Yawnn...
"Mmm..."
'Not as comfortable, but not bad either.'
The morning had come quicker than estimated. In the current situation, there was no way to tell the time, but Dustin had woken up just around the time the sun went above the horizon.
He turned to check if the goblin he tamed was still around. "It's still there. Does this guy even need sleep?"
'He probably does, all living things do.'
Dustin did some light stretches as he got up. He's body was in perfect condition, the best it had ever been since his birth.
'When last did I have so much energy after waking up?'
"I feel hella healthy." He said as he continued on some more stretches.
The goblin had noticed him awake and had walked up to him while he was still stretching. He looked at it, and for some reason, he felt something strange move in him. The feeling was quite abnormal. 'Does it want to tell me something?'
"How was the watch? Notice anything unusual?" Dustin asked. He wasn't expecting any answer in particular. Goblins were low level monsters with low intelligence, so communication wasn't really something one would expect from them.
Despite that, the goblin replied with a plausible response. In fact, it was like Dustin could tell exactly what the goblin was saying. The feeling was inexplicable.
Dustin completely understood what the goblin was saying, and that apparently had shaken him from his stretching.
"Go towards that side and scout the area. Make sure not to be seen." Dustin ordered.
The goblin nodded firmly and left to carry out the instructions given. Goblins were agile more than they were strong. With nimble steps, it wouldn't be so easy to spot the goblin.
As Dustin watched the goblin disappear into the forest vegetation, he couldn't help but wonder. The way the goblin acted towards him, that firm nod before carrying out it's duty like a soldier. How did the goblin view him, he wondered.
Maybe to the goblin, he was it's master, or maybe it saw him as it's Lord, ah. The thought of being the leader of a troop that never betrays and never slacks was soothing to Dustin.
'Is this the way presidents and army heads feel? The feeling of holding martial power. Ahh..' Just as he was enjoying the thought and was about to do another stretch, he noticed something that threw him off his balance.
"What the...? When did this happen!?" Dustin questioned, in surprise.
He hadn't noticed anything odd since he woke up. He just felt extremely good. Even though he slept on the ground, the feeling was still quite nice, and he had nothing to complain about. He hadn't really looked at his body.
To Dustin's surprise, his body had undergone major changes while he was asleep. A total miracle, no, a gift from the gods. His once scrawny malnourished looking body that could break under a little pressure was no more. This figure had been replaced with a barrage of compact looking muscles, each of them looking chiseled and toned.
Maybe it was because of the way he looked, but looking at himself now, Dustin didn't doubt that he must have had <5% body fat. The muscles were just that showy. Something he had always dream of having, a six pack stomach and a body that looked like it never left the gym. His vision of apex manliness. He didn't even need to flex them, simply turning his body would show well defined muscles. He was still slim, but he was now slim with muscles and a bit of meat to his bones.
While Dustin was still admiring himself, trying to look at all the spots he's eyes could reach without a mirror, the goblin returned with news. He immediately brought down he's shirt.
According to what the goblin was saying, it seemed another person was in the area, and the person was close.
'Let's not do too much.'
[Activated skill Reality Manipulation]
...
'I couldn't even get a good sleep. The thought of the person who caused that scene appearing near me kept me awake and vigilant all night. But it seemed he didn't even pass by. Stupid.' A girl said as she marched through the forest.
She continued moving through the forest vegetation cautiously. If normal animals also existed in this realm, which there is a high probability they would, she would need to be vigilant. If she were to be bitten by a snake or some crippling thing, that might be the end for her.
Maybe it was due to her vigilance, she picked up the sound of footsteps from a distance, but she wasn't quite sure. It sound like steps, but the sound was a bit dull.
Crack
'Something's there!' She jolted in a bit of fear.
She instinctively wanted to turn back and run, but that would be a shame, both to her and her master, she thought. By all means, she fought against her sudden fear, her will overpowering it. In mere seconds, she sprung out, dashing ahead and towards the source of the sound.
After a few steps, the part in front wasn't covered with much of the vegetation and leaves, and that was when she saw a figure that resembled a goblin, it's green skin giving it away as it sprung forward at an amazing speed from tree branch to tree branch.
'A goblin? In the day time?' She thought.
Goblins only came out at night, which was something she knew, oddly enough for someone who was dragged into the realm of Na'ash. But looking at the dense covering above that blocked off most of the sunlight, maybe? She wasn't sure.
A few more seconds after chasing after the goblin towards a large tree, she could see the goblin landing on the ground, from the trees, and a figure standing before the tree.
'A person? He's going to get attacked!'
As she swooped in and before the tree however, the human figure was gone. Was it just her imagination? She thought. She was sure she saw someone there, but now there was no one there, just the goblin.
In a heartbeat, her sword had cut through the goblin's head and her figure was standing behind it.
...
'Hmm? That's quite the skillful one. She just got here, but she's this good already... Nahh. Viper can do what she just did, even better. Maybe she's one of those secretly trained assassins from the government or stuff. That's definitely it.'
As Dustin was observing the girl from atop the branch of a tree, someone else entered the scene.
..
"Mizu, it is you. I knew I sensed something familiar." The voice of a girl spoke as another figure emerged from the behind the huge tree.
"Raven. I've been searching for you, sister." The girl from earlier, Mizu, said.
"Me too. It's why I haven't left these parts yet."
Under more lighting, Dustin could recognize the girl called Mizu. She was the one who saved him the previous day. He was grateful, he still is, but the fact that the girl was quite the beauty, and she was Asian. Dustin couldn't help but throw a thumb of approval.
(This Almighty Author also throws a thumb.)
Not falling even an inch behind, the one called Raven was even more beautiful. She looked older than both Dustin and the one called Mizu by a few years, as both Dustin and Mizu were around the same age, from their looks. This Raven had even more protruding curves and model like measurements that shown all too well even through the basic beginners outfit, and she looked South American. Seeing her, Dustin couldn't help but throw two thumbs of approval for both ladies.
Strong, beautiful and has the stuff.
APRROVED!
(This Great Author also throws four thumbs of approval.)
..
"I sensed someone else here... Is there no one?" Raven asked.
"I thought I was the only one. There's something you must see sister. It's very important. We'll discuss along the way." Mizu said as she led the way back towards where she had just come from.
..
"I wonder what this thing is? I should follow and investigate." Dustin said, as he followed behind.