He got his sword up, somehow to block it. Didn’t help. His blade and his opponent’s slammed down directly into his chest. He was a little grateful for the chestplate he had bought, on the off chance that he got engaged. Add the Ring of Protection that helped shift the damn blade slightly, hardening his body and what might have meant his death just brought pain.

The breastplate and enchanted ring saved his life, even as he felt his collarbone crack. His arm went limp as blinding pain shot through him, so much so that he barely even noticed as the blade slid off to slice a portion of his shoulder and arm muscle off as it skipped away.

Slumping to the ground, he watched as the hobgoblin pulled back its arm. A leg came up, kicking sideways at a knee. It glanced off, pain and a bad angle barely giving his actions any force. It did distract the hobgoblin for a fraction of a second as it shifted its weight.

Long enough for the Fire Bolt to slam into the side of its head. The hobgoblin howled, batting at the flames and the crisped skin of its face. The eye nearest to the blaze was blinded, grown dead. Instinctively, the hobgoblin turned and Lance found the will within himself to thrust upwards.

He screamed as the movement sent pain through his body, but his attack slipped under ribs and into chest cavity, striking heart and lungs. The hobgoblin staggered away and fell, tearing Lance’s sword out of his hand and pulling the man to the ground, where he lay.

Footsteps approaching at speed, even as Lance forced himself to push the pain aside. He barely managed to roll over with the help of Yanesh’s hands, the healer breathing heavily as he checked over Lance’s body not at all gently.

“Sorry, sorry! I just used my Healing… give me a bit and I’ll hit you with. Sorry!”

“It’s fine.” At least that’s what Lance meant to say. Instead he just mouthed the words around the pain. Breaking a collarbone was the worst experience ever. Even ribs weren’t as bad because you didn’t have your entire arm pulling the bones apart or hurting with each laboured breath.

“I’m going to… uhh… sorry!” Yanesh muttered, before hastily pushing at Lance’s prone body. Needless to say, he screamed. Lance felt something grate as pressure shifted on the injured side, before the pain decreased a little. Only then did he realise that maybe he had pulled something out place. Yanesh’s hands was still on his body, his face screwed up as Lance kicked the ground with his feet.

Eventually, Yanesh’s healing spell came off cooldown and he slammed it down on Lance, bringing a little blessed relief. However, it was not, by far, enough.

“Healing potions?” Yanesh said, hesitantly. “Not sure how much of this helps with bones… and I think it’s going to take a lot of casts.”

“No… I got it.” Lance muttered. Between agonizing bouts of pain, he had brought up the entire human body healing and physique tree. There were quite a few things, from Accelerated Healing like Sarah’s, but it was the ones dealing with skeletal structures that he was focused on.

Reinforced Skeletal Structure – Minor

Self-Reinforcing Skeletal Structure – Low Grade

Adaptive Bones

The first at a quick glance at the description was too little, too late. If he was not injured, perhaps. But he was. So it wasn’t useful, not right now. The other two were much more interesting though.

Self-Reinforcing Skeletal Structure – Low Grade

You are what you eat, and the self-reinforcing skeletal structure rebuilds the users body using whatever resources it can handle. Only able to use low grade materials. Reinforcement occurs over a period of months.

Cost: 500 coins

Adaptive Bones

Going to break something? That’s fine. With adaptive bones, what doesn’t kill you just makes you stronger. Perfect for the budding masochist.

Cost: 200 coins

Not perfect, but if he guessed right… Lance did not have points for the Self-Reinforcing skill, and anyway, he didn’t have the time. On the other hand, Adaptive Bones seemed to be something useful over the long-term. Though, getting hurt regularly was something he hoped to avoid.

For a second, he debated between his options before he shook his head. He needed a working arm. Now. Already, he could hear things coming and he couldn’t shoot without both arms. Lance was less than useless. So.

Adaptive Bones purchased. He felt the Shop take his coins, felt the world shift and then a warmth run through the insides of his body. The bones that had been mostly set right shifted, as the Shop set about replenishing and refreshing everything.

Just like his quiver.

Then the heat grew, making Lance’s eyes widen seconds before Yanesh hit him with another heal and pain washed existence away and the shouts of approaching goblins and hobs arrived.