A soul was traveling in the vast darkness. The soul was still sentient, it had its awareness but could not stop its travel into the void.

“You have died and you will be reincarnated into the next world” a voice resounded and the soul flickered as the voice penetrated its consciousness.

“You must be wondering how you died, I removed a part of your memory so that you won’t have any trauma about anything” the voice continued the dialogue like it was conversing with itself.

Lights appeared out of nowhere and began to be infused into the flickering soul.

“Yes, your death was traumatizing and yes you will be granted special powers,” the voice continued the dialogue just by reading the soul’s consciousness.

“I’m a god, and I also have limitations. I’m also not sure what you will become when you reincarnate and I have no idea where you will born. I will send a good disciple to check up on you so be sure to absorb all the knowledge she will be sharing with you,” the voice continued.

The soul flickered and it felt that it was getting close to something.

“Oh… it's time… by the way, the only goal I would want you to achieve first is to control the Reed Forest,-” the voice resounded. “-Doesn’t matter how you do it, I will visit you again after the conquest-” the voice now began fading “-Now good luck and remember to enjoy your life.”

The empty void flashed and what was next were flickers of candles.

<--->

Skulk was one of the newly born goblins, he was 8 days old, not much he could remember after birth rather than the taste of dirt on his mouth but he was sure he was somewhat reincarnated, he was human before he was sure.

On that 8th day he just had learned how to walk, goblins surely grew up very fast. In a flash he decided that he would have some fresh air, using his arms he began crawling and as he did he pushed his body up. He was standing again as he practiced a few hours ago.

Goblins in this world were born from the dirt. The elder who dug them called them ‘Degaya’ or in the goblin’s language Torn Souls. He was sure that there were two genders as he was observing some of the newly born goblins that were staring at him too. They must be wondering how he was walking right now.

“Degaya… walking 8th day?” a more senior goblin that was guarding the tunnel for the newly dug goblins commented.

Skulk just stared back. “Not too far, you will be eaten by wolves,” the goblin guard said.

Skulk nodded as he continued walking forward. A glimmer of light ahead made him squint, the brightness contrasting sharply with the cave's darkness. As he stepped out of the cave, the outside world greeted him with an overwhelming brilliance. The sunlight was dazzling, forcing him to shield his eyes with his hand. It took several moments before his vision adjusted, allowing him to take in the full view of his surroundings.

It was the most green forest he had ever seen. Skulk’s eyes palpitated as he scanned the forest.

“Tap your chest Degaya!” another goblin said as it was carrying dried pieces of wood.

Skulk didn't follow immediately. Instead, he spun around to survey his surroundings. It appeared he had emerged from a large mound, which had multiple caves dug into its sides.

It was time to follow the advice of the wood carrier goblin so he tapped his chest. As the screen came out in front of him. He was somewhat familiar with it.

Skulk Lv1

Title: Degaya

Status: Confused

Job: Spell Blade

Skills: Sword Mastery Lv1, Sword Wave Mastery Lv0, [???]

Magic: Fire Magic Mastery Lv1, Wind Magic Mastery Lv1, [???]

It was a goddamn status screen. He understood at the first glance. He tried touching it but his hands were just passing through it. A Spell Blade job was cool from his perspective, he had some idea of how it worked.

But the two [???] were weird, it's going to be unlocked probably after some level-ups or requirements.

‘How’d I know that?’ Skulk thought as he silently watched the screen.

A goblin approached him again, the same goblin that was carrying the dry woods. “Tap your chest again and go to the elder and tell him your job!” the goblin pointed to a house above a tree.

“There?” Skulk parroted.

The goblin wood carrier nodded and then he grabbed something behind him, he threw some clothes to Skulk. “Get dressed, you're naked.” and finally left to continue his tasks.

(A/N: Goblins had their own language)

<--->

Skulk had just learned how to walk and now he was climbing up the tree. The climb to the tree was a bit hard, he had to rely on the natural rigid structures of the barks. The strange thing was although he should feel fear he was not feeling it. He just mechanically climbed up.

‘I will install a ladder here’ he thought as he continued going up.

After roughly spending thirty minutes he was finally in the tree house of the elder of the goblins. There was no door on the tree house but it was a bit dark so he couldn’t see the insides.

Still, he entered nonchalantly and found the elder goblin sitting cross-legged. The elder, a wizened goblin with skin the color of moss and eyes gleaming with years of knowledge, wore only a simple cloak. The cloak, tattered and worn, draped over his frail frame, barely concealing his age-withered limbs.

The Elder twitched as he felt the presence of Skulk “A Degaya? What is your job?” the Elder asked.

“Spell Blade,” he said straight.

The Elder opened his eyes to look at the Degaya that was standing in front of him. The Elder Goblin then stood up and began grabbing checking his body by squeezing his limbs and even checking him down there too.

