Chapter 24 - Cave Exploration
As he ventured into the goblin den, the very first thing to catch his attention was the unfortunate accompanying smell.
“Ugh. I thought I'd have gotten used to it by now...”
Even to someone who had become somewhat well-acquainted with the hideous creatures over the past weeks, he didn't anticipate just how bad the stench of a dwelling inhabited by goblins would actually be, not to mention the additional, unpleasant lingering of smoked flesh within. Furthermore, his Level 4 Smell Enhancement skill only served to exacerbate the issue.
He roughly wiped the sweat beginning to form on his brow.
It’s damn hot, too, making it even harder to even breathe. It feels like I'm suffocating; is it because of the smell or the lack of oxygen?
It was difficult to tell, but at least there was a silver lining―the incredibly thick smell of smoke that single-handedly dominated the cave effectively numbed his senses, preventing what would otherwise be an undoubtedly vomit-inducing experience. Of course, that also contributed to the thinning of the breathable air around him, but that was endurable enough thanks to his stats.
In a strange twist of events, the unrecognisable cloth that used to be his school uniform was ripped enough to relieve some of the burden of the high temperature, and he was also able to use some as a kind of mask, filtering out the smoke from the clean air. Jae gradually pushed away his previous concerns about the possibility of collapsing due to something like carbon monoxide poisoning whilst in the cave.
It's crude, but I've got a mask, and it feels like it's helping somewhat. It doesn't seem too bad so far, anyway... Well, what will happen, will happen. There’s no point in worrying too much about it.
With such an optimistic line of thought, he continued onwards without holding too great a worry about the possibility of suddenly collapsing. After spending a long time in the forest with not much more than his own thoughts to help pass the resting time, he eventually thought he should just trust in the power of resurrection he had been granted, however dubious it may be.
It already worked twice, so why not again? There was no sign that it had some kind of limit to the number of times it would activate, right...? Of course, I shouldn't rely too much on it just in case, but it honestly doesn't feel like there's much danger, so, it's probably fine.
He was already doing the same for the rest of his shady-sounding skills, and it had saved his life(?) twice, after all. Believing in that logic, Jae convinced himself with great optimism that the pattern must continue.
Most of all, he simply didn’t want to drag himself down with anxiety regarding that anymore since it was too exhausting. It was easier to have blind faith in something than to ceaselessly fret about a problem that may or may not occur, and once he had reached that point of establishing a firm belief, there was no further need to put consideration into it.
“I mean, it’d probably just save me a whole lot of trouble if I ended up dying anyway, judging by how things have gone so far...” He muttered caustically.
Thanks to the combination of Night Vision and Vision Enhancement, Jae was able to make his way through the winding tunnels of the dry cave without tripping over, walking into any walls or getting lost. It caused him to realise just how useful such a skill was.
If it weren’t for Night Vision, I’d have to carry a torch around with me since Wrath uses too much mana... No, I'd probably still be stuck wandering through the forest at Level 8 or something since I wouldn't be able to hunt at night.
A torch in itself wasn’t the safest or most effective tool to use in a close-ended cave, for a number of reasons, so he was glad about his current skill set.
To think I got such a practical skill from goblins. Maybe those guys aren't so bad, after all.
Still, he would never refuse a good mouthful of goblin meat if it were offered to him.
Riiip-!
Gulp.
"...Tch. Unlucky."
Tearing off and swallowing a chunk of flesh from each deceased goblin he stumbled across while distracting himself with his own train of thought, as well as the occasional hobgoblin, Jae gradually explored all the nooks and crannies of the cave as much as he could, using the Charting skill to ensure he didn’t get lost.
“Oh...?”
At one point, he found himself in a vast cavern. It was a place filled with rows of wooden planks covered with animal hides, and on top of them, countless deceased goblins.
“The nest...? Oh...! Good shit...! There's a lot of ‘em here, aren't there?”
Uttering crude remarks, an irredeemable grin emerged on his face.
It's goblin lootbox mass opening time!
Jae began making his way through all the corpses in the chamber one by one, absorbing all the skills Gluttony would allow. He forced himself to eat more than his body permitted when his stomach was full, even if he felt its contents beginning to revolt and surge.
“Ugh... Phew, at least it's a little more bearable when everything tastes like smoke.”
During this irksome process, something extraordinary occurred.
Skill 「Gluttony」 has activated
You have acquired the Magic Skill: 「Earth Magic」
“...Hmm?”
Did he read that correctly?
