Alk's Perspective*******
Suddenly, my mind roused me up from my slumber, realising that I was inside a grotto of some sort with the rest of the creatures beside me.
"B-b-brother?" A green life-form squeal at our sight and goes blithely fooling around in a circle. "Y-You look like me!"
Looking at my milieux, I recognize two more turquoise creatures sharing the same characteristics but differ from their personalities. A girl that has a marginally extensive chest joins the dance of the vigorous bloke, gaily singing to the thumps of their feet.
I turn my gaze to the weirded creature awkwardly staring at the two, with his eyes uncertain of what to react. He does not have a clue if he needs to join the party or leave the two be with their own worlds. I did not want to disappoint the pair, so I joined in with their celebration while studying the silent guy.
Deep in my heart, a sudden bond forms among these three individuals that I never want to break.
Our lives continue as it was before, with the peculiar guy summoning liquid out from his palm. I check my hands and mimic his movements, yet, somehow, nothing appears in my palm.
Curious, I resume watching his movements, wanting to try his sorcery while, at the same time, enjoying the company of the two other goblins.
Yes. The azure window calls us goblins, which felt clearly new to me but somehow feels nostalgic whenever I stare at the monitor. At first, I was afraid that I would become ill and hallucinating. But through time, I accepted the screen and learned more things that I want to study.
However, the tranquil yet the oddity goblin conjures a water stream strong enough to pierce through the mud wall. The panel erupted, quivering the ground and alerted the greater beings inside the cave.
Our eyes shifted at the entrance of the cavern and saw multiple hobgoblins-what the blue window had told me-marching towards our direction.
"You there!" The black-hued hobgoblin points his fingers at me, staring at my body with such a menacing leer.
"M-me?" I wheezed in fright, unsure of what to react to satisfy the hobgoblin.
He then waves his finger, signalling me to follow his lead. Unfortunately, as it is, I follow his shadow, not wanting to disobey his errands.
'I don't want to die' the thought runs inside my head, left with no choice but to commit to tailing the greater green sprite.
"What do you think he will do to him?" The quaint guy said and saw me from a distance, getting dragged by the hideous beast inside their lair.
Upon entering an uncharted area, I witnessed a variety of hobgoblins and wolves resting beside the fire, feasting for a petite being. According to my window, it called the creature a human, one of the most populated species inhabiting our world.
Glancing at my right, I noticed three humans-all of them are women with distinct age-tied up in an uncouth fashion, undressed and covered with bruises. For me, the scene was not right, making me want to save them.
'The next night,' I told myself, as I hurried to the corner of the room, unsure of what fate had in store for me.
However, the next morning never came as I peer through the ceiling, impaled with razor-sharp bolts. Thousands of screams echo from afar, accompanied by loud noises of banging and clanging of metals.
Not wishing to get caught from the disaster, I move my way and break free from the violated humans latched from the rope. Lacerations are visible on their skin, with the history of violence and dread showing from their eyes. Nevertheless, I urge them to run away as fast as they could with the hobgoblins preoccupied with the skirmish up ahead.
"Please get up," I told them, sympathising with their problems. Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried, they never heeded my call.
To make matters worse, forces coming outside barges in from the front door, butchering the hobgoblins. I knew that these monsters-for whatever reasons that they have-are strong enough to kill an army. Well, I thought wrong.
These so-called beasts get nimbly massacred in front of me, into torn twigs by the 'humans' with their more complex blades and armours cladding their body. Their chest plates look sturdier than the rough skin of the hobgoblins, not even letting a chance for them to escape.
The terrors from their eyes were sincere for me and boggled my mind to understand this event.
'Why are they killing these creatures?' I asked myself while looking back and forth between the gate outside and the approaching man.
"There's a goblin here!" The chap said with a snicker on his face. He unhesitantly raises his knife and aims directly at my limb.
Thankfully, the boulder from above plummets against him, saving my life and allowing me to escape. Thus I did and went on the surface, leaving the battle inside the cavern.
"My brothers and sister!" I shouted, thinking that the war had caught my three goblin friends e. However, my legs could not confront the mess bared in front of me while I desperately tried my best to flee.
But destiny haunts me for more, as I discern the soldiers wearing the same armour and weapons, pointing their swords at me.
"Kill that goblin!" The platoon announces and hastily charges in my direction.
My two little feet make a run inside the unmapped woodland. I have nothing with me, but a ragged and soiled goblin clothing pouched on my waist. Pushing and tearing the vines from my track, I stumble upon the sounds of a crashing waterfall a distance away.
