ACHIEVEMENT - TITLE UPGRADED: CHILD OF FOLLY BECOMES CHILD OF ATÉ. Até is now certain that you are her descendent. You have gained additional Chaotic Favor.
If I wasn’t already in a hole in the ground, I would probably have tried to dig one to hide inside. Then I realized that I actually could dig a hole inside a hole in the ground. After all, wasn’t a cave just a big hole in the ground, and when you dig a hole in a cave you are digging a hole inside another hole. Thinking about this, I forgot about the embarrassment and pretended that the Dróttinn hadn’t seen or heard anything. I turned toward him and tried to act nonchalantly as the chieftain walked closer to me.
Dróttinn wasn’t going to let things go that easily though. I discovered this when he walked to stand beside me and switched a bag he was holding into his other hand for some reason. Before I knew what happened, the back of my head was throbbing from the smack I received. I didn’t see it coming at all and almost fell onto my face. Instead, I rubbed the back of my head where he had slapped me and gave him a stern warning glare.
The chieftain ignored my glare and simply said, “Keep your mouth shut, little brother. The gods don’t appreciate it when you joke around like that.”
Surprisingly, I managed to keep quiet. Instead, I blamed Dróttinn for what happened in my mind. Why did he have to come back at that moment? At least the chieftain hadn’t hit me too hard. The pain had already faded away. Still, I pretended that it still hurt. Maybe that would make him hesitate before doing it again.
The chieftain looked at me and asked, “So, how do you feel?” For some reason, I got the feeling that he was worried something might have gone wrong with the Ritual of Kunnasik. “Did you gain any inspiration,” he asked hesitantly, “or receive visions of what path you should take?”
I hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to say. I was about to answer when Dróttinn continued, “If so, we can begin your training. If you are lucky, you should be able to complete the background training within a few months. Then you can start learning skills from a class.”.
I stared at him, blinking. My mind was assaulted by the implications of what the chieftain had just said. I immediately forgave the system. Apparently, what I learned in minutes was what other kobolds would learn over the course of several years. I thought to myself, “How do I tell him this? Should I tell him this?”
He waited patiently as I thought, perhaps thinking that my mind was still cloudy from the effects of the vision mist. After a few more seconds of waiting, he added, “Don’t worry if you didn’t get any insights. You can always choose what you want and we will help you achieve it. After all, that is what family is for.”
I felt a surge of warmth and was actually touched by his concern. Finally, I decided to just admit it. Otherwise, I might be stuck learning stuff I already knew for a couple of years. “Actually, I’ve already received quite a bit of information about not only training but about my class as well.”
The chieftain’s jaw opened, and his eyes glazed over. He seemed about to say something, but then said nothing. A bit of saliva dripped from his mouth unnoticed. I could almost see the gears in his mind turning. One moment he believed me and the next he was doubting my sanity. I could tell there was a war going on inside his head. He even raised his hand as if to motion that he had something to share, but continued to stand there and stare at me instead.
I watched in amusement as one eye, then the other, raised as he tried to absorb what I had said. Realizing that we might be standing there a while if I waited for him to say something, I added, “I do still need to practice the skills, however. I feel that I need some time to fully master what I have learned. Is there somewhere away from everyone else that I can practice?”
He nodded, but continued to just stand there, staring at me. Realizing that it might be a bit much to take in, I took the bag from his hand and looked inside. It appeared to be mushrooms, moss, and some type of cooked meat. At that moment I realized how hungry I was and eagerly started tearing into the food, barely chewing the food as I stuffed it into my mouth.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Of course, I made sure not to think too much about the type of meat I was eating. For all intents and purposes, it was beef. “Yep, definitely not rat or bat,” I assured myself mentally.
After a few seconds, Dróttinn visibly shook himself and stammered, “Uh, yes, uh, I’ll, uh, show you a place. I…” He trailed off, his mind obviously running faster than a gnome toward something shiny. He motioned for me to follow, and started taking me through the corridors once more.
As we walked, the chieftain handed me a waterskin that had been hanging on his belt. I hadn’t noticed it since I was concentrating on the food. Realizing that I was extremely thirsty, I gulped down the water as we walked. I smirked when I realized that the chieftain had been so flummoxed by what I had told him that he hadn’t even asked about the actual training and class I had gained insight into. Of course, I wasn’t really ready to share yet anyway.
We walked through the labyrinthine network of underground tunnels that sprawled like a tangled web. The tunnels, meticulously crafted by the diminutive and industrious kobolds, were a testament to their expertise in subterranean building. The passages varied in size from cramped corridors to wide galleries.
The walls were rough-hewn. Their surfaces were etched with scratch marks left by pickaxes, and occasionally adorned with crude symbols or pictographs that I didn’t have time to closely inspect. Dimly lit by flickering torches or glowing crystals, the tunnels were filled with the scent of earth and minerals, giving them an earthy ambiance.
Occasionally, I would hear the faint sounds of scurrying feet or hushed whispers echoing through the passages, serving as a reminder of the bustling kobold community that inhabited this hidden world. At least, I hoped the scurrying sounds were made by kobolds. After all, it wasn’t as if a city of kobolds would allow any creatures that were even remotely dangerous to come near their city.
We soon reached a large open-spaced cavern with a flat area in the middle of a cave. I could feel the dampness in the air from an underground creek that flowed through the cave. I was even able to spot spiders, insects, and lizards crawling around on the walls. It almost looked like an underground picnic area. I turned to look at the chieftain to see what he would say about the area.
“This is one of the designated safe spots that we use for training. We routinely go through the area and get rid of any of the truly dangerous creatures here,” he said, trying to reassure me. “There are a few spiders and bugs that might pose a minimal threat, but none of their poisons are likely to be lethal. Most of them will probably only cause mild to moderate damage.”
I was about to say something when I realized what he had left unsaid. He said they regularly got rid of the really dangerous creatures. The chieftain didn’t say he got rid of all the dangerous animals, only the “most” dangerous animals.
Also, while it wasn’t likely I would die from the poison, it was a possibility. Finally, most of the remaining creatures should only hurt me some, although a few might hurt me a lot. Somehow I didn’t feel truly reassured by his words.
“Oh, one more thing,” the chieftain added. “There is a bridge on the far side of the training cavern. It’s quite trapped, and will pose a lot of danger should you try to cross it. I would avoid going near it if I were you. Hopefully no dangerous creatures should be able to cross it.”
Blinking, I said nothing. I was too busy thinking about the fact that such a place was considered a safe spot. That truly disturbed me. If this was a safe spot, what would a dangerous spot be like? I mean, really? These small insects, spiders, and bugs could kill me? Just what type of world had I reincarnated into? As for how hazardous the bridge was, killing anything that tried to cross it, maybe it should be renamed Chuck Norris.
I thought to myself, “Quite trapped. Judging from all the traps I had already passed, what exactly did quite trapped mean? Just how many traps were on the bridge? I mean, kobolds were addicted to traps like gnomes are addicted to gold. Did that mean I am not a normal kobold? After all, I really didn’t care about traps. Then again, there wasn’t anyone like me in this world. Or was there?”
I paused as that thought hit me. I had been reincarnated, or transmigrated, or whatever it was called since I wasn’t sure if I had really died before becoming an egg. Perhaps it was both. Could others have been too? If so, would I ever meet them? In fact, how had I crossed over myself? I didn’t remember dying. What happened to me?