Claire exhaled. “We can’t stand around,” she said, voice tight. “Let’s confirm positions in case… the next wave hits now.”

  No one argued. We’d learned better.

  Just as Claire stepped forward, Gerald took a brisk pace toward Izzy. He cast a wary glance at the swirling portal. “Izzy,” he said, trying and failing to soften his usual gruffness, “you’re still hurt. And you don’t have system access. This fight—whatever’s coming—will be worse than the Beetles.”

  She stiffened, uninjured hand clenched at her side. “I— I can still help. I’m not just baggage.”

  “I’m not saying that,” Gerald muttered, scowl deepening. “But you can’t kill something with that hand. You saw how quick everything escalates. If something spawns bigger than those beetles, you’ll be vulnerable.”

  Izzy paled but set her jaw. She cast a glance at Claire, seeking backup, only to find Claire’s expression indecisive. Ned shifted on his feet, looking ready to speak.

  Gerald took the opening. “I’m taking Izzy to the storeroom. At least it’s behind more walls—she can stay safe until we see if these…things are manageable.” He cleared his throat. “One of you can shout if it’s safe for her to come back out.”

  I let out a low hiss. “Oh, so you’re bailing on the front lines again?”

  Gerald’s eyes narrowed. “Someone has to watch her. Or you prefer she tries to fight left-handed with no skill?”

  Izzy cut in. “I’m not useless—”

  “I know you’re not useless,” Gerald snapped, though the slight tremor in his voice hinted at genuine frustration rather than condescension. “But we can’t risk losing another person. And if you die trying to fight without a skill, that helps no one.”

  Claire raised a hand, stepping between us. “Enough. I hate to say it, but Gerald has a point,” she conceded, her tone reluctant. “Izzy… your hand is injured. If the wave hits in the next minute, you’ll be in direct danger.”

  Izzy’s eyes brimmed with fear, then she exhaled in defeat. “Fine,” she said, voice trembling. “I just don’t want to feel like I’m hiding.”

  “It’s not hiding,” Barry rumbled, his tone strangely gentle. “It’s surviving. If the next wave is small enough, we’ll handle it. If we need you, we’ll call.”

  An awkward silence fell until Ned cleared his throat. “I’ll stay,” he said, lifting his chin. “I want to kill something.” He looked almost mortified at his own words. “For system access,” he clarified. “The System can’t keep me locked out forever. If that means taking a risk, I accept it.”

  Gerald’s gaze flicked between Ned and Izzy. The muscle in his jaw twitched. “Fine,” he said finally. He jerked his head toward the corridor. “Come on, Izzy, let’s set you up behind that storeroom door. If anything tries to slip past us, we’ll stop it.”

  Izzy looked to Claire and me one last time. She found only silent agreement. With a shuddering sigh, she forced a small, brave nod and followed Gerald out of the conference room. The heavy door slammed shut behind them, the echo wrapping around the space with an air of finality.

  Trevor broke the tension with a subdued crack at a grin. “Guess that’s two fewer to worry about on this battlefield.”

  “Or two fewer helping,” Ned muttered under his breath.

  With Gerald and Izzy gone, the rest of us formed a ragged half-circle around the green portal. Barry stood front and center, wrench in hand. Claire flanked him on one side, rod angled at the swirling energies. Trevor took the opposite side, gripping his mop like he might try to poke a monster’s eye out. Ned lingered near me, nervous but resolute, pole trembling in his grip.

  My heart thumped so hard I wondered if the others could hear it. The swirling green swirl at the portal’s center glowed brighter, the edges crackling with faint arcs of light. A hush fell over the room, weighted with potential violence. Any second now…

  Suddenly, the portal convulsed, the green glow intensifying until it was almost painful to watch. My Enhanced Senses gave me the barest half-second warning—an odd ripple in the air—before something burst through the vortex in a blur of wiry limbs and leathery skin.

  A ragged hiss erupted from the newcomer, a scrawny creature with elongated ears, brandishing a rusted blade. It took me a moment to register the System notice blinking in my peripheral vision:

  [System Notification: Enemy Identified—Goblin Grunt]

  A beep chimed, and I glimpsed the System panel:

  A second hiss answered from the portal, followed by a third and fourth. My stomach dropped. “Swarms,” I echoed under my breath, remembering the panel’s warning. Even individually weak creatures could kill if they attacked in large enough numbers.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  The first goblin hunched low, its oversized ears twitching as its glowing yellow eyes darted around the room. It bared jagged teeth, then charged at us with a rattling snarl.

