《Nihil》


 Prologue: After Death

    Darkness?


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    My eyes?


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    I died?


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    Wait.


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    ...


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    Who are you? Where are you?


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    Where is here?


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    Who areyou then?


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    <td>God.</td>


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    What about your name?


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    A name would be convenient. I will just call you Umbra.


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    If I am dead why am I here? Are you my judge?


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    What reason is there to fear you when you have not hurt me? Why should I fear the darkness if I have no eyes?Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


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    Yes that life was boring, it was meaningless. Going to work each day earning money and spending money, all for what? To live a little longer, live with a little more comfort? What reason is there to continue with that kind of existence?


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    <td>special. I will give you another chance, another world, another life. I only ask that you make that lifeinteresting.


    Live again to entertain me or die as you are now.</td>


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    Is that world interesting?


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    Then bring me there.


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    As this was said there was a blaring light that filled the darkness. All around there were projections and each projection was a different body. Thousands of bodies lined the space and each had its own features. Some gave off a noble aura belonging to a king, others gave off a wild fierce aura like an animal, the bodies went from the dirtiest slave to the noblest emperor. As each body was focused on it would take the place in front then move off as another was selected.


    Among the thousands of bodies that there was to choose from there was one that shined brighter than any other. It was more noble than any other, contained a grace that no other can hold and had an appearance that nothing could compare to. White hair cascaded down from the top of the head to the hips, it had the appearance of silk, the light shining through each strand gave off an immortal feeling. The skin did not have a single fault, it was pristine. The body that held the head contained no fat although there was a lack of muscle. This gave off a feeling that a single touch could cause it to shatter. Everything from the shoulders to the feet was sculpted to perfection even the important part was majestic. The face held two amber eyes with two brows of white that lined them. The nose was streamlined and ended at the mouth. The mouth had a slight grin with the two tender lips slightly parted to reveal the jade white teeth within.


    This body held no faults and trapped all gazes. His eyes could not move from the figure until there was an interruption. Umbra was calling. He regained his focus as Umbra''s words poured into his mind.


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    Light faded once again into black as he joins the other world.

 Chapter 1: A New Beginning

    Breath filled his lungs as the smell of morning dew rushed into his nose. His eyes were opened allowing light to fill his vision, a blue sky covered the air above him with several white clouds. He pushed his body up and looked around at the green trees that surrounded him. He was in a forest.


    Where am I?


    I guess that won''t be solved by sitting here. He stood up and walked in a random direction. There were sounds of birds all around him, filling the forest with life, each step brought him deeper into the forest.


    Sounds of fighting began to echo out, you could hear the people yelling. He turned his head in the direction of the noise, he did not know whether to go to it or not. In the end he decided to run in the direction since it would not hurt to see new people, this would allow him to learn about where he is.


    The sound led him to a clearing where a group of 4 where fighting what appeared to be a wolf with black fur although the wolf was far bigger than any wolf that was on earth. They were clearly losing, the wolf was agile and able to move around each human, they were not even able to touch it. The wolf was letting out swipes and bites towards each member. One was hit by a swipe and knocked back 10 meters with blood gushing out of his chest. His chest had caved in with white bones being seen through the claw marks.


    "Damnit, we have to kill this motherfucker" Said one, he will be called Pawn A


    "Kill it? Are you kidding me? We can''t even touch the bloody thing and you want to kill it?" another that will be called Pawn B cried out.


    "Focus! We will really die here!" Said the 3rd, Pawn C


    Pawn A and B charged at the wolf from both sides holding their weapons slightly above their heads. They charged and swung, one at the head and the other towards the back. The wolf was not simply going to let them hit it.


    It dodged to one side swiping at Pawn A in front. Pawn A panicked and swung at the paw knocking himself back 3 meters. His hands were ringing and he almost dropped his two handed sword.


    The wolf was far too fast for them as they could not keep up with it at all. They were going to die fighting the wolf.


    Might as well keep them alive, they can''t tell me anything if they are dead. He walked to the one who was hit on the chest, the dying pawn. He picked up the longsword that sat near his body, feeling the weight in his hand.


    The men only noticed him at this moment, they saw a person with pure white hair and his looks grabbed their sight and did not let them go.


    "HEY! You white hair help us kill this thing and we will pay you!"(Pawn A)


    "How much."


    "Huh?"(Pawn A)


    "How much are your lives worth?"


    Pawn B moved out of the way of another bite the wolf made.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "JUST PAY HIM! We are going to die!"(Pawn B)


    Pawn A grit his teeth: "I have 43 silvers on me, help us kill it and you can have it!"


    "Okay I will save you."


    He ran to the wolf who was looking at Thug B and swung at it, hitting the fur. The sword did not go in and only bounced off, like metal on metal.


    ...


    Both pawns gaped at him


    "What the hell do you mean save us, you are weaker than the both of us combined!"(Thug A)


    His face turned red as he was embarrassed, this body held almost 0 strength and could hardly swing the sword correctly.


    "Tch"


    He turned and walked away, his body entering the forest.


    "Hey you can''t just walk away! Get back here! You can atleast be a diversion while we get away!"(Pawn A)


    He continued walking into the forest. There was no point in staying there as he could not even harm the wolf if he hit it.


    I need to get stronger, this body is pathetic rang out in his mind. He stopped walking around the forest after an hour as he was starting to get drained and needed food. He decided to kill a rabbit.


    It was a brown rabbit that was innocently hopping around the place. A sound was made as the sword cut into the rabbit''s head.


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    <td>You have gained 10 exp, as per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into 1 Strength</td>


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    Huh?


    The sword became lighter and easier to lift and each leg held a bit more strength in them. He decided to think about it later, food comes first. He started a fire using two stones and some dry moss that he found on trees.


    After 30 minutes he was enjoying the flesh of a rabbit, with each bite into the tender skin filling him with stamina. He finished the rabbit put out the fire and continued wandering in the forest.


    He found a stone path that split the forest in two one side going off as far as the eye can see, the other held a small carriage with two scrawny horses dragging it. He jogged up to the carriage hoping to meet someone who can give him information.


    At the driver seat there was a middle aged man with tanned skin, he held a sword at his waist with a leather strap wrapping around, holding it there.


    "Hello Oji-san do you know where we are?"


    The oji san looked down at him and his eyes opened wide.


    "Oji-san? Are you okay?"


    "Oh, my bad I was surprised at your appearance. We are in the Lapis Forest."(Oji-san)


    "Thank you."


    He began to walk past the carriage when the oji-san called out to him.


    "Hey, are you going to walk all the way to town!"(Oji-san)


    "Yeah?"


    "Get on the back, I will give you a lift there."(Oji-san)


    "Okay, thank you."


    He hopped onto the back of the carriage opening the drapes to reveal a single girl around 10 years of age.


    "Hello"


    "Hi there"(Girl)


    He said nothing else and simply sat down laying his sword down beside him as the carriage started moving again.


    After 2 hours of complete silence other than the sound of the carriage hitting rocks. He decided to ask a question.


    "Hey what is that blue screen that pops up when you kill something?"


    The girl was startled and did not respond at first. She had been sneaking glances at him constantly over the 2 hours but he had been completely silent up until this point.


    "What, you mean the status screen?"(Girl)


    "Oh! How do I make it pop up."


    "Just say Status"(Girl)


    "Status"


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    <td>Level</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Stats</td>


    <td>Titles</td>


    <td>Skills</td>


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    <td>Experience</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>Strength: 2</td>


    <td>Intelligence: 1</td>


    <td>Champion of Umbra</td>


    <td>Champion of Umbra</td>


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    <td>Name</td>


    <td>Niveus</td>


    <td>Agility: 1</td>


    <td>Wisdom: 1</td>


    <td>Friend of Umbra</td>


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    <td>Gender</td>


    <td>Male</td>


    <td>Vitality: 1</td>


    <td>Luck: 1</td>


    <td>The One Who Tried</td>


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    <td>Class</td>


    <td>Champion of Umbra</td>


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    <td>HP</td>


    <td>100/100</td>


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    <td>MP</td>


    <td>20/20</td>


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 Chapter 2: To the Town

    Huh, Champion of Umbra is repeated three times? "Hey girl" I move my gaze back to the one sharing my carriage.


