"Boss?... Boss you there?... Boss!"

The goblin Robur kept calling his leader, nervous that something was wrong as he wasn't answering.

(What the hell happened? And what is this pain that I am feeling?)

Frozen for a few minutes, while listening to Robur's words, I could not answer him while the only thing that I felt, was a hangover.

Finally, I answered as the pain was dissipating.

"I... am fine Robur."

"Boss fine? Good!" The goblin shouted as he punched his chest. "Robur not hungry or sleepy! Boss give order to Robur?"

(Ah, fuck, the pain is increasing, what the hell!)

It seemed that this hangover would not disappear so fast.

Looking at my minions, I slowly started to think on what to do.

"Robur, for now, I ask you to wait." I told the goblin warrior.

"Yes Boss!" Robur agreed.

(Show me Spell tab.)

Possession spell

Cost: 5 mana

Basic Info:

Using this spell will allow the Heart Core possess a minion of its choosing. Another Chance

Cost: 20 mana

Basic Info:

Allows a Heart Core to move his territorial body and possessions including minions to a random location.

Can only be used once every 60 days.

(Why doesn't it say anything regarding the pain?)

As the tab disappeared, I looked at the Resource UI on the right top of my view.

Tiles:22/30 Gold:140 Mana:68/125 (-125)

(My mana seems to be recovering well, but I am not pleased with this tile limit and gold quantity.

What would Blue do in this situation? Perhaps explore? But when we last spoke of this matter he made clear that 1 goblin would not be enough.)

It did not take long until I finally decided to explore, while it was safe to hide and the supplies were enough to last for the rest of my life, just the boredom of staring at my minions who had nothing to do was enough to declare new orders.

"Robur!" I called my only goblin.

"Yes Boss?"

"It is time to explore, for now, protect the Imps while they dig forward!"

With haste, my level 3 and 2 Imps ran towards the last claimed tiles and started to dig out forward.

Meanwhile Robur stood behind them, holding a dagger with his right hand as his second weapon remained on his belt.

Slowly the path was cleared, tile by tile of dirt.

The pickaxes released their impact sounds, forming a repeated melody, to be paused everytime with tiny earthquake sound.

One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

Five...

Six...

Seven...

Eight...

Nine...

Ten...

After 10 tiles, the pickaxe sounds stopped, the Imps finally encountered something new, a big dark room.

(Ah, was wondering how long it would take to find something!)

Ordering the Imps to hold position, I decided to let Robur investigate.

(What do you think Robur?) I asked Robur as he passed my Imps, reaching the room.

"Boss, seems like a normal cave."

One of the good things in goblins and Imps is that their vision in the dark is perfect.

"Boss, wait, noise!" Robur looked around holding tighter his dagger as he searched for the source of new sounds.

At first it was not noticeable, but now it was clear, my minions were not alone in the room as tiny squeaks could be heard.

(Find the source, and the Imps will cover your back!)

As the Imps joined behind Robur, he moved forward, with each step the squeak sounds were higher.

(What's that?)

As Robur reached the center of this room, there some sort of dirt mound who was camouflaged thanks to its surroundings.

With another step, it was clear now trough Robur's vision, this room was a nest, as the center of the mound was full of rats with black fur.

(What are those?)

"Boss, these Ratman cubs, family be near!" Robur informed me.

With his left hand, he picked up one of them.

"Eyes not open, no threat yet."

The little ratman started to squeak even higher as he disliked being held by Robur.

(Drop it. The noises might alarm its parents.)

At my words he instantly dropped the little ratman on the floor, the poor beast released his final sound as he broke his head at the impact with the ground.

"Weak pup" Robur looked down, despising the baby.

(Watch out!)

Robur looked upwards, distracted by the death of the ratman baby, he failed to see that a level 2 ratman was charging into his position.

"I kill you!" Robur shouted at the ratman, but it had no effect as he was enraged by the death of his younger kin.

Jumping above the nest, he tackled Robur, making him fall on his back.

"Squeak squeak!" The ratman screamed as he did its best to kill Robur.

Robur was unable to use his dagger, as the ratman pushed Robur's right hand with his paws, in turn, Robur with his left hand pushed the ratman's chin upwards to avoid his sharp teeth.

(You are not allowed to die yet!)

With my command, my level 3 Imp joined the fight, swinging his pickaxe, piercing the ratman's skull, causing instant death and spilling blood everywhere.

"Thanks Boss!"

Pushing the dead body to his side, Robur rose up and drew his left dagger.

"Boss, I kill pups?" Robur had a great wish to kill the rest of the ratmen young.

(Not yet, first let's make sure the big ones are dead.)

Another Ratman appeared in the direction where the first one ratman came, from wich a tunnel marked this room's exit.

