Chapter 7: The First Boss

Gob kept stabbing, trying to put as many holes into the fur mob in front of him. Horns kept leaping at him left and right, he would minimise his movements to preserve stamina, as more and more sharp objects are whizzing past him. He keeps stabbing, his weapons getting dull from overuse. He thins out the herd, finally having space to stand on the ground.

There are thirty, maybe fourty left. Gob stood amongs the corpses of his prey, and lets out a thunderous roar, making the remaining rabbits quiver in fear. Gob stands there, his eyes staring at the thatch hut, his skin dyed red from the dried blood of his victims, his horns blunt from repeated use. He waits, for anything to make a move, twitching at any movement made from his prey. Until a low rumbling is made from within the hut, the rabbits start freaking out, bolting in any and all directions, fleeing for their lives. Gob stands at the ready, taking a low stance, ready to pounce on anything approaches him. The hut starts shaking, as loud echoing footsteps approach.

Gob waits, readying himself for whatever may appear. The door opens to the hut, revealing a large humanoid figure. It stands well above Gob, muscle fibres rippling under its lightly furred skin. Two large flat teeth protrude out of its mouth, long floppy ears atop its head. It looks at Gob with a fiery glare. Gob stares back, not backing down. Both stare, unmoving for a short time, before the humanoid leaps at Gob.

Gob doesn't react in time, taking right hook across his face. He's knocked several feet across the ravine, smacking into a wall, definitely cracking some ribs. The humanoid stands up straight, and chuckles a little.

"And here I was thinking you'd be a challenge." it speaks, in a low growly voice "You wiped out most of my herd, but can't take a single punch?"

Gob stands up, dropping his horns. He takes a step forward, into the light emitted by the mushroom. He looks down at himself for the first time in days. His plump stomach has turned into ripped abs and pecs, his spindly arms have meat on them, his legs chiselled. He looks up, glares at the humanoid, and speaks.

"Gob train hard, kill weak rabbit." his voice almost cracking from the pain "Gob was weak, now Gob strong."

He charges forward, the humanoid braces itself. Gob leaps up, and lands on its shoulders, he grabs its ears and jumps behind it. The humanoid is pulled back, and flips over Gob landing on its stomach. Gob tries to stomp on the back of its head, but it rolls away. Before it could get back onto its feet, Gob charges again, this time sliding underneath it, taking out its arms as it tries to prop itself up. Gob drags it under its own legs, flipping it again.

Gob continues in stride, leaping off a nearby wall and socking the humanoid in the mouth. Gob leaps onto its chest, and starts hammering it, punching its arms as it tries to defend. Gob tries to break through its defence by ripping its arms away, only to be kicked off by its powerful legs. Gob smacks into the nearby wall, leaving a small indent in it. The humanoid stands up, and sprints to Gob, kneeing him in the face.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"Your skill is great, but you lack the power to back it up." it says, talking down to Gob.

Gob falls forward, nose broken in several places, coughing up blood, and passes out. He awakens several hours later, to the sound of water droplets. He tries to sit up, but winces in pain.

"Woah there!" a gruff male voice speaks "You'll definitely break somethin' doin' that."

Gob looks around for the source of the voice, and finds a stout fellow with a thick bushy beard sat next to him, applying some form of cloth to his wounds.

"You looked like you were in a wee bit of trouble, so I thought I'd help yee out." it speaks.

"Me Gob." Gob manages to sputter out, before passing out again.

Several hours pass again before Gob regains consciousness. He's laying on a bed of soft leaves, with rabbit hide as a pillow. A large red light sits in between Gob and the mysterious stranger who saved him. Gob again tries to sit up, but is stopped by searing pain.

"Thirst" Gob speaks, "Gob need thirst"

"Oh, so you're awake?" the voice returns, "I got yee some water here."

Gob feels water reach his mouth, and starts drinking, chugging the whole jug.

"Wow, you must've been parched! Ha!" the voice speaks "Didn't think I'd see another one of me down here!"

Gob widens his eyes a bit to see what he thought was a large beard is actually a large bushel of leaves attached to a goblins face. Not as gnarled as Gobs, but definitely a goblin.

"You like Gob? We both goblin?" Gob speaks

"Well, sort of. I'm half-goblin, goblin ma and dwarf pa. Love is a mysterious thing!" he chuckled "Anyways, what brings yee down here?"

The half-goblin sits, and waits for Gob to speak. Gob studies this new beings face, very clearly a goblin, but a rounder and flatter nose, with smaller ears.

"Me Gob, me was slave Goblin for capital. Was taking to capital, but attacked, and sent down hole." Gob explains.

"Ah, so you were meant for one of the nobles? I understand now, but in all honest I've never seen a goblin built like you! You've got muscles, on your muscles! What I'd give to be like you, the holes I could dig!" he jokes. "Anyways, why were you at the clutch of the Leporide?"

"Lepo-what?" Gob asks

"The big strong kicky thing! The thing that almost killed you."

"Gob was hunt, Gob wanted meat."

"You were hunting? I've never heard of a goblin hunting alone before. You got a tribe?"

"No." Gob replies, sullen in his response.

"Listen Gob, my name is Themruld. You don't need a tribe to survive, I aint got one!" he reaches out with a fresh jug of water.

Gob reaches his hand out to recieve the jug, only to drop it as soon as he was handed it. Gob punches the ground in frustration.

"Gob need be stronger! Gob weak, Gob no want be weak!" he shouted in anger.

Themruld stands up, and grabs the jug. He heads over to a rocky outcropping he uses as a desk, and grabs a leaf with some paste on it. He walks back to Gob, and starts dressing one of the wounds on his face.

"Listen Gob, you may want to be stronger. But you have to ask yourself, why?"

Gob lays there, contemplating the question. 'Why does Gob want be stronger?'. It was a very good question. Up until this point Gob was just doing what was needed to survive, but what does Gob truly want? Does he want to be the strongest? Or does Gob just want to be better? And so he sat, in contemplation as Themruld dresses his wounds.