Owen staggered backward.Three gashes appeared across his chest. A hiss escaped his lips.It burned.It stung like hell.Owen gritted his teeth.Eight mutant cats.One was wounded from his previous attack. Seven others were still unharmed.He took a fighting stance again, his twin short blades raised in his hands.The mutant cats rounded him, baring their fangs.Then the first one charged.Owen slashed at it with his sword.The cat twisted its body in midair, narrowly avoiding the blade.Owen's eyes widened.Too fast!The mutant cat landed behind him and immediately spun around.Its claws came for his back.Owen hurriedly turned.Clang!His blade caught the claws, but the force sent him stumbling sideways.Another mutant cat lunged.Owen ducked.Its claws passed over his head.He thrust h

[Head Eater][As the name implies, this creature feeds on heads. Be it other monsters or humans.]“Above us!”Owen threw himself to the side.Something pale dropped from the branches overhead and slammed into the ground with a dull thud, sending dried leaves scattering in every direction.The creature slowly lifted itself.Its skin was pale white, stretched tightly over its body. Not a single strand of hair covered its skin, except for the long mass of black hair spilling from its head and hanging almost to its waist.Two crimson eyes stared at the group.Its hands were long and unnaturally thin, each finger ending in a curved, razor-sharp claw.Then it opened its mouth.Rows of jagged teeth filled its entire mouth.Owen's eyes narrowed.The creature had no legs.From the waist down, its body narrowed into a thick, serpentine tail that curled across the forest floor.It slowly raised its upper body until it was standing upright.No attack.No sudden movement.It simply stared.Owen ti

BAM!The blow caught him across the ribs.He flew sideways and crashed into the ground.Pain exploded through his side.He coughed.For a moment, he couldn't breathe.Damn...The Head Eater turned toward him.A shadow fell over Owen.It raised one claw.Then—“Get away from him!”The archer released an arrow.Whoosh!The arrow struck the monster in the shoulder causing it to stagger.The archer quickly reached for another arrow.The Head Eater ripped the first one out.Its gaze locked onto him.The archer's hands trembled.“Come on...”He drew another arrow.The monster disappeared.His eyes widened.“Where—”A pale hand appeared in front of him.Slash!Three claws ripped across his chest.“ARGH!”The archer dropped his bow and fell backward.Blood soaked through his clothes.Rose stared in horror.“Everyone, spread out!”Too late.The Head Eater charged again.Rose threw both hands forward.Vines erupted from the ground and wrapped around its waist.The monster dragged her along with

Very early the next morning, the group woke, ate a few rations, and set off toward their destination—the Goblin Mountains. The journey had already taken them through two completely different environments. On the first day, they had crossed a vast wasteland filled with abandoned buildings, rusted vehicles, and crumbling infrastructure. The remains of the old world had been scattered everywhere, silent reminders of the civilization that had once inhabited the land. The previous day had been the forest. Tall trees had blocked out much of the sunlight, while strange creatures had lurked between the branches and bushes. Every step had required caution. Now, on their third day, the scenery had changed once again. Rocks stretched across the landscape as far as the eye could see. Large boulders jutted from the ground like the remains of ancient giants, while cracks and openings in the rocky terrain revealed dark caves hidden beneath the mountains. The further they traveled, the

"The rest of you, deal with the other goblins. Owen, the two of us will handle the Goblin General,” Becky said.“Kai, don’t get close to the goblins.” Owen glanced over his shoulder.Kai nodded. His fingers tightened around his wand as his eyes moved across the battlefield.Becky stepped toward the Goblin General.She raised both hands.A flicker of orange light appeared between her palms.Fwoom!Flames curled around her fingers before gathering into a spinning ball of fire.Owen drew both of his short blades.The metal caught the light from Becky's flames.“Lieutenant, you're a mage. You need to keep your distance from your opponent,” Owen said, lowering his stance.Becky turned her head toward him.“And you,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “aren't you an assassin? Aren't assassins supposed to be masters of stealth?”The edge of Owen's lips pulled into a smirk.“We are indeed masters of stealth.” He rolled one of his short blades between his fingers before gripping it tightly. “But th