I inscribed arrows pointing to the direction of the plains I left a bit over a day ago, directions which without fail would lead one to the same Oak tree that literally saved my life. Why did I have time to do that while following the pipsqueak? Well, mostly because the basket he was carrying was way too heavy for his low Strength attribute.

With a glance I could see that the sad level one mob was very tired, but fear didn't let him stop even for a second, while even weirder, he didn't let the basket with fruits behind either.

It really made me wonder why he went through all that trouble just for a basket of wild plants and barely comestible fruits... maybe there's a famine or something? I doubt it though, since the plains were lush and the forest was lively.

"Maybe they like to use them as condiments for the human meat they indulge in ever so often...Either way, this is really taking too long. Just how far ahead is their camp?"

Getting impatient was no good and I was aware of it, but couldn't wait another second to get out of this place and wash myself properly. More important now like never before, I felt the strange need to have a conversation with an actual human being that could reply back. Those were the goals I planned to achieve, even if I had to slaughter my way through an entire Goblin army! Bath and a good talk!

It took another hour or so before I could finally see in the distance a fence surrounding some poorly built tents, probably made by covering some branches with grass. There was no doubt on my mind that this was the Goblin village.

I quickly advanced parallel to the gatherer and left the mob in the dust while circling around the camp through the right side, Why right side again? Dunno! Probably because the Sun was on my left side or something... Oh, right! After looking at the Sun's position this morning when I woke up, I realized that the tower I was heading towards was west...the bad part was the monster village was in the same direction.

I carefully walked a safe distance from the village while keeping an eye on it, but also making sure I don't encounter others. Soon a big commotion shook the silence of the forest and tens of Goblins started running towards the direction which I came from. Thank Reaper that I moved away from there!

"It seems that it went better than expected. Now I just need to..."

I didn't even get the chance to finish those words and a group of four Goblins ran madly towards the village, probably five to six meters in front of me. I glued myself to the bark of a tree and didn't move for a couple of minutes, literally trying to fuse with it, until I realized that they were gone.

"That was too close! I didn't even hear them..."

At the same time when I peaked towards the shittily built grass huts, I saw that from all directions around the village, Goblins were pouring back to the camp and heading for the clearance. I figured that someone must've used that rally skill of theirs and brought out all of their reinforcements to deal with the problem. Quite impressive decision making to be honest...

To me however, that was nothing but good news since I could pick up the pace now. Less enemies equals less worries!

I started sprinting and every four to five meters I would slash at the nearest tree, in order to keep the trail in case I get lost.

I must've been running for around one, maybe close to two hours from the sweat that glued the now green t-shirt to my skin and I could finally see dead ahead in about 500 more meters, the end of the forest. Since when I left the clearance with today's encounter only survivor was about noon, then maybe two hours passed until we reached the village and now another two while I ran here, it should be around 4PM. However I wasn't confident in my ability to tell time and was approximating based on the Sun's position and my shadow, which is why why I hoped it was close. A certain someone holding a Bowie military grade knife and a rucksack, peaked out of a camel's carcass, looked at me and shook his head dissaprovingly...in my mind at least...

"The exit! Why does it feels like I've been wondering for a whole year in this shitty forest!?"

When I took the first step out of it, I felt amazingly relieved and felt like I could collapse on the ground any second now, since my feet almost gave out. I didn't realized just how much under pressure I felt and it made sense since my life was on the line like every second once I stepped behind the first tree... However, just a couple of hours ago it didn't feel like this. Is almost like I left the plains with the usual me and once I entered the forest and went through those ordeals, someone else took the steering wheel, only to give it back now that I'm out. Either way if this was my tutorial, I am not playing this game anymore!

While thinking that, I looked up from the grass under my feet and in front of me that I wanted to throw myself and roll on. In the distance, about a kilometer away, a huge wall stood dauntingly and a tower even taller on it. It seems that I managed to reach the place I saw previously when I barely arrived in this world and started walking with heavy steps towards it. Somehow, the adrenaline wore off and I felt muscular pains from all the movement and body strain, but mostly, my feet hurt like hell since sneakers are not exactly meant for hardcore outdoor trips like this one.

I kept walking begrudgingly when I saw in the distance, closing in on me, a group of people riding horses and holding spears in their hands. From the shine of the sunlight reflected of them, they didn't look as crappy as the ones the Goblin Guards had.

When they were only ten to twenty meters away from me, I stopped and raised my hands to show I am not hostile and that I would prefer not to have holes put in me.

"Wouldn't it be funny to get killed by them after surviving the Goblins?"

I quickly appraised them and the result surprised me. They were guards indeed, but their status pages were...strange?

Name

Ronald Veitrich

Name

Value

Name

Value

Job Name

Level

Progress

Race

Human

STR

15

Magic

4

Guard

2

???

Sex

Male

DEX

18

Charm

15

Age

35

AGI

19

Luck

20

World

Anhur

END

16

HP

263/263 (+1.9/sec)

INT

18

MP

189/189(+2.3/sec)

WIS

20

Skill List Name Level Proficiency Thrust ??? ??? Spear Mastery ??? ??? War Cry ??? ??? Piercing Stance ??? ??? Blessings granted by the world: Blessing of Fertility Blessing of experience Blessing of Wisdom Blessing of War

Unbalanced!!! Just how does he have more than double my initial HP and MP, plus higher stats and to top it off four skills, at only be level two!? I bet this guy hasn't killed even a gatherer until now...yet he could easily with play a soldier to death those stats...Annoying! Cheaters with their cheat-like blessings should all fuck off and get eaten by a Goblin!

