I survive the night becoming level seven. Clearly, the system does not give experience because of the level difference in combat but more because of the challenge. The goblins are level 2 or 3 but the fights are harder in the night. Even with the extra levels, the fatigue forces me to commit mistakes. My Spear mastery is now level 11 and Pierce level 4. As pierce level up the stamina upkeep is reduced. 

With the sun up I am trying to follow the ground inclination hoping to discover a river. I will need water to survive, but fruits should be good for now. And a river could guide me to civilization… if there is one.

There is something wonderfully odd about this forest. It’s very dense and green, life is everywhere like in a jungle, but the humidity is nice, the temperature too. The weather is ideal. There are fruits everywhere and I sure a water source should be close because of all the vegetation. This place is a small paradise. Yes, it’s a Paradise full of murderous beasts. They are not carnivore predators but murderous and greedy monsters.

As the day passes more and more monkeys decided to follow the self-serving buffet. I think the method became pretty popular. I execute the goblins and they eat. What is my benefit you will say? Well… they let me catch a short break without attracting goblins after I kill one! So, now instead of running away from the crime scene, I stay to take a small break. 

I don’t think new goblins will approach a group of 10 small monkeys. I try to jump on then but they are too swift for me. They merely need to jump to the trees to escape. And I am a bit nervous about starting a true fight with them.

The day goes by, and the forest seems the change. The trees are not the same, maybe a bit taller, and the leaf fleshier, it’s hard to see. The excellent point is that the monkeys are reluctant to follow me. We met new monkeys, but they do not join the group. Do I continue in this direction? Yes, I need water. And if the monkeys stop following me because they are afraid of the new monkeys it’s even better. Maybe I will sleep tonight.

I was wrong. Everything changed after I had killed the last group of two goblins. The original monkey group jumped to the corpses but just after another group jumped on them by surprise. This is a massacre and I quickly run away from the battle. Hope they all die. After a moment I realize that no one is following me! I am free, and what follows are precious hours without them. Without monkeys to force me to fight or attracting goblins it’s easy to just go around. 

I am forced to fight a couple of times, but it’s ok. They can smell me and try to track me, but I can outrun and lose them. And with more time I am now mostly recovered. With less pressure, I try to use my branch according to the skill. I test destabilizing the goblin and then strike without using all my strength or making big openings. Now that I have a skill that consumes my stamina, I need to manage it.

Finding myself a nice hole at the bottom of a large tree, I prepare for the night. I start to make a bit of camouflage, a soft bed, and maybe a bit of protection with the nearby vegetation. It’s sunset, and the colors are beautiful. The rays of light passing through the foliage are breath-taking. I take a few moments to appreciate the surrounding beauty. Lost in thought I enter my small jungle hut, but a shoot interrupts my contemplation. 

The monkeys finally found me and immediately start shouting and dancing in the trees. Not wanting to be late to the fest, the goblins arrive. I am sick of being used by the monkeys; I should run away but I hesitate on the path to take. The monkeys do not stop and more goblins appear, surrounding me. Merde, there are eight goblins around me and I start to panic. There is just no way I can fight them. 

The monkeys stop shooting, satisfied, and eager to start the gluttonous fight. No one is moving. The tension is rising as the sun is declining and the second star paints the forest red.

I hear a goblin moving behind me. I turn around and charge. I need to break the encirclement. I push against the ground to gain strength as I charge the first goblin. I pierce him in the stomach, but I do not stop. I feel the energy pushing in my legs, and the goblin body on the branch seems weightless. I pierce a second goblin; he is too shocked to move aside. Two more meters and I stop.

I need to breathe as a wave of exhaustion hit me. But no one waits for me as the two nearest goblins jump to me. I kick the two bodies attached to my branch in the direction of the goblin coming to the right. The other one bit my left arm as I try to protect my face. I smash it on a tree but at the same time, the four other goblins arrive. I pierce one, but the three other jumps to me and my branch. 

I don’t know what is happening as we fall to the ground; I desperately stand up and throw one in front of me. I can’t let me trapped. I am ready to throw another one but my right leg gives up. 

Desperation raise as I am on the ground, on my back, as four goblins assault me. They are too heavy for me to stand up. I can’t find my branch. I try to push them as they start to eat me alive. I need to stand up! One of them jumps to my face, but I catch his throat with my hands. 

The pain is unbearable as the other three bits and eats me. With all my rage I pierce with my thumbs, shredding his neck. I try to do something but a new goblin jump on me. I am blocked on the ground. They are too many I can do nothing with my hands. I start to realize that I am going to die, right here, and be eaten alive by goblins and monkeys. 

Next to me, the goblin takes his last breath as he bleeds and suffocates. He dies and but I will not follow him.

Congratulation you are Level 10. You received a gift from your blessing in adequation to your class. 

An iron and wood spear materialize in my hands. The goblins momentarily stop, shocked by the apparition. I swipe with my spear pushing the goblins and stand up. I pierce, pierce, and pierce. The exhaustion hit me like a hammer but I grab the last goblin on me, throw it and gut it. 

Looking around me I see no more goblins moving. They are all dead, but I don’t feel victorious. I feel like a used tool, an object, a fucking bait always ready to serve the next meal. I hope they will appreciate their last one.

A dozen monkeys jump to the ground. Two big ones control the group; they have small yellow strips on their back. The other monkeys drag the corpses to them and start the fest. They are completely neglecting me as they celebrate their victory. Their victory…

I try to breathe slowly and regain my strength, but my eyes can’t stop staring at the monkeys. They stuff and fatten themselves like disgusting balls of greed. They attract the goblin to me, force me to fight, stop me from sleeping. I will kill them. I will kill them all. I mentally push to help heal my wounds and wait. They are happily eating those tasty mango goblins; their stomach stretched. Good, they will not escape from me. 

I pass the time insulting and hating them, and now the majority have finished eating and are just laying down, but the big ones do not stop. I slowly walk. My position is perfect. They have their back turned to me and 4 small abominations are on the way. 

I charge the spear low to the ground. I kill the first two monkeys; they don’t even have time to react. The third one shoots but it’s already too late for him. They are weaker than the goblins and stuffed they are just as slow. My spear misses the fourth one but I succeed in stomping him. The big monkey turns around only to be pierced in the head. The exhaustion hit me as the second one jump to me. I will not go down! I shoot and slash my spear in his direction. The monkey dodges but I barely miss, my spear avidly cut his lips. 

He stops for one second eyeing me hatefully and then runs away. The small ones flee too, but I am quick enough to rip a few more lives. Exhausted but now victorious I fall to my knees. I contemplated my oeuvre, sixteen corpses, and a multitude of colors. 

In this red forest I am an artist, with my spear I paint in red, orange and now yellow.