Before he could get into it Jax saw another notification which happily surprised him

Quest complete:

You have traveled the void, yet you have not truly understood it. Learn one void-based spell. Completed via the Wraithblade spell.

Reward: Void Runner title updated. This creature has traveled through the void and returned mostly unscathed, no longer is his intellect taxed by the nature of his power. Now he utilizes the spirits to guide him. Intelligence +2, Dexterity and Agility +2.

He smiled, that was a solid addition to his stats, though he wished he could get a multiplier, these flat increases might start to fall off soon as he grew in strength.

Voidrunner:

Name: Jax

Level: 2

Exp: 6275/1000

Race: Hybrid (98% Human, 1% Spiritual Protector, 1% Suffering Voidspawn)

Class: Wraithblade (Legendary)

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Attributes:

* Strength: 11

* Agility: 6

* Dexterity: 11

* Intelligence: 9

* Constitution: 11

* Perception: 3

* Free Points 6

Resources:

* Energy: 3/160

* Spiritual Energy: 295,132

* Void Energy: 1

Titles:

* Once Reborn (basic)

* Void Runner (Uncommon)

* Boundless Soul (Rare)

* Slayer of Giants (Common)

Skills:

* Skill Crystal Absorption (Common)

* Limited Telepathy (Common)

* Sneak Attack (Common)

* Shades of Darkness (Common)

* Wraithblade (Uncommon)

* Soul absorption (Uncommon)

Faction: Jax’s Tribe

Rank: Chief

Members: 7/15

Allies: Calis Coven

Inventory:

* 2x Assassin’s Knives (F-Rank Common)

* 1 Ceremonial Seax (F-Rank Uncommon)

* The Cloak of Night (F-Rank Uncommon)

* Shades of Darkness (F-Rank Rare)

* Bag of Spirits (F-Rank Rare)

* Moccasins of Quiet (F-Rank Rare)

* Wraithblade (F-rank Uncommon)

Quests:

Advancement: Upgrade your blade to the rare tier.

Rebirth Questline part 1:

You have died and lived again. Do you cling to life greedily or give it to others. Learn either a life stealing, or a healing ability. Your choice will decide further quests.

Void runner questline part 3:

Advance your Wraithblade to legendary Tier.

Slayer of Giants questline part 1:

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Kill one enemy of a higher level while standing on them.

Boundless Soul questline part 4:

Now that you have expanded your soul, stored up magical potential and refined your physical form you must learn to express your souls intent into the world. Learn one matter altering spell. 0/1

He nodded to himself. His experience had skyrocketed, showing a vast increase in his overall wealth. He had also managed to complete a quest and unlock his Wraithblade. Odds were if he managed to keep this progress up he would soon manage to overtake Jerg, likely before they finished this quest. He hoped the gongs would choose to stay with him and Nia after they were freed.

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Jax turned to the four hobgoblins and considered what to do about them. In all honesty he had a hard time considering them people. As he looked at their bestial furry faces they looked like rabid animals, perhaps that was why he found it so easy to kill them. Him and his party were essentially coming into their home and murdering the poor creatures. yet as he looked at them Jax saw something in their eyes. These were people, and while he didn't doubt that they were bad people, who was he to judge. After all he had taken a slave, and was literally harnessing the souls of the poor creatures.

But that was not truly the problem here, Jax knew that the problem was he didn't know if he could trust them. He trusted the gong, and Nia. At first it had been because he had them under contact and collar, but now he actually had faith that they had his best interests at heart, at least enough to not kill him when he turned his back. Even the small Drell he could trust, he had a slave collar on it. Yet these three held none of the same restrictions. Jax considered it as he looked on them. He couldn't justify killing them. So he did what he seemed to always do and asked Nia.

"I don't want to kill them, how do I make sure they don't betray us?" he asked her with a frown.

Nia didn't hesitate before replying "Laborers contract. Have them contract to you to carry the goods we loot until we return topside. If you want, you can offer them a contract to you for up to a year though, we have the faction slots and it will let you promote someone as an officer."

Jax thought on it for a moment and then walked over to the Sentry. As he neared the creature looked at him with defiance, and a hint of fear. "Do you wish to live" Jax asked the being.

It looked at him fiercely, and then lowered its head in shame saying "Yes, I do. Will you collar us?" It glanced at the small Drell as it spoke lowering its head again reflexively.

"No" replied Jax. "You will enter a laborer's contract. One year or until I release you."

The look of Suprise on the Hobgoblins face was unmistakable. It said "Not slaves?"

Jax shook his head and said "No not slaves. I do not like using slaves." As he spoke he looked at his companions. "The gongs are my friends, I seek to free them from their collars, as for the goblin" He motioned and Drell slunk forward. Jax extended a hand and undid his collar. "I offer to him the same opportunity. The Drell, will you lead these men as my baggage train? You will keep your arms, and you may need to fight. If you wish at a later date I will offer you a chance to join us properly" There was a look of pure astonishment on not only their aces, but the faces of the two gong.

"Yes master" replied Drell with reverence, then a look of utter astonishment lit his face, and he began to glow. As Jax watched the goblin morphed, and he grew slightly. He was still a goblin, of that there was no doubt, but he had changed in a marked way. Jax` eyes went to his name and read [Drell: Goblin Leader level 3]

"Did you complete a quest?" asked Jax curiously. he had assigned the goblin the rank of quartermaster in their faction, and that had led to this.

"Indeed" replied Drell. "And a class change. I am not a leader, it is uncommon"

Jax nodded and extended his offer to the Hobgoblins, they all took him up and he ordered them "Take cover here. We will perform an assault on the nearest building, is there any information you have for us?"

The largest hobgoblin, a level 7 spoke out "A number of us live here. Some 30 of us watch the small ones. Our King lives many tunnels away. He sent his son to check the farms. He is here for only the night. He has his guard with him, they will be celebrating. He sent the rest of us to the wall while he "Inspected" this one here" The speaker kicked the one-eyed hobgoblin Jax had killed "This one was our villages chief. If you clear out all the surrounding warriors then the main force of the princes will be in the central feast hall, the rest of the townsfolk will be feeding them or hiding in their homes."

Jax frowned at these words. This was only one such village. Fuck. They would not be able to stay here, likely they would have to leave via the mushroom pass. He hoped the goblins had a way out that didn't need them to hallucinate like before. As they finished a soft pad of footfalls came down the stairs and Jax looked up. Calis walked down towards them, nursing a bloody arm. As Jax looked he saw that she was accompanied by only three of her companions. All were sporting injuries.

"What happened?" he asked with a frown.

"Damned goblins had shaman with a sleep spell" she said with a huff. "Put me out and the party had to kill him before I could wake up"

Jax whistled low as she finished "Shit, well we cleared out this place, killed their chief and scouted the town."

She leveled a look at him and then asked "And?"

Jax shrugged "Well the main hall has something called a goblin princeling. Throwing a party. He's level 17"

She stared at him for a moment and then sighed, looking at his little party of hobgoblins and asking "So who exactly is your king"

Drell looked back and forth between her and Jax then determining silence was more dangerous than responding and angering her said "The King of these tunnels is King Midas the Light Handed"

Calis looked at the goblin for around ten seconds before she simply walked over to the table and sat down in a huff, placing her head in her hands as she did.