As I tried to fight off Frey's frantic inspection, Geomi called out to us."H-Hey, girls, um, don't want to interrupt... whatever is happening over there, but take a look at this."
Frey paused, her hands still on my arm."What is it, Geomi?"
Geomi stood up, holding a small, glowing shard with a mix of curiosity and caution."I-I think this might be one of the shards we need for the hidden quest."
I blinked, trying to focus. My hands were steady — almost too steady.{ [Adaptable] suppressing [Fear] } flashed briefly in my vision, but I ignored it."A shard? Already?"
"Yeah," Geomi said, her voice wavering slightly. "It was, um, in the goblin's chest. Not sure how we missed it."
Frey finally let go of me and moved closer to Geomi."Well, at least we found one. That's a start."
I took a breath, trying to ignore the lingering chill in my chest."Let's keep looking. If there are more shards, we need to find them."
Geomi hesitated before offering a small smile."Uh, don't worry, Rika. I-I think we can handle this... probably."
Frey nodded."Yeah, and next time, try not to run off on your own. We need to stick together."
I managed a shaky smile."Got it. I'll stay close."
The stale air in the maze seemed to cling to my skin, carrying a faint, metallic tang that made my stomach twist. I glanced back at the goblin's corpse, its empty eyes still wide with shock. Geomi tossed me the goblin's knife.
"You killed it, so the spoils are yours" Gemoi had a slight smile that seemed like she was trying to...I don't know....comfort me?
The memory of the fight lingered, bitter and raw, but I tightened my grip on the knife, forcing the unease down.{ [Adaptable]'s [Fear Resistance] has leveled up } flashed briefly. Not now. Focus.
We pressed deeper into the maze, my grip tight around the rusty knife while Frey and Geomi moved cautiously beside me. The air felt heavier, thick with dust and the lingering scent of blood. No one spoke, but the determined glances we exchanged were enough. We all knew the challenges ahead would only get worse — but for now, we moved as one.
As we moved forward, my eyes flickered back to the goblin's corpse — or what was left of it. Its skull was a ruined mess, dark blue blood pooling beneath shattered bone. I swallowed hard, the memory of its shrieks still echoing in my ears. My grip tightened on the knife, knuckles white. We had a mission to complete — and no matter how my hands trembled, I wasn't about to let anything stop us.
We ventured deeper into the maze, the walls pressing in with every step. Three goblins stumbled into view, their pale blue eyes glinting hungrily in the dim light. My breath hitched, but I forced myself to stay calm.
Geomi froze beside me, her eyes wide and fingers twitching nervously. Frey moved closer, her hand light but steady on Geomi's arm."Hey, it's okay," Frey murmured, voice low and reassuring. "We've got this."
I exhaled slowly, tightening my grip on the rusty knife."Alright, listen," I whispered, glancing between them. "We'll draw them out one by one, split them up. Frey, you flank left. Geomi, stay close and we'll—"
{ [Adaptable] activated } flashed abruptly at the edge of my vision.
Before I could finish, my body surged forward, feet pounding against the stone floor. My mind screamed to stop, but I couldn't. The rusty knife bit into flesh, again and again, blue blood splattering across my hands and the stone floor. My heartbeat thundered, but I couldn't stop. Couldn't think. The goblin's shrieks turned to wet gurgles, and still, my hands moved on their own — tearing, ripping.
Frey's eyes went wide, but as the second goblin lunged, she reacted on instinct, driving her fist into its face with a sickening crunch. Bone shattered, and she didn't stop, each strike more desperate than the last until the goblin crumpled, skull caved in.
The last goblin snarled at Geomi, jagged blade glinting, but she dodged with a startled yelp. Her foot hooked around its ankle, and it toppled, its own blade driving into its neck with a sickening squelch. Geomi fell back with a breathless gasp, landing hard on her butt, eyes wide and hands trembling.
My vision swam, breaths coming in ragged gasps. The knife slipped from my hand, clattering to the blood-slick stone. Slowly, painfully, I felt the crushing force that had overtaken me recede, leaving my limbs heavy and trembling.Control. It was mine again — but for how long?
For a moment, the only sound was my own ragged breathing and the drip of blue blood pooling at my feet.
Frey stared down at her bloodied fists, blue blood dripping in thick streams from her knuckles to the stone floor. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, eyes wide and unblinking like she couldn't quite process the pulverized mess at her feet."I… I did it," she whispered, voice paper-thin. "I really… did it."
