharp. My other arm hung limp, completely numb.
"Please… please!" I grit my teeth, voice shaking. "Move! Damn it, move!"
My fingers twitched uselessly against the cold rock. The potion was right there—so close I could see the faint red glow pulsing inside the glass—but I couldn't reach it.
I turned my head toward Verg.
He was still fighting.
The Hobgoblin swung its club, the heavy air whistling before the impact. Verg tried to dodge, but his movements were sluggish, desperate. The club grazed his side, sending him stumbling.
"Verg—!"
He snarled and lunged back, clamping his jaws around the Hobgoblin's wrist. Flesh tore. Green blood sprayed.
But he was too hurt. Too slow.
The Hobgoblin roared and slammed its free hand down, smashing Verg's head against the wall with a sickening thud.
"VERG!!!"
My scream echoed through the cave, drowned out by the monster's growl and the pounding of my own heartbeat.
"He's gonna die! Damn it!"
The Hobgoblin started lumbering toward Verg, who was already down on the ground, his body barely moving.
"No… no, no, no!" I gasped, forcing myself to move. I crawled, dragged myself across the cold stone—every inch felt like hell. My vision blurred, but I didn't stop. "We're not dying here! Not here!"
The potion glimmered just ahead. I reached out—my fingers scraped the glass—and I grabbed it with trembling hands.
I bit down on the cork, yanking it open with my teeth.
Behind me, the Hobgoblin growled and grabbed Verg's leg, dragging him across the floor.
"NO!" I shouted, voice cracking.
I raised the vial and drank.
Glug—glug—glug.
Warm liquid slid down my throat, burning and cold at the same time. My chest tightened, my ribs shifted, and a rush of heat spread through my body.
My fingers twitched. My arms—my insides—they were healing.
"Ugh… y-you bastard…" I hissed, glaring up at the Hobgoblin. "You fucking monster!"
I pushed myself up, my legs shaking. The potion's warmth still spread through my veins, dulling the pain.
Then I noticed something—a faint glow blinked before my eyes.
[Points +300]
[EXP +240]
[Level Up! – Level 4 Reached]
"What… I leveled up?" I breathed. My gaze darted to Verg's bloody form. "Because he… killed one of them."
A second notification appeared.
[New Skill Acquired: Backstab]
Backstab (Active) – Instantly strike a vital point from behind.
Damage increases based on speed and precision. Effect greatly amplified when target is unaware or distracted.
I clenched my fists. My stats had risen slightly—I could feel the difference. Strength, speed, everything felt sharper.
"I know this isn't enough…" teeth grinding. "But I need to help Verg!"
I took one deep breath, then sprinted forward—boots slapping against the blood-slick stone. The Hobgoblin loomed ahead, still dragging Verg across the floor.
"Let's see how you like this…" I whispered, eyes locked on its back.
Then I charged straight at it.
I jumped onto its back, grabbing its head. I pulled out my dagger and stabbed it in the neck. Thud!
"Yes! I got you now, huh?!"
The Hobgoblin froze for a second—I saw its eyes widen. Then I glanced at its neck.
"F–fuck… I didn't pierce through. Its skin's too damn hard!"
It suddenly roared and started thrashing, trying to grab me. "Argh! You ugly bastard!"
I stabbed again and again, but its thick hide barely gave way. Then it caught me—its massive hand wrapped around my body and hurled me aside like trash.
I hit the ground hard, groaning, but didn't feel too much pain this time. I forced myself up. "System! Health Potion!"
The vial appeared and dropped right into my hand. I smirked. "You idiot… you're not my target."
I turned toward Verg—still lying motionless on the ground—and splashed the potion across his wounds. The red liquid shimmered as it spread through his fur, faint light tracing along his injuries.
The Hobgoblin roared in anger, veins bulging on its neck as it glared at me.
It charged, furious. "Shit! Verg still needs time!" I spat, bracing myself. It tried to stomp me, but I dodged and rolled to the side, slashing at its leg. Tsk. Just a scratch—nothing more.
