The Hobgoblin Captain staggered, his breath ragged, confusion flickering in his eyes.
He could feel it.
His strength—leaving him.
Draining away into me.
I clenched my fist, feeling the raw power thrumming beneath my skin. My muscles felt denser, stronger. My senses were sharper.
For the first time, I wasn't just reacting. I was hunting.
The Captain gritted his teeth. "What the hell… did you do to me?"
I took a step forward. He flinched.
A Hobgoblin—flinching from a goblin runt.
I grinned. "You don't look so confident now."
[System Notification!]
[Skill: Devourer's Grasp Activated]
[Temporary Power Absorption: +10% Strength, +5% Agility]
10% might not sound like much.
But in a fight between two near-equal opponents?
It was the difference between life and death.
The Captain snarled and lunged forward, swinging his massive sword in a deadly arc.
But I was faster now.
I sidestepped at the last second—
CRASH!
His blade smashed into the cavern floor, sending cracks through the stone.
He tried to pull it back up—
I didn't let him.
I dashed forward, slamming my knee into his exposed gut.
His eyes bulged.
I followed up with a spinning kick to his jaw, sending him reeling backward.
He stumbled, barely keeping his balance.
His breathing was heavy. His movements sluggish.
He was realizing it now.
I was stronger than him.
And I wasn't done yet.
The Final Clash
Rhia had recovered by now, wiping the blood from her lip. "Leon," she called out, voice sharp. "End him."
I didn't need to be told twice.
The Captain roared and charged at me one last time, desperation in his eyes.
But it was too late.
I ducked under his swing and grabbed his wrist—
Then, using his own momentum, I twisted, flipping him over my shoulder.
BOOM!
His massive body crashed into the stone floor.
Before he could recover, I placed my foot on his chest and pressed down.
Hard.
He gasped, struggling, but I could feel it—
The fear.
The realization that he was going to die.
"P-Please," he choked out, his arrogance shattered. "Mercy—"
I clenched my fist.
And drove it through his skull.
[System Notification!]
[Hobgoblin Captain Defeated!]
[EXP Gained: 420]
[Level Up!]
A strange silence filled the cavern.
The last remaining goblin—a wounded archer—dropped his bow and ran.
I didn't chase him.
I was still breathing hard, feeling the raw power of my new ability settle into me.
I had just killed my first true monster.
And it had been… easy.
Rhia approached, her silver eyes scanning me warily. "That power… That wasn't normal, Leon."
I glanced at my hand—the same hand that had stolen the Captain's strength.
I felt it, too.
Something inside me had changed.
Something dangerous.
I exhaled. "I know."
And for the first time, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
To