' In that case...'
I immediately executed my hastily made plan, I bolted towards the nearest tree with thickness and tallness that I believe will withstand that bear's assault.
The bear broke through its stupor and immediately chased after me, even though it was a few meters away, it caught up within a few seconds, probably because of its enhanced strength due to that red aura surrounding it.
Fortunately, I was fast and near enough to climb a few meters up the tree before the bear reached the base.
Clearing my unnecessary thoughts, I went towards the most sturdy tree branch, near enough to the bear that I could dish out spells, but far enough for the bear to retaliate, I hope.
Once settled, I almost started to cast my [Mana Bolt] spell, until I remembered my other spell, [Thorn Whistle].
The bear cannot hit me in any other way, isn't it the time for a little experiment?
As I gained confidence, I cast the spell [Thorn Whistle]. Mana steadily left my core, rearranging itself in the air, pointing towards the bear that was standing at the base of the tree, staring at me with menacing eyes and aura. The mana arranged itself in a complex pattern, creating specs of greenish dots, which grew in size after a few seconds. Then, crude cone-shaped thorns came whistling down towards the bear.
It took almost 10 seconds for the whole shebang to be completed, but unlike the [Mana Bolt] which only spews one bolt per cast, [Thorn Whistle] continues to create and spew forth thorns like a machine gun as long as the Mana pattern is being supplied with mana, the only downside is...
Mana: [1224 (-60) / 2030]
It took me ten seconds to form the spell and an additional six seconds to activate it fully. However, it had already consumed sixty points of mana which was much more expensive than the minimum cost of the [Mana Bolt] spell. Despite that, I felt that it was worth it when I saw the bear's reaction. Initially, it was just staring at me and growling fiercely, but now it was shielding its eyes from the barrage of thorns hitting it, causing it to back away slowly. The bear's skin was already charred from the spell the girl had cast earlier, making it easier for the thorns to find their mark.
Even with the evident success, I immediately felt something amiss, even without my [Spirit Sense] turned on, I felt an impending do-
The bear's aura exploded in intensity in a matter of split second, ignoring the barrage of thorns coming on its way, it suddenly leaped like a thunderbolt, heading straight my way.
I didn't even manage to react as the bear barreled towards me in a matter of seconds, slamming into my body(core) and breaking the sturdy branch that I was hovering from.
Mana: [261 (-963) / 2030]
We soared briefly and crashed on the ground, kicking up dust and soil. I felt a sharp pain, followed by intense fatigue.
I tried to reorient myself, readying myself for an onslaught of the creature, but as the dust settled, a figure appeared just a few inches away from me.
The bear is lying on its stomach, unmoving. The only thing that can tell me that it's still alive is its ragged and labored breathing.
"It's dying? But how..." I wondered. I looked into the body of the bear and found the answer.
Its lustrous moss-like fur is now turning gray, its body shrinking at an alarming rate, and its eyes getting cloudier as the seconds pass.
It's aging at an unprecedented rate. Various ideas on the nature of this situation tried to fill my mind, but I did not let them as I gazed at the bear.
"It's in pain."
I watch as the bear loses its daunting presence, exchanged with the aura of death. After a few seconds, the bear took its last breath.
<< You gained 1,573 EXP from killing an Adult Forest Bear LVL 2>>
<< You leveled up >>
<< You Leveled up >>
"Niceeeeeuuuuuhhhh" I was elated by my level-ups, but a tantamounting amount of fatigue suddenly superseded it. I was confused as hell until the system notification appeared.
WARNING!
You're bleeding out of mana due to the fracture of your core. Your core is trying to fix itself using your Essence...
WARNING! You don't have enough Essence! Substituting with mana...
My awareness starts to go dim, and the grasp of death seems to be unavoidable yet again, but that doesn't mean that I'll let myself fall from its embrace without doing anything!
Remembering one of my skills, Drain Essence, gave me a hint on what to do. I immediately focused on the bear's corpse and used the skill.
'Drain Essence' I mentally invoked, wisps of white energy erupted from the corpse, greater than what the Forest Wisp emitted when I used the skill on them.
The wisps of essence entered my core like an undeterred flood.
You used [Drain Essence] on an Adult Forest Bear's corpse!
You absorbed the Essence of an Adult Forest Bear!
You gained 53 EXP and 1 WIS
Your...
