The Seer emerged victorious in their confrontation, pinning the Healer to the ground. Subsequently, they engaged in a back and forth using that strange goblin language, although their voices had taken on differences. Following their chat, the Seer released the Healer, and they stood there, gazing at each other for a moment. I guess it would be more accurate to say that the Healer was the one doing the staring. The Seer closed his eyes, directing his gaze vaguely in the Healer's direction. He only briefly opened his eyes for a second or two during Bolka's charge. When the fight ensued, he shut them, and they have remained that way since.
When the silence between them drew out too long, I remembered that I could speak.
"Please, let's not fight. Are both of you alright?"
They both reacted with surprise when I spoke. The Healer's face lit up with a warm smile, her demeanor softening as her eyes met my crystal. On the other hand, the Seer appeared excited, his expression suggesting a storm of thoughts swirling within him. After a brief moment of standing there, I was on the verge of speaking once more when the Seer darted toward one of my bookshelves. I observed him with curiosity as he opened a book, then flashed a smile at its blank pages.
Hurrying back to Varian's desk, the Seer began to write something in the book.
Damn it, I had convinced myself that I couldn't read after several unsuccessful attempts to grasp Varian's writing. However, as the goblin wrote the words, they somehow began to make sense to me, and I found myself understanding them. To my astonishment, I realized that I could also write, conjuring a quill and skillfully etching the words onto the page.
The goblin and I engaged in a continuous exchange through the book. Varian had advised me to assert a sort of authority over my mobs once I could fully communicate with them. I had mistakenly referred to my Sorcerer Snail as my companion and friend one too many times. Varian emphasized that I could maintain a strong bond with them while ensuring they understood that I was in charge, after all, most are creatures with their natural instincts intact.
Following Varian's guidance, I addressed my familiars in the same aloof manner that Varian often used when speaking to me. I strived for honesty in our communication, yet I held back certain information until Varian would be awake to answer better.
The Healer, whose name I learned was Bolka when the Seer wrote it during their second question, appeared was rather displeased upon hearing what I had told them about the power I had granted her. She cycled through a range of emotions, initially coming across as snarky, followed by confusion, and ultimately ending with tears. Bolka and the Seer shared an embrace that seemed to bring her solace, and they engaged in a conversation for a while, so I gave them some space.
They conversed for about five minutes before Bolka stood up and caught my attention. She began making various gestures in the air, apparently attempting to perform some form of magic.
Touk, the Seer, shared a smile with Bolka before returning to the book. Our conversation continued over the next hour or so, with both sides doing their best to answer each other's questions. I discovered that they hailed from a goblin tribe about an hour's walk from my dungeon. Touk, the Seer, explained that he had been a lower-ranking member of the tribe and suggested he might have been dispatched on the expedition to be disposed of.
The other three, Bolka, a renowned herbalist in the tribe, the warrior who met his end at the hands of my snail, and the chief's son who perished in one of my traps, had come to claim the power their chief believed was crucial.
It seemed like a complex situation.
After I built some rapport with my new mobs, I finally felt comfortable telling them about Varian. After all, leaving him near the entrance of my second room was a risky move, especially if I were to get invaded again.
As I detailed the situation in writing, Touk read with a laugh, surprising me with his response. He promptly got up and made his way toward the location where I had directed him to find Varian.
As he laughed and rose from the chair, Bolka, still struggling with her magic, continued her unsuccessful attempts. She had been persistently doing so since I had shared information about her class. When Touk began walking away, Bolka spoke to him, to which he responded with a wave, signaling for her to follow.
Bolka hurried to catch up with Touk, appearing to question him in their native language. He responded with a smile and continued walking toward Varian. As they moved past a table that had obstructed their view of Varian, Bolka suddenly froze, her expression one of bewilderment as she gazed upon Varian's unconscious form. Touk burst into laughter at her reaction, but Bolka remained still, her gaze unbroken. After a couple of moments, she turned to Touk and made a comment, which sent them both into fits of laughter, a sight that brought me joy.
