Chapter 3
I awaken suddenly, finding myself still inside the hollow tree with the hole still covered by the leaves of the branch I dragged over. Pushing aside some leaves, I look outside, trying to discover what woke me. It appears to be day.
Seems I fell asleep in the end. I was exhausted after all, yesterday was mentally taxing. I need to find a source of water soon, the juice from this fruit won't keep me going for long. If only I could use magic to make water... Well, a guy can dream. I'll need to find more food as well, hopefully there are more of those fruit trees nearby...
I eat a couple of apples, leaving me with only eight, then decide to set out, carrying my bundle in my left hand. I hear a grunting sound as I'm crawling out of the tree, and look up to see four goblins staring at me in surprise from around five metres away. Quickly scurrying the rest of the way out and jumping to my feet, I look around for my club.
Shit! I dropped it to drag this branch last night! STUPID!
The goblins recover from their surprise and start to charge me. It only takes a couple of seconds for the first one to reach me. In a panic, I swing my apple filled shirt at it, but it avoids it by jumping back, bumping into another goblin behind it. Unfortunately my bundled shirt came undone and the apples flew out.
I turn, intending to flee in the opposite direction, only to find a fifth goblin sneaking up behind me. When it realised it has been discovered, it jumps at me and swings its club at my head. I quickly dive to the right, however the club managed to connect with my left arm, and I lose hold of my shirt as I hit the ground. I don't have time to care about that right now, as I get to me feet as quickly as possible and run. I can hear them grunting behind me as they give chase, but thankfully I'm faster than them and soon leave them behind. After running for what felt like an hour, but in reality was less than five minutes, I stop and lean against a tree to catch my breath, while confirming that I can't hear them behind me any more.
Shit! Too close... Goblins can pull sneak attacks?! I've been taking this too lightly, treating it like a holiday. I need to be more careful from now on. Thank god I didn't run into anything else while running away! I did lose my only food though, and my shirt which I might have needed for warmth later...
I check my arm where I was struck. It's painful, but nothing seems to be broken. A small price to pay for reminding me that I could very easily die here I suppose.
Having now caught my breath, I start walking in the same direction I was running, since one direction is as good as another and it's away from those goblins. I'm being more cautious now, trying to step silently and keeping my ears and eyes open for danger. After a short while, I notice a glimmer of light to my right. I feel excited for a moment, thinking I might have reached the edge of the forest, before remembering my predicament and regaining my calm. I start to slowly head in the direction of the light.
The further I walk, the lighter the forest gets, until finally I'm close enough to see it. A lake, perhaps fifty metres in diameter, and the beautiful, clear sky above it. The water is possibly the clearest I've ever seen in nature, and there are fish visible here and there. Overcome with relief, I almost run towards it before remembering my predicament.
If this is drinkable water, then there are likely creatures living close to it. I need to be even more careful here, never know what is going to show up for a drink. Maybe there's a lake monster lying in wait for unsuspecting thirsty victims?! Oops. Gotta be careful of foreshadowing. Wait... Is it a Pond or a Lake? What's the difference? Is there even a difference? Is it a size requirement? ARE THEY THE SAME THING?! ... Eh, who cares...
I slowly approch the edge of the treeline, eyes peeled for anything suspicious in or around the water. Not noticing anything, I step into the sunlight and approach the waters edge. I look around me once more, crouch and cup my hands in the water, then lift them and drink.
OH! MY! GODDESS! Delicious! Refreshing! Though not having had anything to drink for more than a day may have something to do with it. MORE!
I end up going slightly overboard, and by the time I'm done drinking my stomach is sloshing slightly when I move. I sit down and spend a few minutes carelessly admiring the lake and enjoying the warm sunshine. My enjoyment doesn't last long, however, as I hear something from the trees across the lake. I jump to my feet and hurry back to the cover of the trees, hiding behind one and peeking around to see what's coming.
What appears is...
Haaa... How anticlimactic. More goblins. Are there nothing but goblins in this forest? I suppose I should try to kill it for experience since it's alone.
I start making my way around the lake while staying hidden in the trees. The goblin has its face down at the water level and is lapping water like a dog. I almost wish I hadn't drunk that water now. Almost. When I've made my way half way around the lake it stops drinking, but it doesn't appear to be in a hurry to leave. When I'm roughly fiften metres from it, it stands and move back towards the forest where it came from. I consider rushing it, but I change my mind and decide to try following it instead. Thankfully it seems unguarded, else it would surely notice my clumsy attempts at stalking. At least until a few minutes later when...
Notice
Learned skill: Sneaking 1 (3/25)
Sneaking Improves knowledge of how to move silently.
Learned skill: Hiding 1 (3/25)
Hiding Improves knowledge of how to move silently.
