1.4

“Behold! My ascent to greatness!” - last words of the True Vampire Kars, moments after being convinced by Astrologist Joseph that the light of the Moon was the reflection of the Sun, therefore he should be immune to sunlight.

It was gradual at first. My body only felt a bit heavy here and there. I didn’t think it was that bad and I was more preoccupied searching the huts for anything valuable looking. It was when I staggered into a wall for some shade that I started reconsidering my decision.

I finished another Mushroom Meal, feeling the slight energising effect course through me. Slowly, I made another one. The Sun Sickness effect didn’t increase at a flat rate like I thought it would, instead it was cumulative and increasingly I felt like I needed to go to sleep. A sensation similar to heavy eyelids but across my entire body.

Damn lazy goblins, why couldn’t they have made roofs. I could’ve taken shelter in them… I began chewing on the second Mushroom Meal.

Shit. I had barely made it thirty meters into the village. There was still the central hut I needed to check out. I needed options, I assessed the hut next to me. The wall I was leaning on was made of some ancient-looking wood. It looked flimsy, but I could probably use it as an umbrella. However, if I had so much as kicked a stick out of place the hut would probably collapse. Calling it a hut was probably too generous, this thing looked like someone just piled random junk in a way that happened to have walls.

I’d hate to cause any noise right now. I haven’t confirmed if this village was completely empty. There was no guard and no obvious activity however there might still be goblins hiding in the huts. Making any sound could alert the whole place, and facing enemies under sunlight was not something I should be doing right now. But the fact that there were no guards meant that if there were any goblins remaining, they were either very few or really confident in themselves. Do I take the risk?

The central hut was my main focus here, it was the most conspicuous building here so something must be in there damn it. Problem was that there was still a good twenty meters between us. My mana was now only half topped due to all the Mushroom Meals I had to make and every moment I spent in the sun only made me more tired. I can’t rely on the mushroom method for now. I should be able to make it if I made some cover since the skill specified direct sunlight.

Hmm. Screw it, I’m going to need the cover to get out anyway so might as well do it. Setting down my staff, I slowly dug my fingers into the foundations, keeping a close eye on all the other structures haphazardly leaning on it.

Slowly, carefully, I pulled it out of the ‘slot’ that it was in, slowing slightly every time I heard a creak. When I feel like I pulled it out enough, I freed one of my hands to grab onto the collapsing hut. Slowly I eased the structure onto the ground as I removed the wall, staying under its shade the entire time.

Letting out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding, I wiped the nonexistent sweat off my forehead. Well, at least I accomplished it as silently as possible. Hefting the wooden plank over my head, I tied my staff to my backpack and made my way towards the central hut.

About halfway there, I froze. Movement. The sound of cursing and metal clanking as something stumbled out of the hut.

Another goblin, unarmed, it looked half asleep and was blearily rubbing its eyes. As quietly as possible, I muttered “Grow Sporage, Poison Spores,”

A mushroom sprouted on my left upper chest. Slowly, I shifted the weight of my shelter unto a single hand. My now freed right hand moved and plucked the mushroom.

The goblin hasn’t spotted me yet, it took a right almost immediately after leaving the hut, going out of sight.

Hurrying to the hut, I crept around the other side. Spotting the goblin with its back turned to me and taking a piss just a few meters away from the hut.

I quietly and slowly bent down, then lightly threw the poison mushroom, watching it roll just underneath the goblin’s legs. It was almost finished. I muttered, “Poison Spores,”

The cap burst, spraying spores onto the goblin. It jerked upwards before grabbing its groin, then fell to the ground in a loud thud.

I froze again, listening for the sounds in the hut. Hearing if there was any indication that the noise alerted anything.

Ten seconds passed, no reaction.

Twenty seconds passed, no reaction.

Thirty seconds passed, no reaction.

…

Fifty seconds passed, no reaction.

Sixty seconds passed, I think I’m in the clear.

Carefully rising up from my spot, I crept towards the entrance. I quickly poked my head in and out. There was a hodgepodge of goblin bodies, scattered around sleeping in various stages of undress. Not only that, there was a white smoke emanating from small bronze pots that made me slightly dizzy whenever I inhaled a bit of it.

