“Well…I suppose I will need additional creatures at some point. Apparently, I can absorb their bodies to learn how they're made. Once I do I can make a spawner for them. You could also help me with my traps! I…don’t know how to make magical ones.” Obu seemed a little disappointed in that last one. Dug just nodded. Unlike his daughter, the old goblin was well aware of how difficult it was to learn Waag by watching. At some point, a gobbo had to feel the magic to really step on the path. Many never achieved that crucial step.
“Dese be tings I can do,” he stated gruffly. “First weez can getcha some beasties and den make da trapz.”
Reticence came through the bond as Obu spoke up. “I don’t think I can go very far with you. The Dungeon is like my body now. Without me being present I think the Dungeon will fall apart and I’ll lose it.”
Dug thought about this and then tested something. He reached up and pried off one of the smaller gems that made up Obu’s trailing triune latticework. He heard a yelp come from her before he heard her complain in his mind.
“Daaad, that felt weird! Why’d you do that?”
Dug didn’t reply at first, simply walking over to the end of the room where the empty stone doorway was. Reaching as high as he could he used Waag to carve a hole the size of the gem into the side of the doorway where he then slotted the small gemstone. He immediately felt relief and a hint of wonder from his daughter and he smiled smugly.
“Der. Now yousa can come with,” he stated.
“It still felt weird,” Obu grumbled but underneath her obvious discomfort, there was a happiness that she could join him in his hunt for more creatures.
“Der der. Isa promise tah ask nex time.” Then, turning around, he stumped his way back into his section of the cave to check on his guest. He found The Hidden fast asleep and nodded. Satisfied that his patient was resting well the old goblin made his way out using Obu’s staff to support himself.
As his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the outdoors he found himself once more looking upon the disgustingly beautiful mountain scenery. Blowing a raspberry at the view he began his slow descent across the short cratered field where the morning’s fight had happened. The sun was slowly falling towards distant peaks and the ground before him dropped away into a valley of sorts nestled in a rough half-oval shape several thousand human feet long.
Arriving at the edge of the field Dug looked down upon a sloping rocky descent intermingled with trees and scraggly undergrowth. Off to the left his large ears could pick up the sound of falling water and he could see glimpses of water through the trees. Good. A river would be nice to have nearby for fresh water and food.
In the distance, he could see where the river ended and a medium-sized lake began. There was much to explore but Dug could only see the amount of walking he would have to do. Grumbling, he reminded himself that this was all for his new daughter, and with that firmly in mind, he began his little excursion.
Obu wasn’t silent as he trudged along but he didn’t mind. They engaged in conversation even as Dug began collecting little creatures here and there. Most didn’t even have a single level to their name consisting of different insects of varying sizes. He did find and kill a bird that had decided to fly directly in front of him. Once it had been claimed Obu was excited to find it was an F(1) Ranked beast called a Fluted Lunawing. Dug, however, was more restrained about it.
“Yousa gonna need more den dat. Letsa see if’n weesa can find a big bird fah you.” So saying, he began to scan the tops of the trees for any larger silhouettes. What he didn’t expect was for one to find him. He didn’t even see it until his wards exploded outwards to protect him from its diving rush. The impact threw him across the ground and down the hill even as a screeching call reverberated along the mountainside. With a quick mutter, Dug’s eyes ignited and he funneled the power into his limbs. He straightened and rolled upright, his legs scraping small furrows into the ground as he did so.
“Are you okay?” Obu asked concerned. Dug simply waved a hand.
“Isa fine. Got spores.” So saying he reached into a pouch at his side and snorted the spores contained within. Immediately the Healwell activated and he empowered the effects to increase its potency. His aches and scratches from his tumble faded quickly as he looked up at his opponent.
Frantically beating out the green fires that ate at its feathers, a gigantic beautifully feathered creature met his gaze. Almost like a bat and an owl in one with a beaked face and large feathery-furred wings, the creature let out an angry cry that sounded more like a bass whistle. Its large furred hind legs lifted it from the ground and it charged down the slope intending to crush the creature that had caused it so much pain.
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Dug simply spoke one word. “Waagh.”
The flames that had been flickering out all over the creature, suddenly flared with heat and the creature stumbled, crying out in pain. Its legs collapsed and it went tumbling down the mountain to collide with a crack against a large tree.
