Emily
The goblin's knife gleamed in the dim light as it lunged toward me. This was the end—I was certain of it. My legs wouldn't move, and my magic had failed me.
Suddenly, a fireball roared through the air, striking the goblin mid-leap. It was instantly consumed, and the flames spread to other goblins nearby, reducing them to ash in moments.
I turned to the source of the fire, heart racing. From the bushes, glowing eyes pierced through the shadows. Who could this be? Or rather, what could this be? My question was answered as a majestic lion, its mane ablaze with flames, stepped into view.
"A beast?" I whispered, stunned.
The goblin general growled, barking commands to its minions. The goblins charged at the lion in a frenzy, but the lion roared back, and its call was answered. More beasts appeared from the shadows—a shadowy panther, a cheetah crackling with electricity, and a massive crow with glowing red eyes.
The first goblin to attack was swallowed whole by a cloud of darkness, and with it, twenty others. The knight beside me gasped.
"A flame lion commanding other species... How is this possible?"
As if to answer, the crow soared overhead, scattering shimmering crystal dust that immobilized fifty goblins. Before they could recover, another lion emerged from the shadows and unleashed a devastating wave of flames, reducing the paralyzed goblins to cinders.
In just a few minutes, the beasts had decimated the goblin horde. Only the goblin general and a handful of its minions remained.
The flame lion walked forward with deliberate, heavy steps. The ground scorched beneath its paws, leaving fiery imprints as it approached the goblin general. The remaining goblins lunged toward it, but before they could land a hit, streaks of electricity lit up the air. In an instant, they were all downed, sparks crackling in the aftermath.
"W-what are those creatures…?" the mage beside me stammered, his staff slipping from his trembling hands.
Nate
Standing before the goblin general, I had taken on the form of the flame lion. The system had been clear: if I defeated the goblin general, I would gain its power. That meant I could transform into it and even summon a goblin knight.
The goblin general snarled, gripping its axe tightly as it charged at me. Before it could reach me, a streak of lightning zipped across the battlefield. My lightning cheetah struck with its Light Dash ability, leaving the goblin disoriented and battered.
Frustrated, the goblin swung its axe into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust to track the cheetah's movements. Its fist lashed out, catching the cheetah mid-dash and sending it flying.
"Smart," I muttered, watching the goblin general. These creatures were more dangerous than I'd expected. But it didn't matter. This fight was over.
I activated my flame lion's Blazing Body ability, enveloping myself in searing heat. My entire body ignited, glowing like molten lava. As the goblin general swung its axe at me, the weapon melted in the heat before it could make contact. I leapt forward, slashing with my flaming claws. The attack burned through its chest, leaving no chance for it to recover.
The goblin general collapsed, and the system interface appeared before me.
System
Goblin General defeated.
Level up: 13.
New Title: Goblin Slayer.
New Beast Unlocked: Goblin Knight.
New Skin Unlocked: Goblin General.
Not bad. But there was still much more I needed to learn about this system and this world.
I turned to leave but stopped when I saw the adventurers I'd saved. They were holding their weapons toward me, hands trembling. Fear painted their faces, and I couldn't blame them. Beasts like me were supposed to destroy, not save.
I shifted back into my human form, my body glowing briefly before my silver hair and pale skin reappeared. The adventurers froze in shock.
"Hi," I said awkwardly, my voice raspy.
The group stared at me, unsure how to respond. Finally, a young woman in pink robes stepped forward. "You… you saved us. Thank you." Her voice was steady, unlike the others.
I turned to leave again. "Will you not take your spoils?" she called out.
"No… I don't need them," I replied, not looking back.
"At least tell us your name," she insisted.
I paused and glanced over my shoulder. "Nate Williams."
Before she could say anything else, I transformed into the cursed crow and flew off, my beasts following me from the ground, except for the crow, which stayed airborne with me.
Athena
I stood in the royal training grounds, practicing my magic alone. Over and over, I chanted the spell, only for it to misfire. Each failure left me more frustrated. No matter how much I trained, I couldn't master this magic.
"Am I ever going to get this right?" I muttered to myself.
A knight in golden armor approached, kneeling before me. His armor shimmered in the sunlight, a symbol of strength and honor.
"Your Majesty has requested your presence, my lady," he said, bowing his head.
I sighed and turned away from the training grounds. "Very well. I'll go at once."
As I walked past him, I felt his gaze linger, but I ignored it. They already knew what I was trying to accomplish here. It was no secret that I had something to prove.