As the afternoon wore on, Elias made his way back to his bedroom, gathering spare items he believed might come in handy. Eventually, he ascended to the loft space of his house, where an old chest containing his last few treasured possessions awaited. Carefully storing the chest and its contents, Elias descended from the loft and returned to the kitchen.
Now it was time to put his storage ability to the test. With a simple thought, Elias willed the plate of food he had prepared earlier into his hand. To his delight, the food materialized, still piping hot from being freshly cooked. This successful demonstration brought a smile to Elias' face, as he recalled his conversation with Rusty the night before. They had discussed the intricacies and limitations of his storage ability. From what he understood, each item was stored within its own bubble-like space, allowing for easy retrieval when needed. However, if something is stored within a box he can’t summon that thing individually he must summon the box.
After finishing his meal, Elias tidied up the kitchen and then carefully placed the old chest on the table, feeling a wave of nostalgia as he opened it. The chest contained various items from his military past, each one carefully stored. Elias took his time examining the contents and soon began to select items for storage.
He started with his old L3A1 Bayonet, acknowledging that while it wasn't a particularly effective weapon, it held sentimental value and reminded him of the adage "something is better than nothing." Next, he unwrapped a knife from the cloth, revealing his F-S fighting knife, a classic WW2 commando knife. This knife held special significance, as Elias had won it in a card game with an old Sergeant in his youth. It had become his lucky item after he used it to defend himself during a challenging situation. Leaving the knife on the table, he continued to pick out items from the chest, including a compass, a watch, a couple of old notebooks, and pens. As he reached for a set of binoculars, he chuckled to himself, realizing that his eyesight had improved, making the binoculars unnecessary.
Returning the whole Chest to storage he would use it to store valuables at a later date.
What to do? His previsions were arranged, he had collected tools and a few weapons. It wasn't late yet so should he go back… After a long minute, he stood up grabbed his jacket, and donned his hat. After calling for Rusty he secured his house and entered the Garage.
Part of the plan was to use the space within his garage as his teleporting position.
With Rusty on his shoulder, he checked his watch, 4.30 pm. Continuing his check he padded his pockets. On his hip was his F-S knife, and his pocket had various items the compass, a notepad, and pen.
Summoning the prepared Viper and taking a prepared stance, he concentrated and within his mind thought “Return”... “Blip”
With a familiar sense of displacement, Elias found himself once again pulled through the vortex, emerging in the same small, flat area beneath the overhang where he had previously arrived. Without missing a beat, he dropped to one knee and swiftly surveyed the surroundings, his crossbow securely positioned on his shoulder as he scanned from left to right. Satisfied that the immediate area was clear of any threats, he cautiously advanced, relying on his heightened senses to detect any signs of danger.
Unsure of what lay ahead, Elias remained focused and alert. His previous experiences had taught him to approach each new situation with caution, anticipating the unexpected. As he moved forward, he maintained a keen awareness of his surroundings, ready to react to any potential threats that might arise. The forests of Aethoria are vast and filled with unknown dangers, but Elias is determined to navigate them with vigilance and resolve.
“Clear” With this thought Rusty flew from its shoulder perch, soaring into the sky it had already been decided that he would check the land around this position. Elias was going to give him 15 minutes before he moved out.
Again dropping to his knee Elias rested the Viper on the ground and took out a notebook. Checking his watch he noted the time at 4.35 pm. Using his compass he checked to see if it worked, thankfully it appeared too. What he had thought to be west south and east the day before was correct.
Focusing on his vision Elias spent 10 minutes sketching a rough map. Several notable trees some distinct rocky hilltops and the lake in the far east, it was no work of art but it was usable. Over the next few days, he would try and take notes of his time here.
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As he finished his Sketch map Rusty swooped from above, “All Clear” his voice resounded in Elias’ mind.
Picking up the Viper, “South or East” Elias replied, South the hills and valleys looked like they might contain water, and the Lake to the east was a clear landmark to aim for “This way” Rusty chirped flying off in a more south east direction.
With practiced ease, Elias left the flat ground behind and began his descent down the hill. The shin-high grass and thick brush surrounded him, but he maintained a steady pace, ever vigilant to avoid slipping or falling. Memories of his training in the hills and mountains flashed through his mind, reminding him just how troublesome injuries like a rolled ankle could be.
As he continued downward, Elias was struck by the incredible diversity of flora. Though he had surveyed the area the night before and noted the treetops while sketching a rough map, entering the forest now filled him with awe at the sheer size and majesty of the trees. Everything seemed a bit taller, the colors more vibrant, as if the forest itself was alive with energy.
After 40 minutes of steady descent, Elias had traversed more than a third of the way down. He checked in with Rusty to inquire about their surroundings.
“Seven herbivores grazing to your west, and one omnivore resting due south,” Rusty reported.
Determined not to change direction, Elias pressed on. It was well over an hour before he encountered his first monster.
“Small group of monsters up ahead: five green goblins resting by the stream, all armed,” Rusty informed him.
Elias and Rusty had been discussing communication strategies; if Rusty was to handle overwatch, they needed to keep their chatter concise.
“Roger that. Once I get eyes on them, expand our circle and ensure we don’t have any stragglers lurking in the woods,” Elias replied.
Elias approached the area cautiously, stopping about 25 meters away. He could hear the sound of the stream and, after maneuvering around a large tree, he stayed low as he gazed in the direction Rusty had pointed out.
In front of him stood five monsters. Focusing on the largest one, he activated Appraisal.
Forest Goblin Brave (Healthy - Powerful)
As he quickly assessed the others, he realized that "Brave" was a class type, while the four smaller goblins were designated as Young Braves. Their status of "Healthy and Powerful" likely indicated a status effect. One of the smaller goblins was marked as (Weakened).
After a quick confirmation with Rusty, Elias readied himself to ambush. Positioned slightly elevated, he had a clear line of sight to the small group of goblins.
“Let’s start with the big boy,” he muttered.
Raising Viper, he aimed at the Goblin Brave, considering its size as he targeted just above center mass. With a steady breath, he released the bolt. In an instant, the broadhead-tipped bolt struck the goblin, and with a sickening scream, the Brave was knocked off its feet, crashing backward.
Without missing a beat, Elias began to reload Viper.
“This is taking too long,” Elias thought as it took him 10 seconds to reload the crossbow. This simply wasn’t good enough.
Lifting the bow for a second time, he surveyed the chaos ahead. The four remaining goblins were in a frenzy, screaming and shouting incoherently, their wiry arms waving ugly axes and knives in the air.
Staying in his current position, Elias aimed again. Scanning from left to right, he spotted one goblin trying to flee into the forest. With a swift pull of the trigger, the second bolt struck squarely between its shoulder blades.
This time, the remaining three goblins turned to face their attacker.
Realizing the danger he was in, Elias quickly stored Viper and summoned the Elite Guardian Spear along with a roll of netting. He planned to use the 3x2 meter roll to help cover or disguise any hiding spots he might need to create. Resting the spear against a tree, he held the netting in both hands.
With blood-curdling cries of rage, the three remaining goblins charged across the stream straight toward Elias’ position.
Counting down in his head, Elias threw the netting out. Fortunately, the ugly green monsters had huddled together in their focus on him. As the netting landed, they quickly became entangled, causing two of them to crash to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Elias grabbed the spear and moved forward. The spear was approximately 2.4 meters long, featuring a stunning 25 cm leaf blade and a gilded cross guard.