    "W-what is it?" She fidgets slightly, shrinking her body down and stares at her fingers. She has a blush forming on her cheeks showing even more through her brown hair.


    "How do I learn about things on this status screen?" I have no idea about this Champion of Umbra class, title, and skill it would be better to learn about it.


    "Er, well you don''t know what they are?"


    "Yes of course, if I knew what they were why would I ask how to learn about them? I stare at her with an obvious look on my face.


    "Well uh if you think about the name it probably will tell you?" She mutters while interlocking her fingers.


    "Uhuh okay" I stop looking at her as she loosens her tense body.


    I decide to follow her "help" as I think about Champion of Umbra as a class.


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    <td>Champion of Umbra(Class)</td>


    <td>As the champion chosen by the God Umbra you are able to use any skill regardless of class.</td>


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    Oh! I see, so I have no class restrictions when it comes to skills. That will be very good, I do not have to worry about selecting a class. Then what does the title do for me? Actually I might as well see what the other two titles do as well.


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    <td>Champion of Umbra(Title)</td>


    <td>You are the champion of Umbra, he watches everything you do and influences you. Others will not be able to see your status.</td>


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    <td>Friend of Umbra(Title)</td>


    <td>You are someone who Umbra sees as a friend, being the friend of a god comes with many benefits.</td>


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    <td>The One Who Tried(Title)</td>


    <td>You attempted to save a group that was destined to die, you did not succeed but at least you tried.</td>


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    ... The One Who Tried? Are you serious? I have to live with that stuck on me? Damnit I shouldn''t have even tried to help those bastards they gave me this stupid title, they better have suffered before they died to that bastard wolf. Well, there is just the skill left.


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    <td>Champion of Umbra(Skill)


    Level: 1</td>


    <td>As the Champion of Umbra you have no need for those dumb levels, instead all exp you get will be converted into stats with each stat taking turns in order of: Str, Agi, Vit, Int, Wis and Luck. The amount you get from the exp will be 10% of the exp you get.You will have the same % chance of obtaining a skill from the defeated enemy. The % will change based on the level of the Champion of Umbra Skill.</td>


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    Okay, I still don''t know whether that is a good thing or not but the absorb skill part sounds really nice. Well... I might as well take this carriage all the way to that town the oji-san was talking about, I can learn some more about this world I was thrown into, I wonder how the food in this world tastes? Wait there are dragons here aren''t there? Big fire breathing ones or maybe something like a phoenix covered in flames!The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Pointless thoughts filled his mind as his appearance attracts glances from the girl. The carriage tottered along the stone road following a direction unseen to the naked eye.


    After 5 hours of constant rocking due to the horrible roads and rickety carriage the sky darkens turning the skies gray. The oji-san decided it was a good time to stop and rest for the night as he called to the passengers and pulled the reins, guiding the carriage off the road into a semi-clearing in the sea of trees. The oji-san pulled apart the drapes stepping into the carriage to fetch water and food for the horses that worked hard to pull the carriage. He stumbled into a very awkward mood that rested inside the carriage.


    The girl was constantly on edge as she took sneaky glances at the white haired boy, she seemed to want conversation but she constantly stopped herself before a single word could leave her mouth. The boy on the other hand was staring off into oblivion completely oblivious to the girls glances.


    "Ahem" The man cleared his throat trying to break up the weird atmosphere, he gained the attention of both people who were now looking his way.


    "I pulled the carriage over into a clearing, it is getting dark fast and to continue riding the carriage would be unsafe. Ah you white hair can you pass that bag over here?"


    "Instead of calling me white hair you can just call me Niv it would be easier this way." I said as I reached for the bag, I was starting to get annoyed about being called white hair.


    "Oh, sorry about that, you can just keep calling me Oji-san this girl here on the other hand is my daughter, her name is Sophie."


    "Nice to meet the both of you and once again thank you for the lift" I said with gratitude as I handed the bag over to him.


    "No problem." He grabbed a container filled with water as he slung the bag over his shoulder carrying both out of the carriage. It seems he was going to feed the horses and my suspicions soon were proved right as sounds of eating too loud to be human sounded from outside. I grabbed my knees and stood up from my resting place giving my sore body a few shakes as I sauntered to the opening of the carriage pulling open the fabric and stepping onto dirt ground.


    Off to the side two horses were eating out of a single container with the Oji-san watching and petting them. Looking around there was only enough space for around 20 carriages to fit with trees bordering the opening. The sky was beginning to darken. Soon the horses finished eating as the Oji-san left their side, he pulled some wood out of the carriage and had the makings of a fire. He pulled out a primitive flint and steel created several sparks that lit up twigs and small pieces of wood. Eventually they had a fire going and soon after that the Oji-san pulled out a couple food items and created something resembling a stew.


    They spent the next moments in silence as the 3 of them sat around a fire eating stew out of wooden bowls, there was not a single word said the whole time they were eating. After they all finished eating the girl went back into the carriage to sleep whilst the Oji-san and I continued to sit around the fire.


    "What were you doing in the forest all by yourself?"


    "I was part of a group of 5, we got separated. Eventually I encountered them dead with a big black wolf standing over their bodies." I decided to make something up, it was suspicious that I was out here alone without any way of going back to the town.


    "Oh, sorry about that it must have been awful"


    "It is okay, we knew the risks."


    Silence continued on until the Oji-san decided to get up and enter the carriage to sleep. I put out the fire and joyed them in the carriage. I sat with my back against the wall of the carriage and fell asleep soon after. Today was a nice day.

 Chapter 3: Arriving at the Town

    Sounds of chirping filled my ears with the smell of fresh morning dew going up my nose. I opened my eyes and looked around the carriage. The oji-san was not in the carriage but the girl was over in the corner with her eyes locked on me. We made eye contact causing her to blush heavily and bring her head down to her knees covering her face. I stood shaking off my body and walked to the exit of the carriage. I stepped onto dirt once again as I stretched my back trying to get rid of the weary feeling that held my body down.


    "Oh your awake now?" Sounded out from my right as the oji-san turned the corner.


    "Yeah, when are we taking off?" I asked, I was starting to get excited about getting to that town.


    "We were just waiting on you to wake up, want some bread?" He held his hand out with a circular piece of dry bread between his fingers.


    "Yeah thanks and you can start up the carriage whenever now" I grabbed the bread from his hands saying a couple words before taking a bite out of the dry bread.


    Shortly afterwards we were back on the bumpy stone road with the rocking carriage on the way towards the town. There was nothing happening with the only sound that of wooden wheels on stone, making a crack sound every time they would hit a stone or catch a bump.


    This peaceful silence ended soon with the abrupt stop of the carriage with inertia carrying my body forward and then back, there were voices sounding out from the front of the carriage.


    I reached my hand out and pulled back the curtain to see what was going on. There was 4 men who each held a sword in their sweaty hand, they all looked haggard with hardly any muscle. They were clearly bandits that have not eaten in some time.


    "I will only say this once! Give me your food and money or I will kill you."


    "I think it would be best to end this more peacefully, nobody needs to die today."


    "Shut the f*ck up, give me the food or I will spill your guts on this stone road."


    The oji-san was trying to talk out a peaceful solution but the outlaws were not listening at all. They advanced towards the oji-san with their steps making thumping sounds against the stone.


    I grabbed the long sword that sat beside me for most of the carriage ride, I jumped off the carriage and faced the 4 men. The oji-san was beside me still sitting in the driver seat while the 4 marauders were 15 meters in front.


    They stopped their advance as they noticed another stand beside the middle aged guy. This one had a sword but he clearly was almost scrawny like one punch would make him fall over and die.


    "HAHAHAHAHA" Laughter sounded out as the 4 men joined together in great whooping laughter as they saw a scrawny man holding a sword too big for him.


    "Who the hell are you? Are you going to try to hurt us with that sword pansy?" One hollered out as he held back his laughter.


    I stayed silent as I myself knew how bad this looked but still it would be best to stand out and help this oji-san.


    They continued marching towards us with their weapons drawn, they got 4 meters from me when one charged at me with his weapon ready to swing. He takes a step bringing his sword down in a vertical swing aiming for my head.


    I side stepped the falling sword as it misses my shoulder by 2 inches. I grip the sword tight as I turn my shoulder and slash at him, sending my sword barreling into his shoulder. A sickening sword is heard as the sword rips into his flesh and cuts into the bones that plate his shoulder.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "AAAHHHH" A scream tears through my ear as the thug feels the pain that a sword in his shoulder brings.