My movements change suddenly, becoming noticably more smooth and quiet, and knowledge of how to move unnoticed miraculously appears in my mind.
How convenient.
Following the goblin is now much easier, and after another ten minutes I can see a small mountain just ahead, perhaps twenty metres tall. I slow down to let the goblin get a bit further ahead before continuing my pursuit. It slowly makes its way around the mountain, before entering a small, well hidden cave opening on the other side, with another goblin standing just outside.
A guard? Is this where they live? The entrance is well hidden, it'd make a good base if I could clear out the goblins. I have no idea how many are inside though. Maybe if I kill one after it leaves, more will come out looking for it? It's worth a try.
I search the area for a comfortable hiding place. Sadly I can't find one. Thus I pick the tree with the best view of the entrance and settle in to wait. Boring.
An hour or so later two goblins leave the cave, carrying crude wooden buckets. They head towards the lake and I follow them. They arrive at the lake, have a drink like the earlier goblin, then start filling their buckets.
They finish filling their buckets and start to head back. Soon after leaving the lake, I decide it's time to strike. I approach them from behind silently, which is surprisingly easy with my new skills. They don't notice me until I've already kicked one of them in the back, sending it sprawling. Before the other one can react, I grap it from behind and try to snap its neck like they do in movies. It's not as easy as it looks, but I manage to get it right after a few attempts. The first one is now climbing to its feet, staring at me angrily. No choice but to fight it head on now.
This one is more careful than the young one I first fought. It doesn't blindly charge me. I make my best attempt at a boxing stance, and wait for it to approch. It picks up one of the spilled buckets and runs at me, then stops just out of my reach, causing my first punch to miss, then jumps at me, swinging the bucket at my side. I manage to clumsily block the bucket with my left forearm, but lose my balance in the process, allowing it another swing, this time at my head. For some reason, I decide to punch the bucket with my right hand. The bucket breaks. Guess I should have done that in the first place. The goblin stared sumbly at it's broken weapon for a brief moment, then with an audible crunch, it goes flying back from being punched in the face.
Notice
Inheriting skills. Enhanced Virility improved (66/100).
Inheritor leveled up to 6 (40/60).
Vitality 500→600 Stamina 500→600 Mana 500→600 Strength 50→60 Dexterity 50→60 Agility 50→60 Endurance 50→60 Constitution 50→60 Intelligence 50→60 Wisdom 50→60 Luck 50→60 Charm 50→60
Learned skill: Unarmed Combat 1 (7/25)
Unarmed Combat Improves knowledge of how to fight with your body.
Upon leveling up I feel refreshed. I also feel more power in my body, and knowledge once again appears in my mind, this time about how to effectively fight with my body. I try a few punches and kicks and they feel smoother and sharper than before.
Ah, this is a great feeling. OPness here I come! ... Dreams are free...
Picking up the unbroken bucket, I return to the lake, have a quick drink, then fill the bucket and head back towards the cave. While making my way around the mountain, I spot rocks here and there, and decide to keep my eye out for one with an edge that I might be able to use as a tool, thinking to carve a crude wooden spear from a tree branch. I find one that seems like it'll do the job, placing it in my pocket. It doesn't take me long to find a suitable branch on the ground, about two and a half metres long and ten centimetes in diameter at the base. I continue on to the cave, but this time I hide further away, in case they hear the sounds of me carving my spear.
Firstly, I saw off half a metre from the thin end of the branch, since it seems too thin and weak to be of any use. Then I scrape all long the sides of the branch, to remove the bark and try to make the shaft more even in thickness. It ends up being around six to seven centimetres in diameter when I'm done. I sharpen a point about fifteen centimetres long, and my crude spear is done.
I don't know if this will be any use in combat, since I know nothing about weapons. Still, it makes me feel slightly more secure having a weapon with a bit of reach. Though unarmed combat is probably more reliable, since then I can't be disarmed... Unless they literally remove my arms of course... Now then, time to test this thing.
I discard the now slightly blunt stone, pick up my spear and move to my former hiding spot where I can see the cave entrance. Amazingly, the guard seems to be asleep.
Goblins... So cliche.
I decide to test the limits of my hiding and sneaking skills, and see how close I can get to the sleeping guard without disturbing it, only to find myself standing within arms reach with it still snoring away without a care. Killing the guard would likely raise their vigilance and make things more difficult in future, but I just can't seem to stop myself. Grasping my spear near the head in my right hand, I clamp my left hand over its nose and mouth. It wakes up in surprise, and begins to struggle upon seeing me. Then I thrust the tip of my spear into its throat. Its struggles soon end.
