I woke up once the first ray of light made its way through the dense leaves of the forest and I noticed that the sky started to brighten as well. Dawn! This meant that I survived...
What happened last night felt surreal to me, but with one quick glance under the tree in which I was hiding, I could see the truth: I killed two humanoid beings. I didn't feel anything last night except anger and need for retribution after seeing them devour a human body which could've just as well been mine, but now...I feel nothing.
"I'm I running away from reality, or it really doesn't affect me at all? Logically speaking, my survival was at stake and if I remember what that self-serving game God said, this is nothing but a game...even if that's supposed to apply only to Gods, why shouldn't I see it the same way!?"
I cut the bloodstained rope used to bind myself to the tree last night with the short sword I took from the Soldier Goblin now lying dead under the tree and after grabbing the pouch I took from the Guard Goblin lying face down in the dirt some distance away from the extinguished campfire I climbed down from the tree.
"Why so many details!? Recollection of last night's events I can understand, but is there a need to force myself to think anything more about it? If human mentality had a say in it, then yes, it was wrong and I should feel something about it. But I already died as a human back on Earth, didn't I? Wait...what does that make me now?"
What stopped my incoherent rambling was the scene waiting for me on the ground: two corpses bathed in a pool of green blood-like liquid and a horrible stench, while a severed head was in a throwing stick distance. Strangely, I was hungry and that surely felt wrong for a second until I realized that I literally ate only flowers for an entire day. I only had a couple left after using most of them to poison this two last night...I needed to make a decision fast.
When thinking about possible alternative sources of food I saw in the right hand of the Guard Goblin the sharpened rock he used as a knife to cut the branches yesterday, so while enduring the stench, I got close and took it. It kind of scared me that he somehow grabbed that since I remember seeing him clawing at his neck with his bare hands right before dying.
"Are zombie monsters a thing in this world? I guess I wouldn't exactly surprise me keeping in mind who came up with this system..."
I strapped the short sword and its scabbard to my waist using a part of the makeshift rope that was the cleanest and put the pseudo-knife at my right ankle using another piece that was basically soaked in blood, like I saw in a movie about the second World War. Why? Because if you become a prisoner, you have a chance of them not searching you, which as result increases your chances of escaping. However, I had my doubts regarding being taken prisoner, since this creatures like to feast on humans...
I checked the content of the pouch and while doing so I realized that it was made from some type of leather. I prayed to that shitty game God that it wasn't human skin and looked inside it: the water jug which now was dry and some metal coins. Again taking into consideration that this is merely 1000 years into the created civilization, this was most likely the currency of this world. Keeping that in mind, paper should not be used as currency since it might be a valuable resource or might not exist whatsoever, meaning that the level of civilization could indeed be around around the middle ages or earlier than that...
"That self-serving game God... The should be a limit to your selfishness! And yet, if only one thousand years have passed, I guess it should be around right. With the guidance of a representative of Anhur used five times already and comparing it to the growth of Earth, I guess it could be considered an incredible leap in technology. Hmm...when was currency first introduced back on Earth?"
Leaving random trivia aside, I guess I should head towards the tower and find the human settlement I saw previously. I was doubting (or rather hoped) the fact that it could be a Goblin village or something, since it seemed pretty tall and they shouldn't have that type of knowledge.
So I first found the trail I marked by breaking tree branches and headed to the opposite direction I followed when first entered the forest, again leaving a trail to double back on, just in case.
After an hour of carefully walking through the forest, which by the way, now that I got accustomed to seemed a lot easier and made less noise as well, I managed to cover a pretty big distance. I took a flower from the two left in my pocket, crushed by last night's 'workout' and chewed on it slightly displeased while advancing.
Keeping in mind the distance I saw previously, there should be a twenty kilometers distance or less between the Oak tree and the tower I saw. Yesterday I should've covered around five, maybe six until I reached the meadow because I moved at a slow pace and remained stuck there for the remaining of the day. Now after an early start I should get out of this forest by maintaining this pace somewhere around noon. I should reach the tower with no problems. I should...
"I start wondering if this game has been set on 'impossible to survive' difficulty..."
I whispered between my teeth again while hearing branches snapping in front of me. Judging from yesterday's turn of events, it should be another Goblin. If that is indeed the case, then I might face the worst case scenario here.
I moved from tree to tree towards the source of the earlier noise just like a stupid person would do in a horror flick and soon enough I had in my vision a group of two armed Goblins walking beside a group of five smaller ones carrying baskets filled with something. I kept a safe distance of around fifteen meters if I were to take a guess and tried to use Identify on them. The two armed Goblins were guards with similar status and same skills as the one I killed last night, while the other five were something unexpected. It made me doubt if the tower I saw ahead was indeed belonging a human settlement.
Name
-
Name
Value
Name
Value
Job Name
Level
Progress
Race
Goblin
STR
15
Magic
0
Goblin Gatherer
3
28%
Sex
Male
DEX
25
Charm
0
Age
1 month
AGI
23
Luck
20
World
Anhur
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END
21
HP
357/357 (+1.2/sec)
INT
4
MP
5/5(+0.001/sec)
WIS
1
Skill List Name Level Proficiency Alarm ??? ???
