Chapter: Aftermath

The hospital room hummed with the soft beeping of machines. Morning light seeped through the blinds, casting long shadows over Damian’s unconscious form. For two days, he had been unresponsive, his body fighting to recover from the brutal battle with the Goblin Archer.

A sharp pain in his shoulder jolted him awake. His vision blurred, and his head felt heavy as if it weighed a hundred pounds. Groaning, he tried to move, only for a firm hand to press him back against the bed.

“Damian, stop. You’ll open your wounds again.”

The voice was unfamiliar at first, and Damian blinked hard to clear his vision. Slowly, the figure standing over him came into focus—Captain Howard.

“Calm down,” Howard said, his tone steady. “You’re in the hospital. You’re safe.”

“Hospital?” Damian muttered, his voice hoarse. “What happened?”

Howard’s face darkened. “You were shot. That Goblin Archer’s arrows weren’t normal—they were laced with some kind of paralyzing and bleeding effect. We couldn’t stop the bleeding, no matter how many potions we used.”

Damian’s eyes widened in alarm. “Miles and Astrid—are they okay?”

Howard nodded, reassuring him. “They’re fine. Actually, they’re right there.” He gestured to the couch, where Astrid and Miles were curled up, sound asleep.

Damian’s body ached as he turned his head, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. But the sight of his sister and friend, safe and sound, filled him with relief. He let out a long, shaky breath and sank back into the bed.

“You’ve been out for two days,” Howard continued. “The arrow… it wasn’t just sharp. It had some kind of curse on it. The hospital staff had to cut it out, and even then, it was touch and go. If we hadn’t been in the area…”

Damian winced, his stomach sinking. “Why didn’t you use more potions?”

“They didn’t work,” Howard said grimly. “The arrow’s effect prevented healing. We used every potion we had just to slow the bleeding enough to get you here.”

Damian’s jaw tightened. For the first time, he realized that even the tools he thought were infallible had limits.

Howard leaned closer, his voice low. “Listen, Damian. The government is sending more teams to this area. They’re trying to awaken more people to fight these creatures. Whatever you have to do, do it quickly. Your window is closing.”

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Damian clenched his fists. He had gambled on staying ahead, but now, it felt like his lead was slipping away.

Taking a deep breath, he whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

“Damian, you’re still recovering—”

“Heal,” Damian muttered.

A soft green glow enveloped his body, and the ache in his muscles vanished. His shoulder stopped throbbing, and the bruises faded as if they had never been there.

Howard’s eyes widened. “What… what was that?”

Damian smirked, rolling his shoulder. “One of my skills. Comes in handy, doesn’t it?”

Howard watched in stunned silence as Damian swung his legs over the side of the bed, stretching like he hadn’t just been at death’s door.

A Tearful Reunion

As Damian rummaged through his backpack, Astrid stirred, blinking groggily. When she saw her brother standing, her half-asleep state vanished.

“Damian!” she screamed, throwing a pillow at him.

Startled, Miles jolted awake. “Whoa, man! Chill, we’re in public!”

Both of them rushed to Damian, their relief pouring out as they hugged him tightly.

“We thought we lost you,” Astrid sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

Miles sniffled. “Don’t scare us like that, man.”

Damian smiled softly, patting their backs. “I’m okay. Thanks to you guys.”

Howard watched the scene from the doorway, a small smile tugging at his lips. He had never seen such a close bond even among his own team. Quietly, he excused himself, leaving the trio to their moment.

Later that morning, as Damian ate a small meal, Astrid brought up something that piqued his interest.

“We found something during the fight,” she said, placing a glowing book on the table.

Damian’s eyes widened as he stared at the item. “A skill book?”

Miles grinned. “I figured you’d know what it was. I didn’t want to mess with it until you woke up.”

Damian used Observe on the book.

Skill Book: Bloodshot

Rank: Rare

Description: Grants the user the skill Bloodshot. This skill allows arrows to inflict a bleeding effect and partial paralysis on the target for as long as the arrow remains lodged in the body.

Mana Cost: 5 per use.

Effect Duration: 30 seconds.

Cooldown: None.

“This is the skill that the bastard was using,” Damian muttered. “No wonder I couldn’t heal properly.”

He handed the book to Astrid. “Here. You should learn it.”

Astrid hesitated. “But you killed it. Shouldn’t it be yours?”

Damian shook his head. “I don’t use a bow. It’s better for you.”

Nodding, Astrid opened the book. A bright light enveloped her, and she gasped as knowledge of the skill flooded her mind.

Miles handed over the mana stones they had collected, including the Rank 1 stones from the Goblin Warrior and Goblin Archer. Damian absorbed them one by one, feeling the familiar warmth of leveling up.

“Status,” he said.

Damian Park

Race: Human

Level: 19

Mana Points: 75/75

Strength: 30

Agility: 65

Dexterity: 12

Mana: 15

Status Points: 0

Skills:

Minor Heal Lv 6

Observe Lv 10

Lightning Spear Lv 1 (Evolved from Blue Lightning)

Iron Skin Lv 9

Intermediate Sword Mastery Lv 2

His eyes went wide as he inspected his evolved skill.

Lightning Spear

Rank: Unique

Mana Cost: 10

Description: Summon a spear of pure lightning, capable of piercing enemies at incredible speed. Deals high damage and stuns the target for 2 seconds.

Cooldown: 5 seconds.

Effect Duration: Instantaneous.

Damian couldn’t contain his excitement. “Lightning Spear… This is insane!”

Astrid and Miles grinned, and smiled as Damian’s spirit returned.