With a roar of desperation, Satou swung the rock with all his remaining strength, smashing it into the side of the rat's skull.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The rat's grip on his arm loosened. Its eyes rolled back. It collapsed sideways, twitching.
Satou shoved the dying creature off him and rolled to his feet, his wounded arm hanging uselessly at his side. Blood poured from the bite wound, dripping onto the stone floor.
The third rat circled him warily now, having seen both its companions fall. It was the smartest of the three or the most cowardly. It kept its distance, chittering nervously.
Satou's vision swam from blood loss. His Regeneration skill was working, but not fast enough. He needed to end this quickly.
He spat another stone shard, his aim was off, the projectile grazing the rat's shoulder instead of hitting anything vital.
But it was enough to make the rat commit.
The creature charged, betting everything on a final, desperate attack.
Satou waited. Waited. His injured arm screaming. His vision darkening at the edges.
The rat leaped, jaws wide—
Satou dropped to one knee and raised his sword, point up.
The rat impaled itself on the blade, its own momentum driving the dulled weapon deep into its chest. It shrieked a horrible, dying sound and thrashed violently.
Satou held the sword steady with both hands now, ignoring the agony in his bitten arm, and pushed upward with everything he had left.
The blade pierced through the rat's heart.
The creature gave one final twitch, then went still.
Satou released the sword and collapsed backward, his chest heaving. Blood covered him, his own and the rats'. His right arm was a mangled mess. His side still bled from the earlier fight with the humans.
But he was alive.
And the cave was clear.
For a long moment, he just lay there, staring at the cave ceiling, listening to his own ragged breathing. Then, with tremendous effort, he pushed himself to a sitting position.
DING!
[You have slain: Giant Cave Rat x3]
[Devouring available.]
Satou looked at the three rat corpses and felt his stomach turn. You've got to be kidding me.
But he knew the system was right. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to protect Jessica and Kelvin and the others, he needed every advantage he could get.
So, with shaking hands and a grimace of disgust, he crawled over to the first rat and tore off a chunk of flesh.
It tasted even worse than human or goblin.
DING!
[Skill Acquired: Enhanced Bite]
[Effect: Increases jaw strength and bite force significantly.]
[Skill Acquired: Disease Resistance (Minor)]
[Effect: Provides resistance to common diseases and infections.]
Satou moved to the second rat.
DING!
[Skill Acquired: Tremor Sense (Weak)]
[Effect: Can detect vibrations in the ground, allowing awareness of nearby movement.]
And finally, the third rat.
DING!
[Skill Acquired: Burrowing]
[Effect: Allows the user to dig through soil and soft stone with enhanced speed and efficiency.]
[Skill Acquired: Earth Manipulation (Basic)]
[Effect: Allows minor control over earth and stone. Can shape mud, compact soil, and create simple structures.]
Satou's eyes widened as he read the last skill description. Earth Manipulation. That's... actually perfect.
With this skill, he could create proper shelter. Not just a cave, but actual structures. Walls. Roofs. Protection.
A small smile tugged at his bloodied lips.
He dragged himself to his feet, his Regeneration skill finally catching up. The wound on his arm was closing, the pain fading to a dull ache. His side had stopped bleeding entirely.
Time to make this cave livable.
Satou spent the next thirty minutes clearing the cave. He dragged the rat corpses outside, they'd be useful for food later, maybe. He used his Burrowing skill to dig a shallow trench near the entrance for waste. And he tested his Earth Manipulation skill, shaping a small wall of compacted mud near the back of the chamber.
The skill was weak, he could only manipulate small amounts of earth at a time, and it required intense concentration, but it worked.
This will do. For now.
Satisfied, he walked back toward the forest where the other goblins waited.
As he emerged from the trees, covered in blood and limping slightly, the goblins scrambled to their feet in alarm.
Gob stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Cave's clear," Satou said simply. "Giant rats. Three of them. Dead now."
Jessica and Kelvin came running, their faces pale with worry.
"Big brother! You're hurt!" Jessica's voice cracked.
"I'm fine," Satou said, though he didn't feel fine. He felt like he'd been chewed up and spit out. "The cave's safe now. Let's get everyone inside before something else finds us."
Kelvin grabbed Satou's hand,the one that wasn't covered in blood and squeezed tight. "You came back."
"I promised, didn't I?" Satou said, managing a tired smile.
"You did," Jessica said, her eyes still wet. "Thank you, big brother."
Satou squeezed Kelvin's hand back. "Come on. Let's get everyone settled."
As the goblins filed into the cave, some supporting the wounded, others carrying makeshift weapons, Gob walked beside Satou.
"You keep surprising me, whelp," Gob said quietly. "Most goblins would've run. Or died. You cleared that cave alone."
Satou didn't respond immediately. He just stared at the cave entrance as the last goblin disappeared inside.
"I had no choice," he finally said. "They're depending on me now."
Gob snorted. "Yeah. They are. And that's going to get a lot heavier before it gets easier."
Satou knew he was right.
But as he looked at Jessica and Kelvin waiting for him at the cave entrance, their small hands waving him forward, he realized something:
He didn't mind the weight.
Not anymore.
Inside the cave, the goblins huddled together for warmth. The wounded were laid out along one wall, their injuries being tended to by those who had some basic knowledge of healing.
Satou let out a sigh of relief but he knew this was just the beginning to all their problems