Sid POV

  Sid pushed Aditi forward as the group stalled, everyone turning toward the distant scream. The noise cut through the usual background murmur of footsteps and rustling brush, sharp enough that even Sid’s chest tightened for a moment.

  Sunny ran in front and blocked their way, breathing harder than before. “That was my wife. Please help me.” His gaze alternated between Aditi and George.

  “You guys go help her. I just need Aditi with me,” Sid said. He kept his tone firm and did not break stride, sidestepping Sunny. His hand tightened around Aditi’s wrist as he pulled her along. He pushed down the guilt that was bubbling up for letting the goblins inside camp and now dragging Aditi along by threatening her. He had long gotten used to people dying around him—all he could do now was to ensure that those dying were not the ones he cared about.

  Sunny’s footsteps faltered behind them. Aditi twisted slightly to look back, then turned forward again. “Sid, what’s going on? Why are you doing this?” she whispered, keeping her voice low so the others would not hear.

  “My friend is dying. I can’t afford any delays.” The words came out clipped. He did not look at her. He simply increased his pace, forcing her to either keep up or stumble. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sunny, George, and a few others break away from the group and head towards the foraging area.

  The fence came into view, and beyond it, the clearing where he had left Rohan and Varun. As they crossed past the fence, the scene hit them at once. Aditi jerked to a halt beside him, and Sid had to nudge her to move again.

  Goblin corpses littered the clearing, half a dozen small bodies thrown across the trampled ground. White webbing clung to bushes, shrubs and the ground itself, with two humans caught in the middle of it. Rohan and Varun stayed there, wrapped in layers of sticky strands.

  Varun’s breathing sounded rough and shallow even from where Sid stood. Pallavi crouched next to them, shoulders hunched and arms straining as she pressed both hands against Varun’s stomach. The shirt she used as a bandage was already soaked through.

  “Sid! Thank God you are here. He’s delirious; we’re losing him.” Rohan twisted his neck as far as the webbing allowed, trying to see Sid’s group. The relief in his voice did not hide the panic underneath it.

  Sid moved forward in a small, awkward half-run. For a second, he forgot he was still holding Aditi, but she did not need the pull anymore. She broke free of his grip and rushed ahead of him, dropping to her knees by Varun’s side.

  She sat down on her calves next to Varun, placed her hand on his stomach just above the webbing, and closed her eyes.

  Sid watched her, waiting for the familiar green glow. Nothing came. The air stayed the same dull color.

  “Skill’s still on cooldown.” Aditi’s voice shook. She looked up at Sid, eyes already filling.

  “Stay there and keep trying,” he said. He met her gaze and kept his own expression flat. No comfort, no anger. Just instruction.

  He turned away from her face and from Varun’s unfocused eyes. He did not need that image lodged in his head. Instead, he scanned the ground around Pallavi. She had gathered the crystals and his discarded clothes from when he had escaped the webbing earlier. The small pile rested beside her knee.

  She pressed his shirt harder into Varun’s stomach. The fabric was almost unrecognizable now, dark and heavy with blood. Sid registered the ruined cloth in a detached way. Losing a shirt was nothing. Losing his best friend was not an option.

  “How long has it been since you used Mana Web?” Sid asked Rohan, tilting his head.

  Rohan shook his head. “I couldn’t keep the web indefinitely, Sid. I’ve been trying my best. It’s been fifty seconds since my last cast.” He avoided Sid’s eyes at the end, as if bracing for blame.

  Sid tapped Aditi’s shoulder. Her breathing was still a little ragged, and she flinched slightly at the touch before steadying herself. “Let me know when you think the cooldown is done. You will heal no one else before Varun.” It almost sounded like a threat, and he did not walk it back.

  Rohan looked up at Sid. “You are being rude to her.” There was an attempt at authority in his tone, the same cadence Sid had heard in office meeting rooms when someone tried to pull rank. Here, surrounded by blood and webbing, it sounded thin, but the intent was clear. He was pushing back.

  “We’ll discuss later.” Sid did not look at Rohan while he answered. Later might not come. His mind was already running ahead. He was afraid the goblins had seriously injured Sunny’s wife and that the others would carry her back here, bleeding and begging for help.

  He knew what he was prepared to do. The thought rose before he could stop it: if that happened and he saw Aditi falter, he would put a knife to her throat and force the choice. Varun first. The image was clear and ugly, but he held it anyway.

  A light tapping on his foot pulled him out of it. He looked down and saw Aditi’s hand against his shoe. “The skill is ready.” Her voice was quiet, but steady.

  Sid looked at Rohan. “How much longer until the webbing slacks?”

  “Thirty seconds.” Rohan’s jaw was clenched. He stared at Varun as if counting each second in his head.

  “Be ready to cast your healing in thirty seconds, once the webbing slackens.” Sid crouched down beside Varun. Pain shot up his leg from the knife embedded in it. He had been tuning it out while he moved around, but now, closer to the ground and with his weight at a bad angle, it flared hot. He swallowed hard and forced his attention back to the task. There would be time to deal with his own wound later.

