"I see," I finally stops questioning Garen.
With my dark hair rustling in the wind, I found tranquillity by the stream, relishing the succulent berries I carried.
Amidst the peaceful surroundings, my mind buzzed with countless thoughts, as I meticulously calculated and strategized my next moves.
Eventually, I paused, my lips curving into an empty smile. Gazing intensely at the flowing stream, I indulged in envisioning the multitude of points I could have scored, yet my reflection revealed a different story.
I had a smile on my face but it wasn't a genuine one.
"For some reason, the points system is quite odd. Why would they do that?"
I could feel Garen was perplexed by my cryptic remark. I seemed lost in profound contemplation, but a faint chuckle escaped me as I inhaled deeply.
Suddenly, everything fell into place in my mind. Before verbalizing my newfound clarity, I paused to savour the berry juice that trickled down my fingers, as if relishing the moment.
"Garen, rather than the points, how much will our stats increase for slaying each of these goblins?"
"And how much are the points and the stats increased for slaughtering the troll?"
On this occasion, I wore a benevolent smile, one brimming with genuine confidence and determination.
After having a conversation with Garen, I had caught an important info from Garen's previous statement.
Upon hearing this question, Garen's countenance transformed into a dissatisfied expression, reflecting his disagreement of answering it.
"Even though he had accumulated the highest points and had the advantages of the stats and skills given to him as rewards, he was still unable to win the Astral Game,"
This is what the previous conversation that had lingered in my head.
'Skills and stats are given as rewards,'
Through this minor information, I was able to slightly understand the real purpose of this trial. I glanced the skyward and discovered numerical data displaying my current points and the time remaining in the trial.
< Time Remaining: 34:21:14 >
< Player: Reynold Dixon >
< Points Accumulated (10) >
…
As I posed the initial question, Garen couldn't help but wonder if I had already unravelled the true purpose of the trial. There was hint of it through the expression in his words.
Garen seemed to ponder the second question.
"Whether you intended to hunt down the troll or you are simply inquiring out of curiosity. If you genuinely planned to eliminate the troll, it raised concerns about whether greed had clouded your judgement and overridden your rationality," He said.
I understood why he said this to me. This served as an additional reason why Garen chose to keep the rewards of stats and skills as a well-guarded secret. He didn't want the player he was guiding to succumb to greed and ultimately fail the trial. However, it still accidentally escaped from his mouth.
Regarding my current abilities and talents, it seemed highly unlikely for me to defeat the troll unless I stumbled upon extraordinary luck.
The truth was, I knew the troll's presence in the trial was intended to keep the players vigilant, prompting them to avoid direct confrontation at all costs.
Based on Garen's knowledge, very few players survived when facing the troll head-on. Most were unable to escape its savage and overwhelming force.
So, what made me believe I could take on the troll? Perhaps, there might be a slim chance. However, engaging a troll in battle would attract other monsters, and even if I succeeded in killing the troll, I would have to face the goblins that rushed in at the sound of the fight. Garen said Trolls were exceptionally loud in combat.
Confronting the troll directly was essentially a suicidal endeavor. This explained why many players scored below 120 points in the trial. They underestimated the troll and the goblins that relied on their other senses.
The moment they slayed a goblin, a sense of gratification and superiority overwhelmed them, clouding their judgement. They forgot that the goblin they had dealt with were blinded. The troll are different story.
Nevertheless, The Guidance's responsibility was merely to guide and answer the player's questions. It was up to the player to realize these dangers on their own.
There's no way for me to defeat the troll with my current ability. I know that for sure. And confronting them is more likely a suicidal act. But somehow my guts are telling me that I can do it. Because this is the real purpose of this trial—I can't shake the feeling that this is precisely what this trial is meant to test— I sighed before continued.
—the interwoven nature of everything, from the goblin's handicaps to the unique traits of The Honey Fruits, the hidden secret of the stats and skills rewards and even why the troll isn't similarly restricted. Everything is entangled.
While I was still in my deep thoughts. Garen is giving his answer regarding the recent question.
"With each slain goblin, players will receive an additional 0.5 stat point, which can be allocated to enhance any attribute. On the other hand, for every defeated troll, players will earn 1 extra stat point and earn 20 points for the trials. However, surviving for an hour will not grant any additional stat points,"
"It appears my guest is correct. It's highly unlikely that there would be no rewards for slaying these monsters. In every game, high-risk quests typically come with generous rewards,"
I mumbled to myself before falling into my deep thoughts again.
These trials serve as a stepping stone to enhance my stats and abilities before the real game begins.
It's crucial for me to maximize this opportunity. For instance, let's say my current agility stat is 14. By eliminating two goblins, I can earn that extra stat point needed to boost my agility from 14 to 15.
This plays a pivotal role in my performance in the real game and should not be undervalued. That's also the reason why they excluded death. This Trial forced me to take the risk in order to gain advantage in the real game.
[You have earned 10 points!]
Having sat for an extended period, I eventually rose from my resting spot and redirected my gaze towards the forest I had previously traversed.
"Well, it's already decided," Wiping off the dirts from my clothes, I began to walk.
As I strolled and paved my way into the forest, I caught a familiar scent.
This smells like burning wood, more like the smell of smoke. Garen did say that other players entered the trial separately in different realms. So there is no way I would encounter one here. It must be the work of the goblins.
Studying the scent emanating from the west, I advanced towards its source. As I drew nearer, I noticed smoke billowing above the trees ahead of me.
Upon closer inspection, I discovered a campfire burning brightly, with two half-cooked reindeer thighs skewered on sticks, sizzling above the flames.
Two goblins were perched on a stone nearby, hungrily devouring the cooked reindeer meat.
My lips curled into a smirk.
They're more hideous than I thought.
