“The gobbies ate him!!” Aurora exclaimed.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Ryu remarked, clasping a hand over his mouth. He willed himself not to vomit as he prepared for the fight of his life. He invoked [Insight] grimacing at the information given to him. He parsed through the relevant data trying to figure out a viable strategy as Sylfie ignited her arrows, sending a stream of projectiles at the little monstrosities.

[Vorpal Goblin]

[Attributes: Ice]

[Strengths: Water, Air]

[Weaknesses: Fire, Darkness]

[These creatures tend to travel in packs, practicing a nomadic lifestyle. They prefer to consume prey whole, however, in the rare instance that the prey is too large, Vorpal Goblins can use a set of serrated teeth to grind their catch into a paste for easy consumption.]

[Recorded cases of this occurrence have been documented with Snow Tailed Ursas.]

[Would you like to view this example?]

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[Verbal dissent has not been registered. Autoplay has been enabled.]

What the f*ck is with this System?! he thought, turning his head in disgust as a video of a Snow Tailed Ursa being turned into a smoothie by a Vorpal Goblin played. Only, he couldn’t shield his view as the video played in his mind.

Sylfie provided cover fire for the adventurers as they bravely met the adorable, yet murderous goblins on the battlefield. They fought valiantly, weapons ablaze, and protected by the enchantments Wisteria continuously imbued them with.

She chanted furiously, her eyes shut tight and her brow furrowed in concentration. Water magic would do no good in this situation and Ryu had very few abilities in the way of fire. [Combustion] was the only spell in his arsenal that could take care of these creatures.

Though they could use a [Diffusion] spell to wipe out the goblins, the chances that their entire party would get caught in the crossfire was a risk too great to take. Ryu cursed, firing off [Combustion] spells from one hand while tending to his comrades' wounds with the other, casting [Healing Hand].

Ryu ignored a dull throbbing in his abdomen as it pulsed rapidly, sending an uncomfortable sensation of pain throughout his body. He figured it was just the nerves and a reaction to Bronson’s unfortunate—and quite preventable—consumption. The pain grew worse, sending a piercing sensation that wracked his body with pain. He suddenly doubled over, clutching his waist, the feeling now unbearable.

“Ryu!” Sylfie exclaimed, crouching beside him. “What’s happening?! Ryu, talk to me!”

Ryu scrunched his face, trying to stave off the pain to no avail. He had never heard so worried before. It must be bad. He groaned. Wisteria tried to cast a healing spell on him but the incantation bounced off of him.

He looked down at the source of his pain: a black ring of magic scripture encircled his belt. Dark Magic!

[Grimm Reign] was reacting to the presence of the Vorpal Goblins, like it knew they were weak to its blade. Ryu could feel the bloodlust exuding from the dagger, aware of how dangerous this weapon he was about to unleash was.

His heartbeat quickened as the sharp pain in his gut forced him to take shallow breaths. Reaching for his waistbelt, Ryu unfastened the dagger, pulling it from its sheath. His fingers trembled as he unwrapped the pommel.

Sylfie’s eyes widened as the light-dampening blade revealed itself from underneath the loosening talismans. Ryu gripped the hilt tightly, gritting his teeth as he felt his energy seep into [Grimm Reign].

A small group of Vorpal Goblins screeched, breaking through the ranks. They rushed towards the four standing at the back. Sylfie let off a series of arrows, covering Wisteria and Aurora as they were nearly overwhelmed by the goblins.

The remaining monsters moved in on Sylfie and Ryu. They were too close to shoot with a ranged weapon, causing Sylfie to switch to her silver dagger. She stepped in front of Ryu, brandishing her blade. It burned bright with flame magic. Her expression was grim, but she stood firm, determined to protect her comrade.

She lunged at the Vorpal Goblins, letting out a terrifying battle cry. “Grahh!” She cleaved through one, two, three—the fourth evaded her strike, unhinging its jaw. As the creature opened its maw to devour the elf, Ryu's mind went blank.

His thought process ceased to function, halting his stream of consciousness. He had to reach her, no matter what. There was no time for ideas or plans. He simply reacted.

Ryu shot up from the floor, surfing across the damp ground with [Aqua Glide]. He covered the distance between him and Sylfie in an instant. A shroud of darkness enveloped the hand he held [Grimm Reign] with.

The Vorpal Goblin’s focus shifted to Ryu mid-attack. Its eyes grew wide as it saw him approach with the blade of darkness, though it was too late for the creature to react.

Ryu drove the dagger straight through the goblin’s throat, causing it to explode into dust. He disregarded the monster drops it left behind, running to Sylfie’s aid.

He carved a path through the sea of goblins, routing the last of them into the eager arms of Jörm’s crew. They skewered the remaining beasts swiftly, the area now free of flesh-eating Vorpal Goblins.

“We survived,” Ryu stated, exasperatedly. He grinned, the rush of the fight finally registering in his brain.

“In no small part thanks to you!” Jörm laughed boisterously, slapping Ryu on the back. “And look! We got Bronson back! That goblin must have swallowed him whole! I always knew he was a scrawny lad!”

“T-thanks, Ryu,” Bronson managed, soaked in digestive fluids.

Ryu gave him a sympathetic smile. Poor guy’s gonna need a lot of therapy. At least he’s in one piece.

A searing pain crept up Ryu's arm, crawling along his neck and reaching the nerves in his brain. His knees felt weak and he struggled to maintain balance. Ryu's legs gave way and he collapsed, his vision blurry. He could faintly hear Sylfie call his name, a weak grin on his face. He felt warm when she said his name.

Perhaps it was because he felt lightheaded, but as he glanced at his hand—the one in which [Grimm Reign] resided, he swore he was looking at that of a skeleton. Who’s skeleton is that? he chuckled. Then the realization—

Oh sh*t that’s mine.