Moving Up
There haven’t been anymore people since those three men came, that’s nice and not at the same time. If more would’ve came I could’ve gotten stronger, but if too many showed up the situation could change fast even if I would ever power them. All it would take is a single stab and I’d be as good as gone.
Come to think of it I’m glad I have managed to not get hit other than with the occasion stone from a goblin which only left a bruise and caused great annoyance.
But I’ve become so accustomed to this lifestyle I can barely remember how I wasn’t like this to begin with.
Hunting animals, goblins, those people if killing was wrong why do people kill people?
Simple it benefits them, and similarly if in some way it’ll benefit me to extinguish something I will.
People take, some may give, but only because they expect a reward. Is something wrong? Why is it that way? What makes something right?
Again simple, something will be right or wrong to someone aligned by their beliefs that make it right.
Bandits go pillage a village, and then brag about it because doing so is in their values, no matter how degenerate or miscreant. Same at the opposite end.
Incidentally I feel as if I am more in tune with my entire being, I feel like I’ve had similar thoughts before, maybe in the abyss?
I also have no clue what the [Abyss] on my status means, I hope I find out that, and how my Deadly Sins work soon.
——————
It’s been what I think is 2 years, as I’ve been crudely keeping track by carving in a stone.
I still am at a loss for how my abilities work but I have a rough idea I believe.
I’ll start with Gluttony sine this is the start of the process, as this lets me devour souls, gaining their attributes and existence. Then I can only think of Greed, as I’m guessing this takes the souls abilities or skills, and I’m guessing this is how my mana became corrupted. Lastly there’s [Pride], the only guess is that this changes the skill into something uniquely mine, such is Pride.
Lastly there is Sloth, all I can tell is that it exerts tremendous pressure the more something I pour into it. Hopefully I’ll figure out eventually.
The only basis I have for these assumptions is the feeling and signs of being right when I was trying to think about it.
Also I’ve learned how to make a fiber string from a type of vine, then haphazardly sewed pieces of hide from deer and made a tunic type thing.
I’ve become way more ravenous as I’ve been needing food every hour since last year so when I found out how to make string I made a spear launcher.
First, getting a stick with a decent length and attach a loop of the string, make a notch in the spear. Then holding the stick with the spear supported by the loop and on the hand that’s throwing. Take aim and launch.
It took me awhile to think of something to throw a spear and that’s the best I could make. It’s not the most accurate either, but it’s way stronger than if I just throw without it.
Strong enough to kill a deer and way better than the failed bow I tried making, as it didn’t even shoot 2 m.
More than that I think I’ve at least grown a little, I don’t know when I’ll be an adult but if my body stays small then I’ll always be like a child and I really hope that doesn’t come to be.
On another note no goblins have been around for the past month and it’s nice but I’m always on guard so any noise rouses me.
I used to carelessly bathe until the first time a goblin threw a rock at me bonking me in the head, panicked and still half conscious I ran naked with my clothes in hand back to camp.
Since then I haven’t not had at least my knife on me and with my vigilance at 70%.
I think one of the reasons all the goblins are gone around me is my new swordsmanship skill, I learned when I was attacking goblins and one snuck up behind me that it’s infused with my gluttony so I don’t even need to send out shadows. I still like to though.
My skill also went up to intermediate from amateur, probably from killing an uncountable amount of goblins.
I definetly am stronger, since I first tasted souls I’ve been able to almost effortlessly cleanse the area around me.
Maybe I should try to find a village, or something. I like my lifestyle but I want more, more of the intangible. I will make my own purpose upon my values.
If possibly I can find someone who aligns with me or I get a liking to I can’t rule out. As if I wish to know everything, I must think of everything.
If people call me selfish, so be it. From my perspective so is everyone else, so if I am oh well.
Selfish exists because there is an opposite, evil exists because there is an opposite. If everyone was good, that would be normal and bad wouldn’t exist.
On the other hand every person thinks they’re doing it for the good of at least themselves. They exist but as constructs, so I cant define myself as either because that is for everything else to decide, since it will happen anyway.
Trailing off on this thought Treyu went about his day.
———————-
At Krui, the Royal Capital, the kingdom was sending out an expedition quest for adventurers, asking them to travel to the ruined village and clear any monsters. As they were mostly goblins in the area and they increase rapidly.
The journey is about 3 days by wagon. One day from reaching the village 4 adventurers were walking along, having to kill a goblin every now and then.
[Kara] Why are they’re goblins even if only a few, a day away from where the town is?
Kara, a blonde archer with slight curves asked her party. Who’s members were Daro a swordsman, Grant, a bulky shield bearer, and Lia, a stern looking woman with a sleek sword in hand answered.
[Lia] We already know goblins breed fast, but if there are enough packed where the town was to be out here this is unprecedented!
[Grant] Yeah even if we don’t have a mage to deal with a lot at once as long as we don’t go in too far we’ll be fine.
They set up camp as it was nearing night and spoke of what could be the cause for the goblin numbers around a fire and talked of previous adventures.
They were a bright party, only around 17-18 years old but they were well liked around villages for bandit and goblin subjugation. They’ve managed to take down ogres and even a gotüng which is a stronger mutated ogre with a horn on its chin.
This gave them recognition as a promising party, and they moved up the ranks from 6-5. This was outstanding for the then young party, practically new adults.
As the sunlight creeped upon the world, the party too began trending further towards the town.
Around midday they reached a spot where Kara could see the village, so she used aerosight, a scouting ability to expand her range of vision further.
[Kara] Hey guys, I think somethings is off?
[Daro] What’s up? Is it something with the other parties?
Kara denied anything with the parties, it’s just that the numbers of goblins, and even ogres are dense, way more so than usual.
This usually only happens when a monster so much stronger than the surrounding ones appears. That in itself is rare and is known as a calamity, as it usually disrupts the environment so much if a people were to be caught in it there would be practically no survivors. Only one man survived only long enough to document a portion of the carnage he’d seen while running for his life while also being attacked.
Towns and kingdoms can be far away and so big monsters won’t try to approach but no matter what monsters shouldn’t fear humans, they can hate them but their instincts are to devour and hate so they only fear other monsters more powerful.
There have only been three cases, known as the Three Deadly Disasters in the worlds history. Since each caused the collapse of at least three nations, every kingdom or empire know of these disasters since the scale is irrelevant even when talking about kingdoms, that’s how massive these monsters distupt the ecosystem.
After explaining so to her party members they all had the same thought.
[All] So let’s get rid of these goblins and stop and anymore disruptions!
——————
Meanwhile, Treyu was sleeping peacefully even as noon passed.