  Green light burst out of Aditi’s hand as color returned to Varun’s face and drained from Aditi’s. The light cut off abruptly after a few seconds. The wound was still there, raw and ugly, but the bleeding had stopped. Aditi’s skill was not strong enough yet to fix everything in one try. She would have to do it again, and soon.

  Sid reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her balance wavered for a moment, and he tightened his grip so she would not topple sideways. “Take some rest. You need to use your skills again.”

  Naga POV

  Naga had followed Sid when Sunny and George went to investigate the noise. Sid appeared to be on edge and was walking around with an injury, so naturally he was curious to know more. Besides, he didn’t think he would add much value to Sunny and George considering he was limping since their last fight.

  He was accompanied by the guard from earlier and a couple of policemen from George’s team, likely spies. The sight that welcomed them upon crossing the fence was outside his expectations.

  Naga took in the battlefield, letting his gaze travel slowly over the clearing. It was more than just a “couple” of goblins. There were four goblins wearing leather armour.

  He turned to the guard next to him, who stood with his shoulders slightly hunched and his grip tight on his weapon. “How did you guys kill so many goblins?”

  The guard nodded his head towards Sid without meeting Naga’s eyes. “You should ask them how they did it. I just helped kill one goblin.”

  Naga noticed the guard was being vague whenever the conversation shifted to what had happened. His gaze kept flicking away, towards Sid and the others. It was like he was afraid of someone, afraid that he might say the wrong thing and have to answer for it later.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “How many goblins were there?” Naga asked, intending to peel off the truth layer by layer.

  “Can’t you count the bodies? There’s eight of them around here,” the guard sighed, sounding more tired than proud, and started moving towards Sid.

  Eight? Naga let the number sit in his mind as he turned, scanning the clearing again with more focus. He counted the bodies near the center, then followed the line of churned earth and webbing to the edge. There, over in the distance, in the middle of wet ground, was another armoured goblin. That made eight.

  He realized that the guard was planning to dodge his questions by moving towards the rest of the participants in the battle. What could Sid have said to him that made him so compliant, Naga wondered.

  If Sid’s team was powerful enough to take out eight goblins without casualties, then Naga needed to reevaluate his place in this new order. Sid had already asked about teaming up against George. In a world that rewarded strength so directly, that offer mattered. He needed to keep Sid firmly in his camp.

  He walked towards Sid, following behind the guard. “Quick thinking. Using Mana Web to close the wound,” he said, giving a small, approving nod as he came to a stop. It was always better to open the conversation with a compliment, especially when stakes and egos were involved.

  Sid nodded, then pushed himself upright. He braced himself for a second and then pulled the dagger out of his thigh in one smooth motion. Naga watched for a flinch or a cry. There was nothing, just a tightening around Sid’s jaws.

  “I’m curious, why are you in your underpants?” Naga asked. He let the question carry a touch of humour, as if he were just trying to lighten the mood for everyone standing close enough to hear. In reality, he was probing. People talked more freely when they were laughing.

  “We can discuss after all of us are all healed and rested,” said Sid, tying cloth over his wound to stop the blood flow. That was a dismissal if Naga ever saw one.

  Sid was taking a more dominant tone in their alliance, positioning himself as the one who decided when things would be discussed. Naga could not allow that to persist, or he would end up playing second fiddle to him.

  “We have time right now while Aditi is recovering. Let us discuss the distribution of skill crystals.” Naga did not raise his voice, but shifted his gaze to the pile of pale crystals next to Pallavi, then back to Sid. The message was clear. This was not just a private chat. This was about resources.

  George was right about one thing—whoever controlled the crystals would control how fast their people got stronger.

  The last battle with the giant blue lizard had highlighted his shortcomings as a leader. He remembered the feeling of helplessness, of striking at scales that did not seem to care, and the sting of his own injury. George had wrestled with that creature and driven it away, and Naga had seen how the camp’s mood shifted afterward. He ended up gaining more prestige than Naga had managed in the last two days of running the camp.

  Back on Earth, money and status had weight. Here, in this tribal environment with monsters and magic crystals—personal power held far more sway. If he wanted to lead anyone for long, he would have to adapt his approach and his priorities, starting with how he handled Sid.

  Sid squared his shoulders and met Naga’s gaze directly. There was a small smile on his face that did not quite reach his eyes. “I’ll give one skill to you if you drop the issue and do not allow George and others to take it up. One will go to Aditi for healing us and one will go to this guy who helped us with the fight.” He pointed to the guard beside them. The guard’s posture shifted, chest lifting slightly, as if recognition itself were a reward.

  Naga enjoyed dealing with intelligent people. They made the negotiations more straightforward and did not make impulsive decisions that benefited no one.

  When he had first met their group, he had thought Rohan was their leader, since decisions gravitated towards him. But Rohan had given up that leadership the first chance he got, and it had been easy for Naga to take over. In his opinion, Sid was better suited to be a leader, calm and calculating like him. Not a brute like George.

  “I want an uncommon skill.” Naga kept his face neutral. If Sid will negotiate, Naga would press. Now that he was getting a skill, it was time to fish for maximum benefits.

