1.4

“Behold! My ascent to greatness!” - last words of the True Vampire Kars, moments after being convinced by Astrologist Joseph that the light of the Moon was the reflection of the Sun, therefore he should be immune to sunlight.

 

It was gradual at first. My body only felt a bit heavy here and there. I didn’t think it was that bad and I was more preoccupied searching the huts for anything valuable looking. It was when I staggered into a wall for some shade that I started reconsidering my decision.

 

I finished another Mushroom Meal, feeling the slight energising effect course through me. Slowly, I made another one. The Sun Sickness effect didn’t increase at a flat rate like I thought it would, instead it was cumulative and increasingly I felt like I needed to go to sleep. A sensation similar to heavy eyelids but across my entire body.

 

Damn lazy goblins, why couldn’t they have made roofs. I could’ve taken shelter in them… I began chewing on the second Mushroom Meal.

 

Shit. I had barely made it thirty meters into the village. There was still the central hut I needed to check out. I needed options, I assessed the hut next to me. The wall I was leaning on was made of some ancient-looking wood. It looked flimsy, but I could probably use it as an umbrella. However, if I had so much as kicked a stick out of place the hut would probably collapse. Calling it a hut was probably too generous, this thing looked like someone just piled random junk in a way that happened to have walls.

 

I’d hate to cause any noise right now. I haven’t confirmed if this village was completely empty. There was no guard and no obvious activity however there might still be goblins hiding in the huts. Making any sound could alert the whole place, and facing enemies under sunlight was not something I should be doing right now. But the fact that there were no guards meant that if there were any goblins remaining, they were either very few or really confident in themselves. Do I take the risk?

 

The central hut was my main focus here, it was the most conspicuous building here so something must be in there damn it. Problem was that there was still a good twenty meters between us. My mana was now only half topped due to all the Mushroom Meals I had to make and every moment I spent in the sun only made me more tired. I can’t rely on the mushroom method for now. I should be able to make it if I made some cover since the skill specified direct sunlight.

 

Hmm. Screw it, I’m going to need the cover to get out anyway so might as well do it. Setting down my staff, I slowly dug my fingers into the foundations, keeping a close eye on all the other structures haphazardly leaning on it.

 

Slowly, carefully, I pulled it out of the ‘slot’ that it was in, slowing slightly every time I heard a creak. When I feel like I pulled it out enough, I freed one of my hands to grab onto the collapsing hut. Slowly I eased the structure onto the ground as I removed the wall, staying under its shade the entire time.

 

Letting out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding, I wiped the nonexistent sweat off my forehead. Well, at least I accomplished it as silently as possible. Hefting the wooden plank over my head, I tied my staff to my backpack and made my way towards the central hut.

 

About halfway there, I froze. Movement. The sound of cursing and metal clanking as something stumbled out of the hut.

 

Another goblin, unarmed, it looked half asleep and was blearily rubbing its eyes. As quietly as possible, I muttered “Grow Sporage, Poison Spores,”

 

A mushroom sprouted on my left upper chest. Slowly, I shifted the weight of my shelter unto a single hand. My now freed right hand moved and plucked the mushroom.

 

The goblin hasn’t spotted me yet, it took a right almost immediately after leaving the hut, going out of sight.

 

Hurrying to the hut, I crept around the other side. Spotting the goblin with its back turned to me and taking a piss just a few meters away from the hut.

 

I quietly and slowly bent down, then lightly threw the poison mushroom, watching it roll just underneath the goblin’s legs. It was almost finished. I muttered, “Poison Spores,”

 

The cap burst, spraying spores onto the goblin. It jerked upwards before grabbing its groin, then fell to the ground in a loud thud.

 

I froze again, listening for the sounds in the hut. Hearing if there was any indication that the noise alerted anything.

 

Ten seconds passed, no reaction.

 

Twenty seconds passed, no reaction.

 

Thirty seconds passed, no reaction.

 

…

 

Fifty seconds passed, no reaction.

 

Sixty seconds passed, I think I’m in the clear.

 

Carefully rising up from my spot, I crept towards the entrance. I quickly poked my head in and out. There was a hodgepodge of goblin bodies, scattered around sleeping in various stages of undress. Not only that, there was a white smoke emanating from small bronze pots that made me slightly dizzy whenever I inhaled a bit of it.

 

I quickly peeked back inside again. They all appeared fast asleep. My eyes focused on something in the centre. A slightly older looking goblin, wrinkles were clearly visible on its face. It was tightly clutching a staff that looked like it was grown from several intertwined branches, the branches forming a ball-shaped cage at the tip. Three glowing white lights danced around in there before they stopped and stared at me.

