After Rae had woken up after last night’s exhaustion, he felt amazing after sleeping off like having rain after a drought. Rae got up and noticed something. He was standing up on two pudgy legs. ‘I can stand now? Yesterday, I could barely crawl.’

Then he looked down and saw that his ‘little brother’ had grown. He felt around his body and found out the rest had as well. Even his silver hair had grown longer.

‘We’re goblins, so I shouldn’t be too surprised, but it’s still weird.’ Rae thought it was because of his perspective as a human who grew at a snail's pace compared to a goblin. ‘Well, this works out excellently for me as I don’t have to wait years like humans would, to get stronger.’

He looked around and saw that all of the other goblins had grown about the same size, but they still couldn’t stand let alone walk. The reason he could do it because remembered it naturally from his previous life.

That’s when Rae heard a group of six people coming towards the barn house with buckets of the pellet food with his enhanced senses.

“Holy shit, the little bugger can walk now,” one of the people said.

Another person said, “Mr. Crane is gonna be happy. The more exceptional it is, the more money Silver Ridge Auction House is going to make.”

A third chimed in, “Yeah, the guest list for the auction this time is really big. The Humble Foxes mercenary group are coming.”

“No shit! I wonder if Selena Colts is coming. That woman is a goddess,” a fourth person said. Almost drooling at the thought he could see this ‘goddess’.

The first person looked at the fourth person as if he was seeing an idiot. “Idiot. As if she would look at you. Plus, the leader of The Humble Foxes would cut your eyes out if he heard you.”

The four-person couldn’t help but shiver at hearing that. The leader of The Humble Foxes just so happened to be Selena Colts’ father, Landis Colts. He was known to be extremely protective of his daughter, despite her being very capable herself.

“I would be protective of my daughter too if she looked like Selena. Also, she’s definitely going to be the next leader. The Humble Foxes have been traveling around and have built quite the reputation so Landis is probably grooming her and wants to keep her safe,” said the second person.

“Alright, that’s enough chatter. Let’s just get this done and report to Mr. Crane about its progress,” said the first person.

The group then finished up their work and left. Unbeknownst to them, Rae was listening to their entire conversation.

‘It’s no surprise they’re keeping track of me, but what should I do about it? Should I show exceptional progress or try and lay low? And that Humble Foxes mercenary group sounds interesting…,’ Rae mused.

After giving it some thought, he decided to be exceptional, but not too exceptional. He thought it was best chance to leave and see the bigger world to get stronger. Although it carried some risks like his captors being afraid he would overthrow them, if he played it right, he could deceive them.

He then decided he would spend this time they were giving them alone to practice「Mana Control」and「Darkness Magic」and come up with a plan.

********

One Week Later

A week had gone by and the auction house employees only came by to drop off food so the goblins wouldn’t starve, but Rae appreciated that.

He and the other goblins grew up to around 4 feet tall which made him in awe of their monstrous growth rate. Although, for some odd reason, he was bit smaller than them.

Because of this, and the fact he didn’t look like them, he had gotten into multiple fights with some of the goblins who tried to pick on him. With his stats though, he didn’t need much to beat them. After a while, he beat so many of them up, he got「Barehanded Combat」. As he had expected and hoped for, the employees saw and reported all of this.

Speaking of skills, Rae managed to level up 「Darkness Magic」and「Mana Control」once and gained 「Concentration」and「Breathing Technique」 as well. He obtained 「Concentration」through nonstop practicing「Darkness Magic」, as all he had done was eat, sleep, poop in a corner, and fight off goblin bullies. He obtained 「Breathing Technique」very quickly from practicing for one day. He believed that it was so easy to obtain it was because he originally used it in his previous life for his anxiety. But still practiced for years after he had gotten rid of his it because he was used to practicing it every day. This made him think…

What would happen if he managed to get ahold of a sword and practice Kendo? Would he get a skill?

Rae would not have to wait long to get his answer.

After Rae had woken up, he felt something uncomfortable around his neck. When he shook off his grogginess, he saw what it was.

A slave collar.

The heavy, cold iron collar, pressing against his neck. A physical manifestation of a brand, wrapped around his neck as someone else’s belonging.

Obviously, he hated it.

