I woke up with a start coming to a sitting position. I looked around a bit confused when I realized I was laying on a straw mat in a hut. Plick was asleep next to me, not wanting to wake her. I got up and moved towards the entrance of the hut. I peeked out to see Dani standing guard at the entrance. "What happened?" I whispered to her as I looked around at the bustling goblin village. "You fell down, we couldn't wake you so we dragged you to this village and hid you in an abandoned hut taking turns to keep watch" she replied as she continued to scan the village. "That was three days ago, the hobgoblins came through here on the first day and again on the second day. They have not returned yet" Plick added as I turned to see her sitting up on the straw mat rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Three days? How pissed were the hobgoblins when they came through here?" I asked them.
Plick simply nodded Whispering "very" but Dani was the one that responded. "Not on the first day they came through collecting tribute and went on their way but the second day they were very angry they killed a few goblins at random shouting for the traitorous liar to show themself" I sighed as I thought I had best not go near the second floor for a while. I found my bow and quiver next to the mat and collected them before leaving the hut. "How much meat did we get?" I asked curiously. "No meat" Plick replied as she came out of the hut. Dani looked at Plick before she nodded "we had to leave it behind to carry you here" Dani told me as they both stood next to me. Dani indicated with the end of her bow towards a tunnel out of this goblin village with its nineteen huts. "Maybe we should try the rabbit fields, it would be a lot easier and the hobgoblins are less likely to come looking for us there". I nodded my head as I moved to the tunnel with them both following me.
"Yes, a calm hunt does sound a bit better." I replied. We walked through the tunnels and villages until Plick said "this village looks smaller than it did when we left, yes?" I looked around taking a closer look at the village we were passing through when I spotted a goblin walking directly at us with a ladle in his hand. "Where is my salt!" He yelled at us. "Oh shit, is that Gobo?" I asked as I glanced at Dani who just nodded her head. Plick grabbed at me and started dragging me towards the tunnel we had been headed to “quick or gobo rack us all” Plick said as he pulled harder on my arm trying to get me to run. “Wait what are you talking about?” I asked looking at Plick curiously. “We have no meat so gobo will make us the meat!” Plick replied as he let go of me and sprinted for the tunnel his little legs and arms pumping as hard as he could push them. Dani took a few seconds to connect the dots in her mind before she was sprinting after Plick.
I glanced at gobo who was now waving the ladle at us and felt trepidation crawling up my spine again at the idea of being cooked in that pot of his and decided to sprint after them. I dared not glance over my shoulder to see if gobo was chasing us but we were soon in the tunnel running down it to the next room when I reached a T junction and glanced down the tunnel leading off this one and saw my old room causing me to come to a stop and stare at the little cave room that did seem smaller somehow. I turned and followed them down the tunnel until I came to a room with lush green grass and bunny rabbits hopping around eating the grass. I couldn't stop myself from grinning as I pulled an arrow from my quiver strapped across my lower back. “Kill five rabbits and present them to Gobo to survive the threat of becoming the meat, right?” cheekily I asked them. They both nodded as they spread out Dani heading down the left side while Plick went to the right. I spotted a couple of rabbits eating the grass. I put an arrow on the string, took aim, pulled the string back and released it. The arrow flew straight into the bunny's skull, killing it instantly... There was just one problem. I hit the bunny next to the one I was aiming for. The rest of the rabbits scattered running for bushes and shrubs to hide in.
Level up!
flashed in front of my eyes. "This really is like a game" I thought to myself. I mentally dismissed the flashing letters and then stopped mid-stride on my way to the dead rabbit when a thought occurred to me "open" I mumbled as I focused on the flashing dot.
Name: ??
Race: Goblin
Gender: female
Level: 3
Skills: Archery, Hunting, Tracking
Special traits: possessed
"I'm a girl?!" I shrieked as I looked down at my body seeing only the green flesh and a loincloth around my waist. I was a little scared to look under it. The goblin I was possessing looked no different from Gobo or any other goblin I saw. Were all of them female or did goblins all look the same? I decided to put this issue aside for now before it broke my brain and snatched the rabbit from the ground. Using its ears, I tied it to the string on my hip that held up my loincloth. Crouching down I moved into the room slowly positioning myself behind a bush.
