I stepped back into the hall, eyes still sharp. "Check the bodies. See if they dropped anything."
A soft chime echoed in my ears, followed by a System notification blinking in the corner of my vision:
[Level Up!]
You have reached Level 5.]
I blinked once, letting the rush of satisfaction settle before opening my status window. There it was [Jasmine West – Level 5], glowing faintly.
Status Window
Status:
Name: Jasmine West
Level: 5 (0/1600)
Alignment: Neutral
Class: None
Title(s): Medusa
Health: 200/200
Stamina: 200/200
Mana: 130/130
MP Regen: +1 MP every 30 seconds
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 20
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 12
Perception: 20
Luck: 6
Charisma: 7
Willpower: 10
Instinct: 8
Wisdom: 1
Free Attribute Points: 15
Skill Points: 5
I tapped over to the [Party] tab, something I hadn't used until now. A simple interface opened, prompting me to create a group.
I sent an invite to Amber, Sol, Liam, and Karen.
A translucent window popped up in front of each of them.
Amber squinted. "What the hell is this?"
"A pop-up?" Sol asked, already poking at it.
"It says party request," Karen said, reading the screen aloud. "From… Jasmine?"
Liam raised a brow. "Are we in a game now?"
"Just accept it," I said. "Laney explained to us about parties before. We can share status info and track each other's health."
One by one, they tapped [Accept] and the party formed instantly.
Amber's eyes flicked over the new HUD. "Okay… that's actually kind of useful."
"I can see everyone's names," Sol said, "and health bars."
Liam grunted. "Still weird."
Karen just nodded. "Guess this makes it official."
"Good," I said. "Let's not die."
Each name appeared in a small list on the right-hand side of my vision, along with their current level, health bars, and status:
Amber – Level 4 – HP: 92/100 – Healthy
Sol – Level 4 – HP: 78/90 – Healthy
Liam – Level 5 – HP: 103/110 – Healthy
Karen – Level 3 – HP: 67/80 – Tired
Jasmine – Level 5 – HP: 105/110 – Healthy
Their health bars hovered faintly beneath their names, dim but present, flickering slightly with each breath or movement.
This really is useful. I could monitor them in real-time, who was tired, who was hurt, and who was close to dying. It made commanding a team feel more like managing a living system.
"That was loud, let's hurry and loot them," I said, already wiping my blade.
Amber crouched next to one, her brows lifting. "System drop."
A shimmer in the air, followed by a soft ding.
Item Name: Tattered Leather Boots
Rarity: Common
Bonus: +2 Agility
Durability: 20/40
Requirements: Level 5
Description: So ugly even goblins wouldn't wear them, but hey—agility's agility. If you can get past the smell and look like you lost a bet, enjoy the extra spring in your step.
"Who's level five?" she asked, already glancing at Sol.
Sol opened his party screen, then shook his head. "Not me. I'm still level four."
Amber looked over at me.
I sighed. "Fine, toss them here."
She did. They looked small—like toddler-sized compared to my foot—but the second I slid them on, the leather stretched and reshaped to match my size.
"Well, that's new."
"System gear must auto-fit," Liam said, watching the change.
"Great," I muttered, flexing my toes. "They're mine now."
Karen wrinkled her nose. "Do they always smell like that?"
"As long as they're effective, that's all that matters," Jasmine replied.
"Will Nicole be cool with your stinky feet?" Liam mumbled under his breath.
"What did you say?" I glared at him and then down at the shoes. She shouldn't mind, right? Right?
Liam chuckled and pulled something from another goblin. "Weapon drop."
Item Name: Crude Steel Shiv
Rarity: Common
Type: Weapon - Dagger
Damage: 5–8
Durability: 25/25
Critical Chance: 2%
Description: A hastily forged blade, more useful than it looks. Small, lightweight, and favored by goblins for close-range stabs.
He handed it to Karen. She hesitated before taking it, then nodded in thanks.
We kept moving, killing some more goblins in two other stores, until we almost triggered a tripwire barely catching it in time in the third store.
"Trap," I muttered. "Goblins are getting smarter."
Sol disarmed it using his dagger, eyes narrowed.
Another fight broke out in a party supplies store, this time five goblins with chipped swords and scavenged armor. One had a sharpened pizza tray as a shield. They rushed us with screeching cries, but our formation held. I took down two, Amber gutted one, and Liam crushed a fourth with a well-timed counter. Karen got her first real kill by slicing a goblin's throat after it lunged too fast.
She stood over the body, panting, her blade trembling.
"You okay?" I asked.
Karen gave a short nod. "Yeah… I'm okay."
We looted and received two Minor Health Potions and the Goblin Tooth Pendant.
Item Name: Goblin Tooth Pendant
Rarity: Common
Type: Accessory - Necklace
Bonus: +1 Willpower (Passive)
Bound Item: Cannot trade
Description: A crude pendant made from the sharpened tooth of a goblin warrior. Offers a subtle mental resilience to its wearer.
Sol found the pendant and pocketed it, grinning slightly. "One more for the collection."
A few people leveled.
[Amber – Level 3]
[Liam – Level 4]
[Sol – Level 5]
Karen was still Level 2, but she was close.
We hit one last store—a candle shop. It reeked of melted wax and something far worse.
Another goblin group—four this time, led by a taller one with crude bone jewelry around his neck.
[Enemy Identified: Mini-Boss Hobgoblin – Level 6]
"Form up," I ordered. "Take out the small ones first."
The fight took longer than any of us expected.
The hobgoblin was massive compared to the others. Easily a head taller than Liam and built like a brick wall. Its skin was a darker, muddied green, muscles layered thick beneath crude scraps of leather armor. It roared and charged, its jagged cleaver raised high.
This just might be a challenge.