The group moved cautiously through the dense undergrowth, the air still thick with the lingering scent of roses and scorched bark. The battle with the Roseback had left them exhausted, their bodies sore and mana reserves drained. Cromus led the way, his grip firm on Raging Boar, though every step sent a dull ache through his battered frame.

  Kaazz walked just behind him, his posture strangely upright, his usually shaky gait steadied by an unseen force. He seemed lost in his own world, flexing his fingers and rubbing his arms as if getting used to his own skin. The transformation had taken years off him—not enough to make him young, but enough to make him… different.

  Jagz kept glancing back at Kaazz, his nose wrinkled in suspicion. “So… you just gonna act like that’s normal?” he muttered under his breath.

  Kaazz let out a slow exhale, rolling his shoulders. “Not normal… but not bad.”

  Loose Tooth, still visibly shaken from the fight, rubbed his face and groaned. “You ate that fruit like a starved wolf, and now you’re standing straighter than I ever seen.”

  Kaazz didn’t react to Loose Tooth’s ramblings. His gaze flickered, pupils dilating slightly. A faint glow of shifting runes reflected in his eyes—his interface. He was reading through something important.

  Cromus didn’t miss the moment. “Well, did you get anything good?” he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

  Kaazz nodded, though his brow furrowed slightly. “Yes. I got a quest, Heal the Broken Shaman.” He looked down at his hands. “I was one of four, but now I am two of four.”

  Cromus and Sais exchanged a glance.

  “Four of what?” Sais asked.

  “Elements,” Kaazz said. “The fire mana crystal I ate counted for fire, and the fruit just now counts for earth. I need air and water.”

  Sais whistled low. “That sounds good.”

  Cromus frowned. “Yeah, but what else did you get, Kaazz? Did you level? Gain anything?”

  Kaazz nodded. “I leveled. I got the quest, and after I ate the fruit, I obtained two new spells—Tangle and Erupting Earth.”

  “Erupting Earth sounds pretty good, and Tangle is probably a strong single-target spell,” Sais noted. “With all his past experience as a support, he’ll probably end up being a great battlefield controller.”

  “I agree, and he got another damaging spell. So, with you as range, Kaazz as control, myself and some of your summons as front liners, we have a decently rounded team already.” Cromus ran a hand through his hair. “My only problem is, he leveled, but all I got was five hundred experience. What did you get, Sais?”

  “I got five hundred as well. And we both needed more than that to reach level four, so maybe he received more experience since he was lower level?” Sais asked aloud, looking towards Henry.

  There was a small silence as they communicated mentally before Sais spoke up again. “Henry is assuming the same. He has no knowledge or experience with this.”

  Cromus felt as if they had made a good distance from the Thornspitters and their tree before coming to a stop. “This should be a good spot for us to take a breather and for Kaazz to distribute his points.”

  Jagz, Ush, and Loose Tooth all dropped onto their butts, Loose Tooth looking the worse for wear, probably blaming himself for freezing up in the fight while the younger goblins acted when he didn’t. His arms rested on his knees, gaze locked on the dirt. He hadn't spoken much since the battle, his usual nervous energy drained away. Jagz gave him a side-eye but, said nothing.

  Cromus sat down as well, but before he could fully relax, a scaly nose nudged against his hand. He looked down to see Athas, the little Asalisk, blinking up at him with bright, eager eyes.

  “There you are, little guy. Where did you run off to?” Cromus asked, scratching the creature’s head.

  “He hid up in one of the trees. His camouflage is no joke,” Sais said with a smirk.

  Cromus chuckled. “Oh well, maybe one day he’ll be a great scout for us.” He patted Athas, who let out a pleased chirr, his slick green body shifting in color slightly as if preening under the attention.

  While Cromus and Sais talked, Kaazz silently allocated his points, a slow smile stretching across his face as the changes took effect. His body seemed to settle further, more natural—like he was finally stepping into the role that had eluded him for so long.

  A quiet voice pulled Cromus from his thoughts. “Cromus…”

  He turned to see Jagz and Ush standing before him.

  Ush hesitated before speaking again. “I… I’m sorry I froze up.” Her eyes were on the ground, her hands clenched into small fists. Jagz stood beside her, silent but firm, there for support.

  Cromus sighed, shaking his head. “You don’t need to apologize, Ush. You’re fine, and that’s what matters.” He leaned forward slightly. “Look, I’ve been there before—mouthed off, got overconfident after getting the upper hand. The adrenaline is a rush. But honestly, I think that thing’s roar was more than just noise. It was meant to debuff or freeze up anyone who heard it, and you were the closest to it. If it hit me point-blank, I’d probably have locked up too.”

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  Ush looked up at him, her expression softening at his words. She took a deep breath and, after a beat, lifted her chin. “I want to be strong like you, Cromus. Please help us grow stronger.”

  Jagz nodded beside her. “Me too.”

  As the words left their lips, a sudden notification flashed in Cromus’s vision.

  Due to your actions, Jagz and Ush wish to become your first followers. Accepting them as followers will allow you to unlock their choice of class at the expense of sacrificing 1,000 Experience points each and spending 100 mana. Do you wish to unlock Jagz’s class? Yes/No? Do you wish to unlock Ush’s class? Yes/No?