I waited and watched the room. Dani and Plick had also vanished into bushes with their bows. It took five minutes for the rabbits to start reappearing, slowly moving out of their hiding places. I spotted a nice plump rabbit about halfway across the room from me. I quickly pulled an arrow from my quiver and slid it onto my bow. I adjusted the aim this time so that I was surer that I would hit what I was aiming for. Once I was convinced, I would hit the rabbit in the skull. I drew the arrow back and released it, sending it toward the rabbit. My aim still wasn't right as it hit the rabbit in the rear leg crippling it. All the other rabbits vanished again, scattering back to their hiding places. I ran over to the injured rabbit scooping up a rock as I went past it and brought the rock down on its head. I heard the crunch of its skull breaking. Sitting down next to the rabbit I was breathing a little faster than normal as I rested watching the room.
It was rather beautiful. The lush green grass spread out around me stopping at the cave wall about an acre wide. But the ceiling was what made the room look so beautiful, it looked like I was staring at thousands of stars. After a few minutes, I picked up the rabbit and using its ears again I tied it up next to the first one. Moving back to the bush I had been using to hide. As I went to crouch down behind it my body moved suddenly, pulling an arrow and holding it out In front of me. I saw the arrowhead pierced through the chest and into the heart of a rabbit that had jumped out of the bush at me.
Level up!
I stared at the rabbit that I had killed with the arrow in my hand. Any further thought on this was interrupted by the noise coming from the hallway back to the goblin village getting closer to me. I remained in my hiding place sinking a bit lower as I pulled the rabbit off my arrow. Two humans walked into the room, one male the other female. They looked young, maybe 15 or 16 years old. I looked down at the arrow in my hand then back up to the humans. I was about to lay down and hide in the bush when the girl ran ahead and pierced a rabbit with her rapier. "Ha I got one Danny" she giggled as she looked back at Danny but he wasn't paying attention to her, his eyes were on a bush further away and to the left. I instantly didn't like either of them. They were hunting my rabbits. Placing the arrow on the bow I aimed for the back of his knee as I was aiming, he swung his club down and killed another rabbit that had been hiding in the bush he had been creeping upon.
"Lizzy you always kill small runts with no meat on them that's why you have that small thin stick but I have this fat club so I always smash the skulls of the big ones!" His laughter turned to a shriek of pain as an arrow slammed into the back of his knee. I grinned happily as I had finally hit something I had been aiming for. He fell to the ground gripping his leg. "Why the fuck did you shoot me with your bow Lizzy!!" He screamed at her. "I didn't, you idiot" she screamed back. Her eyes were wide and scanning the room with her back turned to me. I shot a second arrow missing his head but hitting him in the neck. He let out a gurgle as blood ran out from his mouth and down his neck. Two more arrows, one flying in from the direction Dani had hidden, the other from Plicks, pierced through his armour and into his torso, he slumped before slowly tilting over onto his side. I quickly drew the third arrow and aimed at him again but before I managed to draw the bowstring back flashing words appeared across my vision.
Level up!
Level up!
I quickly dismissed the flashing level up words as I switched my target from him to her. I drew the string back and released the arrow. My aim still sucked. I missed hitting the back of her knee where I had been aiming and instead hit the ground half a foot from her leg. As her head moved to stare at the arrow. I snuck out of my bush, using the foliage and shrubby as cover I sneaked as quickly as I could to a new bush to hide in. Luckily without being spotted. I slowly made my way around her after she had turned to point her rapier at my old hiding spot. She then began to slowly inch closer to it. I moved my hand to grab another arrow, my body filled with trepidation when I realised there was only one arrow left. Cursing in my head I pulled the last arrow out and put it on my bow. As I aimed the arrow I took my time, carefully sighting her head. Then in a fluid motion, I drew the string and released the arrow sending it flying towards the girl. I fricken missed...again. but I must have had some luck on my side because the arrow struck her in the left ass cheek. Her left leg locked up and she dropped her weapon as she stumbled forwards falling to the ground screaming as she clutched at her ass. I hurried over to her. Finding a nice big rock nearby I picked it up and moved to stand in reach of her head when I received a flashing message in my vision.
