“Noah, now!”

Whirling his hand, Noah dragged an icicle through the air and pierced into the exposed heart of the deeply-injured goblin. The goblin cried out, then fell back, grasping its heart. Green blood pumped down its chest, spilling over the cobbles.

Vivian wiped his forehead with his elbow, his hands and wrists soaked in goblin blood. “Phew. What level are you now?”

“Nine. I’m so tired. And I’m out of SP again,” Noah gasped. He wiped his mouth and shook his head, standing upright forcibly.

“We’re almost there!” Vivian encouraged him. He scanned over Belltower Heights, searching for their next victim. A pair of green ears peeked around the edge of a crumbling building. Vivian stepped forward, raising his rake to rush it.

Kyung stepped forward, holding out his hand. He shook his head. “We should stop here.”

“Why?” Vivian asked. Noah isn’t as tired as he thinks he is. We can keep going for a while yet.

Kyung looked around them. “We’ve almost wiped out the goblins. If we kill the last of them, there’s a chance we’ll draw out Belltower Heights’ second wave. Noah isn’t ready.”

“Ah,” Vivian said. He stepped back, standing upright. Kyung has a point. Goblins aren’t that bad, but if we hit the hobgoblin second wave, we’ll have to deal with flanking and all kinds of stat-stacking attacks. Five percent bleed chance stacks pretty fast when twenty of them come at you all at once.

I would like to do the plot Event, but… it’s a fifty-fifty on procing the plot versus the hobgoblins. Kyung and I are ready, but the kid isn’t. It’s optional plot, so there’s no need to risk Noah’s life over it. We can always come back.

“We’re taking a break?” Noah asked excitedly.

Kyung nodded. He turned away.

“C’mon, kid. We’ll head toward the Ruined Castle. There’s a town nearby… more of an outpost, but it’s got food and such. I’ve got some Gold, thanks to… reasons. I’ll buy us lunch,” Vivian offered.

“Do they serve human meat?” Kyung muttered.

Vivian snorted. “I hope not.”

Concerned, Noah looked from Vivian to Kyung. “You guys are… eating people?”

“No, no. We’re not eating people. In fact, we’re so against eating people that we stop other people from eating people,” Vivian said, grinning.

Noah frowned. He put a hand on his chin, trying to figure it out. “You… killed some cannibals…?”

“Yep. They were NPCs, this time. Not Players,” he clarified.

“Oh, okay,” Noah said, nodding.

“Does that make it better, though? If someone killed me and Kyung, would it be better than us killing a Player?” Vivian asked, crossing his arms at Noah.

“Yes,” Noah said.

“That easily?” Vivian asked, taken aback. I thought he’d struggle with that some. After all, Noah’s surprisingly soft for growing up in the slums. I know I’m a bit too jaded, but still. Maybe his mother raised him well. He does care deeply for her.

Noah nodded. “You can respawn.”

Kyung chuckled. “Can’t argue with that.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“His logic is flawless,” Vivian agreed, putting a hand on his chin. As they walked down the path away from Belltower Heights, he asked, “From an absolutist moral standpoint, is it always wrong for me to kill a Player?”

“Yes,” Noah said.

Kyung shrugged. “I don’t care.”

Vivian considered for a few moments, then shrugged. “But I don’t like dying, so whatever.”

“Since when have you cared about morality?” Noah asked.

“Since never. I was just curious,” Vivian said honestly.

Noah shook his head. “You’re a lot different than I thought you would be.”

“What? How would you think I was going to be?” Vivian tilted his head, interested.

The bell clanged as they stepped over the stone block in the path. This time, Noah didn’t so much as flinch. He put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. “Like a hero. Someone who stands up for the little guy.”

“I stand up for the little guy. I stood up for you,” Vivian said, frowning.

“But… Vivian is supposed to be a hero,” Noah stressed.

“What does that mean? How am I not hero-like?” He rounded on Kyung. “Am I not hero-like?”

Kyung snorted. He shook his head. “If he’s even the Vivian.”

“It’s the murder. Heroes don’t kill people,” Noah said firmly.