After soothing my mind and envisioning my plan, I brought out the Honey Fruit from my sack. With a keen-edged stick I had discovered on the ground, I pierced the fruit's skin.
As soon as the juice sprinkled out of the fruit, the two goblins flinched, sensing the alluring sweetness wafting behind them.
Unable to resist the temptation of the confectionery aroma, their mouths drool with saliva.
Carefully unsheathing their daggers, which were fastened to their waists, the goblins cautiously advanced towards the source of the scent.
Despite their blindness, they remained vigilant for any potential threats, suspecting that this sudden and tantalizing aroma might be a cleverly laid trap.
They didn't even let their guard down. What an intelligent bastard.
I extracted the sharp-edged stick from the Honey Fruit, and with a subtle, skillful kick, I propelled the fruit towards the approaching goblins. The fruit rolled gracefully in their direction.
If they aren't coming to me then I will make my way to them.
Despite their loss of sight, the goblins had honed their other senses to a remarkable degree, relying on them entirely.
Their ability to hunt a reindeer while blind demonstrated their dangerous nature—a threat not to be underestimated.
One of the goblins hurled its dagger at the Honey Fruit, striking the ground nearby. Instantly, I swiftly shifted to their left side.
To my astonishment, the goblin's head twitched in my direction instinctively, creating the illusion that they were actually looking at me. Shiver running down my spine. Shit.
Caught off guard by the surprising response, I briefly questioned if the goblins could somehow see me.
Before I could fully process the situation, the other goblin, still clutching its dagger, flung it directly at me.
With a subtle movement, I narrowly evaded the dagger's trajectory, then, throwing the sharp-edged stick a few meters away.
The goblins swiftly drew additional daggers from their waist, seemingly aiming for the stick.
However, before they could execute their plan, I had already sprung into action, charging toward one of the goblins, brandishing his sword in a decisive strike. The blade sliced through the goblin's throat.
"Kreeakk!"
A surge of crimson blood erupted, splattering on my cheeks as the goblin collapsed to the ground.
My swift tactics had bewildered and momentarily confused the goblins, disrupting their senses for a precious few seconds.
Those brief moments proved to be crucial, allowing me to close in safely on one of the goblins.
[You have killed a goblin!]
[You have earned 5 points!]
Despite I was able to take down of one goblin, my agility fell short as the remaining goblin swiftly reacted and charged towards me in retaliation.
Shit, he's quick!
Precisely targeting me, the goblin leaped forward, catching me off guard. Reacting just in time, I swiftly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the goblin's attack.
But the relentless creature wasted no time and charged at me once more, leaving no room for me to collect my thoughts.
Right from the beginning, the goblin charged with a sharp and aggressive assault. With each subtle movement I made, the goblin keenly detected them, as we were locked in close quarters.
Evading the goblin's strikes was all I could manage, as I struggled to find an opening for a counter-attack; the goblin's dagger movements far outpaced my own sword's swiftness.
Furthermore, despite I had never swung a sword before in his life, I was actually didn't have any trouble parried the goblin attack with my sword. I was also surprised by this fact.
Now that I think about it, should I have picked a dagger before? No. It would be more troublesome to fight close on with a dagger.
A sword has a higher chance to reach the enemy than a dagger.
Finally, I got my chance. An opening to put some distance away from the goblin. The goblin made a loud shriek as it charged towards me.
"Give it your best, green ass!"
The goblin jumped at me and thrust its dagger.
Screech!
As the goblin's attack landed, red blood gushed out dripping on the ground.
But swiftly, I retaliated, slashing the goblin's throat with precision.
Kreaakk!!
[You have killed a goblin!]
[You have earned 5 points!]
With the final strike, the battle came to an end, I stood covered in goblin blood. I throws the goblin's lifeless body away as a makeshift meat shield to block the last attack.
Wiping the splatters of blood from my cheeks with his my sleeve, I took a moment to catch my breath while staring at the lifeless bodies, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.
Now, as the dust settled, I could finally take a moment to assess my ability.
I bent over my body and gasped for breath. A mix of relief and excitement swarmed over me.
"That's tough!" I exclaimed.
Turning the once menacing foe into a protective barrier. It was a move born out of instinct. Even I was surprised by what I just did.
"That was a pretty close call." I said noting to myself.
There's no time to rest, I need to grab whatever I need and evacuate from this area as soon as possible. Those goblins made a lot of weird sounds and ruckuses.
I sheathed my sword back into the scabbard and examined the dead bodies. I took some of the goblin's small pouches with me. Inside the pouches, there were a few more berries in it, a few charcoals, and some strings.
I had collected several daggers that could prove handy in the future. Carefully picking them up and securing them in my belongings.
I had also brought along some cooked reindeer thighs, packing them neatly in an empty barrel I found nearby.
I had gained a lot of valuable loot from this ambush.
My entire body had begun to ache as the adrenaline had already subsided. If I had known that I would be having this kind of dream, I would have done a few exercises.
As I endured the muscle pain, I headed back toward the stream.
[You have earned 10 points!]
I discovered that the notification window served as a useful tool for staying on track of time during the trial, but simultaneously, it proved annoying by reminding me of the prolonged duration I had to endure in the wilderness.
I found myself teleported into the forest at 8 A.M. in the morning. By that time, three hours had already elapsed, and the sun had ascended almost to its zenith, suggesting it was close to noon. I had approximately 33 hours remaining until the trial would conclude.
"This trial was much harder than I had anticipated,"
Gradually, doubt began to seep into my mind, amplifying the soreness that permeated every inch of my body. The temptation to give up was taking root in my heart. Yet, I reminded myself that this was only the beginning of my—dream—I don't know, dream walking?
"At least, I was able to confirm that accumulating above 380 points is within my grasp for now," I wiped off the sweats on my forehead with my sleeves.