Crawling back into the brush of the forest, Natalie made some distance between her and the monsters. She could likely deal with them no issue, but since she was dealing with an unknown she wanted to take no chances. Planning how she was going in would be just as important, if not more so than maintaining the element of surprise. She decided to go through her items and see what could work out well. Her flare gun could probably take one out, but she wanted to fire it closer as to guarantee a hit. That was one dealt with, but what about the other two? Her hatchet was briefly considered before being decided as a bad choice. She could hit one of them, but leave herself open to a follow up attack from the final one. Using a stick, either to beat them or as a spear, could work, but she had no idea if the stick would hold up to pierce or do enough damage before breaking. Her carving knife was meant for fine delicate work, so it was out as it was more likely to shatter than be able to be used to kill. She finally settled on the last item she could reasonably use.
The best choice she could use for a weapon was her folding shovel. It had a tapered sharp edge for digging, plus it had the length for both power and reach. It was made with carbon steel, so it breaking from the force she could exert was a laughable concept. Now having a general idea she moved behind a tree and had one of the pups bring it out after it had been wrapped in a sweater. Due to needing the element of surprise, she had the pup head back in with the sweater, leaving her with the shovel.
As she was preparing herself to deal with the goblins, Kali sent her a thought that reassured her and made her feel safer in her idea. 'Will be ready. Help if needed.' Knowing she was not alone and had reliable backup that was ready at a moments notice was quite a relief for Nat's increasing stress. Quietly as she could, she crawled forward to see where the goblins were. As she got forward to the bushes on the edge of the path, she was glad to see that they all had their backs to her, still arguing over top the dead elk.
Slowly getting up, Natalie stalked towards the unaware monsters in front of her. Every step measured, every placement of her feet double checked, she moved forward wary of being detected. The goblins voices were loud, which helped mask her approach. Still, all it took was for one to turn around in anger, disgust, or some other reason to notice her. As she got within range, she swung the shovel into the head of the goblin furthest to the right. A satisfying crunch came from its head as the skull visibly deformed by the metal implement.
Pulling the shovel back, she stabbed it forward towards the middle goblin as if it were a spear. After hearing its fellow goblin go crunch, it started turning to see what happened to its brethren. The shovel flew forward and the left side landed right on the throat of the goblin, piercing through and tearing a deep gash into its neck. Pitch black blood squirted out of its neck wound, covering its crushed brethren in front of it and the shovel with the liquid. The third goblin started moving toward Natalie as she drew her flare gun and aimed at it. The goblin clearly was either angry, unworried, or unaware of what she was holding as there was no restraint in its eyes as it started rushing toward her. Having lined up the shot, Nat pulled the trigger.
CLICK!....... CLICK! CLICK!
Nothing happened when she pulled the trigger. Trying to bring the shovel around she started to back up, away from the enraged creature. She started moving too late though, and the goblin's claws raked her forearm and caused gashes going down the outside. Screaming in pain, she pulled the arm into her, not noticing that she was lowering the shovel due to the pain. As the goblin came closer, it started reaching for the shovel, as if to wrestle away the weapon to give itself the advantage over Natalie. Just as it was about to grab the shovel, Kali's came out of Natalie's chest, pouncing on the goblin with her fangs latching onto the goblins throat. As she landed on the goblin, Kali started shaking her head, tearing the throat out of the monster, and ending the creatures life.
Grasping her arm in pain, Nat did her best to apply pressure to the wound. As she did, she asked the wolf pups to bring out the first aid kit. Thankfully, it seemed that it was ready to go and it was brought out instantly. It seemed Kali had recognized it from when it was used to tend to her wounds and had it ready and waiting for in case it was needed. While Kali cleaned herself from the blood of the goblin, Nat got to work disinfecting and bandaging her own wound. She had no way of knowing if anything would be wrong, but all the portrayals of goblins in pop culture had her believe that they were grimy, disgusting things. She was not gonna take any chances after one had opened wounds on her body.
While still hurting, once her wound was bandaged and taken care of she turned her attention to Kali. "Are you okay? Not feeling anything weird from having that black blood in you?" As she learned with the second one, these guys bled a lot from the throat, right where Kali had clamped her open mouth around.
