Some time after leaving the house Norn was close to the tower.
It wasn't that far after all, it was just a light walk for him.
"Yeah, this tower looks like a giant pile of black shit."
It really did look like that.
Pitch black structure with many holes that Norn imagined to be...
Whatever.
He couldn't get too close to it, as it was obviously blocked by "authorities" that didn't let people do their thing.
He hated it a little, but he couldn't do much against it.
In fact, some people didn't think like he did and tried to attack the army or whoever it was.
Norn would've been one of them if he was sure that he'll win.
He, however, had different plans.
His only reason behind coming here was to check out if he gets a reaction from it.
Since he didn't...
Well, to hell with it, then!
As he was about to leave the vicinity of the tower he suddenly felt something amiss...
He turned his head form left to right trying to see what exactly was wrong.
It wasn't just his gut that told him about it, he also felt something mana-related!
Something was going on, but what!?
More importantly... Why did it happen when he came here?
Was it his luck or something? That couldn't be...
Yeah, it was just 1, but... it wasn't negative...
So why did he get in trouble as soon as he left his house?
Could it be a "Lucky encounter" that he read about in novels?
It was possible...
But, if it was indeed like that... What exaclty is going to happen?
Logically speaking - nothing could, he wasn't in the goblin body now, so...
"Eruption!"
He suddenly heard someone's cry!
"Oh, right..."
He facepalmed himself.
It was actually kinda obvious that it'll happen.
Other than that, what else could?
Some random girl would've fell on his head or bumped into him?
Then it turns out that she's a granddaugther of some random CEO of a multi-billion company?
Yeah, dream on.
As he looked around trying to locate what this eruption was, his gaze stopped on a...
"Goblin?"
He asked himself quietly.
It was just a random goblin that stood there, looking at him.
"The fuck are you looking at?"
He asked the goblin half-jokingly.
The goblin, however...
"You speak!?"
He was shocked! How could this human know his language!?
It was too bizzare!
"Yeah. How did you end up here? Where's your chief?"
He didn't want to kill that random goblin, he felt a sense of familiarity...
Truly a heart of a goblin.
"Chief dead. We escape from human, but..."
As he was explaining he suddenly stopped.
He just... Stood there, doing nothing.
It didn't look that this goblin was "working" like now.
As if he was just a broken toy or a video that's still loading...
"Friend? You alright?"
Norn couldn't help but ask.
In his mind, however, he already knew that it could happen.
It was another cliche that he wanted to check out.
"We can't speak about how we ended up in this world or whatever"
Was the thing. It was used in many retarded stories because author was too lazy to think of something better...
A few seconds later goblin started moving again, he simply looked at Norn, seemingly waiting for him to say something.
"Go, friend. It seems that god doesn't want us to speak."
Was the only thing he could come up with.
It was obvious that he cant get any information from this goblin.
Killing him wasn't an option either. Why would he?
It's not like he could even do so without exposing his powers...
That wasn't a thing he wanted to do.
"God..."
The goblin said queitly...
"Go, friend, hide before they kill you."
Norn rushed him, he wasn't alone here as many other goblins were emerging here and there, but...
None of them actually attacked Norn. They did attack other people, however.
"Thank you."
The goblin said before running off to attack some random guy not too far away.
Norn chuckled as he saw it.
"Too bad"
He looked at other people who struggled to fend off the goblins.
It was funny to him how all of them decided to ignore him.
"Wait..."
He suddenly thought about that opportunity he got.
"Those people with weapons are clearly too busy with goblins now..."
He looked in their direction.
Were those people really soldiers? They could barely hit anything...
"Dont mind if i do"
He said with a slight grin on his face as he ran towards them.
As he got even closer to them he cried out:
"HEEEELP MEEEE! THEY ARE ATTACKING MEEE!! HEEEELP!!!"
His face was full of panic, he seemed geniunly terrified by what happened around him.
He wasn't sure if those soldiers were as blind as he thought they were...
He wasn't really hiding, could it be that they saw him just standing there before running to them?
It was a gamble, if they did... that was dangerous.
"Come, faster!"
One of the soldiers cried out in response to Norn.
Norn, however, didn't even bother to stop or anything, he ran straight towards the tower!
Only after standing on hands reach from it did he stop!
"Well... What now?"
He didn't have a plan.
Yeah, coming here was his goal, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to come close to it.
Thus he didn't even think about what to do if he did.
"Okay, why didn't they attack me then? Was it because i spoke to one of them or something?"
Was a question he wanted to answer the most.
It was quite strange for goblins to just ignore him like that.
Even if he spoke their language... So what? None but the first one stopped on him.
Whatever it was, he was glad that it happened.
It allowed him to get closer to the tower.
However... What now?
Should he just stay here or something?
The tower didn't seem to react to his presence at all!
It just ignored his presence here...
"Or..."
He suddenly thought about something...
Without even continuing his thought he touched the tower!
It wasn't what he imagined it would feel like.
"Yeah, that wo..."
In the midst of his thought he got transported.
"uldn't be..."
The scenery around him changed, forcing him to stop his line.
He was in a meadow now. Just a random open space in a middle of a forest.
Well, it looked like it was.
[Ascension Tower: First floor]
[Trial: Kill 10 goblins in the shortest time possible.]
"Fuck you"
Norn immediately rebuked out loud.
"Not going to do that shit, goblins are my friends. Change the trial."
He complained to thin air.
Unsurprisingly... nothing happened.
He just stood there like a complete retard, looking at the sky.
"Guess i'm stuck here, then."
He didn't want to kill any goblins.
He wasn't hellbent on it, but if he could... he wouldn't just kill them for nothing.
