Chapter: Lessons in Survival
The glow from the floating item faded as Damian plucked it from the air. It was a small ring, plain and unimpressive at first glance. But Damian knew better. He clutched it tightly, excitement bubbling inside him as he muttered, “Identify.”
Goblin Ring
Rank: Uncommon
User gains night vision and an additional 5 + Agility.
Damian’s grin stretched from ear to ear as he jumped for joy, his excitement bursting forth in a rare display of emotion. “This is incredible!” he muttered to himself, slipping the ring onto his finger.
In the distance, the sound of hurried footsteps snapped him out of his celebration. Astrid and Miles emerged from the trees, their breaths ragged and faces flushed as they sprinted toward him.
“Wait! Wait up!” Miles wheezed, hands on his knees as he came to a stop.
“Yeah, hold on, Damian!” Astrid called, leaning against a nearby tree to catch her breath.
Damian smirked, his confidence renewed. “You two need to exercise more often,” he teased, laughing at their exhausted expressions.
“Real funny,” Astrid shot back, smirking despite herself.
Miles, still bent over and panting, waved a dismissive hand. “Not… funny… at all…”
Damian turned his attention back to the goblin rider’s corpse. He crouched down, expertly retrieving the mana stone from its chest. Without hesitation, he popped it into his mouth, feeling the familiar warmth spread through his body. The system’s notification followed:
You have leveled up!
Damian quickly allocated his new status points, adding five more to increase his agility.
“Status!” he muttered, and the translucent window appeared before him.
Damian Park
Race: Human
Level: 10
Mana Points: 25/25
Strength: 20
Agility: 30 (+5)
Dexterity: 12
Mana: 5
Status Points: 0
Skills:
Minor Heal Lv 2
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Identify Lv 5
Blue Lightning Lv 1
Beginner Blacksmithing Lv 5
Intermediate Sword Mastery Lv 1
Iron Skin Lv 2
Damian couldn’t help but smile as he closed the window. He was growing stronger, and it showed.
“Okay,” he began, turning back to Astrid and Miles. “Let’s—”
“Wait!” Miles interrupted, his voice almost a shout.
Damian raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. “What now?”
“Aren’t you going to loot the body?” Miles asked, his tone incredulous.
“What do you mean? I just did,” Damian replied, confused.
Miles groaned, rubbing his forehead. “No, you didn’t. You haven’t even checked its pockets!”
“Pockets?” Damian’s confusion deepened.
Miles stared at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world. “You’re telling me you’ve been killing all these goblins and not checking their stuff? All their gear is part of the system! They carry items, coins, sometimes potions—useful things!”
Realization hit Damian like a brick. “You’re telling me I’ve been leaving loot behind this whole time?”
Miles smirked. “Yep. Rookie mistake, buddy.”
Damian cursed under his breath, immediately turning back to the goblin rider’s corpse. He picked up the spear, inspecting it with his Identify skill.
Goblin Spear
A spear made from Magic Metal, weakened by impurities during forging. Fragile but usable.
“Magic Metal Ore!,” Damian muttered, setting the spear aside before thoroughly searching the goblin’s remains. He found a small pouch, and when he opened it, his eyes widened. Inside were several coins and a red vial.
The coins had an intricate design, a small sphere encircled by three rings, almost like Saturn. Damian held one up, examining it closely. “Miles, what are these?”
Miles shrugged. “Not sure. I’ve found a few myself, but I don’t have Identify, so I can’t tell. Same with those vials—I’ve seen red ones and yellow ones, but I’ve been too scared to use them.”
Damian used Identify on the vials.
Paralysis Potion: Causes temporary paralysis when applied or ingested.
Minor Healing Potion: Heals small wounds and restores vitality.
“Fortunately you didn’t drink any, the yellow one would have made you a vegetable,” Damian said, pocketing the items while smirking. He stood, brushing dirt off his hands. “But now we need to backtrack. There’s probably a ton of gear I left behind.”
Astrid and Miles exchanged glances, unsure if Damian was joking or serious. “Okay, Captain Treasure Hunter,” Astrid said, rolling her eyes.
Before Damian could lead them back, a series of gunshots rang out in the distance. All three of them froze, the sharp cracks echoing through the trees.
“What now?” Astrid muttered, her grip tightening on her bow.
Damian’s face darkened. “Let’s move. Stay close.”
They ran toward the sound, keeping low and quiet. When they reached the source, the sight before them made Astrid gasp.
A massive green goblin, nearly seven feet tall and rippling with muscle, wielded a giant mace as it tore through a group of soldiers. The men fired their rifles in desperation, but the bullets barely seemed to affect the creature.
“What are these idiots doing?” Damian hissed, crouching behind a tree. “They’re bringing all the agro right to us!”
The goblin warrior let out a deafening roar, its mace crashing into the ground and sending one soldier flying. The sight of the carnage was too much for Astrid. Without thinking, she knocked an arrow and let it fly.
The arrow struck the goblin in the eye, causing it to howl in pain.
“NO!” Damian shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. “What are you doing?!”
“We have to help them!” Astrid yelled back.
Damian clenched his fists. “We can’t help anyone if we’re dead!”
He activated Identify, his heart sinking as he read the details.
Goblin Warrior
Level: 17
Damian, cursed under his breath.
“This thing’s practically a boss,” Damian muttered, his mind racing. “Astrid, Miles, listen to me. Get the survivors out of here. I’ll handle this.”
“What?” Astrid protested. “You can’t—”
“Go!” Damian barked, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Reluctantly, Astrid and Miles grabbed two injured soldiers and began retreating. Damian turned back to the goblin warrior, his sword gleaming