Chapter 5
Months had passed since the day Xane fled the town. In that time, he had gotten to know his surroundings in greater detail. He found a few more groves of fruit trees, along with a good number of vegetables and berries he could transplant to his garden. More than once, he had come across a group of goblins. Often taking them out from a distance with his bow.
At night, he often spent his time digging out the rock of his cave. Xane had out three more rooms for his mountain home. By using the two spells that came from earth manipulation, he had earned two new spells.
Raise Earth lvl 1
Allows caster to raise a section of earth 5 cubic feet in size
Cost 50mp
Shape Earth
Allows caster to shape earth to one’s desire.
Cost 75mp
The addition of those two spells helped speed up his efforts immensely. Using all four spells, he had created a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Granted, it took a lot of trial and error. But it was worthwhile. Even his bedroom had a small fireplace to help keep him warm on chilly nights.
Currently he was working on making a room for storing extra items. Taking a break from his work, he stepped out the door he had built for his home. The door itself took him some time to make. It was at this time he had gain fifth spell.
Move Earth lvl 1
Allows caster to move up to 100 pounds of earth and stone.
Cost 75 mp
By using a combination of raise, move and shape earth spells. Xane had closed off most of the cave’s opening. For the last few feet, he left for the doorway. Xane created a stone door that slid sideways into the wall. After using shape earth to blend it into the rest of the mountain stone. He cast harden earth to reinforce the entire structure.
Leaving his lantern inside the cave, Xane stepped outside and with a cast of move earth, closed the door. A soft pinkish light from three full moons covered everywhere Xane’s eyes could see. Noticing the light was dimmer than normal, he turned his eyes towards the sky. Instead of clouds obstructing, he found the moons were approaching an alignment. As he thought about it and what such an event usually meant in books and movies. He couldn’t shrug off the feeling that something was… off.
The night air carried a tingle that felt uncomfortable with his bare skin. Using another trick he learned when testing his inventory skill. Xane donned his improved armor and cloak. Thanks to his crafting skill, he managed to add sections of the thick boar hide to better protect his vitals. As for the cloak, he took strips cut from the torn canvas bag and attached them to the outside of the spare cloak.
Improved Hell Cat Leather Armor set
Item type: crafted
Item quality: Uncommon
Defense +75
Stealth +2
Ghillie Cloak
Item type: crafted
Item quality: uncommon
Stealth +5
(If using in a forested or grassland area bonus increased to +25)
Xane’s eyes were looking over the tops of the trees when a feeling of despair and desperation hit him out of nowhere. Head snapping towards the east, he noticed it was the same area the dragon had landed months ago. Standing there internally debating with himself about what he should do, when another wave of desperation hit him.
“I know I’m going to regret this.” He thought to himself. Summoning the rest of his gear from his inventory. Xane clutched his bow tightly as he set off down the trail.
Entering the woods at night was something Xane had avoided as much as possible before this night. During the day, the world under the canopy was already dark and foreboding, At night it was like stepping into a different world. The canopy overhead only let a miniscule amount of moonlight through its leaves, casting the undergrowth into darkness. If it wasn’t for his repeated expeditions into the sea of trees almost daily, Xane would have been lost moments after entering.
Moving silently, Xane rushed along the game trails that the beasts of the woods often used. Trees and bushes rushed past in a blur of nocturnal shadows as he raced down the familiar trails. When the trail he was on started curing towards the south, Xane ran on until he found another trial that headed eastward. Switching paths, he continued running for fifteen mins before coming to the edge of his explorations.
Hunkering down in the crook of a large tree''s roots, Xane hid in the shadows as he caught his breath while his eyes scanned the surroundings for any threats. As his eyes moved over the fleeting shadows created by the interplay of the overhead canopy with the moonlight, Xane shivered as the odd feeling in the air seemed to increase.
Not seeing any immediate threats, he moved to expand his map when the feeling that drew him out on this strange night called to him again. Forgetting the map, Xane’s eyes snapped towards a barely discernable game trail that looked to head in the exact direction the calling came from. Unlike before, when he was standing outside his cave, the feeling of desperation and fear came through much clearer and more distinct.
Hesitating, Xane looked back the way he came, as thoughts of his cave tempted him. What made him toss those thoughts aside was how that strange calling reminded him of his life as Alex. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts of the past away, Xane gritted his teeth and knocked an arrow before he got moving again.
Rushing down the trail, the intermittent calls from before became more constant as he seemed to get closer to their source. Slowing to a fast walk, Xane moved cautiously and only came to a stop as the sounds of familiar guttural voices met his ear.