Blinking, Jae passed his eyes over the sentence again, and again, and then a third time... and then a few more times just to be safe. Rubbing his eyes and re-reading the notification numerous times to make sure that he wasn’t seeing things, Jae’s eyes popped out of his sockets only when he realised it was real, his mouth gaping.
"......"
Instinctively, he turned his head down and took a better look at the goblin whose skill he had just absorbed; it looked just like any other aside from the grubby brown cloth adorning its body, like a robe.
Immediately, Jae knew.
“Ohhh...! Hey, hey!”
It was real.
[Ahaha~ You’re welcome, you’re welcome~]
Witnessing the skill appear in a brand new section of his Status labelled Magic Skills, Jae clenched his fists as he let out a laugh of unrestrained joy, addressing Gluttony whose all of a sudden lovable voice had just emerged in his mind.
“You son of a bitch! Wow! Little goblin bastards, if I knew you could use magic, you should’ve let me know sooner! I would’ve come here ages ago!”
There was no way for him to know that something like a ‘goblin mage’ actually existed. He had rarely seen anything outside the standard ones that went venturing to hunt and gather resources, after all.
But, it’s real... It’s really real...! It’s right there!
[Mmm~ Ahahahaha~ If you want to show your gratitude, why don’t you eat more and more and more~?]
“Ha! I mean, damn, if it means I can get more skills like this, I’ll eat just about anything!”
I’ve already eaten raw goblin anyway; what could possibly be worse than that?
Nothing could wipe the grin off of his face, and it was at this moment that Jae knew he had made the right decision in coming down here.
Before he had time to properly relish in this astounding discovery, Jae’s brows raised at the following emergence of more System messages.
The proficiency of Unique Skill: 「Gluttony」 has reached the current accessible limit
The level of 「Gluttony」 cannot be raised further until the user meets the required conditions
Level up process of 「Gluttony」 blocked until the required conditions are met
Usage of the 「Essence Absorption」 System is denied
Just as with Wrath earlier, Gluttony too had reached a plateau.
“As I thought, Level 4 is the cap for now, huh...”
Evidently, unlike his other skills, there was something distinct about these Sin-series skills, but similarly, Level 4 itself seemed to function as a kind of gateway for skills where the proficiency it took to level a skill up shot up all of a sudden.
Well, I guess that’s what makes them Unique Skills in the first place. ‘Essence Absorption’, hm...
Jae wondered for a brief moment what the next stage of Gluttony might do based on its name, but there was no use in wasting energy pondering a question he wasn’t yet able to answer. Since Envy had also been stuck at Level 4 for a good while now, he guessed that it, too, would soon hit such a plateau.
To unlock them, he had to become stronger.
“Anyway. Magic...”
Getting back on track, Jae focused.
“I’d like to use it right away, but I probably won’t be able to, will I...”
Considering that he had no idea about anything related to magic, there was no way he would be able to just mess around and figure it out by himself. Casting magic couldn’t possibly be a simple process, after all, no matter the world.
I might as well give it a shot. There’s nothing to lose by trying.
“......”
Closing his eyes, Jae concentrated for a few seconds and tried to activate the skill called Earth Magic and... Nothing happened.
“...Ahem. Well, it should be expected.”
Can’t lie that I was hoping for something, though...
He came to such a conclusion that it wasn’t possible just yet. It was unmistakably disappointing, but he persuaded himself that that was the wrong way to think about it. After all, acquiring a new skill, and a Magic Skill at that, was a completely unexpected gain, so either way, it turned out to be a net positive. Even if he wasn’t able to use magic right away, Jae had no doubts that he would learn how at some point, so there was no need to be impatient and get hung up on it.
Right. Long-term gains, long-term gains... In the future, I’ll probably eat some magical creatures and get loads of similar skills. At that time, this will be more relevant. There’s no need to rush.
Archmage Jae was soon to come, reigning destruction magic upon the opposition for all to admire. Keeping all of that positively in mind, he collected everything he could from the rest of the bodies, upon which he discovered even more loot.
Skill 「Gluttony」 has activated
You have acquired the Production Skill: 「Crafting」
Conditions met. You have acquired the Title: 「Goblin Consumer」
Conditions met. You have acquired the Title: 「Inhuman」
“......”
Is this a personal attack?
A new skill and a title? Originally, he should’ve been overjoyed, but for some reason he stood there, silently gazing at the unwanted newcomers of his Status.
“Do they have something against me?”
With “they” referring to the gods who looked over and managed this world, Jae began to feel an even deeper resentment than before.
