When I woke up, the intense light in my eyes told me that the cursed, endless night had finally ended.
After lingering in laziness, struggling to stand while my body remained half-asleep, I tried drinking several sips of water. Then, I used the water source to wash my face and the most problematic parts of my body, because even in this fantasy world, sweat was a real thing. and then after spending about fifteen minutes doing nothing with my eyes closed, I finally mustered the courage to think about what had happened in the previous night.
I almost died out there, and I'm not exaggerating the weight of that event. There were many moments when I could have lost my life, if I hadn't perceived the giant quickly enough, or if some of those adventurers had wanted my head for a guild reward.
In the end, they didn't do anything against me, even though I'm completely sure at least one of them had noticed me, probably even knowing I was there in that place. Still, if it weren't for them, I don't know if I would have found the courage to leave today.
When I think about such creatures, giants made of rock, probably some kind of trolls, much like those folklore creatures, how could I just freely walk between the trees when one of those things could appear in an instant and kill me without me noticing?
I don't know if they killed all those creatures, but I think the best thing I can do now is leave this place permanently and never come back.
Even with this water source here, and this probably safe space where I literally just spawned, it's not worth staying if every night here is as creepy as the last one.
Okay, but before I go, I need to check that message I received. I was so oddly tired when I returned to this cave that after the sounds of the fight finally stopped, which occurred something like thirty minutes after I desperately ran here, my body couldn't stand the stress and then I just went back to sleep without even reading what I had received yesterday.
But then, thinking about the repercussions of receiving a skill and how it could change my current situation, I calmly tried not to create any expectations, since it's likely something I couldn't afford in my present state.
But now, analysing the status window, I could see that, beyond the same information I had previously read, which hadn't changed from yesterday, there was now, at the bottom of the window, a new text with the simple inscription "Shop".
Name: Bran Godwin
Title: The Dark Lord
Race: White Goblin [Lower]
Skills:
Language of the Bird [S]
Lead Belly [N/A]
Dark Vision [N/A]
Shop
Naturally, I instantly realized this new part of the status was entirely related to the previous message. With that thought in mind, I tried to focus on the text, but just like all my other attempts, it was completely ineffective. Then, feeling a bit embarrassed, despite no one being there to witness my failures, I decided to literally touch the system, even though it was probably just inside of my mind.
To my exasperated agitation, it actually worked. and in the moment that my index finger touched the word "Shop," a new interface appeared on top layer of where the main status window were.
Skill Shop
Free Points: 30
Available to Buy:
Fire Arrow [G-]: 20 pts
Do I even have points? Amazing. They probably came from the same starter pack as my dagger and those coins.
Okay, let's see if simply clicking on the spell's name will at least let me read something about the skill or if it will just bring up another screen.
After doing exactly that, another window appeared, much smaller than the two previous ones, layered on top of the shop window, which was still on top of the main status screen.
You're trying to use 20 points to buy Fire Arrow [G-]
Do you accept?
Yes / No
Yes, but there's literally no way for me to read what this skill does?
Realizing now that I was just talking to myself, with the screen staring coldly at me, making me think it was indeed judging my actions with its RPG interface appearance, it gave me the sensation that I was, for real, going insane. And what concerns me is that I've not even been in this new life for more than thirty hours. Really incredible, the lack of resilience of my mind.
Since there was nothing more to do in that interface, I just accepted the purchase. A strange feeling began to form in my mind, and in just a moment, my entire brain experienced something it had never felt before.
It was almost like I was processing an infinite amount of information at the same time, making me completely incapable of doing anything else in the process. this state of empty consciousness allowed my mind to stay entirely focused on literally downloading the knowledge to understand the most fundamental knowledge and concepts about this spell.
When it was finally finished, and I was again in control of my own brain and body, instead of feeling enlightened for receiving esoteric and magical knowledge in just a few seconds, i was actually feeling a fleeting headache, nothing too strong, probably just the price of receiving such an amount of information in an instant.
When I glanced at the status again, I saw that the skill was already there in a new slot on the skill list.
With a slightly incredulous tone in my voice, I said audibly, "I, I know magic."
My mouth formed an oval shape while I tried to reconcile the multiple new but separate pieces of information in my mind and body.
I realized that when I pressed to buy the Fire Arrow spell, I wasn't just buying some contained act of invoking a specific form of fire magic, but actually the entire basic knowledge about fire elementals and how to control them in the most elementary way possible, extremely inefficient and exhausting, but still, fire magic.
I properly learned how to perform the most basic forms of fire magic, and in the process, I instinctively understood how, in just a few seconds, to structure the fire elementals in the world to form this exact spell, precisely as its name suggested.
But now, with so many thoughts in my mind existing only as isolated pieces of knowledge and not yet integrated into a greater magical system, I decided to test what I had learned To properly understand it
I raised one finger of my right hand and tried to apply both my fire elemental affinity and the knowledge I had gained in the simplest way I could imagine. I aimed to create a flame no bigger than that of a candle.
After several minutes of trial and error, slowly adjusting my approach each time, I finally succeeded in the most unexpected moment. But the fire vanished instantly because the surprise of success broke my concentration. destroying the spell in the process
Now that I had clear directions and a better sense of what to do, I tried again. This time, I managed to generate a continuous flame, no larger than a lighter's. And as soon as I realized it, another window appeared before me.
Congratulations, you learned the skill Lighter [I+] by yourself. You received 3 points for the achievement.
