"Is there no way to kill one? Even a newborn?"

"No. Well, maybe. If you are strong enough. But even the young are hard to kill. Easy to move and trap though. I don't know if it is true, but apparently, you need to cleave them in two, right down the middle, in one blow, or they will regenerate. That is what the warlord tried to do. He didn't even get halfway. They were too big and tough. At least they don't fight back."

That was interesting to hear. The treant was docile as just as he had thought, but also apparently unkillable. That was not good news for him, but at the very least it was not dangerous for him to try. It should be possible if he received the goal to do it. If it truly was impossible, though, that spelled trouble, as it meant other goals could also turn out to be just as impossible for him. 

The only thing he could do was remain optimistic about it and try whatever he could. It might turn out that he would need the tier six core it would drop for something to reach the overworld, be it a weapon to fight the current occupants of the vessel, a power source, or maybe something else altogether. He had to stay prepared. 

"What does an S rating mean?"

The old goblin creased his eyebrows in apparent confusion. 

"Rating? I don't know."

This response did not surprise Roy as it had been stated the rating is from the overworld, but trying did not hurt. 

"Nevermind," Roy motioned to the plants sitting in the water with his head but kept his eyes on the goblins. "What are those? Why is the water glowing?"

"Those are..." The goblin pronounced some word that sounded more like a  growl than vocabulary before pausing for a moment in thought. "I think you call them core shrooms. They have a false core growing inside. They grow by absorbing mana, like the treants. That pool is filled with mana. I don't know where it is coming from, but there is a big source of mana buried here. I found this pool with my gift. We dug it out. The shaman mostly. But now the gnolls are coming."

"Gnolls? Why are they coming?"

"The pool. They are scavengers from deep in the desolation and are very sensitive to mana. They have a fortress nearby, built around another pool like this. They are very rare. Probably comes from the same source. We hoped they would leave us alone, but they send out scouts. Our shaman scares them off when they do, but he won't be enough against a pack without those cores." The old goblin wearily eyed the blood on the spear and the core still clutched in Roy's hand. "Is he still alive?"

"Shit. No, he isn't. I think a scout saw me. The pods of the treants, the ones with the saplings or whatever, do their shells have mana?"

"I think so." The old goblin pursed his lips together in a brief moment of silence and contemplation but quickly recovered. "We aren't as sensitive to mana so I'm not-"

The goblin got interrupted by a sudden sound of something clattering into the cave, but even without looking back, Roy had a feeling he knew what it was as it splashed into the pool. He could not help but let out a sigh. 

"The treants are also very sensitive to mana. And drain it real quick. We should get it out of the pool. Can they?" The old goblin motioned to the younger three in the back who were still waiting obediently but now had a slight look of panic to them as they shifted their gaze between Roy and the treant. 

"Go. Do it. But keep it down here. I need it for something."

The old goblin immediately barked something at the other three, who slowly began to inch forward, watching Roy carefully as they circumvented him before finally rushing off to drag out the treant. 

Roy used this opportunity to step around the old goblin to keep them all within his line of sight and stepped into the cave they had all come from, peering round the corner first. 

On the floor was a pile of broken, rusted tools that the goblins had dropped earlier, and further in, while hard to make out in the darkness, was what looked to be a junk heap and smelled like one too. At the very least, there did not seem to be any other goblins down here, slightly easing the tension within Roy. 

"What's back there?" He asked. 

"Loot from a gnoll scavenger pack, mostly. They dropped it as they ran. We brought some of the things with us from the tribe. Mostly skins, weapons, and food." 

"Did you say tribe? There are more of you?" 

"Yes. We goblins live in tribes. But they won't come. We are outcasts, sent here to prove our worth to the tribe. It is why we are growing those cores."

"Wait, you got kicked out even with the power to find anything?" 

"Not anything, but yes. The chief did not like me. Did not want to listen to me. Wanted to lead the tribe on his own. Told me that if I can find things, then I should go out and find something useful myself. The tribe does not care for those that can't care for themselves." 

"You are being awfully forthright about everything, even though I killed your friends. Not that I am complaining, but I'd normally expect some hostility in this sort of scenario."

The old goblin just shook his head sadly. 

"Death is a part of life here. I was already resigned for us to die when we were cast out. If it is you, the gnolls, or whatever else, in the end, it does not matter. At the very least, for the first time in my life, I have managed to speak with an overworlder. For the first time, I used the blessing Gaia gave me. I do not know why I was given it, but I wanted to thank her by fulfilling my destiny. I do not know if this was it, but I can only hope."

Those final words sent a chill down Roy's spine. He had a sudden ominous feeling that this life will be anything but simple.