Not to mention the Goblin Consumer title that he didn’t even want to think about, but... ‘Inhuman’? Really? He knew his race stated ‘Humanoid’ instead of ‘Human’ ever since he acquired the Resurrected title for the first time, but this felt plain insulting.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
It can’t possibly provide me with any positive bonuses, either, right?
In the end, since there wasn’t anything like a tooltip or help menu that existed, there was no way to know for sure what their effects were, if they even had any.
“...Whatever. At least I can stay thankful that my race isn’t Undead or something...”
At that point, he really would have a lot to consider. Heaving a sigh of exasperation, he moved his eyes back towards the skill.
“At least there’s this ‘Crafting’... Jeez, where have all the guys with these neat new skills been hiding the entire time to be popping up all at once? Do they just not like to leave the house or what?”
It was only a joke, but Jae remained half-serious while posing such a question. He was honestly curious as to why it took so long to find something cool among all the trash.
In the end, goblins could only provide as much as they were worth, though he had to admit they had a lot more to offer than he first thought. Now that he had acquired magic from a goblin, there was no more room to complain.
Oh, well... Maybe, it’s just that the low-class goblins were sent out to collect food and do labour whilst the superior, high-class goblins could chill out at home, or something.
Needless to say, Jae had no idea how goblin society functioned, nor did he care to find out.
Goblin proletariat? Goblin bourgeois? Goblin capitalism, even?
“Ha.”
It sort of made sense if he thought of it like that? Whatever. In any case, a skill like Crafting seemed genuinely incredibly practical, so he was more than glad to have acquired something like it.
“I shall become an artisan of the master class, as well as an archmage, then.”
Muttering such an offhand remark in a joking, yet serious tone without a thought, a certain hateful someone was quick to reply.
[Pft, sure. Speaking of which, you should probably give up on trying to fight me while you can, ‘cause we both know when the time comes that you're pitted against me, you’ll stand no chance. It’s better to save what little face you have in advance.]
Jae’s face scrunched up at the harassment of the voice he disliked the most.
“Huh? Piss off. Remember, you’re as good as dead the second I get my hands on you. You know it. I know it. You just want me to give up prematurely ‘cause you’re scared, that’s all.”
He sneered with poise, causing Wrath to erupt in a peal of mocking laughter.
[Bahahaha! That’s a good one, brat. Well. Not giving up in the face of an impossible battle has its own sense of honour, I suppose. As much honour as a human brat like you can have, anyway. I’d rather you strive like the struggling trash you are to get as strong as you possibly can. That way, I can pummel you at your peak and destroy that asinine confidence of yours.]
“Sure thing, buddy. Just like a Chihuahua, you’re an irritable rat with nothing but bark.”
[A what...? Chi--“Chi-wawa”...? What the hell did you just call me?]
“Heh. Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Do dogs not exist in this world or something? No, it might just be Chihuahuas specifically... Anyway, it doesn't matter. This guy's just an idiot.
Ignoring Wrath and pondering pointless things as he went, Jae found himself feeling quite a bit lighter than usual, perhaps because everything was going so well.
Today is a good day.
After absorbing every skill he could from the nest, Jae resumed his venture, diving ever deeper into the dark, twisting tunnels of the cave. As he descended, a possibility popped into his mind that got his blood pumping.
Oh. Wait, since there are so many goblins living together in one place, they must have a leader, right? They're surprisingly organised.
A base with countless goblins and hobgoblins, and even goblin carpenters and mages―it couldn’t possibly exist without some kind of head or captain to maintain order, and that was a universal rule with applications to creatures outside of just humans.
At least, Jae saw it as such.
Even insects have kings and queens. Usually, wouldn’t there be a ‘goblin chieftain’ or something along those lines? No, if it was the leader of a goblin tribe this size, then it might actually be a king or something along those lines. Would I be able to handle something like that at my level?
There was no answer from any of the sins, but he didn’t really expect much from them, to begin with, and didn’t pay it any mind.
“Well, I’m still Level 28, which feels pretty high compared to everything else around here, and I feel like I’ve got some decent skills, so it should be fine. There’s no way a goblin could be that strong, even if it is something like a king, anyway...”
Continuing forth, the number of goblin corpses Jae stumbled across became fewer and fewer, until eventually, he stopped encountering them altogether. Before he realised it, there was also no sign of smoke or the heat he had been enduring up until now. Taking off the fabric that covered his mouth, he realised it even more.
"Hmm...?"
Did the smoke not reach all the way down here or what...?
"I guess, it is pretty far beneath the surface..."
