Chirp. Chirp.
The long-awaited morning arrived with the gentle chorus of birdsong.
"Ah, my back... it hurts so much!"
I woke up groggily.
My muscles screamed in protest.
Somehow, despite my terror and the uncomfortable perch, exhaustion had won out.
"Um, where... am—Oh yeah."
Reality crashed back the moment I opened my eyes to find myself still nestled in the branches. The morning light painted a very different picture of my surroundings—the forest that had seemed so menacing in the darkness now looked almost peaceful.
But I knew better.
I was in Vargos. The first kingdom to fall in
It still didn't feel real, but the ache in my body and the morning dew soaking my clothes argued otherwise.
Checking my phone again, I found no signal. And something else caught my attention—the battery had finally drained.
Just a little.
Only by 2%.
Now at 71%.
"What happened to this?"
I couldn't tell if it was just my old phone acting up or something more significant. But given everything else that had happened, I wasn't betting on normal explanations anymore.
'I'm thirsty.'
My throat felt like sandpaper. Water had to be the priority, followed by food if I could find it. Which meant...
I had to climb down.
Slowly, carefully, I made my way down the tree, pausing every few branches to scan my surroundings. The forest floor that had been hidden in darkness last night now spread out before me, dappled in morning sunlight.
'Wow...'
The forest didn't feel as oppressive in daylight, but that could be more dangerous. False security could get you killed in a world like this.
'Now... where should I go?'
Dilemma after dilemma.
The choice of direction felt monumental, even though I was already lost.
Haa…
The sun hung directly overhead, offering no help in determining east from west. I'd have to rely on intuition and hope it led me to water.
Actually, the direction didn't matter much. I was already lost in some forest in Vargos—no point in trying to return to this specific tree. Besides, moving around might help me find another signal spot.
'But how am I even getting a signal connection?'
That question had been nagging at me. This wasn't my world—there shouldn't be any cell towers here. Yet I'd not only gotten a signal but managed to connect to... something.
'I really should have read more transmigration novels.'
The thought had barely crossed my mind when—
Shhhhhhhhhhh...
'That sound... rushing water?'
Shhhhh… Shhhhh...
Yes, unmistakably the sound of water over rocks.
'That... direction?!'
My body moved almost instinctively toward the sound. Dehydration was a powerful motivator.
Weaving through the trees, I emerged into a clearing. The sound of running water grew stronger, and relief began to wash over me.
Until I saw something green.
Gurr... Gurr....
A humanoid figure, half my height, crouched by the water's edge—a goblin.
"What th—"
Gurr...
I clamped my hand over my mouth, cutting off the yelp of surprise.
Thankfully, the goblin didn't notice, continuing to drink noisily from the stream.
Gurr... Gurr...
I held perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe. I'd read stories where goblins had enhanced senses, particularly smell. But this one seemed focused entirely on its drink.
For now.
Here I was, watching a fantasy creature drink water like some kind of deranged nature documentary. Back home, I'd probably have been fascinated. Here, I was terrified.
Gurr... slurp...
The sounds it made were disturbingly human-like, yet wrong enough to send chills down my spine. Its green skin had a leathery texture that caught the morning light, and what I'd first thought was some kind of armor looked more like crude leather pieces tied together with vine.
'What do I do?'
In stories, this would be the part where the protagonist either:
A) Somehow sneaks past the goblin
B) Kills it with their convenient system powers
C) Befriends it because it turns out to be special
I looked at my status screen again.
[Wearer]
∟VIT : ⟪POOR +4⟫
∟STR : ⟪FAIR -2⟫
∟DEX : ⟪POOR +1⟫
∟INT : ⟪AVERAGE -3⟫
∟WIS : ⟪FAIR +1⟫
Yeah, no. With stats like these, my only option was retreat.
Crack.
The twig beneath my foot had other ideas.
The goblin's ears twitched.
'Don't turn around. Don't turn around. Don't—Ah fuck!'
It turned around.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, everything froze. Its beady yellow eyes widened in what might have been - surprise. My heart stopped completely.
Then its mouth split into a grin, revealing rows of yellowed, sharp teeth.
"Grah!"
I didn't wait to see what that meant in goblin-speak.
I ran.
Beep!
[Status Effect: Adrenaline Surge]
[Movement speed: Temporarily Enhanced]
Behind me, I heard splashing as the goblin abandoned its drink. Its excited shrieking echoed through the forest, and worse—other shrieks answered.
'There's more of them?!'
Of course there were more. Goblins always traveled in groups. I'd read that somewhere, probably in one of those novels I'd dismissed as unrealistic.
Funny how useful that knowledge seemed now.
Branches whipped at my face as I crashed through the undergrowth. I had no idea where I was going—away from the shrieks seemed like direction enough.
"Grah! Grah!"
They were getting closer.
I risked a glance back and immediately regretted it. Three goblins now, their short legs making up for my longer stride with sheer athleticism.
A stitch formed in my side. My lungs burned.
'This isn't fair! I'm not built for this!'
Modern life hadn't prepared me for running for my life. My poor VIT stat was making itself known with every gasping breath.
That's when I spotted it—a gap between two trees, barely wide enough for a person. The space was too narrow for multiple goblins to follow at once.
'If I can just squeeze through—'
I angled toward it, but my exhausted legs betrayed me. My foot caught on an exposed root.
'No—!'
Time seemed to slow as I stumbled. My arms went out instinctively to break my fall.
THUD.
Beep!
[Status Effect: Adrenaline Peak]
[Movement Speed: Severely Impaired]
[Impact Damage Detected]
"Oof!"
Pain shot through my hands and knees as I hit the ground hard.
"Aah..."
Stars danced in my vision.
'Shit! Shit! Get up! Get up!'
But my body wouldn't listen. The fall had knocked the wind out of me, and my legs felt like jelly from the chase.
"Grah! Hehehe!"
The goblin's shrill laughter made my blood freeze.
Forcing my eyes open, I found myself surrounded by three goblins. They weren't attacking.
Instead... They were poking me with sticks, like children finding a new toy.