Night fell like a blade. The eastern ravine was a narrow corridor of rock and snow, perfect for traps.
Adrian positioned himself at the top of the eastern slope with ten archers. Wolfskin cloak over his shoulders, sword at his side, left hand glowing faintly with mana — the first spell the system had unlocked upon activation: [Weak Ice Blade (Level 1)] — coats the sword with sharp ice for 30 seconds.
The goblins came in droves, lured by the "false tracks" of broken wagons and animal blood. Grunts, mad laughter, the stench of rot and filth. No organized war cry — only hunger and primitive violence.
When they entered the ravine, the trenches collapsed. Shrill screams. Broken legs. Bodies piling up.
Flaming arrows rained down. Oil burst into fire. Goblins burned alive, tried to climb the walls, fell back down.
Adrian descended the slope with five elite guards. Sword unsheathed, mana flowing into the blade — ice formed on the steel, making it sharper and colder.
First goblin: a small warrior with a rusty club. Adrian spun, icy blade slicing the neck in a clean arc. The head rolled. Blue-green blood froze in the air before hitting the ground.
[Kill: Common Goblin – 1/∞]
[Compendium: Initial Entry – Common Goblin (Level 1)]
Weaknesses recorded: fire, extreme cold, swift decapitation.
Second, third, fourth… Adrian moved with surgical precision. It wasn't fury; it was cataloging. Each strike recorded data: where to hit to kill faster, how the body reacted to ice.
By the end of the night, the ravine was a flaming graveyard. 102 goblins dead. Adrian personally killed 21.
System update:
[Personal Kills – Common Goblin: 21]
[Kill Milestone: None reached yet (next: 100 total personal kills for +1 attribute)]
[Experience from kills + territorial conquest: +820 XP]
[Winter Lord Level: 1 → 2]
Level Up Bonus (only fixed gain moment):
+2 to all base attributes (Strength 10→12, Dexterity 11→13, Constitution 9→11, Intelligence 17→19, Wisdom 13→15, Charisma 15→17) Maximum Mana +50 (170→220) Maximum HP +30 (85→115) New Skill Unlocked: [Static Ice Field (Level 1)] – creates a 5m zone of slippery ice with slow damage per second (costs 40 mana/min).
[Title Obtained: Novice Goblin Exterminator]
+3% damage against goblins; +2% resistance to goblinoid diseases.
Adrian wiped the blade in the snow. The ice on the sword melted slowly.
"First level. First complete entry. Still 79 kills left for the first +1 attribute."
He looked at the smoking ravine.
"The Compendium is beginning to grow. And winter does not stop."
End of Chapter 2