'Feel fine. Taste nasty.' Hearing this, Nat could not help but sigh in relief. She was glad that Kali was with her and nothing was wrong. It had only been a day, but she felt closer with Kali than most of the people she had known in her life. Natalie did not want to lose this new close friend so soon after meeting her. They had not even had the chance to have a girls night yet!
Huge thanks to my Elder Wolves Jake, Viktor, and Kevin for supporting me and my writing! Remember that I keep Patreon ten chapters ahead at all times.
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While I agree with her choice of action on the basis of the fantasy lore on goblins, I don't see why she should think that "the only good goblin is a dead goblin" because they had killed an elk to eat. She has no qualms about killing hares to eat, so I don't see why some other creature killing elks to eat is in the wrong.
It is possible that the female elk had younglings that now will starve, but long as it is to eat, hunting it shouldn't be a death sentence.
Taking "common fantasy lore" as something automatically valid is the same as taking "common Internet lore" as a primary source of knowledge for survival in the wild.
I think its more of a goblin slayer reference but if you need logic to it, think of goblin as cockroachs, sure they may have a place in nature but when near humans the only good cockroach is a dead one
She only came back to town in the first place because it looked like there was something wrong? When there is evidence that the town was attacked, and you suddenly get magic powers and you see goblins you would be an idiot not to kill them with taking least risk possible. Even without the fire in town you would probably kill them to check if you get XP. If Earth tuned into a world with magic and monsters/aliens suddenly, likely if you do not gain experience and info on fighting fast you are dead.
Also taking "common fantasy lore" as a valid starting point would be a good idea until you find out where it is wrong.
If an invader likely not from earth killed the Elk how did they know it was not sentient, someones pet or like the Indian sacred cows etc? If they were friendly they shouldn't go around killing things until they do research and ask permission from the locals.
@jmnc "It (the goblin) feels alien" or "No alien species in my backyard" is way better than "the only good goblin is a dead goblin". From the look of it, they are an alien, invasive species that is encroaching in the land and for a conservationist that is a good reason to remove them.
XP, no, please, it is not a reason for random killing, at least at this point in the novel.
@Jago
Well we are talking about if magic and goblins suddenly appear in real life. If you have goblins and magic you are very likely to have gods(or at least some sort of higher power) and they are quite likely to implement some sort of levelling system.
I would think that at this point there would be at least a 50% likelihood to there being some sort of xp system even if it is not one with menus.
And if there is an xp system and you don't kill the weak monsters for some xp you will be dead. So I think about the most important thing is seeing if you can level up. You would need to know quickly if you can or can't level up.
Even without xp she would still gain experience and information from killing the goblins.
And seeing as law and order has probably gone down the drain she should probably try killing a person to see what happens. That rapist type would make a good candidate, you would be doing the world a favour, might gain some karma.
The first thing she needs to know is how to level up/gain power. Even more so now as in the next chapter the town seems to be trashed.
@jmnc
In a situation of real fantasy the possibility of a leveling system for XP does not make sense, I would lean more to magic than the only thing that is worth is your competence in it, your pool of mana (your ability to endure using magic, perhaps infinite, It doesn't necessarily have to be mana) and your experience in real combat, that of course just thinking about western fantasy based on Tolkien, could also be a Lovercraft or anything else, since you can't refer to something we've never seen.
@_ciro_ Even if it was originally like you said someone(gods etc.) would be quite likely to of set up a system by now.
@jmnc
Why? It is not necessary, it is something that serves in fantasy to make it easier for writers to put things on paper, if there was an easier way or a way to make it more graphic I assure you that most would not use it.
@_ciro_ Why?
Because it is useful. It would simplify running things, make getting statistic etc. easer, keep control over things in an easy manner etc.
And I think why it is used is not because of writers but Games, games basically are a multi-user system. And most of the things that make it useful in games would apply to real life if you have someone like a god that could implement it.
Also if you start seeing things from fantasy you would have to wonder if the god(s) didn't influence fantasy as a way of preparing people. So a lot of stuff from them might become real.