  Cromus blinked at the screen, but his moment of excitement was quickly tempered—both Yes options were grayed out. His mana bar was still refilling, only sitting at 80 out of 200.

  “Cromus?” Ush asked hesitantly.

  “Sorry,” Cromus muttered, shaking himself back to reality. “Of course, I’ll be happy to help you two grow, but let me talk with Sais real quick first, alright? I’ll come talk with you in a bit.”

  The two goblins’ smiles nearly split their heads in half before they scampered back over to Kaazz and Loose Tooth.

  Cromus turned to Sais, rubbing a hand over his face. “Sais…” he started.

  Sais glanced at him, eyebrow raised. “What now?”

  “I just got a notification to unlock Jagz and Ush’s classes. But it’ll cost me 1,000 experience points each.”

  Sais let out a low whistle. “Damn. That’s a hefty price.”

  “Well, the question is, will it de-level me? And do you think unlocking their classes is worth the risk?” Cromus asked.

  Sais shrugged. “Honestly? Probably. But that depends—how much are you willing to lose?”

  Cromus thought about it, tapping his fingers against his knee. “Even if I lose levels, I can help them level up, and in the long run, we’d all benefit. My biggest concern is Loose Tooth.”

  Sais followed his gaze toward the last goblin. Loose Tooth sat hunched over, his head resting on his knees. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken, and if his rigid posture was anything to go by, he was still drowning in self-recrimination.

  “He’s still beating himself up,” Sais acknowledged.

  “Yep. And now that I know how to unlock classes, I don’t know if I could unlock his too. If I do, I’ll be even further behind you. Three might be too much.”

  Sais smirked, stretching his arms behind his head. “Eh, I say do it. The more help, the better.” His smirk widened into something far more devious. “Plus—” He leaned in. “It puts me that much closer to winning our bet.”

  Cromus groaned. “You really had to bring that up now?”

  Sais chuckled. “Always.” handing him a mana potion, “Drink up buddy.” Sais said.

  Cromus had forgotten they had these when they first entered the world, he down it, and watched his mana jump up 100 points, making him only wait another ten minutes for the next 20, Cromus sat beside Sais, he let out a slow breath and confirmed the prompts in his interface.

  "Do you wish to unlock Jagz’s class? Yes."

  "Do you wish to unlock Ush’s class? Yes."

  A surge of warmth pulsed from Cromus’s chest as his mana drained by 200 points and his experience dipped by 2,000 in an instant. He grit his teeth, feeling a slight shiver run down his spine. Then, across from him, Jagz and Ush jerked upright, their eyes going wide as something only they could see appeared before them.

  Jagz let out a sharp breath. “Whoa—what is this?” His fingers twitched, eyes scanning unseen text.

  Ush was frozen, her lips parted in awe. “This is… I don’t know what to pick.”

  “You get to pick?” Jagz asked, his excitement practically vibrating off of him.

  Ush nodded absently, still staring at whatever was in front of her. The two of them stood completely still, absorbed in their choices, their minds racing.

  Cromus smiled despite himself. He didn’t know what paths they would take, but he knew they’d grow stronger.

  But as his gaze shifted, his stomach twisted.

  Loose Tooth was watching, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. Unlike the others, his expression wasn’t one of excitement. It was confusion—then hope.

  He turned to Cromus, his voice quiet but eager. “Can… can you do mine too?”

  Cromus blinked, his brows drawing together. “What?”

  “My class,” Loose Tooth said, taking a step forward. “Can you unlock it too?”

  Cromus opened his interface, expecting the same prompt as before—but nothing appeared. He frowned, closing and reopening it. Still nothing. The system wasn’t even acknowledging Loose Tooth.

  Cromus swallowed. He had assumed it would happen automatically—after all, they’d all fought together, right? But now, standing here, watching Loose Tooth look up at him with hopeful eyes, he realized this was different.

  He let out a slow breath. “Loose Tooth… I don’t think I can. Not yet.”

  Loose Tooth’s face fell immediately. “What?”

  “I don’t have the option,” Cromus admitted. “I don’t know why. It’s not about mana or experience, it just… isn’t there.”

  Loose Tooth stiffened, his hands curling into fists. His gaze flickered to Jagz and Ush, who were still lost in their choices, the glow of their interfaces reflected in their wide, eager eyes.

  “But they got theirs,” he said, his voice quieter now.

  Cromus nodded slowly. “Yeah. They did.”

  A long silence stretched between them.

  Loose Tooth’s shoulders sagged, but only for a moment. Then, he forced a grin, one of those crooked, too-wide smiles he always pulled when trying to act like something didn’t bother him. “Heh. That’s fine,” he said, waving a hand. “I’ll just get stronger on my own then. No big deal.”

  But the way his jaw clenched, the way his fingers dug into his palms—Cromus knew it wasn’t fine.

  Loose Tooth stepped away without another word, moving to sit a short distance from the others, his back partially turned.

  Cromus watched him, a heavy feeling settling in his gut.

  Sais, who had been silent up to this point, finally spoke. “That one’s got a storm brewing inside him.”

  Cromus exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. “Yeah.”

  His eyes drifted toward Loose Tooth once more.

  For the first time in his life, Loose Tooth felt like dead weight.

  And Cromus could see just how much he hated it.