“Great, fucking goblins!” Xane thought to himself as he saw a group of the little monsters through the gap of two bushes. Just beyond the bushes, the green beasts were raising quite the ruckus in the small clearing they were congregating in. Looking around, Xane spotted the perfect spot in the branches above him to get a better look at what was happening.
Quiet as a mouse, Xane climbed the tree next to him and scurried over to the branch he spotted from below. In place, he looked down into the clearing and nearly cursed at what he saw.
Nearly twenty of the green bastards were gathered below as they gibbered excitedly amongst themselves. On the other side of the clearing, he could feel the source of the call growing closer. Studying the monsters, he noticed their gibbering was actually chanting. Even in all the books he wrote and read in his previous life, nothing good ever came from goblins chanting like this. The creature''s strange chanting rose in volume as something entered from far side of the clearing. Pushing through the branches, a band of six goblins that was led by a much larger seventh could be seen carrying something between them. Straining his eyes, Xane focused intently on the object and activated identify.
Obsidian Dragon Egg
Item type: living
Item quality: unique.
Threat level: none
This egg bares the young of the mighty obsidian dragon.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Quest: Save the egg
The egg was stolen from the nest of a mother obsidian dragon and will be used as a sacrifice in a goblin ritual.
If the ritual succeeds, the goblins will only grow in power and destroy everything in the goal of destruction. (This includes the town and your home)
Quest conditions.
You must save the egg and stop the profane ritual.
Rewards: experience and unknown.
Failure: you and the town will be destroyed.
Do you accept?
Yes/no?
Xane nearly fell from his branch when the quest popped up. Thankfully, the goblin chanting drowned out the rustling of the branches. Reading over the quest again, Xane clicked yes even while complaining.
“Not like I have much choice. I’m fucked even if I don’t take it.” He thought, while taking in the challenge before him and coming up with a plan. Xane’s eyes darted about as he took in the forces below and landed on the largest goblin and activating identify.
Goblin Lord
Level: 15
Threat level: extreme
Goblin lords are the next evolution of feral goblins. At three times the size, they boast three times the strength and intelligence of their lesser counterparts. Though having enhanced strength, they do suffer from a loss of agility. Making them slow yet daunting opponents.
Closing out the prompt, he took a steading breath while taking another look at what lay before him. Not liking what he was seeing he pulled up his character sheeting to check what he had to work with.
<table width="400">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Name
</td>
<td width="189">
Xane
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Age
</td>
<td width="189">
6
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Level
</td>
<td width="189">
3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
experience
</td>
<td width="189">
375/400
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Hp
</td>
<td width="189">
3600
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Strength
</td>
<td width="189">
36
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Agility
</td>
<td width="189">
36
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Dex
</td>
<td width="189">
52
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Intelligence
</td>
<td width="189">
52
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Wisdom
</td>
<td width="189">
36
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Constatution
</td>
<td width="189">
36
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Defense
</td>
<td width="189">
80
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Luck
</td>
<td width="189">
30
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Mana
</td>
<td width="189">
520
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Mana regeneration
</td>
<td width="189">
52pts per sec
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
skill points
</td>
<td width="189">
0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Skills
</td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Archery lvl 3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Compacted Mass
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Crafting lvl 3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Double Dip
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Healing lvl2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Identify lvl5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Fletching lvl2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Herbalism lvl4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Mining lvl3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Trapping lvl3
Small blades lvl2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Earth Manipulation
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Animal Empathy
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Body Reinforcement
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Item Granted Skills
</td>
<td width="189">
Stealth +32
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Precise Shot lvl9
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Boons/Blessings
</td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Amora''s enhanced blessing
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211">
Spells
</td>
<td width="189"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Harden Earth
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Soften Earth
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Raise Earth
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Shape Earth
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="211"> </td>
<td width="189">
Move Earth
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Kicking himself for not choosing any combat skills when the goddess gave him the chance or buying one or two with his skill points, his eyes moved between Archery, Small blades, and his spells. A small grin rose on his face a plan started coming together in his mind.
Drawing back on his bow, Xane line up his shot on the farthest out goblin from him. Letting the arrow fly, he held his breath as he waited. A moment later, the goblin was thrown back into the bushes, unnoticed by the others. As it did, a flashing prompt appeared in the corner of his vision. Smiling, he quickly dismissed the level up notification and moved directly to the two skill points he just earned. Franticly he searched the skill trees, finding the first of the two skills and selecting it before hovering over the second as a third called his attention. Thinking quickly, he selected the new skill and closed out the screen.
