[Host Has Absorbed Low-Grade Chthonic Energy]
[Host's Mana Has Increased By 10]
[+10 Mana]
[+10 Mana]
Gniqee observed my practice for a while until she was satisfied with my progress. Once she was gone, I ran to my personal room, activated the privacy seal, and emptied all of my squares. I then wrote a note for Nyx, left a storage ring, and began to absorb more energy.
My system continued to chime and I hated that it didn't have a silence option. I soon fell into a sort of synergetic state with the Ahng as the energy was pulled from the Ahng at a visible speed. In a few hours, 50,000 squares were gone.
[Host Has Reached Mana Capacity. Do You Wish To Expand Your Mana Reserve?]
'Yes'
[Expanding Mana Reserve]
[+10 Mana]
More time passed and morning came. Nyx left and the room was sealed behind her. During the day, Rema, Sahyia, Dahlia, and Clarissa watched over me. By evening, another 100,000 Squares were gone and my absorption has slowed to a complete halt.
[Host Can No Longer Expand Mana Reserve. Would You Like To Nourish The Body and Blood?]
'No. Explain Chthonic Energy.'
[Chthonic energy is dark evil energy of death and sacrifice. More potent and vile than Demonic energy, perfectly suited for Goblin's blood and body. Equivalent to Goblin magic as Element souls are to elemental magic. This energy is found in depths of blood-soaked lands sanctified to draw energy from the Chthonic Vein that runs through the continent. The Rockland Goblins know small fragments of this energy as Ahng stones.]
'Perfectly suited...' I thought, 'Goblins must have terrifying origins
'Status Open' I commented, pushed aside my thoughts of Chthonic energy.
[Status Screen Has Undergone Changes Due To Recent Achievements Of Host]
-Status-
Name: Kane Forrest/ Kane Uhn LVL7
Classification: Tier 4 Alchemist, Tier 1 Mage, Tier 1 Shaman(Solely for Goblin Magic)
Earned Title: Raider
Bloodline: Goblin (Lesser Uhnok)
Mana: 60,700/60,700
Exp: x/7000(level up)
STR:258
DEX:216
INT:240
WIS:246
CON:252
CHA:246
-Skills-
Iron Body Lvl 5/10
Martial Arts Lvl 5/10
Knife Hand Lvl 3/10
Telekinesis Lvl 1/20
Orc Nectar Lvl 3/20
Flash Step Lvl 3
Shadow Drift Lvl 2
Devil's Snare Lvl 1
White Brilliance Lvl 1
Radiant Lance Lvl 1
Shamanic Flame
Slave Seal
Appraisal
Pain Tolerance (Passive) Lvl 15
Focused Mind (Passive) Lvl 20
Overactive Warrior (Passive) Lvl 6
Magic Immunity (Passive) Lvl 5
Night Vision (Passive)
-----
The change in the status screen was reasonable and not too drastic to dwell on. My mana increase was phenomenal, but it still wasn't enough. After working the numbers, I figured it was about twenty-five squares every 10 points of mana gained. The problem came with the Elemental Establishing Pill I planned to refine.
As a Tier 4 Element Establishing pill, it will split my mana reserve into five pools. The original being non-attribute mana. The next four being Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. Each pool will be a fraction of the original and allow elemental spells to be cast faster with less mana wasted without the conversion process. The quality of each pool can also be upgraded with element souls, increasing spell intensity.
If I refine a Tier 5 Pill, I'll have to add another attributed monster core and the division of mana will go from five to six. However, the boost of mana will be somewhere in the thousands depending on the quality of ingredients, fire, and furnace.
The good thing about the Elemental Establishing Pill is that it didn't require another monster core until Tier 7.
Opening my eyes, I look at my remaining squares with a heavy heart. Placing them back in my spirit ring, I leave the dig with Rema and head for the market.