Notice
Inheriting Skills. Enhanced Virility leveled up to 4 (3/200)
Inheritor leveled up to 7. (20/70)
Vitality 600→700 Stamina 600→700 Mana 600→700 Strength 60→70 Dexterity 60→70 Agility 60→70 Endurance 60→70 Constitution 60→70 Intelligence 60→70 Wisdom 60→70 Luck 60→70 Charm 60→70
Learned skill: Spearmanship 1 (3/25)
Spearmanship Improves knowledge of how to use a spear.
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Feeling the now familiar rush of power and energy upon leveling up, and new information appearing in my mind, as well as a strange warmth in my loins, I pull my spear out of the guards neck and quickly look around to see if I was noticed. It appears I wasn't. I lift the surprisingly light body of the goblin with one arm and hide it in a nearby bush. I briefly look myself over. There are a few blood splatter on my singlet, and my spear tip is bloody. I wipe my spear off on the goblins loincloth, though that might actually make it dirtier...
Returning to the cave mouth, I tentatively make my way inside, hoping to find out their numbers. Around ten metres in the tunnel turns sharply. I peek around the corner and see a cavern approximately five metres high and ten metres in diameter. I see four goblins in the cavern, and another tunnel opposite me.
Hmm... I might be able to take on four goblins now, but I don't know if there are others through that tunnel, and if there are, there's no doubt they'd hear the fighting. I'll retreat for now. I'm getting hungry...
I leave the cave and return to my lookout tree, taking the dead guards club that was lying on the ground with me. I have a drink from the bucket and continue waiting. About half an hour later, two goblins come out. Seeing that the guard is missing, one of them goes back into the cave and returns a moment later with another goblin, which replaces the guard. The two then head off in a new direction, away from the lake. Naturally I follow them.
So their guard goes missing and they just place another guard without a care? How careless can you get?
After ten minutes of walking, they come upon a fruit tree...
Ah! My beloved purple apples! I missed you! I thought I'd never see you again! Come to me and experience my lips once more! ... Or not...
The goblins, being only slightly over a metre tall, can't reach the apples, so I wonder what they'll do. One squats, the other gets on its shoulder, the bottom one stands and then the top one can just reach the lower fruits.
I really should have thought of that... Nonetheless, chance!
I run forward and thrust my spear into the back of the bottom one, right between the shoulder blades. It came out the other side...
Weak! Goblins are too weak! This pathetic spear in the hands of a beginner ran it through! I think I'll stop using it against goblins, I really don't like the thought of my shaft penetrating them... Curse my filthy mind! Unarmed combat it is. At least unarmed combat isn't dependent on weapons. Too bad there are some things fists just can't overcome... Really wish I had a Bastard Sword handy. Such a versatile weapon if you can use it well. Plus, they're so damn cool! Viva Bastard Swords! Oops, fighting right now.
The goblin on top hasn't noticed yet, it's stretching to reach the apples. Then the bottom one collapses, seemingly dead, and the top one somehow managed to jump off its shoulders before it hits the ground. It turns to face me angrily.
I'm getting sick of these angry glares... Let's get this over with.
I assume a boxing stance, which now feels a lot more natural due to the unarmed combat skill. Predictably, the goblin charges at me like an idiot, I punch it in the face, it flies briefly, and it's over. The end.
Notice
Inheriting skills. Enhanced Virility improved. (72/200)
Inheritor leveled up to 8. (30/80)
Vitality 700→800 Stamina 700→800 Mana 700→800 Strength 70→80 Dexterity 70→80 Agility 70→80 Endurance 70→80 Constitution 70→80 Intelligence 70→80 Wisdom 70→80 Luck 70→80 Charm 70→80
Sneaking leveled up to 2. (2/50)
Hiding leveled up to 2. (2/50)
Learned skill: Assassination 1. (3/25)
Assassination Improves knowledge of how to kill undetected.
Sneaking, Hiding and now Assassination... I don't want to be an assassin! Oh well, any skill is a good skill... Probably...
After the familiar feeling of leveling up and the new knowledge in my mind, I quickly pick a few apples and begin eating them. My hunger is sated after eating four, so I hide the bodies and make my way back to the cave, making sure to remember the way to the tree. Soon after returning, another goblin leaves the cave and heads towards the lake. Of course I'm going to follow it... It doesn't even need to be said any more.
Are they finally going to check on the water gatherers? It's already been a few hours since then...
As soon as its away from the mountain, I sneak up behind it and break its neck. It's a lot easier now than the first time I tried.
Notice
Inheriting Skills. Enhanced Virility improved. (126/200)
Seems like this one was extra horny, since it gave the most skill experience yet. Still, all these goblins are male. Are there no female goblins in this world? Well, I've killed 3 goblins and there's one guarding the cave opening. That accounts for the four I saw in the cavern earlier, so if I can manage to kill the guard quietly I can see if there are any more.