  “I do not know all the skills yet. I will go through them and then give you a good one,” said Sid. There was a trace of irritation in his voice.

  “Why don’t we go through them together, and I will pick one; you can take the rest?” Naga noticed Sid’s brows draw closer as he went on, but he still held his ground. He had dealt with cocky recruits and arrogant subordinates before. He would not be intimidated by a kid who still looked like he should be sitting in a classroom.

  Instead of answering, Sid turned away from him and looked at Aditi. Naga followed his gaze. She was kneeling beside Varun, shoulders tense, fingers hovering over the wound.

  “I can heal him now.” Her eyes were wide, and her voice was cracking.

  “Do it now. Heal the three of us after Varun. I will give you a skill crystal for your troubles.” Sid pointed at the three members of his team, including himself. Aditi gave a small, quick nod, like someone who had already accepted that she did not have room to argue.

  Sid turned his gaze back to Naga. “You do not have enough leverage to demand that.”

  Naga had not expected him to slam the door on the discussion so openly.

  “What if I support George’s idea, a centralized distribution of skills? You might not even get a single skill in that case.” He kept his voice low, not wanting others to overhear. This conversation was about testing boundaries, not starting a public argument.

  Sid did not flinch. “The only thing of value here is Aditi’s healing skill. We can take that and leave, if push comes to shove.”

  Naga saw the reaction around Sid hit before he processed the line. One teammate’s eyes widened, another’s mouth opened, then shut again. None of them contradicted Sid. They all heard what he had just threatened—murder or abduction—spoken as casually as if he were talking about moving tents outside the fence.

  “You might want to leave, but I can guarantee your team will want to be inside the safety of the camp. You will suffer out there alone.” Naga kept his tone measured, but he could not fully hide the satisfaction that came with finding a pressure point. Camp safety, shared resources, numbers. Sid might walk away. His people, still shaken and bleeding, might not.

  A small smile crept up on Naga’s face at the thought, but he smoothed it away before it could settle. Gloating in front of opponents, especially strong ones, was something only fools did. He needed Sid as an ally, or at least not as an enemy, for as long as possible.

  “How many goblins did you guys kill? Everyone except me.” Sid turned to face the guard, his tone casual, as if he were asking about the weather instead of a slaughter.

  The guard stiffened at being addressed out of the blue. “One.”

  “How many did I kill alone?” Sid paused before the last word, watching the guard. The silence stretched just long enough to feel deliberate.

  “Seven.” The guard swallowed once, then answered. His gaze flicked to Naga and back to Sid, like he was aware he had just helped Sid make a point.

  Sid turned to Naga with a casual smile. There was no smugness in it, which somehow made it worse. “Do not worry. It is in my best interest to ensure that you get powerful enough to counter George. I will not shortchange you on the skill.” He extended his hand for a handshake to complete the deal.

  Naga breathed out and extended his hand. It did not feel good to have a kid two decades his junior call out his bluff in front of others and outsmart him so neatly. The sting was there, sharp and personal. It did not matter, he told himself. There would be other chances in the future. He would get him back for this.

  “A couple of things.” Sid pulled his hand back and raised it again. “One, be very vague in describing what happened during the fight. Do not mention any skill names or the fact that I killed most of the goblins.” He extended his thumb to start the count and looked between Naga and the guard, waiting.

  Naga nodded once. The guard hesitated a moment longer, then nodded as well. Naga saw the tension in the man’s jaw. He was not comfortable lying, but he would do it.

  “You lied earlier about your skills?” Naga tilted his head back slightly.

  Sid smiled but did not deny it.

  “Two, whatever attacked those people inside the camp, we did not let it through.” Sid finished his count by extending his index finger, then dropped his hand.

  “Why?” Rohan’s voice came from the ground. Naga glanced over and saw him still crouched, arms wrapped around Varun, holding him upright.

  “So that they do not have any basis for asking concessions from us. We are already compensating Aditi by giving her a skill.” Sid shot Rohan a look, a warning wrapped inside a sentence. The message was clear: stop asking questions in front of outsiders.

  Aditi flinched when Sid mentioned her name. Naga caught the small movement, the way her shoulders tightened and her hands paused for a heartbeat before she went back to her work. Their relationship was strained. Maybe there was an opportunity there.

  “What if they have some skill to track where the monsters came from?” asked Naga. The thing that scared him the most was the unknown. He did not know all the rules governing this place, and lying to people had hurt him once.

  “Does not matter; they cannot prove it, unlike the thing with crystal drops. It will be our word against theirs. Besides, it is great if they expose more of their capabilities.” Sid waved his concerns aside.

  Naga studied him. Blood on his leg, a hastily tied bandage, bare skin exposed to the chill, and yet his focus was on leverage, lies, and future negotiations. He reminded Naga of his younger self, back when he had been willing to cut corners to get results. A ruthless personality, willing to do anything for success.

  It scared him a little. Naga decided that if he was going to survive and keep any influence here, he would need to watch Sid carefully and guard himself against the young man’s ambitions more than anyone else’s.