...
Blue screens appeared left and right, but unfortunately, everything became a blur as I finally lost consciousness.
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Life in the frontier of the kingdom is hard; Beast lurking in the outskirts of the unmapped forest, harassing and killing greenhorn adventurers who dared to overestimate themselves, Natives who don't give a damn about morality, and bandits who will bleed you dry the moment you turn to the wrong alley.
Why did I even agree to become a Guild Leader?! That old geezer really is a swindler on top of being a [Master Swordsman]
Jonathan sighed, he did not expect that the last trial for his last star to become a Flexine-ranked Adventurer is to be the temporary Guild Master on the frontier. From slaying C rank beast by himself to filling paperwork and conducting initiation rights to new members, he wonders if it's worth it.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
As of the moment, Jonathan is writing a letter, to be sent to the next Courrier Pigeon that will be available tomorrow, the letter contains requests to the main branch in the capital, from extra budget for the expansion of the building to skilled artisans with various skills like [Cartography].
Jonathan heard a loud knock from the door of his office, before he could even ask who was knocking, someone barged in, followed by a clerk.
"I-I'm sorry sir but he suddenly came asking for an audience." the clerk nervously bowed his head.
"It's fine, you're excused," Jonathan said as he stood up, ruffling the piles of paper on the table. He did not reprimand the clerk for not managing his job well, because he knows who's the person who just barged in.
"Priest Jacob, It's a pleasure-"
"I don't have time for pleasantries, forgive me dearly." said the priest as he took a seat.
Jonathan also sat, changing his pretenses, and became more casual.
Priest Jacob is a tall and lanky man, a priest of the God of Justice. Jonathan knew him as a stuck-up by-the-book priest who looked like a crystal ball with his shiny bald head. They've been acquaintances for quite some time now; Jonathan managing the Guild and Jacob spreading the word of justice in the frontier.
"What brings you here then, If you don't mind me being frank, I have things to do you see," asked Jonathan as he smirked, trying to tease the priest.
The priest sighed as if he were shouldering the world's problems.
"I don't have time to fool around." he said as he pressed his palms into each other, seemingly praying, and invoked something.
"[Gaze of Judgment]" Jacob's eyes suddenly turn pristine white, a divine light being exuded from it akin to a lighthouse. The priest looks at every corner of the room as if looking for something.
Jonathan exaggeratedly raised his arms, as if covering himself from the priest's gaze. "Argg! Tell me first if you're going to use Divine Arts!"
Priest Jacob scoffs. "I'm just making sure that the room's Silence ward is still functional and there are no spying formations whatsoever, anyways..."
Jacob pulled out something in his robe, revealing an ornate pearl-white scroll. He then unravels it, showing the insides of the scroll which is full of geometric shapes and writings.
Jonathan looked at the scroll and asked. "...[Divine Oath]?" he said, with mild shock and wonder. [Divine Oath] is an advanced and complicated divine spell, used for making high-value pacts and deals that both parties involved cannot break, or else there will be dire consequences.
"Yes, I have a piece of very valuable information from the Holy See, directly from one of the Cardinals. You know the drill?" Jacob says as he takes a small knife pass it over to Jonathan.
Jonathan, in unison, took a knife and tried to make a small wound on his index finger, However, his skin which is thicker than high-grade leather, refused to be punctured. He added more force and finally, a small wound was made, but the blood immediately clotted before it could drop a single piece of blood onto the scroll.
As an adventurer, Jonathan has attained the rank of Mithril, which is considered the level of a professional in his field. Being a high-ranked [Expert Swordsman], he possesses incredible physical strength and endurance beyond human capabilities. In addition, Jonathan's inhuman regeneration ability, combined with his [High-Speed Regeneration] skill makes him an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Although he is one tier below the highly sought [Master] rank, his abilities and skills are still greatly impressive.
Using one of his Martial Technique [Sharpen], he coated the blade with a sliver of his [Aura] and tried again. Martial Techniques are physical manifestations of a fighter's will that defy common sense; inhuman speed, monster-like reflex, and strength that will make someone wonder if you're a titan in disguise.
The blade, now coated with [Aura], pierced the skin successfully, albeit still with a little resistance. He then squeezed his finger into the scroll before it even had the chance to coagulate.
