Sobrak sat in his tower admiring his works, his fingers tracing over the white bone of his prized [Staff of Command +3] as he stared into a scrying orb sending mental commands to his puppets.

The day was rather dull for the moment and much of his attention drifted, but such was the nature of absolute command. He gave orders, and his puppets obeyed.

A momentary distraction soon eroded the monotony, through a mental link he was alerted to an intruder, a human woman in leather armor... no doubt one of the adventurers the nearby villages often produced to assuage their fears of losing cattle or young children. He watched with grim delight as five of his puppets chased the human. His own quiet satisfaction translated into mad cackling amongst the soulless minions running after her, a quirk of the connection that tied him to them.

The excitement wouldn't last however and it hardly required his attention, she looked wet behind the ears and it surprised him that they'd even allowed her beyond the city walls without an escort. It'd take an army or someone much more powerful to so much as scratch his operation in the [Ficklewood], so he put it out of his mind.

As Sobrak cut the sensory connection, he couldn't help but feel some detail or another had slipped his mind, likely nothing important. Settling back into his seat, he considered his history, and slowly let his attentions drift away from the here and now.

Sobrak had begun small. He used to be a [Goblin Shaman Apprentice] for a middling goblin tribe. They gave him no respect. No, not even the lesser goblins respected him. No one listened to him when he tried to rally them against the other tribes, to conquer and rule. The chief, coward that he was spoke of peace.

Bah! Peace! His expression soured just thinking about the idea. A truce made sense, it allowed time to plan a hidden assault. But peace, even with non-goblins; the kobolds in the mines that honeycombed the hills to the north or the orcs in their roving bands. What was next? Peace with humans?

The worst part was that the tribe agreed. No, not one of them heard his ideas when he spoke, but that didn’t matter now. Now, he had a name, now he was a Lvl 82 [Goblin Puppetmaster]. His choice of skills and practice didn't go to waste, and with a little help he was unstoppable.

They respected him now, feared him.

Since he’d learned the special magic he’d carved them out and filled them with his will. Each warrior, starting from the very strongest had their minds scooped clean and hollow like a pumpkin and filled with all of his vitriol to bring them under his command, those who resisted were killed.

Even now he remembered that day years ago with perfect clarity, when he'd executed his long awaited plan.

It was the perfect punishment for their cowardice, he’d left the camp defenseless and marched away with the entirety of the warrior caste he didn’t slay. All of this, thanks to The Voice that told him how to do it, and gave him the tools he needed.

It said things were going to go his way, admittedly he didn’t understand a lot of it at first, his Intelligence was just shy of 7 when this all started. At the time he didn't understand the magic entirely and wanted to convert all of them, but thankfully he acquiesced. He only figured out sometime afterwards that his puppets didn’t grow and couldn’t reproduce or learn. 

In the end he let them languish for three months without the greatest of their warriors, now his warriors. But eventually he had to take them under his wing. He had to depend on them to make more soldiers and to supply the ones he had with equipment.

Even with how vital they were to his operation, it pained him to know that village was still there full of so many independent minds.

Sobrak would’ve liked to live there and rule over them, but even now that he had an army at his disposal, his paranoia would keep him from relaxing for fear of a knife in his back or poison in his food. Dying in such a moment of weakness would be the greatest shame.

Still, he commanded them and kept them like fodder to build his army, that was enough. Since his rise to power he’d conquered six other tribes this way and now at least a quarter of the [Ficklewood] was his by his guess.

His current accommodation were nothing to sneeze at either, he slept on cotton linens and down pillows taken from the humans in raids  beyond his domain. His tower however crumbling it seemed once belonged to a [Wizard] and even now it’s spelled stone could deflect all but the most mighty assaults, it's locks were nigh unpickable, and the traps deadly as the day they were first lain.

After coming to moment of satisfaction regarding his current position he sat, feeling pleased with his progress and relishing in his superiority before something stole his attention.