    His scream ends shortly with his eyes going dull, he was not very strong and was already very malnourished. A single blade cutting towards his body starting from the shoulder was enough to silence him forever.


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    <td>You have gained 100 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    2 Agility


    2 Vitality


    2 Intelligence


    2 Wisdom


    1 Luck</td>


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    Suddenly my body becomes lighter, my mind quicker, my body more sturdy and stronger. The muscles become more dense as the blue screen fills my vision. It dissipates after 2 seconds and I face the next thug.


    They are clearly frightened by how quick their companion died but they do not run. They are more cautious and all 3 approach at once. With three swords swinging towards me it would be stupid to block them.


    I jump back as their swords fall in front cutting into the dirt ground. They try to readjust their stance but I manage to swing at one, the sword cuts into his rib cage as it tears into his midsection reaching his organs.


    Blood and organs spill out through the opening I created as he holds on to his conscious trying to push his organs back in. He dies shortly after, falling forward with horror and pain painted on his face. The thug that stood next to him shrieked as he spun on his heel trying to make a run for it.


    I step forward my sword digging into his back penetrating into his heart with the blade showing through his front, blood pours out of his back and front. He falls over as I pull my sword out of him drawing a fountain of blood that follows my blade. The last falls over onto his ass as he stares on in horror as each companion is killed. He howls as he tries to scramble onto his feet but he falls over again.


    I grab his hair and pull his head back sliding my sword into his neck. He makes gurgling sounds as he cannot breath and blood floods in his mouth. Pulling my bright red sword out creates a splatter of blood that falls onto my face. A pool of blood forms under his neck as the thick sap soaks his body.


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    <td>You have gained 300 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    5 Strength


    5 Agility


    5 Vitality


    5 Intelligence


    5 Wisdom


    5 Luck</td>


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    I step back away from the bloody mess and turn around back towards the carriage. Some drops of blood sat on my face in complete contrast to the pure white. It gave off an evil feeling. The oji-san is standing there with his face pale as he looked in horror at the mess that covered the stone road.


    I kneel down to wipe the sword off on their clothes, trying to get some blood off of it. I stand back up and wander back to the carriage, step up and sit down against the same wall. Sophie looks at me wanting to ask a question but she does not. She swallows her words and continues to stare at the floor of the carriage.


    The oji-san doesn''t start moving until I was out of his sight, his face continues to stay pale as he whips the reins encouraging the horses to start moving. He does not speak but the scene continues to play in his mind as he leads the horses off to the nearest town.


    The oji-san decides to forget about what happened, he knows that I did that to protect him and his daughter and he is thankful for it. He makes a note in his mind to not make me mad.


    After about 2 more hours of continuous riding we come upon a line that leads towards a wall with an opening. Several men with armor stand around with some checking other carriages that attempt to enter the town. After 20 minutes of waiting we reach the guards who question the Oji-san about why he is there and what he is doing.


    A minute goes by of talking to the guard who then peeks into the back to see the girl and I to which his gaze stays on me for quite a while.


    "So? Is there anything wrong?" One guard impatiently asks, the guy is just staring into the carriage.


    "O-oh no sir, nothing." He pulls back the drape and walks back to his post.


    It seems we are given the okay as the carriage moves through the gate into the town. It sounds lively with many voices ringing out. It is the normal hustle and bustle of kids playing, neighbors talking and street vendors trying to get a good price for their wares.


    I peek out from the carriage at the houses that we pass. They are mostly made out of wood with some stone for important parts, others however seem to be made of a material similar to straw. Those are probably the slums.


    Soon the carriage stops as Sophie stands to get off. I follow behind her and step off the carriage as a house comes into my view. It looks slightly better than the others we passed with this one having a bigger yard. I see the oji-san who does not look pale anymore, he is standing near to the house looking at me with a slight smile on his face as he clears his voice and speaks.


    "Welcome to Raduch"

 Chapter 4: Goblin Hunting

    "Thanks" It seems he calmed down a lot on the ride for he is clearly not as scared of me. That is good as I don''t want him to be scared of me, he is clearly a nice person.


    Might as well go into the house. I pull on the makeshift doorknob opening the door. The inside is lightly decorated with a couple plants, there is a wooden table paired with 4 chairs of the same material. There are tables along with cupboards with a wood fire oven seated there, that is probably the kitchen. On the far side there is a staircase that leads to the next floor, definitely where the bedrooms are.


    "It is a little home since there are two of us" He scratches the back of his head.


    I walk over and sit on a chair putting my hands on the table "It is fine I do not need to be treated like a prince"


    "Haha yes I believe that is true, do you want to stay here or do you have somewhere to be?" He asks while pulling out a chair and sitting on it.


    "I will be going around the town later."


    "Alright, I will make something light for ya then." He says as he stands from his chair and walks to what I assume is the kitchen area.


    20 Minutes later 3 bowls are laid on the table, they are filled with rice and a couple vegetables. I am seated on one side with little Sophie sitting beside the oji-san who is in front of me, there are no words said while we are eating but the time with silence does not last long.


    I finish eating the contents in the bowl as I walk over and lay the bowl on a table that resides in the kitchen area.


    I turn to him "I will be wandering around the town now, the food was good."


    "Alright, thanks, oh yeah here is one silver. You helped me with the bandits and I did not thank you."


    I put my hand out and receive the money, turning on my heel I head to the door and exit the house leaving a seemingly awkward atmosphere. I had never been good with words.


    Hmm, I will just look around the town and see what is the principles behind this world. I begin my information gathering by going to the busiest place in the town: the market. Many voices blend together in a cacophony of sounds, it is mostly those screaming and yelling hoping for the items they sell to be noticed.


    The people are dressed in cloth pants and shirts with the females dressed in cloth skirts. There are a couple of people walking around wearing raggedy armor that I assume to be adventurers due to their armor being different from the guards.


    There is a group of these adventurers walking off, I follow them in hopes of asking them questions. They lead me to a building with a simple sign above the doorway:


    ADVENTURERS GUILD


    I watch as they enter this building pushing the door open to reveal many tables of dangerous looking people drinking and laughing. The doors shut behind them. I walk to the door and also open it again revealing many rough people laughing loudly.


    There is a counter in front far to the back of the guild with a female behind the counter. There is a small line of people going to the counter, I also line up following the person in front as we slowly arrive at the counter, it is finally my turn as I reach the lady.


    Her face turns up to look at me, she stops and does not speak only stares. A minute goes by of her simply staring me in the face when I decide to speak up.


    "Excuse me" I ask as her eyes fly all over my face.


    ... She is still not saying anything. I wave my hand in front of her face which seems to rouse her as she focuses on what she just did. Her face turns red as she is clearly very embarrassed.


    "Oh! So-sorry about that, I have never seen a face like this before" She says through her hands. Her black hair moves over her face as she arches her back over trying to hide her embarrassment.


    "Anyway what is this building?" This is taking far too long.


    "It is the adventurers guild, where people take quests and turn them in for rewards" She says straightening her back and removing her hands from her petite face.


    "Oh! Is there some way to learn about this world more?"


    She is clearly surprised but answers anyway "The library in this town has some stuff like that"


    She tells me the general location of the library and what it looks like. After receiving this information I turn around and walk out the guild heading for the library. Unbeknownst to me every adventurer and the counter lady stares at my back as I exit the building. I begin walking to the guild but on the way there I find a plain mask being sold by a merchant.


    After asking for the price to which the response was 20 copper I hand him the silver and receive the change of 80 coppers. It seems 100 coppers = 1 silver. He hands me the mask and leaves me alone continuing to sit at his stall with 0 interest on his face. I place the mask over my face and continue going to the library.


    Eventually I find the three story building that the lady behind the counter described. I head in and am greeted by shelves of books covering the entire floor, there is another counter near the door with another lady behind it. The people go to her to purchase the books they want. I ignore this and saunter into the library browsing the books they have and reading the ones that could help me.


    It seems this world has standard classes with there being a class for every occupation whether it be merchant, bandit, librarian, baker, warrior, adventurer. Also the town I am in is called Raduch and it is rather close to the capital city.


