Even after the pyres had burned down, even after most had turned away, Alex stayed close to the blackened ground. A light breeze carried the scent of charred wood and something heavier. Thirteen souls reduced to drifting smoke.
He wasn’t alone.
Jake crouched nearby, flipping through the pages of his notebook, but his pen wasn’t moving. Just holding it. Flipping pages. Staring past them.
“Forty-six points from the goblins,” he said softly. “Eight from the hobgoblin. If we pool them, that’s... fifty-four.”
Alex didn’t respond right away. “Too late for the dead.”
“Not for the rest of us,” Jake murmured.
Across the clearing, Miriam and Camila were speaking in low voices. Both looked exhausted, but clear-eyed. Miriam glanced toward the Obelisk as if weighing something heavy.
Jake stood. “We need a system.”
Alex blinked. “For what?”
Jake turned to face him. “Point pooling. If someone’s close to unlocking something important—chakra, Nen, a weapon—we need a way to help each other. Or at least vote on it.”
“People might not go for it,” Alex said. “Everyone’s desperate to get their own strength. To be reliant on someone else is risky”
“Desperation’s what killed thirteen people last night,” Jake replied, sharper than he meant. He exhaled. “Sorry. I just—can’t watch that happen again.”
By midday, the survivors gathered around the Obelisk.
Miriam stood beside it, arms folded. “We killed twenty-three goblins. One hobgoblin. We’re not wasting those sacrifices.”
A murmur passed through the crowd.
“Fifty-four points,” she continued. “We’re going to start pooling. For specific goals. If we think someone is close to unlocking something that will help us all, we vote. That’s how we’ll survive. Otherwise get your own points in the meantime”
Jake stepped forward. “Not just powers. Tools. Gear. Weapons. We underestimated that last night. Some of those killed... never had a chance.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Camila nodded. “The axe from the hobgoblin was well made, albeit stone, but beyond that... we need more. Bows. Armor. Haki, Chakra, Aura—it all helps. But only if you live long enough to use it.”
There was resistance, of course. Some scoffed. Some whispered. But no one shouted. Not after the night before.
A vote was cast.
And the points went to WrenMarine Sabers
She approached the Obelisk quietly.
Wren – 6 Points (Pre-pool)
+39 Points (Pool) = 45 points
She bought:
- Aura Detection & Activation – 20 Points
- Ten - 5 points
- Ren - 8 points
- Ten - 5 points
She had 2 points remaining.
“Great. David and Roger have been practicing with the Marine Sabers
That evening, camp life strained to return to routine.
Ellie practiced fine control, this time working magic into a dirt sphere she’d moulded. She’d started calling it , but nothing had happened yet.
Alex was helping reinforce the fencing with sharpened stakes, alongside Theo and Dev. Miriam passed through, correcting their spacing.
“Keep the gaps small,” she said. “We’ll string trip-lines between them tonight.”
Theo nodded. “What about alarms?”
“We’ve got some old pans. Rope them to the branches. It’s crude, but it works.”
Near the fire pit, Yusuf was sitting with Wren, watching her practice.
“I can see it,” she muttered. “Your aura. It’s... thicker than usually”
“Just Ren,” he said. “But yeah, you’ll get used to it.”
Wren looked toward the forest, then at the others. “We need more like us. Fighters. Sensors. We can’t just train. We need to start planning patrol rotations.”
“Already spoke to Miriam,” Yusuf said. “We’re forming a ranger unit. You, me, Camila, Jason, Alex maybe Theo. We’ll sweep daily. Hunt. Track. Report.”
She nodded. “Good.”
That night, the fire felt warmer.
They had stew again—less meat now, just roots and the last of the moss-deer. But it was food. They talked softly. They sat closer. Even those who hadn’t picked a path yet stayed near the core.
Jake scratched new names into his notebook:
? David – One Piece
? Camila – Fairy Tail
? Miriam – Naruto
? Alex – Naruto
? Yusuf – Hunter x Hunter
? Ellie – Fairy Tail
? Jason – Bleach
? Raj – One Piece
? Li – Fairy Tail
? Roger – One Piece
? Wren – Hunter x Hunter
? Theo – Naruto
? Stan – Naruto
? Melissa – Bleach
? Grace – One Piece
? Marcy – Fairy Tail
? Dev – Bleach
Seventeen
But now, one more path had been truly explored.
And out in the trees, past the range of torchlight, something watched.
Not a goblin.
Something taller.
It did not breathe.
It did not blink.
It simply turned... and stepped back into the dark.