Jae wasn’t sure how long had passed since he entered the cave, and he had even less of a clue how far underground he was, but it was understandable that the fumes of the fire he had lit all the way aboveground would find it difficult to fill up the cave completely and make it all the way down here in only a couple of hours, if at all.
Or, maybe there's a hole somewhere down here that leads to the surface?
Perhaps there was something, or perhaps there was nothing. Whatever the truth was, in any case, didn’t really matter.
Jae's steps were wary as he descended ever deeper into the cave.
As if there had been no attack launched on the goblins from the beginning, he felt a strange pressure fall upon his shoulders.
It was a sign.
I’m close.
He felt it, and as he did, his tension rose. He followed the single tunnel downwards in silence, repeatedly clenching and releasing his fists.
Soon, after an unknown length of time that felt both long and short, Jae’s brows furrowed at the sight in front of him. The tunnel widened into another vast cavern, similar to the one previous.
Unlike the nest, however, this felt more akin to a ‘large room’ than a cavern.
“...?”
Looking down, the floor beneath his feet more closely resembled some kind of carved stone brick than natural rock, and turning his head to the sides, the same pattern could be spotted on the walls, too flat to be natural.
And then, in front of him...
Oh, what?
“Huff. Gieh?”
With a nasal snort and a questioning sort of grunt, a stocky hobgoblin stood at the end of the unlit room.
“Geh... Gii, gieh gi.”
Not just one, in fact, but two.
There were survivors... No, they might not have even known there was an attack from the beginning.
What’s more, they bore a presence unlike any foe he had faced thus far and even wore a collection of square metal plates as armour to protect the vulnerable areas of their thick bodies, both clearly larger than the first hobgoblin he fought. Though the plates were evidently old and worn, even someone inexperienced like Jae could tell that it was enough to get the job done.
“You pesky guys...”
Activating Envy without much thought while watching the two extraordinarily fortunate hobgoblins cautiously, something unexpected caught Jae’s eye as the System windows popped up.
Soul State - Hobgoblin
Soul Level : 33 / 50
Title : The Lord’s Watchman
Age : 16 Years
Health : 70
Magic Energy : 106
Power : 146
Magical Ability : 12
Defence : 129
Resistance : 23
Karma: 67
Soul State - Hobgoblin
Soul Level : 41 / 50
Title : The Lord’s Watchman
Age : 23 Years
Health : 40
Magic Energy : 130
Power : 211
Magical Ability : 21
Defence : 189
Resistance : 34
Karma: 75
"What the..."
Excluding their levels, which were both vastly higher than the water-collecting hobgoblin from earlier, there was something on their Soul State that Jae hadn’t ever seen before.
‘Lord’s Watchman’...?
The two creatures both possessed a title.
I didn't even know I could see titles with this thing... Also, why is the Health of the stronger one lower than the Health of the weaker one? I guess this confirms there are differences between the Soul State and the Status.
“Huff. Geheh.”
Glaring at Jae but not taking a step forward, the younger hobgoblin snorted again as it seemed to tighten the grip on the large metal cleaver in its hands that was almost twice its size; he realised what the monster’s actions indicated.
Then, they must be guarding something.
Glancing behind them, he noticed the wall in front of which the monsters stood was not a wall at all, but in fact a great stone door.
Behind that door... Has to be the leader, right?
He didn’t know if the titles on the Soul State were equal to the titles of the Status, but either way, the fact alone carried a sense of significance.
A certain Goblin Lord was waiting for him.
“...Hey. You understand me, right?”
Straightening his back, Jae called out to the two hobgoblins, who immediately jolted in surprise.
“Gie! Human can communicate?”
“Human, what is your purpose?”
Now that Goblin Language Comprehension had levelled up to 10 from the all-you-can-eat goblin buffet, it had reached max-level. Of course, he could communicate fluently with all goblins. Staring at the much more powerful and older of the two hobgoblins, who remained on edge, Jae considered how to go about this peculiar situation.
His purpose for coming down here was, strictly speaking, to absorb the skills of all the goblins within the cave. That objective hadn’t changed even after realising the possibility of a Goblin Lord beyond this point.
In fact...
Now that he knew some of them were still alive, and stronger ones than he had ever faced at that, Jae’s blood began to pump fast.
If I’m gonna wipe out the goblin nest, I might as well leave it spotless, right?
After all, just think about it.
What kinds of skills might I get from a Goblin Lord...?
The prospect alone was enticing enough.
“Is your leader behind that door?”
“Answer, human.”
Ignoring Jae’s question, the unnamed older hobgoblin raised its heavy club, demanding a response to its question. He remained silent. He watched them as they carefully observed him in turn, their icky gazes stuck to him like oil.