    The name of this country is called Lunaris and it is one of the greater countries, that explains the marketplace. Each person is graded based on their level with every 25 levels resulting in an upgrade of their class, all the way up to level 500.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    There are heroes who belong to a different god with 8 heroes being alive now, 9 including me. Other than this there are many monster type enemies all the way from goblins to the one I am most excited for: a DRAGON.


    The average human in this world holds 1 in each stat with the more exemplary ones holding a 3 in certain stats. Leveling once gives 15 stat points per rank of class.


    Example: A rank 1 warrior which is a standard warrior gets 15 stat points per level to be spent on Str, Agi, Vit, Int, Wis, Luck. A rank 2 warrior which is called a knight gets 30 stat points per level to be spent on the same. You become a rank 2 warrior when you hit level 25 as a warrior. then rank 3 when you hit level 50 and so on.


    This of course does not apply to me, I am unable to level at all and am doomed to stay at level 1. After gathering all the information useful to me I exit the library and return to the adventurers guild. I pull off the mask before I return to the same counter lady.


    "Oh your back, was the library helpful?" She asks in a professional tone


    "Yes, now how do I get a quest?"


    "Oh, you just have to receive a quest from us, if you complete it you will be able to receive any quest corresponding to your grade."


    "What are the grades?" I ask


    "From lowest to best it is: D, C, B, A, S, SS."


    "Then can I see the quest."


    "Yeap" She begins running her hand around the underside of the counter searching for something.


    "Ah, here it is" A piece of parchment is laid on the counter, I read it. It simply says I have to kill 20 goblins and return with their ears for the completion of the quest.


    "Okay, I will do it."


    "Alright I just have to write your name down, what is your name?" She asks pulling out a big book from beneath the counter.


    "Niveus"


    She flips over the book to a half full page and writes my name as well as the quest I am doing, she closes it after she puts down the quilt.


    "Your all set, just return with 20 goblin ears and you can take any quest for a rank D adventurer."


    "Where do you find goblins?" It would be best if I did not go running through the forest searching for them.


    "Once you leave the guild turn right and go straight until you get to the forest, goblins have been reported to be in that area."


    "Thanks"


    I turn and leave the guild, putting the mask back on and following her directions. I turn right after I left the door and headed straight passing by several houses. I leave the town and come upon the sea of trees which rests before me.


    I enter the endless trees and wander once again around the forest searching for goblins. I am largely unsuccessful as I do not find a single goblin for an entire hour of searching, this is starting to get annoying. I lean against a tree to rest while I plan out my next moves.


    5 Minutes into resting I hear rustling coming from my right as the bushes are separated to reveal a small ugly green creature with sharp teeth and claws. It sees me and begins to let out a loud shriek tearing through the forest.


    Many more rustles are heard around me as more goblins emerge from the bush. It isn''t more than a minute and I am surrounded by 30 goblins that are standing around me. From what I learned in the library goblins have an average of 10 in each stat except for luck.


    Holding the same long sword I watch each goblin, waiting for one to attack. Charging into them would be an instant death and something only a dumb ass would do. My patience pays off as one goblin howls and runs at me with his hand raised and claws out.


    He reaches me in 4 seconds as his claw rakes down towards my chest. I hop to the side as his claw scratches air. I swing the sword in my hand breaking apart the skin on his arm and some blood comes out. The sword only goes in 2 cm. I pull the sword out of his arm and jump back as another arm whizzes by the place my face was.


    I whip my sword at the same goblin who swung at me, his claws shine as he uses them to parry my blow pushing my sword back. I keep my sword in front as the goblin comes at me again, he swipes horizontally towards my stomach.


    I hold my sword vertical blocking the arm that came at me. His strength which is 2 more than mine smashes onto my sword forcing me to use two hands or my sword will leave my hand.


    I jump back and swing my sword towards his face, the goblin panics and pulls his hand in front of his face. The sword digs into the palm going halfway into it''s hand, I move forward and kick at it.


    My foot smashes into it''s gut winding it for a bit, it tries to regain it''s composure but I do not let it. My sword enters it''s face making a sick gushing sword as it is pulled out from right under it''s eyes, killing it off.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 50 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    1 Agility


    1 Vitality


    1 Intelligence


    1 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to skill Champion of Umbra you have gained skill:


    Charge - Run at an enemy and slash dealing 150% damage</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The next goblin runs at me in the same fashion waving it''s hands. This time I am faster and stronger than than before. I swing my sword at it''s claw which in the same way is swung towards me. "Cchhing" Sounds out as my sword slams on it''s claw.


    The goblin''s hand is pushed back and launched back to it''s side with my sword gaining ground and stabbing into it''s gut. It stirs the insides mushing the organs around. The goblin shrieks as I pull the sword out of it and kick it to the side.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 50 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    1 Agility


    1 Vitality


    1 Wisdom


    1 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I use the skill charge which launches me at another goblin, I cleave my sword down cutting halfway into it''s body ending it quickly. I ignore the blue screen as I turn and slash at the next goblin cutting through the hand it raised in a futile attempt to block me.


    The arm dropped nearby with the bone showing through. The goblin crouches down holding the stump while my sword cuts into it''s skull claiming another life.


    This continues on as each goblin grows easier every kill I get. Every kill refilling my strength and making me stronger as I eviscerated another goblin.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 1400 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    23 Strength


    23 Agility


    23 Vitality


    24 Intelligence


    24 Wisdom


    23 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to skill Champion of Umbra you have gained skill:


    Auto HP Regeneration- Your hp will regenerate at a rate of 1% every minute


    Double Strike- You slash twice, the first hit doing 75% damage with the second doing 50% damage


    Shriek- You shriek, lowers the strength of those around by 2</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to killing 10 goblins you have gained title:


    Beginner Goblin Slayer- Do 10% more damage to goblins.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    30 Goblins lay on the floor in pieces, some are missing arms or legs while others are missing heads. One person with white hair stands in the center of the corpses. He is covered in blood looking like a reaper, the blood gives off a sickening contrast with the white. In his left hand is a leather bag inside it are 20 goblin ears.


    Looks like that is done, I should wash off though, I might scare people if I go back to town looking like this I think. I return to a river I came upon while I was looking for the goblins. I clean off the clothes and wipe off the blood that clung to skin and pulling off flesh that sat on my clothes.


    I return my clothes to my body as I finished the wonderful bath, I found that my arms and legs have far more muscle compared to when I first got here, it still gives off a scrawny feeling but it is greatly reduced.


    I return to the town and walk back into the adventurers guild, pulling the now red mask off I headed straight for the counter. I place the bag of goblin ears in front of the same lady who counts them. She pulls out the book and writes down [Mission Complete] handing me a bronze looking badge.


    "Congratulations on becoming a member of the adventurers guild, you can take any D rank quest now."

 Chapter 5: Sophie

    After I received the Adventurers Guild D rank medal I chose two quests, one to kill 15 wolves whilst the other is to kill 40 goblins. Right now I was just wandering eating a skewer that costed 5 coppers leaving me with 75 coppers.


    Might as well check out what my stats are looking like "Status"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Level</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Stats   </td>


    <td>Titles</td>


    <td>Skills</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Experience</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>Strength: 33</td>


    <td>Intelligence: 33</td>


    <td>Champion of Umbra</td>


    <td>Champion of Umbra</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Name</td>


    <td>Niveus</td>


    <td>Agility: 33</td>


    <td>Wisdom: 33</td>


    <td>Friend of Umbra</td>


    <td>Charge</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Gender</td>


    <td>Male</td>


    <td>Vitality: 33</td>


    <td>Luck: 32</td>


    <td>The One Who Tried</td>


    <td>Auto HP Regeneration</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Class</td>


    <td>Champion of Umbra</td>


    <td> </td>


    <td> </td>


    <td>Beginner Goblin Slayer</td>


    <td>Double Strike</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP</td>


    <td>245/245</td>


    <td> </td>


    <td> </td>


    <td> </td>


    <td>Shriek</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MP</td>


    <td>210/210</td>


    <td> </td>


    <td> </td>


    <td> </td>


    <td> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    They are getting better, according to these stats I am equal to 30 average men. The status screen fades after 20 seconds.


    Maybe I will return to that oji-san first, I can stay at his house for a bit since I only have 75 coppers and there is no point in renting a room if I can just stay there.