New quest, choose:
1. Bring the female human back to the tribe as an offering
2. Kill the human!
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
I stared at the flashing words as I began to consider my two options. After a few seconds of thought, I decided the choice was easy. "Psh I don't owe those green pukes anything!" She reached her hand up to stop me but was not fast enough. I smashed the rock into her head again and again until her head was caved in and blood pooled around it.
Level up!
Level up!
“I levelled four times.” Plick said suddenly. I smiled as I turned away from the human. “That’s awesome Plick” I replied as I walked over to pick up the two rabbits they had killed and tied them to the string of my loincloth. I now had five rabbits. I was about to head back to the tunnel, to return to the village and hand them in when I had an idea. I turned walking over to the girl, looking over her gear, I noticed her pouch and took it for myself. I had grown tired of wearing a loincloth and wanted something better. Opening the small pouch I was shocked to find it was a lot bigger on the inside and held a change of clothing, an unstrung bow, a quiver with twenty arrows, a spare rapier a sack of coins holding 3 silver coins and 12 bronze coins, half a sack of salt, six pieces of dried meat, one tent, one sleeping bag, one axe, a box of matches and some rope. I strapped the pouch to my waist and then untied the rabbits from my loincloth that I had tightened to keep it from falling down, I placed the rabbits into my new pouch. I then picked up her rapier that she had dropped adding it to the pouch as I walked over to the man we had turned into a pincushion. Glancing down at his waist, it did not take more than a split second to see his pouch. I kneeled next to him and flipped it open. “Why did you two did not help me with the last human?” I asked them curiously.
“Female” Plick said simply as she rolled her shoulders. Dani nodded her head in agreement with Plick but decided to add “She would be well received in the breeding hall if she was still alive.” I stared at the two of them before shaking my head “I don’t want to know” I said then looked into Danny’s pouch it held pretty much the same things Lizzy’s had. However, he did not have a salt bag and his pouch of coins held 8 silver coins and 3 bronze coins. I took his pouch aswell strapping it to myself as I stood up I noticed a discolouration on the wall near the tunnel back to the village. We were halfway to the discolouration when I heard a faint noise coming from a tunnel I had not explored yet. I quickened my pace reaching the wall. The noise was closer now, I could hear the metal clinking just past the tunnel entrance on the far side of the room. I ran my fingers across the discoloration curiously “Shit, I think this is an iron vein” I whispered. “What is iron vein, can I eat it?” Plick asked. As I turned to answer her an arrow pierced the side of her head and I watched as Plick dropped like a sack of potatoes. My mouth fell open as I gaped at Plick.
She was dead. Dani was pushing me towards the tunnel roughly as she screamed at me to move. I turned my head to look at the far tunnel as I began to run for the exit. I almost stopped dead when I saw who was standing there but a hard shove from Dani forced me into the entrance of the tunnel and as I turned to run down it I felt Dani fall into my back, turning to look at her I had to grit my teeth and run down the tunnel. Dani had moved, taking an arrow meant for me. They were both dead and I was running from the three adventurers. As I ran through the T junction I silently cursed Annabelle and her two companions. However, trepidation crawled up my spine as I heard the clinking of metal that was now following me down the tunnel. “Crap crap crap, if I die now I will lose everything I just gained!” I screamed in my head. I ran as fast and as hard as I could. The end of the tunnel was in sight. I could see the village just beyond it when I heard a girl's voice calling out.
“Stop Bruce, stop, you idiot, you are way too far ahead and that goblin is leading you into a trap!” I assumed it was Annabelle’s voice. I took the chance and glanced over my shoulder and nearly screamed when I saw the warrior was only two metres behind me and gaining ground. “Oh, shit!” I screamed out as I tried to run faster, but the clinking suddenly stopped as the warrior named Bruce came crashing to the ground. “Oh god, are you okay Bruce?” Annabelle screamed down the tunnel. “No! I'm not okay, I think I have lost my fucken mind!” Bruce screamed back. "That fucken goblin just spoke in the common tongue!" Bruce added as he sat there in the tunnel watching my green ass vanish into the village. I ran through the middle of the village heading for a hut. I dived into the hut. Laying on the ground panting hard as I tried to catch my breath, my bow lying next to me. I slowly heaved myself over onto my back and looked up at the roof "fuck, that was close" I groaned. Gobo suddenly loomed over me ladle in hand as he smiled "there you are, got my salt?" My eyes shifted from the roof to gobo. "No? Okay I put you into the pot!" Gobo screamed as he grabbed me, hauling me to my feet.
