The southwest part of the Reed Forest. A goblin and an old woman were walking into the corridors of trees and lush green bushes. They were followed by another creature, a snake. It was still young compared to its mother both its size and demeanor.

Despite their odd grouping, the three were having a lively and fun conversation.

“Oh my god, never been this deep in the forest” the old woman said and she could feel that monsters were watching them.

“Don’t worry, as long as we are together with the daughter of Lammy’s nobody’s going to touch us,” the goblin said even flashing his tooth. He then found a berry and picked up a bunch of it.

The goblin distributed the berries by throwing them in the air, the old woman caught some and most of it directly went into the snake that was following them.

“Gulp! Hiss!” the snake happily gobbled it up. The sane was easily discerned from the others as it had a red pattern on its scales.

Then they began hearing strides of a four-legged beast. The old woman who detected it late tried to draw her sword but the goblin’s hands stopped her. It was a large wolf, they could see it as it approached rather it was actually trying to be as noticeable as possible.

It stopped just a few strides in front of them. “Grr… leave… this is the territory of Razorback of the Silver Mane, leave now!” it was speaking in the monster’s language.

The old woman who was watching silently perceived it like a dog whining and barking. Clearly, she could tell that the goblin and the snake understood the large wolf.

“I am here to challenge Razorback of the Silver Mane! Tell him that my name is Skulk! The goblin he spared years ago! I’m here as per our deal!” Skulk the goblin said with a determination in his eyes.

The wolf whimpered, swishing its tail with unbelievable annoyance at the goblin’s words, it became restless walking around, not sure if he was going to believe a lowly goblin then the goblin showed his back that had that mark coming from the Wolf’s leader.

“This is the mark he placed on me, I also placed a mark on one of his limbs!! Lead me to him!” the goblin urged on.

The wolf approached him slowly then it sniffed its back, after determining if it was real the wolf suddenly howled “A woo!!” and in a few seconds there were these returning howls. Multiple of it and then a discerning howl.

“He said… that you may pass, I will bring you to the garden!” the wolf said and he changed direction, walking slowly so that the visitors may follow him properly.

<--->

Garden of the Moon Bloom. This place was sacred to the wolves. Duels and special events were held in this place. The flowers would usually be colored white but would turn blue when the moon shone on them. It was still midday and the white flowers were decorating the ground.

The pack of the Silver Mane was there and at the middle of the garden was the largest of them all, the Alpha of the wolves, he was named Razorback and was considered one of the Lords of the Forest.

His tail was waving excitedly waiting for the challenger. It's not that he wanted to hurt himself. Being the lord for a long time there was no more exciting days like he had when he was conquering the forest. Before he was living for the fights and every day he would look forward to the next battle.

After gaining infamy and becoming one of the lords the battles and fights declined, then everybody had become afraid of him. He would love to bet his life just for a good fight.

Finally, the visitors arrived. Razorback let out a low "Grr" as a thanks to the wolf that had brought them in. It was a wise gesture; that wolf was one of Razorback's favorites among his litter.

Then, Razorback let out a commanding “Awoo!!” and the whole pack joined in unison. The forest shook as the Silver Mane's pack bellowed their thunderous howls. The sound was intimidating, but the two visitors stood their ground while the snake accompanying them coiled tightly, reacting to the powerful resonance.

The wolf's howl echoed through the forest, lingering for several minutes. As it faded, an eerie silence enveloped the woods, amplifying the contrast between the earlier sounds and the newfound stillness.

“(Wolf words and gesture: Sorry… oh a human?) Grr… Sorry for that, I just named my next successor,” the wolf then spoke in human words, as the only human Johanna couldn’t tell if the wolf was speaking through her mind or was speaking fluently with his words.

“Long time no see… if I die could you take care of her too, make sure that they would be untouched,” the goblin spoke.

“You have my word Skulk, and if I lose the pack will be at your service! You would also be named as one of the Lord of the Forest!” Razorback said showing his tooth as a grin. “I have heard your exploits! I can’t believe that you befriended those water creatures that loved to cuss!” then followed by a hearty laugh coming from the wolf’s gut.