    I begin walking heading in the direction of the oji-san, it is a rather short distance from the Adventurer''s guild and I arrive there in 5 minutes. I walk up the pathway that connects the house to the road. It leads me up to the wooden door that I knock on, hoping he is inside.


    "Crreak" The door opens with Sophie the one in the doorway. After seeing me she simply turns and skips away leaving the door open. Taking this as being allowed in I walk into the house and close the door behind me.


    Now that I think about it I have not been talking with Sophie at all, I know nothing about her.


    "Sophie" I call out to her before she gets too far away. She turns as her brown hair whips around and comes to rest beside her face.


    "Y-yes?" She responds, her face already turning crimson.


    "Come, sit with me, I want to try talking with you." I gesture to chairs that sit beside the table.


    She gives her little head a nod as she nervously walks over and sits on one of the chairs. I also pull out a chair and plant myself on it. Sophie is looking very nervous... Hmm I have to release the tension.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Uh, Sophie?"


    "Y-yeah?" She stutters nervously.


    "Why do you not live with your mother?" The atmosphere turns heavy and solemn as these words leave my mouth. Sophie looks forlorn yet she tells me why.


    "She died 2 years ago, father said it was a disease" The mood turns grim and more tense. I was not expecting such an answer and had no response for it. I clear my throat and continue speaking.


    "I am sorry, I shouldn''t have said anything" I ask for forgiveness with a sorry look painted across my face.


    "O-oh no! It is okay, I am starting to get ov-" She exclaims and tries to stand in an attempt to comfort me but she trips and falls off her chair. I stand, hurry over and give her my hand.


    "Are you okay?" I ask while holding onto her tiny hand. She is not tearing up at all but is indeed in pain.


    "No i''m fine it just hurt a little" She tries to play it off but the look on her face gives it away.


    "Haha, I am horrible at these kinds of things, first I say something insensitive then I let you fall, I really must apologize." I scratch the hair above my ear. This is quite embarrassing. I help her to her feet and back onto the wooden chair.


    It is at this moment that the door opens and heavy footsteps echo from the entrance. Both I and Sophie look towards the entrance as oji-san walks in.


    "Hey Niv your back from wandering around the town?" He asks as he walks over to the kitchen to prepare tea. Sophie stops him halfway as she runs up and hugs his stomach.


    "Welcome back" rings out as a little voice greets her father. He grabs her and lifts he up giving her a hug.


    "Thank you Sophie" The little one is put down on the ground as oji-san steps into the kitchen and begins preparing tea. Soon after we were sitting on the with three cups of tea.


    "Did you find what you needed in the town?" He asks as he takes a sip from the cup.


    "Yeah, I went to the library and then became an adventurer" I respond after blowing on the tea trying to cool it off. I take a sip after it cools off a bit.


    "Oh I see, are you going to stay the night here or find an inn?" He questions while putting down the cup of tea.


    "I was hoping you would allow me to stay here until I earned enough money." I look at his eyes and respond.


    "Oh? No, I do not mind, you can stay here as long as you want." He smiles at me. Sophie sits in silence taking a tiny sip from her cup after blowing it obsessively.


    "Then I will be in your care." I smile back causing the both of them to freeze up.


    "Can you show me where I can sleep, I am rather tired." I ask which shakes the man awake.


    "Uh, Oh yes, up the stairs first room on the right, it is the guest bedroom and you can sleep there." He blurted out still slightly in a daze.


    "Thank you, I will sleep then." I stand from the chair and saunter up the stairs to the bedroom on the right. It isn''t until I am up the stairs that they completely focus.


    "Sophie"


    "Yeah"


    "Is that the first time he smiled"


    "It is" A sigh comes from both the oji-san and Sophie.


    I walk into the room and am greeted by a simple bed, a nightstand and a table with two chairs. I walk in closing the door behind me. I pull open the blanket and slide into the bed under the sheet.


    A sigh can''t help but escape my mouth. This bed is so much better than a carriage. I close my eyes and soon steady breathing prevails my body as I drift off into sleep.

 Chapter 6: Completing Guild Quests

    Light shines through the window as Niv is roused from his sleep. He wakes with a yawn, the blanket is pulled off of his body as he stands up giving his body a good stretch and makes his way downstairs.


    Sophie and the Oji-san are already down there eating breakfast and laughing about something. "Hello" Niveus calls to them from the stairs. Both turn their eyes to him and greet him in response.


    "Good morning Niveus" The oji-san calls back


    "Hi" Sophie responds politely


    The oji-san suddenly asks "Do you want any breakfast?"


    "No, I am okay, I will just eat something from one of the stalls." Niveus responds carrying himself towards the door and opening it.


    "Going out so early?" Oji-san asks with a puzzled look on his face. Sophie has the same look painted on her face, both wondering why he was leaving so early.


    Seeing their faces he responds "I have 2 quests from the Adventurers guild that I want to complete and I am hoping to be back before night" They both show a worried face as he finishes his explanation.


    "Don''t worry it is just some goblins, I just have to fight more of them" He lies trying to ease their worries.


    They visibly calm down some as the oji-san tells him to come back safely. He nods at them as the door closes with him exiting the house.


    Niveus replaces the mask onto his face as he strolls through the market looking for something that can be eaten as breakfast. He finds nothing other than the same skewers. In the end he buys 2of them and eats them while making his way back to the forest.


    As he grabbed the two quests from the guild yesterday he decided that today he would complete them. Completing the quests gives a reward of money, completing the wolf hunt would give 10 silver whilst the goblin hunt would give 5.


    So once again Niveus is taking a stroll through the damp forest as he hopes he will find goblins or wolves soon. His prayers are answered as he comes upon a group of goblins with their numbers being 10, much smaller than yesterday.


    Niveus begins the attack by pulling out the sword that hung at his waist whilst activating skill Charge launching him towards the goblin that walked at the back of the group. When he was within arms reach from the goblin his sword cleaves down separating the goblins shoulder from its body. The sound of the goblin screaming alerts the ones in front as they turn around.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 50 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    1 Agility


    1 Vitality


    1 Intelligence


    1 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Niveus is then greeted by several shrieks causing his strength to drop 18 points. Double Strike is activated as two quick slashes are sent flying to the goblin closest to him. The first strike manages to strike the chest splitting the skin apart but the second hit slams against the claw that was raised in defense.


    -16


    A claw cuts into his leg as he was focusing on the one goblin. He turns to and kicks the goblin that cut his leg sending it up in the air. Blood comes out of the broken skin while the leg is wobbling a bit making it harder to stand.


    His attention is taken by the goblin he cut across the chest as he swings his sword at it once again. The goblin does not have enough strength to block it this time as the sword cuts into the neck ending it.


    +2.50 Auto HP Regen


    A notification rings out as Niveus is healed because of his skill. After stepping forward his sword is sent down at the next goblin who screams and greets the sword with his claw. The sword launches the arm back without losing momentum as it buries itself into the goblins face killing it immediately. The shriek seems to have lost its effect, it lasted about one minute and this is noted by Niveus.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 50 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    1 Agility


    1 Vitality


    1 Wisdom


    1 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A grin shows on his face as Niveus knows how much easier it is to kill them now. Each swing of the sword ends the life of a goblin and soon the remaining 7 lie on the ground dead.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 350 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    6 Strength


    6 Agility


    5 Vitality


    6 Intelligence


    6 Wisdom


    6 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After confirming the blue screen he moves on and continues to search the forest in order to find another group. After moving through the forest for 10 minutes without finding anything he discovers a single goblinmarching through the forest. Instead of acting out and killing it his body crouches down and attempts to follow the goblin without alerting it.


    The goblin leads him to a medium sized camp that holds around 46 goblins 45 normal and 1 goblin chief. A couple of goblins are sitting around a fire with a mess of animal bodies sitting nearby. Instead of charging in there Niveus waits and watches. He waits for a group to leave the camp as they scout the surrounding area, around the same time another goblin group returns as the two groups trade places.


