The next morning, I still had not decided whether or not I should be happy or sad about the news so I decided to ask my father if I could go to the forest to hunt. After several months of hunting, I discovered that the rhythmic monotony of tracking prey, combined with the serene sounds of the forest, had a unique way of soothing my mind. It was during these moments that I found clarity, allowing me to reflect on decisions that felt overwhelming in the chaos of everyday life. As I moved through the forest, I couldn’t help but think about my dilemma with Robert and Evelyn, how to balance my wish to keep The System a secret from those around me. It created a space for clarity, allowing me to work through complex situations with a calmer, more focused perspective.
My mother was not entirely against the idea as she was before, due to having gone hunting for so long. However, she did not like that I would have to go out by myself. My father had to go in today and John was apparently out on a longer trip to scout out some wolf sightings.
In the end she agreed as long as I promised to stay closer to the edge of the forest and more to the Northwest as the wolf sightings that John went to investigate were coming from the East. I promised that easily enough as John and I had been working in the direction when we were hunting before anyway.
My father and I headed out a little early as he planned to walk me to the gate and speak to the gate guards about my passage back into the city. Entering the city you usually needed some form of identification, showing that you lived here meant that you could enter freely otherwise you had to pay a few coins in taxes.
With that taken care of, I headed Northwest and into the trees. I did not set out truly planning on hunting, mostly just trying to clear my mind. As much as I wanted to claim that my previous life gave me greater control over my emotions, I was still ten and I wanted to keep playing with my friends. Logically, of course I knew adding them might not have been the best idea, but I just wanted to do it.
That’s when I head the yapping of what sounded to me like a pack of coyotes. I had no idea what the sound meant, but I decided not to risk dealing with something out of my league. I started jogging to the west to get away from the faint sounds coming from the Northeast.
If you have never heard a hyena’s laugh in person, it is quite funny. It’s high-pitched, resembling human laughter but with a guttural, raspier edge. In a zoo, the sound feels playful, almost endearing; on TV, it sparks curiosity as you ponder the animal’s peculiar behavior. But in the forest, when the laughter starts faint and builds to an echoing chorus, the humor fades, each raspy note sharpening into something unnerving. The sound seems to slither through the trees, its source hidden, and the playful edge twists into a sinister undertone that sends chills cascading down your spine.
The laughing hyena sounds came from the South of me and the yapping Coyote sounds came from the East. The coyotes seemed to be closing in while the hyenas seemed to be keeping pace. When I realized that I took off sprinting to the west.
The fact that whatever these creatures were, were able to keep pace without me seeing them in my Panoptic Sense did not make me feel comfortable. As I ran, I dodged bushes and tree limbs alike. Trusting in my increased stats and Panoptic Sense to keep me out of trouble.
In a split-second decision, I chose not to use Arcane Armor. While the added protection would have been invaluable, I feared that the distinctive purple glow would betray my position. The gamble was clear, stay hidden and maintain the element of surprise, or risk exposing myself to creatures that already seemed unnervingly adept at tracking me. The tension in my chest tightened as I weighed the risk, knowing that one wrong move could cost me dearly.
“Mom, dad, there is something weird out here in the forest. I was wandering West like I promised when I heard this weird yapping sound. Being cautious I started to head South and West at a jog to get away when a weird raspy laugh came from the South. I am currently heading more West at a sprint, but ---” As I was sprinting and trying to dodge the trees and branches, I ran right into a portal that did not register to my Panoptic Sense.
You have entered the Dungeon of the Wilds. This Dungeon is in a state of imminent over saturation. You will not be able to leave the Dungeon until it has been cleared. Recommended level for the Dungeon is 25+ for a party of 5. Good luck!
Panic surged through me as the words burned themselves into my vision, refusing to disappear. My heart pounded in my chest, and my breathing quickened as the reality of my situation sank in. Trapped. Alone. The Dungeon’s ominous message weighed heavily on my mind, each word echoing like a death knell. A thousand fears raced through me—what if I wasn’t strong enough? What if no one even realized I was gone? But as the fear threatened to consume me, I forced myself to steady my breathing, planting my feet firmly on the ground. If I let the panic take over, I’d be dead for sure.
Focusing on the rhythm of my heartbeat, I let the fear sharpen my senses, turning it into a tool rather than a weakness. Survival wasn’t just about strength—it was about staying focused, thinking clearly, and trusting in the skills I had been honing. Slowly, a stubborn resolve began to form, eclipsing the terror. I couldn’t afford to falter now.
Going through the portal caused me to stumble slightly and if not for my Panoptic Sense I might have died right then. As soon as I came through a goblin was swinging at me with what appeared in its hands to be a sword but was more like a long butchers knife to me.
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In most of the stories that I read goblins were either hideous genetically altered beings that like to blow stuff up or hideous naturally forming beings that come from dungeons or an overabundance of mana that are nothing more than mostly mindless monsters. With a rare few having them look somewhat normal just green with big heads and noses.
Well just so you are aware, that last group got it right. The goblin looked like what I pictured a Hobbit the first time I read that story. The only difference being that this goblin had longer ears like what I would suspect an Elf to have, was a darker forest green, and seemed to blend in with the forest.