@_ciro_ Are you saying that if you had the power to set up a system on earth/the universe to give people skills etc like a mmog & manage things like a DM that you wouldn't do it? I know I would. :P
@jmnc
The truth is that if I had the power to do that I would not create a game system (it is true, it is more of games, although if I am a cinsero I prefer in that case the style of Diablo 2), I would make a system that there is magic (in case if he is a magician, it depends if you want to make the archers, warriors and healers like a damn dnd (my problem with the game is not him, they are the players who make stories based on that, I like them to some extent, but they apply it in absolutely everything, it's horrible, damn, they even do it to open the bathroom door)) I for my part prefer a system that you have to practice instead of gaining experience (to level up, because battle experience you win like it or not), as in real life, and if you want to prepare someone for something, they would do the same, because doing that we return to the same, they do not learn anything beyond the experience in real combat, in general it is very rare to think you level up and insanely you know how to do something that Before you did not know, if I want to do an experiment it may be, but if not, no.
@_ciro_
[Edit:] Are you saying soft levels are better instead of a jumps? And no saving up and buying things from the system? xp is just a way of measuring things, levels to. You could use them right now in real life if you wanted to. We all have levels now like education level etc. and Xp can = how much of your university course you have finished etc. In fact in the real world things would be much similar if someone implemented a standardized world wide [statue] system like there are in games to run on say your mobile phone. Wouldn't it be something like an honest accurate cv. + police, finance and medical file combined. Maybe the police keep all that already, probably depends on country a bit. :)
Someone 1/2 way through university would be:
level 3
xp 50/100 (50 xp out of 100 needed to pass the exam.)
For skills like maths level could be the exam level you have passed with xp being how much you know.
[End Edit]
I like the ones where the skill helps. like with crafting gives you a ghostly outline of what to do. With magic it might alter your body so you can use it if you get it with points or if you get the skill with practise it would help you improve. The skill can also be a recognition, like an exam certificate.
But I agree you should have to work at the Skill to be good at it. Quite frankly I would want to keep from messing with your brain to a minimum.
In the case of keeping track of xp per skill, xp is just the system keeping track of how much power/energy/magic/training/etc you have got in a skill.
General xp is a measurement of the magic/soul fragments/system and quest rewards/etc that the system has stored for you.
You could use xp to keep track of skill now in real life if you wanted to, it is just a measurement system.
Now if monsters get added to your world so humans and local animals would be helpless, using the [statue] system to manage xp or levels by transferring power from the monsters when you kill them would be an easy way to give the locals a chance. Isn't this more in line with your working for it than just giving everyone/random people magic powers etc.
So I think if you start seeing monsters and magic in real life you should definitely kill a few week ones as fast as you can. If there is a system of xp or adsorbing any sort of power from them you would want to do it as fast as possible, if not you would probably be killed.
Even if you do not gain anything like magic or xp. etc from it you should gain information on fighting them.
The only down side would be if they poison you with miasma of something when they die, but if that is the case you are probably stuffed anyway.
@jmnc The XP system seems good to me only if the XP itself does not come out when the monsters die unless the magic is something like the vital essence, the only thing that you are thinking of the person who creates this magical system as a human like us.
Why are you judging the author for every f*cking word that comes out of their mouth? Shut the f*ck up it isn't that big of a deal. Every f*cking chapter it's like anything this author writes down some asshole decides to f*cking get on his-her ass about it sthu. You're not helping anyone. You're just nitpicking at every f*cking thing he/she writes down. You read for entertainment, not to f*cking criticize every sentence someone writes, so stop doing so.
@HanaSerpent Emm, who are you talking to?
@_ciro_ Original Poster. Whether it be how they write their wolves, how the MC goes about handling Troy, or why the MC has this opinion on goblins. Someone's there with a response about why this isn't right. Why can't people just enjoy the story for what it is and not nitpick at everything the author writes down? Not the only one either. People like this are literally everywhere. It's not even constructive it's just being a pest.
@HanaSerpent Ah yes, there are everywhere, personally I agree, I do not like that the authors prostitute themselves for readers, the truth is that I do not criticize much because it is precisely their story, if you do not like it, do not read it, I will What I do is comment if I don't like something, but I try to explain why I don't like it, if I criticize it is because there is a very stupid character (99% is the MC) who just make you want to curse, that and when I see maps that the authors draw, as an authentic geek from the story my chest hurts when I see those maps that do not allow much character development, so I prefer those that use real maps.