A bit of worry set in as the pain of the stab to his kidney already seemed to be gone and only a shadow of the pain to his inner thighs remained. That’s not good! I should be feeling it pretty bad!

Joe looked around quickly to find any near threats, but found himself relatively clear of any close goblins so he laid his spear down carefully as the goblin’s body was already fading no longer could support his spear. He also dropped his shield at that point and quickly reach around to look down carefully. As he looked, he found himself a bit surprised as he saw no blood on his shirt but quickly found the hole where the goblin had pierced him. No blood? There is NO way! What’s… Joe’s thoughts skittered of like butter on a hot pan as his panic was still driving him and he could see anything easily, even after pulling up his shirt.

Finally, he decided it just wasn’t where he could see it so reached around and gingerly felt around, using the hole in the shirt as a guide to try to find his pretty deadly wound. Definitely deadly without a good doctor… ah… well… I guess they have those healers, too, right? Joe’s fingers gingerly felt around his back but found only unbroken skin.

Joe continued slipping his fingers around, soon more and more firmly but could not find a single trace of liquid or any wound. After pressing quite firmly a few times, he realized that he felt pretty good; in fact, downright healthy without any pain at all. His eye’s crunched at that and he looked down at his thighs as well, as they’d been burning only a while ago and he easily found the rips left behind by the wild flailing of the goblin king’s claws, he could find no wounds on his body at all. What… Joe quickly pulled his pants outward, just barely stopping himself from dropping his trousers, and glance down into his pants but found his thighs completely free of any wounds of any kind.

Joe’s thoughts froze at this, for despite the incredible pain of a kidney punched through by a spear, he’d still felt his skin of his inner thighs shred under the clawing attacks of the goblin king. It’s the … how! I felt the spear pierce my back… and I felt the goblins claws bite into my flesh!

Joe took a deep breath and found himself a bit confused until an idea came to him and he flipped open his status and found something different… a first in a very long time. His HP had taken a massive hit, sitting at just a little over half, maybe close to about two thirds full. Despite his typical curiosity on this, he only noted the amount but completely ignored it as he was much more concerned about this health. Dropping his cautious probing touches, Joe began to rub his entire back firmly but found only clear, health, and unbroken skin. Well… that’s… very spookily cool, I guess?

Joe almost dipped a hand into his pants to thoroughly check his thighs as well, but quickly realized that it probably wouldn’t look that good at all and attempted to cover his ill thought move by dropping to pick up his spear and shield before walking towards the goblin king’s throne. Act cool! Don’t show it! Joe felt his face burning a bit but walked back to the throne and sat down quickly, checking his logs to make sure he got the additional titles. Three new ones, yeah!

He then turned to the chest that had appeared but stopped before eagerly popping it open, bringing his shield down in a heaving clanging thunk between him and it before popping the latch with his spear. Not messing around. Got too complacent today!

The latch opened with a simple kerchunk and nothing else notable happened, so Joe settled his shields to the side before reaching out and pulling it open, pulling out the same loot as he’d done the other times. Man, is random loot not a thing! I guess getting the exact same thing is nice… probably would change that. Maybe the basic stuff you’d always get, but something that might show up randomly really nice would really motivate. Heh… been playing way too many loot box games, I guess.

Joe dropped the loot into his shield hand as he hadn’t brought any bags, holding the shield loosely with just the straps on his forearm before heading back to the corner where he now saw all three stood with worried excitement, even taking a few steps out form the corner but still staying safely away from any goblins. Joe frowned and waved them back into the corner after they all sat on the throne again and all three rapidly retreated but still bounced anxiously as they waited.

This time, Joe was able to thread his way back to the group without getting any aggressive additional goblins on him and as he passed the last goblin, Kilniara sprinted towards him first, with Garnedell and Zilnek shortly after. Kilniara hid nothing and crashed into him even as she wrapped her arms around him and he smiled, a feeling of deep warmth sliding through him at the obvious concern.

He wrapped his arms around her before nuzzling his nose into her odd but pleasing hair before breathing deeply and sighing into her ear, “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Before she could respond, Garnedell came up to him in a skidding halt and bounced in agitation and Joe shook his head before reaching out and pulling him into a hug as well, opposite Kilniara.

“Hey! I’m fine, guys. I’m fine.”

Zilnek came up after, slowing down a bit more to come to a sedate halt and Joe cocked his head at him while he held Kilniara against him as Garnedell had already extracted himself.

“You want a hug, too?” Joe asked Zilnek.

Zilnek took his usual couple of seconds to respond before shaking his head, saying nothing. Joe took a moment before still stepping forward but opting for a side hug shoulder clasp instead, which Zilnek readily returned and then he smiled.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I’m fine. It’s good, OK?”

Kilniara then got angry and slammed a fist down on his chest before quickly arresting it, slowing it to a small tap, “It’s not fine! You almost died! That would have been horrible!”

Joe sighed before turning around and lifting his shirt, “Take a look. I’m fine!”

He glanced over his shoulders, looking closely as he saw all three crouch forward slightly for a better look, with Kilniara actually pressing her hands on his back to slide them carefully across his skin. The shock and fear on the boy’s face faded to awe while Kilniara’s anger receded, also soon replaced by awe of her own.

After a few moments, Joe dropped his shirt to turn back around and it was Garnedell who finally broke the quiet with a softly gasped, “How much… I did not know digits were strong!”

