‘Identify’ tagged them all the same (Goblin: Beast Rider) and their mounts as (Giant Wolf: Tamed). One of them fell off their mount and disappeared into bushes. The mount hightailed it off into the forest and one of them made chase for it. The remaining 4 charged out along the tree line, wolves howling and goblins screaming and they rocketed towards something at an angle I could not turn my head to look at.

Before they completely left my line of sight, one of the giant wolves took an arrow to its face and crashed to the ground, pinning the goblin to the ground, leaving it screaming in pain. Buddy, I know how you feel. I looked at the paw holding my leg to the ground and the tail spike in my chest — I got it worse.

A few moments later, the other goblins and wolves became silent. Then an arrow took the pinned one in the face. I guess now you have it worse.

Not long after that, an elf casually walked up to the corpse to take a closer look and then scanned the forest line. I tried to speak or move or anything to get the elf's attention. It did not work. The elf walked onward towards the place where the first goblin fell and checked that spot out. His name tag appeared as he turned around and waved at the direction he came from. (Male elf: Sámrondil, Ranger) A second elf walked up to him. (Male Elf: Thórnágór, Ranger)

I remember Thor. He locked me in my house. Too bad I got out. With great painful effort, I was able to raise my right hand and wave it in their direction. My left still refused to move. Sam froze and Thor came to a stop. Sam made a hand gesture and they both crouched down and started moving slowly towards me. Thor reached me first and the look on that elf's face was almost worth the excruciating pain I was in. It was of shock, confusion, anger, amazement and then trying to be consoling. The elves in this world were by far the most face expressive people I had ever seen. It did not fit my expectations at all.

Thor knelt down next to me to get a better look. He shoved some very bitter berries into my mouth and forced me to chew them. When I went to spit them out from the taste, he forced my mouth shut until I swallowed them. This hurt and made breathing even harder. Then he said a few words to Sam who rushed off so quick it was almost as if he disappeared.

Thor looked over me very carefully and his hand trembled and eyes went wide when it landed on the dagger in my death grip

He gently pried the dagger from my fingers and my arm collapsed lifelessly to the ground. He looked at it with distant eyes, his expression a mix of sadness and longing. He said some sorrowful words and closed his eyelids as tears started to flow down his face.

My pain compounded with his.

When he opened his eyes, he looked directly into mine. His voice became soft and caring. He slit the dagger under his tunic, grabbed some herbs from a pouch, and put them in my mouth despite my struggling to not eat them. They smelled like sulfur and tasted rancid—mixed with the still bitter aftertaste of barriers—making my eyes water and wish I were dead. The pain and all feeling started to lessen.

He moved the beast's paw off me, took out a plain knife and started to cut away at the tail that was pinning me to the ground. It took him a long time to cut through—whatever that tail was made of. By the time he started to wrap me in a bandage, my body had numbed and the adrenaline had drained from my system. Exhaustion took me and I was out.

I awoke in a comfortable bed with down-filled pillows and the sun shining in the window. I felt great. Some notifications had occurred while I was out.

[You have received minor healing: Minor injuries and light bruising repaired.]

[You have received minor healing: Spell ineffective. Too low of level to produce further healing.]

[You have received basic healing: Lung has been fully restored.]

[New Quest:

Kill the Orc chieftain known as Thrug.

Reward: A class.

Failure: The town of Sylvalúme will be attacked.

Difficulty: Hard.

Requirements: Sharable with one other.

Extra Conditions: Reward only available if you contribute to the kill.

Time limit: 3 months.

The system has accepted this on your behalf!]

"System, you talked me out of the nightstaker quest, but just forced this one on me, why?"

[It is the only way to stop the town from being attacked again and next time it will be with overwhelming numbers.]

"Can't someone else do it? I am by no means equipped for this and after last night's experience, I am so not going back out there!"

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

[You are the only one eligible for the quest.]

"That's not an answer!" I shouted, but before I could continue, the door opened and a young elf who I did not know entered the room. Identify displayed her as (Female elf: Líllywén, Child). She was taller than me but somehow looked younger. She was holding a bundle of neatly folded clothes. She placed them on the bedstand beside me and scurried out of the room without saying a word. I looked at the clothes with utter glee. Real clothes. I hoped out of bed and got changed. I was surprised to find that they matched my cultural clothing familiarity from my past life and were not something foreign like the robes I had seen some elves wearing. It was tan-coloured pants, a white T-shirt and simple underwear. It was amazing. After having to wear loincloths for a few weeks, this shockingly simple thing gave me such comfort. Only disappointing thing is, there was no zipper, only buttons on the pants. I guess that has not been invented in this world.

