Chapter 5: Floor 2, Goblin Forest

After a couple of steps, I felt an aura of light gather around me, and instantly, I was standing in a room. The room seemed to be made out of logs, like I was in a log cabin. There were some system notices.

[System Notice: You completed Floor 1. You gained 100 EXP.]

[System Notice: For conquering Floor 1 on Hardcore difficulty, you have received the item: Transfiguration Jewel.]

[Transfiguration Jewel - After use, you can merge one item with another. The item will retain its appearance and you can transfigure the item into the merged item, at will. Merging the same type of item will erase previous item.]

[System Notice: Welcome to Floor 2’s starting point. You have unlocked the ability to utilize the ‘Shop’ to purchase equipment and items from starting points. Earn trade points by trading in items. Current Trade Points: 0]

Floor two again, but the starting point seems different than before. A transfiguration jewel—I don’t quite understand it.

“System. I have two questions. First, was the conquering due to clearing all the mobs, and if so, is there a way to check how many mobs remain? And second, could you provide an example for the ‘Transfiguration Jewel’?”

[System: Yes. Please say, ‘Remaining Mobs’.]

“Remaining Mobs!”

[System Notice: Error. You have not started the floor yet.]

Sigh. Did the system just troll me? Also, why didn’t I know this before? “Okay, and second?”

[System: After using the ‘Transfiguration Jewel, you can merge two items together. Provided example: You merge Rank [C] Sword with Rank [A] Spear. You can change your item at anytime from the Rank [C] Sword to the Rank [A] Spear by using ‘Morph’. If you use another ‘Transfiguration Jewel’, more items can be added. Adding a Rank [B] Sword to previous example item will overwrite the Rank [C] Sword. Use with caution.]

I understand now. This item—it can be very powerful. Especially since, while in combat, you can’t actually switch out equipment.

I looked around the room, and saw two doors. Above one door, it said ‘Exit’, and the other door said ‘Shop’. I went to the door that said ‘Shop’ and opened it. It looked the same as the room I was in, but with only one door. There was nothing in it. I walked in, and to my left was a button that said ‘Open Shop’. I pushed the button. A hologram appeared in front of me. It was a female Elf, the one I picked to be my Shopkeeper when I first made it to floor two on Normal. She had long length hair, and her hair was a sandy brown color mixed with blonde. Her hair was straight, and her bangs were hanging, but they didn’t cover her green eyes.

“Greetings, Mr. Felix. Welcome back.”

“Yes, thank you, Lady Skye. Let me see what’s in.”

I browsed through the available options. Of course there were ‘tubes of satiety’ and ‘hydration bottles’, but I didn’t really need anymore after that mobfest. There were some weapons and armor around the same strength available from the free gear on floor one. I looked over the items I got from the mobfest. I now had 24 ‘tubes of satiety’, 33 ‘hydration bottles’, 15 ‘Health Potion (S)’, 18 ‘tattered cloths’, two ‘Goblin masks’, and one ‘Goblin Chief essence’. I acquired 87 loot bags from that war. It was very nice. I traded the cloths for two points each, the masks for five points, and the essence went for 25.

[Current Trade Points: 71]

“Hmm. I need a weapon—and armor.” But first, I need to use my attribute points— six of them. I’m actually surprised the amount of attribute points are the same as the other difficulties, although level gain is definitely something else. Well, let’s go with this. I’m not exactly sure how I want to build myself, but I know I want to be able to take a hit, and be agile.

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I decided on how to apply my attribute points. I went with three points to Agility, two points to Vitality, and one point to Strength, just to start boosting damage, though it won’t change a whole lot. From the shop, I picked up a ‘Leather Body (Rank F)’ for 40 points and for my weapon, I picked quite a strange one- ‘Buckler Blade (Rank F)’ for 30 points. Now, I have a kite shield on my left, a buckler with a blade on top on my right, leather on my abdomen, and a cloak on my back. I’m sure that, if I had a mirror, I would look very weird. My new body armor had a defense of nine, and my buckler had five defense and seven attack. I pulled up the short version of my status.

Status

Health: 130/130

Mana: 16/16

Name: Zeryn Felix, The Treasure Dabbler

Level: 3 [EXP 810/1200]

Attributes: 0 AP

Vitality: 7

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 5

Agility: 8

Willpower: 5

Intelligence: 5

Perception: 5 (12)

Wit: 5

Wisdom*: 8.2

Charisma: 3

Luck: 17 (22)

Although I was fully healed, I still felt like I needed rest. Since I was at the starting point, I decided it was time I slept a bit. I told Skye that I wanted to rest, and a bed spawned in the room. And so I slept.

