Final Stand

The woman's scream faded, and the goblins, shadow beasts, and imps that had been attacking the safe zone quickly shifted direction and began running toward it.

The woman, who had been alone at the front, was left defenseless. Under the attack of the shadow beasts, she couldn't survive. Within seconds, her body was torn apart, leaving only her lifeless corpse behind.

Seeing this, the remaining survivors who had been running toward the Safe Zone immediately turned back, fleeing in terror.

Everything happened so quickly that Jiho, who had been preparing to warn them, couldn't act in time. The monsters, not noticing him, continued to rush forward, and he quickly hid behind a car to avoid being seen.

The fleeing monsters continued their pursuit, showing no signs of letting up. Only when the sounds of the pursuit quieted slightly did Jiho peek out from his hiding place and glance toward the safe zone.

At present, the number of monsters near the safe zone had decreased considerably. Only four goblins and a single shadow beast remained in front of the Safe Zone. The imps were nowhere to be seen.

Goblins... Though Jiho didn't know their true names, their green skin and crude appearance reminded him of the goblins he had read about in novels from his world, and he categorized them as such. The same went for the imps.

One thing was certain... The goblins weren't as fast as the shadow beasts, nor as strong as the imps. However, they were armed and intelligent, so when they attacked in groups, they could become a real threat.

"This is my last chance... waiting longer won't change anything... If more monsters arrive, the situation will return to what it was..." Jiho thought as he looked at the three remaining goblins.

Jiho's eyes locked on the remaining goblins.

"Not having a weapon is a problem… but if I can use [Energy Harmony] one more time—"

With that thought, he tried to stir the energy within his body. As the energy began to circulate through him, the pain that followed was overwhelming, forcing him to stop. At this rate, he could still activate [Energy Harmony], but he wouldn't be able to sustain it for long.

[Time Remaining: 00:12:18...]

Jiho glanced at the black screen window floating in the air and let out a slow breath. Time was running out, and there was no more room for hesitation or overthinking.

He had to charge in, confront them head-on, and break through to the Safe Zone.

With that resolve, he stepped out from behind the car. His eyes locked on the four goblins and the shadow beast standing near the Safe Zone.

The shadow beast was the first to notice him, its shifting form tensing. Moments later, the goblins spotted him too. They exchanged glances before three of them rushed forward.

Of the four goblins, one wielded a jagged dagger while the other three clutched crude blunt weapons, ready to beat him down.

Jiho clenched his fists.

"Let's fight."

As the battle commenced, he activated [Energy Harmony], narrowly dodging the shadow beast's lunging bite. Twisting his body, he evaded the attack and immediately countered—his leg snapped out, striking a dagger-wielding goblin before it could attack.

The goblin was sent flying backward. Jiho wasted no time. As its weapon slipped from its grasp midair, he snatched the jagged dagger before it hit the ground.

Three more goblins closed in. Jiho readied himself.

Right now, his speed surpassed that of the shadow beasts, and his strength was nearly on par with the imps. Despite the pain pulsing through his body, he was still strong enough to kill a goblin with a single, decisive strike.

The three remaining goblins hesitated, watching as one of their own fell so easily. Instead of recklessly attacking, they shifted tactics—spreading out and forming a circle around him.

Now, Jiho stood surrounded—three goblins with blunt weapons closing in, a jagged dagger gripped tightly in his hand, and a shadow beast lurking nearby, waiting for an opening.

Silence fell.

The only sound was the shuffling of feet against the ground.

Then—

"Guu-raagh!"

With guttural roars, the goblins charged, their crude weapons swinging.

All three attacked at once.

If Jiho miscalculated even for a second, it would be the end.

Jiho's grip tightened around the jagged dagger as the goblins lunged, their crude blunt weapons swinging in deadly arcs. But he wasn't focused on them. His eyes locked onto the shadow beast—its inky, sinewy form shifting restlessly, its claws flexing, its maw twisted in an unnatural grin. That thing was fast.

