As Elrick watched Beatriz tear through the goblin outpost, he could barely keep up with what was happening.
She was moving too fast—her body a blur, her strikes merciless. And when she finally clashed with the goblin leader, a flicker of worry passed through him.
Then it ended—abruptly.
Too fast.
I imagined myself saving a princess in distress, Elrick thought bitterly. But I guess that's not happening.
Beatriz raised a hand and waved him over, already standing amidst a pile of broken goblins.
As Elrick stepped into the ruined outpost, he saw her crouched beside a corpse, casually extracting a glowing crystal from its chest.
Elrick crouched beside another corpse, prying a crystal free with careful precision. If Beatriz was going to do the heavy lifting, the least he could do was help finish the cleanup.
A moment later, she stood and handed him a small pile of crystals—twelve in total.
"How many did you absorb before you leveled up?" he asked, inspecting the gems.
Beatriz crossed her arms. "The sixth one hit different. Sudden surge of power. I'm assuming that's when it happened."
Elrick nodded slowly. So she couldn't see her own stats… much less anyone else's. Meanwhile, I can only see mine and my summons' stats.
"So, the number needed to level up doubles each time." Elrick said
"Looks like it," she replied.
"Good thing we've got twelve," Elrick said with a small grin. "Enough to push you to level four."
"I only needed ten." She paused, her tone dropping into something more deliberate. "Keep the rest. If you're set on investing in me instead of yourself, then make sure it's a choice you won't regret."
Her gaze flicked to him—sharp, unreadable. A silent warning, or maybe... concern?
Without hesitation, Elrick held out the ten crystals. "Here. Take them."
Beatriz stared at the gems in his hand, then took them without another word.
The conversation ended there—clean, curt, like her blade through a goblin's neck.
But Elrick knew better. That was how she said thank you.
She held the crystals in her palm for a moment, then began absorbing them one by one, the light seeping into her skin like threads of molten silver.
Beatriz
Level: 3 - 4
Strength: 25 - 30
Agility: 30 - 35
Constitution: 25 - 30
Endurance: 20 - 25
Spirit: 25 - 30
Elrick also then absorbed the remaining two crystals, feeling the familiar warmth rush through his veins. "I just needed four more," he murmured to himself.
"Let's try to loot this place," Elrick said, scanning the outpost. "See if there's anything valuable."
Beatriz glanced at the scattered bodies, the crude wooden shacks, and the dim torchlight flickering along the palisade. "Goblins don't usually hoard anything worth carrying," she replied coolly, already moving toward the largest tent. "But maybe their leaders take trophies."
"Armor, weapons, coin… maybe something stolen from a caravan," Beatriz continued as she pushed the tent flap aside.
She halted before a battered chest beside the cot. Without hesitation, she brought the butt of her spear down in a sharp, decisive strike. The wood cracked open with a splintering snap, the lid sagging back to reveal a jumbled hoard—tarnished silver coins, a dagger with an ornate hilt, and a small pouch of crystals, their faint glow cutting through the dim light.
Beatriz pulled the dagger free, inspecting the craftsmanship. "Not goblin-made. This one's worth keeping."
Elrick eyed the crystals. "How many?"
"Three," she said simply, tossing the pouch to him without looking. "Yours. I've had my fill for now."
Elrick caught them, watching her already turn back to scan the shadows outside the tent, her posture shifting subtly, alert.
She was making sure nothing—and no one—was left to threaten him.
"About seventy-eight silver coins, three daggers, and three crystals," Elrick counted.
He grabbed a worn leather pouch from the corner of the tent and stuffed the coins and daggers inside.
Without hesitation, he absorbed the three crystals, a brief surge of warmth rushing through his veins before settling into a steady hum.
As he glanced around, his eyes fell on a pile of discarded clothing. If there were goblins, then there was a good chance he was in some sort of medieval fantasy world—and it wouldn't hurt to blend in.
He picked up a slightly tattered robe, holding it up to inspect it. "This should do," he muttered. The musty smell made him wrinkle his nose. "Smells awful… guess I'll just carry it for now."
He opened his mouth to suggest Beatriz wear one as well, but the thought died as soon as her sharp gaze flicked toward him.
"We should get moving," he said instead, tightening the straps of his pouch.
"The three goblins tried to retreat east," Beatriz said, her tone calm but edged with intent. "I'd wager that's where their main camp is."
Elrick frowned. "Then we head west. We barely know anything about this world—best to stay cautious until we do."
Beatriz gave a short nod, adjusting her spear as her eyes swept over the treeline. "Fine. But if they come for us, we end it fast."