After their laughter subsided, Touk appeared to explain what I want them to do regarding Varian. Bolka nodded in understanding and knelt beside Varian to assess his condition, checking for any signs of injury or distress. Once she confirmed that he was physically well, Bolka spoke to Touk, who then gently lifted Varian and carried him back to my crystal. I had prepared a small bed in the back corner, behind my dais. They carefully laid Varian down, and I summoned a blanket to cover him, even though he didn't require protection from the cold. Then again, he had never mentioned needing sleep, so it was best to be cautious.
While the goblins made their way back to the writing table, I used my powers to construct wooden walls, each an inch thick, around the bed, effectively creating a small room within the larger chamber. The two goblins appeared visibly impressed by the addition, which brought a sense of satisfaction and contentment.
They sat down at the table and started talking, occasionally asking me a question or two but seemed to understand their role in my dungeon. This went on for a couple of hours, and afterwards, they went their separate ways. Touk stationed himself near my core, just as Varian had, immersed in writing within a book. Bolka and my snail moved to the front of the room, where Bolka seemed to have developed a fondness for the snail, addressing him, and talking to him in a higher-pitched voice. In turn, my snail appeared to have taken a liking to the goblin, allowing her to pick him up without any resistance. It was heartwarming to see the bonds forming between my mobs.
As the next couple of hours passed, a feeling of uncertainty washed over me, leaving me wondering, "What now?" Do I simply wait? How long will Varian remain asleep—days, months, years? Varian possessed the ability to communicate with the goblins and teach my mobs to harness their magical abilities, something I had no knowledge of beyond the fact that I possessed it.
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Wait!
The souls within me were all proficient in using magic. If I could tap into some of their memories, it would undoubtedly make things easier. I attempted to recollect some of the experiences from the various lives I had lived, consciously striving to maintain my composure and avoid being overwhelmed by emotions, as had happened the last time I began to recall a soul's life.
It was like a tidal wave, overwhelming me in a way I hadn't expected. The torrent of memories circled me, hundreds of different lives flickered past, varying in length and clarity. Most of these memories highlighted important moments, while others remained hazy and unfocused. I desperately sought out any healers among the clear memories, as Touk seemed to have a grip on his powers. As I found one, a young elf boy. I focused on his life trying to block out the other memories that were surrounding me. It worked, and I could feel the smile on his face as his mother embraced him when he healed a cut on her leg. His life flashed forward, and he found himself standing at a wooden door, with sweat dripping down his forehead. When the door opened, a tall, young man with long, messy black hair and a floppy pointed hat with purple robes stood on the other side, his eyes aglow with a purple light—it was Varian.
I felt his presence, and it was so overwhelming that it made it difficult to stay upright. The mana around him was dense, making it hard to breathe. The moment Varian gazed at the elf, his life flashed forward once again.
Now, he was in the thick of a battlefield, with a simple wave of his hand, soldiers began to rise, revitalized and renewed, charging back into the fray with a newfound strength. His life continued to speed forward, and he found himself once more on the same chaotic battlefield. A colossal dragon was wreaking havoc among the ranks of soldiers, and I could sense a surge of fear for impending death, a burning anger aimed at the other gods, and profound sorrow for not being able to assist Varian more.
Another dragon soared overhead, leaving a blazing trail as it descended towards the battlefield, heading straight for the elf. With urgency, the elf slammed his staff into the ground, conjuring a protective bubble of green light that spread out from him, shielding the formation he was part of. The approaching dragon noticed this and flew closer, attempting to land on the barrier. The elf's knees buckled under the strain, blood trickling from his nose as he strained to maintain the protective barrier. The dragon pressed on, putting its full weight on the shield, and the elf dropped to his knees. In the end, the barrier shattered, and the dragon crashed down.
The memory ended, and a succession of other recollections began to replace it. But I remained in shock, deeply affected by the battle I had just witnessed. Memories faded now that my attention was slipping, and I felt a profound sadness. Witnessing the battle felt like a part of myself had been extinguished, and it had all transpired within a mere 30 seconds. Experiencing the emotions of the elf, feeling attached to his plight, and recognizing that it was, in a way, me—it all weighed heavily on my mind and bothered me deeply.
My contemplation was cut short by a blue box appearing in the corner of my vision. I took a moment to calm myself, then opened it to read.
