We ended up staying another day to sort things out with the blacksmith and settle on an agreement. Then we set out at dawn riding atop Tom’s cart. The news of our deal with Tom had spread throughout the hamlet, and a giant farewell party saw us off. Tom assured us he hadn’t told everyone, but couldn’t say the same for the blacksmith or his wife. We didn’t mind, of course. All six households had packed lunches for the three of us. I suspected it would last us the entire trip and perhaps longer for Tom.

Booger followed, tied to the cart as we ventured down the road we had come. He appeared healthier, and the flesh around the old laceration looked better than before. Elena had successfully contained the poison, but there was no telling how long her magic would last. She had guaranteed the poison would remain contained for another ten days, but after that we needed find a fix for Booger as soon as possible. Hopefully, an apothecary in Eldar’s Port would recognise the living acid and successfully produce a neutraliser for it.

It had been a struggle to keep Doctor Whoo hidden from the hill folk. Tom had seen her, of course, and a couple of others had spotted her too, but never in full-sized form. I had only released Satchel Monsters while we were deep in the woods. Fortunately, she had understood my needs and kept silent. She had explored and hunted, and occasionally, I practised riding her. Unfortunately, the mastery hadn’t budged. I guessed the system provided little mastery experience—for the lack of a better word—for ordinary actions and larger quantities for overcoming challenges or accomplishing something challenging. It was one department I still knew nothing about.

Now, Doctor Whoo road on the back of the cart napping next to me. She looked more like an enormous owl with forelimbs instead of wings rather than an owlbear. I found the disguise pleasing enough. There was no telling how long the facade would last, but for the time being, sticking to it felt smarter.

Hruk and Tom discussed necessary materials and parts while we rode through the hills. Whenever questions regarding the contract or how to deal with vendors came up, the pair turned to me. As a newcomer to Arena Disk, I didn’t know what I was doing, of course. However, while on the quest towards sous chef back on Earth, I had taken responsibility for dealing with our vegetable and meat suppliers. The head chef trusted me to get excellent product for the right cost. The degree in Mathematics and Economics had paid off, but not in the way my parents had hoped.

I hoped my increasing Intellect would help me recall the lectures and all the work experience to help in entrepreneurial pursuits. Charisma, and being an arsehole, had helped in my social victory against Kraine. However, the same plan wouldn’t work a second time. I’d need to pursue economic wins too, and perhaps succeed at combat further down the line. Hopefully, by the time the latter came around, I’d have an army of magical beast companions and the magic to support them against all of Tracy’s goons. However, I was nowhere near accomplishing such wins. To achieve following either method, I needed money. Hopefully, Hruk and Royalty Fees would help me solve the problem.

The system had granted him the same trait. According to Hruk, he had never heard of it before. His mother had several inventions under her belt, but the system had never provided the same for her. We concluded that it was rather rare, and either my status as a champion or bringing multiple new creations to Game World had helped unlock it.

Eventually, the hills opened into Eldar’s Plains. Tall grass and occasional patches of woodland populated. As Blacknail Mountains and the hills shrunk behind us, the land got tamer. We witnessed farmland in the distance, and thanks to the winding roads, they approached at almost a snail's pace.

“Are we taking the long road or the short one?” I asked the second morning of our journey.

“The short one.,” Tom answered. “The longer one takes, the more populated roads There’s three of us after all. Bandits and beasts are more likely to bother lone travellers or people travelling to children.”

I was tempted to highlight that our pint-sized forms made us little better than children, but that felt discriminatory, so I kept my thoughts to myself. Now that I was on Arena Disk, I needed to get over such hang-ups. Even though I didn’t like it, for a serial bullshitter like me, playing off stereotypes and prejudices would likely prove essential for my ploys. However, I couldn’t help but feel accomplished watching Hruk and Tom chat like old flames. Perhaps changing perceptions by playing the long game would get me better results. I just didn’t know what to expect.

“Mind getting water from the stream, Perry?” Tom asked on the second evening of our journey. We were still a couple of hours from tamed farmland when it got too dark to continue down the road. Now, we needed to set up camp. “I’ll get wood for the fire?”

“A fire?” Hruk asked, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say there are bandits and beasts around these parts? Besides, the portable hot plate didn’t let us down last night. So why take the risk?”

Tom pointed at the village’s lights in the distance. “We’re close enough to the guilds’ patrol paths to stay safe.” He shot us an embarrassed grin. “Don’t get me wrong. The hot plate is good and all, but it can’t match rabbit roasted over an open flame. I’m dying for some potatoes too—”

“Really?” Hruk scoffed. “Potatoes?”

“Yes. You know potatoes, don’t you, Mage Hruk?” I chuckled, quoting the immortal Samwise Gamgee. “Boil them, mash them, put them in a stew.”

“Yes, I know potatoes, Tom. It’s just a bit too much of a risk for rabbit or potatoes,” Hruk replied, rolling his eyes. “I’ll admit they’re plump, but that’s a bit much.”

“I agree with the goblin,” a voice said, making us jump. “It’s foolish to assume those that mean you harm need a campfire to track you, though.” A human-sized shadow appeared from the tall grass. “It’s almost insulting, you know.”

“To be fair, we would’ve missed you if you didn’t talk as much,” another voice added. Its owner emerged from the opposite side from the first. He stood taller than the first and featured shoulders almost as wide as Grog, the goblin chieftain. He wore a large buckler strapped to his left arm. “All that chatter called to us from fields away.”

My eyes scanned our impromptu campsite. There were four of them. The other two stood just beyond the grass on either side. They were halfling-sized and had silently surrounded us without Doctor Whoo detecting them. Either they had gotten their Sneaking Mastery to impressive levels, or her food coma after hunting all of the previous night and day was too deep.

“We don’t want the blood of two halflings on our hands,” the first man said. His still shadowed face turned to face Hruk. “Goblin skin but human-like features? I don’t even know what you are, but I suppose we can spare you, too. That’s as long as you handover everything on your cart.”

“Well, we might as well take the cart and the two beasts,” the second bandit added. “That pig looks weird. I’m sure it’ll fetch a decent price and we’ll need the other to carry everything back to the hideout, won’t we Ed—boss.”

“Can’t we solve this like civilized folk?” I asked, while I searched for Doctor Whoo. They had keen senses but hadn’t detected her. My height made it impossible to tell, but I was sure she had escaped the cart once more. “We’re just a group of travellers trying to make a living just like you. Can’t we just come to an agreement?”

“What kind of agreement?” The first bandit asked. He emerged from the shadows, raising an eyebrow. “We aren’t in the business of making deals with prey. What can you offer that we can’t just take from you?”

“Steady work,” I answered. “What if I tell you that we’re looking to set up a supply route and could hire you to work as our protection? I’m sure banditry is profitable, but it isn’t steady, is it? A regular paycheck—”

“A new supply route?” The man laughed. It was the first time I had felt malice and menace since facing Kraine. “We can’t have that. If you’d kept shut, we would’ve let you live. You’re a charming fellow, though. So, we’ll make it quick.”