Not completely surprised by this, I began to think: Then I can receive points by creating skills I didn't previously have? And can I actually learn skills just by trying different things? Like, if I keep using my hands to continually hit wood or anything else, could I eventually receive a skill related to pugilism?
Well, I really can't say. This lighter flame is probably the most basic spell of fire magic, and thinking of something similar to martial arts, or maybe trying to create a Fire Arrow by myself, could be much more difficult and costly to stay attempting just to see if I gain something.
Anyway, I really want to test this fire magic on something, and I need to do it now. Why should I be scared of those trolls? Even if some of them are still around, they're probably asleep during the day.
After walking a bit, with the cave still in sight, I selected a random tree. I needed to compare the power of this spell, as invoked by me, with what that witch, probably a human with a magical class and much more experience than me, had used.
Instead of freely trying to control the fire elementals themselves, I focused on the Fire Arrow skill. After a few seconds of concentration, following the steps the skill had imprinted in my mind when I learned it, I shouted with complete certainty, "Fire Arrow!"
At once, I could clearly perceive an arrow of pure fire elementals forming, its structure combining the toughness of a real arrow with the explosive, inflammatory effect of magical fire. From the palm of my hand, the spell quickly took shape and, in only a few moments, shot exactly where I was aiming.
But nothing amazing happened. The fire arrow struck the wood, left a small mark, and then vanished, without producing any of the overwhelming power I had seen last night.
Hmm. It's clearly much weaker than that witch's version, but she was probably using a higher level of the same spell. She might also have had passive skills that increased her overall magical power. I really cannot say.
Another thought appeared in my mind: How many times can I even use magic, or this one spell? While the skill gave me the mechanical preparation to cast it, it taught me nothing about how it actually works. I only know that there are elementals, and they carry out the magic at my command. But how? Am I exchanging something? Maybe there's something like mana in this world. Or is it more like a muscle that wears out through continual use of spellcraft?
I don't even know the nature of the elementals. Are they sentient beings, or just forces of nature, like gravity? I actually don't know anything about magical theory. I only know how to generate fire, in the same way we know how to move a limb.
At least I can really do it now. Unlike before, when I only had that dagger I couldn't even use without putting my life at risk, this spell, even if not incredibly powerful, is at least something that can greatly increase my chances of survival.
And even though I don't know how many times I can cast it in a day, or if there's any limit at all, I can't afford to waste such power when I'll most likely need it again today.
Until now, my hunger was still manageable, but I doubt it will remain that way for long. I don't know why I'm so hungry either. In my old life, I had gone more than a day without food many times, but the sensation here is completely different and much stronger.
I really need to abandon this place. There's nothing left for me here.
After drinking a little more water and complaining to myself that there was no canteen or bottle in the chest, I gathered enough courage to leave, not even taking the bag of coins since it would only burden me.
I don't think I'll be capable of recovering that bag. My sense of direction is horrible. I couldn't even return to the cavern if I walked just a few meters away from it, so how could I manage entire kilometers where all places inside the forest appear to be literally the same? No, I need to say farewell to that money.
Given the position of the sun, I can probably say it's not even noon, which goves me about six to seven hours of daylight. I'll need to find another shelter before then, so I have about four hours to either exit this forest or at least find some food.
After walking for more than thirty minutes, I began to notice that, even barefoot, I wasn't feeling anything in my feet. It was almost as if there was no discomfort for walking such a distance over rough ground. Another good side of being a goblin, I guess.
After more than an hour of walking, I finally realized the environment was slowly changing from the same grass and trees to a much greater variety of plants, and the sounds I was hearing began to grow far more diverse.
Sadly for me and my calm pacing, the whole place became much denser, with trees and bushes closer together, and because of this, I had to walk much more carefully. Now I needed to pay close attention to where I placed my feet and to everything in my surroundings.
Thankfully, after no more than three hours of walking since the beginning of this journey, just as I was becoming bored of the endless monotony, something finally happened.
In the most sudden moment, I encountered the first non-lethal creature in this world.
It didn't notice me as I carefully circled around it, and I saw that it looked much like a domestic rabbit from my world, except that it had two large horns on its head.
Those horns did nothing to lessen its cuteness.
In fact, its white fur made it nearly identical to a rabbit I had when I was younger, which, intriguingly, had suddenly disappeared one night and never returned.
My parents always swore that the event had nothing to do with our dog. But this rabbit here was quite cute too. I would love to eat it.
It was just chewing on some root in the ground, completely clueless about what was happening around it.
I, like any other normal person in a situation like that, instantly prepared my entire body and aimed the palm of my hand at the creature.
With a mental command, a Fire Arrow appeared, glowing crimson and brightly illuminating the area. With just another command, the spell shot toward the creature, striking its leg.
Yes! I did it. I actually thought it was going to flee, or maybe even attack me, but I really hit its leg.
But then, as I moved closer to finish the job, I saw that, although the spell had hit the creature, stopping it from making even the simplest movement, it was crying in pain.
And since this was some kind of monster or magical creature, I don't really know, its cry was extremely loud, and it gave me a deep feeling of sadness.
It wasn't that I was incapable of killing a non-sentient being to feed myself, but I had simply never done it before.
Shit, okay.
After taking my dagger, with a precise strike, though it gave me butterflies in my stomach since I was killing such a cute animal, I finally ended the creature's pain.
And in the very instant I did it, another window appeared before me.
You killed a Diabolical Hare. You received 0.1 point for it.