We don’t waste the opportunity to hit the Wisteria Garden and Hedge Maze again on the way back to Corwen. We all need experience and they aren’t out of the way. Rowan wishes they had a little more combat, but acknowledges that the kids have a long way to go before they can do any serious fighting.

One of the chests in the Wisteria Garden drops a bottle of murky yellowish liquid labeled ‘Plant Nutrients’. As I’m the only one here who is growing a plant, I claim it. I do not know enough about actually growing plants to guess what might be in it beyond identifying its mystic aspects. What sort of nutrients would be beneficial to a magic oak tree?

As we travel, the sky shifts from indigo to azure, brightening our journey. (I don’t think it’s as bright as a sky would be if it were lit by an actual sun, but it’s bright compared to what our eyes are used to here on the opposite side of a domain from the local skymote.)

We reach the Hedge Maze and do a quick dungeon run before settling in at the safe area for the night with the Grubwicks. Tupa makes small talk for a bit while we eat.

“Sleep tight, kids,” Anise says. “We’ll do another run in the morning and then get on the road home.”

The night is peaceful and quiet, aside from goblins snoring, and soon enough the skymotes are turning azure and signalling another morning come. We start in on one more run of the Hedge Maze before we leave, and at this point we’ve already seen any sections that test what skills we have. I’m pretty sure there’s ones we haven’t seen yet that we don’t have the skills for as [Mapping Step] indicates there are still some places we haven’t seen and I’ve found no way to get into.

As the kids are figuring out another puzzle, I’m pondering over a section on my map we can’t reach, although the earlier steps around it are already fading from my interface. One of the trees in the clearing looks like I might be able to climb high enough for a better view.

Suddenly, my party members all stop what they’re doing and get that look on their face like they’re staring at a system window.

“I just got a quest,” Rowan says quietly. “Defend the Hedge Maze.”

“So did I,” Anise says, and a chorus of agreement indicates it went to everyone but me. (And I’m sure it went to me, too, and I just can’t see it.)

“Alright, let’s be careful and figure out what’s going on here,” Meadow says.

High-pitched shouts from somewhere nearby indicate that whatever is going on here involves goblins, though it’s not immediately clear whether it’s the Grubwicks that are in trouble or some different goblins have shown up. I scan about the area with Clairvoyance to see if I can pick up any hostile red auras. The hedges are living things, though, and while I’d be able to make out auras through an inanimate wall, plants do a good job of blocking [Aura Sight]. I need a better perspective.

I turn back to that tree I was about to climb, and haul myself up. I’ve neglected Athletics a bit, but at least with Enhanced Feet (Soft Landing), I feel confident in not breaking anything should I fall from this height. I almost slip a couple times, but manage to reach a good viewpoint from a stable junction a few feet above the height of the hedges.

Looking out over the maze is dizzying, and I’m not high enough to see meter-tall goblins amid three-meter-tall hedges, but there’s smoke billowing up over the top. I don’t get a clear view until they head down a path perpendicular to my position. Goblins dressed in crude clothing, bearing hostile auras. Around the neck of the leader hangs a collection of feathers and animal bones.

Category Person Race Goblin Gender Male Class Warlock Rank Elite Mood Malicious Disposition Hostile

[Eight hostile goblins,] I send to my party telepathically. [Three of them Elites. By Corwen, they were serious about rooting out our Grubwick friends.]

“Rowan, protect the kids and see if you can take down any of the Basics,” Anise says. “Me and Meadow are gonna hit the Elites.”

(The auto-translator seems intent upon reproducing Anise’s poor grammar, whatever the equivalent was in Common.)

I swing down from the limb and dangle for a moment before letting go, focusing on my enhancement skill to absorb the impact from the fall, though I think my feet are only a meter above the ground so not that much of an impact to absorb.

Skills increased: Athletics (Climbing), Enhanced Feet (Soft Landing), Clairvoyance (Aura Sight), Enhanced Senses (Flash Observation), Clairvoyance (Telepathy), Language (Common)

Meadow takes point as we make our way back through the dungeon. Hedges move before us to give us rapid passage through the maze, while the hostile goblins have been led around in circles unable to make progress, judging by the (non-magical) cursing in Goblin that I overhear. The hedges are surprisingly non-flammable, but their Warlock, Sorcerer, and Invoker keep trying until we appear.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Skills increased: Subterfuge (Eavesdropping), Language (Goblin)

“[Killjoy],” Meadow says, using the power of ‘stop having fun, guys’ to extinguish the flames.

The Warlock snarls in Goblin, “I am Gaz Muckburrow and I will destroy you!”

Anise and Meadow engage the three Elites, while the five Basics swarm around them to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Neither of them is capable of perfectly blocking small, quick beings from slipping by. Rowan is a tank, however. While he’s terrified, he stands in front of the children with his Mock Turtle shield and spider venom sword, prepared to stand firm and keep them from coming to harm.