Rally Cry ??? ???
Blessings bestowed by the world: Blessing of Experience
All five Goblins carrying baskets had the occupation showing 'Gatherer ', which meant that most likely, those baskets held some sort of food. I had a chance to get something to eat beside flowers in this area apparently and targeting this group felt right for some reason.
That reminded me of last night's fight and the fact that you gain experience through killing opponents and assimilating theirs. Does that mean that I managed to level up with last night's fight? I do remember a message just before I fell asleep...or rather, just before I fainted.
Name
Michael Corbett
Name
Value
Name
Value
Job Name
Level
Progress
Race
Human
STR
15
Magic
5
Scout
7
43%
Sex
Male
DEX
16
Charm
10
Age
25
AGI
20
Luck
10
World
Anhur
END
15
HP
419/419 (+2.3/sec)
INT
18
MP
215/215(+1.8/sec)
WIS
12
Skill List Name Level Proficiency Identify MAX 100% Fear Resistance MAX 100% Stealth 1 62% Ambush 1 0%
Blessings granted by the world: Blessing of experience
I starred stupidly at the status window in front of me amazed at the sudden increase, to the point where I almost lost the food from my sight. The changes that occured made me realize that not only did my Job change from Human to Scout, but with the newly aquired skills, is very likely that the changes occured due to - what that shitty self-serving game God would call - special actions. Since I jumped 7 levels in total, that meant 35 stat points assigned based on what I used most. Endurance huh? Can't argue with that really, given how I endured staying still for hours and hours on a freaking tree branch and that I pushed myself to move even after I pulled a muscle when fighting the soldier last night. The increase in Magic probably came due to the new skills I've got, meaning that at least one of them is active. I held in the 'FUCK YEAH!' and just did a fist pump, after which I checked to see if the Goblins saw me. That would be a stupid way to die.
Next, the Agility, Dexterity and Strength received a boost as well, probably due to the fight and thanks to the level ups, I probably won't get one hit KO-ed by monsters now. Probably... Fuck, who I'm I kidding! I am barely able to fight a Goblin Soldier one on one and everyone knows Goblins are the weakest monsters in every game. I really hope there aren't any dragons or other stupidly overpowered monsters in this area... Please God, let me make it out alive until I can get to meet you one more time so I can clobber you with all my newly acquired Strength!
"Hmm? The Goblins seem to take a break, so I have some time to figure this out. Two new skills and an occupation. Let's investigate a bit."
While I wouldn't mind being a broken-cheat character, I somehow doubted that it be the case since probably there are two years old infants out there stronger than I am.
Then, the answers should be in my status page somewhere.
Scout
An occupation that relies heavily on stealth for gathering information and silently disposing of your enemies, as well as the speed to make it out in time.
It provides a boost in the damage dealt to an opponent in the case of a surprise attack.
If the damage dealt is a fatal blow, the amount of experience received at the end of combat multiplies twice per each opponent after leaving battle. If no enemy is engaged within 5 minutes, the multiplier resets.
Requirements - (Stealth) skill and a fatal damage dealt to an enemy from a surprise attack.
Next evolution branch - Hunter; Tracker; Soldier
...I see. That would explain the sudden leap in experience gained when coupled with the blessing I guess, but it says that you require the (Stealth) skill for the occupation. I didn't have it previously, so it feels like a bit of a stretch...
Stealth
A passive skill that allows one to stay out of the opponent's sight by minimizing one's own presence.
The movement becomes silent and swift allowing unhindered information gathering, or unholy assassinations.
Requirements: remain unnoticed for more than six hours in an area with more than one enemy, while being at a distance smaller than five meters apart.
Lucky...I got incredibly lucky, to the point where I feel I should yell 'PLOT ARMOR'. I managed to get the skill by chance because of my patience and the struggle to stay alive with those two under me, while because of the Oak flowers that were edible to me and not to them, I managed to kill the first one from behind, which as a result got the 'Scout ' occupation and the x4 experience multiplier at the end of the battle. Yeah, it does sound like plot armor alright... However, the lack of Intelligence stat for those greenish pieces of shit and the fact that I took the initiative to act and kill them, qualifies me for the upgrades! Is not like I just stumbled upon some great fucking power and won the battle because of it. Well, I did poison them because I stumbled upon that tree actually...
"Speaking of which. If I got the Job through what would be called a 'Special Action', since they died due to poisoning, shouldn't I get something else? Like an assassin? Or poisonmancer?"
Anyway...it seems like threading that thin line between life and death was well worth it since I got two skills and even my Magic stat increased to 5 giving hope to shooting fireballs randomly at monsters. But if those special actions are required to get the skill, isn't that stupid? I mean, you literally must risk your life in order to get the Stealth skill.
Also, that last entry in the Skill List sounds like it would use mana since the Magic stat increased exactly like in the case of the Goblin Soldier. Let's see...
Ambush
When attacking from behind, the damage dealt is increased by 500% by imbuing mana in your weapon. If attacking from stealth, there is an 80% chance to deal fatal damage if the enemy's total HP is lower than yours. The chance is increased to 100% when hitting a vital spot.
Cost: 20MP
Hah! It seems like I might actually get to eat something else than flowers after all.