It's not like any of the "monsters" were his enemies in the first place.
They all attacked first because they assumed their opponent would do the same.
It was life.
As Norn just stood there, thinking about the possibility of leaving this place he heard a sound coming from behind.
As he turned his head back, it was a goblin!
"Friend!"
He immediately cried out with a wide smile on his face!
Goblin was aghast! He couldn't believe was he just heard!
"You speak!?"
Norn felt a sense of deja vu...
"Yeah, just like you. How is your day?"
He asked a casual question.
If this goblin didn't attack him for no particular reason he wouldn't do so either.
"Good. How human know speak?"
It seemed like this goblin wasn't the smartest one around here...
"Human? I am goblin! Chief Norn!"
He rebuked with a somewhat angry tone.
"You human!"
The goblin did the same, he wasn't blind.
Norn was about to say something, but as he looked at his hands...
"What! I am human!"
He acted shocked!
Was it hard to scam a goblin? Not really, a birck would probably have higher IQ than most of them.
"You cursed!?"
The goblin was even more shocked than Norn was!
"Go with me! Seek shaman!"
He waved his hand at Norn, prompting him to follow.
Norn didn't think twice as he did just that.
Several minutes later they were close to a cave that was... a cave.
It was populated by goblins, just like the one he was born in.
There was a difference, however. Goblins here looked way stronger than ones from his tribe.
They had weapons, armor and even some sort of hierarchy!
He clearly saw some of them acting as guards!
As both of them got closer, the guards readied their weapons...
"Stop! This friend! He cursed!"
The goblin who led Norn here cried out.
The guards looked at each with dumb expressions...
"What? Why take human here!"
One of the guards said before pointing his rusted sword at Norn...
Before the small goblin could explain what was going on...
"I am no human! I am goblin! Chief Norn!"
Norn said proudly.
Both of the guards couldn't close their mouths!
They were as shocked as one could possibly be!
"Human know speak!"
Suddenly, a voice rang from the cave...
As the figure who this voice belonged to emerged, Norn saw a bluish window right infront of his face...
[Trial: Become a friend of the goblin tribe.]
"That's better!"
Norn immediately thought. He wont have to kill any goblins anymore!
Well... if becoming their friend was too hard...
He would considering doing it the easier way...
"You say that you goblin? What your name?"
It was an old goblin with a huge stick who said it.
He just emerged from the cave and covered his eyes with one on his hands.
"I am Norn!"
He announced proudly.
"Norn, good name! Why you human?"
It was a dumb fucking question.
Norn couldn't think of a way to answer it...
What does he even mean by that?..
"I dont know! I was goblin, but then i am human!"
Was the stupidest answer Norn could think of.
It seemed to impress that old goblin...
"Curse!"
He suddenly said after a pause, scaring the goblins near him.
"Yes!"
Norn added.
The whole place went silent for a while.
"I lost my tribe, i want to become friend of your! How?"
It was a lie, of course, but how would they know?
"Friend of tribe? Hmm..."
The old goblin pretended to think for a while.
He even placed a hand his chin, like he knew how to think!
After 10 or so seconds he finally gave an answer...
"Give your clothes, become friend!"
He pointed a finger at Norn as he said it.
"The fuck?"
To say that Norn was surprised was to say nothing.
What fucking quest was that? Give away his clothes?
"Okay!"
He didn't bother too much about it, however.
So what if they scammed him or something?
He was a mage anyway, he didn't need those!
And it's not like he had a weapon with him...
Not even a knife...
Why? Because Norn is a retard, that's why.
After undressing Norn stood there, completely naked.
He didn't bother too much about it, shame wasn't a word he knew.
"Good! Good clothes!"
The old goblin praised as he examined the clothes that Norn gave him.
Those were good by his standarts.
Obviously, they weren't made by goblins, after all...
"Are we now friend?"
Norn couldn't help but ask, it this old fuck scammed him...
"Yes! Come join, we have many females!"
The old goblin grinned as he said it, he made a "Come!" gesture...
Sadly, it wasn't meant to happen.
[Congratulations! You have completed the [Ascension Tower: First floor] trial!]
[Grade: S]
[Rewards:
Skill: [Inventory];
]
Norn stood right where he was before he entered the tower.
"What fucking inventory?"
He couldn't understand the reasoning behind it.
Why would this trial give him an inventory skill?
How the fuck was it connected to the trial itself?
It made 0 sense!
"Well, whatever."
He didn't think too much about it, an inventory was too useful to cry about it.
So what if the system was completely retarded?
It gave him an imbalanced skill already!
"How do i summon it?.. Inventory!"
He thought in his mind.
Nothing happened.
"Open inventory?"
This time, however, it worked.
Before him was a panel that looked almost identical to his status window.
With the obvious difference of being an inventory.
It looked just like any other inventory you would normally see it game.
It was empty as of now.
Norn didn't have anything with him to test it out.
He took a random pebble from the ground and tossed on that screen.
It simply passed through.
"Why the fuck do i have to guess how this shit works all the time?"
He was pissed because of the lack of explanations.
...
After testing it for 10 or so minutes Norn finally understood how this piece of shit works.
He didn't need to toss anything into it to place it there.
He didn't even need to open it for it to work.
The only requirement was to think about taking out or putting the item inside.
Of course, if he forgot what was there exaclty he could just open it and see.
One more thing was that he also could directly drop items from it.
He could open the inventory and just drag whatever itemslot outside the window, it will make the item drop on the ground.
In didn't work the other way, however.
As he was about to test another thing...
"What are you doing here!?"
He heard a voice coming from behind...