For minutes all I did was dodge—duck, roll, strike, roll again. My lungs burned, but I kept moving. Then I saw a shadow rise behind the monster: Verg, getting to his feet. I smirked despite myself. "Hey, big fella—time for you to die."
Verg surged from the Hobgoblin's rear, but the brute saw him and swung its club, ready to crush him. Verg was ridiculous—fast as hell. He dodged every blow, lunged forward, and sank his teeth into the Hobgoblin's arm, tearing it open. Blood sprayed, but the thing didn't back down—even one-armed, it kept fighting. Impressive, I thought, and ran.
I leapt. The Hobgoblin swung wildly, but I was already gone—slipping behind it as it turned. "Backstab!"
Shhhhhk!
I felt the dagger sink into its eye, the blade driving straight through and piercing its brain. The Hobgoblin twitched violently, then slowly collapsed to its knees before crashing onto the ground.
"Haa—haa…" I panted, chest heaving. "Finally…"
Verg limped toward me, his eyes softer now. He leaned in and licked my face. I chuckled weakly, rubbing his head. "Damn, buddy… we almost died there, huh?"
Ding!
[Points +600]
[EXP +480]
[Level Up: 4 → 6]
A faint blue screen appeared before my eyes.
[SYSTEM: STATUS]
Name: Rowan
Race: Human
Level: 6
Health: 300
Mana: 150
Strength: 36
Defense: 24
Agility: 30
Stamina: 30
Luck: 9
Skills: [Swift Guard], [Backstab]
Points: 1,886
"Oh… my stats? I got stronger." I couldn't help but grin. "Level six already? Just four more and I can finally go home."
I turned toward Verg. He stood beside the Hobgoblin's corpse, his fur still matted with blood, but his eyes were sharp again. A faint shimmer flickered above his head.
[Dire Wolf – Level 32]
I blinked. "Wait, thirty-two? Didn't you used to be thirty-one?"
Verg gave a short huff, like he was proud of himself. I chuckled. "You leveled up too, huh? Damn, you really carried me back there."
He tilted his head, tail swishing weakly. Despite the exhaustion in his movements, I could feel it—the same fire burning in both of us.
"Guess we're not dying that easily," resting a hand on his head. "Let's rest a bit, buddy. We earned it."
Verg let out a low growl of approval, and for the first time in hours, I allowed myself to sit down and breathe.
After a while, I looked around the cave—dark, bloodstained, and silent except for the slow drip of water. The air reeked of iron.
"We can't keep this up, Verg," I muttered. "I don't know what else is out there, and we're already half-dead."
Verg lifted his head, ears twitching weakly.
"I think we need to go back to where we started," I said. "We need more allies… yeah, we'll summon more."
I raised my hand. "System, give me two Health Potions."
Two red vials materialized, clinking softly as they landed on the stone. I downed one, warmth spreading through my chest, then handed the other to Verg.
"Here, drink up, buddy."
He lapped at the potion, light glinting off his fur. I smiled faintly. "Good. That should help."
I glanced toward the path we came from. "Alright, let's go back, Verg."
He gave a low growl and limped beside me as we slowly made our way back to where everything began.
After a few hours of walking, we finally reached the deepest part of the cave again.
"Finally!" I sighed, rubbing my neck. "Alright, let's not waste time—let's summon something!"
"System, I want to buy a summon!"
Ding!
A blue window appeared before me, showing rows of creatures and prices. I started scrolling through the list.
"Wow, a cave rat? Pass. A goblin? What—20 points for a level 10 goblin? Hell nah!" I kept scrolling. "Hmm… a human knight for 300 points? Nah, let's see what else."
I stopped for a moment. "An ogre? Level 37? Yeah, no thanks. Oh—what's this? A group of imp workers for 100 points? All of them are level 1?" I scratched my chin. "Not bad…"
Then I spotted something shining on the screen.
"Wait… what's that?" I leaned closer, my heartbeat quickening. "Wow… yes, this is what I want!"
"System," I said with a grin, "I'll take that one."
To be continued...