Chapter 7: Choice

The Hobgoblin roared with rage, violently shaking his body in a desperate attempt to get rid of Isaac. His huge clawed hands reached out to grab him, sweeping the air in frenzied movements. Isaac felt the wind of the blows pass inches from him, each missed move of the monster only a warning of what awaited him if he was caught.

'Don't let go, not now!'

Clenching the hilt of his katana between his teeth, he held on with all the strength he had left. His body was on fire, his muscles trembling from the effort, but he couldn't let go now. He dug his fingers into the monster's tunic, desperately seeking a stable hold.

A sudden movement and he was almost thrown backwards. His foot suddenly slipped on the monster's sweaty skin and he lost his balance for a moment. One of the hobgoblin's hands passed close by, brushing against his back. He panicked briefly. If he fell now, it would all be over.

He closed his eyes for a moment, forcing his battered body to obey him.

- 'Strength, honour, courage.'

His fingers tightened, his legs tensed and he climbed a little higher. He managed to grab hold of the monster's massive shoulders, his breath coming in short gasps, his heart beating so hard he thought his whole body was vibrating under the pressure.

The hobgoblin, finally realising the danger, roared and spun around like an angry bull. Isaac felt himself being tossed from side to side, his stomach churning with each jolt. His vision blurred slightly under the effort and fatigue.

'If I don't finish this now, he'll kill me.'

He released the pressure of his teeth on the katana and caught it in mid-air. His gaze fixed on his objective.

'The eyes.'

He raised the blade above him, summoning all his remaining strength, instinct and willpower.

The hobgoblin howled one last time and tried one last sudden movement to bring him down. But Isaac swung his katana with all the power of despair.

The blade sank deep into the monster's left eye socket.

A howl pierced the air, a cry of pain so powerful that Isaac thought his eardrums would burst. He felt the hobgoblin's body stiffen beneath him, a final spasm of rage and agony. Then, slowly, he lost his balance and toppled backwards.

Isaac immediately released his grip and leapt to the side, rolling on the ground to avoid being crushed under the monster's titanic mass.

A deafening crash sounded as the hobgoblin crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust and black blood.

Isaac lay on his back panting, unable to move immediately. His body was nothing but pain and fatigue. He felt the blood flowing from his wounds, each breath a test. 

- I'm alive.

Slowly, he raised himself on one elbow and turned his head towards the hobgoblin. His limbs were still twitching with uncontrolled spasms.

A shiver ran down his spine.

Had he succeeded? Was he really... dead?

He crawled towards his katana, still stuck in the monster's eye socket. He placed a trembling hand on the hilt, gritted his teeth and pulled with a sharp jerk. The blade came out with a vile noise, accompanied by a stream of black, viscous blood.

Isaac scrambled backwards, almost slipping in the dark liquid.

The hobgoblin stopped moving.

A bluish glow suddenly lit up his field of vision.

[Congratulations! You've defeated a Hobgoblin.

Would you like to absorb your enemy's physical stats or physical skills].

Isaac froze, breathless, his heart pounding in his chest. A nervous laugh escaped his lips.

- HAHAHA I'm not weak after all, I'm so strong I'll soon be SS rank.

Isaac collapsed to the ground, his body no longer responding. He had given everything. Every muscle screamed out in pain, every breath an agony. His katana slipped out of his hand and rolled across the floor, stained with black blood.

There was silence.

Then a scream pierced the air.

- ISAAC!

Elias rushed towards him, his face twisted in incomprehension and fear. He knelt down, shaking the young hunter by the shoulders.

- Bloody hell, are you alive?!

Isaac slowly opened his eyes, a painful sneer on his lips.

- I think so...' he murmured hoarsely.

Elias stared at him, vacillating between shock and admiration.

- You... You really killed it... That thing... You killed it.

He glanced at the hobgoblin's corpse, its eye gouged out, the mass of its imposing body now inert.

- But you're just a carrier,' Elias breathed, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Suddenly, there was a dull roar. The ground vibrated beneath them.

The walls of the dungeon cracked, pieces of stone collapsing with a sinister noise. The air itself seemed to tremble, charged with a strange, unstable energy.

Isaac felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

- The portal... It's becoming unstable!' exclaimed Elias, his gaze darting around the room in panic.

Isaac struggled to his feet, leaning on Elias to keep from collapsing again.

- We have to leave.

But as he tried to put one foot in front of the other, his gaze fell on the lying bodies of Grant, Daryl and the other two awake men. They were unconscious, wounded, their breath shallow but present.

The rumbling intensified. Another crack tore through the ceiling, sending a block of stone crashing down not far from them.

Isaac exchanged glances with Elias.

They instantly understood the dilemma.

- We don't have time to drag them out. Elias took a deep breath, looking at their inert comrades. He closed his eyes for a moment, his fists clenching in frustration. If we try... we die with them.

Isaac felt his stomach twist.

Leave them behind?

After all this?

Another jolt almost knocked them over.

Time was running out.

- What do we do?' shouted Elias, his voice breaking through the chaos.

Isaac gritted his teeth, his heart beating wildly.

He had to choose. He had to choose now.

