Chapter 4: Hunted in the Depths

Luke picked up the pace. There was no time for stealth anymore. Trying to sneak would be useless— all three enemies were in open view, and they’d see him regardless.

“Hisss!” One of the lizard-creatures spotted him and let out a sharp cry, alerting the others.

Luke aimed a knife and threw. He missed. “Shit!”

The monsters charged. The first sprinted straight at him, tail sweeping low in a wide arc. Luke dodged by instinct—he’d seen that move before, back with the rat. The second kobold lunged from above, slamming into him and knocking him down. A punch landed against his ribs. Luke kicked back, forcing the creature away, and immediately stabbed it in the shoulder. Without stopping, he pulled another blade from his holster and threw it. The knife struck the creature’s leg. The kobold screamed in pain.

I missed! He had aimed for the face but hit the thigh instead. No time to dwell on it. A heavy blow slammed into his back—the third kobold had struck him with its tail. Luke rolled, gasping for air, but one of the creatures barreled toward him like a bull and grabbed him.

With both knives in hand, Luke began stabbing its back over and over, climbing the creature like a living wall, each strike carving into flesh. He reached the neck. The blade plunged in from the side. The kobold staggered back, coughing blood, one hand pressed against its throat. It collapsed to its knees. Luke rolled away. The kobold fell.

[You have slain Cave Kobold – Lvl 2]

The other two stared at him, snarling. One reached down, yanked the knife from its leg, and pointed it at Luke.

“Peace?” The question came out reflexively, sarcastic.

The kobold growled in reply and charged. The other began circling him, trying to flank. Luke kept backing up, dodging strikes. The one with the knife was even more dangerous now. He kicked it hard, sending it stumbling back, and ducked just in time to avoid another tail sweep.

Then, he tossed the smoke bomb. The black sphere hit the ground and burst with a dry crack. A thick cloud of gray smoke spread outward, swallowing everything. The kobolds lost sight of him. That was all he needed.

Luke lunged toward one of them, leaping onto its back with all his weight. They rolled across the ground and Luke was already moving—knife in hand, striking the neck. Fast. Repeated. Precise. Instinct took over. The area was vulnerable. His hand knew where to strike. Blood spurted. The kobold thrashed. Claws scraped at the ground… until the spasms stopped.

[You have slain Cave Kobold – Lvl 2]

*Your class [Assassin] has reached Level 1!*

*Assassin has granted bonus attribute points: +2 Agility, +1 Strength, +1 Vitality, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point*

I did it.

Luke could hardly believe it, he’d narrowed the odds. Two down. One left. The smoke was starting to clear as he rose to his feet on the battlefield. Then… he felt it. A sharp pain, like a burning needle stabbing into his lower back. He staggered, twisting his body. The last kobold was there, breathing hard, bleeding, but furious. It held two knives.

He picked up the one I threw!

The monster spun, and Luke raised his arm to block. The blade sliced through his skin like paper. Before he could react, a tail slammed into his ribs. Luke hit the ground hard. And then… the kobold struck without mercy. It leapt onto him and drove a knife straight into his gut. Pain exploded.

Luke screamed, grabbing the creature. With sheer effort, he twisted, shoving the monster off, and stabbed his own blade into its back. He kicked the kobold away and rolled back, gasping, bleeding, barely on his feet.

“Hisss!” The creature growled and charged again.

Luke was in a panic. Blood poured out hot. He had been stabbed. He could barely breathe. Desperate, he pulled knives from his holster, one after another, and threw.

[Mana: 60/70]

[Mana: 55/70]

[Mana: 50/70]

[Mana: 45/70]

[Mana: 40/70]

[Mana: 35/70]

[Mana: 30/70]

[Mana: 25/70]

[Mana: 20/70]

[Mana: 15/70]

[Mana: 10/70]

[Mana: 5/70]

[Mana: 0/70]

The knives flew, slamming into the kobold’s shoulder, chest, neck—but it didn’t stop. It kept running, kept shrieking. Luke dragged himself backward. No mana. No strength. The kobold leapt. And in the middle of its jump, Luke kicked. The blade on the ground flipped into the air. He caught it and drove it into the creature’s neck with all the fury he had left. The kobold still grabbed him, its blood spilling onto Luke’s chest. But its grip weakened.

Luke groaned in agony as he pushed the knife deeper. The monster went limp. And they collapsed together.

[You have slain Cave Kobold – Lvl 3]

Luke could barely breathe. “Shit… I’ve been stabbed… this is it. I’m gonna bleed out…”

Heat pulsed around him, pain burning bright. His vision started to fade.

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[You have reached Level 1! Human (Rank F)]

**Race Level Up Bonus Stats: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Endurance, +1 Vitality, +1 Perception, +1 Intelligence, +1 Free Point**

Something changed. A different kind of warmth spread through his body, not feverish, but renewing. The pain vanished. Luke’s eyes widened. His breathing steadied. He touched his abdomen where the knife had pierced him. There was nothing. The wound was gone.

I heal when my race level increases?

He had already read about it online, but there was so much misinformation and empty promises about the system and the world of the new society that it was hard to know what to believe. Still, he really had been completely restored. Maybe some of those things were true after all.

[You have acquired a Race Skill]

He slowly got to his feet, stunned, and looked around. Silence. The bodies were still. There were no more enemies. Luke ran his hand over his body. No cuts, no bruises, no hole in his stomach. Everything was gone. More than that, his HP, his mana, even his stamina were fully restored. He felt fresh, as if that brutal fight had never happened.

Luke tapped on the new skill. A description popped up in front of him:

[Identify (Common)]: Allows you to analyze objects, equipment, and creatures to reveal basic information. The higher the skill level, the more detailed the analysis becomes.

Wasting no time, he sprinted toward the gazebo. The structure was simple, a circular stone shelter with a wooden table and a single chair. Everything was coated in dust and age. On the table lay an old leather pouch.

“The key has to be here…”

Luke opened the pouch in a hurry. As he shook it, a piece of paper slipped out, but he ignored it at first, his eyes locked on the contents. Something dropped onto the wood with a dull thud. A flicker of hope lit in his chest. But when he looked… just a stone. Then another. The pouch was full of them.

“…Seriously?” He frowned, disappointed. “Maybe the previous owner used these to throw at monsters…”