While they progressed further, they hadn't encountered a single threat. It was as though the wasteland, which was the outermost region of the First Ground, was completely devoid of monsters.
All they could see were stones, jagged rocks, and unrecognizable wastes littering the landscape, polluting the air with distinct, pungent odors.
With nothing to do but walk in silence—their newfound friendship not yet lively—Callum decided to dive into the Talent Interface.
------------
[Talent Interface]
-SSS-Ranked Gacha System [Click to enter panel]
-SSS-Ranked Soulmancy [Click to enter panel]
-SSS-Ranked Blood of the Flamborne [Locked]
----------
Callum hesitated briefly before tapping the first Talent.
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[Gacha System Panel]
[You have unlimited privilege to pull anything from the Gacha System with full possibilities of the pulled entity being SSS-Ranked—though randomly… SSS Effect!]
-Pulling Features:
[Characters]: Pull and summon any living being in the multiverse—be it humans, celestials, deities, angels, heroines, or monsters.
[Items]: Pull and summon any weapon or artifact in existence, as long as it is not above the SSS Rank.
[Resources]: Pull and summon any resource, regardless of type or rarity, when needed.
-Pulling Note: Every pull requires 10 Gacha Scrolls. You must reach Level 10 to acquire your first 10 Gacha Scrolls.
Gacha Scrolls: [0]
Pullings: [None]
--------------
"Hmmm, that sounds like a whole lot of work. Who knows how many beads of sweat I'll lose before I reach Level 10," Callum muttered to himself.
Yet, the realization that he could summon any living being, weapon, or resource—even if random—nearly drove him mad with excitement.
He had gained the ability to call forth transcendent beings and legendary tools. If he could grasp and utilize this power well, it might be the most overpowered Talent anyone could possess.
Callum wanted to scream with joy. But he didn't want to alert his companions—at least not yet.
He kept himself composed and moved on to check the Soulmancy panel.
--------------
[Soulmancy Panel]
[With this Talent, you are termed a Soulmancer—a soul specialist who can dominate or harness the souls of enemies for his own favor. Any slain enemy at all... SSS Effect!]
-Soulmancy Features:
[Soul Bank]: Stores every soul collected from slain enemies, regardless of their soul power. [Locked – unlock by making your first monster kill.]
[Soul Lab]: Use stored souls to create new weapons or living beings. [Locked – unlock by making your first kill. Upgradeable to "Soul Factory" at Level 50.]
[Other features will be revealed upon reaching the Survivor Rank]
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Callum squinted in amazement. He was stunned again. This Talent was utterly overpowered.
The thought that he could harvest the souls of defeated monsters—and even use them to craft new entities or armaments for himself—was insane.
He could barely contain the joy swelling in his chest.
Let's see what the Blood of the Flamborne says, he thought, scrolling down to the last Talent.
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[Bloodline Talent – Blood of the Flamborne Panel]
[N/A]
[??????]
-------------
"Huh?" Callum flinched.
He scrolled up, then back down again, thinking it might be a glitch—but the result was the same.
"Why isn't it showing? Was it removed?" he muttered inwardly.
He wondered if the God of Fun had decided it would be too overpowered for him to possess all three Talents and had deleted one.
He felt frustrated.
Damn it! As if it could ever match his powers. This God of Fun guy is too stingy! Callum cursed.
--------------
"Hey, Callum! Finally, a forest," Alexa called out, breaking him from his interface trance.
Callum's eyes sharpened.
"It's a wide one," he replied.
"Yeah, my trainer said we'd probably find a forest after the wasteland... Heh, he was right," said the guy with the chain around his neck, chuckling slightly.
"What are we to expect in there?" Callum asked.
"Wolves, I guess. Serpents... maybe Wild Mandrakes or—"
"Goblins."
Suddenly, a voice cut off Alexa from the side.
It was the quiet girl—speaking for the first time—prompting the other three to exchange surprised glances.
"How did you know that? Did someone tell you?" Alexa asked.
"No. I can see what's in there. Goblins."
"Large numbers of goblins," the girl said firmly, clenching her pale fist.
She had orange hair, a round pale face, and the build of a growing teen. She was notably short, but her expression hinted at hidden fierceness.
"Well, I guess it's time to absorb the skill crystals. We don't really know what's waiting for us in there," Alexa said, still skeptical.
"Alright then."
They each absorbed the contents of their crystals. A flurry of notifications appeared.
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[Skill Pack Crystal absorbed!]
-You have gained an A-Rank skill: Blitz Step
[Skill Pack Crystal absorbed!]
-You have gained an A-Rank skill: Crimson Severance
[Skill Pack Crystal absorbed!]
-You have gained an A-Rank skill: Titan's Grip
[Skill Pack Crystal absorbed!]
-You have gained an A-Rank skill: Guardian's Shield
----------
With their new skills activated, they moved as a group into the dim forest, staying close and coordinated.
Massive trees loomed overhead, casting heavy shadows that blanketed the entire area. Unlike Earth's forests, there were no bird chirps—only silence. The forest felt lonesome... and eerie.
Still, the group pushed deeper. They were here for monsters, after all.
Whatever dared charge at them—they were ready to kill it.
It wasn't long before the forest's stillness broke.
They heard it—chittering and cackling in the distance.
"Callum, I guess it really is goblins. This girl's a genius," Alexa smirked. "Though I never wanted to start off with a Goblin Tribe... Too bad."
From their vantage, they spotted a stone castle in the distance, east of their position.
A large number of goblins could be seen around it—green-skinned, wearing oversized leaves wrapped around their lower torsos. At the outer perimeter, a wooden watchtower held scouting goblins.
"Crap! Goblins building a castle and a watchtower? That's way too smart for them," Callum muttered.
"We should move behind the trees and take turns advancing. We'll pick off the scouts first. That's our top priority—if they raise the alarm, we're doomed," Alexa instructed.
"Got it. Can't wait to smash their ugly faces with this," Jon grinned, gripping his chain.
"Now, let's move!" Alexa commanded.
They rushed from behind their cover and moved tree to tree in formation. Thankfully, they remained undetected—goblins weren't known for sharp senses, after all.
Finally, they reached close proximity to the outer wall.
-----------
[Territory Arrival]
Territory Name: [Dreadpines Grove]
Inhabitants: [Goblins]
[Stats:]
[16 Goblin Scouts]
[38 Goblin Warriors]
[4 Goblin Shamans]
[10 Goblin Champions]
[3 Goblin Guardians]
[1 Goblin King: Territory Boss]
--------------
"Looks like a tough one for a start," said the chain guy.
"Sure is," Callum replied.
"Whatever we do, we can't enter through the gates," Alexa said seriously. "We'll climb the bone wall and take out the scouts on the watchtowers quietly."
The others nodded in agreement and moved forward.
Soon, they were clinging to the eerie bone wall of the goblin fortress, ready to begin their first real battle.
Their first true mission...
Wiping out an entire Goblin Tribe.