When the blood made contact with the scroll, it sizzled and crackled as if it had fallen onto a hot surface. The inscriptions on it suddenly came to life, glowing with a blue hue that resembled the brilliance of a full moon on a clear night sky.
You used a scroll of [Divine Oath]!
Start your Oath with:
"I_____, solemnly swear, under the watchful gaze of the God of Justice..."
He tilted his head back in surprise as a blue screen appeared in his line of sight.
"It's been a decade since the manifestation of the System, yet you're still so shocked?" The priest said snidely
"Fuck off." He said as he intentionally coughed to clear his throat.
"I, Jonathan Tarblood, solemnly swear under the watchful gaze of the God of Justice to maintain absolute discretion regarding any conversation with this bastard. I will not disclose any information unless given explicit permission to do so." Jonathan declared, adding emphasis to 'bastard, which didn't fail to sprout a bulging vein on the priest's forehead.
As soon as he finished uttering the oath, the blue hue emitted by the scroll started to swirl around and coalesce into a bright ball of blue energy. The ball then flew swiftly towards Jonathan's chest, as if it was being pulled towards him by an invisible force. It seemed to merge with him as it made contact, disappearing without a trace. The scroll turned to dust, disappearing into nothingness
You entered an Oath! Breaking an Oath under the jurisdiction of a God will spell your doom!
Be wise.
"Now that we got that done, Let me be straightforward. The Blind Virgins foresaw a powerful spirit taking root in Tinitia through their vision."
"A spirit?! Does that mean..." Jonathan asked with disbelief, the weight of the situation slowly dawning upon him
"Yes, Kingdom of Grorjin's first [Domain]"
[Domains] are mystical territories that are subject to the complete dominion of powerful spirits or higher beings. These territories are often shrouded in mystery and wonder, and can be home to untold riches and resources. However, the danger of these domains should not be underestimated, as they are often inhabited by ferocious monsters and mana beings who fiercely protect their home.
"The Order of Balance's [Templars] will thoroughly investigate in the coming weeks to determine whether or not the spirit was corrupted with ether during its journey through the immaterial plane to reach its current location." The priest declared.
"...and what if it was?" Jonathan asked, already knowing the answer.
"A crusade, and also a [Subdued Domain] for the Kingdom to go nuts for."
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"Chief, signs of humans." one of my aids whispered as we, as a tribe of three dozen, slowly and carefully walked the uneven forest floor, with all of our items in tow.
As a species, we are fortunate to possess green skin that blends well with the forest environment. We also have the trait of [Forest Walker] which allows us to move silently, like a snake, without alerting any potential predators in the forest.
"What kind? knife ears?" I asked, knife ears are notoriously obsessed with the forest, crossing parts with them is not a rarity.
"No chief, pig skins, they are dangerous, we need to avoid and change paths." he tried to explain. Pig skins, or Dayons as they call themselves, are the most numerous types of humans in this land.
"We cannot, we are tired, we are out of supplies, and we cannot change courses now." I answered. Our tribe was forced to relocate north due to conflicts with other goblin tribes. We are now closer to the great plains where there are more humans, but still far from the center of the forest.
"But chief... why north?" one of the other aides said as they skillfully maneuvered the forest floor and avoided roots and rocks.
"A Forest Spirit, I dreamt of it, now I can feel it." he said, without batting an eye.
"S-Spirit?! Absurd! We are gonna get ki-" Before he can even finish what he's saying, The chief swings his staff, lightly hitting the aide's chest.
"We have no choice! It's either this or death!" He cried out, his voice resembling that of a growl of an animal.
His aides stopped asking, because deep in their goblin psyche, they know they have no choice.
As they walk towards the north, the Chief estimates that it will take them a couple of days to reach their destination, not just because of the distance but also because of other factors that they need to factor in. These include avoiding areas inhabited by monsters and accommodating the non-combatants in the group. The Chief bears the responsibility of the entire tribe, and the group has no choice but to trust his leadership.
LVL 71 Elder Forest Goblin ( D- )
Tribal Goblin Chief (+)
Parva
Current Condition:
Slightly tired
HP: 226/226 MP: 371/371 Stamina: 41%
{Traits}
Forest Walker (Uncommon)
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{Spells}
Mana Arrow
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{Magic}
Ritual Magic LVL7
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{Skills}
Adept Staff Proficiency (Uncommon)
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