When I wake up, I immediately open the “Fang of The Predator” spellbook. Reading through the second step, I learn it involves conditioning my teeth and then putting them to practical use. The actual name for step two is physical conditioning.

“Okay, following the steps in this book, I need to get something that is very hard or chewy,” I think to myself.

I walk out of the barracks to see some merchants setting up stalls in the roads.

“Why, hello, young one. I haven’t quite got me stall up and running, you see, but what are you looking for exactly?” A very short, robust man with a huge beard and long braided hair greets me.

I look at him, confused because I’ve mainly only seen people like him with blue collars.

“Why are you looking at me like that, chap? You’re the ones who allow me in. I’m a good, honest man, you see, just trying to make a buck for my crow,” he says, smiling intently at me.

“Sorry, I haven’t seen many other races besides my kind here. I thought we just won you guys from the war,” I say, stumbling over my words.

“Ohohoho, you’ve got a lot to learn about the world. A civilization can’t prosper without trade, and everyone knows that, even goblins.” His words seem a bit insulting, but he continues. “Look around you. What do you see? Let me tell you: there’s me, a dwarf. The red man with horns over yonder is a tiefling. The girl with pointy ears is an elf; I don’t like that, you see. The human in the middle there, and, heck, this early, it looks like you’ve even got some snakekin here.” He points to all of them in succession.

Shock and awe cover my face as I learn these things. I really need to get a book about my civilization and how it is run and by whom. I know nothing, and it shows.

Breaking the silence, the dwarf says, “Anyway, chap, what are you looking for? You know my custom, half off for the first customer.”

“I was actually in need of something hard that would, more or less, sharpen something. A material of sorts, I suppose,” I respond.

“Hmm, your request is odd for a goblin, but I think I’ve got something for you coming right up.” After rummaging through his load, he finds a shiny purple rock. “This here is what some call a Luminite Shard. Very common rocks, but hard to get my hands on. They’re usually guarded by monsters. The use of this rock is that it sharpens blades or any weapon you want to use. Is this something you’re looking for?”

“That might actually work. How much is this one?” I ask.

“Well, you know me, half off, but I kind of like my new goblin acquaintance. It originally sells for 5 gold, but for you, I’ll go down to 1. How about that?” The dwarf says, excited to get his hands on more gold, almost like he’s resisting the urge to lick his lips.

“One gold is perfect,” I reply.

“Until next time. I’ll be here for another week, so don’t miss your opportunity,” he says, waving to me.

“I won’t,” I reply, waving back.

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The trade works out pretty well, and now that I have what I need, I head back to the barracks to get some breakfast.

As I enter the galley, it smells lovely as always. Looks like it’s around 3:20. That dwarf really knows how to talk someone’s ear off. I get my food and realize I can eat in the galley for the first time since there’s only one other person here, and I don’t mind if I do. The other goblin has one black streak that covers his entire body; the rest of him is green, and he has a manbun hairstyle. The atmosphere in the galley is amazing, all the different smells coming together and forming such a unique scent. Who would dare say no to something so fabulous? I gargle my food down, enjoy the atmosphere a bit, and then head to my room around 4 a.m. As I enter, the other two are just snoozing away. I pull out the book to read what my next step is for mastering my spell.

I flip open the book to read the next steps.

Step Two, Part One: Chew on tough material to condition your teeth to withstand a certain amount of pressure.

“Man, it wants me to chew on this rock,” I say aloud, confused by the strange request.

‘Well, I’ll do whatever it takes to improve my strength,’ I think.

I take the Luminite Shard in my hand, feeling its hard, shiny purple surface against my skin. Gritting my teeth, I bring the shard to my mouth. The first bite sends a sharp pain through my gums, making them bleed almost instantly. I wince as the jagged edges cut into the soft flesh of my mouth. Blood mixes with my saliva, but I don’t stop. I keep chewing, determined to toughen and sharpen my teeth. Each bite is agony, my gums torn and raw, but I can feel my teeth growing stronger, harder, sharper with every painful grind. The taste of blood and the rough edges of the Luminite Shard are unbearable, but I know it’s worth it.

About eight hours go by as I chew on this shard, the pain becoming worse with every bite, more cuts forming in my mouth every second.

“Crunch.”

“Crunch.”

The other two wake up after a long night’s rest.

“Umm, Gutter… what are you eating right now?” Goobs asks, hearing the crunches over and over.

“Some cheating shocks,” I say, my mouth full.

Both of them look at each other with confused faces.

“Ugh, whatever.” I smile to let them see my mouth and teeth.

“DUDE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Goobs exclaims.

“ARE YOU OKAY?” Evela adds.

I wave them off, knowing I won’t be able to talk like this for much longer.

“Well, anyway, we were going to get a head start on next month’s quests. Do you want to join us?” Evela asks.

“Yesh,” I reply, pointing at my “Fang of The Predator” book, hoping they understand that I want to finish learning this spell first.

“Learning spells is cool and all, but getting the real stat bonuses comes from completing quests. After all, you don’t get a stat raise unless you train for like 48 hours in that field,” Goobs says.

Confusion sprawls across my face. ‘Do they have to train for 48 hours in the specified field to get a stat increase?’ I wonder.

“Gutter, just let us know when you’re ready, but don’t take too long. We want to get started as soon as possible, and having three people will not only make the quest easier but also mitigate injuries and maybe even death,” Evela says, heading to the shower.

Four more hours of chewing and crunching on the shard go by, and the voice inside my head wakes me from my stupor.

‘New Stat Increase: toughness +1, HP +5 due to 12 hours of focus on a defense spell.’

Race: Goblin

Rarity: Flawed

HP: 15

Strength: 3

Speed: 2

Intellect: 5

Toughness: 3

Mana: 4

Spells: Fang of The Predator (69% Mastery)

Wow, if I keep this up, I can learn this spell tomorrow. I can’t wait. I decide to skip dinner and focus solely on learning my spell. After six more hours of chewing the shard into dust, the voice sounds again.

Step Two, Part One: Complete.

Step Two, Part Two: Initiated.

‘Use everything you have learned and practice on targets. Increase your skill, and the spell will be learned.’

My heart races. I can’t wait to finally master this new skill, but for now, I need to shower and get to bed. I have to wake up early and practice before everyone gets out there.

After a nice, steamy shower, I get all cozy and ready for bed.

“Hey Gutter, don’t forget you need to register at the questing office tomorrow,” Evela reminds me.

“I will, thanks, Evela,” I respond.

“They open at 11 a.m. Goodnight,” Evela says.

“Goodnight,” I reply, drifting into slumber.