Quest Failed: Destroy The Intruder Your minions have been destroyed by means of clever thinking and swift action. An intruder has made a fool of you, if this is not resolved you will lose the respect and fear you command amongst your independent subjects. You pathetic little whelp. New Quest: Hunt Down The Intruder Someone has challenged your superiority and trespassed on your territory and lived to tell the tale, correct your mistake or live in failure. Reward: Minor Random Pull New Quest: Stop The Forest Fire Your failures mount and a fire sweeps through your lands, started by an intruder as a means of escaping. Already five of your puppets have burned and if you do not stop the blaze more will soon follow. Reward: Minor Random Pull

Sobrak the [Goblin Puppetmaster] screamed in impotent fury. Turning his gaze through the [Scrying Stone] he watched in horror as a blaze consumed the camps of his minions. The half living soulless things struggling to contain the blaze with what little water they had, hindered as well by their limited Intellect.

The lake they normally drew water from was slowly being surrounded by the burning foliage and none of his puppets had the necessary movement [Abilities] to outrun it, even if they did a bucket chain would be broken well before it was effective.Those were [Tallowwood Trees], the wood could ignite even in a rainstorm and burned hot and fast unless their source of oxygen was cut off. Lighting them as a smokescreen for an escape acted to prevent him from giving chase and however risky it was, this was a strike at his weakest point. He depended on the resin they produced to concoct firebombs and now the grove was almost entirely immolated.

So caught up in appreciating the strategic genius of the assault, he almost forgot that his troops were burning. His puppets, all of his work in fact was disappearing before his eyes. He could feel as the threads of their connections were cut one by one and if he didn’t stop it, he’d be alone in his tower… save for the many enemies he'd made in his years conquering.

That thought made a cold bead of sweat pour down his neck, but his terror lasted only for a moment before folding itself into rage. His fury swelled with new intensity and as it reached it's crescendo he decided on his move.

Sobrak mentally selected the weakest of his minions, the most disposable, he’d lost so many already but this was necessary. He drove them forward into the blaze at strategic locations and clenched his fist… and with the expenditure of some Mana they exploded in shrieking showers of gore. Wave after wave of the puppets surrounded the fiery inferno and drove it back at the cost of their half-lives, extinguishing the flames with messy sprays of bursting crimson, far too much blood bursting from their relatively small forms.

[Flesh Bomb], an ability he learned at level 65 that destroyed his minions to produce a powerful AOE burst of damage. Using it like this was a waste, but with no other options it was all he could do to keep the fires from consuming them all.

By the time he contained the fire, he’d lost almost a quarter of his puppets and at least 30 of those were ones he'd prized, some as high as level 60. Now he would have to replenish his numbers with the inferior specimen offered by his chattel stock, hunters and other noncombatants. His unnamed foe would pay in blood for this insult.

Clearly, this intruder was some sort of tactical genius. Such a direct attack on his camps could only be the result of careful planning and execution.

This meant war.

 

♦♦♦♦♦

 

Amber stared, slack jawed in disbelief at what her menu displayed. She barely noticed the heap of miscellaneous rewards materializing from the ether and piling up around her.

Then the headache hit her. Like a brick between the eyes. Information flooded her senses, knowledge was written directly into her mind and her body began to change on several fundamental levels. Leveling up for the first time is known to be a taxing process, information floods the mind and the body is actively reconstructed in line with adjustments to attributes. Of course, Amber was unaware of this fact and was blindsided by the experience.

Her mouth frothed, her eyes rolled back in her head displaying only their whites as her body spasmed like a fish flopping across a dock. 

Frankly a disturbing sight to any observer.

What she saw however was perhaps a little more pleasing, there is a certain pedantic bliss in watching numbers climb.