I dodged to the side to get away from the sword strike and summoned my shields from my Inventory. The moment I did I cast Arcane Armor and went on the offensive. Attacking with everything I had. The goblin was stronger than I expected able to knock my shield aside and even block some of my attacks. Still, I was bigger and stronger, after one hard backhand to knock the goblins sword away I slammed the edge of my right shield into the creatures throat. It dropped its sword to reach for its throat and I proceeded to pummel the creature to death.
Goblin – Level 28
+390 xp
The fight was hard, surprisingly so when goblins are usually considered beginner fodder in most games—nothing more than rats or slimes to be easily dispatched. This one, however, was fast, cunning, and far stronger than I had anticipated. Even with its smaller stature, it managed to hold its ground against me, forcing me to adapt quickly to its movements.
As the adrenaline coursed through my veins, I couldn’t help but reflect on how my perception of goblins had shifted. They weren’t mindless fodder; they were opponents that demanded respect. The thrill of overcoming such a challenge left me invigorated but also wary of what more I might encounter. Helping to calm me was the fact that it was a level 28, and it was not able to break through my Arcane Armor in one hit, which surprised me.
I also noticed a notification that I missed upon entering the Dungeon.
Relic Seeker has leveled up, new ability obtained.
Relic Seeker’s Sight - This ability enhances the user's perception, allowing them to detect subtle discrepancies in their surroundings. Whether it's a hidden trap disguised by clever camouflage, an illusion masking an object's true nature, or an unnatural distortion in the environment, Relic Seeker’s Sight can see through the cracks in reality. The user becomes attuned to inconsistencies, revealing hidden dangers, secrets, or deceitful illusions that would otherwise go unnoticed by the untrained eye. This is a passive ability.
I knew that this ability would be helpful, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly lackluster about it. With my Panoptic Sense I felt that this ability was slightly redundant. While I could not see in perfect detail with Panoptic Sense, I could see movement lines and the outline of something. This allowed me to know what something looked like making holes obvious and anything traps always had something that was too exact to be natural.
As for the illusion aspect, I would have to wait and see. I felt that it would be the same as the traps though. Panoptic Sense gave me the outline of what was there and how could an illusion know what I was seeing through Panoptic Sense.
Now that I was not fighting for my life, I took a look around and realized that I appeared to still be in the forest. I knew that I was as my Panoptic Sense completely cutoff about fifteen feet behind me. In front of me though was nothing but forest expanse and I did not see any more goblins in about 100 feet around me.
Next, I tried to reach out to my parents again but either I was no longer in their party, or the Dungeon was blocking it off as it didn’t feel like I was actually sending anything out. As I was trying to send the message a group of goblins came into range. There were five of them and I knew it was going to be a challenge to fight five creatures like the first one that I fought.
I started moving away from them trying to make sure that we would not run in to each other, but it appeared that the Dungeon was guiding them, or they had some way of being able to track me, because they were coming right for me.
Realizing that there was no way out of the fight I moved to put a tree between myself and the incoming group. Hoping it would allow me to take one or two out before the fighting truly started. I chose not to get into a tree because of how accurately it seemed they could track me. Thinking that in a tree I would be a sitting duck, I stayed behind the tree, watching with Panoptic Sense and waiting to see what would happen.
When the first goblin came around the corner, I didn’t hesitate. A surge of adrenaline fueled my movements as the sharp crunch of impact echoed in my ears, the force of my right shield slamming into its throat. The jarring resistance sent a shock up my arm, but I didn’t falter. The goblin staggered, choking and clutching at its neck, its wide eyes filled with a mix of fury and fear.
My pulse pounded as I brought my left shield around in a brutal arc, the weight of it driving into the creature’s temple with a sickening crack. The goblin crumpled lifelessly to the ground, leaving the air thick with the metallic scent of blood. Each breath felt heavier, the tension coiled around me as I braced for the next opponent to strike. In that moment, survival demanded everything, every ounce of focus, strength, and resolve I could muster.
As the notification came up, I willed it away, thinking about how I did not want notifications during combat situations. As the first goblin dropped the second came around the corner. This one had a shield and sword and looked like a more proper warrior. I went in for a feint, striking at the warrior with my left, as it brought its shield up to block, I grabbed the top to pull the creature off balance. When it stumbled, I slammed my shield on top of its head also killing it instantly.
Looking through Panoptic Sense, I realized the other three goblins were lying in wait, their positions strategically arranged to cut off any potential escape. One crouched low behind a fallen log to my left, its blade poised for a quick strike, while another perched in the branches above, bow in hand, ready to rain down arrows. The third stood directly ahead, partially obscured by foliage, its weapon drawn as it watched for any movement. The precision of their placement sent a chill through me; these weren’t mindless creatures, they were hunters, and I was their prey. Taking a calculated risk, I stuck my head out briefly to scan the area, using that moment to quickly Identify all three targets.
Goblin – Level 33
Goblin – Level 36
Goblin – Level 30
Well crap.