Joe only smiled, not willing to reveal quite as much to the siblings yet, but could only agree with Garnedell. It’s pretty amazing, but good for only two or three deadly strikes. Wonder how long it’ll take for it all to return. Crap! I should have checked with Kilniara after her injuries! Ah well… I guess I can check things out with this at least.

Joe waved them back to the corner as he sat down, “That… was a bit embarrassing. Sorry guys, but I’m OK. Really. But, let’s rest a bit more before we go back out for some more, then after Zilnek hits his next level, lets finish for today and head home early, OK?”

Garnedell paused at that and looked to Joe, “Did you … wish to hide… go deeper into the dungeon?”

Joe chuckled at that then shook his head, “Cats out of the bag on that one. No point really. Pretty sure most of the city’s going to know a lot more about me soon, so no point.”

Garnedell smiled, “Then…”

Joe frowned and grinned simultaneously, struggling to hold back, “The Matriarch knows I had something to do with the calamities striking a couple weeks ago. The days when the Master monsters appeared in the dungeon?”

Garnedell’s eyebrows knit slightly before nodding, “Ah, yes. They know?”

Joe nodded then noticed Kilniara and Zilnek looking on with avid interest. Joe ignored it for a bit and returned to his question.

“So, just rest here a bit?”

The other three nodded easily with that, in agreement with his plan and then began rapidly speaking with one another even as Joe dropped his head back to rest. The two siblings quickly interrogated Garnedell about the monster calamity issue, and he answered pretty much the truth, only hiding that the monsters were ten cores, explaining that they were three core instead. They exclaimed and asked for a detailed description of the fight with excitement, but when Garnedell described what actually happened, the two were shocked. Joe smirked, expecting the two to be quite disappointed, but if anything, they were even more amazed and shocked by Joe’s ‘magical’ capabilities.

With that topic exhausted, the two boys turned to a rapid play by play of Joe’s fight and while Kilniara joined in a bit, she chose, instead, to slip in beside Joe and lay her head on his shoulder, a tense and shy movement that Joe relieved by dropping his arm down around her shoulders and pulling her in tight to his side.

“Thank you. I need this… It feels good to have you… care for me like this,” he whispered quietly to Kilniara.

The brilliant smile she returned let him know she enjoyed offering it, even as she snuggled a bit more into his side, “I like this, too, Joe.”

Joe sighed in contentment and allowed the time to flow, zoning out even as Kilniara stayed by his side but slowly began to turn her attention more and more to what the other two were discussing, soon offering her own thoughts as she fully invested into the conversation, offering Joe her presence but free to explore the conversation with the other two. Joe squeezed his arm, pulling Kilniara tightly into his side for a moment, expressing his thanks for her silent by very present and needed support. She glanced up at him and smiled quickly at him but turned quickly back to the conversation with the two boys and Joe remained in his silence, comforted both by her and in finding a moment alone. Heh… dad said I’m way too much of an introvert… can’t pull myself too much back, but… just… a little bit. Joe relished the moment alone, allowing himself to center and calm his heart and body until he felt he’d finally found his equilibrium and then pushed himself to rejoin the other three in conversation. He took a moment to catch up on their conversation before he joined.

“… and then he just leapt on the goblin, crushing it to the ground before stabbing it! I’ve never seen a form such as that. It’s something like…”

Garnedell broke in on Zilnek’s comment, “Yeah! Yeah! It was… I haven’t been to many dungeons or seen many fights, but I have watched many of the combat from many adventurers, my father and mother always brought home many adventurers and I would get to see some of their fights… even sometimes when we traveled between cities! It… I never saw anything like…”

“Me, too,” Kilniara added, “although you would know more than I, Garnedell, since your parents are adventurers, but…” Kilniara trailed off before glancing at Zilnek and continuing a little more cautiously, “I… often would sneak away to watch the guards, dungeon guardians, and other soldiers fight. I never saw anything like it. Maybe if they were wrestlers, but never a weapons user who was… well… any weapons user. I never saw them do something like charge and fall on top…”

“That’s where you were!” Zilnek interrupted with a loud cry. “You know mom and dad would always get me in trouble because of that. Why did you … How could you leave me…” Zilnek trailed off, his anger overwhelming his response and Kilniara dropped her head in embarrassment.

As Joe watched, he couldn’t help but suddenly start laughing, great belly laughs erupting from him even as his head fell back against the wall. Garnedell quickly joined him in his laughter and Kilniara soon looked up in sheepish chagrin before chuckling as well.

Zilnek, however, spluttered ineffectually in anger and Joe calmed his anger before looking to him, gasping out between choked laughter, “Then, what do you think would be a good punishment for Kilniara?”

Kilniara looked up at him in shocked surprise before angrily slapping him hard across the chest, “Hey!”

Joe faked a wince in reply, even as he continued to laugh, “Ow!”

Zilnek watched the exchange with his sister and soon began to chuckle himself, enjoying the comraderie of the moment before the siblings humor dropped into somberness as the realization of the loss of their parents settled on them once again. Joe took some time to understand the reason for the somber mood but Garnedell seemed to catch in quickly.

“But now, at least, we all have Master!” Garnedell offered with a hopeful smile to the other two.

Joe grimaced a bit with his comment, recognizing that he was a poor substitute for their parents but was surprised when the two seemed to take the news with the hope that Garnedell offered. Maybe just trying to be polite to Garnedell?

Joe felt his comment was in poor taste and decided to try to offer empathy, “Well, all four of us will never see our parents again, so… We’re all kind of in the same boat. Well, at least you three are. I guess I’m a little lucky since my parents should still be alive, but I’ll never see them again, so…”