Along the way, I did multiple calculations. The best option I had to survive the week was simple yet strenuous to complete. It all starts with Fire Souls and high-grade heavenly treasures. I knew it would be near impossible to find Class Five and Six Monster cores on the market at a reasonable price. So the heavenly treasures and shamanic flame will have to do the heavy lifting.
I went from shop to shop collecting herbs on the extreme side of the elemental scales. I then managed to find one low-grade Fire Soul: Dark Corruption. But my night wasn't over yet.
Arriving at a shop, similar to most, made of wood, mud, and magic, I walked in, closing the door behind me. Rema and I went our separate ways as we looked at the goods and their quality.
"No lingering," A goblin spoke, his voice deep.
"Were just looking for the right one... Ahh, here it is. Class four Shadow Core." I said, the one I once had, long sold by Nyx early that day.
Looking at the goblin, my eyes narrowed, 'Identity.'
[Rah Duinn Lvl 41 Warrior]
'Rema...' I called mentally.
Rema moved and the information on Rah was given to her. I continued to explore the quaint little shop until I heard the gurgling of blood from behind the counter.
"Honey traps, the bane of goblins. Rema, eat." I spoke while taking the Shadow Core into my storage ring. Walking to the desk, I watched Rema devour the goblin like a ravenous beast with moon white eyes, void of a pupil and iris, covered with red veins.
'This is a ghoul' I thought, 'How beautiful...'
Stepping over the counter, I walked around to get a better view of Rema's changes. With my "Appraisal' still active, I saw two great headings.
[Rema: Ghoul LVL 26, Pink Collar Slave]
[Red Lightning Crane: Class Four Monster Core]
My jaw dropped and nearly smacked the floor. Rema had jumped five levels by devouring the Goblin shopkeep. And the class four monster core was god sent. Such luck caused waves of excitement and fear to rush through my body. All I could think about was a term commonly used during my fest life: Regression to the mean.
And for a moment, I debated whether or not I should take the core. Unlike the four base elements and the shadow element, elemental cores were hard to come by. Things like lightning, blood, metal, light, and other advanced elements were to get due to difficulty to kill and scarcity of such monsters below class six.
"What's wrong, Master?" Rema asked, covered in blood and her slave seal shining hot pink as opposed to its dull pink when we entered the shop.
"Why did your collar change?" I asked. Honesty is the only possible reply.
"I hate goblins. They stole me from my fiance and raped me. But, Master has saved me. You gave me a new body only touched by you, and you feed me the corpse of my enemy, you even let me kill him. Though my master where's goblin skin, my sisters and I know the truth. Therefore, I keep you close to my heart." She explained.
"What about your fiancee? After the Dragon Hunt, I may not need you anymore. I might even leave and go east. Will you find him when that happens?" I asked, truly curious.
Rema gave me a blood-stained smile and her eyes returned to their natural amber color that appeared almost golden at times. A beautiful contrast to her olive-brown skin and deep black silky hair.
"I cared a lot for him. I'm at peace knowing my feelings for him were real and I was taken from him. It was something that happened against my will, not a betrayal. But when my mind broke and my body was scared, I knew we were destined for different lives. Now that I'm new, gained a master, and tasted his sweet nectar, this Rema can never go back to the old. She is dead and I am alive."
Peace. The look in Rema's eyes. I had seen it before. Eyes similar to the eyes of a man dying without regrets or a newborn too fresh to be corrupted by pain, loss, worry, and the likes. So full of life.
"Your master understands. Finish up and then we'll leave." I told her.
Rema's smile grew brighter and she squeaked with happiness before returning to her meal. as she ate, I took the lightning core and cleared the shop. What I had could be sorted later. At the moment, I took everything.
Once Rema was finished and clean, we moved to leave the market. On the way, I stopped at the Inn to find Bai Yi for some help.
"Master… This place is for Beastfolk. We shouldn't be here." Rema whispered.
"No. Little Goblin is fine. You shouldn't be here, Ghoul!" Bai Yi roared from the balcony.
