8 Stephanie's Doubts

The hulking goblin stomped toward John, each thundering step shaking the ground. It towered over him, muscles rippling beneath warty skin. A meaty fist swung, nearly caving in John's chest. He rolled away, the blow crunching into concrete.

John ducked under another swing and tried to slice its thigh. But his knife barely cut through the thick hide. A massive hand seized him, squeezing agonizingly. John grit his teeth, stabbing at the wrist joint. The goblin roared and hurled him away.

Slamming into a wall, John crumpled to the floor. He struggled up, gasping. The monster barrelled forward, intent on trampling him. At the last second John leapt aside, the gigantic foot crushing the space where he'd been. He glanced at the crater and a shiver ran down his spine.

Seeing an opening, John hacked at the Achilles tendon. Dark blood spurted but the beast only staggered briefly. Its next swing clipped John's shoulder, knocking him down again.

Staggering to his feet, John barely dodged another mammoth fist swinging his way. The glancing blow still rattled his bones. He needed to catch his breath, but the beast pressed its advantage.

John evaded and deflected its strikes, buying precious seconds to recover. The hulking goblin was slow, but devastatingly powerful. John had to outmanoeuvre it.

'This is the most fun I had in ages,' John thought. He wouldn't have minded if that was it, dying at the peak of his life.

Spotting a ladder, he leapt and clung to it as a giant fist pulverized the wall beneath. From above, John landed on the creature's shoulders and plunged his blade repeatedly into its neck. It thrashed wildly until John lost his grip, thrown clear across the room.

Hitting the floor in a battered heap, John coughed blood. The goblin was weakened but still coming. Its meaty hands seized him, squeezing the air from his lungs. John writhed and twisted the knife deeper into its wrist.

Howling, it hurled him again. This time John slammed into a steel shelf, metal containers raining down around him. Agony wracked his body but he staggered up once more.

The beast charged, its steps making the ground quake. At the last second, John dodged left and its massive frame crashed into the shelf instead, burying it under heavy debris.

Seeing his chance, John leapt onto the fallen creature, activating his Critical Hit skill and drove his blade straight through its eye into its brain. With a final shudder, the hulking goblin went still.

[Chief Goblin Killed]

[0.5 Vitality Obtained]

Gasping raggedly, John slid off the corpse. He was battered and bleeding, but triumphant. The tide had turned. 

However, John swayed unsteadily, his injuries finally catching up to him. The adrenaline rush gave way to overwhelming pain and exhaustion. Collapsing beside the massive goblin corpse, darkness engulfed his vision.

Some time later, urgent cries roused him. Blearily, John blinked up at Stephanie kneeling over him, her face etched with worry. She had found him unconscious and battered amidst the carnage.

"John! Oh thank god, just hold on," she said, attempting to lift him. But even with her enhanced strength, John was dead weight. Dragging him was agonizingly slow.

Gritting her teeth, Stephanie persevered, stopping often to rest. The sounds of continued battle rang out, adding dread urgency. She couldn't give up now.

After what felt like hours, the lean-to shelter finally came into view. Stephanie cried out for aid. Two men emerged and helped carry John inside, laying him down gently.

Stephanie quickly grabbed medical supplies and began cleaning his wounds. John faded in and out of lucidity, muttering disjointed words she couldn't understand.

"You're going to be okay," Stephanie whispered, more to reassure herself. Seeing him collapse had shaken her. But he was alive and safe for now.

Exhausted, she settled next to him and held his hand. He had fought like a demon to protect them. Now she would remain by his side until he recovered.

After an agonizing wait, the shelter's forces finally eliminated the last of the attacking goblins as night fell. Stephanie remained steadfast at John's side, ignoring Nelson's protests.

As moonlight filtered into the lean-to, she saw John's eyes finally flutter open. Relief flooded through her.

"John," she asked hoarsely, "how are you feeling?"

He opened his mouth but only a grating rasp emerged. Clearing his throat, he managed, "Like I got hit by a truck."

Stephanie chuckled weakly at the dark humour. John slowly managed to prop himself up, stifling groans of pain. The stats he had gained seemed to have accelerated his healing.

"What time is it?" he asked, noting the darkness and silence beyond their shelter. The attack felt like days ago.

Stephanie checked her phone, the blue glow revealing the dark circles under her eyes. "It's just past midnight. You were out for hours."

"I see...well, thank you for taking care of me," John said, a hint of a genuine smile tugging at his lips.

Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't used to this new warmth smile of his.

"I'm starving," John added abruptly, snapping her out of her stupor. "Oh, uh, let me get you some food!" She hurried off to retrieve the sandwich she had saved for him.

She handed him the messy mishmash of ingredients. John ate ravenously in silence. As he finished, Stephanie noticed a stain on his shirt. She grabbed a cloth and hesitantly started dabbing at it.

John tensed briefly at her touch, then relaxed. "You don't need to do that," he muttered.

"I want to," Stephanie replied firmly. "You fought hard to protect all of us. Let me help now."

As Stephanie tended to him, she glanced up, finding her face inches from John's. Before she could react, he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Startled at first, she soon melted into the passionate kiss, the room silent except for their breathing.

But as John's hands began wandering over her body, an uncomfortable tension seized Stephanie. She pulled back, pushing him away.

"What's wrong?" John asked, confusion creasing his brow.

"I...I don't know," Stephanie stammered. "I'm just not sure how I feel right now." She avoided his piercing gaze, flustered by her own uncertainty.

Stephanie hurried off, needing space to process the swirling emotions. Meanwhile, John watched her retreat with a puzzled look. He believed he understood her reservations. But he remained confident she would eventually be his.

Stephanie leaned against the outer wall, catching her breath. Everything was happening so fast in the wake of the attacks. While drawn to John's strength and magnetism, part of her hesitated, not ready to abandon herself to him yet, unsure of her role and her current relationship.