 

I wanted it.

 

I quickly evaluated my options. On one hand, a cool looking staff, on the other hand, leaving to safety.

 

The staff won. Not that I wasn’t going to run. The staff was just more important right now.

 

Mentally calculating the mana I had, the cost of Poison Spores and its damaging radius, I found I just came up short. I might be able to take out 50-70% of the goblins if I spent all my mana, but that would leave me with two of my racial debuffs active. Sun Sickness and Mana Dependency, both severe debuffs to my stamina. The damaging radius of Poison Spores was small, while the clumped up status of the goblins was ideal, the sheer number of them made the attack unfeasible. 

 

I put down my wooden shelter, thankfully the goblins put a ceiling here so I was safe from the sun. Carefully, I crept forward, doing my best to avoid stepping on any goblin limbs and bodies.

 

Not only that, I required line of sight to activate the Sporage and can only do so one at a time. If the previous goblin deaths were any indication then they’ll probably make some noise when they die. I wasn’t risking it. But…

 

“Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage, Sneezing Spores, Grow Sporage…” I muttered silently under my breath.

 

Sneezing Spores was my best CC option ignoring Pacifying Spores, which was considered a racial skill and therefore unable to be stored in Grow Sporage. As a tier 0 spell it was also costless. I grew mushrooms on the sides of my hip, not in the way but also can be reached quickly. Just on the off chance it all went to shit, I would at least have a backup plan. Only a third of my mana left now.

 

Quietly I reached the goblin, slightly wrinkling my mouth as I taste a much larger concentration of the dizzying smell. Ugh. Smelling with my mouth was something that I’ll probably never get used to.

 

Slowly I bent down towards the lying goblin, wrapping a hand on the staff and another on the goblins own hand.

 

The goblin let out a gargled sound before trying to bat me away, then proceed to clutch tightly to the staff.

 

Plan B, I pulled out my dagger, raising it slightly above the goblin's neck. My other hand was held just a bit above the goblin's mouth. At once, I dropped both the dagger and my hand. The dagger for stabbing and the hand to muffle out any noises.

 

My dagger got about five centimetres from its neck before one of the glowing lights in the staff suddenly sparked up. Then a green barrier halted my dagger and hand.

 

I pulled back both hands. I checked the wooden cage, one of the lights had disappeared. So that’s what it did. If I tried three more times then I’ll be able to get the goblin, however, then the staff wouldn’t be charged anymore… I had no idea if this staff only had these two uses left or if there was a condition to recharge it.

 

Best not to risk it, I don’t want to have gone through all this trouble just for a fancy looking stick.

 

Hmm… what to do…

 

An idea popped into my head. Picking one of the shrooms on my shoulder, I aimed it in front of the goblin’s torso and muttered, “Light Spores.”

 

The mushroom burst and a small puff of light appeared on top of him. No reaction from the staff.

 

Hmm, does that mean… I pointed at the goblin’s face and muttered, “Pacifying Spores,”

 

White spores burst from that finger and onto the goblin’s face. The goblin noticeably relaxed as the spores settled on him, loosening its death grip on the staff.

 

The condition seems to be lethal attacks only or at least damaging attacks in general. I need to test it out once I figured out if I can recharge the thing. But other than that… WOO! FREE STAFF!

 

I quickly calmed my celebrating self as I gently removed the staff from the goblin’s hands. Making sure not to touch the white liquid that was still dripping off the thing.

 

Now, I chuckled evilly in my mind, time for some EXP farming. I pointed at the older goblin, “Poison Spor-” I paused mid-sentence as I felt my recently acquired staff swing into my hip, knocking off a cluster of mushrooms.

 

I watched in silent shock as I saw the mushrooms fall to the floor, one falling into a nearby goblin’s mouth.

 

The goblin bit down on the mushroom, I heard a small pop as the mushroom released its spores.

 

Then the goblin sneezed.

 

The sneeze sounded deafening in the hut’s relative silence. I was completely frozen by now, half because of shock and half because I didn’t dare make any more noise.

 

There were at least forty-something goblins stuffed into this hut, if even a quarter of that woke up and attacked me then I would be dead.

 

Frozen, I watched as another goblin lazily opened an eye and batted at the goblin that sneezed.

 

Goblin and mushroom eyes met.

 

I quickly changed the direction of my finger, “Poison Spores!” I muttered with urgency as green spores puffed onto the goblin.

