Goblin blood splattered across the cave wall while the rest of the group desperately fought against a furious lioness. She showed no mercy as she tore into them. Even though it was ten against one, the lioness had the upper hand—six were already dead, and now the survivors we
Xark, watching from the shadows, realized it was the same lioness whose cubs he had eaten. Seeing her wounded, he crept closer from behind
"Hold on, our comrades will come soon!" shouted one goblin who seemed to be the leader.""Oh, gold
The fourth, a female judging by her clothes, stayed silent, hiding behind the others. All of them clutched knives, but none had any hope left.
Xark, now close enough to whisper, spoke directly to the female in their tongue, using his Goblin Language skill:"
Startled but too desperate to question where the voice came from, she nodded and relayed his words to her companions. A spark of hope flickered amo
The four held out as best they could, waiting. When an ear-piercing screech echoed through the cave, the raging lioness froze in place for a brief second. Seizing the chance, the goblins lunged with their blades, aiming at her weak spots.
Xark joined the assault, clamping her hind legs with his pincers and driving his stinger into her neck—a near-fatal blow in their combined strike.
The lioness roared in pain. Then she caught his scent—the smell of her cubs clung to him. Rage overtook reason. She turned on Xark, ignoring her own safety, giving the goblins the perfect opening to finish her off.
When it was over, the goblins collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. They turned wary eyes on Xark, who staggered, injured, toward the wall. Weapons raised, they prepared to attack the very creature that had just saved them.
Then the female goblin stepped forward."Wait, everyone. He helped us survive—he's not our enemy. …What's your name? Mine is Rosa." She held out her hand to Xark.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Xark saw a chance to communicate. He extended a pincer to touch her hand, his voice screeching like nails on glass as he spoke:"I am Xark. What a strange name you have."
"It's not strange at all," Rosa snapped, folding her arms. "Among our kind, females are named after flowers, while males are named after mushrooms." She pointed to the others. "This is Champignon, Shiitake, and Amanita."
The goblins greeted Xark, though their eyes remained suspicious. He paid them little mind, focusing on his conversation with Rosa—until suddenly more goblins appeared, armed with knives and bows, surrounding him.
Tension filled the cave, but after Rosa and her companions vouched for him, the goblins finally lowered their weapons. Soon, the tribal chief arrived and invited Xark to speak.
They reached an understanding. Both sides knew that a fight would mean heavy losses: Xark might die, but the tribe would lose countless warriors. Not only was he powerful, but his venom made him even more dangerous.
"Come to our village. You may live there—on the condition that you work alongside our people."That was the chief's verdict before leading everyone out of the cave toward the goblin settlement.
After a long, exhausting day, Xark closed his eyes and once again saw his status screen.
[--------------------------------------------------Name: XarkRank: 2-StarLevel: 13/25Species: Jade ScorpionTitle: Little ScorpionSkills:(Dodge)(Poison Sting): capable of piercing and poisoning(Appraisal)(Fearsome Screech)(Goblin Language)
HP: F+Attack: BSpeed: FDefense: F+--------------------------------------------------]