  Barry wasted no time. He stepped forward, wrench raised. “Precision Strike,” he growled. An instant aura of focus enveloped him—something intangible but fierce—and he swung the heavy metal with startling accuracy. The goblin shrieked, the blow crashing into its side. It staggered back, HP bar dropping halfway. Another strike, and it disintegrated into faint particles, leaving behind a single copper coin.

  Trevor blinked. “Well, that’s… simpler than the limb.”

  “Don’t jinx it,” I snapped. Because just as Barry finished that goblin, three more spilled from the portal, their guttural snarls echoing through the conference room. Ned let out a tight gasp.

  Claire set her rod, a flicker of energy coiling around her. “Lumic Flash if they cluster,” she reminded me quietly, though she held the same skill while I hadn’t used mine. “We can blind them.”

  Ned gripped his pole, face determined. “If you see a near-dead one, let me finish it,” he pleaded in a whisper. “I—”

  “Got it,” I said softly. Then the goblins lunged.

  The scrawny creatures came at us in a chaotic dance of limbs, hissing and brandishing their rusted knives. Barry took a step left, intercepting one, while Claire pivoted right. Trevor hovered near the center, half-lifting his mop uncertainly.

  One goblin angled toward Ned, perhaps sensing his lack of skills or lack of confidence. I moved to intercept but paused—maybe this was exactly the chance Ned needed. “Ned!” I called, adjusting my stance to cover his flank. “Go for it!”

  Ned inhaled sharply, heart pounding so loud I could practically hear it. The goblin rushed in, swiping low. Ned thrust the pole forward in a clumsy but earnest jab. Metal squealed against the creature’s blade, momentarily locking. Ned gasped, arms trembling, but he shoved forward with a desperate push.

  The goblin snarled and yanked back, twisting to slash at Ned’s torso. I dashed in, swinging my guillotine blade at the goblin’s side, not enough to kill but to stagger it. The creature stumbled, HP bar dropping slightly. “Now!” I urged Ned.

  With a strangled roar, Ned shoved the pole straight into the goblin’s chest. Its beady eyes widened, a rattling hiss escaping its throat. Its HP plummeted to zero, the body collapsing into glowing shards that winked out around Ned.

  He froze, panting. “I… I did it.” A faint chime of a System beep lit his eyes with shock. “I… got a kill?”

  I exhaled relief. “Check if you have System access now.”

  Before Ned could process that, two more goblins lunged from behind. Barry pivoted to strike one across the skull. Claire darted in for the other, rod catching it mid-leap with a sickening thud. Trevor brandished his mop, stepping in to assist with comedic caution. My Enhanced Senses picked up every screech, every clatter of metal, but the tension in my chest eased fractionally. We’re holding them off… for now.

  Green light continued to flicker at the portal’s edges, but no additional forms emerged—yet. The handful of goblins we’d seen lay in heaps of shimmering fragments or had dissolved into loot. My arms trembled from adrenaline, heart pounding as I scanned the swirling vortex for signs of an even larger wave.

  Barry breathed hard, wrench held at the ready. “Everyone okay?”

  Trevor gingerly tapped his chest, wincing at bruises. “I’ll live.”

  Claire flicked her gaze around, confirming no one was critically injured. Her posture relaxed a fraction, though her expression stayed wary. “So… that might have been the entire wave? Or it’s just the opener. The System rarely does us favors.”

  I couldn’t argue. “At least these things are weaker than that limb.” I forced a grin, though my nerves still buzzed. “I’ll take a bunch of scrawny goblins any day over a giant alien arm.”

  Ned stood off to the side, eyes unfocused as if reading an invisible screen. “I… I have access,” he whispered, blinking. Tears threatened to well in his eyes—relief, shock, or both. “I’m only level one, but… oh god, I see my own stats. Finally.”

  A shaky laugh escaped me. “Congrats. That means we have another fighter with real potential, right?”

  He nodded, wiping his face. “I’m… yeah. Thank you, Ethan. For letting me finish that one.”

  Barry gave Ned a brief nod of approval before turning to check the portal again. “No movement,” he muttered, “but I’m not letting my guard down.”

  We waited another tense half-minute, weapons raised, but no further shapes emerged from that swirling green. The overhead lights flickered, the battered conference table marred by black ichor. The entire place reeked of stale adrenaline. Finally, Trevor broke the silence.