Isaac felt his heart pounding violently against his chest. Sweat and blood poured down his face as his thoughts raced. Every second counted.

Around them, the dungeon shook more and more. New cracks ripped through the walls and ceiling, releasing clouds of dust and debris that crashed to the ground with a sinister roar. The air itself seemed to vibrate, charged with a terrifying electrical tension.

He glanced at the unconscious wakeful men. Grant lay on his back, his armour dented, his arm at an alarming angle. Daryl was breathing heavily, blood dripping from his temple. The other two awake men were no better off. Neither of them was moving.

- Isaac, there's no time!' shouted Elias, his panicked eyes darting between the inert bodies and the slowly collapsing entrance to the dungeon. If we carry them, we'll die too!

Isaac knew. He knew it for a fact. His body was screaming at him to give up, to flee before it was too late.

But could he really leave them there?

The image of the fight came back to him. Grant protecting his back, Daryl standing up to the hobgoblin with all the rage of despair... They had fought together. They had risked their lives.

And now he had to abandon them?

An even more violent tremor almost threw him to the ground. A huge block of stone detached itself from the ceiling and crashed down right next to them, raising a cloud of burning dust.

Isaac coughed, gritting his teeth.

- Fucking hell...' growled Elias, taking a step back. We've got no choice now!

Another crack sounded. The ground beneath their feet cracked.

Isaac inhaled deeply, looking for a solution, a way out, an alternative... But there was none.

His hands were shaking. His mind was screaming.

And yet...

He forced himself to speak, his voice hoarse with dust and emotion.

- Elias... we can't... we can't leave them like this.

Elias stared at him, his eyes wide.

- What?!

Isaac clenched his fists, turning to Daryl.

- If they die, it'll be on our conscience for the rest of our lives.

Elias opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Because he knew Isaac was right.

Another piece of the ceiling came crashing down, this time even closer to the exit. Their window of escape was getting smaller by the minute.

Elias swallowed, clenching his jaw.

- Shit, shit, shit... He ran a nervous hand through his hair before letting out a long, shaky sigh. All right, then! We'll each take two guys and go for it! But if we get run over, I swear I'll haunt you after I die!

A thin, tired smile passed over Isaac's face.

- It's a deal.

Without wasting a second, he rushed towards Daryl and Grant, hoisting the former as best he could onto his shoulder. His body protested immediately, every aching muscle sending alarm signals. But he ignored the pain. He didn't have the luxury of paying attention.

Elias, for his part, lifted the other two awake men as best he could.

- Damn, they weigh a ton! he grumbled, staggering.

Isaac struggled to lift them both, Daryl's weight crushing his already bruised shoulders. Every muscle in his body was screaming out in pain, every breath an agony, but he refused to stop.

Suddenly he screamed in his head.

'Absorb the boss's physical stats!

[Ding Absorption successful]

[Strength: 9 -->15

Agility: 8 -->16

Endurance: 6 -->11]

Their weight suddenly became lighter and he managed to move forward much faster.

But behind him, Elias stumbled under the weight of the two awakened men he was trying to carry. He groaned in pain as he straightened up, but his legs were shaking dangerously.

- What a pain in the arse! he swore.

The ground cracked beneath their feet, stones crashing down around them. The air was saturated with dust and heat, and the smell of burning rock stung their nostrils.

Isaac gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on Daryl.

- We're nearly there, hang on! he shouted as much to Elias as to himself.

But the further they went, the more reality set in.

Elias's speed was too slow and Isaac couldn't carry three awake at once with all their equipment.

The portal was still a long way off, and the tunnel was collapsing faster and faster.

Elias looked around in panic.

- Fuck... we're not going to make it...' he muttered in a trembling voice.

Isaac shook his head.

- Shut up! Keep moving!

But he knew that too.

Every step became a battle. Every metre cost them an eternity.

And then the truth came home to them.

There was no time.

Isaac stumbled back, collapsing on one knee under Daryl's weight. A dull roar sounded behind them: a whole section of the ceiling had just collapsed, shattering the path they had already travelled.

Their hearts pounded. The instinct to survive screamed inside them.

Elias dropped one of the awakened ones he was carrying and tried to pick it up, but his arms were shaking too much.

He looked at Isaac, panic in his eyes.

- Isaac...

Isaac closed his eyelids, his throat constricting with anguish.

He knew what they had to do.

But he refused to accept it.

- No...' he breathed, his jaw clenching.

- If we go on, we'll all die! Elias shouted, his voice shattered by terror and despair.

Isaac stared into his eyes.

Leaving them there was a death sentence. No one had ever returned from a missing portal. No one knew what would become of them.

He could still feel the warmth of Daryl's blood on his arms. He could still hear Grant's voice a few minutes earlier, shouting his orders with authority.

But now they were dead weight.

Time was dragging on, cruel and implacable.

- Shit...' gasped Isaac, his heart on the verge of exploding.

His trembling fingers loosened their grip on Daryl.

The awakened man's body slid gently from his shoulders and crashed to the ground with a thud.

Elias did the same, his hands clenched as if he had been holding back until the last second.

Silence fell between them.

Only the rumbling of the dying dungeon broke the moment.