Arthur looked at the goblin next to him. It was quite the pathetic sight, trembling and trying oh so hard not to look at him, never succeeding for long. The man(?) would constantly wring his hands together, twitching towards his staff reaching forward as if to try and attack him, suddenly remembering his comrades’ demise and stopping himself.
The fact that Arthur was shamelessly looting the eldest’s armour and weapons was most likely a big factor as well.
“I won’t hurt you goblin”
“You slaughtered my companions and are now desecrating one of their bodies.”
“Your companions tried to kill me, and your leader disrespected me by sending a brat some five levels younger than me to try and kill me. Even if I was three levels lower for some reason, a level difference was still big enough to try and be concerned =, not throw the boy at me as if I am a fly.”
“Our elders stated that fighting a human was like fighting a being three levels below you. We thought that-”
“Your elder was either very strong or that human was overconfident or perhaps … the man lied?”
The goblin looked around fiercely as if the elder would strike him down for another’s words
Before looking back at him with a fearful gaze.
“You do not just accuse a level 14 of lying when you are merely a level 8.”
“Nay, just try and fight him at level 9 no?”
The goblin had the decency of looking embarrassed. Arthur simply heaved a sigh and started to remove the goblin leader’s armour once more.
It was intricately crafted, the plate bore a symbol front and centre, a double eagle with a lightning bolt caught by its talons. The pauldrons had wings surrounding the base, linked together, feather to feather. The vambraces had a script written on it.
‘
Honestly, the whole line was stupid to say out loud and if Arthur could never say it or remove it, he would, but scavenging for armour didn’t give many luxuries of choice. Removing the plate gave way to chain and he could see leather beneath it, God this would stink.
Deciding on simply removing plate, Arthur now equipped his vambraces for his arms, greaves for his feet, pauldrons for his shoulders and a chest plate for his … chest.
Finally finished with armour, he spared a glance at the trembling being next to him.
‘I should refer to him as a man, for morality’s sake I suppose if nothing.’
“Goblin, where did you come from? Why did you attack me? Are there more of you?”
“Hell, what’s your name dude?”
The goblin opened his mouth, then closed it again finally speaking after a minute.
“I came from a village north of here, a few hours away by horse, Yalrik wanted Aulyeerg to gain more experience and if he killed you, he would have likely gained a level. Yes, the village hosts about two hundred.”
More likely two or three levels if he survived the fight but Arthur didn’t argue. Looking back at the carnage behind him, he saw the poor horses dismembered and quite dead, unfortunate if it increased time taken to get there but it didn’t really matter in the long run.
It was the last part that worried him, two hundred goblins just a few hours away. A group of racists that believed he was inferior. A group that wouldn’t hesitate to kill him for vengeance especially since this ‘Yalrik’ seemed like an important figure, what with his armour having embossed insignia and a house’s coat of arms on the chest plate. Arthur wondered if he had the motivation or the stones to try and kill a village but before he could think about it, the goblin spoke once more.
“I’m called Thul, I am a lesser goblin shaman a-and”
The goblin shakily raised himself, before dropping to his knees and bowing, his head on the floor. Arthur could choked sobs and sniffling as the goblin begged him.
“Please help me!”
“Lesser goblins are about sixty in number, the greater goblins and hobgoblins keep treating us as slaves to be disposed when not needed, I have seen children beaten up and elderly men broken against them.”
Thul raised his head, his tear-filled eyes held a certain type of determination, a type that only exited when you had no options. He brought his hands forward and removed a beautifully crafted ring, presenting it to Arthur.
The ring was of gold, with an ornate sapphire in the middle. The gemstone was a deep blue, like a fathomless ocean.
“You are level 13, you killed a level 12, a level 8 and a level 9 with ease. We have strong members but they are few and far between. Please, I beg you, teach us, help us fight them. This might be the one chance we get.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Arthur lifted the rings from Thul’s hand.
[Sapphire Ring of Oceanic Space (Low)]
[Created by an incredibly talented jeweller in ages long past. The jeweller is long dead but his Legacy is preserved in his work. This ring contains a fusion of the principles of Deep Oceans and Deep Space making it contain an insight into oceanic and spatial mana.]
[A wearer can choose to attune to the ring if it is unattuned, if attuned the wearer must fight in a battle of wills with the original user.]
[An attuned user can use the ring to store non-living items within the subspace created within.]
[Any living items like plants or fungi or expirable items like food will immediately start rotting away after three hours.]
[This ring is not in its true form and thus has a fraction of the space it normally has.]
Good grief this ring was extremely good, Arthur’s eyes had started widening halfway through. He turned to look at the goblin
“You are simply giving me this, just to procure my help.”
“Yes. My people need your help, I will do my best to procure it.”
While unsure on how to feel about being used like a mercenary but he supposed that morals took a big hit after the Integration.
“There is more important info I require before I agree like on how many-”
“Sixty lesser goblins highest level is a level 13 blacksmith and a few level 12 hunters and rogues. About eighty greater goblins about six level 15s a few level 14s and last time I was there not a single 13. Sixty hobgoblins, highest levels are around a few level 13 knights.”
