Astrid cautiously stalked through the forest, jumping from tree limb to tree limb. Branches and leaves blurred past her as she moved forward. Landing on another limb, the dark elf stopped as her eyes trailed down on the green grassy ground below her.
There didn’t appear to be any enemies nearby. This was quite evident since there were no rustling leaves or the typical snarling of monsters.
Knowing that she was alone if only briefly, the dark elf jumped off the branch and gracefully landed on the ground. Despite her feet landing on the ground, not a single sound was made, as if she didn’t even land at all.
After planting her feet on the dirt ground, Astrid whirled her head around and scanned her surroundings. Just because she believed she was alone, didn’t mean that was truly the case. Especially when the dark elf was in uncharted territory.
Confirming that she was alone, Astrid let out a heavy sigh while leaning her back against a tree.
“Looks like I can rest a little here…” The dark elf muttered. She then slid down and sat on the grass, keeping her back against the bark. “At least that damn system dropped me in a place where I thrive rather than somewhere unfamiliar to me.”
As a Dark Elf, Astrid was born in a forest, so traversing through this type of terrain was preferable compared to a different environment entirely. In this place, the trees and greenery were her allies. Not in the literal sense, but they do assist Astrid in many ways. Especially stealth.
She could climb the trees around her and hide from her enemies. They also allowed her to spy on monsters, so she could monitor their actions and behaviors before she tried to kill them.
It was because Astrid was transferred to a place like this that enabled her to survive for so long. If it was anywhere else, who knows what could’ve happened to her?
However, there were still things that confused her regarding the System. Why did it suddenly appear? Why did it transport her and the rest of her world to these so-called Dungeons? And most importantly, why did it give them this?
Status Window
Name: Astrid Skogr
Race: Dark Elf
Level: 11
Class: Ranger
Free Points: 0
Attributes:
Strength: 23
Agility: 37
Endurance: 29
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 9
Willpower: 10
The System called this The Status Window, which displayed certain information regarding her. What caught her attention were her attributes. She learned that by investing her free points in these stats, she could become stronger.
She mainly focused on three of them which were Strength, Agility, and Endurance. According to the system, these stats enhanced her physical abilities, making her stronger, faster, and more durable.
And the only way she could obtain these free points was by leveling up. And to level up, she needed to kill monsters.
Despite how simple it sounded; Astrid was still confused by all of it. But she couldn’t let her confusion drag her down. Not when she was currently stuck in this dungeon.
Letting out a groan, Astrid slowly stood back up. While taking a break was necessary, she couldn’t risk letting her guard down. It was vital for the dark elf to keep moving when she was in the uncharted territory of a forest.
At least, that was what she was taught back in her Tribe.
“I should head back to my hideout,” She muttered.
With her new goal in mind, Astrid’s feet kicked off the dirt as she bolted through the forest once more. Once again, the leaves, bushes, and trees blurred past her in a flash, leaving no room for the dark elf to admire them due to her current speed.
“Looks like the system was right about the stats enhancing your body if you invest your points,” Astrid smiled without stopping. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this fast before back home!”
Astrid was naturally athletic due to her being raised in her Clan called the Greyvolk Tribe. Her tribe’s home was located in a dense forest filled with animals and monsters that could kill them if they weren’t cautious.
Back home, Astrid was a hunter for her tribe. More than that, she was part of the Greyvolk Legion; a group of skilled warriors that acted as defenders and soldiers for the Tribe. Because of these, Astrid was an exceptional fighter. Especially with a bow, which was why she chose the Ranger Class in the first place.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
As the dark elf rushed through the woods, her ears picked up some noise ahead of her. She immediately stopped in her tracks; her leather boots digging into the ground from the sudden halt.
Once stationary, Astrid focused on her hearing, trying to pick up the sound from before. Up ahead, the dark elf heard distant grunting from a familiar creature.
Hearing this, Astrid frowned upon realizing what the sound was.
“Goblins…” She spat with disdain.
Goblins were considered an eyesore back in her world. They were numerous, dangerous, and most importantly, disgusting creatures. So much so, that Astrid’s tribe deeply despised the species and would kill them on sight without any hesitation.