Once more infusing himself with power, Dug tore down the mountain in pursuit. Leaping into the air he brought his left fist down with a great impact against the creature’s head ending its life. Huffing slightly from the exertion, Dug smiled as Obu began the process of claiming the big thing, satisfied that his daughter was getting a powerful protector for her dungeon.
He sighed as words began to scroll their way across his visions. It had happened before with some of the smaller creatures he had killed but he hadn’t really cared. This time though he let the words continue to scroll across his vision. He wanted to see what kind of creature he had been fighting.
You have defeated: Owlbat (C16 - Lvl 77)
You have gained XP!
Error! Non-System Entity confirmed.
Unable to gain XP until full integration.
Sub-Administrator Detected.
Experience has been banked for future use.
Dug hummed even as Obu excitedly chattered away about what she could use such a beast for. He nodded along even though he couldn’t follow a lot of what she was saying. Stuff about rooms and floors and other System things. He would have to sit down and ask the System some questions just so he could understand his own daughter. The thought irked him to no end.
But his daughter was happy and that meant he was happy too, at least for now. The old goblin panned his gaze around the clearing they found themselves in only to lock eyes with a group of small creatures staring at him from across the way.
They were dressed in rough loincloths to hide their modesty and armed with an assortment of rocks and pointy sticks. It was clear they were barely sapient from the way they looked at him but barely sapient and not sapient at all were two very different things. They were communicating with a series of chirps, clicks, and whistles but at such a low frequency that even his goblin ears couldn’t quite pick it up despite them being not 40 goblin feet away from him.
There were two things that stood out immediately. One, they were immensely cute, looking like something between a Mink and a Ferret from his old world, only thicker-limbed owing to their upright, slightly humanoid nature. This disgusted Dug as only a goblin obsessed with ugliness could be. They were even shorter than him, however, which lent them a great deal of acceptability they otherwise might not have had in the old goblin's mind.
He motioned to them, which broke them out of the frozen state they had entered into when he had locked gazes with them. They scurried over, at times running on four paws or on their back two like a person might. Once they arrived they immediately began sniffing around him, chirruping to each other in their own language.
He read from their body language that they were impressed by his feat in killing the bird and were wondering how he had done it. This he got from their mimed acting which they were extremely bad at. So bad that it took him a while to get what they were trying to say at all. When he finally got it all he did was smile and snap causing green flame to ignite in front of him.
The snap and the flame sent the little creatures scurrying into the undergrowth with fearful chittering, their eyes peeping out behind bushes and trees to see what would happen. When nothing did happen they gradually came back until they were in front of him once more staring with wide eyes at the flickering flame.
He made the flame dance which caused them to take a few hurried steps back but once they had acclimated to this new wonder they were quite pleased with it and showed their appreciation with tail slaps upon the ground or upon any of the surrounding rocks.
“Father…what are you doing?” Obu asked, having finally finished claiming and analyzing her new creature.
“Don’know,” He said with a toothy smile. His voice startled the beasties but they were getting more and more comfortable with him and so recovered quicker than before. “Theysa jus appeareded from nowheres. Deys nice doh. Stupid but nice.”
“The System says they are called Muskeera, all Rank F(3) and roughly between levels 12 and 14.” She waited for him to answer but he just kept his mouth shut. “Father? Did you forget to analyze them with your System powers again?” Dug huffed at her tone of voice.
“Notta need dah Syssitem tah tell meesa stuff. Got on jussa well widdout it all dese years. Notta need it now.” He heard his daughter sigh and winced before giving up and using his new “powers.” He focused on the nearest beastie and watched as words rippled like green fire across his vision.
Cheep-Cheep
Muskeera
Rank F(3) Level 14
Psuedo-Class: Hunter Gatherer
Affiliation: Clan Longtooth
“Your daughter shall be receiving a Quest right about now. Quests are like voluntary missions that come with rewards. Help her and I’ll show you some interesting things you can do with all of your banked Experience Points. Things you can do with the Fungi you have stored away.”
* The Administrator
Dug huffed at the ending message. “Dat notta fair. Notta nice tah tempt Dug wid Fungee.” He was interrupted out of his grumbling by his daughter's excited exclamation whereupon he promptly forgave the administrator for his crimes against his gobbo person. He wondered if that had been the being’s goal all along.
“Father!” Dug was brought out of his meandering thoughts by Obu’s excited cry. “I just got a Quest from the System! We need to help these creatures.” Dug sighed but nodded and attempted to follow along as his daughter began explaining the situation.