Chapter 9: Camp
The journey was long and exhausting. The goblins moved through the terrain with a familiarity Rain didn't have, cutting through hidden paths between dense undergrowth, dodging treacherous roots and slippery rocks with natural ease.
Rain had to push herself to keep up.
Applying [Precise Movement I] + [Balance I]
Every step was calculated, avoiding unnecessary noise. Her wounded leg remained a constant problem, sending stabs of pain every time she put too much weight on it.
-(Damn it... how much longer are these little runts going to walk?)-
The goblins didn't seem tired at all. In fact, they occasionally grunted among themselves, sounding almost... cheerful. As though they were happy to be going home.
-(Huff... huff... these guys have demonic endurance... it impresses me that they keep up just as well as humans... haah...)-
The forest began to change as they moved forward. The trees grew older, more twisted, with massive roots jutting from the ground like petrified serpents. The canopy grew so dense that sunlight barely penetrated, creating a perpetual twilight even during the day.
And then, after what seemed like almost an hour of walking, the goblins stopped.
Rain immediately crouched behind a dense bush, watching.
The goblins had arrived at an area where the vegetation opened slightly, revealing a massive rock formation. Not a mountain, but a steep hill with walls of irregular, cracked stone.
And at the base of that rock formation, there was an opening.
A cave.
-(Their home.)-
But it wasn't just a simple cave. Around the entrance there were clear signs of intelligent activity: improvised torches driven into the ground, made of branches wrapped in what appeared to be cloth soaked in something flammable. Piles of neatly stacked wood. Bleached bones scattered near what was obviously a communal fire pit.
And most revealing of all, there were more goblins.
At least twenty-eight of them, wandering around the entrance to the cave. Some carried primitive tools, others hauled animal hides or crudely woven baskets. There was even one that appeared to be carving something into a rock using a piece of sharp flint.
-(It's not just a group. It's a tribe.)-
The four goblins she had been following were received with grunts of recognition. The leader lifted the boar above his head, and several of the other goblins grunted with approval and enthusiasm.
A particularly large goblin, even larger than the leader of the group she had followed, emerged from the cave.
It was impressive, even by the standards of its species.
Its body was noticeably more robust and muscular, with a build that resembled a stocky human more than the typical hunched figure of goblins. Its skin was a dark green, almost black in places, marked with deep scars crossing its arms and chest like testimonies of countless battles.
But what stood out most was its attire.
Unlike the other goblins who went practically naked or wore minimal rags, this one wore clothing that seemed pulled from the barbarian stories Rain remembered reading: a thick leather loincloth with animal hides hanging at the sides, carved bone bracelets on both arms, and most strikingly, a massive necklace made of teeth, claws, and what appeared to be small animal skulls.
Its posture was upright and authoritative. Every step it took resonated with power.
-(The tribe's Leader, without a doubt.)-
The large goblin grunted something in a deep, authoritative tone. The four goblins immediately lowered their heads in a gesture of respect, and the group's leader offered the boar.
The Leader inspected it, grunted with approval, and then gave a firm pat on the shoulder of the group's leader. The other goblins around them began preparing the area, dragging more wood to make a larger fire.
Rain observed everything from her hiding spot, processing every detail.
-(Clear hierarchical structure. The Leader has absolute authority. The hunters bring food and receive recognition. There's a division of labor: some hunt, others gather, others craft tools...)-
-(They're primitive, yes. But they're not stupid.)-
One of the infected goblins, the small one, coughed again, harder this time. Several nearby goblins looked at it with curiosity but didn't seem concerned.
-(The infection is spreading. They'll start showing more noticeable symptoms soon.)-
She looked more closely at the camp. There were more details she hadn't noticed at first.
Near the entrance to the cave there were crude cages made of interwoven branches. Inside one of them, she could see something moving. An animal, perhaps. Or...
-(Prisoners?)-
She couldn't see clearly from her position.
She also noticed that some of the goblins carried more elaborate weapons than simple stone daggers. One carried a spear with a sharpened bone tip. Another had what appeared to be a small, crude bow with arrows in a leather quiver.
-(They're prepared to defend themselves. Or to attack.)-
Activity in the camp increased. More goblins emerged from the cave, drawn by the promise of food. There were easily twenty goblins now, maybe more inside the cave.
-(Too many to confront directly. Even if I take the leader's body, I couldn't control them all.)-
-(But... what if I don't need to control them all?)-
An idea was beginning to form in her mind.
-(I have four infected hosts. I can control when and how the symptoms manifest. If I wait for the right moment... if I weaken them slowly...)-
-(I could take this entire tribe without raising a single claw. Haha. What a great idea, Rain!)-
The fire was lit, larger than the one before. The goblins began cooking the boar again, this time in smaller portions to distribute among everyone.
There was an almost festive atmosphere. Goblins grunting and laughing in their guttural tongue. Some even appeared to be dancing clumsily around the fire.