If he didn't take it out first, he was as good as dead.

The goblins roared as they charged, their crude weapons cutting through empty space as Jiho slipped out of reach. He ducked under a goblin's wild swing, twisting aside as another goblin's rusted club whistled past his ear.

Then, the shadow beast lunged—a blur of shifting black smoke, closing the distance in an instant.

Jiho barely had time to react. He threw himself backward, feeling the rush of wind as claws sliced past his throat by a hair's breadth. The beast landed with a growl, its burning red eyes locked onto him. It pounced again.

Jiho spun, rolling beneath it, the jagged dagger flashing as he slashed upward. Even though the dagger struck the shadow beast's abdomen, it didn't disappear. Instead, dark mist seeped from the wound, and its movements only slowed slightly.

One goblin lunged low, aiming to sweep his legs out from under him, while another raised a rusted mace for a crushing blow. Jiho twisted, but the weapon clipped his shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through his body.

A goblin took advantage of the opening and swung down with a rusted mace. Jiho dodged as quickly as he could, but the club still clipped his shoulder, sending a sharp pain through him.

No time to hesitate.

Jiho ignored the searing pain in his side, driving the dagger into the goblin's throat. It gurgled, eyes widening in shock, before he wrenched the blade free, sending a spray of blood into the air. But he couldn't stop—the shadow beast was already closing in again.

Jiho threw himself sideways, barely dodging the beast's second attack. It was relentless. It wanted him dead. A sharp sting shot through his muscles—[Energy Harmony] was wearing thin. He had seconds left. The inevitable pain was waiting, lurking just beneath the surface, ready to crush him once his time ran out.

The shadow beast was already mid-pounce again, claws poised to tear him apart.

This time, he didn't dodge.

Jiho met its attack head-on, shifting his weight at the last second. He ducked low, letting the beast sail over him, then drove his dagger straight up, pushing every ounce of his remaining strength into the strike. The blade tore into its underbelly—deep, deep, all the way to the hilt.

Then, a faint, wavering screech echoed from the shadow beast as its form began to dissolve into wisps of smoke, scattering into the air before vanishing completely.

A raw, searing agony exploded through Jiho's body, so intense that his vision blurred. His legs buckled, and a choked gasp escaped his lips as the energy that had once made him untouchable now crushed him from the inside. [Energy Harmony] was unraveling him.

He tried to move, but his muscles refused to cooperate. The power that had surged through him moments ago had vanished, leaving him weak—too weak.

The remaining goblins exchanged wicked grins. One swung from above, another from the side—coordinated, relentless.

Jiho forced himself to move, barely dodging a heavy strike aimed at his skull. But his reactions were sluggish. A second heavy mace slammed into his ribs, the impact like a sledgehammer, driving the air from his lungs as he crashed to the ground.

He struggled to rise, but another strike smashed into his shoulder, knocking him flat. His breath came in ragged gasps, his vision swimming. He couldn't think—couldn't plan. Every nerve in his body screamed, drowning out reason.

The goblins loomed over him, their laughter guttural and cruel. One raised its club for a final, crushing blow.

Move! Jiho's mind screamed, but his body wouldn't respond.

Then instinct took over.

With sheer desperation, he rolled to the side at the last second. The club smashed into the ground where his head had been. Gritting his teeth against the agony, he forced himself to his feet, staggering.

One goblin lunged. Jiho ducked under its swing, his hands moving on their own. He drove his dagger into the creature's gut, twisting it. It shrieked and collapsed, but there was no time to breathe. The last goblin was already bringing its weapon down.

With one final surge of will, Jiho dodged, stepping inside the goblin's reach. Using the last of his strength, he rammed the dagger into its neck.

The goblin stiffened, its weapon slipping from its grasp. Jiho held on as the creature gurgled and fell lifelessly to the ground.

Silence.

Jiho lay there, chest heaving, every muscle trembling from exhaustion.

In the end, he had won...

But just barely.

[Time Remaining: 00:03:18...]

End – 16