  “So… that’s it?” He gestured at the portal with his mop. “No unstoppable wave?”

  Claire clicked her tongue. “Don’t assume it’s over. The Trials might throw another wave in five seconds or five minutes. We keep watch. If nothing attacks soon… maybe we can regroup and call Gerald and Izzy back.”

  Ned let out a long breath, a ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth. “One kill… that’s all it took.” He looked at me, eyes reflecting cautious hope. “Does that mean Izzy…?”

  Barry’s expression darkened, reminded of how Izzy was still locked out. “We’ll see,” he said. “Next wave, maybe she’ll get a chance.”

  In a bizarre, almost comedic routine, Trevor gently nudged a small pile of loot—mostly copper coins. “Real question: why do these guys drop pocket change? Are we meant to buy stuff somewhere?”

  I snorted, though it came out half-laugh, half-sigh. “That’s the rumor. Might be some weird cosmic vending machines or shops in the future.”

  He shook his head, collecting a coin or two in his free hand. “Must be one twisted cosmic store if it takes these coins.”

  The portal continued to swirl, but it no longer spat out goblins or limbs. The green hue still pulsed, though. My Enhanced Senses picked up faint crackles of energy every few seconds. I braced for a new wave, but none appeared. We shared uneasy glances.

  Claire exhaled, relaxing her rod. “Maybe that was the ‘All Enemies’ part of the trial. Could be only a small wave. Possibly we’re lucky.” She didn’t sound like she believed her own words.

  Barry nodded, hefting his wrench onto his shoulder. “We’ll do a final check, then bring Gerald and Izzy back in. Because if it’s done, they should be here.”

  I swallowed, letting my heartbeat settle. We’d survived a monstrous limb and a handful of goblins—still alive, still mostly intact. Part of me wanted to collapse from mental overload, but I forced myself to remain steady. The Trial System didn’t care about our mental health, just whether we overcame the next wave. And the next wave. And the next…

  Ned gave a shaky laugh, glancing at his new System notifications. “I can’t believe I’m relieved to see these glowing panels. It’s insane.”

  Trevor flashed him a grin. “Congrats on the big kill, Ned. You’re now among the ranks of the overworked and underpaid System peons.”

  A hint of laughter rippled through us—brief, but genuine. Even Barry smirked. We’d earned that moment of relief. We might have bigger horrors ahead, but a tiny victory was better than nothing.

  I stepped forward cautiously, letting the guillotine blade rest against my side. I peered into the swirling green depths of the portal, half-expecting something else to lunge out. The silence remained, eerily static.

  A final System notification blinked into my view:

  [Trial 2 Progress: Objective: Defeat All Enemies. Goblins (Wave 1) Cleared. Further hostiles pending…]

  My stomach lurched. Further hostiles, huh? “So that wasn’t all of them,” I murmured. “The System basically says more are waiting.”

  Barry let out a soft grunt. “We’ll be ready.” He didn’t sound entirely sure.

  Claire cast her gaze around, scanning for more subtle hints of an impending assault. Finding none, her posture loosened a fraction. “We call Gerald and Izzy back, regroup, and set a proper watch rotation again. Next time, we won’t rely on a severed limb or short wave for luck.”

  Trevor tapped the portal’s barricade with his mop. “I’d like to request the next wave be… I dunno, puppies. Cute, non-murderous puppies.”

  “Unlikely,” I said, lips twisting wryly. “This system doesn’t do ‘cute and harmless.’”

  Ned exhaled, shoulders sagging in a mixture of triumph and dread. The air in the room tasted like leftover fear, but also the faint spark of confidence that, hey, we lived through these waves. That’s more than we expected an hour ago.

  As I stood there, face to face with a swirling green vortex that promised more abominations, my Enhanced Senses picked up a flicker—some subtle movement in the portal’s shifting patterns. Another wave? I couldn’t see details, only that the swirling mass felt… anxious, like a predator biding its time.

  I forced a grim smile. “Okay,” I muttered to no one in particular, “not terrifying at all…”

  But fear churned in my gut, because if these goblins were the System’s comedic relief, I shuddered to think what the main act might be.

  Greetings, fearless soul! Fancy hearing these chapters in audio—without paying a coin? Just sign up as a free member on my . If you crave the advanced backlog (plus cameo pitch privileges), a pledge might be your next step.

  Stay on your Path, and Ascend.

  Stardust Nexus