"These goblins are weaker than the 'Eldritch Horrors.' I guess they came out of the 'Incorrect Fractures.' But still, they are strong when they are in the dark. Truly befitting of the name 'Horror!'" Cale sat in a lotus position on top of one of the tree branches as he looked down with his red eyes.
"But these goblins are just so-so. If I had the chance that Minho has, I would have definitely turned out differently... But nevertheless, I am alive." Cale folded his arms as he looked at Minho.
"I must say, Minho is doing much better than I had thought... I only had an hour when I killed a hundred F-Rank creatures." Cale frowned.
"Was it because of my well-built body?... Or maybe because of the system? I wonder how I killed a hundred. How silly. Those creatures were made of shadows, or shall I say, ink," Cale thought hard about it. "Those creatures were made to be killed by F-Ranks."
"I’m winning against him. Now all I need to do is finish this!" Minho’s thoughts and heart raced as he imagined becoming a 'Creature Hunter' like his big brother, standing side by side with him.
Minho was filled with confidence as he charged at the Goblin Chief, but he forgot this was no ordinary goblin. This was the Chief Goblin. As Minho closed in, ready to strike, Cale shouted in his head, "YOU FOOL!"
He was met with the blunt part of the axe, sending him flying backward until he hit the ground.
Minho quickly tried to get up, standing weakly with the arcane blade. "I was so close... I got too overconfident," Minho thought with half-closed eyes as he saw the approaching Goblin Chief with his axe.
Cale watched this scene with glowing red eyes, his rage barely contained as he clenched his left hand with his right as he had folded his arms. His eyes didn’t blink once as he seethed.
"COME ON, YOU FOOL!... YOU CAN DO THIS!" Cale screamed in his mind.
Minho stared at the Goblin Chief, now standing face-to-face with him. "This can’t be the end for me," he thought weakly.
The Goblin Chief raised its axe, ready to slice him up!
"I can’t let down my big brother," Minho thought. "That’s right!" His eyes burned with determination.
Suddenly, a familiar cold voice whispered in his ear. "Death brings anew." Minho’s body ignited as flames enveloped his hands, catching the Goblin Chief’s attention, who was shocked by the sudden transformation.
The arcane blade in his hands changed from blue to red and yellow, burning with the same fire.
Minho instantly slashed at the Goblin Chief’s body, causing the creature to drop its axe. The goblin put distance between them, but to his surprise, a barrage of flaming slashes rained down on him.
The Goblin Chief cried out in pain, its body full of burning cuts as the flames seared its flesh.
A shadow loomed over the goblin. The kneeling Goblin Chief looked up, seeing Minho’s cold, burning eyes staring down at him as if he were an insect.
"Yes, that’s it!" Cale shouted happily in his mind as he placed his right hand over his mouth to hide his devious smile.
Minho didn’t waste a second. With the goblin chief momentarily disoriented, he aimed for the creature’s exposed neck. His blade pierced through the tough skin, sinking deep into the goblin’s flesh.
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The chief let out a gurgled roar, its massive body collapsing to its knees. Blood poured from the wound as the life drained from its eyes. Minho stepped back, panting heavily as the goblin’s body finally fell to the ground with a heavy thud. His flames began to die out.
It was over. He had done it.
Minho stood there, covered in dirt and blood, his body screaming with exhaustion, but a sense of pride surged through him. He had cleared the fracture. He had proven himself.
As the wind in the fracture began to die down, a faint sound reached his ears—footsteps. He turned to see Cale emerging from the shadows, his expression unreadable.
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[Information (Info): Name: Minho Age: 14 (Male) Status: Proud, happy, and exhausted. Level: 11 Title: None Trait: Fire affinity 92%
Stats:
Strength (STR): 14
Agility (AGI): 13
Intelligence (INT): 6
Endurance (END): 12
Perception (PER): 10
Vitality (VIT): 11
Luck (LCK): 7
Mana (MANA): 15
Charisma (CHA): 9
Wisdom (WIS): 8
Skills: Free Fire Control (Usable E~D-Rank) (Use with caution if you're not strong enough) (If your control is weak, death is close to you) (A-Rank) (Potential: S-Rank)]
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Cale looked at the system, and when he saw Minho’s status, he smiled.
Minho felt a surge of emotion as his brother approached. He stood up straighter, despite the exhaustion weighing him down, meeting Cale’s gaze with defiance and pride.
"I did it," Minho said, his voice steady despite the fatigue.
Cale stopped a few paces away, folding his arms as he looked down at the fallen Goblin Chief. A slight, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Yeah, you did," Cale replied, his tone low but carrying a note of approval. His eyes lingered on Minho, appraising him in a way that sent a shiver down the younger brother’s spine.
But before Minho could say anything, Cale’s gaze darkened. "You were reckless," he said sharply. "Charging headfirst at the Chief like that... You could’ve been killed. You should’ve been killed."
Minho flinched at the harsh words, but he refused to back down. "I won, didn’t I?"
Cale’s eyes narrowed. "You got lucky. That fire—" He paused, glancing down at the arcane blade in Minho’s hand, which had returned to its normal cool blue. "That wasn’t you, was it?"
"Who else would it be?" Minho asked in surprise.
Cale smiled. "Who do you think it was, if not you?"
Minho opened his mouth to protest but hesitated. He didn’t fully understand what had happened—the flames, the voice. It wasn’t something he had consciously done. But at the same time, it felt like a part of him, something he had unlocked in the heat of the moment.
"I don’t know what it was," Minho admitted, looking down at his hand. "But it worked. And I—"
"Calm down. That power is yours. It’s called 'Free Fire Control,' but you haven’t unlocked even half of it." Cale laughed at Minho.
Minho shot him a sharp look. "That voice... was it you?"
"...Yeah, it was," Cale said, his laughter fading.
"I see," Minho said thoughtfully.
Though frustrated, Minho remained silent. He wasn’t a child anymore, and he knew power wasn’t something to take lightly. But Cale understood—Minho wasn’t just fighting to survive. He was fighting to prove himself, to show Cale he wasn’t just a little brother tagging along.
Cale turned away, scanning the forest as if searching for something. "This fracture is nearly cleared," he said distantly. "There are a few more goblins lurking deeper in the woods. Finish them off, and we’ll leave."
Minho’s heart sank. He had just fought the Goblin Chief, nearly died, and now Cale wanted him to keep going? But he bit back his frustration. This was his test, and he wasn’t going to back down now.
"Fine," Minho muttered, tightening his grip on his blade. His body ached, and his mind swirled with conflicting thoughts, but he pushed it aside. There was still work to be done.
As Minho moved forward, Cale’s voice stopped him. "One last thing," he said, tossing a green potion at him.
Minho caught it, raising an eyebrow.
"That fire... It won’t always save you," Cale said, his red eyes locking onto Minho’s. "Rely on your strength. If you’re weak, no power in the world can keep you alive."
Minho clenched his jaw, a wave of anger bubbling up inside him, but he swallowed it down. He knew what Cale was trying to say, even if his words were harsh. He couldn’t rely on magic alone. He had to get stronger—on his own terms.
Without another word, Minho turned and headed deeper into the fracture, his arcane blade gleaming in the dim light. The fight wasn’t over yet, and he wasn’t going to stop until the fracture was cleared.
Cale watched him go, his expression was of happiness. The shadows of the fracture swirled around him, but he remained still, his eyes lingering on the path Minho had taken.