Kael and Makima walked in silence through the forest, both immersed in their own thoughts. The scent of wet earth and the soft sound of leaves crunching beneath their feet filled the air as the sky above began to darken. Makima walked with her impeccable posture, her presence undeniably dominant, yet she seemed more focused on something distant, as if contemplating something greater than the moment itself.
Kael, on the other hand, was still trying to understand how to survive in this strange world. He looked at the makeshift mace in his hand, a piece of twisted wood with a stone embedded in it, wondering if it would be enough if another creature appeared to challenge them. His eyes then fell on the goblin claws he had collected earlier, and he shook his head. It was a reminder that, despite all his efforts, he was still weak compared to what he would have to face.
"If this keeps up, we're going to get crushed," Kael said, breaking the silence. "This place is weird, but I don't think we're alone here."
Makima raised an eyebrow, not looking away from the path ahead. "You think so? What else could be watching us, aside from ourselves?"
Kael scoffed. "Don't doubt it. If this forest gave me a wolf that almost killed me, something tells me there's much more out there. And... either way, you seem to be enjoying yourself, don't you?"
She glanced at him sideways but didn't respond. They continued walking, their steps synchronizing with the sound of Makima's steps, which seemed almost... organic in this world, as though she had already learned how to adapt to the new environment.
Suddenly, Kael stopped. Something was wrong. His senses began to stir, the air around his body growing heavier, as though he was being watched. He looked to Makima, who stopped as well, her gaze sharp. "What is it?" Kael asked, trying to mask the nervousness in his voice.
Makima made a slight motion with her head, as though something was approaching. "We're being watched. Get ready."
Before Kael could prepare for whatever was coming, a loud rumble of heavy footsteps shook the ground. Several goblins jumped out from between the trees, their eyes glowing with malice. Kael quickly realized they weren't here for friendly conversation. They were armed to the teeth, with swords, axes, and even spears made from bones and pieces of metal. But what caught Kael's attention the most were the hands of some of them. They were staring directly at him, their gazes locked on the goblin claws he still carried, stained with blood from the previous fight.
Makima sighed, already sensing what was about to happen. "Looks like they think you killed the big guy. This should be fun."
"Shit..." Kael muttered, his stomach tightening. "What are we going to do now?"
Without warning, the goblin leader, a massive monster with a scar on his face and muscular arms, charged with surprising speed, his huge axe raised above his head. Kael quickly raised his makeshift mace to defend himself, but the blow was brutal. The impact made his legs tremble, and he could barely keep his balance. The goblin snarled, giving him a malicious grin before stepping back and pointing his claws at Kael, as if daring him to fight back.
Makima, however, seemed completely unphased. With a quick movement, she advanced and slashed the side of the goblin leader with an invisible blade. The impact was so strong that the goblin froze momentarily, his body convulsing in pain. He raised his axe, but before he could strike, Makima dodged, appearing behind him. She swept his legs out from under him, easily knocking him to the ground.
Kael watched her, impressed. "That... wasn't your control ability, was it?"
"You're good at observing," Makima remarked coldly, stepping away from the fallen goblin. "But don't underestimate how many abilities I still have, even without being able to summon my commands directly."
He nodded, trying not to appear more than an astonished observer. But his attention was quickly diverted by a growl coming from behind. Several goblins were charging with fury, now closing in on Kael, who was unsure of what to do.
He could feel the weight of the goblin leader's claws in his hands, still smelling the fresh blood. He needed to move quickly. He wasn't sure if it would be enough, but he felt like he needed something more than just defense.
With a primal yell, he raised the mace and charged toward the first goblin that approached. The goblin tried to react with a blade, but Kael was quick, blocking the attack with the makeshift mace and counterattacking with a direct punch to the goblin's face, knocking it to the ground. Goblin blood sprayed to the side, staining Kael in a burst of red.
Two more goblins charged toward him. Kael tried using the branch of the mace like a staff, delivering quick, heavy blows, but the goblins were fast and agile. When one of them managed to dodge and attack his leg, Kael yelled in pain. He used his survival instinct, advancing quickly and landing a knee to the goblin's stomach, sending it stumbling backward.
But while he dealt with one, another, larger and stronger goblin emerged from the shadows. With a fierce cry, it brought its spear down with force, and Kael had to roll to the side, narrowly dodging the deadly strike.
Makima, who had been watching Kael's fight with disdain, seemed unfazed. She moved forward, using her sword to cut down the remaining goblins with precision. Each of her movements was lethal and effortless. When she finally brought down the last goblin, she looked at Kael, who was panting but still standing.
"I still don't understand how you managed to survive this long, but..." she gave a subtle laugh, "I guess you're useful after all."
Kael, covered in blood and scratches, looked at her, still in disbelief at what had just happened. "You didn't help me at all, you know? I almost died there, while you just... watched."
Makima smiled slightly. "I helped. You were being tested. Maybe now you've learned something useful."
Kael rolled his eyes, trying to recover from exhaustion. "Seems like the only thing I've learned here is that this forest is full of damn goblins."
But then, a distant sound caught his attention, and his heart began to race. Something else was approaching. Something much bigger. "I think this isn't over yet..."
Kael stopped, breathing heavily, as his eyes fixed on the messages that began to appear before him. The words flashed quickly, as if the system was trying to keep up with the battle he had just fought. He had no time to relax, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and a sense of urgency took over him.
[You defeated 10 Goblin Warriors!]
[You completed the quest "Survival in the Forest"!]
[You reached level 3!]
[You obtained: 5 Stat Points, 1 Skill Point, 1 Mana Fragment]
Kael blinked, surprised by the amount of rewards he had just received. He had always imagined the system would be slower, more... mystical. But there, in the heat of the battle, everything seemed to happen quickly and directly. He looked at the messages, the stress beginning to give way to curiosity.
Stat Points: 5
Skill Point: 1
Mana Fragment: 1
"Finally something useful," Kael muttered, focusing on the Mana Fragment. He didn't exactly know what it was, but the term "mana" resonated with something important. It would probably be useful in future battles, if he could figure out how to manipulate it.
"Let's see..." he murmured, as he started adding more points to his stats.
[Current Status]
Name: Kael Alucard
Race: Inferior Vampire (Level 0)
Class: None
Titles: None
Level: 3
HP: 40/40
MP: 35/35
Strength: 6 (+3)
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 6 (+1 – Mana Fragment)
Vitality: 6 (+2)
Charisma: 1
Active Skills: [Mortal Gaze (Level 1)]
Passive Skills: [Survival Instinct (Level 1)]
Resistances: None
[Skill Point: 1]