    He follows after the group of 15 goblins that are circling the camp about 1 and a half football fields away from it. Niveus immediately activates charge and launches himself at the goblin in the back once again. The sword is swung and the goblin''s head rolls on the ground.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 50 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    1 Vitality


    1 Intelligence


    1 Wisdom


    1 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Another sword is swung at the two goblins that were in front of the headless goblin, the sword cleaves through the neck of one and buries itself halfway into the neck of the other. Slight sounds of gurgling break out as the goblin loses its life.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 100 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    2 Agility


    2 Vitality


    2 Intelligence


    2 Wisdom


    1 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It is at this point that a goblin turns around due to all the noise going on behind it. It spots the human among 3 dead and starts to let out a sound to alert the others, Niveus immediately runs at it trying to silence it before it can make a sound.


    A cry breaks out as the goblin is cut down losing it''s life but the others were alerted by the sound that rang out behind them causing the other 11 goblins to turn around.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 50 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    1 Strength


    1 Agility


    1 Vitality


    1 Intelligence


    1 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Niveus is already among them before they can let out a noise, cleaving his way through the group, cries break out as goblin after goblin is killed. The last 6 start to run as Niveus gives chase, they make a lot of noise as they attempt to run but fail to get away, each goblin is chased down and killed.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 550 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    9 Strength


    9 Agility


    9 Vitality


    9 Intelligence


    10 Wisdom


    9 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to killing 50 goblins you have gained title:


    Intermediate Goblin Slayer- Do 20% more damage to goblins.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Rustling is heard as another group of 15 goblins that heard all the noise comes to investigate. Niveus makes quick work of them, as each goblin is cut down with greater efficiency. The goblins are no longer a challenge to Niveus. After the last goblin is eviscerated the screen pops up to show his gains.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 750 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    13 Strength


    12 Agility


    12 Vitality


    12 Intelligence


    12 Wisdom


    12 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Niveus relaxes as a smile pervades his face, he sits and leans against a tree while he decides what to do next.


    10 Minutes later Niveus is in front of the Goblin camp that is swarmed with goblins, they are all cautious due to the sounds of screaming they heard coming from the scout parties. The only troops that remain with the goblins are just a tired group of 15 and what appears to be the chief. With a grin on his face he steps out from his cover in plain view of the goblins as he faces them with anticipation burning in his eye.


    Ruined structures stand all around with bodies strewn about, blood is covering the floor with several puddles of the red sticky sap gathered around. In the middle of the carnage stands one man with white hair. "Chhing" rings out as sword held by the white hair comes into contact with the goblin chief.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    -13


    The chief managed to leave a cut on the body of Niveus but that is all. Blood spurts out of the chieftain who is kneeling with a sword coming out of his throat. A blow for blow was exchanged with Niveus plunging his sword into the neck in exchange for a small cut. The sword is pulled out as the body slumps over.


    A ring sounds out as the blue screen appears.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 950 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    15 Strength


    16 Agility


    16 Vitality


    15 Intelligence


    15 Wisdom


    15 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Niveus is satisfied. The goblins are far too weak now. Although that chief was very stupid, it had all the tired goblins fight and die before it even went forward. If it would have fought with them it would have done more damage to Niveus. Well... it might have just been a coward.


    With all the ears collected so far he has the 50 required to complete the quest issued by the guild. Next is the wolves that he will have to find and hunt.


    He stretches out his arms as a smile is formed on his mouth, he really finds this interesting, that damn Umbra was not lying. It is far more interesting to fight wolves and goblins than be on that Earth.


    "Growl" Breaks the silence as his stomach uses its primitive way to ask for food. ''Food comes first'' he thinks as he begins looking for something to eat.


    Minutes later he is sitting by a fire with another rabbit stuck on a stick hovering over the fire browning. The smell being let off by the rabbit is far too enticing, Niveus is sitting and staring at the rabbit as every inch of it cooks... It is finally time! Niveus pulls the stick out of the spot it was settled and blows on the rabbit trying to cool it off.


    The taste that filled his mouth was splendid with every bite making it taste even greater than the last. The rabbit disappeared shortly after leaving nothing other than bones with Niveus feeling far better. He stood and startedhis wandering through the forest while looking for wolves.


    These wolves were a monster that were far stronger than a goblin, wolves had 60 in strength, 70 in agility, 40 in vitality, 20 in intelligence and 25 in wisdom. Theyare always in a pack and attack as a group making them difficult to kill, they are distinguishable by their pure white hairs which made it far easier for people to avoid them.


    The wolves were far easier to find compared to goblins since goblins tend to hide in the forest or create a campthat they do not stray far from. Versus the wolves who go farther from their camp to look for food before returning and continuously doing this for every meal they have.


    It was not very long before a pack of 7 were found by Niveus, they were following a group of deer that numbered 5. They were sneaking their way closer and closer to the unsuspecting group of deer. Once they got within 40 meters from them every wolf sprang up and sprinted at the group of deer. They were startled and each ran in a different direction.


    The wolves singled out one deer that was slightly slower than the others and the pack quickly surrounded it. With every rake of the claw and bite of the jaw the deer was closer to its death. "Plop" The deer tumbled over and fell on its side, now itwas time for the wolves to feast.


    While the wolves were concentrating on eating, Niveus decided to get closer. He sneaked his way closer to the group of wolves that were eating the deer. With every step forward his heart grew more tense.


    His worries were unfounded as he got 40 meters from them, hiding in a bush he grabs a rock and throws it at the nearest wolf thumping its head with the stone. The wolf whimpers as the stone connects causing it to sway slightly, the other wolves stop their eating to look at the injured one.


    They growl towards his location before one goes forward to investigate, the wolf nears the bush that Niveus is hiding in. "Shink" A sword shoots out from the bush the moment the wolf gets near it, impaling the wolf through the chest.A howl breaks out as the sword plunges deep into the chest giving it a severe wound. The wolves charge and pounce on the bush that the sword came from with Niveus jumping back pulling the sword out of the wolf and keeping it at his side.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 125 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    2 Strength


    2 Agility


    2 Vitality


    2 Intelligence


    2 Wisdom


    2 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A wolf jumps at him claws out and mouth open as it attempts to bite him. Niveus side steps the wolf while blockinganother bite that came towards him. Using his leg a kick sweeps out smashing into the wolf sending it back 3 meters, giving it a limp.


    He turns to the left and uses Double Strike sending two quick sword strikes towards the wolf he sidestepped. Both land on the wolf as it cuts into the flesh spouting out blood, the wolf starts to bleed out as it whimpers. The other wolves are intimidated by the short time it took to dispatch the two wolves, they approach with far more caution with them circling to the left and the other to the right.


    Steps are made as both wolves are charging from opposite sides. One arrives firstand is greeted witha left hand smashing into its face, the other manages to get its teeth around Niveus''s leg breaking through the skin and causing great pain. Cold air passes through his mouth as his brain registers the pain.


    -37


    The numbers are seen as his health drops a bit.


    -3


    -3


    -3


    Health continues to drop as the blood escapes his leg, there is a lot of blood pouring out while the wolf continues to hold onto the leg with its jaw. "Crack" sounds out as Niveus smashes the hilt of the sword into the front skull of the wolf. immediately the wolf lets go of the leg and falls unconscious.


    +5 Auto HP Regen


    Niveus steps back and holds the sword in front, waiting for what the wolves will do next. Finally the 2 normal and2 injured wolves growl and charge forward. The sword is raised and swung down as hard as possible. A wolf perishes as the sword splits his face in two, a wolf grabs onto the right leg''s thigh.


    -33


    Another onto the left arm


    -42


    And the last suffers a kick to the face fromhis left leg sending it back with a whimper. The sword is brought down on the wolf holding his left arm cutting into the neck. The one holding onto the thigh is met with a sword coming down stabbing through its throat.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 250 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    4 Strength


    4 Agility


    4 Vitality


    5 Intelligence


    4 Wisdom


    4 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to skill Champion of Umbra you have gained skill:


    Tough Skin - Your skin hardens and turns stronger. -10% damage to skin</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He can feel it, his skin hardened but still has the same look, it can take far more damage now. The last wolf goes down shortly after with a chop to the head. The one that is bleeding is put out of its misery and the unconscious one gets a sword through the skull to finish it off.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 375 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    6 Strength


    6 Agility


    6 Vitality


    6 Intelligence


    7 Wisdom


    6 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I sit down and lean against a tree while I wait for the throbbing to stop. The auto HP regen is slowly going to work healing the wounds that infest my body. After the wounds and damage caused by loss of blood my hp is at 339/515, that is pretty bad.


