The gates groaned open as the ram hit them, the sound tearing through the stillness like the scream of a dying beast. In the fore stood Cheese and Gelrock like sentinels in the dim light. For a moment, the figures beyond the threshold hesitated shadows shifting in the dim torchlight cast by their flames. Then, with a guttural hiss and a deep roar, they surged forward into the courtyard. Ten figures in total, their weapons gleaming and their movements unnervingly precise. Cheese felt the wrongness there. No men moved like this.

  Cheese’s breath caught as the light revealed them. He’d expected men, but what stepped through were something else entirely.

  Half of them were hooded, their features concealed beneath deep cowls, but as they moved into the brighter light of the courtyard, Cheese’s perception froze. The hood slipped from one as it lunged forward, revealing a scaled toothy face unlike anything he’d ever seen. Its skin shimmered in shades of green and black, the scales reflecting the torchlight like polished stone. A pair of sharp, golden eyes locked onto him, their gaze cold and reptilian. A forked tongue flicked from its mouth, tasting the air.

  [Lizard Folk, Journeyman]

  Cheese had no other word for them, and what he did have come from the system. Yet, it fit. They stood upright like men, but their bodies were sinewy and alien, their hands clawed, their feet taloned and their maws held thick wicked teeth. Thier tails swayed behind them, balancing their movements with eerie precision. Their weapons—primitive spears and clubs—looked worn but lethal in their clawed grips.

  Cheese had fought giants and goblins before. He had even faced creatures twisted by magic. But this was different. There was something about their presence, about the way they moved—silent, deliberate, predatory—that sent ice shooting through his veins. For the briefest moment, he couldn’t breathe. He saw in their eyes a hunger, and knew it was for him.

  “Boy!” Gelrock’s voice snapped him back into the moment.

  The first lizardman lunged, its spear stabbing forward with shocking speed. Cheese barely twisted out of the way, his axe swinging up to parry the follow-up strike. Sparks flew as the metal connected with the spearhead, and the force of the blow sent him skidding back a step. Yet the spear was not so fortunate, as it had snapped in his opponent’s hands.

  "Their weapons are not magical" Came a shout from atop the gatehouse.

  Cheese’ instincts kicked in. He swung his axe in a wide arc, using Chop to keep distance. The burst of force sent the creature stumbling with deep a gash in its chest, and it gave him a moment to regain his footing.

  To his side, Gelrock was already in motion. The older man moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, his dagger and sword weaving arcs of steel as he pressed into the invaders on his flank. Cheese took a breath, adjusting his grip, and stepped forward again to join him. He entered with a THROW as he ran forward, the axe blade sunk into a lizards chest; and he summoned it back into his hands at the last moment as he struck again.

  The fight became a blur of motion and sound. Cheese swung his axe in precise, heavy arcs, each strike infused with mana to keep the creatures at bay. He would mix in throws occasionally to confuse the beasts. The invaders pressed hard, their weapons darting in coordinated strikes, but they didn’t seem to use abilities—no bursts of energy, no spells, just cold, relentless physicality.

  But something was wrong.

  As Cheese fought, he felt it—an oppressive presence pressing against his mind. It was subtle at first, like a weight on his shoulders, but it grew with each passing moment. The shadows in the courtyard seemed to deepen unnaturally, pooling in corners where the light couldn’t reach. A cold sweat broke out on his skin, and for a terrifying moment, it felt as though the darkness itself was alive and watching him.

  He toggled his Observe skill, hoping for clarity.

  The world sharpened into focus, details leaping out at him—the flicker of torchlight on scales, the rhythm of the lizardfolk’s breathing, the slight twitch of their tails before an attack. But it did nothing to ease the oppressive feeling. If anything, it grew worse.

  One of the lizardmen suddenly darted forward with unnatural speed, its spear aimed for his chest. Cheese twisted and stepped forward into the spear thrust sneding the lizard soaring past him, the blade narrowly missing him, but another lizard swung a club toward his side. He raised his free arm instinctively, and the impact sent a jolt of pain through him.

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  Mana surged into his skin before he could think. A faint shimmer covered his body, and he felt the blow deflect slightly, the force blunted. The club scraped past, and Cheese swung back, his Chop slicing through the air and forcing his attacker to retreat.

  A notification flared in the back of his mind.

  [Spiritual Resistance] leveled up!

  New Ability Unlocked: [Mage Armor] (Rare) - Level 4

  Cheese didn’t hesitate. He activated it, and the mana around his body solidified, a protective shell forming tighter and harder than anything he had ever managed before. It wasn’t just a faint film now—it was tangible, a gleaming barrier that radiated strength.

