Theo drew his spear back, taking blood, viscera, and a not insignificant portion of goblin brain with him, and shook it lightly. His vision filled with a notification
Foe Slain! 1 [Poor] Card Shard awarded
38 goblins killed today, 74 poor shards total, 7 more to make a common card. Theo considered the weapon in his hands,
[Poor] Guards Spear
It was a dinky thing, mass-produced with an iron point that was lightly coated in an uneven layer of rust, and now gore. Theo looked down at the corpse of the little green monster, and for the first time in several weeks, truly considered it. It was an ugly little thing, with bulging eyes coming out of a head that was more ear than brain. It couldn't speak, except for grunts, and the occasional word of common, which sounded more like a guttural sound, that had the trappings of language, than a word spoken with intentionality and meaning. Its head was connected by a skinny neck to a skinnier body, connected to knobby knees and elbows, attached to gangly hands and feet. It was pitiable, lying at his feet, but Theo was so used to the blood and gore, that he barely even noticed the carnage anymore.
These woods were filled with a very well documented multitude of goblin nests, spread out throughout the forests, and each and every one of them was off limits to all but the elite, and the lucky bastards who happened to be their children. Taking out a den could get someone uncommon cards, but without permission, it was basically a death sentence. Right now Theo was positioned between 2 of the goblin dens, taking out scouts from both, to finally get a Common spearmanship card, and join the ranks of the guards proper. It wasn't as if that dream wasn't without a problem, however, because it seemed to Theo that there were as many guards on the take, as there were guards who happened to not be right now.
As Theo considered the corpse in front of him, a sharp pain came from the back of his right calf. He looked down, and saw the tiny point of a goblin bone spear, sticking out of the front of his calf. Adrenaline still pumping from the last combat he was in, he half turned, and stabbed blindly, rewarded by a shrill cry, that swiftly turned to a gurgling moan. Theo didn't bother looking around (goblins always scouted alone) and simply focused on his leg. The pain was radiating from it in sharp waves, and he bit his tongue, tasting the iron of blood, in an effort to keep from crying out. He snapped off the shaft of the spear, causing it to jostle slightly, eliciting a gasp.
Theo reached to his pack, on the forest floor by his feet, the movement causing the head of the spear to twist painfully in his calf, and withdrew a glass bottle containing a glistening red liquid
[Poor] Healing Potion [Utility]
Popping the cork out of the bottle, he downed half, the bitter taste going down easy, due to extensive experience, before he reached down. He placed his right hand around the base of the head of the spear, positioning his left hand, containing the bottle, above it. He inhaled, and with a quick jerk pulled the spearhead out, and spilled some of the potion onto the wound. The bleeding wasn't intense, which meant that there probably hadn't been any artery nicked, but it still hurt like Rhoreus' holy spear. Theo let out a muffled sound, between a groan and a moan, and managed to carefully pour more of the potion in his hand into the wound
Theo Pulled up his status screen
System 1.7.3 Name:Theo Class : Guard Worship : Miohr Patreon : None Health : 34/34 [Poor] Spearmanship No Card Selected No Card Selected HP regen : 3/hour Mana : 9/9 [Poor] Heartiness No Card Selected No Card Selected MP regen : 1/day Stamina : 12/17 [Poor] Regeneration No Card Selected No Card Selected SP regen 1/min Strength: 9 Endurance: 10 Agility : 7 Magic Power: 1 Magic Gains: 1 Inspect Champion Card Forging Knowledge Logs
To put it lightly, it sucked. He had his three cards, on loan from the guards, but other than that, he didn't have anything of his own, except for the card shards he held in the card forging menu
Shards Select (9) Cards Select (3) Cards [Poor] 74 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [Common] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [Uncommon] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [Rare] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [Special] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [Legendary] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [Mythic] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [Deplorable] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9) [DIVINE] 0 Forge Card (9) Forge Shard (9)
He was so close to being able to get his common ranked spearmanship card, finally being worth something, anything, more than he currently was. Sure, he wouldn't be the king of the world, but he would be a member of the guards of Fairway, capital of Miohria, and that was worth something. Nobody could ever say, "He isn't worth a damn," ever again. Theo kept trying to focus on the positive, but when he looked at the two strange corpses that sat at his feet, his uncertainty returned, and he finally asked a question he'd been wondering for a long time. WHY. Why did he want to be a guard, need to be a guard? Theo saw the bribes, the abuse, the beatings the guards gave, yet he still aspired to fulfill his childish dream of being one. Did he imagine that he'd never interact with those disreputable elements, or did he silently realize that a blind eye would be needed. Standing in the forest, 2 dead goblins at his feet, Theo began to laugh.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
He laughed at the absurdity of his situation, at the way in which his hand was being forced by the very system he was in. sure he could be some sort of craftsman apprentice, or some civil servant, but neither of those things provided the same protection, or money. He had rent to pay, a brother to support, and food to buy, and that meant he could only ever do one thing with his life, he could only ever be a guard. His trainee-ship was 7 shards, about 21 goblins away from ending. After, he would spend his entire life inside the city walls, unable to meaningfully change himself, or the world around him. His fade to irreverence would never happen, because that is where he was already relegated, to the halls of those who won't be remembered when they die, at best a number, and at worst an unmarked grave.
It was a bit freeing, in a way, for Theo to understand this fundamental truth, and with the knowledge, he strode forwards, head held high. This little revelation was a long time coming, but now the only question remains, what could he do? He could take out a goblin den, take the cards, and pretend like he didn't, but he had no idea who all was out in the woods today, or if there's even anyone else. That means risk of discovery on the spot, or risk of discovery due to nobody else being around. These woods are the private property of the guards, which means if nobody else is around, he would be the only one who would have had the opportunity to kill the den
He could also live the life of the low level guard, slowly climbing the ranks, till maybe he gained command of a group of 5, or 6, and die in this irreverence.
This did not appeal to him.
The issue is that despite all these thoughts, Theo couldn't for the life of him figure out a way forwards, in fact …
BOOOM
Theo came to slowly, and carefully took stock of his body. Nothing appeared to be broken, and his head rested on soft ground. He bolted upright, and climbed to his feet. Before he went to sleep, he heard an incredibly loud sound, between an explosion, and a crash, and he reached up to his ears. His hands came away red. He sighed, throwing back the top third of the second health potion he had on him, he pulled up his status screen.
System 1.7.3 Name:Theo Class : Guard Worship : Miohr Patreon : None Health : 34/34 [Poor] Spearmanship No Card Selected No Card Selected HP regen : 3/hour Mana : 9/9 [Poor] Heartiness No Card Selected No Card Selected MP regen : 1/day
Stamina : 1/17.
(-10 [Divine] Containment Field)
[Poor] Regeneration No Card Selected No Card Selected SP regen 1/min Strength: 9 Endurance: 10 Agility : 7 Magic Power: 1 Magic Gains: 1 Inspect Champion Card Forging Knowledge Logs
"What the hell," Theo muttered. As he looked around the clearing. He saw a pile of upturned dirt a few yards away from him, and he walked towards it. As he approached, he began to see beyond the mound, and what he saw shocked him. Behind the mound of upturned dirt, the ground started to slope down, into a crater. At the center of the Crater, atop a pillar coated in holy light, sat a card, with the visage of an owl staring back at him.