When I woke up the next morning I was still pissed about not getting my reward. With a heavy sigh, I got up. Looking around I noticed that there were a few more spiders, trying to blend in with trees. After counting I ended up with seven new ones, all smaller than the wolf killer. If I had to guess these spiders were about twice the size of my paw, easily crushable.

/Your awake, always so sleepy/. You’re always patronizing. I guessed that I was going to have to figure out what I wanted to do today.

I could do a lot of things, go hunting, squish spiders, burn some trees. /Oh little lizard, I have another mission for you/. I have some choice words for you sap breath. /I want you to go kill some goblins for me. This is a mission just for you, only you can do it. After all the spiders prefer spinning their webs than taking on a true hunt/.

I want a reward this time. I will do this. If I don’t get a reward. I will squish all the little spiders.

/Oh I just knew you couldn’t help but accept. Just follow the lake to find some. Remember darling, goblins, not foxes/.

What is with this tree and it's hatred of foxes? Did a fox pee on you or something. With another heavy sigh I set out on my new mission, following the river.

It took me much longer than I had expected to find some goblins. I had expected to find a large village with hundreds of goblins, instead, I found seventeen relaxing in a clearing. Ten of them appeared like the first one I saw. Oddly there were two other types of goblins here. Five others had shorter arms, a little taller and their muscles were more defined. Along with that these goblins were armed, leather armor and cracked swords everywhere.

The other two looked nothing like the scrawny little goblins. They were more like Hobgoblins with them being the same size as a human. They were sitting next to a sword. The sword looked like it was iron, I think. The hilt was regular enough, but the handle was interesting. I couldn’t make out any details because of how far away I was, but the hilt was bright orange. Shining brighter than anything else.

Alright, I want that sword. I don’t care how I get it, I want it. With one step, I had entered the clearing. /HOW DARE YOU ENTER MY DOMAIN/. This voice as new. Instead of the soft melody of the birch tree, it sounded like a volcano exploding. /To think a monster would dare enter my domain. Goblins, bring me that lizards corpse/.

How dare you talk about my corpse that way. As all of the goblins approached me, I charged. I plowed through seven of the regular goblins, stabbing all of them with my horn. I roared with excitement, the tree was going to be proud after this.

Turning to the rest of the scrawny goblins I charged at them, laughing as the hobgoblins tried to catch me. Shink, I had just finished killing the last of the scrawny goblins when I heard that noise. Ow, ow, ow!!! I howled in pain. Looking behind me I saw an armored goblin trying to take its sword out of my side.

Stolen novel; please report.

You little green monster!!! I flicked my tail at it, nocking the goblin off balance. Then I turned and slashed at the neck of the goblin. Yes, you are dead!!! It was not dead though.

Instead, I had left a small wound, the goblin's neck had been covered in leather. Curse you!!! I shall devour your soul!!! Even with the pain of a sword stabbing through me I managed to keep going. Faster and faster I attacked at the goblin, tearing away its armor.

After ripping away all of its armor I sank my horn into the goblin's stomach. Then I forcefully pulled my head upwards, turning the goblins insides to mush.

Come on you green beasties, I will tear through all of you!!!

/Wait!!! Stop this madness!!!/ What the hell do you want, coward. Get out of my head while I kill the rest of these goblins! /I said to stop, lets make a deal little lizard/. A deal sounds nice, what do you have in mind. /Become one of my monsters, you would like me far better with me then your current dungeon. You would benefit far more by becoming one of my monsters/.

Wait a dungeon? I wished at that moment that I could slap myself. It all made a lot more sense now. The reason that a tree could talk to me, the spiders appearing, all of it.

No thanks, but I guess I could be persuaded to stop my rampage if you gave me something. /You damn brat, fine. Take this and get out of here/.

[Lesser Blessing of Fire: Lesser Fire Affinity lvl 3 aquired]. Dear god… well, I think this is enough. Just let me drag off these corpses. The next half hour consisted of a hobgoblin pulling its sword out of my side. Thankfully my regeneration was working overtime and the bleeding stopped before I bled out.

After that an armored goblin helped me drag some of the corpses closer to the birch tree. Sadly I had to kill it before it could return and tell the dungeon where the tree was.

/Oh, your back already. Oh, just one goblin. Ah, you have another… wait there are more? Oh, four must be all. Seven… what did you do? W-two more? This is getting insane. Ah, that is it. Well little one I believe you have beyond earned your reward/.

It took me a while to drag all of the goblins, I had to drag each one at a time. I think that this should be more than enough to get my reward. Reward, reward, reward, please!!! I demand my reward now!!!.

/Alright settle down. Let us see… you always seem eager to get rewards, you seem to enjoy sleeping but when I give you a job you get it done. I know what to call you. Plus you seem a lot stronger than what I first expected/.

A sudden flood of energy filled me. I felt like I was about to explode with a giant boom. Come on, come on, gimme my reward!!! /You little lizard, are my Seraphim/.

With a new name engrained in my soul something fundamental changed. I could feel new energy surrounding me as if I was evolving. {Blessing of the Forest: Nature affinity lvl 3 granted]. Course I can’t evolve yet. Well this is better than nothing… Heh, I'm Seraphim now… wait what?

I am named Glen… I am Glen… but also Seraphim? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU CURED TREE!!! I am se-Glen!!!

I will spare you the details of my next half hour of maddened rambling. I refused to accept my new name, I needed to hold on to something from my world.