“You should come, I’m going to throw a party at the lakeside after winning our fight!” the goblin answered like he was talking to an old friend.

Skulk the goblin then waved at the human and the snake he brought along, it prompted them to walk into the outer edges of the garden.

Razorback then stretched its front legs forward, lowering its chest to the ground while keeping its rear end in the air. His back crackled. Then he shakes his head shaking his whole body. Then he stood with his four legs in the front and like breathing he tested his wind magic creating a wind vacuum around him.

“I wonder… how are you going to fight me?” the wolf asked, although he was just a goblin, if a goblin could use magic then there would be a possibility.

Skulk then tapped his chest.

Skulk Lv38

Title: Degaya, Weirdo, Hunter, Disciple of the War Maiden

Status: Well Conditioned, Buffed

Job: Spell Blade

Skills: Sword Mastery Lv10(+3), Sword Wave Mastery Lv7, [???]

Magic: Fire Magic Mastery Lv9, Wind Magic Mastery Lv10, [???]

Then he tapped it to remove the floating screen again.

“I’ve got some surprise for you… a counter for your wind magic,” the goblin smiled menacingly but the wolf really loved it.

“And you were shaking when I first met you, rancid,” the wolf said.

The goblin began checking his smell. He was sure he had taken a bath earlier “That’s rude,” Skulk said, From his standpoint, the wolf was not that intimidating anymore, maybe it was because of his level or maybe because he had met the more intimidating ones that lived deeper in the heart of the forest.

Skulk then drew a sword from his pack that was on his waist.

“Oh, not this… this is too sharp!” he accidentally pulled out an obsidian sword.

Cold sweat ran down Razorback’s back. Obsidian swords were really sharp, he remembered that Skulk did use some sort of stone sword.

Rather the goblin pulled out a bluish sword that was only sharpened on one side “This is made from Mythril! Horus made it!” then he pointed at the human that was going to be watching the fight that day, “Her’s is still on the making!”

The Wolf couldn’t believe what the goblin was saying but that just meant that he was more stronger now.

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“That just excites me more,” the wolf muttered as his tail was now shifting slowly.

The two smiled at each other, the wolf Razorback to find a better fight and the goblin Skulk wanting to repay his dues.

The two rushed into the middle at the same time. The large wolf was the first one who gain momentum, Skulk immediately noticed it as he slid down while his sword was pointing up.

He landed a cut on the wolf’s chest but it was not deep, rather the wolf used wind magic to propel himself upwards, not only that, he sent some wind cuts into the goblin but the little one rolled dodging it.

Immediately after the dodge he sent some wave slashes in the direction of the wolf, then another sequence of them dodging and sending range and rushing melee attacks if possible.

The battle continued like this until it was already noon.

“Skulk, why are you not using your magic?” the wolf asked out of nowhere, his voice was crackling with fun.

“Ain’t I already beating you? Look at you! You're full of cuts!” the goblin said.

“Power really made you cocky okay! Eat this!!” the wolf said sending a large tornado.

The goblin smiled it was time to show off, this would probably end the battle, but he could tell that the wolf could probably take it. Using his Sword Wave and a chunk of magic he could slice the Tornado that Razorback sent.

Skulk rushed into the heart of the tornado, even the wolves and the two other creatures were surprised by the sudden action of the goblin. His sword began to shine. Since he had been in this new world, his training with Johanna had really given him the push he needed.

This world as far as he already had experienced it, was beautiful. He must be lucky or probably it's just destiny. Many times he already almost died, it was because of Razorback that’s why he experienced it. He actually gave him a chance, a time to grow. Doing his best was the only way he could repay the gift.

“Razorback!!! This is called Ripple Edge!” the goblin screamed as he jumped into the air. Upon reaching the maximum height he could reach he swung his sword and began spinning “You better survive this!!” Skulk added.