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After having got up, I looked at the door that said ‘Exit’, breathed in deeply, and then I left the cabin. I checked behind me, and moved the handle of the door. It didn’t budge, and neither did the door. It was sealed. I looked around me, and I noticed I was in a dark, spooky looking forest. There was a sign and a path in front of me, and trees surrounding everything else. The sign had funny symbols on it, but I was able to read it due to my ability. It was written in Goblin and said, “Goblin Forest, welcome friends!” I tried walking through the trees, but I was blocked. There seemed to be an invisible barrier.

“I guess I can only go on the path? Okay.” I started walking down the path. After walking for two hours, I finally saw an open area. Then suddenly, I heard a noise coming from the woods. It was a log trap, and it was swinging right at me from the side. Then, another log trap from behind. I moved back to avoid the first log trap, and put my shield up to intercept the one behind me. It hit me, and I was flung over to the open area.

[Biding Hellfire Rupture power at 73/260.]

Hmm. Easy. I dusted myself off and got up. There was a Goblin with a black helmet sitting on a stump, looking at me and cackling.

[Goblin Executioner, Lv4]

I took a step back, and prepared myself. The Executioner got up and brandished its axes. It cackled once more, and charged at me.

I need to learn to not rely completely on my kite shield. An Executioner though, dangerous. I could probably kill it now by rupturing it—but I need to learn.

I raised my right arm, the one wielding the ‘Buckler Blade’. One of the Executioner’s axes came swinging down at me. I blocked it with the buckler, and definitely felt the difference between my shields. I lost balance, and took a lot of damage.

[You took 45 damage from the Goblin Executioner, Lv4. Current Health: 85/130]

That means this Goblin hits for 50. Hell. I think I’d take less damage from getting hit on my leather armor. At least then Vitality has an effect. I need to dodge.

I altered my position, and drank a potion. I looked down at the Goblin’s axes, and tried watching them, waiting for movement. The Goblin cackled again. It swung its left axe, and then the right. I didn’t even notice it get close enough to me. I stepped back avoiding the left axe, but the right axe got me across the chest. “Aah!”

[You took 41 damage from the Goblin Executioner, Lv4. Current Health: 89/130]

Ouch. Pain modifier hurts like hell. Well, I was right about taking less damage. This buckler has a petty defense value for a shield. What did I do wrong? Was I watching the weapons and not the Goblin instead? If I watch it in its entirety, maybe that is the key.

I re-positioned again and drank a potion. This time, I watched the Goblin. I looked for signs of it moving, rather than just watching the axes. I saw it look down and then back up at me. I saw its arm move, and the axe moved with it. It started twirling its axes. Then it rushed, but I saw it. It struck down vertically with the right, but I had already moved in preparation. Its left axe quickly followed from the left. Instead of blocking it directly, I tried parrying it with my buckler and redirecting its attack. As the axe came in contact with my buckler, I slid the attack up and took a quick half step back, dodging out of the way, and then went in for a stab with the same arm, striking its chest.

[Goblin Executioner, Lv4 takes 14 damage.]

Not bad! This Executioner only has armor on its head!

The Goblin Executioner looked at me. It seemed to have hatred in its eyes. It quickly retaliated, swinging its left axe back around at me. I barely dodged, but its right axe came back around, hitting my chest again.

[You took 41 damage from the Goblin Executioner, Lv4. Current Health: 89/130]

URGH.

“Damn you!” I quickly stepped in after taking the blow, taking advantage that it had just finished its strike. Its left axe came back around as the Executioner completely spun and hit my blade, knocking me off balance, then the right axe came from the continuous spinning action and slammed into my back. I lay there on the ground, writhing in pain.

[You took 41  damage from the Goblin Executioner, Lv4. Current Health: 48/130]

Fuck, I forgot to heal!

I tried getting up and moving out of the way, and the Executioner suddenly jumped as it continued spinning, picking up speed. It came down, attacking with both axes at the same time. I raised my kite shield, and before it could finish its strike, I activated {Biding Hellfire Rupture}.

[Goblin Executioner, Lv4 takes 73 damage.]

[You took 18 damage from backlash. Current Health: 30/130]

[System Notice: You gained 15 EXP.]

[System Notice: You learned a new Ability through {Assimilation}...]

I didn’t care. I stopped paying attention to the notification, and just lay there on the ground as my vision went blurry. I started sobbing.

Dammit. Dammit! I know this is Hardcore, but I can’t handle the fact I am still too weak. I want to be stronger so I can survive. I don’t want my shield to be the only way I can win fights. I need to learn how to actually fight, and I learned nothing from playing on Easy and Normal in regards to how Hardcore actually is. I need to focus. I need to get stronger. I need to win.