Looking back, the footmen were still hot on my tail, not wanting to unhand me free in the wilderness. They are quicker than what I had imagined, as I heard them right close to me, bashing the broken stem I got thrashed a while ago.
Left with no other choice, I dive into the depths of water, praying for my survival. As if hearing my desires, the soldiers, seeing me jump from a cliff, did not want to chase for any longer and withdrawn from the fray.
I heave out a relieved exhale the moment I knew that they already retreated to the cave.
"What is happening?" I ask myself the question while wiggling my body, drying myself in this inconvenient environment. "And why am I getting chased by the humans, and not the hobgoblins?"
Recognising my situation, I look around in wonder, trying to make sense out of the problem. I am no longer in the cavern's range, with no proper tools or nourishment to live on. It was me versus the world, after getting treated like dirt despite rescuing the three imprisoned girls.
I notice my reflection on the pond staring right back at me with a saddened look on his face. The ripples made it harder for me to see, questioning my existence as a mere goblin.
"Why am I here in this world?" I asked, yet nobody can give me an answer.
"Where do I belong, now that I cannot find my friends?" I felt isolated from the world, not having anyone to rely on but myself and the azure window.
"Do I even have a purpose in life?"
I soaked my lower limbs in the clear water and dejectedly leered at the raging waterfall. I can no longer explore the forest because it was dangerous for me to linger during the night. It is best if I resume my journey once the sun has set again.
I close my eyes and meditate on my post, trying to relax from the happenings. Suddenly, I felt a surge of power running across my veins, with the screen alerting my vision despite my eyes shut tight.
[Welcome, New Player!]
[Congratulations! You have levelled up! You are now level 2!]
[Name]: {Alk White}
[Titles]: {none}
[Species]: {Goblin}
[Occupation]: {none}
[Age]: {0.01 year old}
[Class]: {none}
[Level 2] {Next Level-> 131/1,000 Experience}
[Stat points]-{0}
[STR]- 15 [VIT]- 21 [MEN]- 38
[DEX]- 11 [INT]- 20 [LCK]-0
— [Health] --- {30/30 [+3.0 Hp regeneration per minute]
— [Arcana] --- {692/692 [+16.42 Arc regeneration per minute]}
[Elements]: [water]
-Unlocked skill
[Fountain of Health]-You can heal faster when near a body of water (puddles not included). {Health Regen Amplify 10%, Arcane Regen Amplify 20%, Stamina Regen Amplify 10%}
My eyes widen from the sight of the otherworldly knowledge scribbled on the sapphire box. Never did I expect that something ridiculous is happening inside of me. And it was not a joke, as I could feel the enormous strength stretching inside my muscles and my brain expanding my thoughts.
"My name is Alk," I told myself while pounding my chest, confident that I am an extraordinary creature.
"I told you got ourselves lost in this forest!"
"Because we listened to your advice!"
"Then you do the mappings next time!"
A rowdy conversation alerts my eardrums, as they are getting close from where I am seated. Creeping closely to the bushes, I discern three individuals wearing armour and their weapons, but nothing alike with the soldiers that hunted me from before.
I want to make friends and get accustom to this world, living my life by myself like these three humans.
Putting up a gleaming face, I show myself, with my arms opened wide, welcoming them with all my heart.
"Good evening, humans! Where are you off?"
However, instead of the adventurers returning my warm welcome, they quickly form a stance and attack me with their sorcery and knives.
"Please, do not attack me!" I pleaded, dodging every projectile heading my way. "I just want to talk with you!"
"You monster!"
They were not willing to listen and continued bombarding me with attacks meant to kill their enemy; intending to kill me.
Having enough of this plan, I scurry away to the sea of trees once more without any sense of direction.
Eventually, I bumped into something hard that nearly cracked my shell. Upon recollecting my consciousness, I looked up and scrutinised the gigantic beast glaring at my minuscule figure.
Its height is as near as the boulder from the cliff where I have found the cascade. The creature has two ivory horns, sharp enough to pierce any study rock found in the forest, and has the same size as my petite arm. It also has an enormous mass that can trample any lesser beings, which makes my feet tremble in fear.
"Please don't kill me," I said while shielding my face with my bare hands as my last resort of defence.
Blessedly, the beast controls its anger and walks in the parallel direction.
"Thank you very much!" I shouted, feeling a slight relief from the kind boar.
"Goblin, are you alone?" The pig halts from its post and quizzes me a simple question.
"Aye, kind boar. I am alone and lost,"
"Then do you want to come with me?" The swine said while blowing off steam from its nose, hovering the dust on the soil.
"Are you inviting me?"