He had let that thing get the drop on him.
Sure, the wound on his leg had long since stopped bleeding, but the sting of failure lingered far deeper than the cut. The goblin had been smaller, weaker, and yet it had gotten through his defense, knocked him off balance, and left him scrambling. Worse still, he’d let go of his sword, his one lifeline. If Brett hadn’t been there… if that firebolt had come even a second too late…
Josh exhaled sharply through his nose, shaking his head. No use spiralling now. He’d survived, hadn’t he? That counted for something.
He clenched his fists and forced himself to push the self-loathing aside. Doubting himself wouldn't help, especially not here, in a world where monsters were real and mistakes could be fatal. He just had to keep moving forward. He’d get stronger, sharper. Next time, he’d be ready.
And when the time came, he’d repay Brett for having his back.
To clear his head, he opened his HUD and checked his health. Full. Somewhere along the way, while walking and brooding, he’d healed. He frowned thoughtfully. That was good to know. Next time he got hurt, he’d track how fast it regenerated and whether rest made a difference. That kind of knowledge might save his life.
Bored of the silence and desperate to drag himself out of his own thoughts Josh glanced over at Brett. “So apparently health regenerates over time,” he said, kicking at a loose pebble on the path. “That’s good to know. I wonder if this world has things like health potions? There must be healing magic, right? I mean, ‘healer’ was one of the classes we could’ve picked.”
He paused for a second, then grinned. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could actually find a healer and convince them to show us how their magic works? Or better yet, if we’re going to be heroes, maybe we could team up with one, form a proper party.”
As the word party left his mouth, Josh’s eyes widened. A sudden memory surfaced, something from the fight. “Wait! When we killed that goblin, didn’t the system say ‘your party’? Do you think that means we can actually form one?”
Before Brett could answer, a soft chime echoed in the back of his mind.
A new window blinked into view, sleek, silver-edged, hovering just at the edge of his vision.
Party information
Josh - L1 Warrior - party leader
Brett L1 Mage
Hint:
To invite a new party member, issue a verbal invitation. If they accept, they will be added to your party. To remove someone from the party, or leave it yourself, you must give a clear verbal command. Party members share experience gained from combat. Loot is expected to be distributed fairly among party members.
“Oh wow,” Josh said, eyes lighting up. “I just opened the party page! Apparently we’re already teamed up and I’m the leader!” He puffed out his chest in mock pride, a grin spreading across his face.
Brett rolled his eyes and smirked. “No way. You got party leader? That’s clearly a system glitch. I mean, come on, I’m obviously the more dashing, brainier one. The system must’ve short-circuited when it saw my raw brilliance.”
Josh’s face fell into mock horror. “Are you saying I don’t radiate natural leadership?”
“I’m saying you radiate something,” Brett replied with a raised brow, “but I’m not sure it’s leadership.”
Still grinning, Brett opened his own HUD and quickly navigated to the party tab. Sure enough, Josh was listed as the leader, and beneath their names were three empty slots waiting to be filled. He tapped one of them absently, thoughtful. “Three spots. That could be really useful down the line.”
“Yeah, a full five-man party,” Josh said, glancing over. “It’s like a raid group from an MMO.”
“Exactly,” Brett nodded. “But we’ll need people who actually know what they’re doing. Locals. This whole system stuff might be second nature to them, probably like breathing at this point.”
Josh sighed, the initial excitement softening into something more thoughtful. “Yeah… you’re probably right. We’re like toddlers with swords right now.”
Brett gave him a playful nudge. “Speak for yourself, party leader. But seriously, if we’re going to do this right, we’ll need someone patient enough to teach us. Maybe a healer. Someone who’s used to babysitting idiots.”
“Good luck finding someone that patient,” Josh said with a chuckle, though a spark of determination flickered behind his eyes.
“Hey,” Brett added after a pause. “Maybe we’re not total toddlers. We did kill a goblin. That’s got to count for something.”
“Yeah,” Josh said, glancing down at the sword strapped to his hip. “It’s a start.”
Josh nodded along, though part of him felt the weight of the title party leader settling awkwardly on his shoulders. If he was honest, the idea didn’t exactly thrill him. Sure, the system had tagged him as the leader but that didn’t mean he should be.
He glanced at Brett, who was already analysing the party interface like he was dissecting a puzzle. Brett had always been the one to plan things, to think three steps ahead. Whether it was school projects, last-minute road trips, or sneaking into festivals without tickets, Brett made the plans. Josh? Josh usually just jumped headfirst into the chaos and hoped his friend had a rope to pull him back out.
Maybe the system got it wrong, he thought. Or maybe it’s just a temporary thing until we find someone more qualified. Either way, he had no problem handing over the reins. Leadership wasn’t about titles or glowing HUD menus, it was about making the right calls when it mattered. And if it came to that, Josh already knew who he’d follow.
The pair pressed on, their boots crunching softly over root-woven earth and fallen leaves as the forest canopy gradually thinned above them. They walked in steady silence, their pace brisk, purposeful and oddly easy.
