With Slib gone, Kaden moved swiftly, clearing away the remains of the four goblins, his skeletal form bending low as he devoured what was left of them. The brittle crunch of bones echoed through the cavern, each bite a grotesque symphony that filled the silence. A tiny little thought told him he was getting uncomfortably used to the constant death and consumption. He ignored it.

After finishing up, he didn’t have to wait long before Slib made a return. The little goblin had come through once again, four skins bags of experience in tow.

The whole thing unfolded much the same way, but this time, one of the goblins managed a quick, desperate swipe, severing a few of Kaden's finger bones. He glanced down at his skeletal hand, noting the missing digits. A minor inconvenience. Really it was a small price to pay for the experience he craved. Dispatching the goblins had just barely been enough to earn him another level.

To his great disappointment, however, that level did not include another skill. A shame, but not worth grumbling about. Things were progressing well, all things considered.

With the class granting him two points in strength per level, he was able to dedicate the free points as needed. He chose to bolster his endurance. The Burst of Speed skill had already proven its value in battle, and more stamina meant he could sustain that power longer, securing even more experience. Experience he desperately needed.

He focused on his status, his hollow gaze lingering over the new numbers, internally wincing at the growing experience requirements.

─ Status

─ Kaden (Solid Skeleton)

─ Level 7 Slayer (Rare)

─ Health: 23/29 ─ Stamina: 9/31 ─ Mana: 8/8

─ Experience: 4/3600

─ Stats

─ Strength: 19 (21) ─ Agility: 11 ─ Vitality: 7 ─ Endurance: 8 ─ Mana Core: 4 ─ Mana Flow: 4

─ Free Stat Points: 0

─ Unique Abilities

─ Bone Essence Absorption

Killing ten goblins in less than a day had only netted him one level, and the experience required for the next was daunting. How long could he keep exploiting the goblin camp before they got suspicious?

There was no way Slib could continue ferrying goblins to their deaths indefinitely. Their repeated absences were bound to draw attention. And if that happened? Kaden would be fine, but the same couldn't be said for his little goblin accomplice.

He tapped his bony fingers in thought, considering his options. Finding humans was difficult, and challenging them at his current level was suicidal. In terms of other monsters, the story wasn’t too different. Hard to find, strongly varying in levels. It was uncertain. The goblins were still his best and most consistent source of growth, at least for now.

“Slib,” he called, his voice echoing off the cavern walls as he searched for the goblin. Slib was busy poking at a corpse, tugging at the tattered rag around its waist. He clearly hadn’t heard the call.

With a grunt of effort, Slib finally freed the garment and held it up triumphantly, a wide grin splitting his face. “Slib have?” he asked, gesturing with the dirty cloth.

“…Sure. Take it.” Kaden waved him off, not particularly concerned with the piece of garment. He had no use for it.

The little goblin bounced around, celebrating his newfound treasure with an exuberant dance. Kaden found himself watching, a faint flicker of amusement tugging at the edges of his otherwise stern expression. Small minds, small joys, he thought.

He had to admit, Slib’s unrestrained happiness was almost infectious, a reminder of simpler things amidst the chaos of his new existence.

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Still, he couldn't afford to linger in the moment. The threat of the specter was always looming in the background, a dark presence he couldn't ignore. He knew far too little to dawdle.

“Slib,” Kaden called again, his voice sharper this time.

The goblin stopped mid-bounce and turned, rag still clutched in his small hands. “Yes master?” Slib responded, tilting his head slightly, his eyes blinking.

Kaden leaned back against the rough stone wall, arms folded. "How many more goblins do you think you can bring before they start noticing?" he asked, his tone serious.

Slib scratched his head, thinking hard. "Maybe... maybe few more. Slib not sure.”

Kaden nodded slowly, his hollow gaze fixed on Slib. "A few more, then," he muttered. "But after that, they'll get suspicious."

He considered the implications. The goblin camp wouldn't remain oblivious forever, and once they noticed the consistent disappearances, they'd become more vigilant. As much as Kaden enjoyed his growing strength, he wasn't yet prepared to face an entire camp of goblins on high alert.

So what to do? Kaden could keep things going as they were, with Slib bringing over the last few goblins, and then change their approach when it stopped working.

But that was a really bad idea. It put him on the back foot, waiting for their reactions to plan around it. No, he needed to think ahead. If he let them get suspicious first, every advantage Slib brought him would be gone just like that. A total waste. There had to be a way to take advantage of Slib’s goblin status to keep killing goblins, without it tracing back to Slib.

"Alright," he said finally, pushing himself off the wall and stepping closer to Slib. The little goblin took a nervous step back, instinctively clutching the rag to his chest. Kaden raised a hand to calm him. "We need to change our approach, at least for now."

Slib’s ears perked up at that, and his face contorted in confusion. “Change? What master mean?” he asked, looking up at Kaden with his big, curious eyes.

Kaden tapped his fingers against his arm, thinking carefully. "Leading the goblins is too risky now. We need information. I’ve seen a lot of them around, so the goblins must be leaving the camp often. If we know when and where they’re going, we can use that. You know the cavern well, right?"

Slib's face wrinkled with concentration as he listened, breaking into a proud grin when Kaden mentioned his navigation skills. "Yes, Slib know! Slib know well!"

"Good," Kaden replied. "Go back to the camp. Wait for someone to leave, and find out where they’re going without drawing attention to yourself. Then slip out of the camp and come back to me. You'll lead me there."

Slib’s eyes widened, and his mouth formed a small ‘O’ as he nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, Master. Slib can do! Slib clever!” He puffed his chest proudly, still clutching his rag.

Kaden allowed himself a small smile at the goblin's enthusiasm. "Be careful. We don’t want them suspecting anything."

Slib nodded vigorously, his face serious now, understanding the gravity of the task. He turned, ready to bolt back to the goblin camp, but Kaden stopped him with a gesture.

"One more thing," Kaden added. "If you hear anything about Grulak—like level, strength, anything really—remember it. Every detail could be useful."

"Slib remember!" the goblin said confidently. "Slib good ears. Slib listen."

With a final nod from Kaden, Slib turned and scurried away into the shadows, disappearing quickly. Kaden watched him go, his mind racing with the possibilities. If Slib could gather the information he needed, he could continue to use the goblins to his advantage without directly risking his small ally.

Kaden leaned back against the wall, thinking. He had bought himself some time, but time alone wouldn’t be enough. He flexed his hand, feeling the slight ache in his missing fingers.

His thoughts shifted back to the specter—the creature that had turned him into what he was now. It had left him with little more than a curse and a hunger for power, and he still knew next to nothing about it or what it wanted. He knew it had plans for him—it had come out and said as much—but what kind of plans? And why was he chosen? What was it waiting for?

Frustration gnawed at his core. He needed more answers, but for now, survival and growth were the priority. He glanced at his status once more, eyes lingering on his experience bar. How many goblins was it going to take? How long was it going to take? He wanted to rest his mind, to take a nice long slumber and come back refreshed. If only that was possible.

The image of the little goblin flicked to the front of his mind. He wondered whether Slib was getting tired after moving around and staying awake for so long. It was easy to forget those things, as Kaden had long since lost track of time. Sleep and rest were something he barely even thought about—except to lament the lack of it. The goblin was loyal, but he was also fragile. If he were caught, Kaden would lose a valuable asset—and perhaps worse, a reminder of his tenuous grasp on his humanity.

Either way, it was too late to do anything about now. He pushed off the wall, approaching the corpses. He just had to keep taking things as they came, always moving forward. For now, he still had a meal to finish. At least he would soon have his missing fingers back.