The morning sun bathed the streets of the bustling town in warm light as Kain made his way to the Adventurers' Guild. His legs still ached from the previous day's ordeal in the goblin dungeon, but the promise of turning the mana cores into coins kept him moving. The cloth pouch at his side jingled faintly with the weight of the 33 glowing spheres—each one a hard-earned prize from his harrowing venture.
The guild hall loomed ahead, a sturdy building of wood and stone, its doors wide open to welcome adventurers of all kinds. Inside, the place was alive with activity. Adventurers gathered in groups, exchanging tales of their exploits, while guild staff shuffled between them, organizing requests and counting payments.
Kain stepped up to the reception counter, where a young woman with sharp eyes and a cheerful demeanor greeted him. "Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild! How can I help you today?"
"I'm here to sell some mana cores," Kain said, his voice quiet but steady. He pulled the pouch from his belt and set it on the counter with a soft thud.
The receptionist's eyed the mana cores. "Goblin cores, huh? First time selling?"
Kain nodded, watching as she carefully untied the pouch and poured the contents onto the counter. The glowing orbs rolled slightly, their faint light catching the attention of a few nearby adventurers.
"Let's see," she said, picking up a few of the cores to examine them. " You've got... thirty-three here. At one copper coin each, that totals thirty-three coppers."
She reached beneath the counter, retrieved a small coin pouch, and began counting out the payment. The metallic clink of copper coins hitting the wood counter felt strangely satisfying to Kain. It wasn't much, but it was proof of his effort—his survival.
"Here you go," she said, sliding the pouch of coins across to him. "Anything else you need while you're here? Requests, supplies, maybe some tips for future runs?"
Kain shook his head, pocketing the pouch. "No, thanks. Just selling today."
The receptionist gave him an encouraging smile. "Well, don't be a stranger. And hey, not bad for your first haul. Goblin cores may not be worth much, but they're a good start."
Kain nodded and turned to leave, his thoughts racing. Thirty-three coppers wouldn't go far, but it was a start. As he stepped out of the guild and into the bright streets, he clenched his fists, a spark of determination igniting within him.
This was just the beginning. He'd learn, he'd grow stronger, and one day, he'd be able to face the dungeon—and the world—without relying on anyone else. For now, though, the copper coins jingling in his pocket were a small victory, and that was enough.
Kain then makes his way back to the workshop where like always the sound of hammering can be heard, Kain walks in and stashes his copper coins away grabbing his hammer and knife, and makes his way back to the dungeon he was feeling excited after all the gains he was receiving.
Kain stood at the mouth of the goblin dungeon, gripping the worn handle of his blacksmithing hammer. This was his fourth time descending into the dark, twisting tunnels, and though he knew what to expect, his heart still pounded with anticipation. The dungeon's entrance loomed before him, its jagged edges illuminated faintly by the purple crystals embedded in the rock.
The dim glow stretched into the dark corridor beyond, barely enough light to navigate by. Kain adjusted the small cloth pouch at his side, making sure it was secure. Inside, he carried his knife for extracting mana cores and a few scraps of cloth to wrap any useful metal he might find.
"Fourth time," he muttered to himself. "This should be easier by now."
He stepped into the dungeon, the faint hum of the crystals greeting him like an old friend. The air was damp and carried the faint metallic tang of blood and decay. His eyes adjusted to the gloom quickly, his sharp senses alert for the faint growls or shuffling movements of goblins.
As he moved deeper, Kain kept to the shadows, mindful of the goblins' limited sight range. He knew the level 2 and 3 goblins wouldn't notice him until he was within 20 feet, but he also knew the level 6 goblins were sharper, their sight extending to 40 feet. He had to be careful.
First Encounter It wasn't long before he spotted his first target—a level 3 goblin, hunched over and gnawing on something unrecognizable. Its jagged club rested on the ground beside it, forgotten. Kain gripped his hammer tightly, creeping forward until he was within striking distance.
The goblin's ear twitched, but before it could react, Kain brought his hammer down with a brutal swing. The creature let out a strangled cry and collapsed to the ground. Kain exhaled sharply, crouching beside the body to retrieve his knife.
He worked quickly, slicing into the goblin's chest to extract the mana core. The small, glowing sphere was warm to the touch, its faint light pulsing with energy. He wiped it clean on the goblin's ragged clothing before slipping it into his pouch.
"One down," he murmured, glancing around to ensure no other goblins had heard the noise.
Hours passed as Kain moved through the dungeon, taking down lone goblins and collecting their mana cores. His pouch grew heavier with each victory, and his confidence began to build. But as he rounded a corner, he froze.
A goblin stood at the far end of the corridor, its sharp eyes scanning the darkness. Unlike the others, this one was armed with a battered but functional sword, and its posture was tense, ready for a fight.
Kain ducked behind a rock, holding his breath. He knew the goblin could see farther than the others. If he misjudged the distance, it would spot him before he could get close.
He waited, watching the goblin's movements carefully. When it turned its back for a brief moment, Kain moved, creeping closer inch by inch. He closed the gap to 20 feet before the goblin turned again, its sharp eyes locking onto him.
"Damn it!" Kain hissed, gripping his hammer as the goblin let out a guttural snarl and charged.
The creature was fast, its sword swinging in a wide arc. Kain barely dodged in time, the blade whistling past his ear. He retaliated with a heavy swing of his hammer, the impact jarring his arms as it connected with the goblin's side. The creature staggered but didn't fall.
The goblin lunged again, this time aiming low. Kain sidestepped and brought his hammer down with all his strength, crushing the goblin's shoulder. It let out a piercing screech, dropping its sword as it fell to the ground.
Breathing heavily, Kain finished the goblin with a final blow to its head. He knelt beside the corpse, his hands trembling slightly as he retrieved the mana core.
"This one better be worth it," he muttered, slipping the core into his pouch before picking up the goblin's sword. Though it was crude, the blade might yield some useful scrap metal for forging.
By the time Kain made his way back to the entrance, his body ached from the repeated fights. His pouch was full of mana cores, and he had managed to collect several pieces of scrap metal from the goblins' weapons. The blacksmithing hammer, though reliable, felt heavy in his hands after a full day of swinging it.
As he stepped into the fresh air, Kain allowed himself a moment to breathe. The dungeon had been challenging, but he had survived—and he was stronger for it.
"Level 5 soon," he said to himself, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "And maybe enough cores to afford some real gear."
He began the trek back to town, the weight of his spoils a reminder of the progress he had made—and the challenges still ahead.
Kain killed a total of 10 goblins which was a massive improvement the extra stats was really showing there value that and the new hammer.
Kain killed 4 level 2's 5 level 3's and a single level 6
He didn't get any exp for the level 2's he got 50 exp for all the level 3's and 40 exp for the level 6 for a total of 90 exp.
Kill 10 Goblins IIII
43/40
Reward: 1Skill point
Kill 10 Goblins IV
43/50
Reward: 1Skill point
Name: Kain Race: Human Age:14
Level 4:105/250
Hp:30
MP;25
Vitality: 3
Strength:6
Defense:3
Stamina:5
Agility:7
Dexterity :3(+1)
Intelligence:5
Carisma :1
Perception:1
Stat points:0
Skill points:1
Kain gets to his closet and stashes away 2 spear tips and 1 sword as well as the 10 goblin cores.
"That was a good haul overall, if only I had more stamina and a bigger bag so I can carry more, then I can get more out of the dungeon, the early parts of the dungeon don't give me much exp, but later 1 goblin gave me almost as much as all the others I killed".
Kain starts top drift of to sleep feeling satisfied with what he has acomplished today.