  The next strike came fast as the lizard with the spear came at him aiming for his leg. It skidded harmlessly off the armor, and Cheese returned the thrust with a Chop that took off the lizards head. He turned his attention back to the gate as the lizard slumped down to the ground. Cheese felt a surge of energy fill him, and he frowned. He had not felt that these past few days. Was this because the lizard was on his level of skill?

  Cheese exhaled slowly as his mind processed the information, his resolve hardening. The oppressive presence still loomed, heavy and consuming, but he focused on the fight. He stepped forward, his axe swinging, his Chop carving the air as he drove back the attackers.

  “Gelrock,” he called over the clash of steel. “You holding?”

  “Aye,” came the gruff reply. “Push harder, boy. Let’s send these lizards back to the pit they came from.”

  Cheese nodded, his eyes locked on the golden gaze of the nearest lizardman. The fear was still there, gnawing at the edges of his mind, but he buried it deep.

  Whatever was waiting in the shadows could wait. Right now, he had a fight to finish.

  More than half of the lizardfolk had already fallen to their strikes. The courtyard was a bloody chaos of scales and shadow, the bodies of the dead sprawled where they had collapsed under the relentless assault. Cheese and Gelrock pressed the attack, their timing near perfect, carving through the remaining foes with ferocity.

  The survivors began to falter, their steps uneasy as they retreated under the combined weight of blade and axe. The lizards hissed and growled, their tails lashing in agitation as they were forced back toward the open gate. Above, the defenders on the walls found their mark. A volley of arrows rained down, striking with deadly precision. One of the lizardfolk fell instantly, with a shaft buried deep in its back, another struggled on as an arrow punctured its arm. A number of other arrows hit, but they bounced off the lizards flesh.

  “Keep the rhythm!” Gelrock shouted, his sword flashing as he feinted toward one of the remaining attackers.

  Cheese matched his movements, his axe rising and falling with calculated brutality. The sound of the archers loosing above became a cue, each strike timed to their rhythm. The chaos of battle found a strange, deadly order as steel and arrows worked in concert.

  One of the lizardfolk lunged for Cheese, its spear darting like a serpent’s strike. Yet compared to the earlier lizard this one seemed sluggish. Cheese sidestepped, his axe sweeping in a brutal arc. The blade cleaved cleanly through the creature’s torso, separating it in two. The lizard’s body crumpled to the ground, its golden eyes staring blankly as its life faded. Cheese frowned as he felt none of the lizard's energy entering his body.

  Gelrock dispatched the next with a practiced thrust, his sword skewering the lizardfolk through the ribs. It let out a sharp hiss, clawing feebly at the blade before slumping forward.

  Only two remained now, their movements erratic, the fight leaving them. Yet even as Cheese steadied his breathing, his skin still tingled with unease. He could feel it—the same oppressive presence as before, but stronger now. It wasn’t just the weight of battle or the looming threat of the gate falling. It was something else. A vision, like eyes from a great distance, watching him. Waiting.

  It rooted him for a moment, the sensation so palpable he felt as though he could turn and see the gaze fixed on him.

  Then pain snapped him back to reality.

  A goblin’s javelin had slipped through the chaos, striking him just below the shoulder. The impact staggered him, and though his Mage Armor absorbed much of the force, the jagged tip still bit into his skin.

  Cheese gritted his teeth, ripping the arrow free and tossing it aside. The pain burned hot, but it cleared his mind.

  Focus, boy!” Gelrock growled, stepping closer to cover him.

  Cheese nodded, shaking off the haze. The two remaining lizards snarled and lunged.

  The first came at him with a club, its clawed feet scraping against the stone as it moved. Cheese planted his feet, his axe sweeping upward in a powerful arc. The weapon caught the lizard square in the chest, splitting it open with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed across the courtyard as the creature crumpled at his feet.

  The last lizard hesitated for just a moment, its golden eyes flicking to Gelrock. That was all the veteran needed. Gelrock surged forward, his dagger slicing upward to disarm the creature as it pierced his hand, his sword plunging deep into its neck. The lizard choked on its own blood, collapsing in a heap beside its kin.

  Cheese wiped his axe clean on his sleeve, his chest rising and falling with exertion. He turned to Gelrock, who gave him a curt nod, his expression grim but satisfied.

  It should have felt like victory, but the oppressive weight hadn’t left. Cheese’s gaze drifted to the gate, where the torchlight illuminated the mass of goblins gathered outside. They stood just beyond the threshold, jeering and snarling, their weapons flashing in the firelight.

  And behind them, somewhere in the darkness, he could feel it still. Watching. Waiting.

  Cheese tightened his grip on his axe and glanced at his skills with a smirk. Well, this was one way to grind a skill.

  The goblins roared and began slowly advancing.