Chapter: Gathering, Feast and Just Wholesome Vibes (III)
"…Not ideal," he said under his breath.
But his hands were already moving.
He infused his fire with wind, compressing and accelerating the flames before releasing them.
The fireballs came out sharper.
Faster.
More violent.
They tore through goblins now—burning past shields, punching through bodies, forcing real damage for the first time.
Charred flesh. Broken formation. Screams.
For the first time since the fight began—
They were actually killing them.
But even then—
There were still too many.
Mike, bleeding heavily, forced his voice out. "Split up! Break their formation!"
The group scattered instantly.
It was messy.
Uncoordinated.
Desperate.
And it worked—barely.
The goblins hesitated for a fraction of a second, their formation loosening just enough to create gaps.
But those gaps didn't last.
Shadow was immediately targeted, multiple goblins shifting toward him as the boss advanced with heavy, ground-shaking steps.
Each step felt deliberate.
Like it knew exactly who the threat was.
Shadow quickly tried run in one direction, not wanting to be heavily surrounded.
Leon and Lara followed, struggling to keep up.
"My mana is almost gone," Leon admitted, his voice strained. "I can't keep casting like this."
His spells were already weaker now—slower, less stable.
Lara shook her head weakly. "I… I can't heal anymore…"
Her hands trembled slightly around her staff. The glow from it flickered—unstable, exhausted.
Shadow didn't slow.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't respond.
He glanced ahead.
More goblins blocked their path.
"…Of course."
No escape.
No safe route.
Spears flew toward them.
Shadow raised both hands, forcing water and wind together. The air twisted violently, forming a spiraling current that redirected the incoming projectiles—but the strain was clear now.
His control wavered for a split second.
A spear slipped past, grazing his shoulder.
Blood.
Warm.
Real.
His mana infinite, but that didn't make the pain go away.
He quickly used heal magic that he copied from Lara. His wound starting healing, but not quick enough.
Leon and Lara didn't even notice the heal magic since they were on the verge of collapsing.
'I need to survive.'
That thought stayed in Shadow's mind.
Clear.
Cold.
Everything else—fear, hesitation, doubt—
Didn't matter.
He fired multiple fireballs, forcing a temporary opening.
He moved.
Leon followed.
The boss intercepted.
Its massive club swung.
The air cracked.
Shadow barely avoided it, the impact leaving a crater where he stood just a second earlier. The shockwave alone nearly threw him off balance.
"…Yeah, that would've ended badly."
They were out of options.
Lara's breathing became uneven, panic creeping into her expression.
Leon froze for just a moment—just one—
But in a fight like this, that was enough to die.
And Shadow—
Decided.
No hesitation.
No second thought.
He grabbed Lara.
"What are you doing?!" Leon shouted.
Wind surged.
And Shadow threw her.
Her body slammed into a group of goblins, knocking several off balance, disrupting their formation for a fraction of a second.
A scream tore from her throat.
That moment—
Was enough.
Eight fireballs formed.
Dense.
Violent.
Unforgiving.
He released them all.
The explosions overlapped violently.
The goblins burned.
Screamed.
Their formation shattered completely under the blast.
Lara's voice was among them.
Then it wasn't.
Leon's expression shattered. "Are you insane?! You're killing her!"
Shadow didn't even flinch.
Didn't look.
Didn't hesitate.
"This isn't a game where everyone lives."
His voice was steady.
Cold.
Final.
"It's a place where you survive."
The flames died down slowly.
The crackling sound of burning bodies filled the silence.
A large portion of the goblins were gone.
And then—
[ Fireball Mastery: MAX ] → Upgrading… → Fireball (Rank E)
A surge of heat ran through his body.
Not painful.
Not overwhelming.
Just… power.
Refined.
Sharpened.
Shadow smiled.
"About time."
His fingers flexed slightly, feeling the difference instantly. The fire responded faster—cleaner—like it had finally aligned with him.
He moved again.
Wind carried him upward.
He spun mid-air, releasing enhanced fireballs in rapid succession, each one more precise, more destructive.
Shadow smirked.
"Now—"
"They die"
Quickly.
Efficiently.
No resistance.
No formation.
Just slaughter.
Lara's body lay among them.
Still.
Unmoving.
Burned beyond recognition.
The boss charged.
Faster this time.
Desperate.
Shadow reacted instantly, blasting the ground and forcing it into a pit before pushing the creature off balance with wind.
It stumbled.
Then fell.
For a brief second—
It looked almost helpless.
He didn't hesitate.
A final fireball.
Compressed.
Focused.
It shot towards the monster with precision.
Direct hit.
The explosion swallowed it whole.
The sound echoed across the battlefield.
Then—
Nothing.
The boss was gone.
Completely.
The remaining goblins were wiped out soon after.
Not cleanly.
Not easily.
But completely.
[ Wind Magic → Rank E ]
[ Water Magic → Rank E ]
[ Healing magic → Rank E ]
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Thick.
Almost suffocating.
Burned bodies everywhere.
The ground was blackened.
The air tasted like ash.
Shadow stood still, breathing heavily, but his expression distant.
Like none of it mattered.
Behind him—
Leon stared.
His hands trembled slightly.
His eyes locked onto the spot where Lara had fallen.
"…How could you do that?"
Shadow didn't turn fully. "If it's my life or someone I barely know, I'm choosing mine every time."
No emotion.
Just fact.
Footsteps approached.
The others arrived.
They froze.
Some stared at the bodies.
Others at Shadow.
None of them spoke at first.
"…What happened?" Mike asked.
"We survived," Shadow replied.
That was all.
Then—
"Where's Lara?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Leon raised his hand.
Slowly.
Like it weighed something.
Then pointed.
At Shadow.
"He… he killed her."
The words hit harder than any attack.
A ripple went through the group.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Then something darker.
Cold fear spread through the group.
Mike stepped forward slowly. "Why?"
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
But his eyes—
Burned.
But Shadow—
Wasn't listening anymore.
Because in his mind—
[ QUEST COMPLETED ] Exterminate the Goblin Colony ✔
[ Rewards Granted ] +50 System Points
[ Level Up ] Level 3 → Level 5
[ Bonus skill: Calm during the storm.]
[The host's mind becomes calm during panic season.]
His stats increased upon leveling up.
Something shifted.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
The noise faded.
The tension dulled.
Even the hostility around him—
Felt distant.
Shadow smiled faintly.
Surrounded.
Accused.
And stronger than ever.
"This feels worth it," he said quietly.
Not to them.
To himself.
Then—
He raised both hands.
Magic shifted between fire, water, and wind.
Unstable—
Yet controlled.
Cracking.
Building.
Dangerous.
The air around him distorted slightly from the pressure alone.
Mike noticed.
His grip tightened.
Leon stepped back.
Instinct.
Fear.
"Now," Shadow said, his voice calm—
Too calm.
"why don't we end this quickly?"
A pause.
A shift in the air.
Something changed.
Not in the battlefield—
In him.
Because this time—
He wasn't talking about the goblins.