Her hands twitched, fingers flexing unconsciously, smearing blue across her palms. She looked sick, but her feet stayed rooted to the ground, knees locked and unsteady.
Geomi hadn't moved from where she'd fallen, hands pressed to the ground as if the stone could anchor her. Her eyes darted between the corpses and me, pupils blown wide with something between awe and raw, naked fear."Rika…" she breathed, voice so small it barely reached me. "What… what was that?"
{ [Adaptable] deactivated }
{ Level Up! }
{ [Basic Martial Arts]has reached level 3}
{ [Evasion Technique] has reached level 3}
{ [Adaptable]'s [Fear Resistance] has leveled up to 3 }
{ [Adaptable]'s [Pain Resistance] has leveled up to 2 }
{ Title [Fast Learner] and skill [Basic Martial arts] (lvl:3) Generated new skill [Short Blade Arts] }
I couldn't look at either of them. My hands were still slick with blue blood, the rusted knife discarded somewhere among the carnage. My vision swam, breaths shallow and rapid, chest tight with something vile and cold. Bits of flesh clung to my fingers, blue and wet and nauseating, and the sight of it — the feel of it — made my stomach heave.
I wiped my hands on my skirt with frantic, jerky motions, but the blue only smeared, staining the fabric and seeping into the seams. No matter how much I rubbed, the slick warmth wouldn't go away.
The level-up notifications flickered at the edge of my vision, but I ignored them, too consumed by the thoughts crashing through my skull —What if [Adaptable] activates like that again?What if I hurt them next time?What if it never gives me control back?What if that's… really me?
My breath hitched, chest heaving with shallow, panicked gasps. My hands wouldn't stop shaking, nails digging into my palms hard enough to sting. The knife lay forgotten at my feet, stained blue, and the smell of blood clung to my skin — sharp and metallic.
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable]'s [Fear Resistance] has leveled up to 4 }
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable]'s [Fear Resistance] has leveled up to 5 }
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable]'s [Fear Resistance] has leveled up to 6 }
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable] has nullified [Fear] }
{ [Adaptable]'s [Fear Resistance] has leveled up to 7 }
The messages flooded my vision, an endless, dizzying stream of text. My eyes burned, breaths coming in ragged gasps. I was stuck — trapped in the loop of rising panic and cold, unfeeling numbness. The world swam, edges dark and narrowing, and I couldn't look away from my hands — the way they trembled, slick and blue-stained, fingers twitching like they didn't belong to me.
{ [Mind's Castle] has activated }
I was suddenly hit with a wave of relief, almost like my brain wiped out all overwhelming feelings, I was still lost in fearful and negative thoughts but it felt...clearer and more organized almost like the mystery skill was trying to stop me from having a nervous breakdown.
"Rika?"
A warm hand settled on my shoulder, gentle but solid. The touch snapped me back, the flood of notifications and my thoughts vanishing in a blink. I sucked in a breath, ragged and shuddering, the iron tang of blood thick on my tongue.
Frey's eyes met mine, wide and worried."Hey, breathe," she murmured softly. "You're okay. We're okay."
But the words felt distant, muffled by the pounding in my ears. My hands wouldn't stop trembling.
Geomi pushed herself shakily to her feet, one hand braced against the cold stone wall. Her breaths came fast and shallow, eyes flickering nervously to every shadow. She wiped her face absently, fingers still trembling."I… I think we're clear," she mumbled, though her voice wavered. "No more… for now."
She tried to straighten, but her knees shook, barely keeping her upright. I reached out instinctively, fingers brushing her arm — and she flinched, eyes snapping to mine with a sharp intake of breath.
For a heartbeat, Geomi's eyes were wide and glassy, pupils blown with something too close to fear. Her shoulders tensed, and she took a half-step back before realizing who it was."S-Sorry," she stammered, ducking her head quickly. "I just… you startled me. I didn't mean to—"
Her hands twisted nervously in the fabric of her sleeves, and the faint tremble in her voice made my chest tighten with something raw and guilty. I forced a small smile, hoping it looked steadier than it felt."It's… it's fine," I murmured, voice soft. "We're all a little jumpy."
A shiver skittered down my spine, too sharp and sudden to ignore. My breath hitched as the familiar chill crept over my skin, cold and unmistakable.{ [9th Sense] activated } flickered at the edge of my vision.
"Something's coming," I whispered, eyes darting to the darkened halls beyond. The words slipped out before I could stop them, low and breathless.
Geomi stiffened beside me, eyes wide. Her gaze snapped to a flicker of movement further down the hall, and she lifted a shaky hand, pointing wordlessly."T-There," she mumbled, voice small. "I see it."
