Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Satou’s consciousness drifted through darkness, his mind replaying the events of the day in fragmented pieces. The elder’s sacrifice. The blood-soaked tunnel. Jessica and Kelvin’s transformation into Hobgoblins. Each memory felt heavy, pressing down on him like physical weight.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out—minutes, hours, maybe longer—when voices began filtering through the fog of exhaustion.

"—think he’ll wake up soon?"

"His breathing’s steady. The kid just pushed himself too hard.

"

"Can’t blame him. Did you see what he did? Those namings... I’ve never heard of anything like that."

Satou’s eyelids felt like lead, but he forced them open. The cave ceiling came into focus first, its rough stone surface illuminated by the warm glow of a small fire someone had managed to start. Shadows danced across the walls, creating strange patterns that almost looked alive.

"Big brother!"

Jessica’s face suddenly filled his vision, her new Hobgoblin features still startling despite having witnessed her transformation. Her yellow eyes—now sharper, more intelligent—were filled with concern.

"You’re awake!" Kelvin appeared beside her, his expression equally worried. "You’ve been asleep for three hours. We thought maybe something went wrong."

Three hours. Satou tried to sit up but immediately regretted it as his head spun violently. A strong hand pressed against his shoulder, keeping him down.

"Easy there," Grimnir’s gruff voice said. The newly-named Hobgoblin came into view, his massive frame blocking out part of the firelight. "Your body’s still recovering from the mana drain. Don’t push it."

"I’m fine," Satou muttered, though even to his own ears the protest sounded weak.

"You’re not," Lyra’s voice came from somewhere to his left. The female Hobgoblin moved into view, carrying a crude wooden bowl filled with water. "Here. Drink this slowly."

Satou accepted the bowl gratefully, taking small sips. The water was cold and tasted faintly of minerals, but it was the most refreshing thing he’d ever experienced. As he drank, he became aware of the other goblins scattered throughout the cave—some sleeping, others sitting in small groups and talking in hushed voices. All of them kept glancing in his direction.

"What’s everyone staring at?" Satou asked after finishing the water.

Grimnir snorted. "What do you think? You just turned four regular goblins into Hobgoblins with nothing but words and magic. Half of them think you’re some kind of prophet. The other half think you’re a god."

"I’m neither," Satou said firmly. "I just have a skill, that’s all."

"A skill that can change our entire species," Lyra interjected softly. She knelt beside him, her movements graceful in a way they hadn’t been before her evolution. "Do you understand what that means? Goblins are born weak. We die weak. But you... you can make us something more."

The weight in her words made Satou uncomfortable. He could see the hope burning in her eyes, reflected in the faces of every goblin watching him. They were looking at him like he was their salvation, their ticket out of being the world’s punching bag.

No pressure or anything.

"Listen," Satou said, forcing himself to sit up despite the lingering dizziness. Grimnir moved to support him, and Satou nodded his thanks. "I can name people, yes. But I can only do it when I have enough mana. Right now, I’m completely tapped out. It’ll take time before I can name anyone else."

"How much time?" one of the unnamed goblins called out from the crowd. It was the scout who’d mocked him earlier, though his tone was respectful now.

Satou pulled up his status screen mentally, checking his mana.

[Mana: 3/15]

"My mana’s regenerating, but slowly," Satou said. "At this rate, maybe another day before I’m back to full capacity. And even then, I can only name five people before I’m drained again."

Murmurs rippled through the cave. Some goblins looked disappointed. Others seemed to be calculating their chances of being chosen next.

"That means it’ll take time to name everyone," another goblin said. "How do we decide who gets named first?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken tension. Satou could see it in their eyes—the desperation, the fear of being left behind while others got stronger. This could easily turn ugly if he wasn’t careful.

"We do it based on need," Satou said firmly. "Not favoritism. Not who likes me best. Need. The wounded get priority once they’re healthy enough for the transformation. Then the fighters who protect us. Then the scouts who find food and water. Everyone will get named eventually, but we have to be smart about it."

Grimnir nodded approvingly. "Makes sense. A strong core protects the weak until they can be strengthened too."

"Exactly," Satou said. He scanned the faces watching him. "I know some of you are frustrated. I know you want to be stronger right now. But we have to be patient. Rushing this will get us killed."

The goblins didn’t look entirely happy about it, but they seemed to accept his reasoning. The tension in the air eased slightly.

"In the meantime," Satou continued, "we need to focus on survival. This cave is defensible, but we need food, water, and a plan for if the humans find us again."

"Already started on that," Grimnir said. He gestured toward the cave entrance where two regular goblins stood guard with crude spears. "I’ve posted sentries in shifts. And some of the others have been exploring the area around the cave. There’s a stream about ten minutes west, and one of the scouts found berry bushes nearby."

"Good," Satou said, relieved that someone had taken initiative while he was unconscious. "What about the wounded?"

Lyra answered this time. "Seven badly injured. Three might not make it through the night without proper medicine or healing magic. The rest should recover with time and rest."

Satou’s jaw tightened. They’d already lost so many in the cave battle. Losing more now, after they’d escaped, felt like a cruel joke.

"I have Regeneration," Satou said slowly. "But I can’t transfer it to others. And my mana’s too low to try naming the wounded right now without risking passing out again."

"We’ll do what we can for them," Grimnir said. "But honestly, kid, you’ve already done more than anyone could have expected. You got twenty-five of us out alive. That’s a miracle in itself."

Satou didn’t feel like a miracle worker. He felt like a fraud who’d stumbled into power he barely understood.

"Big brother, you should eat something," Jessica said, interrupting his dark thoughts. She held out a chunk of what looked like cooked meat on a stick.

Satou blinked. "Where did this come from?"