New Skill
Multi shot lvl 1
One shot becomes many
At current level, Multi shot will turn one arrow or bolt into three
Cost 50mp
Dodge (passive)
Allows you to dodge attacks.
Swiping aside the description, he started the next part of his plan. Stretching out the range of his soften earth spell, Xane struggled as he cast the spell the way he intended. Next he used the move earth to hollow out the pit beneath the surface and finalizing it with casting of harden earth on the pit''s cover. By the time he finished, the smaller goblins had placed the egg on a flat altar like stone. Keeping an eye on the proceedings, Xane started taking out as many of the goblins on the outskirts as he could.
He had just downed the sixth goblin with an arrow to the chest when the second arrow missed its target when the goblin turned to see what happened to its neighbor. The arrow slammed into the beast''s shoulder, causing it to howl in pain. Suddenly the chanting came to a stop as the goblins looked at the one that was still screaming in pain.
Pulling another arrow, Xane took a deep breath and activated multi shot. losing the arrow, it shimmered with a soft light and split into three as soon as it left his bow. Cursing under his breath, Xane dropped his bow into inventory and moved to a new spot in the branches. He wasn’t expecting for multi shot to give away his position like it had, but was glad he had picked out a few other spots ahead of time. Below the goblin, voices rose in pitch and volume as they started surging towards the tree he had left.
Reaching the new position, Xane pulled his bow and started sending single shots the gathered mass before firing off another multi shot. Again he dropped his bow into inventory and moved to another branch by circling around the clearing while staying off the ground. Pulling out his bow again, he was about to start firing into the frenzied mass when he noticed the goblin lord and one other near the egg.
“Help me!” A child’s voice begged him in his mind. Momentarily stunned by the mental strain he just felt, he had to flail with his free hand to catch himself before he fell. Catching himself, Xane shook his head clearly as his eyes refocused on the scene below him.
The smaller goblin had approached the egg while chanting in a disturbing voice of guttural grunts and snarls. In one hand, it held a staff topped with a small animal skull and draped in small bones. In the other was a crude curved dagger of stone. Lining up his shot, Xane let the arrow fly as the blade started to descend. Next, he cast move earth'' to open his pit trap the goblin lord now stood on top of.
Simultaneously, the goblin lord let out a bellowing roar while the shaman let out a cry of pain. In Xane’s head, his mind was sent reeling as the unhatched dragonling screamed. Falling from his perch, Xane felt his leg buckle under him with a loud snap accompanying it.
His vision swam as pain flooded his body and mind, forcing back the nausea that threatened to make him puke. Xane fumbled his casting of move earth, as the goblin lord started climbing free of the pit. More pain lanced through him as the spell fizzled in his hands. Forcing down the bile that rose at the back of his throat, Xane snatched up his fallen bow and fired off a shot then drawing another arrow.
The goblin lord bellowed in pain when Xane’s arrow sunk into its hand and it fell back into the pit. With the path between him and the rushing group of goblins coming at him, he started firing as fast as he could. Between uses of multi shot and regular arrows, he used cast hardened earth on two of the pit’s wall before using move earth.
Xane’s mana dipped dangerously low as he forced the spell to crush the trapped goblin lord between the pit''s walls. Still, he continued firing off arrows till his quiver was empty. Pulling his dagger free, Xane cut down the closest of the remaining goblins, then wrenching the blade free to stab another. Jerking to the side, he screamed in agony from the crude blade that pierced his chest. Blindly Xane’s blade found its way into the last goblin body repeatedly until it fell in a bloody heap on the ground.
Flopping to the ground, he looked over at the egg and saw the shaman’s dagger still stuck out of its shell. Even though he was suffering through the pain, Xane opened his interface to see the quest had not failed. Slowly he pulled himself closer to the altar until the egg was within his reach. Struggling to stand on his good leg as he still had the goblin blade sticking out of his own chest. Placing one hand on the egg’s cracked surface, Xane began channeling his healing energy into the cracked shell. With his other, Xane slowly pulled the dagger free, stumbling as another pained cry slammed into his mind. Once the crude weapon was free, he dropped it to place his other hand on the egg to channel even more energy into it. Faint cracking could be heard as it increased in volume and intensity, as Xane’s vision faded. The last he saw was a portion of the shell fell free, revealing a glimpse of the pale creature contained inside.