“What kind of pansy-ass children’s cartoons—” Vivian stopped himself. Oh, right. Noah’s twelve.

“What’s wrong with cartoons?” Noah asked.

Vivian shook his head. “Nothing, nothing. Hey, how far is it to the Ruined Castle? We can get there by night, right?”

Kyung glanced up, then nodded, just once.

“Good, good.” Phew. Successfully changed that topic.

Noah frowned up at Vivian. He hurried up in front of him to walk backward. “What were you saying about cartoons?”

“Nothing. Come on, it’s not important. We’re about to take on the Ruined Castle and beat the Floor—that’s what’s important,” Vivian said firmly.

At that, Noah swallowed. He turned, looking along the path ahead of them. It wound through the forest, hiding the castle from view. From here, all they could see were the dark clouds that hung perpetually over the castle. “Right.”

A screeching war cry sounded from behind them. Vivian whirled, calling out his spade and slashing backward at the same time. His blow caught a goblin in the chest mid-leap. Blood spurted out. It fell backward with a pitiful cry, big ears drooping. It struck the ground and tumbled, lifeless.

Vivian frowned. “What? They don’t chase people.”

Kyung turned. He raised a hand and peered up at the top of the heights. Vivian followed his gaze.

Red light flashed around the ruins. Low smoke billowed out around the base of the ruins and rolled down the hill, rushing toward them. Lithe, leathery red bodies uncurled from the smoke, the size of adults compared to the child-size goblins, their limbs adorned with bone spurs and armored plates. Slitted gold eyes gazed around, searching for prey.

Vivian laughed lightly. “Looks like we rolled hobgoblins!”

One of the hobgoblins pointed a finger down at them. A high-pitched, eerie cry echoed down the heights. The hobgoblins whirled. Some hefted crude, rusty swords, while a few lifted bows and pointed them at the sky, already drawing them back.

“Uh… should we go?” Vivian asked.

“Yes!” Noah shouted, already running.

Kyung nodded, just once. He took off.

Nodding, Vivian turned to follow them.

The belltower’s door opened. A peasant woman stepped out, her long skirt flapping on the breeze, long, curly brown hair flying around her face. She tucked her hair behind her ear, then turned and looked at the hobgoblins.

“Damn, again? I mean… Oh no! I’m going to die! Some heroes should come and save me!” the woman said, shouting the last half of it.

“Save your own damn ass. We’re out of here!” Vivian shouted back.

The peasant girl stiffened. She glared. “Hey! I didn’t ask for this stupid-ass Role—you’re seriously abandoning me? Seriously?”

A hobgoblin rushed up behind her. She yelped and yanked the belltower’s door shut. The hobgoblin’s rusty sword stuck in the thick door.

“Seriously!” Vivian shouted back. Is she like me and Kyung, too? If that’s the case, she isn’t even in danger, since she can respawn!

The hobgoblin yanked at his sword, almost pulling it out of the door. Grunting in frustration, the girl slammed the door outward, smashing the hobgoblin between the wall and the door. Turning, she hoofed it, sprinting down the hill.

“Fuck it! I’m not dying again, dammit! Fuck this stupid role!” she grumbled, hiking up her skirts in both hands to sprint even faster. “No one ever saves the damsel in distress anymore! Damn asshole-ass stupid-ass motherfucking Players who never fucking—”

Vivian reached out and covered Noah’s ears. “Shh, there’s a child here!”

“You shh!” she shouted back. Glancing over her shoulder at the hobgoblins on her heels, she grit her teeth and continued hurling insults wildly left and right.

Bows twanged. Arrows hurtled toward them. Vivian watched them over his shoulder, then pushed Noah ahead.

“What?” Noah demanded, annoyed.

An arrow slammed into the earth between him and Vivian.

Vivian nodded. “That’s what.”

Noah paled. He glanced at the arrow, then hustled after Kyung.

“You wait up! Don’t you dare leave me behind! I finally spawned again after goodness-only-knows how long, I’m not going to die to the hobgoblins this time!” the peasant girl called, chasing after the party.