Abhay sat peacefully atop the tree, enjoying the last few bites of his homemade burger. The quiet was comforting, broken only by the soft chirping of crickets and the fading warmth of fire rising from the goblin pit. Then, with a soft chime, a system notification appeared in front of him.
[+500 EXP | Goblin Champion Defeated]
He blinked in surprise. "What the… I didn't even fight that one."
Curious, Abhay tapped on the notification. A message popped up beneath it:
Cause of death: Suffocated due to smoke inhalation.
Abhay stared at the screen in disbelief, then broke into laughter. "Free EXP for doing nothing? I'll take it!"
Just as he was about to close the system window, another alert appeared.
[Quest Progress Updated]
Goblin Champion: (1/3)
Goblin Lord: (0/1)
"Two more champs and the big boss left, huh?" Abhay muttered, brushing crumbs off his lap.
3 Hours Later
The heavy blanket of smoke had finally cleared from the goblin cave. Abhay cautiously stepped through the thick darkness of the seventh underground floor. Even though visibility was still limited, he pressed on, his eyes adjusting slowly.
The floor was empty—eerily so. But at the far end, slumped against a stone pillar, lay the hulking corpse of a goblin clad in heavy armor. The metal glinted dully in the dim light, and even in death, the creature's presence was intimidating.
As he approached the body, another notification flashed.
[New Skill Unlocked: Eclipse Drive]
Abhay's eyes widened. He quickly opened the system window to view his updated skill list.
SYSTEM WINDOW
SKILLS:
Gare Shift – Level 1
Eclipse Drive – Level 1
He tapped on the new skill.
ECLIPSE DRIVE (Level 1)
"When the soul teeters at the edge of oblivion, emotion becomes weapon."
Activates at ≤ 20% HP
Random Emotion Trigger:
• Rage (Red) — +10% Attack
• Despair (Violet) — +10% Defense
Skill Duration: 10 seconds
"Transformation mode?!" Abhay exclaimed, visibly thrilled. "Finally, some backup for tight situations."
He then tapped on Gare Shift to review it again.
GARE SHIFT (Level 1)
"Power like war engine. Heat like a dying star."
+10% to All Stats per Second
Duration: 15 seconds
Overheat Begins After 10 Seconds: Lose 1% HP/sec
"Alright, one for constant pressure, the other for a clutch save. Not bad," he murmured, nodding to himself.
There were still two Goblin Champions and one Goblin Lord remaining. Abhay cracked open a new rift with his gauntlet and returned to his rented apartment.
He emerged moments later with a battle axe, a heavy hammer, and the last of his oil cans. Just as he was about to leave again, something clicked in his mind.
3:00 AM | Lucky's Room
"Dude…" Lucky yawned, struggling to stay upright while holding a wooden plank and a set of nine thick nails. "What are you gonna do with this?"
Abhay, busy stuffing his backpack, replied casually, "Oh, my doghouse broke. I'm just gonna fix it."
Lucky blinked slowly, his brain trying to process. "You… live in an apartment. Your neighbors hate pets. And most importantly… you don't even have a dog."
He looked up—only to find Abhay already gone.
Abhay took a silent auto ride back toward the cave, passing through the dimly lit streets of his society. But something caught his eye.
"Stop for a second," he told the driver.
In the middle of the park, a group of uncles—and shockingly, some of his school's yoga club seniors—were camping. Tents, mats, even a small firepit.
Abhay frowned. "Is that even legal?"
He got out, pulled out his phone, and snapped a few pictures.
"Perfect. Uncle's gonna love seeing this in the morning," he said with a sly grin.