    +5 Auto HP Regen


    +5 Auto HP Regen


    +5 Auto HP Regen...


    After 36 minutes the HP regen has completely recovered my health, I stand, look around and walk in one direction, hoping that I will find more wolves soon.


    30 more minutes of wandering and looking for wolves pass by without any sightings then there is a sound, a growl off to the right. Niveus''s head turns to the right as he is being stareddown by two wolf eyes, they pounce. The wolf is right on Niveus with its teeth gnashing together trying to bite anything.


    Niveus''s hands are up and he tries to wrestle the wolf off of him, he grabs a hold of the wolf in his two hands and drops it, bringing his knee up. "CRACK" is heard as the wolf''s back is slammed against his knee, the wolf limps and stops moving. ''Killing the goblins were far easier and gave better exp'' He grumbles in his head tossing the wolf onto the ground.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 125 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    2 Strength


    2 Agility


    2 Vitality


    2 Intelligence


    2 Wisdom


    2 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to skill Champion of Umbra you have gained skill:


    Sneak - You move silently and hide making it harder for others to locate you</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After 10 more minutes of walking another pack of 8 is found, they meet each other head on as Niveus pulls out his sword. The blade is beginning to look ragged with the edge starting to have nicks and bends.


    Charge is used and a sword is chopped resulting in a wolf having its head cleaved in two, a double strike is sent with two sword sweeps cutting an X across the back of another wolf.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to gaining enough experience: skill Double Strike changed into Triple Strike


    Triple Strike - Strike three times with a sword, the first dealing 100% damage, the second dealing 75% damage and the third dealing 50% damage on one target.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A shriek is let out of his mouth as the skill Shriek is invoked. The wolves lose some strength, although not much any bit may help. Kicks are sent out and a blade sweeps among the group, some receive a kick and are sent flying, others receive a sword and are killed.


    The 6 other wolves are killed quickly resulting in a mass of exp that roles through.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have gained 1000 exp. As per skill Champion of Umbra your exp has turned into:


    17 Strength


    17 Agility


    17 Vitality


    16 Intelligence


    16 Wisdom


    17 Luck</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Due to killing 10Wolves you have gained title:


    BeginnerWolfHunter - Do 10% more damage to wolves.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The sword falls to the ground as Niveus falls back and lays on the ground. His body aches not from pain but it is getting tired. At least all the wolf ears are collected and he can now go back to town.


    I stand on my feet dragging my sword along with me, such a busy day and I am so very tired. I drag my body along thinking about a sweet bed that I will be able to sleep in when I return. Thoughts of nice comfy beds pervade his mind as he returns home.


    Without going to the guild he immediately goes back to the house, opens the door to reveal the oji-san and Sophie. Without saying a word he marches up the stairs, opens the door and lays in the bed, the moment his head hits the pillow, he is asleep.


    "He must be really tired" The oji-san explains to Sophie whilerunning his fingers through her hair, his eye flashes with a hint of worry. "There was a lot of blood but he was not hurt" He explains trying to not only comfort Sophie but also himself.


    Although Niveus is somewhat awkward he obviously means well, he and Sophie have gotten used to him in the short time he was with them and they consider him a friend.


    Sophie nods to the explanations he gave her as she calms the worry that was in her heart.


    "He will be able to tell us all about what he did tomorrow" He looks at Sophie "That would be fun wouldn''t it?


    She gives him a little smile and nods with a little "Un" as he continues rubbing her head.

 Chapter 7: The Magic Store

    Niveus awoke with a startle, the sky outside indicated it was far past morning with his body still aching from the work he did yesterday. Standing up his body swayed a bit, after recollecting himself he began walking down the stairs carefully, a fall would not do him any good right now. Each step against the wood making a creaking sound. "Crreak Crreeak Creak... thump" A tiny thump was heard as he got off the last step. He made his way to a chair and was greeted by the two who owned this residence.


    "Ah, you''re awake!" A deep voice called out.


    "Good morning!" The voice slightly high but evidently cute.


    He turned his face towards them seeing the two vibrant faces with a smile dotted across. "Hello." He greeted with a slightly weary voice, his eyes felt heavier than usual and it took a bit more effort to keep them open.


    He immediately sat on a chair resting his weary body, he was leaning forward slightly with both arms on the table. A bowl was placed in front of him with two chopsticks sitting beside it, a smell of fresh rice paired with freshly cooked vegetables fill his tired body with some strength.


    The bowl is lifted up and with with great gusto the contents are completely devoured leaving a few grains to sit along the sides. After placing 3 cups of tea on the table the oji-san takes his place on the table as well and begins his own meal.


    "Niv what did you do that made you so tired?" The oji-san asks after a little while placing the bowl and chopsticks down while picking up the cup. He gives it a couple blows before taking a quick sip of the tea and sets it back on the table.


    Niv becomes a little excited as he boasts about his accomplishments "I hunted a lot of goblins and then some wolves" He exclaims with a smug expression covering his face. The faces of both Sophie and the oji-san light up as their interest is peaked. "Goblins and wolves?" A tiny voice sounds out towards the left.


    "Yeah, the small green ones and the white wolves." He says to the curious face of little Sophie. She grows in curiosity "What were they like?" She asks while taking a little bite out of a vegetable.


    "The goblins look like little ugly green people, they have sharp teeth and claws and are very violent. They gather in groups and let out these evil sounding shrieks before they attack you like a animal!" Niveus exclaims while raising his hands at Sophie, instead of getting scared like he wanted she instead grows super excited.


    Practically jumping out of her seat she asks about the wolves. He tells her about the wolf that jumped at him and how he had to wrestle with it while trying to stop it from biting his face, her face shines bright as she imagines the wolves.


    "Sounds like you went through quite the experience huh." The oji-san says suddenly. "No it is was nothing super bad, it was just surprising as it was the first time." Niveus quickly responds.


    "Oh, that is good." The oji-san says clearly more relaxed, he is beginning to warm up to Niveus and Niveus is starting to warm up to Sophie and the old man. At first there was practically 0 conversation but now they were able to worry about each other and experience excitement about the things that happened to each other.


    "Oh yeah, Oji-san what were you two doing in that carriage when you found me." Niveus asks. The oji-san pauses for a little "I am something like a merchant and I had to visit someone to talk business with. Leaving Sophie here by herself would not have been good so I brought her with me."


    "Ah, I should thank that guy shouldn''t I?" Niveus chuckles a bit. After conversing with them for a bit and asking questions he suddenly speaks out "Ah, I will be leaving now, I want to head to the Adventurers Guild to turn in the items and get the reward." He says while standing to place the bowl on the table in the kitchen area then he turns back to face them.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Okay, have a good time" Oji-san says while placing an empty bowl down on the table looking him right in the eyes. Sophie placing down a cup that is slightly too big for her also nods at Niveus letting out a little "Un"


    Niveus turns his feet to the door and makes his way to it before opening it and exiting the house. His feet make noises on the stone pathway as his body is carried out to the roads, he makes his way through the medium sized town to the Adventurers Guild.


    He opens the wooden door and is greeted by the normal laughter and constant chatter that pervades the Adventurers Guild. If there was beer here it would be mistaken for a bar instead of a guild.


    There is hardly a line with only 2 people making an obstacle to the counter, Niveus makes his way over and increases the size of the line.


    "Have you heard of the goblin camp?" One voice says "You mean the one that had all the bodies and the chieftain found dead in it?" Another asks. Voices echo from a table that was planted to his right. A group of 5 were having a conversation that seemed to be about him.


    "Yeah that one, the one who did all that is either a random expert wiping out the camp or a new group managed to clear it" One of the men try to explain while taking a swig of beer and bite of meat. Some pieces are launched out of his mouth as he speaks with the meat sitting on his tongue.


    A "smack" rings out on his head as one of his companions smacks it. "Your getting your food all over you dumb ass, we can''t eat any of this now." He roars at him. The guy using his free hand rubs the back of his head. "Gee my bad." He mutters back. This is followed by laughter coming from a couple tables as a couple guys laugh at his misfortune.


    Niveus makes it to the front as the two in front of him finished speaking. The one who greets him is the same counter lady from before. "Hey are you the only person that sits at this counter?" He asks while placing two bags onto the counter.


