Minoru sank into the dry earth of the fissure, letting the silence of the hidden chamber wash over him. His body was a collection of throbbing aches and stiff, sealed wounds, yet for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, the terror was distant. He had 17 Magius and an active Magoi Siphon. The immediate need for flight had been replaced by the quiet necessity of recovery.
He focused entirely on the recharge. The Siphon was a subtle, almost imperceptible feeling: a faint, cool pressure pulling the ambient Magoi from the air and rock into his core. It was slow, about three Magius per hour—but it was steady. Minoru settled in for the wait, the stillness allowing his mind, the mind of a meticulous corporate drone, to finally process the terrifying, miraculous system he now inhabited.
The Magoi system, he reflected, leaning his head back against the crystalline wall. It's simple, brutal, and entirely logical, like a supply chain with zero safety regulations.
He reviewed his understanding for the benefit of the panicked, 33 year old salaryman still buried beneath the goblin exterior. The fundamental energy of this world is Magoi. It flows everywhere, saturating the environment. When living things absorb and condense this Magoi, it becomes Magius, the personal energy reserve. Minoru's goblin body, the "Lesser Variant," had a pathetic maximum capacity of 100 Magius, making him the equivalent of a corporate intern: high on potential, zero on resources.
His skills were the application layer of this system. They were not innate magic spells, but physical and physiological Adaptations, granted by his Unique Skill Appraisal in moments of extreme crisis. They were tools, and every tool cost Magius to activate or maintain.
• Appraisal (Unique Skill): The CEO of the whole operation. It tells him what things are and, crucially, what his body wants to be. It's the diagnostic tool and the grant writer for new abilities. It runs on willpower, not Magius, but it's taxing to use.
• Magoi Siphon: The automatic recharge function. It's what keeps him alive, slowly pulling in the ambient Magoi that is so rich in this subterranean cavern.
• Magius Suppression: A stealth function, costing Magius to run. Essential for avoiding high-level threats like the Fangjaw Wolf, but currently too expensive to maintain.
• Gills, Magius Skin, Instinctual Self-Preservation: Emergency skills, life rafts that drained his battery but pulled him through the worst.
Seventeen Magius, he calculated, closing his eyes. The Siphon has been running for approximately four hours while I was resting, which means I gained twelve Magius since passing out. I'm currently spending one Magius an hour to keep my Enhanced Senses and Night Vision active, which is a worthwhile cost for situational awareness.
He realized that even a full tank of 100 Magius was negligible against a threat like the Alpha Wolf's 750 Magius. He couldn't just heal; he had to fundamentally change his biology.
The thought of evolution surfaced, stark and undeniable.
He needed to increase his capacity, not just refill his tank. Minoru forced himself to look past his immediate needs and focus on the future. He cast Appraisal inward again, pushing the skill not for his current status, but for his potential.
"Appraisal," he whispered, the goblin voice a rough rasp. "Analyze potential growth path."
The system responded with a deep, complex sweep of data that pulsed with a strange, metallic green light.
[Goblino (Unnamed Goblin Male) Analysis Complete.]
[Potential Growth Path: Race Evolution unlocked.]
The script reorganized itself, prioritizing a new, alarming metric.
| Attribute | Current Value | Max Capacity |
|------------------|---------------|--------------|
| Magius | 26 | 100 |
| Physique | F | D |
| Evolution Bar | 4.2% | 100% |
Minoru stared at the Evolution Bar, the 4.2% mocking him. It was a terrifying video game mechanic superimposed onto his actual life. He was grinding for an upgrade.
Evolution is the only way out of this trap, he concluded. A Lesser Variant goblin will always be cannon fodder. If I evolve, my Max Magius will increase, my physical stats will jump, and those sealed thorns in my flank will probably be absorbed and fixed.
He pushed the Appraisal further, demanding the requirements for evolution.
Evolution Requirements: Goblino to Hobgoblin (Stage I)
| Requirement | Status |
|-----------------------|--------------------------------|
| Magius Capacity | 100 |
| Magius Pool | >95 |
| Magoi Saturation | Achieve 1000 units of magoi absorption |
| Threat Elimination | Defeat three magic beasts >500 Magus |
| Unique Factor | Assimilate a unique or high-grade magical material |
Estimated Gains Post-Evolution (Hobgoblin - Stage I):
• Magius Capacity: 400 / 400
• Physique: C
• Skills: Enhanced Regeneration (Novice); Group Command (Basic).
• Effect: Full physical restoration and absorption of minor injuries.
This is a massive grind, Minoru thought, the task feeling impossible, yet utterly necessary. A full capacity of 400 Magius! Instantaneous healing! The current path is suicide; the evolution path is simply very difficult suicide.
He analyzed the requirements. Magius Pool and Capacity were technical goals, achievable with time and absorption. Threat Elimination was the terrifying factor. He had run from a 750 Magius wolf; he had to kill three similar beasts.