A goblin swipes a stone knife at me. I evade and grip my dagger, and lunge in for a slash. The goblin is quick but stumbles into the hedge, where I take advantage of its mistake to land a killing strike.

Rowan has already killed another goblin, his green blade streaked with blood. Griffin gleefully stabs at one of the goblins with his own knife, like his target is just one of those Basic monsters that had been captured for practice. Juniper and Willow fend off their attacks with their small staves.

I charge in to take out the goblin that’s focused on Juniper. The goblins also have enhancement skills, but not enough to stop us from taking them out.

Anise and Meadow are struggling. They’ve brought down the Invoker and injured the Warlock and Sorcerer, but they’ve taken some injuries themselves in the process. Gaz Muckburrow, the Warlock with the bone-and-feather necklace, seems to be the highest level one here.

I quickly assess the situation. Anise and Meadow need help, but the goblins they’re facing are Elites and will take less damage from our attacks. And we need to protect the children. The crazy, bloodthirsty children who are surprisingly eager to fight. Griffin is already charging at them with his knife.

[Stay with Griffin and help Anise and Meadow,] I send to Rowan. [I’ll cover the girls.]

Rowan nods, not turning to look. He moves up and gets in a couple of strikes. The addition of two more targets, even ones lower ranked than them, is enough to distract the surviving goblins and put them back on the defensive.

The Warlock locks eyes with me and gives a toothy grin. With a thrust of his hand, a blast of greenish energy shoots toward Juniper. I step into the way, and the spell scores a glancing strike against my side and left arm, but none of it touches my sister.

The attempt distracts the Warlock from what’s going on in front of him. The Invoker is badly hurt and Rowan gets in a poisoned strike against the Warlock.

“You will rue the day you crossed Muckburrow,” Gaz growls in Goblin.

Gaz the Warlock activates an Enhanced Feet skill to flee, leaving the Invoker to die to cover his retreat.

Skills increased: Discipline (Battle Trance), Athletics (Dodging), Striking (Bladework), Tending (Babysitting) Skill acquired: Blocking (Bodyguard) Description: The ability to stand in the way of incoming attacks to protect someone.

“Quest complete,” Anise says for my benefit. “Must be safe for now.”

The goblins are dead and the children are celebrating. Drake stabs one of the dead goblins a few more times, giggling. I suppose once you’ve milked a fire-breathing devil-goat the size of a large horse, it’s hard to find goblins terrifying. These are not milquetoast suburban American kids. These are incredibly creepy children.

I am no longer bored. I would like to go back to being bored now.

No, this is normal. Drake Corwen finds nothing strange about fighting goblins at all. Alex does. Alex had never done anything worse than annoy people on the internet. He’d certainly never killed anyone.

I’m Drake Corwen, not Alex. And I belong here. Alex will get another life. I won’t.

I take some deep breaths and lean into Enhanced Soul (Identity). I don’t want to suddenly be thinking like a nerd or a murderhobo at any given moment due to a sudden thought that took me down a garden path.

Skills increased: Enhanced Soul (Identity), Discipline (Composure)

“Drake, are you alright?” asks my mom.

“Nothing you can’t heal,” I say.

“Alright, scream in pain now,” Anise says cheerfully. “[Tough Love].”

Every damaged cell shrieks in pain as the healing spell hits me. “Dammit, did you have to use that spell?”

“You mean to tell me your [Pain Tolerance] is that low?” Anise says. “I should use that on you more often, then!”

I can’t help it. I start laughing. “I love you too, mom.”

This world is absolutely insane and I love it, hate it, and find it hilarious sometimes.

Skill acquired: Discipline (Pain Tolerance) Description: The ability to resist pain and continue functioning. Does not remove sensation, only increases your ability to deal with it.

Juniper, of course, gets the gentle, soothing skill that takes the pain away. Either that or her Discipline is high enough that it doesn’t bother her anyway.

Anise understands her magic more than she realizes. She harnesses a specific concept to get the desired effect. Sorcery skills are the easiest for me to see because I already have [Empathy].

“Everyone okay now?” Anise asks. “Be sure to loot the bodies before we go.”

“They’re only wearing loincloths…” Rowan complains.

As we’re heading back to the safe zone, Rowan says to me, “Corwens are so creepy… You’re a reincarnator and all, but actual children should not be acting like this.”

“Oh, good, it’s not just me,” I say. “I was starting to think it was because this world is weird and dangerous.”

“Normal Hearths aren’t like this, no,” Rowan says. “You might have gotten a bit of a skewed impression of what this world is like from having been born into a weird Hearth.”

I might not get quests, but other people still do, including my potential enemies. And trying to make friends with Milo made me enemies.

I wonder if anyone will wind up being my enemy should they find out we want to learn Necromancy from an undead. Estelle mentioned that people had received quests about her. Regardless of what she’s doing now or whether she has any ill intentions, other cores won’t have forgotten whatever it was she did. There will be those who feel threatened by the danger of an ancient Necromancer gaining power. For all I know, she really is ‘evil’ and the whole poetry thing is a long con. I do not honestly care.