For some reason, Skulk didn’t feel embarrassed. He immediately noticed the difference between their color. The Elder was generally green all over his body while Skulk was red-brown.

“Why am I different?” he suddenly muttered, the Elder was quite surprised by the sudden question.

“Red skin was born from the ground… green skin from mating,” the Elder answered.

Skulk just nodded and it was understandable. That’s why they still had female and male even though he remembered that he was spawned out of the ground.

“Mating low chance, baby die quick if no food, ground goblin last for a bit then die,” the Elder continued. He was finished with checking and stepped back.

“Red goblin only 5 years,” the Elder said, it totally shocked the hell out of Skulk.

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Did that mean that he will only be alive for 5 years more?

“Don’t make that face, increase level if you don’t want death early… higher level longer life,” that’s what the Elder said as he sat down again.

The elder then placed his fingers on his mouth and blew it creating a whistling sound.

“Go with Sutan, know the village, Spell Blade don’t know, you should know yourself,” the Elder said.

Another goblin tapped Skulk’s back. To his surprise, Skulk almost jumped back. It was a really ugly goblin that had scars all over its face. It was half-naked and carrying a bow on its body, it was a green goblin.

“Sutan!!” then the goblin pointed to himself.

In response, Skulk did the same “Skulk!”

“Sutan, teach Skulk!” the Elder ordered and Sutan just nodded.

<--->

Sutan and Skulk went down from the tree house.

“Follow!!” Sutan said as he began the tour in the village.

From the mound that was just near the tree house, the village was a bit away. Judging by the sun they were walking eastward.

Skulk did understand that he had no memories inside of his head but the knowledge just kept on flowing out of him.

Sutan kept on going for a while until they arrived at a clearing.

“This, Village, ours,” Sutan smiled although he had a really bad mug Skulk could tell that he was smiling in some way.

“Around, listen to me,” another few words from the green goblin and he resumed walking. Skulk followed faithfully.

The village was simple, rather it was a far cry from a village, it was just made of a few sheds for dried wood and crops, and surrounding it were four pieces of land that goblins used for farming.

“Dodo Root… good if cooked, bone fire,” Sutan said pointing out to the farm fields.

The goblins that were working on the farm were diligent and didn’t even wave at them as they were doing their farm work.

Sutan then moved again and Skulk followed. Now it was on the western part of the village. Skulk noticed that there were no wooden walls that marked the village’s borders. Everyone was just wearing rags too as he did too, Sutan had better clothes.

After a while, a pungent smell pierced Skulk’s nose. He knew where the two of them were going.

It was an instant definition of hell on earth. It was a hand-dug pit, Skulk could see that something was moving under it. It was small slimes working their way down there.

“Shit!” Sutan said and it was enough to understand what it was.

A goblin suddenly approached the pit and began doing his thing. Skulk almost vomited, the goblin didn’t even wipe its ass and continue to his next task.

“One more,” Sutan like it was the natural thing to do moved on and walked, Skulk wished nothing more than to follow him away from the deep shit site.

Now continuing to the northern side of the village, there were a few monstrous bulk of squishy monsters that were huddled together. It was some sort of a large caterpillar, some of the goblins were feeding it on one side and another one waiting on the other side of it holding a bucket.

Skulk could see this, it was not that far ahead. As the goblin fed the caterpillar in a few moments on the other side a slime-like gel came out and the goblin happily caught it with a bucket.

“Uod, dung, taste good!” Sutan said at the same time they arrived at the site. The goblin who caught the dung immediately approached them holding out the wooden bucket.

“Try,” Sutan said.

Skulk could feel the bucket emanating some heat. It was still hot. Trying to curve a smile on his face he used his finger and scooped some up. Placed it in his mouth without hesitation, rather to get it over with.

“It tastes good!” Skulk muttered and finally, a smile without doubt appeared on his face. His smile infected the two that were watching him.

“Degaya, skill fighting?” Sutan suddenly asked.

It took a bit while before Skulk processed the question. Sutan was asking if Skulk had a combat-related skill. “Yes!” Skulk nodded and Sutan used his hands to gesture him to continue following him.

They had to cross the whole village back to the south of it and then go down, there was a spring that was flowing coming from the direction of where the tree house was. A little bit following the stream there was a bigger hut.

The screams of the goblins could be heard as they approached.

“Here train, gain power! Help hunt!” Sutan said as they were walking.

“Training center?” Skulk answered but retracted it when they arrived “Or a hunter’s hut?” he said. Sutan just stared at him and after a brief pause continued.

The goblins that were training paused for a while too as they arrived. The goblins that were training were a mix of green and red-brown goblins. Some were naked but most of them were wearing loin clothes like Skulk had.

Sutan then pointed out the weapon rack “Take weapon, train me, you hit you!” Sutan said and as much as it was confusing, Skulk did understand it.

Skulk took a sword that was made out of stone, it was unbalanced and rigid.