 

It turned another shade of green as it violently jerked up, but it managed to slap another goblin before it died, prompting it to jerk up blearily.

 

I had already started running by then, not caring about the grunting goblins as I dashed over them.

 

Quickly bending down, I grabbed the wooden board I left outside and threw a Sneezing Mushroom behind me, turning around and catching sight of the waking goblins as I muttered “Sneezing Spores,” as the shroom was mid-air. Bursting and spraying spores onto a group lying by the entrance.

 

Wedging the staff in my left armpit and holding the board over my head with my other hand, I dashed out of the hut. Barely registering the sneezing fit happening behind me.

 

If I didn’t wake them before then I definitely have now. Right now stamina didn’t matter, I needed to get out of the sun as soon as possible, then use my remaining sneezing shrooms to CC and create distance.

 

I started hearing yelling and the sound of metallic clanking as the goblins grabbed weapons.

 

Ten meters before I reached the shade, I began hearing urgent footsteps as the goblins started pursuing me.

 

I threw down the board huffing as I reached shade, quickly turning around and throwing back two Sneezing Mushrooms. “Sneezing Spores! Sneezing Spores!” I yelled as both mushrooms burst in mid-air, spraying the first few goblins. Shit, there were at least fifteen right behind me.

 

There were still more coming, I grabbed my remaining mushrooms and started throwing them with abandon, yelling as I activated them one by one. Even in the dark, I couldn’t outrun them, I needed to get a headstart before disappearing into the shadows.

 

I heard an angered yell as the wizened goblin stepped out, it glared at me as it raised both hands and muttered something in a language I didn’t know but still knew the meaning of. ‘Mass Cure’ It had said.

 

The goblin’s hands briefly glowed a blue light, before exploding outwards, blanketing the sneezing goblins in a similar blue light. Almost immediately they stopped sneezing.

 

Shit.

 

The goblins glared at me as they started charging at me again. “Acid Spit!” I yelled as a glob of liquid ejected out of my mouth and into the face of the foremost goblin.

 

The goblin screamed as the liquid sizzled. But I was already casting another Acid Spit at the next goblin. It dodged this time and jumped behind a hut. Another one was almost on me.

 

“Acid Spit!” I yelled again as the liquid caught the goblin in the arm, causing it to go down screaming in pain as it clutched its limb.

 

I quickly turned to find that all the remaining goblins had disappeared, barely catching a flash of green as one jumped behind a hut.

 

They were using cover. The goblin mage from before stepped into my sight, about fifteen meters away from me. It smiled viciously at me as it chanted another spell, ‘Firebolt,’

 

Fire blitzed out of its hand and towards me, I jumped to the left into the cover of a fallen bench. Feeling the heat tinge my cheek as it passed by me. Shit, it outranged me.

 

I quickly raised my head above the cover, before quickly dodging back down as another Firebolt passed by.

 

The hiding goblins had changed positions, they were closer now. Damnit, they’re using the mage as cover fire as the melees move closer in.

 

I quickly cycled through my options. If I didn’t throw a spell to discourage the melees then they’ll eventually close in on me, but every time I do so, the goblin mage will have a free shot at me and the melees will be able to close in anyways. If I started running now then the goblins will eventually catch up to me without spells to slow them. Fighting retreat it is then.

 

I ran towards the nearest corridor. Hearing the goblin mage yell out something and the melees breaking out into a run.

 

“Grow Sporage, Poison Spores,” I muttered as I ran.

 

I quickly reached the corridor, making it about fifteen meters inside before I turned around and threw the Poison Shroom into the face of the first goblin which was barely five meters from me. “Poison Spores!” I yelled and the goblin dropped. I then grabbed the last Sneezing Shrooms and threw them forward.

 

Several goblins screeched to a halt and jumped out of the way. Three continued forward and made it past the mushrooms. Quickly slinging my new staff into my hand, I swung forward, socking a goblin. Hearing a sickening crunch as it was sent flying. I quickly reversed the swing and tried to get the next goblin, but it dodged down. In a smooth motion, it jumped forward and quickly slashed my leg with a dagger.

 

I winced at the sudden pain, yelling “Acid Spit!” as I nailed the goblin point blank with the spell.

 

I quickly turned my attention to the third goblin, it took a longer route and came from my left, I swung my staff towards it. The goblin dodged, throwing a dagger towards me that embedded itself in my stomach.

 

I grimaced as I yelled another Acid Spit. The goblin dodged but I barely managed to catch it in the leg. It went down screaming in pain as I hefted the staff and swung downwards, ending it.