-(They have culture. Rituals. Celebrations.)-
Rain felt something strange in her chest. It wasn't exactly guilt, but it wasn't pure indifference either.
-(They're living beings. Intelligent ones. With their own lives, their own society.)-
-(And I'm planning to destroy them.)-
For a moment, the image of Eduard appeared in her mind. His weak voice. His last words.
"Don't worry about me, Rain."
She closed her eyes.
-(I promised. I promised to save him. And if that means sacrificing this tribe, this forest, this entire world...)-
-(Then that is what I'll do.)-
She opened her eyes, and her gaze was cold. Calculating.
-(But not now. Not yet.)-
She needed more information. More power. More control.
-(I'm going to observe. Learn. And when the moment comes...)-
The small goblin coughed again, bending slightly. Another goblin offered it water from an improvised gourd, and it drank gratefully.
-(When the moment comes, this tribe will be mine.)-
Rain settled into her hiding spot, preparing for a long observation.
The sun was beginning to set, and the shadows of the forest stretched long.
And in the goblins' cave, the fire burned bright, oblivious to the silent threat watching from the darkness.
Rain waited.
She watched the goblins eat, drink, and eventually begin to disperse. Some returned to the cave, others settled near the fire to sleep. The guards rotated in shifts, but their vigilance was lax, more concerned with staying awake than with any real threats.
-(I can't stay in this wolf body. It's too obvious. Too vulnerable.)-
She looked at her wounded leg, moving it slightly and resting it gently.
-(I'll need a body that can move freely through the camp without raising suspicion.)-
She set her gaze on the sleeping goblins.
-(I'll have to become one of them.)-
She carefully scanned the perimeter of the camp, looking for an opportunity.
And she found one.
On the outskirts of the settlement, away from the central commotion, there was a solitary goblin. It was sitting near a fallen tree, working methodically on what appeared to be a basket made of interwoven flexible branches.
It was smaller than the leader, but not as small as the youngest goblin she had infected first. It had an average build for its species, and most importantly, it was alone.
-(Perfect.)-
Applying [Precise Movement I] + [Speed]
She moved in silence, circling around the goblin's position until she was directly behind it. The sounds of the goblin's work, the creak of branches, its occasional grunts of concentration, masked any minor noise she might make.
She prepared herself.
Applying [Airborne Transmission I]
She released a concentrated cloud of pathogens directly toward the back of the goblin's neck. The creature didn't even notice, inhaling deeply as it leaned over its work.
A buzz.
New host infected.
New skills have been acquired from the new host: [Patience I] [Weaving I] [Meditation I]
New symptoms have been acquired from the new host: [Dizziness I]
Developed neural cells detected. Reading brain tissue.
New registered language acquired from host: [Goblin Understanding I]
Rain stopped at one of the announcements.
-(The system can also read neural cells? And it gave me a new skill, [Goblin Understanding], but it hadn't given me that with the other goblins...)-
-(Well, I'll think about that later.)-
Without a second thought, she applied [Domination I].
The transition was instantaneous.
Suddenly, she was no longer in the wounded wolf's body. She was sitting, seated, on the ground, with four-fingered hands holding an unfinished basket.
The shift in perspective was disorienting for a moment. This body was smaller than the wolf's, but also more... versatile. Prehensile hands. Opposable thumbs.
-(This is... different.)-
She looked at her green hands, flexing her fingers experimentally. The skin was rough, leathery. The nails were more like blunt claws.
But the most striking thing came when she heard voices in the distance.
Goblins talking near the fire.
And she could understand them.
"...more wood tomorrow..."
"...Leader said... hunt..."
"...good food..."
The words were crude, clipped, with almost nonexistent grammar. But they were comprehensible.
-([Goblin Understanding]... it lets me speak and understand their language as though I'd always spoken it.)-
She tested her own voice, grunting experimentally:
"I... work..."
The sound was guttural, raspy, but functional.
-(Incredible. This changes everything.)-
She turned her gaze to where her former body was. The small wolf stood there, its look confused, glancing from side to side until their gazes crossed.
Rain stared at it for a moment longer than necessary.
That body had been her lifeline. It had run on fractured ribs inside another body, survived the jaws of a beast that shouldn't have existed, transmitted the virus in its last conscious breath. It was a borrowed body, yes. But it had done its job.
-(Thank you, I suppose.)-
She said it without quite knowing who she was saying it to. To the wolf. To the body. To no one in particular.
The small wolf looked at her for one more second, then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the forest without looking back.
Rain watched it vanish between the trees, and something very small, almost imperceptible, settled in her chest.
-(Keep living.)-
Then she turned her gaze away and focused on the camp.
She set the basket aside and stood up, testing this new body. It was shorter than her original human height, but not by as much as she had expected. Perhaps a meter thirty or forty.
