Chapter 8
We followed the trail further today. After about two miles, I noticed the trees to the right becoming withered, and as we continued, I realized an entire patch of the forest was dead. Not even grass seemed to be growing, and looking far back into the decaying trees, I could see fog.
“Um… so what happened over there?” Alura asked.
“That,” Leon said, pointing his spear down the haunting landscape, “Would be the blight. When we get raided by demons, they come from there. Well, pretty far that way. If the fog was a little clearer today, you’d be able to see the Shadowstone Mountains, and beyond there is the demon nation.”
“Demon nation?” Rin asked.
“Yeah, some high-level quests can bring you there. Otherwise, it’s not a good place to farm. Demons are hell to deal with; it’s not worth the XP.”
“Are they more difficult than other monsters?” I asked.
“For sure,” Leon nodded. “They are intelligent and vary as widely in their abilities as we wielders do. They can set up ambushes and lead you into traps. High-level wielders fall to demons more than anything else.”
“Have you ever killed one?” Rin asked.
Leon shifted his spear up onto his shoulder and smiled proudly. “More than I can count. They are clever bastards, but you can get the better of them if you approach it the right way. Around Shadowstone, scouting is key.”
Despite his lighthearted tone, Leon’s description had painted a rather daunting image. As he took a step back, his posture relaxed. I glanced at my companions, who were digesting the information.
Alura looked somewhat frightened, her eyes glancing over the blight, then back to me as if seeking reassurance. Rin stayed true to her cat-like nature, looking over the blight with a curious contemplation. Chris was silent, his face a thoughtful mask as he scratched his chin.
“Anyway, you can start dipping your toes into the blight another day,” he pointed his spear the other way, through the greener, living portion of the forest. “We’ll find goblin camps that way. Take out four or five of those camps, and your levels will skyrocket. Then we can do the quest I picked for you.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of him. His training strategy did put us far ahead of Zelik’s party, but I felt we would have to jump off the train before his whims veered us off the track.
As I observed him, he shot me a grin. More and more, it felt as though I may have been dealing with a devil.
“What is this quest exactly?” Rin asked.
“Party leader?” he said, holding the paper out to me. “Would you like to do the honors?”
I snatched the paper from him, and I think I saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. One or two more days under his guidance, I decided. Then we would go our own ways. For now, I couldn’t deny he had his use.
I unrolled the paper and read:
Attention Wielders!
The village of Greenhaven is in dire need of your assistance! A ferocious ogre has taken up residence in the nearby forest and has been terrorizing the villagers, stealing their livestock, and threatening trade routes! It is rumored to have holed up in a cave deep within the forest.
If you are up for the challenge, gather your party and make your way to Greenhaven, where you will find assistance in locating your target. Come back to the town hall after claiming victory, and you will be rewarded!
Rewards: 50 silver pieces, 1 attribute point
Recommended level: 18
I rolled the paper back up. “I don’t suppose we will be level 20 by the time we fight this thing. Will we?” I said.
“Nope, not even close,” he responded with disarming ease.
“This doesn’t seem like a good idea,” I said, handing it back to him. “This is only our second day; I don’t know if this is right for us.”
“Just trust me,” Leon said. “Defeating the ogre will jump you 2 or 3 levels on top of what we grind from the goblins. You’ll be under-leveled, but you’ve built your team well. And if it does go bad, I can jump in and take him out in a few hits.”
Unless that ogre bats one of our heads off, I thought, but perhaps his charism had affected me after all, as I did not honestly see that as a possibility at the time. We did have great gear for our level and a well-built team. Rin would be the most vulnerable, fighting on the front lines while lacking high defense or healing spells of her own, but her agility could help her get out of a bad situation.
One day, I would learn why Victoria never strays far from the city. I would come to regret this kind of reckless approach to leveling, and curse the mentor who was teaching it.
--
Name: Tsarina
Red Knight - level 1
HP: 685/685
MP: 80/80
-Skills-
Pierce - 10 MP
Empower - 20 MP
Name: Alura
White Mage - level 1
HP: 365/365
MP: 250/250
-Skills-
Focus - (charge) 0 MP
Heal - 25 MP
Name: Chris
Monk - level 1
HP: 365/365
MP: 40/40
-skills-
Bleed - (passive)
Spirit Mend - 20 MP
Name: Rin
Black Assassin - level 1
HP: 455/455
MP: 40/40
-skills-
Stealth - 0 MP
Shadow Strike - 10 MP
We spotted our first goblin camp further into the woods. There were five of them. They had small tents made of fabric that must have been looted from villages or traveling merchants. At the center of the camp was a burnt-out firepit, and off to the side was a rack with meat from gutted animals.
I tapped my crystal. Text materialized before my eyes, displaying their stats – all five of them were identical.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Goblin
Monster - level 9
HP: 700/700
Weakness: dark
They stood at about my waist, and had long pointed ears and noses, but their anatomy was otherwise quite humanoid. They even wore clothing and jewelry. Some of those long ears were pierced with golden rings.