"I have salt" I growled. "You…. You have salt?" Gobo asked hesitantly. Gobo was studying my face when he shook his head but before he could refute my claim I spoke first. "Yes I have half a bag of salt, Dani and Plick died getting me out of there but I got it." I said as my hands fumbled with the pouch on my left hip. Gobos eyes followed my hand as he almost dropped me and began to stare at the pouch on my hip. He had begun to salivate. I slowly withdrew the half bag of salt. It had barely cleared the lip of my pouch when gobo snatched it "I have the salt!" Gobo declared with great excitement. I also pulled out the five rabbits. "I got the meat too." I said. Gobo snatched the rabbits from me and ran out of the hut as he yelled “you still owe me half a bag of salt!” I stared at the entrance of the hut as I slumped down onto the mat. A goblin ran past the hut I was in, an arrow in his shoulder. I quickly got up grabbing my bow. Sticking my head out of the hut I ducked my head back in as an arrow zipped past nearly getting me.
"Fuucken hell" I squealed, before running out of the hut and firing an arrow from my bow in the general direction the adventurers were in. I didn't make it five feet before tripping over the corpse of a goblin and falling flat on my face. I scrambled quickly into a nearby hut. Breathing a little quickly I looked out of the hut. “Fuuck, come on, can't I get a break?” I asked as I watched Bruce, Annabelle and their mage killing goblins as they moved through the village towards me. The worst part was that frickin mage was setting huts on fire with his blasted magic. I scowled as I leapt from the hut and drew an arrow on my bow pointing it at the mage when all three of them froze staring at me. I hesitated. I couldn't help it. The sight was so bizarre three powerful humans that could kill me so easily had stopped and were staring at me. I turned my head slightly so I could glance behind me without taking my eyes fully off the trio. “Nope, no one behind me.” I thought as I turned back to look at them. The warrior Bruce raised his hands showing he had no weapons or shield in them as he took a few steps towards me “Goblin I wish to do the talk with you.” he said to me I tilted my head slightly, wondering if he thought I was an idiot that couldn’t talk well or something. Then I remembered I was a goblin and they tended to be a bit dense.
“So talk.” I said as I tightened my grip on my bow, I noticed as I did this Annabelle did the same. Bruce moved his hand indicating Annabelle should lower her bow. “Stop Annabelle, this goblin can speak our language, imagine what we can learn from it.” Bruce then turned back to me and smiled warmly to me “Great goblin, please teach me how you speak the common tongue?” Bruce asked in a way I could only assume was an attempt at flattering me. I smiled slightly as an idea came to me. I held my hand out to them. “Half salt bag” I replied as if I was dense and stupid. I had to keep myself from laughing when the trio started bickering amongst themselves before finally producing a half bag of salt and tossing it to my feet “half bag of salt as agreed, now tell us oh great and powerful goblin the secret” Bruce said still attempting to flatter me but I could see Annabelle had a tight hold on her bow and mage boy was preparing a spell. I took a few steps forward. Picking up the salt, I dropped it into my pouch. “Well, there is no real secret to it, but I suppose if you must know I have a skill called Translation” I lied as I smiled at the three of them. Bruce’s mouth fell open as he stared at me. Noticing the mage boy flick his wrist I dove quickly to the side, sliding behind a hut that erupted in fire.
“NO!, what the hell are you doing Tommy” Bruce screamed “Filthy human traitors” I screamed back as I quickly ran around the huts heading for a tunnel on the far side of the room. I ran as quickly as I could again keeping the huts between me and them. I ran straight into Gobo who was coming around a hut on my left, he tackled me around the waist causing us to tumble and roll a few times. “Give it to me, I saw them give it to you, it’s mine I demands it!” Gobo screamed at me as he clawed at my left pouch ripping it open. Gobo kicked me in the face as he lept off me holding up the half bag of salt triumphantly. “I has the salt!” he screeched. I pulled away from him, crawling a few feet before getting to my feet. I was about to turn around and yell at him when two things happened. First, the flashing words appeared in my vision.