Resuming Suspended Level Up Procedure Experience at critical levels No Class equipped Attempting to equip Class Processing … No available Classes Please visit a [Legend Stone] to obtain a Class Event Bonus! In respect for your unique conditions, restrictions are being lifted temporarily to allow initial Class assignment Analyzing combat technique Destruction of enemy supplies Hit and run tactics Strategic retreat when outnumbered Use of alchemical concoctions to great destructive effect Risky tactical decisions Use of chaos in action to attain goals Processing ... Class Unlocked! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 1 Class Unlocked! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 1 Class Unlocked! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 1     Primary Class Assigned [Guerilla Fighter] +25 Health Origin World Skill Unlocked! [Simple Martial Arts (Defensive)] Lvl 1 Origin World Skill Unlocked [Pain Resistance] Lvl 4 Learned Skill [Dagger] Lvl 1     Secondary Class Assigned [Combat Alchemist] +15 Health Origin World Skill Unlocked [Poison Resistance] Lvl 3 Learned Skill [Basic Compounding] Lvl 1     [Combat Alchemist] Subclass Assigned [Mad Bomber] +20 Stamina +1 Phys Def Learned Ability [Directional Blast]     Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 2 Might +3 Intellect +2 +2 Attribute Points Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 3 Stamina +40 ST Regen +0.05/Min Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 4 Agility +3 Fortitude +2 +2 Attribute Points Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 5 Health +25 Learned Skill [Simple Martial Arts (Offensive)] Lvl 1 +1 Skill Point +1 Perk Point Synthesyzing Skill: [Simple Martial Arts] from [Simple Martial Arts (Defensive)] and [Simple Martial Arts (Offensive)] Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 6 Might +3 Intellect +2 +2 Attribute Points     Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 2 Intellect +3 Dexterity+2 Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 3 Mana +25 MP Regen +0.05/Min Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 4 Wisdom +3 Agility +2     Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 2 Stamina +20 Phys Def +1 Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 3 Dexterity +4 Luck +1     Unlocked Skill [Dynamic Planning] Lvl 1 Skill Up! [Sprinting] increased to Lvl 2 Skill Up! [Evasive Maneuvering] increased to Lvl 3 Learned Skill [Iron Lungs] Lvl 1     Defeated [Goblin Tracker] x 27 [Goblin Shanker] x 14 [Goblin Archer] x 20 [Goblin Trapper] x 11 [Hobgoblin Brute] x 11 [Hobgoblin Barbarian] x 8 [Hobgoblin Bonebiter] x 5 Gained 5400 XP     Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 7 Stamina +40 ST Regen +0.05/Min Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 8 Agility +3 Fortitude +2 Phys Def +2 +2 Ability Points +2 Attribute Points Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 9 Health +25 Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 10 Might +3 Intellect +2 Learned Ability [Cheap Shot] +1 Skill Point +2 Attribute Points +1 Perk Point Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 11 Stamina +40 ST Regen +0.05/Min Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 12 Agility +3 Fortitude +2 +2 Attribute Points     Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 5 Health +15 Learned Ability [Lesser Elemental Resistance] +2 Skill Points +3 Ability Points +4 Attribute Points +1 Class Point Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 6 Intellect +3 Dexterity +2 Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 7 Mana +25 MP Regen +0.05/Min Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 8 Wisdom +3 Agility +2 Mag Def +2 Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 9 Health +15 Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 10 Intellect +3 Dexterity +2 Learned Skill [Potion Sling] Lvl 1 +2 Skill Points +3 Ability Points +4 Attribute Points +3 Perk Points     Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 4 Awareness +4 Intellect +1 Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 5 Stamina +20 Phys Def +1 Learned Ability [Blast Compression] +1 Attribute Points Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 6 Dexterity +4 Luck +1 Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 7 Mana +15 Mag Def +1 Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 8 Awareness +4 Intellect +1 Health +50     Event Bonus! For gaining 30 levels in a single day, you’ve gained the title [Quick Study]! Effect On Equip: There are prodigies, and then there’s you. You might not be naturally talented but damn if you don’t do your best! Gain a +5% bonus to experience gained and reduced difficulty in learning and training skills and abilities! Title [Quick Study] automatically equipped.     Skill Up! [Daring Leap] Lvl 2 Learned Skill [Swimming] Lvl 1     Defeated [Goblin Shanker] x 19 [Goblin Spearman] x 11 [Goblin Archer] x 21 [Goblin Ambusher] x 24 [Goblin Trapper] x 19 [Hobgoblin Bonebiter] x 3 [Hobgoblin Bloodtracker] x 2 Gained 5350 XP     Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 13 Health +25 Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 14 Might +3 Intellect +2 +2 Attribute Points Level Up! [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 15 Stamina +40 ST Regen +0.05/Min +1 Skill Point +1 Perk Point     Level Up! [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 11 Mana +25 MP Regen +0.05/Min     Level Up! [Mad Bomber] Lvl 9 Stamina +20 Phys Def +1     Event Bonus! For destroying a vastly superior force without support, you’ve gained the title [Army of One]! Effect On Equip: Rambo has nothing on you, when you’re outnumbered in a fight gain a proportional bonus to combat capabilities! Title [Army of One] automatically equipped.     Skill Up! [Swimming] increased to Lvl 3 Learned Skill [Lesser Endurance] Lvl 1 Skill Up! [Lesser Endurance] increased to Lvl 2 Skill Up! [Iron Lungs] Lvl 2 Learned Ability [Surpass Limits]     Completed Quest: Escape The Forest Fire! Through your indomitable will and desire to live, you have escaped the blaze you started and found respite on another shore. More than that, you turned a mistake into an opportunity. Rewards: [Bonus Attribute Point] x 5 [Bonus Perk Point] x 2 Exceptional Success! Additional Rewards: [Bonus Attribute Point] x 6 [Bonus Class Point] x 2 [Bonus Skill Point] x 5 [Bonus Ability Point] x 5 [Feybound Cowl] x 1 [Gloves of Compassion] x 1     Learned Skill [Stealth] Lvl 1 Skill Up! [Pain Resistance] Lvl 5 Origin World Skill Unlocked [Mental Resilience] Lvl 4 An unnamed goddess has granted you [Lesser Blessing of The Unnamed Goddess]     Event Bonus! Someone somewhere is betting the house on you, better make good on it! You gained the title [Last Hope] Effect On Equip: So long as you’re trying, you’ll find your way. Fortune favors those who hope and by extension, you! +20 Luck Title [Last Hope] automatically equipped. Event Bonus! Gosh if you don’t live a wild life? No one can quite figure it out but everything seems to go a bit weird with you around. You’ve unlocked your Origin World Title [Child of Strange Fortune] Effect on Equip: Tall tales come from somewhere, usually your general vicinity. Probability breaks down around you in strange ways. Your luck is not always good, but it’s certainly always interesting. You will be subject to coincidence and odd happenstance at almost every turn. Title [Child of Strange Fortune] automatically equipped.     Message From [Universal Administration] We’re glad to see you settling into your new world so well, allow us to congratulate you on your success with a few gifts. Received: [Class Pack: Guerilla Fighter] x 1 [Class Pack: Combat Alchemist] x 1 [Class Pack: Mad Bomber] x 1

