I lay on the cold floor, gasping for breath, with my weapon a meter away. A snarling monster pinned me down, its twisted limbs pressing against my arms and chest. Without a weapon, humans like us stood little chance against these creatures. I could see its face up close—jagged teeth, foul breath, and wild eyes brimming with killing intent. It leaned in, ready to bite my head off. In that moment, I almost thought I might die from the stench before its teeth even made contact.

  Despite the terror, a stray thought flitted through my mind: This is the second time some Bastard trying to bite my head off. Do I look like a snack or something? That odd humor sparked a tiny bit of defiance in me, but it did nothing to stop the monster from tightening its grip.

  Suddenly, I heard the rush of air. An arrow flew in from somewhere behind the beast, piercing straight through its head and exiting the other side. The monster slumped, dead before it could react. Relief flooded me, and I knew instantly who had saved me—Thadric the skilled archer.

  Scrambling up, I rushed to grab my spear. The moment my fingers closed around it, Astral Fang's familiar voice sounded in my head: "Short stuff, that's the second time you've been rescued right in front of the girl. Don't you think we should do some hero work too?"

  I let out a ragged breath. "Instead of talking, how about you actually help me?" I snapped. "Your so-called attributes aren't doing much against these things. They don't care if I can summon a phantom spear or not."

  Astral Fang didn't reply. For a second, I worried I'd offended it. Then, a swirling green energy began to glow around the spear, crackling and twisting in the air. I had no idea if this was good or bad; given everything I'd seen, the spear might blow up in my face, or do something else I'd never witnessed before.

  As I stared at the glowing spear, a low growl came from the shadows ahead. Another monster emerged, bigger and more intimidating than the ones we'd just fought. Its body was white, and it towered over me at nearly three meters tall. It definitely looked angry that we'd killed three of its smaller kin.

  Sometimes, I overestimate my strength. I tell myself I can do things I clearly can't. But this time, I knew we had no chance. This giant beast could probably kill all three of us with ease. I glanced around for a way out. Anys was busy fighting two other monsters, jumping around with her Nimbus Boots to dodge their strikes. Thadric, on the other hand, knelt on one knee, a wound on his right leg bleeding heavily. Though he'd managed to kill four of the monsters, he looked exhausted, and he was staring at me as if silently asking for help.

  If I tried to run alone, I might escape, I thought, but there's no way I'm leaving them to die. My heart pounded, and I decided I'd rather die here than abandon my friend Thadric—and maybe Anys too.

  The white monster charged toward me, each step shaking the floor. So this is how it ends, I thought. Then, I heard Astral Fang's voice echo in my mind: "I'm a bit rusty, not having fought in a long time. This won't be comfortable, but I think I can manage."

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  My eyes widened as the green energy surrounding the spear suddenly spread across my entire body. It felt strange—like a tight, swirling aura wrapping around my arms and legs. Before I could figure out what was happening, I lost all feeling in my limbs. I could only move my face, which was locked in an expression of shock. What's Astral Fang doing? I wondered, panic rising. I can't even fight back if I can't move my own body.

  The giant monster roared and lashed out with a limb that looked like a spiked whip, moving so fast my eyes could barely track it. But somehow, my body—now under Astral Fang's control—reacted in a blur. The monster's limb was chopped clean off, thick black blood splashing onto the floor. The beast recoiled, stunned that its attack had been countered so easily.

  I could hear Anys's voice from somewhere behind me: "I killed the last two bastards!" She sounded winded but victorious. She must've finished off her opponents. Part of me wanted to call out to her, to warn her about this giant monster, but I couldn't. My body, still enveloped in the green energy, had its own ideas.

  Instead of running like any sane person, I sprinted forward, aiming directly for the towering white creature. It tried to defend itself, launching another whip-like limb bristling with fangs. My body slid underneath the strike and then jumped three meters high in a single leap, landing behind the monster. For a moment, everything went still—then the monster's head slid off its shoulders and thumped to the floor. Its body remained standing for a heartbeat before collapsing.

  I stood there like some overpowered hero in a dramatic scene, while my actual face was locked in an expression of pure disbelief. I hadn't made a single decision in that fight—Astral Fang had. My eyes darted down to the spear. The green aura had started to fade, and I felt pins and needles rushing back into my limbs.

  "You see?" Astral Fang said in my head. "Never underestimate a spear that can speak. There aren't many weapons like me, you know. But before I let you control your body again, I have some business."

  My body turned on its own once more, moving toward the decapitated monster. Without hesitation, I drove the spear straight through its chest from behind, piercing its heart. A strange energy pulsed, and I sensed Astral Fang absorbing something. "As long as you do this," the spear explained, "I can maintain my power and help you with it."

  Anys, sounding annoyed, called out to me. "It would've been better if you'd used that power before we had to suffer, you know."

  I wanted to retort, but Thadric spoke up, leaning against a wall for support. He was busy pressing the stone on his headband, presumably trying to call Tatiana. "We're still alive, but there's no reply," he said, sounding worried. "I think we have a problem. Nobody's answering."

  Anys moved to Thadric's side, offering her shoulder so he could stand upright. The three of us began retracing our steps through the ruined corridors, careful to avoid the bodies of fallen monsters. My legs still felt shaky from Astral Fang's takeover, but at least I could move on my own again.

  Once we stepped out of the building, our eyes went wide. A horde of goblins, each sporting sharp teeth and crude weapons, was rushing in the direction of our spaceship. Their snarls and guttural cries echoed across the broken landscape. One glance between the three of us was enough to confirm we understood why no one was answering Thadric's calls: we weren't the only ones in trouble.

  I tightened my grip on Astral Fang, ignoring the lingering numbness in my limbs. Anys and Thadric exchanged grim looks, each aware that another fight was looming. Whatever was happening here, it was bigger than we'd expected.