“Tsarina, use empower on Rin’s weapons,” Leon said in a low voice. “Rin, stealth your way over and wait for one to stray from the group. Use Shadow Strike to slit its throat, then hide the body. If Shadow Strike doesn’t kill him, or you’re discovered, start stabbing his chest and then high-tail it into hiding until Tsarina draws their attention. They'll see past the stealth if their gaze locks onto you. So be cautious. Understood?”
Rin unsheathed her daggers with a cunning slant running across her eyes. “Yeah, I got this,” she said. If not for the face shield over her mouth, I could imagine the sly smile accompanying her expression.
“If you can get a couple through stealth kills, it will make taking the camp out that much easier,” Leon added. “Try not to take damage, Rin; it’s not your role, and Alura-“
“Y-yes?” she whispered nervously.
“Rin takes any damage at all, you start healing her. You guys are under-leveled for these things, so damage will add up quick. Chris, use spirit mend after taking a couple of hits.”
Chris nodded.
I felt like I was the one who should be giving these orders. He was the veteran, though, and he more or less said the same plan I would have come up with. Besides, Rin seemed more keen on obeying his orders than mine. I would have to patch things up with her, if I wanted this party to continue operating well.
Rin crossed her daggers over each other and held them out to me. I looked her in the eyes and gave her a nod as I waved my hand over them and cast empower. A slight red tint came into their steel. “Good luck,” I said.
“Thanks,” she answered, and I felt like the small courtesy was a step in the right direction.
She then crouch-stepped away, slipping into the shadows as she became translucent and began to stalk the unsuspecting goblins.
“They really won't be able to see her?” Alura whispered.
“To their eyes, she’s as good as invisible,” Leon answered. “She moves well, she’s already aware of the need to watch her foot placement.”
Crouching along a makeshift tent, Rin quietly observed their encampment. Three of the creatures gathered near the smoldering firepit, their unintelligible chatter filling the silence. A shudder went down my spine; feeling it disturbing how human-like their banter appeared.
A fourth goblin patrolled near the meat rack, every so often giving a furtive glance around the clearing. Then the fifth, solitary and seemingly apathetic, lounged against a tree. Rin inched closer to the reclining goblin, each footfall quiet as a whisper. Her target was clear, but attacking now would be a fatal mistake - the others were too close. The shroud of stealth would dissolve with her first attack, and she would be swarmed in a heartbeat.
So, she waited - a shadow in the foliage, a predator with fixed eyes on her prey. The goblin's head began to nod, and it seemed he planned to take a nap. Rin looked in our direction and shrugged. Her eyes went back to observing the others, perhaps contemplating a change of tactics. The one pacing around the meat rack was more likely to wander as it was already on its feet.
“Assassination requires patience,” Leon murmured, almost to himself.
“You don't strike me as the patient kind,” I replied, my gaze flitting between him and Rin.
“I’m sure there are a few things about me that would surprise you,” he responded.
Rin returned one of her daggers to its sheath, then reached down, slowly, her fingers digging into the dirt. What was she up to? She looked into her hand, and I realized she had collected some rocks.
With a swift flick of her wrist, she pelted the snoozing goblin's forehead.
It jerked up, a feral hiss escaping its lips as it scanned its surroundings, its eyes finally locking onto the one patrolling near the meat rack.
With a vengeful roar, it charged at its unsuspecting kin, landing a blow squarely on its face. A scuffle ensued - a storm of fists and snarls, while the other goblins jeered, pointing and laughing at the spectacle.
After several blows were exchanged, the one who started the conflict took a nasty punch across its face that sent it scurrying away. It turned once to hiss at the victor and continued to walk away from the camp, completely unaware of the deadly shadow that tailed it.
“Not bad,” Leon said. “Clever move by her.”
We watched Rin crouch-step behind, matching its speed. Once it was far enough away, she came forward suddenly, a dagger in each hand. Blood sprayed as she scissored them across the goblin’s neck, then guided the body down and disappeared it into the foliage.
She stepped back towards the camp, crouching near the tree as she continued to watch the remaining goblins. She was eyeing the one pacing around, but it didn’t seem he planned to stray too far.
“I’d recommend we move into a better position,” Leon said. “That may be the only one she’ll be able to take out silently.”
We all began moving, keeping slow and staying low as we made a wide circle around the camp, hidden in bushes. We eventually picked our new spot where we could easily run in and assist. As we were doing that, the three sitting started chattering. One hit the other’s shoulder and pointed. They hissed and chattered at each other before one stood and stepped closer to Rin.
It chattered loudly into the woods. Then, it started walking away from the camp, apparently going to look for its missing ally. Rin once again followed its steps, and just as smoothly as the last, once it was far enough away, she made her move, her daggers slicing open its throat and ending it quickly. She fluidly guided its body into the foliage, resting it beside its slain brethren.
“She seems naturally talented at this,” I commented, wondering if I had not been giving her enough credit up until now. By the time she hid the body and retook her position near the camp, the remaining three seemed to understand something was amiss. They chattered, pointing towards the woods and looking around. Rin wisely ducked fully behind the tree to avoid detection.
“They seem agitated. They are unlikely to separate again,” I commented, looking at Chris. “Let's run in.”
