John tried his best to open his eyes. He really did. But they felt like they were glued shut. Even his arms didn't want to move. But it was warm. Oh so very warm. He didn't feel hungry or thirsty. It was like a kind of indescribable bliss.

Then the screaming started.

Suddenly, he was ejected from the bliss. Rather violently he felt. Stright onto the rocky ground. At least now he could open his eyes. What he saw amazed him. It was an Elf. Covered in shit. Literal shit. Actual feces covered the woman from head to toe. It made him want to vomit.

Then he did vomit, as a Goblin walked up past him and started raping the Elf. He didn't see much of it, mostly from looking away, partly from being grabbed by another Goblin and dragged away. To be eaten he presumed. Better than being left to the devices of these Goblins.

John did try to get away, he pulled and kicked and even bit at one point. But all that effort only earned him a wack with the cane the old Goblin carried.

-2 HP. Hp remaining 8/10

John panicked. Goblins should only deal one damage with an improvised weapon. They took a dmg reduction against creatures larger than them. Then it hit him. Literally, as the cane whacked him again for being slow this time.

-2 HP. Hp remaining 6/10

"Hurry up you Gob, I don't have all day. Why the blazes you took so long to be born I'll never know. You were due an hour ago. I had to literally reach in and drag you out of that blasted Elf." The old Goblin said in a slightly broken language that John somehow understood.

It was also clear that he was now a Goblin. A small green Monster that was known to rape and pillage their way across the countryside of every single country on this planet. Fodder used by stronger races to raze great cities to the ground. A plague that torments every farmer in existence.

Now, John was one of them. Sorta. He had the body of one, but the mind of a human. It was an odd twist, but it would be far from the weirdest thing to ever happen. It had nothing on that time a lake just ripped itself out of the ground and started floating. Water even flowed out of the lake into the hole below, yet the lake never emptied. Apparently some cult heard about it and took over the floating island.

With a mouth that felt like it was full of cotton, John asked the old Goblin where they were going, only to get hit again. This time it seemed like the Goblin was pulling his punches since he didn't lose any HP.

"The Hunt, you stupid Gob. All newborns must go and hunt something. It weeds out the weak and deformed. Now hurry up, before I smack off the rest of your Health." The old Goblin answered, raising the cane threateningly.

John decided that it would be best to get a move on, following the old Goblin instead of being dragged. They moved much quicker this way, and he even got a look around the new home.

They were in a cave, though it wasn't very big and he could already see the exit. They were headed directly to it. Standing around the exit to the cave were another twenty or so Goblins. All nude, much like John himself.

"Alright, you little shits! Follow me. We are going to leave the village, you are going to go hunting, then you are going to bring back something to eat. It doesn't matter what, so long as it's meat. If you come back empty-handed, the Cheif will kill you and harvest what little Exp your worthless bodies contain. Then we will eat you."

The old Goblin didn't flower his words. He clearly thought this a waste of his time, but John was glad he was around. It was better to get an explanation than just thrown to the wilds, something by the look of these Monsters they would very happily do.

The trip out of the village was short. They passed some very crude huts and lean-tos against the cliff-face the cave was set into. A small space around the village was cleared out, but other than that, there were no defenses.

The old Goblin threw something on the ground. It was a small bag. Out of it spilled black shards. "Everyone take a dagger. Use it to kill something, or don't. Find a stick for all I care."

Most of the Goblins went and took a dagger, but didn't seem too interested in using them. Their claws and long fingers made gripping the dagger hard, as there was no proper handle. Some even threw their daggers away and went to find a tree branch. John meanwhile decided to see if one of his Feats still worked. He activated Eye of The Watcher.

Obsidian Shard A small shard of obsidian. It is very sharp and makes for a great tool. However, it will shatter if used recklessly. Common 5/5 Durability +1 DMG

John was glad that his skill still worked. Hopefully, it meant that his magic also worked. Though it wouldn't have much use out here since it can barely go more than a few centimeters away from his hand, but it was better to have it than not. He would try it when he was alone. He had no clue how these savages would see his magic.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

John set out into the forest. He figured it would be best to get his over with quickly. The sooner he caught something, the sooner he could practice his magic. Mana fatigue was a real thing, and he wouldn't be catching anything if he was tired. Especially not anything that tasted good.

It took a fair while before the sound from the village faded. The ruckus the Goblins caused would have scared away any smaller critters, and the lack of prey would have the larger ones missing too. So he walked, hopefully in a straight line, until the sounds of the forest returned. First, it was the chirp of a bird here, then a rustle of a bush there. John knew he would have a lot better luck hunting here.

The man turned Goblin slowed his pace and began looking around more carefully. He could just as easily be the prey to a wolf instead of the predator to a rabbit. First, he used his human brain to figure out what the easiest prey would be.