 

I quickly turned my attention back to the goblins that dodged the earlier mushrooms. Eyes widening in surprise as I saw that they’ve barely moved, cautiously trying to move around the mushrooms I threw.

 

They didn’t know I needed to consciously activate them, and that I needed sight. I realised with surprise.

 

I turned around and ran. No need to correct them.

 

Running as fast as my legs would carry me, I heard the mage goblin berating the slowed goblins as I turned a right and hopefully out of their sight.

 

I turned left as I entered an empty clothing store, jumping behind the counter before I collapsed into a heavily breathing heap.

 

Fuck, my legs, chest, everything felt sore. Half concentrating, I pulled out the dagger that was thrown into me, activating my last Balm Sporage to cover it up, before actually casting Balm Spores on the remaining stab wound.

 

Shit, that hurt a lot more than before. Were the goblins becoming stronger? Why the fuck would the goblins become stronger-

 

I tried my best to quieten my breathing as I heard a group of goblins rush past me. Only letting out a tired breath after I was sure they were gone.

 

Goddamnit, they figured out that my Sporage was limited in its activation. Not only that there was still a group of thirty-something goblins roaming the mall. If the two groups met up and started hunting me then I was dead.

 

Fuck why the hell were the tutorial mobs this strong!? It didn’t fucking matter if I could easily solo one of them. They were capable of learning and executing group tactics. I’m fucking done if I’m caught by a group. It was almost like they’re trying to kill me!

 

I paused, that was actually entirely possible. Many games show you some endgame bosses in the beginning to wow you so that you kept on going until you were at the level to fight the thing. It’s a trick to keep players interested in the game while also establishing the game’s lore.

 

The problem with that theory is that these are fucking goblins. Literally, anyone who’s played an RPG or a tabletop would recognise them as free farm beginner mobs. So I could see scarce reason for a game doing this unless they were trying to advertise this as a hardcore game. Odd given that Hendrix implied that players only needed a few levels to do well in Indiri and this was a tutorial, a phase whose express purpose is to teach the game.

 

So it was teaching something else, it was teaching me to expect to die. 

 

I quieted my breath again as I heard another group pass by. It was easier this time since I had a bit of rest, but not by much.

 

I considered my options, I had low stamina and more importantly, low mana. My pool was barely a quarter full at this point, any lower and I suspect the Mana Dependency will kick in. Unless it already has, there wasn’t a helpful menu showing me all the debuffs I had right now. I didn't want to waste it, but right now my best course of action was drinking a mana potion. I uncorked one, downing the entire thing in a single gulp and felt my pool fill by at least half.

 

Other than that, I still had my bag, which I threw off my back. That thing was really starting to get heavy. And the staff I looted-

 

I stared uncomprehendingly at the staff. The wooden cage was smashed in and barely hanging on by a few twigs. I had broken it when I smashed it into the goblins. The two balls of light seemed to stare back at me within the broken cage.

 

“Well this was unexpected,” I muttered to the twin balls of light. They seemed to nod back at me. “Umm, what am I supposed to do?” the lights exchanged glances, before rapidly jumping out of the cage, rushing along my arm, past my face before disappearing into my cap.

 

I involuntarily jerked back in surprise. Rolling my eyes up, I could see the soft balls of light staring at me from inside my cap.

 

“Well my wizard hat is finally useful for something,” I muttered.

 

I felt a slight change to my mana, a minuscule amount of it was now flowing outwards and feeding into the balls of light. Not enough that it might be a problem, but just enough that I noticed the tiny stream.

 

I stared at the two of them, “You two better be able to pay rent,” I said in a completely serious tone.

 

The two lights glanced at each other, then seemed to nod.

 

“Any idea what the two of you can do?” I asked, only receiving shaking heads as an answer.

 

Well frick, I didn’t have a deep enough understanding of the magic system Eve was using to definitively say if the barrier protection thing was the result of the staff or the light things, or if the lights were only a battery for a spell already inbuilt to the staff.

 

Examining the staff, I could find no obvious markings or magic patterns, but perhaps the weird way it was shaped was the spell. Hmm, too little information for me to make an educated guess for this. For all I know the light things would still jump out and save me when I’m in danger. But I couldn’t be sure until I was stabbed, and I’m not in a hurry to test that out.

 

Don’t factor it into planning then, if it does something then great! And I’ll adapt accordingly, but I shouldn’t rely on it.

 

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. Thinking about this as a tutorial was probably incorrect, it was a challenge and I wasn’t fully committed to winning. That was a mistake I must fix.