[Identify yourself and explain where you came from!] (Ronald)

"Fuc..ahem! Michael Corbett sir. I just traversed the forest behind me after entering it from the plains around twenty...well behind. I was hoping to reach a human settlement by night since I haven't saw one in a while. "

Oooooh nice save! Most impressive story as well if I can do say so myself! By the way, a lie is a lie if only it omits parts of the truth. I pretty much said what I did while omitting things that happened, therefore I pulled it off both calmly and excellently. I should've went for acting classed back on Earth...would've made it to Hollywood for certain! Or the Senate...

[Don't lie! Is impossible to cross the forest since the Goblins built a village somewhere in there and are constantly roaming about in groups.] (another guard)

"Aha! Tell me more about it! I almost died a couple of times back then. I only survived because I hid in a tree until they fell asleep and killed the first two I met and took their weapons. Later on next day I met a group consisting of two armed Goblins and another five unarmed ones carrying fruits in a basket, which I proceeded in killing one by one while they were searching for firewood to cook a meal. I then let one alive which ran home, in order to guide me to their settlement. When I found it I moved passed it and after two hours of running, here I am..."

I figured I should go for the truth for the simple fact that I was way too tired to think of a story and remember it after. Also, I think it might've worked because the entire group was silent and slack-jawed...

[What did you just say? Just now, did you tell the truth?] (Ronald)

He got down from the horse, walked (well more like ran really really fast in my direction), grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me while asking me that. It really scared me for Reaper's sake! I thought he was about to kill me or something... I'm not sure I can handle a cheat-like guard with a million blessings...

"Yes, I really killed them since I needed to survive..."

What the hell? Are Goblins an protected species on the verge of extinction? Did I just destroy their chance at survival and broke some laws!? Oh shit...

[Not that! The village! Did you see their village?] (Ronald)

"Eh!?...yeah... I passed right by it and ran straight here where you found me. They all ran towards the place I killed the previous Goblins which made it easier for me not to encounter others. They were searching for me in pretty big numbers."

[How many? Did you see how many? No...before that, the path, do you know the path back to the Goblin village?] (Ronald)

This dude is all over the place. What set his skirt on fire? Can't he calm down a bit? He looks like he used all the air available in his body just to finish that phrase...

"Well, I couldn't exactly count all of them since I was you know, running for my life, but I can give an approximation. And the path back is very simple."

[Is fucking not! Ahem, sorry... We've been trying for a month now since they build their camp there, to locate it and exterminate them, but our scouts keep getting killed and the parties we've sent so far always suffer big damage from ambushes and are forced back. Do you really know the way back?] (Ronald)

What the hell!? No wonder this world is dead last! How can humans lose to creatures that have literally almost 0 Intelligence stat!? He genuinely seemed desperate, meaning that it was the truth. It also made me wonder just how many people did those green trash mobs killed so far...

"Yes. To make it easier if I got lost, I carved arrows on the trees showing the direction back to the clearing, passing by the monster village every four or five meters. If you follow those you'll reach it in two hours with no problems. If you run of course..."

[Fast, come with us! We need to notify the general about this. He will be mostly pleased by such good news! Ghram and Dan, you two go in the direction which he came from, venture inside the forest and find the marked trees that show the trail. Follow it, but return immediately if you sense any danger. Understood?] (Ronald)

[Yes sir!]

"Excuse me, is not necessary to go that far... I marked the trail when I left the forest. You only need to look for the trees at the entrance of it. Also they are most likely fine since the Goblins left in big numbers from the village and the trail is big enough to ride... six horses side by side I guess..."

I'm getting really good at this estimation stuff! Although I just said it because it sounded cool...shit! What if they can't exactly ride the horses through the fucking forest! What the hell was I thinking!?

[Really!? Good, good! Go now you two and make haste after finding and marking it! You, Corbett, what country are you from?] (Ronald)

Shit! One thing after another...I knew this was coming sooner or later, but unfortunately I have no knowledge of this world since that self-serving game God didn't tell me anything in order to further amuse himself. Guess I'll go with the truth...

"I belong to no country."

[A nomad? Rather in this case, an adventurer would be more fitting since you slayed those Goblins on your own. It might be rude of me to ask but, do you have an occupation? And if so, what's your level?] (Ronald)

"Hmm? Is OK really. I got the occupation of 'Scout' yesterday after waiting above the two Goblins for around seven to eight hours and after killing them and the others the next day I reached level 8."

[Level 8!?] (Ronald)

Alright, alright! The whole 'getting surprised over and over again' faces are annoying. Actually, the remaining guards started clamoring and were looking at me filled with doubt, while some sneered like they saw a mental patient. Don't tell me I just hit a landmine... Shitty game God!

I really want just a place to sleep and take a bath after holding a conversation with some proper human beings! Well, technically I guess I should be happy with accomplishing the last... One out of the two goals reached... Yey...

[If what you say is true, even more of a reason for you to come with us and meet the general. Mark, you and Victor ride the same horse and give the one you have to this guy!] (Ronald)

"Uhm...sorry but I didn't ride a horse even once in my life and I am not entirely sure of what to do..."

[How unusual...Then climb in the back of mine. We need to make haste! The news we carry will raise a storm in the city!] (Ronald)

"Uwah...just the words I didn't want to hear..."