 

Shortly after her wild seizure, and well before she had time to fully take in the information, she passed out.

 

♦♦♦♦♦

 

Amber spent the night in a heap, I dare not describe the exact details or you might think less of her.

Suffice it to say, losing muscular control throughout your entire body has some negative consequences and she was later pleased to find out that the oilcloth treatment made her makeshift canvas bed stain resistant. 

But let us speak no more of such unpleasant things for the time being.

After the night dawn came; and with it a new perspective.

♦♦♦♦♦

 

When I woke up, what else was there to greet me except another system message?

 

[System Message] Congratulations on completing the accelerated tutorial. Please enjoy the time you have saved by taking it easy from here on out. Got achievement [Survive] for surviving your first day! ►Confirm◄

 

I slept pretty well considering the circumstances, and for once I didn't end up with a headache.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re an absolute bitch?” I grumbled at the little menu box floating in my vision as I rinsed myself off with the now icy cold leathery water from my water skin and put that armor back on.

"Damn I hope there's like... a log I can read back through, that was a lot to dump on me at once."

There was no response to my jab or my question right off. I’m still certain whoever or whatever is pulling the strings behind the system here can hear me on some level. But that sort of thinking doesn’t help me now.

My insults didn’t make the little imaginary menu screen disappear, and I was still too mad to be excited.

"Still can't believe I got armor, but no soft clothes to wear under it. I guess I should be happy that it's not some stupid ass bikini or something and that the leggings actually cover me, but fucking hell this going to start stinking really soon."

I considered the canvas and... after some thought simply folded it up and nudged it into a corner.

"I'll have to see if I can't clean that later, probably in the lake."

"I already wasted too much water washing myself."

"Oh shit, if I don't have something to boil the lake water in I'll have to rig something up soon; I know humans can go 3 days without water before dying, but I'm not eager to try that trick." 

I gave a few plans some consideration, maybe catching rainwater in a big leaf or making one of those filters with charcoal and sand like the dudes on survivalist shows. What was the order for that?

...

But, I didn't do any of those things, as it turns out... I was excited, but only because this is cool as hell.

“Alright, show my Status... that’s a thing right?”

I jumped as the window popped into my vision.

"... holy shit that's a lot of numbers."

Status
Bio		Status Effects
[Name] - Amber [Age] - 27 [Race] - Human [Gender] - Female [Level] - 35 (35) [Allegiance] - None		[Lesser Blessing of The Unnamed Goddess] [Well Rested]
Bio Menu - [Expand]		Status Effect Menu - [Expand]
Classes		Titles
Primary Class: [Guerilla Fighter] Lvl 15 [79/2190] Subclass 1: [None] Subclass 2: [None] Subclass 3: [None] Secondary Class: [Combat Alchemist] Lvl 11 [779/874] Subclass 1: [Mad Bomber] Lvl 9 [239/485] Subclass 2: [None]		[Fearless Explorer] [Firebug] [Quick Study] [Army of One] [Last Hope] [Child of Strange Fortune]
Class Menu - [Expand]		Title Menu - [Expand]
Attributes
Resources
Health	Stamina	Mana
440/440	490/490	440/440
+38 /Day (+1 /Hour)	+415 /Hour (+6 /Minute)	+387 /Hour (+6 /Minute)
Primary Attributes
Constitution: 12	Dexterity: 28	Intellect: 34
Wisdom: 16	Might: 23	Charisma: 15
Vitality: 13	Fortitude: 24	Spirit: 13
Secondary Attributes
Agility: 31	Awareness: 28	Willpower: 26
Endurance: 17	Faith: 13	Luck: 34
Phys Def: 23	Mag Def: 21	Mt Def: 18
Attribute Menu - [Expand]
Skills		Perks
Class Skills	Equipped Skills
[Basic Compounding] Lvl 1 [Blind Toss] Lvl 1 [Dagger] Lvl 1 [Daring Leap] Lvl 2 [Dynamic Planning] Lvl 1 [Evasive Maneuvering] Lvl 3 [Iron Lungs] Lvl 2 [Lesser Endurance] Lvl 2 [Pain Resistance] Lvl 5 [Poison Resistance] Lvl 3 [Potion Sling] Lvl 1 [Simple Martial Arts] Lvl 1 [Sprinting] Lvl 2 [Stealth] Lvl 1 [Swimming] Lvl 3	[Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty]
Skill Menu - [Expand]		Perk Menu - [Expand]
Abilities		Achievements
Class Abilities	Equipped Abilities	[Survive]
[Blast Compression] [Cheap Shot] [Directional Blast] [Lesser Elemental Resistance]	[Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty]
Ability Menu - [Expand]		Achievement Menu - Expand
Equipment Menu - [Expand]	Inventory Menu - [Expand]	Quest Log - [Expand]

"Oh, I can tell this is going to take a while to figure out."

♦♦♦♦♦