Chapter 15: A Promise To Keep

Chapter 15: A Promise To Keep

As the battle raged on in the dim, oppressive cavern, a faint yellow glow flickered in Alister's vision. He turned his head slightly, and there it was—the system window, floating before him. The screen showed a rapidly depleting health bar.

[Warning to the player: HP dangerously low!]

[15/100%█???????]

[Additional warning! Time left: 00:52:10.]

[The player has less than an hour to complete the first quest!]

The message flashed urgently, it was a sign his body could give in at any moment, and from the look of things, either he died at the hands of the goblins or the system penalty would be the one to end him instead.

Alister gritted his teeth, his vision was starting to get blurry as the strain of the battle was starting to get to him. He could feel every cut, every bruise, and all the pain was threatening to make him fall unconcious.

'This... isn't looking good,' Alister thought, his mind racing as he looked around at his teammates.

'I'm running out of time, and they're just too strong. How are we supposed to survive this?'

Lila was desperately trying to keep everyone's wounds from becoming fatal, her hands glowing with the faint light of her healing talent.

But even her abilities seemed inadequate because soon after they would just substain another serious wound. Erik, bloodied and bruised, was barely holding his ground, each swing of his sword slower and less precise than the last.

Jarek, his usually indomitable spirit now visibly shaken, fought valiantly but with increasing signs of exhaustion. And Amelia—Amelia lay still where she had fallen, her blood pooling beneath her motionless body.

Alister's heart sank as he watched the goblins champions, closing in from all sides. Their eyes gleamed, causing him to nearly loose hope, no wound the goblins substained no matter how serious—closed almost as soon as they were inflicted. And their sheer numbers were pushing them to a corner.

'They're healing faster than we can damage them,' Alister gritted his teeth and thought futher. 'If we can't find a way to stop them, we're done for.'

Suddenly, a goblin lunged at him from the side, its rusty dagger aimed at his abdomen. Alister twisted his body just in time, the blade slashing across his ribs instead of plunging into his flesh.

He winced at the sharp pain but forced himself to counter, driving his own dagger into the goblin's neck. Blood sprayed across his arm as the goblin gargled and fell back, only for its wounds to begin closing almost immediately.

Behind him, Erik cried out in pain as another goblin's claws scratched across his back, tearing through his leather armor and leaving deep, bloody gashes.

Erik staggered but managed to turn and deliver a desperate slash to the goblin's chest. The creature barely flinched, its regeneration quickly closing the wound.

Jarek swung his axe with what little strength he had left, cleaving through the leg of an advancing goblin. The creature toppled but began crawling forward, its eyes locked onto Jarek with a hateful glare. "Damnmmmmm itttt!" Jarek roared, kicking the goblin back, his boot covered in blood.

Lila's face was pale, she looked terrified as she tried her best to heal her teammates faster than the goblins could harm them.

But she too was starting to get exhausted, and tears streaked down her cheeks. "I-I can't keep this up," she sobbed, her hands trembling as she channeled her mana to heal again.

And then there was the massive goblin, the one wielding the brutal, studded club. It had watched from the edge of the battle, its eyes glowing with delight. Now, it stepped forward, its enormous frame casting a long shadow over the group.

"Brace yourselves!" Jarek shouted, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. He raised his axe in a defiant stance, ready to meet the goblin's charge.

The goblin roared, raising its club high above its head. With a thunderous swing, it brought the weapon down on Jarek, who managed to block with his axe. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through Jarek's body, his knees gave out under the strain.

The goblin swung again, this time hitting Jarek in the side. The massive impact hurled Jarek across the cavern, slamming him into the stone wall. He crumpled to the ground, blood flowing from a deep gash in his side, his breaths started to become ragged gasps.

"Jarek!" Alister cried out, but there was no response. The massive goblin turned its gaze toward him, a cruel smile twisting its ugly face. Alister raised his dagger, but his hands were shaking, and his vision blurred from the pain and exhaustion.

The goblins pressed their advantage, their numbers overwhelming the group's defenses. Erik was driven to his knees by a flurry of attacks, his sword slipping from his grasp. He tried to rise, but a goblin's kick sent him sprawling, his head hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Lila screamed as another goblin grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back. She fought to free herself, but the creature's grip was too strong. Her healing faded, leaving her helpless against the monster's attack, plunging a dagger across her abdomen.

Alister tried to fend off the goblins surrounding him, but their relentless attacks were too much. He felt a blade slice across his back, another stabbing his thigh, and he fell to his knees, his strength nearly gone. The massive goblin loomed over him, its club raised for the killing blow.

"Am I..." Alister's voice was barely a whisper, his vision narrowing to a tunnel as he stared up at the impending doom. "Really just gonna die like this?"

The goblin's club came down with a massive swing.

Boom!

Alister was sent hurling trough the air, his weak hand letting go his his dagger.

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"That's right... I made a promise to her... I'd make sure she sees the outside world again..."

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"So... I won't die this easily... something like a couple of wounds won't stop me from saving her." As he spoke, the Sclera of his eyes slowly turned black, his yellow Iris began to glow and look more reptilian.

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The system's voice echoed in his thoughts again.

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[Ding!! New skill detected!]

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[SKILL: Draconic Rage!]