For the rest of that day, after I finished off the bowl of stew and bread, I checked the traps that I had set up. The goblins seemed to have stripped the snares and traps I set up for small game: I set them back up and went to go check the fishing trap. A few salmon, but nothing as big as what I had caught the first time. Their hearts didn’t give any anima, so I supposed it was a normal fish. Somehow brought over here from Midgard. I cut them up and seared their pink flesh for a quick lunch with the butter I had asked for him to get. It was good. Once lunch was finished, I started turning the stalks of Cassandra’s Thorn into Fatigue Potions.

I ground up the dried herbs and boiled them in a small cauldron with some water drawn from the river. I added a bit of oil from the fish, and a little bit of my own blood. While it was still steaming, I pushed myself away from the fire and searched through the nearby woods until I spotted a large pine tree with a certain thing I was looking for. Growing off its shield-like bark was a pale white lichen. I pulled my knife out and scraped the lichen off.

[GHOST LICHEN ADDED TO INGREDIENTS] came the notification from my PID. Boiling the lichen in with the fish oil and the Cassandra’s Thorn just when it began to bubble would dilute it to a degree so that it wouldn’t kill a person.

I headed back to the camp with the scraped-off lichen on the blade of my knife and waited for the caramel-colored concoction to bubble. Once it began to, stirred the powder in with my knife, and took the whole thing off the fire: sitting it on a slab of cold rock. Once the liquid was done swirling and steaming, the color had turned to a warm purple. I waited for the liquid to cool before pouring a little of it into five separate jars: filling each jar about a fifth of the way with the concoction, so I could dilute it with water from the spring.

By the time it was done, and I had finished setting up the rest of the things from the drop, it was a little after noon. I continued working on the path, carving another two miles from the path. As a result, I got an additional +3% increase in Mastery in Endurance and a +2% increase in Mastery in Strength. I found a few more patches of Cassandra’s Thorn and Lavender. They seemed to grow in abundance here. I set them down to dry and lay down for the night.

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Once more, the drumming noise approached. By now it was beyond the wall that surrounded the Ever-after valley, and was nearing the small bridge I had to cross to get back by the time morning came. I got up. Checked the traps. Skinned [Spider Squirrel] — a tree-climbing creature that had eight legs, and a chitinous helm, and smoked the meat over the fire before having an MRE for breakfast.

After that, I checked the available jobs to see if there were any more goblin patrols on their way. Sure enough, there were. A group of five, perhaps in search of the ten. The reward would be 1,000 dollars, and a 3% increase in all of my stats. I sighed, and squeezed into my armor, packed a small bag of things I would need including water, fatigue potions, and a sleeping pad.

I accepted the job and watched where the patrol was coming from. Down the road, in the same direction, the last patrol came. I tossed the bag on and put out the fire before heading out. I walked to the spring filled up my water bottles there, and picked what Cassandra’s Thorns I could. It could be useful. I stuffed the fresh herbs in a pouch I had in my pocket.

Oh, so you’re planning on taking the fight to them this time?

“Of course.”

Why the change of pace?

“I figured that if I just waited around it could be trouble.”

How do you figure?

“Well, what are these five looking for?”

Food? Shelter?

I shook my head. A meaningless gesture to something living inside of my mind.

“I bet they’re looking for the ten that I killed,” I said.

So you think there might be a bigger group?

“Yes, and if they all vanish in the same area over and over again ever goblin is in charge of this group’s going to wise up. And when he does…”

He’ll send a force after you.

“Exactly. So…”

You’re going to attack the main base and pull this weed out by the root?

“What? No. I’m not suicidal. I’m going to kill them somewhere else to not let them think that there’s a camp out here.”

Yes, but if you continue to do that, they’ll just send out more patrols with a wider reach to find you.

I sighed. The Ego had a point.

“So I should just go for the root.”

Exactly.

I pivoted on my heel and went back to camp.

What, are you afraid of this?

“Yes.”

Think of this as your first step toward beating Liam.

My cheek and pride still hurt from where he had hit me. I gathered more ammo and stuffed them in my bag and headed back out.