He could see them coming now. Not with sight, but [ULTRASOUND] basically gave him a three dimensional map of his entire surroundings up to five metres away. The distance increased as the skill level rapidly rose. Things closer to him also came into focus even more. Every shuffle, breathe or movement reflected the sound back to him in vivid detail. He would say that his current ‘vision’ was even better then eyesight. The absence of colour wasn’t really bothering him right now. Being able to sense every strand of moss or stray rock was keeping him occupied. Lucien had been so focused on utilizing his new skill that he’d forgotten to worry about the threat coming towards him.
“Who go there!” shouted the trio’s leader.
Their armour was shabby and low quality. The leader waved his sword intimidatingly in front of him. The two followers held a crossbow and mace respectively. The crossbow wielder was female while the other two were male. The goblins were as tall as his hip while the hobgoblin came to chest height.
Monster – [LIMESTONE GOBLIN] – [LEVEL 11]
Monster – [LIMESTONE GOBLIN] – [LEVEL 12]
Monster – [LIMESTONE HOBGOBLIN] – [LEVEL 15]
Staring at them, green glowing text once again floated in front of him. Seeing their levels he decided to try a diplomatic and subservient approach first. “Hi there, sorry to bother you. My name is Lucien. I’m not sure how I ended up here. One minute I was sitting a home, the next thing I knew I was dumped here on this rocky ground. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?”
Their gazes went a little vacant, like they couldn’t understand all the words. Eventually the leader shook himself out of whatever trance they’d been in. “No care. We no want here! Get out! Go!” he said while continuing to wave the shabby sword.
Lucien raised his hands in surrender. “Sure, whatever you say. You just need to show me the way out.”
There was a moment of silence, then the goblins backed away to talk amongst themselves in what he was sure they thought was privacy.
“He big an’ scarwy” said mace, “No fight.”
Crossbow nodded her head in agreement. Sword seemed to contemplate this well thought out argument with great consideration.
“I see level. [LEVEL 0]. But big [LEVEL 0].”
More contemplation in which they were all silent.
“We get him out to sun. [TILDA] lead. [DRAR] and me follow behind.”
[DRAR] looked confused. “[VRYX], why behind?”
[VRYX] rolled his eyes, “If he try to fight, we stab him in back.”
“Ooohhh” both [TILDA] and [DRAR] said in unison.
They’re eyes lit up at [VRYX]’s plan as if he had hung the moon in the sky.
Finished with the conversation, the hobgoblin turned back to Lucien ready to escort him out of their tunnels.
While [VRYX] explained to him what was going to happen and how, he heard [TILDA] whisper to the goblin still beside her. “[VRYX] smart. [VRYX] maybe chief one day. Brother, you help convince him to make me his mate.”
[DRAR] nodded seriously with agreement.
Back to the hobgoblin in front of him, [VRYX] had just asked a question. He then repeated it in irritation.
“Well?! Do you agree?”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll follow… her. And you two look out for other monsters from behind. You guys are going to help me out of your lands. Thanks.”
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It hadn’t escaped his notice that none of the goblins had told him their names. Were they just suspicious types? Or was there a deliberate meaning behind it?
Also, despite talking with him and amongst themselves, they had all constantly been on the lookout, like there were other things to be wary of in this dungeon. There probably were now that he thought about it. With that in mind he picked up a nearby rock the size of his hand with a sharp point to it.
Suspicious glances were cast his way as he made the motion. “Alright, let’s get going then” he said to try and relieve the tension.
It didn’t work, but the party of four set off without a fuss. Walking outside his home without some form of assistance, person, cane, or guide dog, was a novelty for the young man. Just walking. One step in front of the other. He was in a foreign land, with unknown people and weird powers, yet he was excited just about the prospect of knowing there was nothing obstructing his path. And if there was something, like the small collection of foot sized rocks that he heard in front of him, he could step over or around them. Just like that. He did it. With out tripping or falling. Because he had known they were there. While walking along he was grinning like the cat that got the cream. The numbers floating in front of him only made him grin wider.
*DING*
[ULTRASOUND] has reached Level 1
*DING*
[ULTRASOUND] has reached Level 2
…
*DING*
[ULTRASOUND] has reached Level 10
The first five levels had increased without any effort within the first few minutes of being in the dungeon. Focusing on details and directing his skill had netted him another few levels. That’s when he noticed that the skill had a limit, so he tried pushing that limit. It had taken little effort for the first couple of metres. That had gotten him all the way to [LEVEL 10] for the skill. Trying to push any further had at first been unfruitful. Then he noticed that he felt something extra inside him. Something that hadn’t been there before, but had been present the entire time he was in the dungeon. He had only just noticed this power even though it had been sitting inside his chest since his arrival. Maybe even before that. Maybe it had always been there, but the Nexus had allowed him to sense the power resting there.
*DING*
Skill: [MANA CONTROL] granted.
Then he could truly feel it. The power wasn’t just inside him. It was all around him. There were different strands everywhere with different concepts he couldn’t comprehend. Except one. There was one strand that felt like it was bonded to his very essence. This strand let him perceive the world itself. Focusing on the strand he mentally pushed it through his highest levelled skill, and almost tripped over at the influx of information from both the Nexus and the skill.
*DING*
[ULTRASOUND] has reached Level 11
*DING*
[MANA CONTROL] has reached Level 1.
*DING*
Skill: [ULTRASOUND] combined with Skill: [MANA CONTROL].
Skill: [ULTRASOUND] and Skill: [MANA CONTROL] upgraded to Skill: [ENCHANTED ECHO MANIPULATION].
*DING*
[ENCHANTED ECHO MANIPULATION] has reached Level 5.
…
*DING*
[ENCHANTED ECHO MANIPULATION] has reached Level 15.
Once he finally had a handle on his new overwhelming power, the levelling stopped. With sound alone he could now tell where every tunnel on the first floor of the dungeon led, including the openings leading out into what he suspected was a desert. He could also hear everything inside the tunnels as well, though trying to focus the skill, especially in several directions, was becoming quite exhausting.
After five minutes of walking while his mind felt like it was splitting apart he considered deactivating the skill. But that meant his senses would once again be stripped from him. Also, he felt like if he just toughed it out long enough, then the higher level of the skill might compensate and ease the ache that had appeared in his brain.
*DING*
Skill: [SIMULTANEOUS MIND] granted.
*DING*
[SIMULTANEOUS MIND] has reached Level 1.
The reward from his efforts hadn’t materialised like he thought it would, but this was better. The instant his newest skill took effect, he breathed out in relief, and its level began to rise alongside [ENCHANTED ECHO MANIPULATION]’s. Being in full control of the skills he called out to the goblins around him.
“Hey there’s a big scorpion looking thing headed towards us from the left tunnel up ahead. It’s a [LEVEL 14] monster.”
[TILDA] looked back at him in surprise and doubt. “We go left there to go out. Still far away.”
[VRYX] added “How would you know?”
“I have a skill that can sense around me” he answered vaguely.
After hearing his response the goblins continued on and shook their heads at the humans apparent ‘nonsense’. Less than one hundred metres later they had reached a fork in the tunnel. A loud skittering sound came from the left. The goblins looked at each other in fear and realisation.
“It is one of the clawed poison strikers” the hobgoblin said gravely, “We must run-”
Before the sentence was finished, the creature scuttled into sight.
Monster – [DESERT SCORPION] – [LEVEL 14]