The Beastfolk in the In looked towards the door and growled, ready to pounce on my slave.
"Kane meets Seventh Prince Bai Yi." I hurriedly greeted him. "Prince, she is my slave. My seal will kill her before anything happens."
Prince Bai Yi and the folk in the Inn were shocked. "Little Goblin, do you know what kind of monster you have subjugated?"
"A good one?" I guessed. The first time I had heard about a Ghoul was after I had become a goblin. And the first time I had seen her feed was tonight.
"Haha, Little Goblin is very interesting. Ghouls are the sworn enemy of my Beast Race. They eat us to grow stronger. And if they can't get to us, they live in the wild and pray on monsters like sheep. They steal other races from their beds and take over the caves of goblins and eat them too. That's how terrifying they are." Bai Yi explained.
"I thought you only eat Demihumans?" I asked Rema and she hung her head. Honestly, Rema and the three other Ghoul slaves in my Yordal feed on Demihumans' corpses. "Ahh, forget it. You're mine now. It's a cold world. Just don't eat any Beastfolk or Prince Bai Yi will kill you and me."
"Yes, Master." Rema bowed, visibly happy and her slave seal shined a bit. I then wonder if Rema would become my first gold collar slave.
"Haha as expected of a goblin. It's the reason the whole world hates you. Profane and despicable." Bai Yi snarled.
I waited for my system to chime for the 'Ancient History' quest, but nothing happened. It turns out the world hates us for another reason.
"But it's why the Beastfolk and Demons like you. Your savagery is honest and commendable." Bai Yi added. "Come up and talk to me."
"I'm here for a favor," I said once seated.
"I figured," said Bai Yi. "What is it?"
"I need the auction list. I need to know what's selling and when." I explained.
"Why don't you just attend?"
"I have other things to do," I answered.
"Something to do with the soul fire and high-grade herbs you purchased tonight?" Bai Yi looked at me knowingly. He then glared at Rema. I had a slight feeling that he also knew about the shopkeeper that Rema ate not so long ago. "You refined that elixir the other day didn't you?"
There was no use in lying. If Bai Yi was watching me. He obviously knew the grade of the herbs I purchased. And now that I think about it, he most defiantly knew about the shopkeep. The senses of the Beastfolk are extremely keen.
"Yes. But the last of my batch was put up for auction. I'm missing the main ingredient now." I replied.
"What's the main ingredient? Maybe I can help," said Bai Yi.
My eyes narrowed. There were some things in this world a little goblin-like myself isn't supposed to know. So I played ignorant while trying to get a leg up on the Seventh Prince.
" I found a red pond that kills anything that enters. Around the pond were bleeding rocks and blood-red Orchids. No, the Orchids were redder than blood ever could be." I explained in the most ignorant way possible.
Bai Yi eyed one of his guards then he smiled at me. "Little Goblin, you're just full of surprises."
"Look, I can tell you're a lucky little thing. So pick three items from the auction. I'll buy them and you tell me where this blood pond is." Bai Yi's temperament was a little too nice. Almost like a snake slithering low enough that its sounds sound horrifyingly melodic yet enticing.
'Big Cat, you think I'm stupid?' I thought in my heart.
"I'll pick the items then we talk about the details before we deal." Honestly, I was crying inside. But my girls and I couldn't use the blood pool for five years anyway. So why not use it to bargain.
"Sometimes, little goblins shouldn't be so smart." Said Bai Yi.
"We already signed one Death Note. You can't touch me. Do you really want to risk death over some red water that smells like sesame? Hell, you can't even swim in it." I chose my words carefully to pull Bai Yi in deeper. I could see the twinkle in his eyes.
"Fine. Bai Hu, bring the auction list," he said.
A moment later, I was looking at a medium-sized pamphlet with a list of items being sold from the beginning of the opening day to the last slot of closing. Minutes quickly turned to an hour and as time went by, Bai Yi's impression of me slowly changed from little goblin to little demon.