The room even had a mirror for me to look into. This was the first time I got a good look at myself since I arrived in this world. It was odd looking into the mirror and having a small child's face staring back at me. I even had dimples. My word. This was not right. I looked adorable and pinched my own cheeks. About the time I started making funny faces, the door opened again.

My father entered. He rushed over and gave me a hug that I happily returned to him. Emotions I did not know I was holding in flooded out as the weight of the night before poured out.

He picked me up and we left the room. The building I was in looked to be someone's house, but it was not my house. We walked up to a dining room where some elves were sitting, having what I guessed was breakfast. Seeing the food made me realize I was hungry. We did not stop to eat. My father and another male elf, who I guessed to be about the same age as him, shared a few words and we left before I even thought to identify the others. I guessed this family were taking care of me for the remainder of the night. Probably, they did not want me wandering off on my own again. I did not want to wander off on my own again and I wished that had started with this plan rather than leaving me in a house by myself.

The roads were still drenched, the air was crisp, but the sunlight was breaking through the trees, promising a warm and inviting day ahead. My father handed me some of that strange fruit as we walked down the street. The town had a strange quietness to it. Elves were out doing their business, but there seemed to be a heaviness in the air. Understandable, given it was attacked the night before, but I was also completely unaware of just how much damage had been done to the town and its people. Was this sort of thing common? It now made lots of sense why they had a massive wall around the place. Alas, without the ability to talk, I don’t think I was going to get many answers.

I started pointing at things and asking what they were. I did not know how to ask what something was, but enough pointing clued my dad in and we went back to the game we were playing yesterday of learning new words. I hoped the grammar would be easy.

We entered the same building beside the main tree where the adoption ceremony was held. Sure enough, there was Karen sitting behind the desk. There were also a bunch of other people in the room. My mother, Thor, who had found me, Sam the ranger, who found me with Thor, then ran off and an elf with a beard. Wait, a beard? All the other elves I had seen up until this point had smooth faces. I had to know more, so I cast a quick 'Identity'. He stopped talking mid-sentence with Karen and his face turned to me, looking at me faster than I could register, before I could even read the tag above his head. "Oops," I said in shock.

He raised his eyebrow. I guess he read my 'Goblin Bane' title. I also read his name and class and bit my lip, trying not to smirk, but failing (Male Elf Spóckiel, Sage). He smiled back and gently nodded his head.

Spock then started talking, but I did not understand a word he said. The cadence of his voice was nice, though. My father responded and placed me on the ground, holding my hand so I didn't wander off. They all were talking and whatever the conversation was, it was getting a bit heated. I kind of wished I knew what was going on, but with nothing else to do, I started to look around the room. Most of the elves looked to be spectators at the back of the room. Karen, who, when I re-cast 'Identify' on, turned out to be the Class Administrator. I was a little disappointed by that, but I guess it fits. I found out my mother was a Ranger, and my father was a Lifesword. I thought swords brought death, so I wondered how that worked—perhaps that's why he could heal.

On the desk, I noticed a few objects. Most looked to be parts from the nightstalker, such as its pelt, tail, a few jars of organs and some of its back spikes. I shuddered when I looked at that. Still a fresh, no-good memory. There was the bag of coins I took from the goblins, some of their ears, the magic charm necklace from the soothsayer and the magic dagger that had no doubt saved my life.

It then occurred to me that this was probably to determine what was to be done with the loot I got from last night. It seemed obvious to me that I should get it. I defended myself and the town without being asked to, but what did I know of their legal system? I was probably considered too young to have some of that, such as the dagger. That did not stop me from wanting it. It did save my life after all.

Thor walked over to the table and picked up the dagger. I tried to walk towards Thor to take the dagger, but my dad gripped my hand tight, stopping me. I settled for giving Thor a rather unhappy look. There was a lot more talking and the next item taken off the table was the necklace. Karen picked it up and handed it to Sam, who then looked at my father and bowed before stepping away. I could not use it anyway, but I got the impression it was also worth a lot—why else would they be making a big deal of it?

For the nightstalker parts, different people from the back came up and ended up either giving money or trading other items for the bits. They all had crafting classes, so I guessed they were here for supplies. The only nightstalker bit that did not go was the tail spike that had stabbed me. When Karen picked it up, my dad held up his hand and stopped her. There was a short conversation between him and the Sage and it was put aside. The small crowd in the back left at that point.

The bag of goblin coins was put aside with no conversation or apparent thought given to it by anyone. The goblin ears, totalling the number I had killed, were counted and then Karen took them off the desk and placed a small bag that made a notable clink when put down on the table. My mother went over to Karen and picked up the remaining items. My father put me back on his shoulders and I waved to the Sage as we left.

Outside, my mother gave me a big hug and handed some of the items over to Dad before heading off in a different direction.