It was summer, so baby animals and most bird eggs would generally be off the table. They would be getting to the age where even the newest born would be too fast for him to catch. He had no clue how to make a trap, so that was out of the question. Most monsters tended to breed in the summer and winter, so he could catch a Knoll or a Kobold. They were fairly weak. Perhaps even a Bugbear if he got lucky enough.

They all tasted horrible though. John knew he would want to avoid that at all costs. Perhaps if he found a water source nearby? There had to be one, the Goblins needed water to live. He only hoped he didn't walk away from it.

Closing his eyes, John began to listen for running water. He felt very stupid soon afterward, as he heard nothing but the tweeting of some birds.

Soon, John found a clearing. In it was a rabbit warren. The rabbits were all out and about, chewing on grass and the few surviving clovers. But something seemed off with these rabbits. He couldn't quite figure it out, so he used his most trusted skill, Eye of The Watcher, once more.

Half-Blood Rabbit Common Somewhere along the lineage of this rabbit, a monster mated with a normal rabbit. This tainted the blood for generations. Only recently is the monster blood being dulled. Be warned, however, it is stronger than any normal rabbit.

John licked his lips. He had heard of Half-Blood Rabbits. They were one of the most common Monster-animal hybrids due to the fact that both Monster rabbits and normal rabbits were horny as each other. The only reason why there were not more of them was due to the fact they loved eating each other. They ate meat just as much as they ate grass.

John was sure he could take one. They were basically just slightly larger normal rabbits, with larger claws and teeth. If he found an outlier, then it would be an easy kill with his Obsidian Shard. If memory served his correct, they only have four HP, two more than a normal rabbit. Two good hits and it would be done for. One if he got lucky.

There was one problem though. He had six HP, and they did a max of five damage with their bite attack, three with the scratch. They also had a Passive Ability called Peirce. They ignored any light armor someone was wearing. It would basically be a life-or-death fight if he fucked up.

So John sat and watched. He waited and waited, and eventually, after what felt like hours, one of the Half-Blooded Rabbits began to bounce off to the side of the clearing, munching at a small patch of clovers. It was a fat one too.

Carefully, John snuck around the edge of the clearing, careful not to step on any sticks. As he moved, he tried to remember as much as he could. The Half-Blooded Rabbits' first instinct was to fight but would flee upon being hit, even if it doesn't actually hurt them. They had amazing hearing, but due to a mutation, their sense of smell suffered greatly. Lastly, the Alpha would always be the biggest.

Wait.

Alpha Half-Blood Rabbit Rare Somewhere along the lineage of this rabbit, a monster mated with a normal rabbit. This tainted the blood for generations. Only recently is the monster blood being dulled. Be warned, however, the Alpha is a ferocious beast that is known to drive off solitary wolves.

He was right next to it. It was on the other side of the bush. He could see every tiny movement. The fact it was the Alpha explained why it was so bold. It didn't fear the creatures of the forest like the others did. No, it was strong enough to fight them off.

Six HP. He would need a Critical. And a sneak attack one at that. That would give him a 3x damage modifier. One for the crit, one for the sneak attack. It had its back turned. It would be so easy. But if he messed it up, it could be the end of him.

John moved closer. Monsters grew stronger by killing, everyone knew that. This was the perfect time to test out that theory. He held his breath. He was surprised that the rabbit didn't hear his heart beating. He lunged. He slipped a little, but it was enough. The rabbit started to turn, but it was too late. He felt the modifiers kick in as the shard dug into the rabbit's flank.

Then it bit him. The attack hadn't killed the rabbit. It should have, but it didn't. John panicked, the Alpha Half-Blood Rabbit could easily kill him. But it didn't. Its attack had only dug into the edge of his arm. It wasn't a full hit, so it wasn't maximum damage.

With a cry of alarm, John pulled on the source of power within himself. Like a familiar friend, The First Flame came to his aid. He let go of the Obsidian Shard and thrust his hand in the face of the Alpha Half-Blood Rabbit, burning it for one measly damage. It also caused it to let go.

The Alpha didn't back down though. It quickly lept again, so John thrust out his hands again, casting The First Flame once more. It caught the Alpha in the face, draining it of its last remaining hitpoint.

The Alpha Half-Blood Rabbit fell on top of him, knocking his small stature to the ground. John hadn't noticed this before, but the rabbit was only slightly shorter than he was! His mind had automatically thought it was smaller since he was used to being larger.

With panic, the man turned Goblin looked up, only to see the mass of Half-Blood Rabbits staring at him with their blood-red eyes. Then, just as John thought they were going to charge, they all fled back into their burrows. They were still rabbits after all. They clearly thought that picking a fight with him was a mistake.

John glanced at his HP. Three points remaining. And that was a glancing blow. The man turned Goblin felt his heart racing. But it was also more than just from the fear and excitement mixed together. He felt something foreign flow into him. Foreign, but warm. It was like being embraced by a lover. Then, he felt a pressure. Then a pop.

Level Up!

You are now Level 2.

Please find a safe space for evolution. Choices shall appear upon the beginning of evolution.