“After you,” he said.
I put my hand on the hilt of my sword, gripping it tightly. Then, I let out a battle cry as I stood and ran forward, drawing my sword and raising it high in the air.
The goblins screamed, drawing their blades and swarming me, but I managed to raise my shield, parrying most of their strikes. Only one rogue blade found its way past, skimming my armor. With a swift motion, I thrust my shield forward, scattering them, then swung my sword in retaliation.
Chris glided smoothly into the fray, jumping forward and back as he threw punches and dodged swords. I stepped to the side, squaring off with another goblin who was looking for a way around my shield, hissing in a combination of what I imagined to be fear, anger, and frustration. I drove my sword forward, and the goblin dodged, rolled to the side of me, and slashed at my torso.
I felt the pain of a wound, but it soon faded into warmth. Through my peripheral vision, I was aware of Alura standing with her staff forward, the top of it glowing with a white aura. Chris seemed to have taken one of them out and was now boxing the other, his back to mine. As I prepared to launch another attack at the goblin that faced me, Rin suddenly rolled into view.
Her knee slid across the ground like a baseball player sliding onto home plate, her dagger whipping forward and finding a home in the goblin’s neck. It let out a gurgling scream, shuffling backward. I stepped forward and used my sword’s skill ‘pierce,’ driving my blade cleanly into its heart. It convulsed for a moment before falling limp.
I turned to see how Chris was doing. The goblin was battered and bloody but still alive. Chris himself had a couple of wounds, but if any were serious, the issue was quickly resolved as he clapped his hands together for his spirit mend ability, a white aura healing him. I circled to the side, and Rin went the other way; we surrounded the last remaining goblin, and in another swift movement, it was Rin to do the honors. She jumped forward and placed her dagger in its chest.
I exhaled, straightening my posture and letting my sword loosen in my grip, my eyes darting left and right as if I expected more.
I snapped out of it when I heard a slow clapping. Leon stepped out of the bushes as a gold aura pulsed over our bodies. “Perfect engagement, just as I’d expect from the Leviathan Crew!”
“Leviathan Crew?” I sheathed my sword and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah, I’m coining the term. There needs to be some catchy way of referencing you guys. You know, for when they start writing songs about you and all of that!”
Chris was looking at his knuckles, the blood dripping from the spikes. If someone were to sing a song about him at that moment, it would not have been a very happy song. I understood, now that we were done and I was no longer anxious about getting hurt myself, I remembered how human these creatures had seemed before we ambushed them, and really, that is exactly what we did.
“Heh, yeah!” Rin cheered, apparently not sharing our empathy. She looked at Leon, putting a hand to her side and popping her hip. “So, what did you think of that?”
“I think kitten’s got some claws,” Leon winked at her.
I felt like a disappointed parent when I observed Rin’s eyes narrow seductively as blush crept from under her face shield.
I cleared my throat. “We should loot before moving on.” The distraction had the opposite effect I hoped for, as Leon put his hand on Rin’s shoulder.
“Hey, show me how you hid the bodies,” Leon said, as he started walking her away. “That was a smooth technique.”
“Heh, it was pretty easy, though,” she said, scratching her head and looking up at him as they stepped away together. The way she was acting showed a cute side of herself, but who it happened to be directed towards made my stomach turn.
Come on Rin, I thought, that guy’s a sleeze. Don’t fall for his charm so easily.
I sighed, looking around for a corpse to loot, when my eyes met Alura’s.
“So… did I do well?” she asked, coming over to me.
I smiled. Alura was also showing her cute side, though it was a more common occurrence for her. “Yes, of course you did,” I said. “You played your role perfectly.”
“Thanks, but I feel like I didn’t do much. I just cast a couple of healing spells.”
“Well, we managed to take this camp efficiently, so not much healing was required. I don’t expect it to go so well every time.”
“True. I just hope I can be helpful.”
“You already are; you’re a key part of our team.”
“Hey,” Chris said, “I’m level 4 already. How about you guys?” He seemed to have shaken off his daze.
I checked my crystal, and indeed we have all jumped from level 1 to level 4 from just that one battle. This must be the value of fighting higher-level monsters. I looked towards the trees where Leon and Rin had disappeared. I thought, perhaps I had been too hard on Leon after all. We sustained minimal damage and, within minutes, achieved what would have taken us all day if we were grinding slimes.
“How are you holding up, Chris?” I asked, remembering the haunted expression in his eyes a moment ago. How his usual laid-back demeanor seemed to waver.
“Not bad,” he said, stretching his neck, but his nonchalant facade couldn't hide the unease.
“You sure about that?” I pressed, feeling a sense of familiarity. As if this conversation, this concern for a comrade, was an echo from a past life.
He paused, his gaze drifting back to his reddened knuckles. “Honestly. I wasn’t expecting it to feel so real.”
I nodded. “Your mind's eye can predict many things before battle, but when you act, everything changes. You don’t know the actions of your adversaries, the look in their eye, or the pounding of your heart.”
“You sound like you’ve done this before.”
I thought about it, and answered: “Perhaps I have.”