I walked over forty miles by the time I got tired. I had run out of tears a while ago and had been running on fumes for some time. I don’t how long I had been walking but the sun was just starting to set.

I found a large tree and dug a small hole next to it. It was shallow and wide, perfect for me. I collapsed and instantly fell asleep. I woke up the next day at around noon and lazily looked around.

I could see a mountain range in the distance with what looked like a small valley in between two of the peaks. I could see a small stream coming down from the mountains into the valley.

I shrugged and started walking. From a distance it seemed like the perfect place to set up. I yawned and started running at a small trot. It felt good to feel the muscles in my legs tightening as I began sprinting.

I laughed as the wind blew through my face. My large form trampled through the forest for over three hours before the trees suddenly stopped. I was around twenty miles from the base of the mountains.

I was hungry so I decided it was time to do some good old hunting. I looked around and set my sights on a large goat in the distance. I crouched down slightly and shrunk as small as possible. I hadn’t even noticed before but the grass was easily three feet tall. I occasionally popped my head above the grass to stare at the lone goat.

It hadn’t moved and seemed to be staring at something. I grew to the size of a large horse and started sprinting at the goat. The second I got within a hundred feet the goat let out a shrill shriek and began to glow red.

I was unable to slow my momentum as the goat seemed to expand, then it exploded. I had never heard such a loud sound before. Blood, bone shards and organs slammed into me with such force that they almost instantly ripped through my body.

I quickly turned back to my true size and got up. Just as I was about to get my bearings I heard bleating sounds coming from all around me. Zorkids steamed out of the tall grass into the new clearing created by the explosive goat.

I slammed my tail spike through one of their skulls and counted how many there were. Over forty of the little bastards were charging me. I couldn’t stop smiling as I screamed. “Come at me you despondent peasants! I’ll eat all of you!” I began slashing and stabbing at anything that came near me as I delighted in the slaughter. I was slowly accumulating small wounds but I ignored them. It felt good just to let loose.

I stomped on a zorkid as it wailed. I slashed my claws at another and ripped its leg off. It screeched and bleated but was quickly silenced by my belly flopping on top of it. After around a dozen of the Zorkids had died the rest began to sprint away, scattering in all directions. I speared two of them with my tail but let the rest leave. No reason to waste calories chasing them when I had a feast waiting for me. I checked my notifications while eating what I’m pretty sure was a leg.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

You have killed a level 1 Zorkid. x8

You have killed a level 2 Zorkid.

You have killed a level 4 Zorkid. x2

You have killed a level 5 Zorkid. x3

You have killed a level 6 Zorkid.

Huh, there weren’t any level threes? Weird. I quickly devoured the entirety of the horde and resumed limping towards the valley. Also for future reference, don’t go near goats. Or maybe just don’t go near explosive ones? A bit hard to tell from a distance but sound advice either way.

Food for thought. I laughed at my pun and decided that I was very much alone. I miss my kids. I shoved the thought away and resumed walking towards the valley. Just gotta get to the valley. That’s the goal. Get to the valley.

The grassland around me was interesting. The grass was yellow and faded but still seemed quite successful. It was tall and prolific judging from how the entire field is like this. Weirdly there didn’t seem to be any animals other than those annoying goats.

I saw four more of the now familiar goats and avoided them each time. No reason to take more damage. I’m still wounded from my last fight. My entire body is covered in scars, open wounds and just generally beat up.

I made it to the valley a couple hours before sunset. It was small and seemed more like a tunnel into the area beyond the mountains. There was a single flat area in the center with a stream running through it. The stream was shallow for the most part but in one area seemed to open up into a pond.

I jumped into the pond, removing a good amount of the water in the process as I laid on my belly. It felt nice to once again be in the water. As I was laying down I heard a noise from nearby. Still sluggish from the nice feeling of the water I couldn’t react in time.

I felt a sharp force slam into the back of my neck. I quickly jumped to my feet and collapsed onto my back. Whatever had been on top of me was squashed as I hastily got up and looked around.

Small green humanoids were all around me. They wore dirty loincloths and each had a stone spear. There were around thirty of them. As I was sizing them up I saw something fall to the ground. I looked at it and noticed the collar I wore laying in the mud. The collar that let me change size. The collar that allowed me to not have kids.

I looked at the small green things around me and felt tears begin to fall once again. The green things seemed confused but realized the situation when my tail spike skewered three of them as I charged forward screaming. “You ruined everything you little runts!”

They fled and I didn’t have the heart to chase them. I just walked back to the pond and laid down. I had a week to make a home for my kids. At least.I had a good location. The valley seemed virtually unabated other than the green things and I don’t foresee them being very dangerous.

I thoughtlessly tossed one of their corpses into my mouth and said. “Alright, it’s time to toughen up. I’ve been a parent before I can do it again. Except this time they are not fighting in battles or patrolling. That’s my job. I’ll make sure they get a nice childhood. No matter what.”

You have killed a level 1 Goblin x 5