Your mob [Goblin Healer Novice] Bolka has learned a new spell. [Rejuvenate]: This spell invokes restorative energy, channeling it into the target to promote rapid healing and rejuvenation. A bright green glow envelops the target, enabling the body to repair damaged tissues and mend minor wounds.
That's quite impressive indeed. It seems she was able to grasp the intricacies of spellcasting without any prior information.
I rushed over to Bolka, only to discover her lying face down on the ground. Panic welled up within me as I had no idea what had transpired. My immediate reaction was to go back to Touk, who was still engrossed in his writing, and I flipped the book we had been using to write messages back and forth open with force. Startled, Touk watched as I rapidly wrote down what had happened to Bolka. His eyes widened as he read my words, and even before I had finished writing, he abruptly stood up, his chair toppling backward, and sprinted toward Bolka.
Touk covered the distance swiftly, coming to a halt next to Bolka's unconscious form. He briefly opened his eyes, scanning the area for any signs of what might have caused her to lose consciousness. Finding nothing amiss, he hoisted her up and carried her back to my crystal, where I created another room with a bed in the opposite corner from Varian.
Touk gently laid Bolka down on the bed, then left the room to investigate what might have caused her loss of consciousness. Both he and I searched the area but found no immediate clues. Returning to Bolka's side, Touk settled in a chair outside the room where she lay and began writing in a book once more. However, it was evident that he was still deeply troubled by the event.
It was a relief to see Bolka wake up with the dawn, even though she appeared a bit sluggish. She explained to Touk, who then relayed the information to me, that she had fainted because she had continued trying to cast magic after just learning what it was from Touk, completely unaware of the concept of mana depletion. Given her lack of knowledge about mana control, it was likely that she had funneled all her mana into a single use of the spell.
This explanation made sense, and I received a notification confirming that she had acquired a new spell, something that typically occurred when my mobs successfully cast a spell. It was clear that Bolka's magical abilities were progressing rapidly, albeit with some unexpected consequences.
Over the course of the next three days, my mobs grew closer as they spent a significant amount of time together. The trio engaged in sparring sessions, with Bolka usually observing since she couldn't match the strength of the snail or the Seer. However, she got to use her healing spell on the one who lost, and this brought her great joy. It was evident that Bolka had developed a deep affinity for magic.
She especially appeared delighted when she healed Touk's arm after one of the matches, a scene that reminded me of the elven boy whose soul was among those residing within me. It brought lingering sadness from the elf's death, something I had not yet fully processed. I still haven’t revisited the memories since then, in fear of another experience like that.
I pushed that to the side for now, because I realized that four days had transpired since I had remade Bolka and Touk, as well as since the invasion. The time had come for me to create another to join our growing group.
I shared my plan with Bolka and Touk, and I also mentioned the possibility that the next mob I created could be the same individual who had died during the invasion. To my surprise, they both made it abundantly clear that the deceased was not their friend but rather someone who held a more authoritative role. They explained that he had a tendency to be rude, particularly toward Touk, and that Bolka didn't like him for that reason, leading to frequent clashes between them. I told them this was a maybe though, I've never created a mob with a soul that's been dead for a while.
They settled on the decision that Bolka would be the one to welcome the newest member, considering that Touk's size and appearance might be a bit intimidating. To facilitate this, I created pillars along the rug that extended the length of the room, evenly spaced at 15-foot intervals, which would allow Touk to remain concealed nearby and observe the interaction without drawing undue attention to himself.
With all the preparations in place, I expended my mana to create the Mystic Trainee. As he materialized, there were some noticeable differences in his appearance from his original form. He stood at a height of 4 feet but hunched slightly, making him around three and a half feet tall. His skin had the same healthy look as the others, but with a pale purple shade. Unlike Bolka and Touk, he was bald, and his body was covered in tattoos featuring various symbols and runes. While Bolka wore white robes and Touk dressed in a cloth shirt and pants, this new goblin sported no shirt and wore pants made of furs and leather.
Despite his wild appearance, the Mystic Trainee's expression didn't match his looks. Instead of appearing crazed, he looked around the room with an intrigued and cautious expression, as if assessing the environment for any potential threats. His gaze eventually landed on Bolka, and his eyes widened.