She moved toward the camp with cautious steps. No goblin paid her any particular attention. She was just another member of the tribe returning from their tasks.
-(Now... how do I infect the rest of the tribe without them noticing?)-
She surveyed the camp with new eyes. The central fire. The groups of goblins conversing. The cages at the perimeter.
The cages.
-(What could be in those cages?)-
Curiosity pricked at her mind. She approached slowly, trying to appear casual.
There were two guards near the cages, both carrying bone spears. One of them looked at it, at her, with its pupilless eyes.
"What want?" the guard grunted.
Rain thought quickly.
"Give water. Prisoners. Leader say."
A simple lie, but effective.
The guard grunted with disinterest and pointed to a gourd full of water nearby.
"Quick. Not much time."
Rain nodded and took the gourd, approaching the first cage.
And what she saw inside left her speechless.
A human.
Not just that.
A human girl.
-(I can't believe it...)-
Rain didn't move for a moment. She just stared.
The girl was huddled in the farthest corner of the cage, knees pulled to her chest. Jet-black hair, tangled and falling across her face. What caught Rain's attention most was her clothing.
Her outfit was elaborate, a dress, a long skirt reaching to her ankles with fine patterns embroidered in gold thread, a fitted leather corset over a pompous long-sleeved shirt, decorative laces adorning the collar and wrists. Unmistakably expensive. Even dirty and torn in places, the quality was undeniable.
Her face was delicate, with smooth skin that contrasted with the accumulated grime.
Rain remembered the fantasy books she had read in her previous life. The descriptions of nobles. Princesses. Aristocracy.
-(She's a noble.)-
But that thought came second. Something else came first.
An image she hadn't asked for: Eduard, in a hospital bed, eyes closed and lips dry. Someone who needed water and couldn't ask for it.
Rain blinked. She pushed the image away.
-(It's not the same. It's not him.)-
She knew that. But the girl had equally cracked lips, and the same expression of someone who had been holding on alone for far too long.
The girl woke at the sensation of the goblin's presence near the cage. Her eyes, a light green color, snapped open in terror. She backed away to the opposite end of the cage, pressing herself against the bars.
"D-don't come near me!" she cried out in a language Rain didn't understand immediately.
But the emotion was clear: absolute fear.
Rain didn't respond. She simply looked at her in silence, processing a conflict she hadn't expected to feel.
-(She's a resource. She's information. She's an anomaly in the system that I need to understand.)-
She repeated it to herself twice.
Then she left the water container near the cage and walked away without saying anything.
But she couldn't help looking at her one last time before turning away.
-(I'm sorry.)-
She didn't know if she said it for the girl or for Eduard. Probably for both.
But before leaving the bowl, while she was collecting the water, she had applied something else.
Applying [Saliva Transmission]
She spat discreetly into the water and mixed it in.
The guards didn't notice.
After that incident with the girl, she moved to the other cages, repeating the process.
The other cages held small animals: frightened rabbits, restless squirrels, birds with ruffled feathers. Probably food reserves.
She left water at every cage, always contaminated with her pathogen.
The animals, thirsty, drank immediately.
Multiple buzzes.
New host infected. New host infected. New host infected.
New absorbed skills have been acquired: [Jump II] > [Jump III][Speed I][Burrowing I][Aerodynamics I]
But one announcement was missing.
The one for the human girl.
-(Why hasn't it...?)-
She returned to the first cage, looking in discreetly.
The girl was still in her corner, but now her eyes were fixed on the water container. Rain could see the thirst in her gaze. Cracked lips. Dehydrated skin.
But she wasn't moving.
-(She's resisting. She suspects something.)-
Rain nudged the bowl closer with her foot, making a deliberate sound.
The girl looked at it with a mixture of fury and desperation.
Finally, thirst won.
She dragged herself toward the container, took it with trembling hands, and drank.
All of it.
Rain smiled faintly.
-(There we go.)-
She waited for the buzz.
But what came was completely different.
Resistance to using [Replication]. Resistance to using [Infectivity]. Resistance to using [Domination]. Unable to complete infection. Partial analysis of neural cells. Analyzing Dead Neural Cells. New language type acquired: [Human Understanding] Fragmented 1/5
Rain stood motionless, processing the messages.
-(What?)-
-(Resistance? How can she...?)-
The girl looked at her with those green eyes full of defiance, wiping the water that had trickled from her lips. Then she threw the container aside.
Rain kept thinking.
-(She's human. She should be Animalia. She should be infectable!)-
"Hey, you!" one of the guards grunted. "Done already! Go away!"
Rain startled and nodded quickly, moving away from the cages.
But her mind kept turning.
-(Humans... are they different? Do they have some kind of natural resistance?)-
-(Or... is she the one who's special?)-
She looked back one last time.
The girl was still watching her, with that silent fury in her eyes.
And Rain knew, in that moment, that she had discovered something important.
Something that could change everything.