(Do not rush and take precautions.)

"Yes Boss!" Rubor shouted as he and the Imps walked slowly to second Ratman.

Countering my minion's actions, the ratman screamed.

"Squeak! Squeak!"

Answering his call, two new ratmen joined him, and a second later, the three level 1 ratmen charged against their invaders.

(Kill them!)

Robur smiled as he listened to my words appeared in his mind.

The second ratman jumped into Robur, but this time he dodged this new enemy.

"You die!" With a shout, Robur jumped on the back of the ratman and plunged his daggers into the back of the enemy neck, releasing more red blood.

At the same moment, the fourth ratman charged my level 3 Imp, wich reacted by swinging his pickaxe, perforating the left side of the ratman's head, causing another instant kill.

The last ratman charged my level 2 Imp, but suddenly stoped before my Imp, screaming in pain as Robur had throw one of his daggers that hit the ratman's left leg.

With this opportunity, my weakest minion finished his enemy with a pickaxe headshot.

Robur took a few steps to the enemy body to recover his weapon, spilling even more blood.

It seemed like the ratmen where the same size of goblins, but seemed smaller because they walked on four legs.

"Boss wins!" Robur shouted, holding his daggers high celebrating victory.

But this was too early to claim victory as a last creature appeared.

(I guess thats the leader?)

Twice larger than the her ratmen kin, a level 4 ratman stood in front of Robur and the Imps, with sharper claws compared to the former ones, it was the matriarch, mother of this nest.

At the sight of this creature, Robur held his daggers, awaiting for my command.

Suddenly she roared at my minions rising up and standing on her legs, like a bear, furious at the sight of her dead children.

I looked at her throughout my minions eyes, a higher level, with 0 loyalty, it was clear what it had to be done.

(Kill her!)

"I kill you!" Robur shouted as he and my Imps charged the matriarch with daggers and pickaxes.

(This is new!)

While the three minions charged at the same time, it seemed like the Imps were way faster.

As Robur noticed how the Imps would reach the enemy faster, anger surged, not at the Imps, but to himself.

Furiously, he threw one of his daggers at the matriarch, even if he was slower, at least he would have the satisfaction of being the first to hit the enemy leader.

The dagger flew into the Mother's direction, but with another roar, she received the dagger on the left side of her chest, prepared to fight her enemies.

The level 3 Imp was the first to reach this enemy, with swift speed of his arms, striking from the right, he plunged his pickaxe into the matriarch's left arm.

Screaming by both the pain and rage, the matriarch with frute force, rotated her left arm from the right to the left, hitting the Imp like a whip and trowing him 3 meters away, making the Imp hit the ground.

Not wasting any time, the level 2 Imp did the same as his kin, but this time, striking from the left, the pickaxe was aimed at the enemies right leg.

The Matriarch, wich still had the first pickaxe in her left arm, rotated that same arm to the opposite side, to hit the second Imp.

While the second Imp got throw away, this hit damaged more the matriarch, as the pickaxe hit her left leg, her enemy did not let the weapon go, and as he flew away, a chunk of meat from her leg also followed the flying Imp, forcing her fall on four legs.

She roared again and again, endless screams confirmed the Imp's damage on her.

Taking his chance, Robur finally reached his enemy, immediately jumping and landing on the back of the matriarch, drowning his dagger into her back.

The pain was unbearable as she tried to rise on her two legs trying to reach the goblin with her arms.

But it was useless as the goblin was faster, going between her arms, Robur descended, grabbing his first dagger which was still in her chest.

Cutting the enemies body, from the chest to her stomach, her entrails dropped into the floor, causing the matriarch to reach her death.

Goblin Robur has reached level 4!

Imp has reached level 4!

Imp has reached level 3!

"Boss, Me kill ratman cubs?" Robur asked me with desire as he approached ratmen young.

(Uh, Yes.)

Acting like a child who had received a bunch of candies, Robur slowly picked up a ratman cub at a time, and with his hand, he simply broke their tiny necks.

You have defeated an enemy faction!

Heart Core level experience has been unlocked on the Resource UI!

You have been awarded with 1 Experience Point!

I was not expecting a new thing to be unlocked.

(Finally, I know what is needed to level up!)

XP:1/10 Tiles:22/30 Gold:140 Mana:91/125 (-125)

(9 more times...)

It seemed like it would be a grind to level up.

Not wasting anymore time, I commanded my minions.

(Let's keep exploring, Robur, you and an Imp shall follow the tunnel where the ratmen came from.)

Throwing the last dead baby body to the ground, Robur nodded. "Yes Boss!"

While Robur and the level 4 Imp headed towards the tunnel, the second Imp's job was to drag the bodies to my territorial body.

Day 1, 1st Month of the Winter Season, 600.AC