The simplest path, however, was Magoi Saturation and the Unique Factor. His Magoi Siphon was currently chipping away at the Saturation requirement. If he could find a massive source of Magoi like the crystalline structures or a powerful monster core. He could satisfy those two requirements quickly, potentially forcing the evolution without engaging in impossible combat.
He looked at the glowing blue-white crystal he was resting near. He focused his Appraisal on it, needing to know its worth.
Object: Crystal Fragment (Vein Remnant)
Description: Crystalline deposit from an ancient Magoi vein. Highly saturated.
Magoi Content: \approx 50 Magius (Raw).
Effect: Direct consumption will instantly restore 50 Magius and contribute to Magoi Saturation requirement. Risk of assimilation shock is moderate for Lesser Variants.
Fifty Magius! That was almost half his total capacity. He had gained nine more Magius during the analysis, bringing his current total to 35 Magius.
He spent another few minutes calculating the risk. Moderate assimilation shock meant severe pain or temporary disorientation, but not death. The benefit was 50 Magius, a huge jump in his capacity.
He reached out his clawed hand and, without further thought, tore the crystal fragment from the wall. It was cold, pulsing faintly in his palm. He lifted it to his mouth and took a deep, grating bite.
The pain was instantaneous and sharp, like swallowing a handful of glittering glass shards. The crystal substance, however, dissolved instantly, releasing a powerful burst of Magoi that flooded his small system. It felt like drinking a thousand cups of high-octane espresso. His eyes widened, and he bit back a scream.
Assimilation shock acknowledged, he grunted internally. Status update!
He immediately cast Appraisal again.
Magius: 35 (Current) + 50 (Crystal) = 85 / 100
Magoi Saturation: 250 units (Increased by 50 units).
The jump was immediate and invigorating. His body felt warm, ready to move. The exhaustion lifted entirely. He felt strong, capable. Now was the time to act. He couldn't afford to let this energy stagnate. He had to keep moving and searching for the bigger prize.
He deactivated the Magoi Siphon and his active Enhanced Senses. The energy drain stopped. He needed every Magius for safety.
Magius: 85 / 100
He stood, testing his weight on his sealed, painful flank. The movement was difficult, but the crystal's energy had certainly masked the worst of the throbbing.
I need a larger source, he decided. The fissure runs deeper. It's the highest probability for a nexus.
He turned his attention to the narrow, dark crevice he had used for shelter. The fissure was less a crack and more a vertical tunnel, rough and barely wide enough for his shoulders. He knelt and began to crawl into the absolute darkness, his Enhanced Night Vision now his only active skill, guiding him through the suffocating tightness.
The crawl was long and tedious. The rock was slick in places and painfully sharp in others. The sound of his crawling was amplified in the confined space, making him paranoid about any creature that might be waiting ahead. He focused on the raw, cool smell of the stone, ensuring the air remained clean.
After perhaps ten minutes of painful, scraping movement, Minoru sensed a change. The oppressive tightness of the fissure began to relent. The temperature of the air rose slightly, and the stone under his hands felt unnaturally smooth, carved rather than natural. He also sensed a shift in the Magoi flow; it was no longer a passive ambient hum, but a forceful, controlled current, as if flowing through engineered pipes.
He pushed forward, the smooth rock giving way to rough-hewn, angular blocks. The fissure opened abruptly into an immense, cube-shaped chamber.
Minoru tumbled out of the narrow opening, landing silently on a cold, polished stone floor. The chamber was unnaturally large, lined with symmetrical, obsidian blocks that seemed to absorb all light, making the faint blue glow of his Night Vision feel weak. The air was heavy, dry, and stagnant.
The room wasn't natural. It was built.
He slowly raised his head, his Enhanced Senses straining against the immense, crushing silence. The far wall was completely dominated by a single, monolithic archway, intricately carved with symbols that seemed to writhe in the faint light. Before the archway stood two immense figures, immobile and silent, seemingly crafted from the same dark stone as the walls. They were guardians, their hands resting on hilts of massive, non-metallic swords.
The Magoi in this chamber was potent—not flowing, but compressed, waiting. He had not found another cave; he had found a gateway.
Minoru cast Appraisal on the nearest stone guardian, heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
Object: Golem Guardian (Sentinel)
Status: Dormant.
Magius: 900 / 900 (High).
Affiliation: Ancient Construct.
Warning: Possesses Threat Recognition Protocols. Proximity or aggressive action will initiate activation.
He had not stumbled into a Magoi nexus. He had stumbled into the entrance of a forgotten, heavily protected fortress.
A dungeon, Minoru realized, sinking lower onto the cold floor, his goblin body small and pathetic beneath the gaze of the dormant giants. I found a dungeon.