Knowing that her opponents were these disgusting creatures, Astrid wore a stern expression as she cautiously pulled her bow out. With her weapon in hand, the dark elf sneaked closer to where she heard the goblins.
Her boots softly stepped on the grass so she couldn’t be heard by her enemies. Even when there were fallen branches or leaves scattered across the ground, Astrid did her best to maneuver around them, to avoid making a sound by stepping on them.
As Astrid got closer, she moved behind one of the nearest trees to use as cover. While hidden, the dark elf peered her head around to get a glimpse at her enemies. That was when she spotted around half a dozen goblins grouped together.
They stood in the middle of the forest, talking to one another through grunts and other noises. However, their conversation wasn’t what interested Astrid. It was their appearance that caught her eye.
Unlike the traditional goblin that had green skin and piss color eyes, these creatures had a pale green complexion with dark, menacing purple cracks spider-webbing across their bodies. It was like their vessels were close to deteriorating on the spot.
“I can never get used to that form…” Astrid said grimly.
The goblins before her didn’t even seem alive. It was like their vessels were moving, but their souls were absent. They were merely walking husks. Empty bodies that were wandering the dungeon by pure instinct.
Which was what the description stated about all of the Fractured monsters Astrid had encountered while within this forest. They were corrupted by something called a Mana Overload that destroyed this world that was now a Dungeon.
However, the destruction of this world was the least of Astrid’s concerns. What she needed to focus on right now…was survival.
Astrid continued to monitor the goblins, keeping her eyes trained on them. She reached into her quiver strapped to her side and pulled out an arrow. She then notched the projectile back while aiming at one of the purple cracked gremlins.
Her aim was steady. Her nerves were calm and serene. And her target was right in front of her.
Astrid took a breath. And a second later, she fired the arrow and watched it zip toward one of the goblins. It whistled through the air before piercing the small monster’s skull in an instant.
Its head jerked to the side as its body crumbled to the ground. A split second later, the creature burst into purple fragments.
The other goblins were alerted after witnessing the death of one of their own. One of them screamed as if signaling the others for battle as the rest brandished their blades in response.
Instead of confronting the monsters, Astrid remained in the shadows, planning her next move at the same time. While watching the purple-cracked goblins search for her, the dark elf already had two more arrows nocked as she set her sights on her next prey.
Just as two goblins bunched next to one another, she loosed the string, sending her projectiles toward their target. Before the two monsters could even react, both of their heads were struck by the arrows, killing them instantly.
Watching two more of their own get killed, the remaining goblins grew anxious. One of them screeched in either fear or anger as it hastily scanned the forest, attempting to locate the dark elf. Just as another arrow zipped through the trees and hurtled toward it, digging straight into its eye.
The sudden force pushed the goblin to the ground and it shattered to pieces right after. Now there were only two goblins left, and they were aware of the situation that they were in.
The two goblins huddled together, their backs against one another. They covered each other’s six while searching for Astrid. Despite how organized they appeared; the fear-stricken across their faces told the dark elf just how terrified they truly were of their predicament.
And that was enough evidence for Astrid to say that this fight was already over. She then stealthily moved around the trees, getting into position to take down the last two goblins. Once she saw that they were lined up, Astrid pulled out one more arrow.
And as she notched it back; her skill soon activated to ensure her victory. A pulsing red aura began to surge through the arrow, coating the projectile in a crimson glow.
Astrid kept her eyes trained on the remaining goblins then finally loosened the string. The pulsing red arrow zipped through the air. As soon as it made contact with the goblins, the arrow obliterated their skulls, leaving a gaping hole in both in a single strike.
Before the goblins could even fall to the ground, their bodies could no longer maintain their forms and shattered to bits much like the rest of their brethren.
As the kill notification materialized in front of Astrid, she calmly strapped her bow on her back and emerged from the darkness of the trees.
She stared at the purple fragments floating in the air as they disbursed right after with a disgusted expression.
“Good riddance,” She spat.
After her extermination job was done, the dark elf turned her back from the battle with the goblins and walked away. She already knew that this wouldn’t be the last of the Fractured monsters, but she didn’t care.
Astrid was going to survive this dungeon. No matter what it took. After all, she had unfinished business back home. And this place wasn’t going to stop her…from getting revenge.