Quest Complete! Now that wasn’t too hard, was it?
The second thing was an arrow pierced Gobo in the head, he was dead before he hit the ground. I quickly snatched the bag of salt and ran for the tunnel zigging and zagging trying to not catch an arrow in my ass. I have no idea how I managed to make it to the tunnel without being hit by anything but I did. About halfway down this tunnel, I discovered a crack in the wall. I almost missed it. It was angled just right for it to go unnoticed. However, I had, so I dived into it pushing my way in until I stood on the other side. I saw a large room with a large trunk in the middle. I ran behind the thing hiding there as I breathed heavily. My chest felt like it was on fire. I lay on the floor staring at the rock ceiling. I have no idea how long I lay there before I sat up and looked at the trunk. My breathing was now finally under control. My chest still hurt a bit but I could ignore it. I crawled over to the trunk and looked at it curiously. It was an expensive-looking one with gold metal crossing over it in a floral pattern. I took the latch in my hand and flipped the lid open. I looked down inside to see a stick, some coins and a book. I reached in and picked up the book. I stared at it as I turned it over slowly. A flashing message appeared in my vision.
Do you wish to learn Mana Manipulation?
I grinned as I nodded my head. "Yes, yes I really would." The book dissolved into thin air as my head suddenly started hurting. The pain was gone as soon as it had arrived but I now understood how to manipulate mana. I smiled happily as I went through the motions of manipulating the mana only for nothing to happen. "Oh right, I have no mana to manipulate." I sighed softly before looking back into the trunk. I scooped the coins out, depositing them in the coin pouch and dropping that back into my pouch. I picked up the stick, turning it over slowly. As I was inspecting the stick the flashing words entered my vision to inform me of what I was looking at.
Wand of fireball.
I suddenly laughed as I read the words which turned into a shocked screech as the trunk vanished revealing a staircase leading down. I glanced over my shoulder hearing the metallic sound of that warrior, Bruce coming down the tunnel. I could even hear him calling out for me. I made my decision and leapt forward running two at a time down the stairs. I heard the sound of stone scraping against stone. I glanced back to see a door sliding over the entrance to the staircase. “Fuck” I groaned as I turned and hastened my way down. I was about halfway down the staircase when I began to notice the stone had smoothed out and a lifelike vine made of stone had appeared in the wall twisting and turning meeting up with more vines as it got more tangled half a dozen more steps down and I noticed little birds in the vines their eyes shining with light. I stopped to stare at the light that was enabling me to see the stairs in their brownish grey stone instead of the black. I slowly started moving down the stairs again watching the vines and birds looking for anything new that would show itself in this intricately beautiful art when the next step was there. I looked down only to see a gaping hole and had just enough time to let out a screech before I fell screaming "fuck meeeeee".
I don't know how long I was falling for but I had to stop screaming to breathe twice before I noticed water falling along the walls. I quickly looked around and down as I pulled my feet together and crossed my arms gripping my shoulders "it's just like a water slide it's just like a fucken water sliiiiide" I was screaming the last part as my ass hit the wall and began to slide along it. I slid down into a channel that turned into a tunnel and I was sliding down it I felt myself start to spin around the walls like a screw. Before I knew it I was suddenly airborne again. The air rushing past me slowed down as I began to drop. I looked down seeing a large lake and quickly pulled my feet together as I prepared for a hard landing. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a soft landing in slightly warm water. My momentum carried me into the shallows where I stood up and walked out onto the sands of the shore. I let out a laugh as I turned to look back at the way I had come "fuck, that was one hell of a ride!" I considered doing it again but I had no idea how to get back up there. I was still chuckling softly when I slowly sunk to my knees, my vision starting to go black as flashing words appeared in my vision.
Hey dumb dumb, remember that sleep thing? No? Well, here it comes again. However, I will congratulate you on surviving the certain death slide not many do. Like only 1%
You have acquired a special trait: Survivor.