I sit, looking at the words of the system.

[Title Gained: Leader-- Charisma +2-- You have control of 50 or more creatures.]

[Battle Log:

Killed:

Goblins x20

Nurgle’s x3

Defeated:

Eye*

Level Up x1

Battle Log End]

The word that said Eye had a blinking symbol over it which I clicked.

[You have control over this creature. It will follow your instructions.]

I grin, this is exactly what I wanted. When the goblins had gone into the cave I had gone out to some fighting. I defeated Eye again with a few quick, powerful punches, I knocked the bloody thing into darkness, I had had to fight some other weird creatures as well which I ended up just killing.

They weren’t worth the trouble but then again not a lot was worth the trouble for me. I had brought them in for the goblins to feed, Eye, on the other hand, I had had to beat some sense into, now though it was following me faithfully or so the squiggles said.

I lay back and grin happily. Things had gone well, everything had gone according to plan, except for the death of the big green goblin but I was fine with that. I got the bone goblin instead, a pretty good trade.

I look back at the writing and notice another thing, something that said level up. It wasn’t blinking like Eyes’ name was but it had to mean something right? Everything else did so why wouldn’t this?

I click on it and more writing shows up in my vision.

[Level ups are when you gain enough power to internalise and apply top your own strength. Level ups give varying amounts of points depending on different factors. However, level-ups always give racial statistics an increase or decrease.]

I think about that for a little while. Kinda confusing all things told. Didn’t really tell me much. I concentrate and ask another question, [why are there varying amounts of points?] My vision goes all blurry and it feels like something is something is trying to resist me. Words appear though, slowly, but still coming, I take them in.

[Mental Defense Perk Activated {System Understanding}. The reason for the varying decreases and increases in stat points are for the amounts of different exercises done beforehand. If you had trained hard you would gain extra stat points, if you trained not at all, stat points would be docked. There are of course exceptions.]

I sigh, why is it so hard to understand? What’s an exercise? Is that like fighting? Or is it something else? I look at the words and try to concentrate on another question.

[Wha-]

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I yawn, question, I was asking a question, what was it though? The words slip out of sight and I’m left wondering what exactly just happened. I shake it off there was a goblin tribe to sort out. I get up, stretch, and call out, “Boney! Eye! Get over here!” Eye comes scampering in and the bone goblin comes in hesitantly after, probably not really sure if I was talking about him or not.

I growl at him and motion him over. Then, sitting down, say “We. Talk.” I snort angrily its annoying that I don’t know goblin and that he doesn’t know Trollish, more words appear in my vision.

[Translating…]

Ooooh. This is interesting, seems that the words can make me understand Trollish, kind of like how they could make me understand the weak, spindly creatures that I had eaten when I first got here. Ahhhh, those were some delicious things. I open my mouth and prepare to speak goblin but then stop.

It would probably be better to keep this under, huh? Never know when something like speaking fluent goblin could come in useful. I grin at Boney and he starts to speak in the dark language. “Master. What do you desire?” I chuckle but I’m also surprised, who woulda thought that a goblin could speak an actual language.

I look at him, and then in dark speak, “I need a full count of the goblins. Separate weakest from strongest and most of all…. Do not lie to me. I can tell. Believe it.” I grin toothily, making sure to show off my fangs. The goblin stares back at me without emotion, not that I could really read faces, other than Trolls of course.

I lean back and yawn, putting my hand over my belly. I look at Boney and wave him off with a flip of my hand, leaving just me and Eye, staring at each other.

I look at the beast and notice that it’s almost fully healed, looks a lot more muscular as well, more…. Agile. “Well, then Eye.” It tilts its head, listening. “I need you to go and guard the entrance. Make sure no gobs get out, y’ know. I, will go and explore my new domain.” I chuckle tiredly, “Might have a snack or two and scan the area for any secret tunnels that the gobs are trying to keep away from me.”

I could already see one, just from where I was sitting. It was filled in though, nothing would be climbing around in there for a long while.

I lay back and just think for a moment. It had been a while since I had done any thinking. A long while, probably since the Pits or maybe when I had been out in the forest, hunting down the spindly creatures. Those were delicious.

I’m never going to get back to Pits, that much is for sure. I don't even think I would want to go back to the Pits though, they had never treated me nice over there. Don’t think it would change if I went back now.

I sigh, The Pits. I miss them, I think, a new feeling, that’s for sure but now that I think about it I really do miss them--I miss some of my troll friends as well. I spit on the ground, useless bastards that they were.

This is a new world and I’ll need to carve a place out, find some of my own, maybe find my Warlord, serve him faithfully. After all, that is a Troll's duty, isn’t it? To serve faithfully. Both Warlord and tribe?

Do I really wanna serve a Warlord though? Is that really what I want? Everything here has tried to kill me or enslave me--why would the Warlord be different. Shouldn't I carve my own path? I remember the stories the Broodmother used to tell us, when no one was looking, about Trolls who would go out into the wilderness and forge their own path, who would eat dwarves and elves and orcs, who would hide under different things and jump up to catch their stupid prey. Glorious stories, the only fond memory I have of her. Still don’t regret helping her die though. She was a hag.

She was still my brood mother though, still, a Troll and I can respect that. Doesn’t change that I’ll hate her into eternity. I sigh again, get up and stretch. Trying to ignore the dull throbbing in my head.

I need to go check on those gobs.

The throb in my head stops, weird how I could even feel that. I haven’t felt anything even close to pain in a long, long, time. I shake my head violently, no point in thinking about useless things like pain. Pain is weakness leaving the body, pain is weakness, pain is foreign to Trolls.

I walk through the goblin caverns, leaning low. I would have to get them taller, like the ones farther in. I take a breath a roar, “Boney!” Squeaks echo and Boney appears, and bows

“Master.”

I snort, suck up, smart though, I like flattery. I push the thoughts aside, there are more important things. “Did you divide them, Boney?” I look at him closely and notice a slight wince.

Something went wrong or he actually cares about something other than himself. Interesting. Not something I would have pegged Boney for, not something I would have pegged any shaman for.

He is a goblin though and goblins are weird. ‘

“Yes, master, they have been divided.” I nod. Good. He isn’t worthless. I still wish that I had the other bigger goblin though, good breeding that one would’ve been.

“Lead me to them.”

Boney turns and I follow. He leads me through one room and into another, this place is larger than I first thought, annoying, but perhaps for the best, room to expand.

We walk through a couple more small rooms before eventually getting to the main cave, the only space that can fit that many goblins. What I see when I get there makes me grin.

Two groups of goblins, separated. I look at Boney and nod. Then I turn to the weakest goblins. I motion Boney to come forward, “these goblins here Boney are going to be the food. They will breed, fight, and maybe get stronger. They are food though, first and foremost, remember this Boney.” I can see him stiffen, his mouth opening, I raise a hand and slap him into a wall.

“I don’t care what you think Boney. You will shut up and let me do as I want. Understood?” Red flares around the gob for a little bit before he gives me a sullen nod. I would follow the Troll way, where you throw the weak into a Pit and let the strong survive, the weak would be eaten, such was life.

Words flow across my vision-- [You have unlocked the Leader ability, {Base} would you like to claim this as your base?]

I grin. [Yes.]