I quickly peeked back inside again. They all appeared fast asleep. My eyes focused on something in the centre. A slightly older looking goblin, wrinkles were clearly visible on its face. It was tightly clutching a staff that looked like it was grown from several intertwined branches, the branches forming a ball-shaped cage at the tip. Three glowing white lights danced around in there before they stopped and stared at me.

I wanted it.

I quickly evaluated my options. On one hand, a cool looking staff, on the other hand, leaving to safety.

The staff won. Not that I wasn’t going to run. The staff was just more important right now.

Mentally calculating the mana I had, the cost of Poison Spores and its damaging radius, I found I just came up short. I might be able to take out 50-70% of the goblins if I spent all my mana, but that would leave me with two of my racial debuffs active. Sun Sickness and Mana Dependency, both severe debuffs to my stamina. The damaging radius of Poison Spores was small, while the clumped up status of the goblins was ideal, the sheer number of them made the attack unfeasible.

I put down my wooden shelter, thankfully the goblins put a ceiling here so I was safe from the sun. Carefully, I crept forward, doing my best to avoid stepping on any goblin limbs and bodies.

Not only that, I required line of sight to activate the Sporage and can only do so one at a time. If the previous goblin deaths were any indication then they’ll probably make some noise when they die. I wasn’t risking it. But…

“Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage…” I muttered silently under my breath.

Sneezing Spores was my best CC option ignoring Pacifying Spores, which was considered a racial skill and therefore unable to be stored in Grow Sporage. As a tier 0 spell it was also costless. I grew mushrooms on the sides of my hip, not in the way but also can be reached quickly. Just on the off chance it all went to shit, I would at least have a backup plan. Only a third of my mana left now.

Quietly I reached the goblin, slightly wrinkling my mouth as I taste a much larger concentration of the dizzying smell. Ugh. Smelling with my mouth was something that I’ll probably never get used to.

Slowly I bent down towards the lying goblin, wrapping a hand on the staff and another on the goblins own hand.

The goblin let out a gargled sound before trying to bat me away, then proceed to clutch tightly to the staff.

Plan B, I pulled out my dagger, raising it slightly above the goblin's neck. My other hand was held just a bit above the goblin's mouth. At once, I dropped both the dagger and my hand. The dagger for stabbing and the hand to muffle out any noises.

My dagger got about five centimetres from its neck before one of the glowing lights in the staff suddenly sparked up. Then a green barrier halted my dagger and hand.

I pulled back both hands. I checked the wooden cage, one of the lights had disappeared. So that’s what it did. If I tried three more times then I’ll be able to get the goblin, however, then the staff wouldn’t be charged anymore… I had no idea if this staff only had these two uses left or if there was a condition to recharge it.

Best not to risk it, I don’t want to have gone through all this trouble just for a fancy looking stick.

Hmm… what to do…

An idea popped into my head. Picking one of the shrooms on my shoulder, I aimed it in front of the goblin’s torso and muttered, “Light Spores.”

The mushroom burst and a small puff of light appeared on top of him. No reaction from the staff.

Hmm, does that mean… I pointed at the goblin’s face and muttered, “Pacifying Spores,”

White spores burst from that finger and onto the goblin’s face. The goblin noticeably relaxed as the spores settled on him, loosening its death grip on the staff.

The condition seems to be lethal attacks only or at least damaging attacks in general. I need to test it out once I figured out if I can recharge the thing. But other than that… WOO! FREE STAFF!

I quickly calmed my celebrating self as I gently removed the staff from the goblin’s hands. Making sure not to touch the white liquid that was still dripping off the thing.

Now, I chuckled evilly in my mind, time for some EXP farming. I pointed at the older goblin, “Poison Spor-” I paused mid-sentence as I felt my recently acquired staff swing into my hip, knocking off a cluster of mushrooms.

I watched in silent shock as I saw the mushrooms fall to the floor, one falling into a nearby goblin’s mouth.

The goblin bit down on the mushroom, I heard a small pop as the mushroom released its spores.

Then the goblin sneezed.