The sword generated a dim veil of energy waves, enveloping his entire body in what the old lady had described as a rotating shield. The movement defied gravity, and Skulk commanded it with absolute mastery. The powerful shield dispersed the tornado entirely, leaving the onlookers in the galley utterly stunned.

Razorback grinned; it was the same skill the goblin had used to wound his chest before. The wolf's teeth gleamed with anticipation, eager to counter the attack. Instead of waiting for it to strike, he lunged forward to meet it head-on. His claws shimmered with wind magic, crackling with energy. He was determined to shatter the assault with his own ferocious power.

The two forces met in the middle and collided with explosive force, crackling as their magical wills intertwined and sparked.

The wind scattered, and the old lady watching knew exactly what was coming next. A satisfied smile crept across her face; she had done an excellent job training that infuriating goblin.

The wind that Razorback’s claw generated was slowly getting dispersed. The wolf was taken aback by the phenomena, the goblin knew something he didn’t know. But, it just fueled his aggression.

“Razorback! You lose!” the goblin screamed and by force of his swing, the wind dissipated. Then he landed multiple sword waves on the wolf making it fly back.

The alpha wolf lay there not moving anymore, the wolves that were watching were stunned but they whined in a sort of protest.

“Goblin… you must kill me if you want the pack… finish me now!” the wolf said as he tried to tilt his head to see the face of the one who defeated him.

“No way! I’d rather you be my friend! I’ve got plans you know!” the goblin said and he flashed a smile on his face showing his tooth.

“Plans? Tell me about it!” Wolf said trying to contain his excitement.

The goblin's eyes turned into a dead fish, void of emotion. “I’m going to conquer the whole forest without killing a single lord!” then the wolf’s excitement went down. “I’m going to fight them one by one like our duel here!” the goblin added in the end and the tail of Razorback swung like hell.

The wolf then stood up, and using magic his wounds disappeared. “I’m in! We are in!” the wolf said.

The goblin scratched his head “You really love to fight?! That much? What would you do if I really did kill you!?”

“You can’t kill me!” the wolf said pridefully pointing his paw to himself “Awoo!!” then he launched a howl that infected the whole pack “From now on his words are my words!!!” then the wolf placed his paw on the head of Skulk who almost fell down.

The old woman who was watching the scene felt danger. A goblin that would conquer the whole forest? The Forest of Reed which was considered to be UN-tamable.

Johanna began to ponder but it would be the problem of the new generation, isn’t it? She nodded, at least she was going to be a part of something interesting.

<--->

The goblin chief was shaking in his boots, it had been going all well now but then the leader of the pack of wolves summoned him. He brought some of the green goblins as protection and 10 Degaya as a sacrifice.

He couldn't believe that the wolves would ask for more since the wolves were honorable, that’s why he asked for a deal with them because of their good reputation.

In a few minutes, they finally heard the running wolves. Four majestic wolves landed in front of them. The strange one was a goblin that was circling his eyes around riding on the top of the largest wolf, rather it was the alpha of the wolf whose name was Razorback.

“Long time no see… at least you’ve shown your face here,-” The wolf was the first one who spoke. “-Behold! One of your kin had defeated me!” then using his snout he pointed to the goblin who was trying to recover from his head.

Skulk jumped down.

“I see… then why are you here? Are you going to replace me as the leader?” the chief asked with a nervous tone.

“I don’t know but Skulk wants to meet you!” the alpha said.

“Chief! Long time no see! How are you?!” Skulk said then moved to extend his hands for a shake. The chief didn’t know what was the gesture but he still took it and shook.

“I will be needing some details and the leader of the pack has already agreed to help us, I’m already some sort of their friend, something like that…” Skulk tried to explain as far as he could, that he didn’t want a master-and-slave relationship with Razorback, he would rather call him a friend.

“You don’t understand… this world, this forest… a survival of the fittest law that governs it all… have you ever thought about what would the wolves eat?” the chief smiled. “What’s the plan now?”