I pick up some small rocks on my way back to the cave. The guard is still there when I return. I throw a rock at the tree closest to the cave. The guard hears and it looks around for a moment, then walks to the tree. Upon walking around the tree to look, it has its back to me, less than ten metres away. I sneak towards it, intending to break its neck, but it turns around when I'm halfway and sees me. It lets out and unintelligable scream before my fist hits its face. Another flying goblin corpse.
Notice
Inheriting skills. Enhanced Virility improved. (163/200)
Inheritor leveled up to 9. (30/90)
Vitality 800→900 Stamina 800→900 Mana 800→900 Strength 80→90 Dexterity 80→90 Agility 80→90 Endurance 80→90 Constitution 80→90 Intelligence 80→90 Wisdom 80→90 Luck 80→90 Charm 80→90
I quickly run back to my lookout tree, grab my spear, and wait to see what will come after the guards scream. Three goblins exit the cave. These are different to the ones I encountered before. two of them are smaller than the others, and judging by the bulges on their chest they are female. The other is slightly larger than the others I encountered, and is carrying a gnarled wooden staff.
Guess that answers my question about female goblins... This guy was just hogging them to himself. Is this guy a mage?
I carefully sneak closer to them as they search around, moving from tree to tree while they're not looking. As I get within ten metres of them I freeze. The magey looking goblin suddenly turned around and stared in my direction. I stay as still as possible, and after five seconds it turns away.
That was close... I really need to kill this guy first. If I can do that, the females shouldn't be hard to deal with. They look pretty weak.
I decide to I need to be quick. Grasping my shaft, I jump out from behind my tree and rush at the mage. It turns towards me with a smirk, raising its hand and muttering something I can't understand. Suddenly a small fireball is flying towards me. I try to sidestep it, but it follows me. Desperate, I attack the fireball with my spear. The fireball explodes and I get knocked back by the shockwave, uninjured. However, my spear is destroyed... Half of it is simply gone, it's now just a stick with a charred end.
The goblin mage looks at me in surprise for a moment, before it starts muttering again. I throw my spear-turned-burned-stick at him, which he avoids, interrupting what I assume is a chant. I charge towards him, reaching him in around two seconds. He appears panicked as my fist flies towards his face. Then he too turns into a flying goblin corpse with its face caved in...
I stumble forwards from a sudden impact on my back. One of the female goblins got behind me and hit me with her club. The second one then jumps towards me from the side, club raised. I raise my right arm to block it.
OUCH! That... doesn't hurt?
I scramble to my feet just in time, as the first ones club is coming at me again. I raise my right arm to block this as well
I jump back to gain some distance, causing the second goblin to miss me. They both charge towards me, so I move to one side, trying to get one between me and the other so they can't attack me at the same time. It works, and the one that attacked me first reaches me. I just manage to evade her clumsy swing this time, and punch her in the face. Another flying goblin... The second reaches me as I recover from my kick, and I do the exact same thing. Side step. Face-punch. Flying goblin. This one hits a tree and stops moving.
Chuck Norris got nothin' on me!
Notice
Inheriting skills. Virility has leveled up to 5 (49/400) Inherited Sexual Knowledge 2 (16/50) Inherited Fire Magic 2 (3/50) Inherited Earth Magic 1 (14/25)
Sexual Knowledge Improves knowledge of anatomy, with a focus on nerves and erogenous
Fire Magic Improves control of the element of Fire. As the level increases, your influence over the element will improve and your spells will become more powerful.
Earth Magic Improves control of the element of Earth. As the level increases, your influence over the element will improve and your spells will become more powerful.
Inheritor leveled up to 11. (0/110)
Vitality 900→1100 Stamina 900→1100 Mana 900→1100 Strength 90→110 Dexterity 90→110 Agility 90→110 Endurance 90→110 Constitution 90→110 Intelligence 90→110 Wisdom 90→110 Luck 90→110 Charm 90→110
Unarmed Combat leveled up to 2. (11/50)
After leveling up, I felt refreshed as the familiar wave of power filled me, plus a feeling of heat in my groin that lasted for a few seconds. There was no magical knowledge from the magical skills, I guess they just help me with using my own magical knowledge. However... I was flooded with knowledge of anatomy, especially the locations of nerves and erogenous zones. Unfortunately, it wasn't only about women... Or humanoids...
Thanks very much for those disturbing mental images... Still, knowledge of monster anatomy could also be useful in combat, so I guess it's fine. Aside from that... MAGIC! I wonder if I can become a magical martial artist in the future?! Punching compressed air, kicking blades of wind! Wind always was my favourite element... Well, I still need to learn how to use it though...
After calming down, I headed into the cave...