“Sword… hmm weak spear!” Sutan said as he dropped his bow on the rack and took a spear.

And just like that their training began.

<--->

3 days had passed from when he was guided by Sutan.

As far as Skulk was concerned the Village of the Goblins was a paradise. It was not too hot or too cold and the village was covered by a good canopy of trees. They didn’t have a shortage of food and generally, the goblins were sociable.

Still, as he knew that he was human before some things were weighing on his mind.

First of all, most of the goblins didn’t have any hut or even a shelter, they would literally sleep on where they stood. Second, the goblins were as he expected, unsanitary, as much as he wanted to change the village he couldn't, he was of the low of the low in the social standing in the village and instead, he had been taking a bit himself every day he at the least wanted to wash his loin clothes which was the next problem.

They only had one clothes on which was the loin clothes. He couldn’t even distinguish a goblin’s gender if it was not naked.

Their food situation was not that bad, as long as he didn’t think of it as the dung of that caterpillar monster he could swallow it.

The next one was that sometimes some of the goblins would just die on their feet. It was true that the elder told him that the goblin's normal life would just be around 5 years but the next problem at hand was the solution to the problem. He didn’t know how the system of level-up works. He was already level 2 but after the 3 days of training, he knew he was not getting any more exp.

Though his Sword Mastery had gained 3 levels it won’t go up now.

Skulk remembered that the elder told him that if he wanted to live longer he had to level up himself.

The ones that were dying were probably at a much higher level than him but still, the five-year lifespan limitation killed them. He wasn’t even sure about their age.

The sad thing was that on one occasion he was the one who threw the body and rather than digging up a grave he was ordered to throw the dead farmer goblin into the pit of shit.

<--->

Another day had passed and the village suddenly became lively, it seemed that the hunters were going to go on an expedition to hunt some meat.

Four green goblins and two red browns went out of the village, the goblin villagers celebrated their departure and waved at them.

But at the end of the day, only the four green goblins returned. They had some small rabbits on their shoulders, the whole village celebrated their return. Skulk, while watching on the sidelines wondered when he would be taken out into the expedition, and what was the requirements to go to one. The repetitive days were already eating his mind out, he wanted to know the world more, and the god that gave him the mission.

If he didn’t act now the 5 years of his life span would run out. It was short, really short, he didn’t want to die early.

That night he decided that he would walk out of the village, preparations were needed, and any information would do. He began drawing up some plans in his mind. And what he needed now was a viable weapon.

Skulk had been accustomed to sleeping in the ground watching some stars that would peak out of the canopy of trees. In a few moments, he fell asleep.

Another morning began and the goblin village’s routine began. The farmers did the farm work and the gatherers went outside to gather some wood to be dried in the shed.

The combat-related job was to train in the hunter’s cabin grounds where the weapons were stored.

As part of the battle-oriented goblins, it was his job to increase the levels of his skills. Sutan was in charge that day unlike the others he would pit the goblins by themselves.

Skulk got a partner and he purposely positioned himself close to Sutan and he began asking questions as he fought. From what was the forest to what could be found outside.

Out of the goblins he had interacted with Sutan was the most talkative one. Maybe because of his gruesome mug, no goblins were approaching him. Sutan was happy to share all the information he had in mind.

But what Skulk really appreciated was the information about where to find good stones to carve as a weapon.

So that night he snuck out of the village, and just northwest was a small waterfall. There were chunks of stones there. Skulk began looking around for a good stone to be turned into a sword. As soon as he found one he tried carrying it but it was too heavy.

But the weapons they used in the training were just on the right weight, he suspected that Sutan was playing a prank on him. He decided to give up that night. A weak goblin can’t swing a heavy stone sword, he would break his arms. Skulk watched his leg, he was too weak, and he needed more training.

The next day his information gathering continued. Before the end of the day, he would run around the village.

After doing this for 2 more days the goblin began branding him as a strange goblin.

The next day another fresh batch of Degaya arrived at the village. They were a bit taller than him and it was the right time when the hunters would go out to hunt again. They had the same number, 4 green goblins and 2 red browns.

As much as before the 4 green goblins returned in the afternoon and the 2 red browns were missing. Skulk who was running that time didn’t really care much about it but in his instinct, he knew something was wrong.

Another week had passed. Although he didn’t have the skill, Skulk was already practiced in the art of stone masonry. He was in the same waterfalls and he can now carry the stones.

Skulk tapped his chest and watched his numbers grow. He was now at level 10. His sword mastery was now Level 4 and he had already gained the title of ‘Weirdo’ branded to him by the villagers of the goblin forest.

Still, the 5 years life span was still weighing on his mind. Is there any way to check how much life he has left?

A smile cracked on his lips as he finished his first prototype. A stone blade. Rather than sharpening both sides, he opted to just sharpen one side like how a knife would be.