Chapter 226 Goblin
Ren encouraged Aleshia to examine the body before walking back to the others, who were still covering their ears. Aleshia quickly approached the body and inspected the short, deformed figure of a blackened goblin. She noticed it had one deep gash and two lighter wounds.
When Ren returned, she explained, "This is what a goblin looks like. In case you didn't know, the deeper gash is where the gem or crystal is commonly at. Keep that in mind, as you can sell it separately from the quest. Otherwise, it would be evidence for completing the quest." Ren appeared dissatisfied, reminiscing on her past actions. "Since we are keeping the crystal, we will collect its ear for evidence. Also, if we give the examiner the crystal, they won't be able to faithfully determine whether the monster died recently or a long time ago." Ren indicated to the goblin's head, and Aleshia followed her gaze.
She quickly noticed that the goblin was missing its left ear, which strangely reminded her of a creature she had seen back in Lucia's little hut. Shaking off the memories, she turned to Ren and realized she was holding a few items. Quickly, she brought out the bag, and Ren placed the things inside. After that, Ren left and engaged in conversation with the group that had followed her back.
Aleshia sat quietly in the grass, waiting for them to join her. As she tried to rest and adjust to her body, she felt a deep sense of disconnect—everything seemed dulled. She made attempts to attune her senses, but each time she did, it felt like she was losing her clarity. The feeling frightened her; she worried about accidentally absorbing or overwhelming the other personality, or losing her control. Overcome by these troubling thoughts, she decided to stop thinking about them.
Eventually, they arrived, and all sat down in a semi-circle, facing each other. Em was the first to speak. "So, how are you liking the forest and its supernatural craziness? It's the first time something like this has happened to me. I don't know about Ren, though; she might have encountered something similar at work," she jokingly hinted, alluding to Ren's job.
Ren quickly cut off what Em was going to say, subtly showing her disapproval. "Let's not go there," she said as she took control of the conversation.
"Alright, how are you enjoying it out here?" Ren asked with a simple question.
"It's green and reminds me of the last time I entered a forest," Aleshia replied, not thinking much of it.
"That sounds exciting! Is there anything in particular you would like to share? Sorry if this feels a bit intrusive; I'm sure the other two would like to know more about you," Ren said apologetically.
"That's alright. I suppose I should be a bit more straightforward with you, considering it's been nearly a month since I joined the camp with all of you," Aleshia said, looking at them all.