You have slain Goblin Lv. 2

+190 EXP

Gained Title: [Predator]

Gained Skill: [Blood Trance]

Quest: "Tutorial" updated!

Okay, this raises many questions.

First of all, why are all my titles so heinous? If someone saw these, they would think I'm some horrible murder monster that hunts people down for lunch.

More importantly...

I look over to where the loud noise was made before the fight. There was an empty can knocked over on the ground that wasn't there before.

I may not have seen another human being since the incident with the girl I accidentally ambushed, but I think it's safe to say there are other survivors based on this incident. I don't know their reasoning behind it, but the intent was clearly malicious. Just another mystery that will unravel with time.

What I can learn right now, however, is what these new rewards do.

[Predator] is a title obtained by successfully hunting and eating a monster alive in the tutorial phase.

Effects:

The host now obtains EXP from consuming corpses.

Removes the host's ability to consume flora.

Honestly, I feel like the pros outweigh the cons here. I can gain EXP simply from eating the monsters I kill, giving me even more of an incentive to hunt these things and it's not like anybody has the time to start growing crops right now, so meat was going to be the solution for sustenance anyway. But that doesn't explain how I got the title in the first place. I mean, when did I eat a monster alive?

I look at my bloodied hands, to the goblin, back to my hands. I also note a particularly savory taste in my mouth and begin to put the pieces together.

[Blood Trance] (Passive) is a skill formed by ingesting blood while in an enraged state. This skill is given to high mana density monsters who have taken a liking to blood.

Effect: Allows the user the ability to consume blood in order to replenish health and a small amount of mana.

Okay, that is really cool. I feel kind of disrespected being called a monster yet again, but you win some you lose some. So I'm basically some blood-crazed predatory monster that heals from drinking blood? That seems like some bullshit raid boss ability that players all around the world complain about and quite frankly, I'm all for it.

Onto the last one.

Status updated!

Quest: "Tutorial" (Complete)

Completion Conditions: Slay 1 Goblin

Reward: +10 EXP

Progress: 1/1

I don't know what I expected to be honest. Welp let's check my status to see the aftermath of that fight.

Name: Jacob Bates

Level: 3

Exp: 215/250

Class: N/A Race: Human Health: 165/165 Mana: 210/210 Strength: 13 Endurance: 10 Dexterity: 10 Agility: 12 Intelligence: 18 Wisdom:

12

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Attribute Points:

0

Skills:

[Blood Trance]

Titles:

[Cool Headed] [Murderer] [Monster] [Predator]

215 EXP. That adds up, with the 15 EXP I had initially, the 190 EXP from the goblin, and 10 from the quest, but it didn't take into account my [Predator] title. Did it not count since that was technically the same "session" I got the title from?

Also, my health is now at its peak. I know I saw the notifications say I lost half my health in that fight, so either my natural regeneration is quite high, or that new skill is more powerful than it looks. I can safely guess that it's the latter, as I doubt I'm at the point where I heal from a flesh wound in half an hour.

Onto another topic, my titles. It's more than obvious how much they've affected me. Even when that goblin was taking visible chunks out of me, I still didn't even so much as grunt, let alone scream. I only thought to myself how much it hurt. Guess I can thank [Cool Headed] and [Monster] for that. Thinking calmly while being devoid of emotion sounds a lot like being a machine, yet I still feel like myself.

I stopped debating trivial things in my head and began to move on to more important matters such as what to do with a certain goblin corpse.

I would eat the remains, but I have a gut feeling that it wouldn't provide EXP. Extra effect of [Predator] no doubt.

This means that I have to go out and actively hunt more monsters. My objectives right now are to acquire food and power, and I'll be effectively doing both at the same time if I eat the monsters I kill.

Surprisingly, I'm still far hungrier than I would expect myself to be after devouring nearly 10 lbs of meat. It seems there are even more effects of the title that the system isn't telling me.

After finally having gotten lost in my thoughts for at least the 20th time today, I decide to get a move on with my plan to hunt.

I pick up both my trowels and set one in each pocket, the handles on each sticking out. I was about to leave when I remembered something. I open up my bag and take out a small glass perfume bottle. I walk over to the goblin's remains to try and see if anything in my gut told me the blood was bad. I assumed it was a feature of [Blood Trance] and just rolled with it when I got nothing. It wasn't saying it was bad so...

Vial of goblin blood acquired, I head off into the direction the can from earlier was thrown from. I was hoping to both find potential prey, and the person responsible for almost getting me killed.

Only 5 minutes of slow creeping later, I see another goblin. This time, it already had its sword out (if you could call it that,) but it looked to be weaker than the other one. I questioned myself how I knew that but quickly attributed it to another unspoken effect of my [Predator] title.

As I move closer, like a wolf sneaking up on a rabbit, my muscles begin to tense up, and I feel an unknown confidence seep into my very being. This is what it means to be a predator, huh?

With a quick lunge and a violent slash, the goblin couldn't react in time before I stabbed a trowel in each side of its neck.

Critical Hit!

Goblin has taken 62 damage!

While the attempt to cut off the goblin's head in a single strike was a failure, it did cripple it enough to make the rest of the fight a walk in the park. The goblin's screams and whimpers didn't at all deter me from my goal. This goblin was going to die.

I take hold of my trowels that are currently stuck deep within the pitiful creature's neck, and I proceed to pull as hard as I can.

Goblin has taken 41 damage!

The goblin's head falls limp, as its neck could no longer support the weight. I advance closer towards the backstepping goblin, and slash at its arms, only looking to further cripple it.

Goblin has taken 17 damage!

My attempt at crippling it worked, as the goblin's arms fell limp as well. I might as well have some fun with this.

"Who are you working for?!" I roared at the goblin. It obviously didn't understand me, as it just kept screaming at me. I swear I could see a few tears dripping down its face. Geez, take a joke.

I drop my trowels and take the goblin's neck in both hands. (The kids in the crowd better look away for this) I apply as much force as my 13 strength can offer, and yank upwards.

This resulted in a beautiful display of gruesome creativity. The goblin's spine comes bursting out along with a tidal wave of blood.

I better get extra points for that.

You have slain Goblin Lv. 1

+150 EXP

Level up!

+5 attribute points

Gained Title: [Sadist]

Am I supposed to get a new title every time I kill something?

Anyway, I have to get my extra EXP before it expires.

I lower myself to the ground and begin to rip large chunks of green flesh off the creature with my teeth. Classy. I continued chewing and got a notification a few moments later.

You have consumed the flesh of a Lv. 1 Goblin.

[Predator] title activated.

+10 EXP

You have consumed a sufficient amount of blood.

[Blood Trance] skill activated.

+10 Health

+5 Mana

Due to the user's health and mana reserves being at maximum capacity, extra resources will be converted to EXP.

+15 EXP

That's cool. Whenever I'm at full health, the effects of [Blood Trance] transfer over to my [Predator] title's effect.

...

Isn't that sort of broken?

I felt satisfied with my performance during the exchange and felt that I deserved a pat on the back. The results of the fight were very pleasing, as I got a level, resulting in 5 more attribute points, and even a new title.

But before moving on with stat distribution, I have to check what this new title does.

[Sadist] is a title given to those who have taken an obvious liking to inflicting pain on others.

Effects:

Increases the pain your attacks bring to others.

"What's that supposed to mean? It's not like I enjoyed making that goblin suffer," I say with a warm smile.