Josh couldn’t help but marvel at the way his body moved. Back on Earth, cardio had always been his Achilles’ heel. He’d hit the gym religiously, sure, but only ever for the weights. Running? Hiking? Anything that required more than a short burst of effort? That had never been his scene. But now, hours into their trek, his breathing remained even, legs strong, no fire in his lungs or cramps threatening to trip him up. The system stats had to be helping. That little bump in vitality clearly went a long way and for once, he didn’t feel like the slowest guy on the trail.
Brett, too, looked like he could walk another ten miles without blinking. He hadn’t asked for a single break. No limping, no complaining, just that same thoughtful frown he wore when deep in concentration.
“We’re still heading the right way,” Josh muttered, as much to reassure himself as his friend.
Brett nodded, but didn’t look convinced. “Yeah… maybe. But north is a direction, not a destination. If we veer even a little, we could walk right past the village without ever knowing it.”
Josh glanced around the featureless stretch of forest they were trudging through. No path. No roads. No visible landmarks. Just endless trees, stretching on like an ocean of green.
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“I guess we just have to hope there’s some sign when we’re close,” he said.
“Or someone finds us first,” Brett added, and for the first time that day, his voice carried a faint thread of uncertainty.
Josh had taken to scanning the forest more intently now, his grip firm on the hilt of his sword. Every shadow seemed sharper. Every rustling branch earned a glance. He wasn’t going to let anything sneak up on them, or get the better of him, not after how that last fight had gone.
His voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “Hey, Brett… thanks for back there. If you hadn’t hit that goblin when you did-” he hesitated, jaw tight. “I think it might’ve finished me off. My sword got stuck in its damn chest, and for a second I just froze. Thought that was it.”
Brett stopped mid-stride.
He turned to Josh, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open in disbelief. “You think I killed it? Mate, are you serious?”
Josh blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in tone.
Brett pointed a finger at him, his voice rising in incredulous amusement. “You charged that thing like a bloody lunatic. You bashed it half to death, then impaled it. I only threw a firebolt because you stepped back for a second, and I felt like a spare part. That thing was already on its way down, you just made it dramatic.”
Josh frowned, unsure.
But Brett’s face softened, his grin turning genuine. “I’m serious. You don’t owe me anything, man. But maybe, just maybe, you could give me a heads up before you sprint at monsters next time and leave me clutching my handbag.”
Josh snorted, the tension finally cracking.
Brett’s grin widened. “Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve done what you did. But yeah, we both need work. You need a better way to stab stuff without losing your sword, maybe twist it or something, I read somewhere that helps? and I need to learn how to hold this staff like I didn’t buy it from a costume shop.”
He crouched slightly, lifting his staff to shoulder height like it was a rifle, squinting one eye and miming a silent sweep of the treeline. “Tango spotted. Goblin, 20 yards, suppressive wand fire only.”
Josh burst into laughter. “You look like a twelve-year-old playing Call of Duty in the garden.”
“Thank you,” Brett said proudly, still in his action pose. “I aim to inspire fear.”
They chuckled, the tension of the moment bleeding away, the forest suddenly feeling just a little less oppressive.
Josh laughed at Brett’s goofy military crouch, the absurdity of it helping to bleed off the tension that still curled tight in his chest. It felt good. Real. Safe.
And yet, as the laughter faded, a thought lingered.
He’s right. A sword through the chest wasn’t something you shrugged off, even in a world with floating HUDs and mana-fueled firebolts. It made Josh wonder how exactly did HP work here? Did someone keep fighting until the number hit zero and then just… die? Or would their body start to fail before then? Would pain kick in properly at some threshold? Would you feel fine until the last moment? So many questions… and not a single damned person to ask.
Their conversation ebbed into silence again as they pressed on through the forest, the shadows lengthening as the canopy thickened. The air had grown cooler, quieter. Josh could hear nothing now but the crunch of soil beneath their boots and the occasional creak of a tree above.
Then Brett’s hand closed around his arm.
Josh froze.
Brett didn’t speak. Just raised a single finger and pointed into the trees to their northwest. Josh squinted, scanning the undergrowth and after a long, tense moment, he saw it too.
Movement.
A flicker in the gloom, like something ducking between shafts of dappled light.
Without a word, both of them dropped low and hustled silently toward a nearby tree, pressing their backs against the bark. The smell of moss and earth filled Josh’s nose as he leaned out slowly, peeking around the trunk.
The seconds crawled. Every heartbeat thumped like a war drum in his ears.
Then shadows shifted.
Four figures emerged from the treeline, low to the ground, green skin and jagged ears unmistakable. Goblins.
Josh held his breath.
But these ones weren’t hunting. They weren’t tracking, stalking, or even scanning the trees. They looked… relaxed. At ease. The group meandered along a rough animal trail, chatting in their strange, guttural tongue. One of them waved a crude wooden spear lazily as it spoke. Another dragged a spiked club behind him, letting it scrape lazily against the stones. No alertness. No urgency. They looked more like a group of kids ditching school than a raiding party.
Still each of them was armed. Each of them was dangerous.
Josh’s grip tightened on his sword hilt. Brett crouched lower beside him, whispering so softly it was almost breath. “They’re not looking for us. Patrol, maybe?”