    "Hey Niv, nope there are 3 of us that sit at the counter." She explains taking and opening the bags. "Oh, well I finished those two quests I picked up." He explains as she piles all the ears onto the counter.


    "Yeap, 40 goblin ears and 15 white wolf ears. That is a hunting quest finished." She responds while recording [Quest Complete] Beside the two quests he picked up. "Wait it wasn''t 50?" Niveus asks puzzled.


    "Nope" She responds as 15 silvers are placed on the counter that Niveus swipes up and places into a pouch. "Oh, see ya counter lady" He calls out while turning and walking out the door. He dumps the 10 ears that he mistakenly grabbed as well.


    His feet touch the stone once again as he walks in another direction. Niveus asked the oji-san earlier and now he wants to visit a place in town similar to a mage shop, he has a lot of mana but there is nothing to do with it. Houses pass by as he makes his way to a old looking store. A creak is made as the door opens revealing shelves of antiques. A oldish guy sits behind a counter with a book in his hand, after hearing the creak he takes a look towards Niveus but returns his eyes back to the pages of the book.


    "Do you have anything that teaches about magic?" Niveus asks the old guy who points towards a shelf of books. Niveus browses through the books entitled many things he does not understand until he gets to a series of books called: Beginners guide to magic. Picking up the first book Niveus takes it to the old guy.


    "How much for the book?" Niveus asks while placing it on the counter in front of the old guy. "5 Silvers" Is the response. Niveus places 5 silvers down and picks the book up off the counter bringing it with him as he exits the door. Weird old man.


    Spoiler: I will place the stats here if there is no Status Screen showed in the chapter.<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    GENERAL INFORMATION


    ______________________


    Level: 1


    Experience: 0


    Name: Niveus


    Gender: Male


    Class: Champion of Umbra


    Hp: 655/655


    MP: 570/570


    ATTRIBUTES


    _______________


    Strength: 112


    Agility: 112


    Vitality: 112


    Intelligence: 111


    Wisdom: 111


    Luck: 111


    TITLES


    _______________________


    Champion of Umbra


    Friend of Umbra


    Intermediate Goblin Slayer


    Beginner Wolf Hunter


    SKILLS


    ______________


    Champion of Umbra


    Charge


    Auto HP Regeneration


    Triple Strike


    Shriek


    Sneak


    Tough Skin

 Chapter 8: Element

    Holding the book under his arm Niveus walked back to the house, he did not want to do anything even remotely tiring right now. "Smack" The book hit the table with screeches coming from a chair moving across wood. Niveus brought the book back to his house and began reading it the moment he came inside.


    The oji-san was not home, it seems he goes out in the afternoon to do his merchant work. Sophie was by herself in the house until Niveus got there. When the door opened she had an excited look on her face, as he sat down she sat beside him.


    There one man with white hair and one little girl with brown hair were sitting and reading from the same book at the same table. This continued all the way until the oji-san got back from his merchant work in evening.


    "Crreeak" Broke the silent atmosphere made by the book. Two heads looked over to see the oji-san enter the house. "Hey, Oji-san your back." Niveus said while Sophie hopped off the chair and rushed him. After a hug he sat down on the table with Sophie beside him as usual.


    He had a serious look on his face as he looked at Niveus, after clearing his throat he began to speak. "You have to make a decision, I have to take another trip with the carriage and I am bringing Sophie with me. You have to decide whether you want to come or not but I will respect any decision you make." Both the Oji-san and Sophie were looking at Niveus waiting for his answer.


    "I will go with you" Was the response, both the oji-san and Sophie relaxed and the mood shifted for the better. "Alright, we will be leaving tomorrow so get anything that you will need ready today." He explained while standing up. Both he and Sophie made their way to the stairs to pack some items they will need for the trip.


    Niveus does not have any items other than the clothes he wears and the sword he carries so he went back to reading the book. The book explained the different elements of magic, what they do and how you would cast magic.


    In this world magic is split into: Water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, light, dark and poison. Casting magic requires you to create an image of the spell you want to do, for example for fire you have to picture fire, for lightning you have to picture lightning. The book explained the basics andwent into a little more detail


    The day went by without an incident, Niveus spent the whole day glued to the book, the oji-san cooked and Sophie played with him. Day quickly changed to night and everyone in the house fell asleep early since the next day they would be leaving at daybreak.


    Niveus was awoken the next morning by footsteps that repeatedly passed his door. Moving to the door and opening it he was met face to face with the oji-san who was carrying a box of clothes. After their greetings the oji-san continued down the stairs followed by Niveus.


    In the living room Sophie was sitting on a chair eating breakfast while morning light filled the room. "Good morning" "Happy morning!" Both Niveus and Sophie called to eachother as Niveus took his place a the table.


    The oji-san was packing everything into the carriage and making preparations to leave the town. Shortly after eating breakfast the group of 3 were all ready and they moved to the carriage. They then left the town behind as the carriage moved onto the oh so familiar paved road. The constant sound of wheel on stone sounded out filling Niveus''s ears with nostalgia.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    There was nothing meaningful that happened with a couple conversations happening between Niveus and Sophie otherwise the time was spent watching the numerous trees as they passed them by. The road continued on into the distance with no end visible. 3 Days were spent like this with sleep and eating pushed into the schedule. Eventually they came upon another town.


    The stone walls towered over the carriage casting a shadow on the surroundings, they sat at around 40 meters and sat imposingly, there was a single opening in the walls with a line of people slowly moving forward. It wasn''t long before the Oji-san, Sophie and Niveus made it inside the town, the line advanced rather quick with the guards investigation being swift.


    The town itself was in the same shape as Raduch with a slums being evident and the houses were built using wood with some made of stone. The carriage passed by a couple people who were chatting happily and children running around laughing happily. The carriage stopped in front of a house that appeared to be bigger than those around it.


    "Ah, Nick you have arrived!" A man was standing in front of his house with a grin on his face, the oji-san got off the carriage. "Of course I have, we are here for business, I am never late when it comes to business."


    Both men share a handshake facing eachother with grins on their faces. "Ah, come inside, we can talk business over tea." The man waves his hand to the door inviting us inside. After stepping through the door we are greeted by decorations that dot the room. There is a chandelier that hangs from the ceiling brightening up the room. A table is placed in the centre of the room with a door leading to the kitchen off to the side.


    After taking a seat both men begin talking about a trade of goods. Seeing as there was nothing to do Niveus decided to leave the house, there was something he wanted to do at this village. "Sophie stay here, I will be back soon" "Un" After receiving confirmation from Sophie he opened the door and left, closing the door behind him.


    After asking around he found out where the magic shop is located and headed for it. The shop is a little better than it is in Raduch with the building being bigger and cleaner. Opening the door there is a middle-aged man sitting behind the counter. "Welcome" The man greets Niveus with a slight smile on his face.


    "Could you test what element I am most suitable for?" The book Niveus purchased at that magic shop mentions that most magic shops have a device that can be used for testing what element you can improve the most with. "Sure, I will go get it" The middle aged man goes through a door where shuffling can be heard before returning with something similar to a crystal ball.


    "Just place your hand on this and the colours that appear mean you are able to practice them, the more of that colourthat appearsmeans the better you are at using it" Niveus places his hand on the ball, nothing happens, 5 seconds pass and the ball remains transparent. When 10 seconds pass a weird mist fills the ball, it is purple, a dark blue and black. However they are not separated as they should be, they are mixed together indicating they are a single element... But there is no element mentioned in the book that is like this.


    The middle aged guy also has a confused look on his face. However Niveus knows exactly what this is.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have discovered your ELEMENT: Void</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Spoiler: Stats<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    GENERAL INFORMATION


    ______________________


    Level: 1


    Experience: 0


    Name: Niveus


    Gender: Male


    Class: Champion of Umbra


    Element: Void


    Hp: 655/655


    MP: 570/570


    ATTRIBUTES


    _______________


    Strength: 112


    Agility: 112


    Vitality: 112


    Intelligence: 111


    Wisdom: 111


    Luck: 110


    TITLES


    _______________________


    Champion of Umbra


    Friend of Umbra


    Intermediate Goblin Slayer


    Beginner Wolf Hunter


    SKILLS


    ______________


    Champion of Umbra


    Charge


    Auto HP Regeneration


    Triple Strike


    Shriek


    Sneak


    Tough Skin