Arthur reeled back from the information that was vomited on him, but still it was clear on how long these ‘lesser’ goblins were planning on rebelling. That was quite concerning info though…
“I don’t think I can keep up with level 14s and definitely not any groups of level 15s.”
“I know you can, you use mana, I haven’t seen any of them use magic if they weren’t shamans or had a few spells nothing like what you do however.”
“No magic? You mean enhancement? Not a single one, and only a few spells so no free form mana then. Not even at level 15?”
Arthur would not lie, this piece of information made him swell with confidence.
“Not a single one can do something like this?”
Arthur held his hand up. Immediately imagining a ball of fire bursting into existence above his palm.
He could feel the mana surge beneath his skin like it flowed through a separate circulatory system.
A ball of emerald flame flickered into existence, a wave of heat emanating from it.
Arthur saw Thul’s eyes shine with admiration.
‘Still, he could be luring me into a trap, but those tears were real. Do I involve myself in this? With a few more kills I could probably get level 14 and from there three days left for level 15, I could achieve it.’
‘The village would the riskier option, but if they don’t have mana enhancement or free form magic then it will be much easier’
Thinking on whether he should or should not made Arthur think about his class, specifically how it should be interpreted.
Knights were loyal to a liege in medieval ages, but Arthur had no lord other than himself. Plus, he wasn’t really knighted. The game mechanic reason of what a knight was could be explained simply, a trained warrior who used a weapon with the main modifier being Strength.
Arthur wasn’t even a strength-based player. His best stats were Agility, Intelligence and Will if he remembered right.
The more important part of what his class was, however, was the thematic portion. The System proved that time and time again legacy, and Stories were incredibly important.
A knight in fiction and romanticized tales were people of honour, those that protected the weak and defenceless, they stood for good and right. Doing good deeds without recompense merely accepting their just reward and sometimes, if it was a fairytale, a princess too.
By ignoring the plight of the goblins, would he not be breaking his ‘code’ so to speak.
What was the tale that Arthur was trying to spin, a black knight, a white knight?
Arthur took a deep breath and then exhaled loudly, he turned to look at the goblin, Thul’s face was still messed up, snot running down his face, eyes puffed up. His bald green head looked shiny which was the only reason Arthur realised the poor goblin was sweating.
“Consider the Ring as enough payment. How far is the village?”
“Two to three hours away north east.”
Arthur nodded and the two got to walking, or in Thul’s case riding, towards the village.
--------------------------- >< -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >< ------
As the two started their journey, Arthur tested his new toy.
The ring worked like advertised. With a mere thought his sword, his new sword and anything else could be stored into the ring easily. It was hard to believe that it was merely low category, which was below inferior according to Thul.
Thul started opening up more as they got closer. Turns out he was a spirit mage. He could control three spirits, one every three levels. However, being a lesser goblin he was not allowed to contact any powerful offensive spirits. Which is why he only had a water spirit that could heal injuries, a wind spirit that could boost speed and haste for a small time, and a barely offensive fire spirit.
He explained his (the rebel’s) plan more as well. The greater goblins would go out for an expedition in a day’s time. More than half of the village’s level 15, 14 and 13 goblins from the greater goblins and a large group of hobgoblins would be going to the forests nearby.
Rumours had it that a violent group of monkeys were spotted there, according to a few hunters, two of them could not be identified.
Arthur felt a deep chill go through his spine when he heard such a thing. The one unidentifiable bruiser monkey could have easily killed him when he was below level 10.
He felt it then itself, that monkey was far beyond him. Two of them versus a group of level 15s 13s and 14s sounds bad until you remember that nobody in that group could use mana enhancement.
By the time, the sun was setting, the reached upon the village walls. High enough for a base built in one week. Guards patrolled the parapets with recurve bows and quivers full of arrows. Arthur dared not get close enough to identify them.
Crouching low he turned to Thul, finding out that Thul was already on his way to the gate.
“Oi guys, let me in, my friend here too.”
‘Fuck.’
It seemed that Arthur messed up.
[Arthur Black]
[Race-(human (G grade)-level 13
Class-Knight (G grade)-level 13
Profession- N/A
Grade: - ‘G’ level 13
Strength-145(+3) Intelligence-45(+1)
Agility-80(+2) Widom-45(+1)
Vitality-95(+2) Perception- 50(+1)
Will-50(+1)
Endurance-1300/1300 Mana-4600/4600
(Health 1940/1940)
Free points: 0
Skills:
Race: - Identify {Unique}, Language {Unique}, Star-Touched Generation {Unique}
Class: - Block {Common}, Slash {Common}, Parry {Common}, Counter {Common}, Chop {Common}, Path of the sword {Uncommon}, Battlefield Awareness {Uncommon} Knightly presence {Rare}, Mana infusion {Rare}, Mana Recovery { Epic}, Mana Sense {Uncommon}
Profession: - N/A
Titles:
Burgeoning Tale
]
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