It felt strange talking to someone in a physical, material sense after so long in isolation, even if the conversation partner was a monster. Thanks to him speaking their language with proper fluency, the two hobgoblins seemingly weren’t as aggressive as they otherwise might have been. Still, that didn’t make them any less vigilant.
They’re not gonna let me pass, huh... Well, it’s not a surprise.
Just because some disgusting monsters had asked him to, he never considered a path of peacefully walking away, to begin with.
“My purpose for being here...” Muttering to himself, slowly, he took up his dagger. “You want an answer?”
Jae faced the hobgoblins, who likewise raised their weapons and entered a defensive stance.
How long did it take me to descend this far into the cave? Probably not multiple days, but definitely more than a few hours.
Right in front of me are two prime targets for levelling up, and leaving now would also mean passing up whatever sweet loot the boss has prepared for me.
Telling me to give up and leave now, are you insane?
He had already come this far; there was no backing down at this point.
Mana Points (MP) : 1101 / 1101
Ensuring that his resources were at full recovery, Jae had the utmost confidence that he would win.
Without a string of doubt in his mind, he stepped forward; a translucent Fighting Spirit automatically activated as if by its own will and enveloped his body, strengthening him physically. Then, as he noticed a similar faint aura begin to emanate from the tough skin of the two hobgoblins, Jae’s eyes widened.
These bastards...?
Fighting Spirit: an otherworldly energy that enhances the strength of one’s body.
Jae had drawn correlations between it and things like Qi, also known by a variety of names such as Ki, Chi, Aura, or Internal Energy, but the latter was all basically the same thing.
It didn’t consume mana, and it wasn’t listed as a Passive Skill in his Status, but due to poor control and lack of experience, Jae could only invoke Fighting Spirit during combat even if he chanted the name of the skill and willed it with all his might.
It was that kind of stubborn skill that would only activate on its own.
Jae’s Fighting Spirit was currently Level 5 and it had been stuck there for a while, one level higher than the average if compared to his other skills that couldn’t be artificially increased through Gluttony. If he thought about it, Level 5 was quite extraordinary since most of his other skills were stuck at Level 4 for a long time even with the Otherworlder buff. He didn't know if that meant he was talented, but he liked to think so.
The intensity of the hobgoblins’ Fighting Spirit was not nearly as strong as his own and only seemed about Level 1 or 2, but the mere fact they possessed it when no other creature thus far had, gave him an unsettling feeling.
Usually, it’s not something ordinary monsters should be able to use, is it...?
He had a feeling there was something more to Fighting Spirit than what he knew from consuming media on Earth and from his short time in this world, and it was highly likely to be the case since all he knew was inferred through such experience. His meagre experience from using the skill over the past few weeks amounted to insignificance in the grand scheme of things, but that only led Jae to grow even more curious.
About skills, about magic, about monsters, and everything else.
Curiosity regarding everything in the world.
And then, he recalled the hobgoblin’s question.
His purpose.
“...To be honest, I don’t know my purpose for being here.”
He wasn’t talking about the reason for being in the cave, but in this world as a whole.
Jae, like most of the people in his class, had no idea why they were here even now.
Sure, the kingdom summoned us, but that doesn’t explain anything.
The summoning ritual was not so much a reason for the event occurring as it was a condition that had to be met in order for the event to occur.
After all, despite the Second Princess claiming they summoned the heroes to fight the Demons for them, that still was not an explanation for why they were brought here, even if it seemed so at a glance.
The others might not be aware, but I am.
The ritual was the catalyst that brought him here, but it was not what cursed him.
It was what caused an entire class of students to be abruptly transferred to another world, but it was not what blessed those students with divine protection, and it was not what bestowed all kinds of unique powers and gifts unto them.
At the end of the day, the ones responsible were the ones above, or perhaps something even greater.
Right...
If Jae wanted to get to the bottom of it, there was an inevitable need to enter into the realm of the divine.
And that’s why...
“Don’t put up too much of a fight, ‘kay? I’ve too much experience fighting you little green fellas. Petty resistance isn’t gonna work anymore, no matter what level you are.”
He was a superior human, unable to be compared to the likes of goblins.
He was an Otherworlder with powerful unknown abilities.
A proud Goblin Consumer.
And most of all.
There’s a certain Chihuahua-like asshole looking to get a royal beatdown from me personally, you know? I can’t have smallfry mobs like you getting in the way of me helping him find it.
Taking down a Goblin Lord and his watchmen was only the first step of the way there.