I squinted into the gloom, the darkness pressing in from all sides. At first, there was only shadow and silence — until a dim shape slunk into view, half-hidden by the maze of towering bookshelves. Even with my eyes narrowed, I could barely make out its hunched form, mottled skin glinting faintly in the scarce light.
The goblin snickered to itself, sharp teeth glinting as it pawed at a tattered magazine, the pages yellowed and crumbling at the edges. Its eyes were dull and unfocused, completely oblivious to the carnage only steps away.
"Is that… a goblin?" Frey squinted, voice tight with disbelief. "What's it even doing…?"
A fresh wave of nausea twisted in my gut at the sight of its slack grin and the dark stains smeared across its claws. My fingers clenched instinctively around the knife's hilt, knuckles white.
"Grab the knives," I muttered, voice tight and urgent. "The ones your goblins dropped — just in case."
Frey hesitated, eyes flicking between me and the darkened hall, but she swallowed hard and bent down, fingers closing around the hilt of the rusted blade at her feet. Geomi followed suit, hands still shaking as she pried the knife from the corpse near her boots.
I reached down and snatched the second knife, the handle slick and warm with blue blood. The weight of two blades in my hands was unfamiliar but better than nothing.
I crept forward, each step light and cautious, the two knives cold and unfamiliar in my grip. The goblin's snickers echoed softly through the maze, clawed fingers eagerly flipping through the tattered pages of the magazine clutched in its hands.
As I drew closer, my eyes narrowed at the faded images plastered across the crumbling paper — skin, curves, and poses that made my stomach twist with revulsion."Seriously?" I muttered under my breath, disgust curling in my gut. "In the middle of all this…?"
The goblin didn't hear me. It was too absorbed, yellowed eyes glazed with sick fascination, drool slicking its cracked lips. My grip tightened, teeth grinding with a mixture of rage and disgust. I didn't wait for it to look up — the knives arced swiftly, slicing through mottled skin and sinew with a wet squelch.
Blue blood spattered the stone, warm and thick, but I ignored it, breath held as the goblin crumpled with a gurgled choke. flickered at the edge of my vision as I crouched, wiping the blades hastily on the goblin's tattered rags.
{ Title [Fast Learner] and skill [Basic Martial arts] (lvl:3) Generated new skill [Dual wielding] }
{ Requirements met (Possess more items than you can carry). [Storage] function unlocked. }
{ [Auto Pick Up] function unlocked. }
I blinked, breath catching."Did anyone else get that notification?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder.
Frey and Geomi both nodded, eyes wide and uncertain. A dull glow surrounded the shard and the bits of torn cloth and claws at my feet, and in the next instant, they vanished. My eyes darted to the corner of my vision, and a new icon glinted faintly — a small chest, slightly open.
I hesitated, mentally prodding the icon. A panel flared to life.
[Inventory]
Shards: 1/10
Goblin Materials: 2 Claws, 2 Ears, 1 Tattered Cloth
Rusty Dagger x1
"Dagger?" I muttered, eyes narrowing at the simple, rust-covered blade resting at the bottom of the list. I didn't remember seeing any daggers — unless… was that the knife the goblins were using?
I squinted at the dagger's name, focusing.
{ [INS] activated }{ [Appraisal] activated }
{[Rusty Dagger]: Attack: +2 StrengthEffect: Passively inflicts [Poison]Description: A worn dagger with a chipped edge. Coated in a faintly toxic residue. The handle is cracked but usable.}
I exhaled slowly, a mixture of surprise and cautious relief curling in my chest. The +2 Strength wasn't much, but the passive Poison effect could help. My eyes flicked to Geomi, who was still breathing fast and shallow, knuckles white around the hilt of her dagger.
"Hey, Geomi," I called softly, pulling the Rusty Dagger from my inventory with a thought. It materialized in my hand, colder than I expected. "Catch."
She blinked, startled, but caught it instinctively, eyes wide as she glanced between the blade and me."Are… are you sure?" she stammered, voice small.
I forced a smile, hoping it looked steadier than it felt."I've already got two," I said, trying for casual. "Might as well make sure you're armed too. Besides, we saw what Frey can do with just her fists."
Frey snorted softly, flexing her fingers with a sheepish grin."Can't argue with that," she muttered.
Geomi managed a shaky smile, fingers tightening cautiously around the hilt of the dagger."T-Thanks," she mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. "I'll keep it as a backup."