Skulk returned the smile and went back to the wolf. “Razorback… I will be staying in the village for a while as planned! Take care!”

“Of course! I’m expecting so much from you, don’t make me wait too long! Awoo!!” The wolf's final call commanded the pack to leave.

<--->

Johanna found herself on a river, riding a small boat fashioned from logs, pulled steadily by a team of diligent beavers. Despite her resistance, the snake and the goblin had coerced her into this precarious journey. As the boat glided over the shimmering water, she caught glimpses of the snake slithering gracefully beneath the surface, occasionally surfacing to playfully twist and twirl.

Finally, she encountered the surprise of her life: she had never before seen such an intricate design on a wooden building.

“Slick!!” the snake that was moving along with them excitedly slithered as fast as she could.

The beavers began emitting snivels and whines, signaling the arrival of their two visitors. One beaver, perched at the edge of the slide, waved enthusiastically before diving gracefully into the water. It swam swiftly toward them, greeting the other beavers with tail slaps while performing an impressive air dive.

“Ahem!-” the beaver while doing a back float began her words, she was the wife of the boss and probably the only one in the beaver clan who could speak human. “-Skulk wants you to see more of the forest! Party with us!” the beaver said while showing her teeth in the front as much as she could.

“Clap~! Clap~!” the beavers began clapping as the snake began slithering up into the wooden slide.

“That looks wild!” the old woman said in surprise and awe. The monsters around her didn’t feel that terrifying as he saw them partying like that.

In a few more seconds the snake slid down the slide, it was evident because of the splash that flew in the air that followed her descent, the snake flew in the air creating a circling motion in the air before diving down gracefully.

The beavers celebrated her diving skills and the snake emerged splashing her tail creating another wave of sprinkles and fun for the beavers, it intensified the raving beavers as the party continued.

“You should try that!” the beaver who was also clapping said to Johanna.

“I see… that really looks really fun,” she said with her eyebrow-raising up.

“A harpy said that Skulk and the wolves would be following to join us for the after-party! It's going to be a blast!” the beaver said.

“Is the goblin village that far?” Johanna asked in curiosity.

“It's a bit on the western edge of the forest, it's on the other side from where we came from!” the beaver then began tapping her tail. “Come on! Let’s join the fun!” then she plunged into the water.

The other beavers followed her.

“Wait! I don’t know how to swim!” the old lady screamed.

The beavers stopped and they began laughing.

“We will teach you!! You will know how in just a few minutes!” the beaver answered her complaint.

<--->

Two goblins were sitting in a tree house, where sunlight streamed through open windows, illuminating the chief's dwelling for the first time in a while. Despite their serious discussion, their quirky manner of speaking infused the conversation with comedy.

From a bit of truth in the world and about the jobs and skills. The chief’s knowledge had some kind of truth and delusion in it.

First of all, the goblins didn't have any religion, unlike the humans. The green goblins had very limited knowledge, as it was highly restricted. Most of the older green goblins had already perished due to the war in the forest.

The goblin previously served an Orc as the lord of the forest. However, the Orc was slain by the alpha of the wolves, leading the goblin to fall under the wolves' rule. The goblins were destined for annihilation, but the goblin chief quickly devised a plan to use the goblins as a meat farm instead.

The Degaya or the red-brown goblins are made out of the soil and the souls of the sentient creatures that the Reed Forest had already absorbed. The chief of the goblins had a shaman job and it's one of his skills.

They were dug out by the goblins but the majority of the caves were dug by the moles that lived on the eastern edge of the forest.

“Moles? There are moles living in the forest?” the goblin said after the chief told him where the Degaya or the Red Brown goblin’s origin was. They loved the mountains and would always stay close to one and also build their home around or inside it.

“Is there any more you would want to ask?” the chief asked.

Skulk smiled, and he then stood up. “Give me a month and I will fix all of this!-” he then raised his thumbs up “-Oh, one final question. Is there any way to find out how many remaining years I have?”