Xung dragged Old Man Park through the dark tunnel. His arms hurt. His back ached. But he did not stop. He had to get out. The warm stone was in his pocket. It felt hot now. It pulsed like a heartbeat. Xung heard a noise behind him. He stopped. He listened.
Scratching. Something was moving in the dark. Xung's heart beat fast. He pulled Park behind a big rock. He peeked out.
Two glowing red eyes stared back at him. A goblin. It must have been hiding. The Hunters missed it.The goblin was small but mean. It held a rusty knife. It licked its lips. It was hungry.
Xung had no weapon. He only had his mop. He held it like a spear. The goblin charged. It was fast. It jumped at Xung.
Xung swung the mop. The wet end hit the goblin in the face. The goblin screamed. It wiped its eyes.
Xung swung again. He hit the goblin's arm. The knife clattered to the ground.
The goblin was angry now. It scratched Xung's arm. Blood flowed.
Xung felt pain. But he also felt anger. He was tired of being weak. He was tired of running.
The stone in his pocket burned hot. Very hot.
Suddenly, Xung felt strong. Very strong. He felt energy in his arms. He felt power in his legs.
He grabbed the goblin by the throat. He lifted it off the ground. The goblin kicked and scratched. But Xung held tight.
He squeezed. The goblin stopped moving. He threw the body against the wall. It fell to the ground and did not get up.
Xung breathed hard. He looked at his hands. They were strong. They were not his hands.
The stone in his pocket cooled down. The strength faded. He felt normal again. But his arm still bled.
He tore a piece of his shirt. He wrapped his wound. Then he went back to Park.
He had to keep moving. More goblins might come.
He dragged Park around a corner. Then he stopped. His blood went cold.
Three more goblins stood in the tunnel. They were bigger. They had better weapons. They had seen him.
These were not weak goblins. These were fighters. They smiled cruel smiles. They knew he was trapped.
Xung put Park down gently. He stood up. He held his mop. It was all he had.
The biggest goblin pointed a sword at him. It said something in its ugly language. The other goblins laughed.
They spread out. They surrounded him.
Xung turned in a circle. He was scared. But he was also angry. He would not die here. He would not let them get Park. The first goblin attacked. Xung blocked with his mop. The wood cracked. The mop broke in half.
Xung now held a short stick. It was useless. The goblins laughed harder. They moved closer.
The stone in Xung's pocket got hot again. Very hot. It burned his leg. Then words flashed in his mind. Green words. Like the stone.
`[Combat initiated]`
`[Enemies: 3]`
`[Analyzing...]`
Xung stared. The words were in his head. He could see them.
`[Goblin Fighter - Level 2]`
`[Weakness: Left leg injured]`
`[Goblin Scout - Level 1]`
`[Weakness: Poor eyesight]`
`[Goblin Thief - Level 1]`
`[Weakness: Cowardly]`
Xung did not understand. What was this? What did it mean? The big goblin charged. It swung its sword at Xung's head.
Xung saw the words again. `[Weakness: Left leg injured]` He looked. The goblin favored its right leg. It limped slightly.
Xung dropped low. He kicked the goblin's left leg as hard as he could. The goblin screamed. It fell. Its sword clattered away.
The other two goblins paused. They looked surprised. Xung did not wait. He grabbed the sword. It felt heavy in his hands. The words came again.
`[New weapon acquired: Rusty Sword]`
`[Damage: Low]`
`[Durability: Poor]`
The scout goblin threw a knife. Xung saw it coming. The words said `[Poor eyesight]`. The throw was bad.
Xung moved his head. The knife missed.
The thief goblin circled behind him. It was sneaky. But the words said `[Cowardly]`.
Xung turned and yelled. He screamed as loud as he could. He charged at the thief.
The thief goblin yelped. It turned and ran away.
Now only the scout remained. It looked nervous. Xung raised the sword. He felt the power in his arms again. The stone was hot.
He ran at the scout. He swung the sword. The goblin tried to block. But Xung was too strong. The sword cut through the goblin's arm.
The goblin fell. It did not get up. Xung stood alone in the tunnel. Three goblins lay at his feet. He was breathing hard. His body thrummed with energy.
The words in his mind changed.
`[Combat ended]`
`[Victory!]`
`[Experience gained]`
Then, new words appeared.
`[Level Up!]`
`[You are now Level 2]`
`[Strength increased]`
`[Speed increased]`
The strength flooded his body. It was real. He felt it. He was stronger. He was faster.
He looked at his hands. They were his hands. But they were better. The stone in his pocket was cool again.
Xung heard a groan. Old Man Park was stirring. He was alive!
Xung ran to his side. "Park! You're awake!"
Park's eyes fluttered open. He saw the dead goblins. He saw the sword in Xung's hand. He saw the blood.
"Xung... what happened?" he whispered.
Xung helped him sit up. "I'll explain later," he said. "We need to go. Now." He helped Park to his feet. The old man could stand, but he was weak.
Xung kept the sword. He looked back at the tunnel. He knew something now. He was not just a cleaner anymore. The stone had changed him. The words in his head had changed him. He had fought. He had won. And he wanted to do it again.