Another hour passed before I closed the catalog and looked at Bai Yi.
"Let me have it," he said.
'Everything is for the Dragon Hunt.' I told myself.
"First is an ore in slot 43. The second is a Fire Soul in Slot 50, the last item of Day 1. The third is a Tier 8 Mind Inscription from the Demon Clan. You still want to know the location of the red pool?" I asked.
Bai Yi took the pamphlet and flipped through the pages. "Slot 43: Thousand Python Mating Iron. Formed at the bottom of a Tier 5 breeding pit. Rich with Yin and Yang energy. Tough and flexible. Do you know what's in it?" Bai Yi asked.
"Naturally." The stupider I appeared the more Bai Yi would try to con me. So I had to show him that I was just knowledgeable enough to not be played.
"The Python Essence," I added.
Bai Yi nodded, then he looked at one of his guards. " Kai Lo, the ore is for little Goblin. Find something else."
"Yes, Lord" Kai Lo replied and gave me a death stare.
Bai Yi chuckled, "He's a spear user. The ore is good for his weapon… Okay, slot 50: Medium-Grade Fire Soul: Smelting Lotus, good for refining and alchemy. And finally… What do you need this for?"
"As you said, I'm a little goblin, I need a little extra than most people," I replied, referring to the Tier 8 Mind Inscription.
"Alright. These three aren't bad, considering that we're dealing in squares, a third of a Beast Tael. I'll give you the first two the night of the first auction. That's when I want the location. The third item you'll get at the auction. When the auction ends, we'll have to move fast." Said Bai Yi.
"Deal. Do we need another Death Note?" I asked.
"Just business amongst friends." Bai Yi smiled and we shook hands.
I was glad that it ended in such a way. I originally planned to use the money I earn from my goods on auction and Bai Yi as a proxy to hide my purchases from Gniqee, but this turned out better.
After I left, Bai Yi looked at me with curious eyes. He then spoke to Bai Hu, "Find out who Kane Uhn is. Level 7, Level 26 Ghoul slave, and her eyes say a lot about her. He also knows the location of a Blood pool, is a Tier 4 alchemist at least, and he's definitely a refiner if he knows about the Python Essence in that iron ore. Not to mention the Mind Inscription. These aren't the things a little goblin shouldn't be capable of without the 'Luck' of royal blood."
"Permission to speak freely, Lord." Kai Lo spoke.
"Hmm." Bai Yi hummed.
"The Dragon Hunt. How does a little goblin know about the Dragon Hunt? When the Eighth Prince mentioned it. Kane looked excited. Many of the goblin's present didn't even know what the Dragon Hunt was." Kai Lo explained.
"I never said the little goblin wouldn't be interesting. Bai Hu, do as I asked. Kai Lo, did you ever find sacrifices to replace the Little Goblin?"
"Yes, Lord."
"Then everything is as it should be."
Back at my dig, I sat in my room with my Fire Soul --Dark Corruption, hovering in front of me. Once my Shamanic Flame was conjured, I began to devour Dark Corruption. Slowly my flame grew more intense and slightly larger.
The night turned to day, then morning to noon. When I was finished, I was happy to see my Shamanic Flame was stronger and my mana increased by 300. Stretching my body, I moved to my bed.
Pulling out the Ten Thousand Mind Technique, I began to study and practice, increasing my telepathy skill as a result. The Ten Thousand Minds Technique developed something called psionics. It's similar to advanced elements and is recorded to be the root of mind arts like telekinesis. This technique fortifies the mind, expands it, and condenses psionic threads until ten thousand threads from a Psionic mana pool of its own.
A few hours passed when my seal suddenly rippled. Across the room, Sahyia, Rema, and Dahlia played cards, beating percentages of the squares I planned to give them for personal use. After the third ripple, Sahyia put down her cards and moved to drop the seal, revealing my three naked Apprentice Sisters.