Josh nodded, eyes locked on the goblins.
Whatever this was, it was a reminder: they weren’t alone out here and not everything was going to be as simple as a single wandering monster.
Not anymore.
Brett and Josh slipped back behind the thick trunk, hearts still thudding from the sight of the goblins. They exchanged a glance, breath held tight in their chests. Josh broke the silence. “Okay, so… what do we do? I don’t think we can circle around them, they might end up behind us, and that’s a nightmare waiting to happen. But four of them? Is that too many?”
Brett gave a crooked smirk. “Oh, now you ask me what we should do? Not feeling like sprinting in, sword raised, screaming at the top of your lungs this time?”
Josh gave him a deadpan look. “I was improvising.”
“You were improvising your own death.” But the smile didn’t fade from Brett’s face. He leaned around the tree, peered up through the branches above them. “We’ve actually got a good setup here. They don’t know we’re here, we’ve got cover… how about I climb this tree and rain a little fire on them from above? If I draw their attention, you could flank them while they’re focused on me.”
Josh considered it, then nodded. “Assuming they don’t climb up after you.”
“I’m hoping they’re not the tree-climbing type of goblin,” Brett muttered, then added, “Look, if I get their attention, and you intercept them before they reach the tree, I’ll be safe. I might even take out one or two before they close the distance.”
Josh raised an eyebrow. “See, this is why you should be party leader. Alright, but how about I stay behind this tree until they’re close enough, and you shout when it’s go time? I’ll charge from here and cut them off before they even think about climbing anything. You just focus on frying the stragglers.”
Brett gave a quick nod. “Perfect. Let’s do it.”
He lifted his foot, and Josh dropped to a crouch, lacing his fingers into a stirrup. “Want a boost?”
Brett grinned. “Don’t throw me too high.”
Josh grunted as he pushed upward, boosting Brett high enough to grip a branch. Josh watched as Brett swung himself up into the tree, branches rustling slightly as he found a stable perch. He ducked low, adjusting his stance and staff, peering down at the clearing below.
Josh slipped back into position behind the tree, fingers flexing around the hilt of his sword, adrenaline building.
The trap was set.
Now they waited.
—-
Josh's hands shot up beneath Brett’s foot and before Brett could even finish his breath, he was airborne, launched like a sack of potatoes fired from a catapult.
Too much strength, dammit—
He barely managed to stifle a yelp as branches whipped past his face. A sudden jolt of panic shot through him before he twisted mid-air and, with a scrambling grip, snagged a thick limb. He landed harder than he liked, the branch groaning beneath him but holding.
Well… that was not how he pictured that going.
Still, it worked out better than expected. The height gave him a perfect vantage point over the clearing. He could see everything, Josh crouched behind the base of the tree, the narrow trail winding through the tall grass, and the goblins lumbering closer. From this high up, Brett had excellent cover and even more reaction time if things went south. As far as accidental launches went, this one was a win.
He quickly waved down at Josh to signal he was okay, Josh gave a short nod and remained hunkered, gripping his sword with tense anticipation.
Turning his focus back to the path, Brett adjusted his stance, shifting on the branch until he felt balanced. He pressed his shoulder against the trunk and propped the staff against a fork in the wood, settling into a sniper’s pose. No way he was wasting a shot.
The goblins were still a good fifty yards off, too far for a precise blast, especially with his limited experience. So he waited. Patient. Focused. His fingers tingled faintly with mana, anticipation building in his chest like a drawn bowstring.
The goblins sauntered forward, still blissfully unaware of the ambush awaiting them. They moved like scavengers after a feast lazy, cocky, not a care in the world. One scratched its back with a crude wooden club. Another jabbed the third with a sharpened stick and grunted something that made them all bark out ugly laughter.
Every so often, one would pause, sniff the air, or glance into the trees. Brett froze each time, breath held tight but none of them gave any sign they’d noticed the trap. Not yet.
He adjusted his aim slightly, keeping the lead goblin squarely in his sights.
Not yet… just a little closer.
Brett’s forehead was slick with sweat, each bead a reminder of the pressure building inside him. The goblins’ sluggish pace was driving him insane. How can they take so long to cover such a short distance? He couldn’t help but think. They have tiny legs, but I’ve seen toddlers waddle faster than this.
He squinted down at the stumbling horde below. They moved like a band of drunken fools swaying, wandering off to the sides, stopping to stare at nothing in particular. There was no coordination, no purpose, just chaotic, aimless lumbering.
Still, they moved forward.
Finally, the group passed the tree Brett had marked silently in his mind as the perfect range spot. A surge of relief flooded him, now he could make his shot count.
He levelled his staff, breath steadying as he took careful aim at the goblin on the left, the one clutching a jagged branch sharpened into a crude spear, clearly the deadliest weapon of the bunch.
This has to work.
Brett’s mind raced, shaping the spell with fierce concentration as raw magical energy crackled at the tip off his staff, coalescing into a blazing orb of fire ready to be unleashed.
Thus ends this chapter in the Great Chronicle of Realms Untold.
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