What was strange though, was that the collar had a red crystal the size of a fingernail embedded into it. He could feel a strange pulse coming from the red crystal and surmised it was crystallized mana or something similar and is what kept the collars magical in the first place.

When all the other goblins had woken up, Mr. Crane came into the barn house with a cart full of wooden swords.

Now that the goblins were much bigger after a week, they needed a way to control them from being too rowdy. ‘This will probably be the time when the auction house begins conditioning the goblins to follow orders as well,’ Rae thought, and he was not wrong.

Mr. Crane proceeded to yell to all the goblins in the barn house, “I know you all can understand me through the collar, so stand and listen up!” Although the goblins had yet to learn the human language yet -as they were only a week old- they could understand Mr. Crane because he was bonded with all of the collars they were wearing and the goblins could ‘sense’ what he meant. The goblins being bonded to him through the collars was also why he could command them.

After he had said that, all the goblins stood up very stiffly.

‘Why are they all moving like that?’ Rae asked himself. ‘Is it because of the collars? But it’s not doing anything to me.’

That’s when he sensed a gaze on him and swiftly decided to follow suit.

‘I don’t know why the collar doesn’t affect me, but I have to pretend it does,’ Rae decided.

When Mr. Crane turned his head toward Rae, he thought the collar wasn’t working on Rae but thought the collar was foolproof after he saw him standing up as well.

‘What am I thinking? Even if he is mutated, he can’t fight the collar,’ thought Mr. Crane.

After all the goblins stood up, he ordered them again. “Each of you takes a sword.”

The goblins each took a sword.

“Now fight until there is only one of you left standing.”

That’s when all hell broke loose and all the goblins started swinging their swords wildly.

Rae was almost swept up in the tense and adrenaline filled atmosphere but was able to stay clear headed. He then took a deep breath and took a stance.

He sensed two goblins coming in front and behind him.

When they got closer, both goblins swung downwards. Rae slanted his body to the side, with both goblins swords sliding through the air beside him, nearly clashing, he slashed the goblin on its neck. Before the front goblin collapsed, Rae twisted his body, struck the goblin from back on his ribs.

Rae had carried out his sword strikes extremely fast, and they both collapsed at the same time.

『Akashic System』Gained「Swordsmanship LV1」

Rae had no time to think about the notification when two goblins were fighting each other. He toned down his speed so he wouldn’t reveal too much, and dashed at them. He kicked one goblin in the stomach, making it collapse instantly and slashed across the other’s stomach. After the two of them collapsed he had a brief respite before he heard a yell from Mr. Crane.

“Enough! All goblins stand down and drop your weapons except for you!” Mr. Crane yelled pointing at Rae.

All the goblins dropped their weapons and were ‘removed’ from the force of command from Mr. Crane, they started to look at Rae with a bit of awe and fear. The prowess he showed was something no week old goblin should have. They definitely would not ever attempt to bully him again. Not that they could really do anything before, but now they would not even try an attempt.

Mr. Crane while pointing at Rae, said, “Swing your sword to the best of your ability.”

‘Looks like he noticed my「Swordsmanship」skill,’ thought Rae. But he was happy as this was what he wanted. And he didn’t need to hide his swordsmanship either unlike his magic skills.

Rae then held the sword with both hands, went into a stance and slashed downwards with force. He held his raw strength back, of course, as that would only cause problems.

Mr. Crane looked at the lone, beautiful goblin, and its silk-like silver hair standing there with a huge grin on his face and greedy light in his eyes.

‘I’ve really lucked out! Dralomere dropped a golden egg on my lap without even realizing it! This mutated goblin is not only human looking and beautiful to look at, but its fighting prowess is prodigious. It gained「Swordsmanship」from only swinging the sword a few time,’ exclaimed Mr. Crane. ‘I wonder if it can use magic. Maybe I should ask for an aptitude stone from the auction house superiors… No, the goblin is already weird enough. It’s impossible for it to know magic as well,’ reasoned Mr. Crane. But he still couldn’t help but wonder deep down…

Then he decided to train further Rae's「Swordsmanship」so he would be of more value at the auction in a month.

“You, come with me,” said Mr. Crane to Rae.

‘I wonder where he’s taking me,’ wondered Rae as he followed him.