'While weaker Monsters like the Rodents aren't great at raising Stats, they're perfect when it comes to farming Passive Skills. Although I suppose the Perception Stat did rise quite a bit.'
[Name: Amon
Species: Goblin[F Rank]
Title: Evolving Monster
-Skill(s):
Palm Of The Devourer[SSS-Rank]
Disappearance[E+ Rank]
Black Wolf's Hearing[E- Rank]
Disappearing Chameleon's Eyes[E- Rank]
Infectious Black Wolf's Fangs[E Rank]
Rodent Sense Of Smell[F Rank]
-Stats:
Strength: 7
Agility: 8
Perception: 19
Endurance: 5
Vigor:5
]
'Hobgoblins all have Strength and Agility Stats above 10… I'm still no match for them.' Amon scratched his nose as he glanced at the Goblin Chief and Hobgoblin walking away from the village. 'I'll need to follow them carefully. That shouldn't be a problem. Perception Stat is higher than theirs, plus I have my Passive Skills. As long as I can barely hear their footsteps, they shouldn't be able to hear mine.'
As Amon came back to the village after his encounter by the pond, a couple of Goblins had spotted him. Some had trouble sleeping, while others had been left to guard the village for the night. Amon was glad not to have Evolved too early, as they would have spotted him as an intruder.
'Time to go.' Amon told himself as he started walking a good distance behind the Goblin Chief and Hobgoblin.
The Disappearance Skill was still on Cooldown, but it wouldn't be for much longer.
The Goblins guarding the village didn't notice him, the Goblin Chief, or the Hobgoblin leaving.
'They were told to stand away from the Chief's hut and away from the path that he took.'
The Disappearing Chameleon Eyes and the Black Wolf's Hearing Passive Skills coupled with the Rodent Sense of Smell Passive Skill made tracking them incredibly easy despite the fact that they were walking through the forest in the dead of the night.
'We're moving towards the source of the ominous energy from which creatures steer clear. Well, creatures that can sense such energy. Creatures with a Mana Stat. I haven't encountered any so far, except the Goblin Chief. Creatures that can use Magic will probably be trickier to fight.' Amon thought to himself as he followed. 'Since the Hobgoblins want that thing, whether it be a creature or an object, that means it can be used somehow. I'd like to have it for myself. It could also be a creature that the Hobgoblins want dead? That would be fine as well. All my Palm Of The Devourer needs is the corpse. If it's a creature, I would rather let them do the fighting…'
As Amon followed deeper and deeper into the forest, new creatures that he hadn't encountered before started to appear.
[Species: Dark Bat[F- Rank]
-Stats:
Strength: 1
Agility: 5
Perception: 9
Endurance: 5
Vigor: 1
]
[Species: Fanged Owl[F- Rank]
-Stats:
Strength: 2
Agility: 4
Perception: 13
Endurance: 5
Vigor: 2
]
More of a certain type as well.
[Species: Enraged Infectious Rodent[F Rank]
-Stats:
Strength: 3
Agility: 6
Perception: 6
Endurance: 7
Vigor: 5
]
'I've only found one Enraged Infectious Rodent, yet we've already come across six of them!'
Amon used -We- rather sarcastically.
The Hobgoblin and the Goblin Chief were far in front of him, so they dealt with anything that appeared.
They fought and killed all the creatures standing in their way, leaving behind them a trail of bodies for Amon to absorb.
It took another twenty minutes for Amon to truly become curious about where they were heading.
[Species: Enraged Gray Wolf[E- Rank]
-Stats:
Strength: 10
Agility: 13
Perception: 7
Endurance: 15
Vigor: 10
]
'Just like the rodent, it's salivating profusely. And its Stats are similar to those of a Hobgoblin!'
If it weren't for the Goblin Chief's Fire Balls and the fact that the Hobgoblin was armed, the journey could have ended right there and then for them.
'Now that I think about it, Hobgoblins and Black Wolves have similar Stats… The difference in Strength shouldn't be enough to balance out the overwhelming difference in Agility. It's not so much that Black Wolves are weak creatures to the Hobgoblins. It's just that the Hobgoblins have domesticated them. They must raise and train them from birth.'
Amon listened carefully. The Hobgoblin complained for a bit, and the Goblin Chief reassured him that there was nothing to be afraid of. Feeling that his pride was hurt, the Hobgoblin scoffed and continued walking forward.
'Being able to shoot Fire Balls is so cool!' Amon thought before letting out a sigh. 'Sure hope that Evolution Choice is worth it.'
More and more creatures appeared. More and more of them were Enraged.
Amon found the Enraged Horned Hares particularly funny and cute. They were cunning and vicious.
Of course, he didn't fight them. He let the two in front do all the work, and kept the spoils for himself.
'It's been close to forty minutes since we left.'
Amon's eyes narrowed. The Cooldown on the Disappearance Skill had long passed.
"This is it." The Goblin Chief muttered.
A drop of sweat was on his face, which he quickly wiped.
"What are you sweating for, old man?"
"It's nothing. This old man isn't so used to long walks." The Goblin Chief lied. "Let's head inside." He gestured.
"So this cave holds what our Chief wants." The Hobgoblin muttered. "Let's end this quickly. I don't want to spend any more time in Goblin company than I absolutely have to."
"Of course." The Goblin Chief answered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead again.
The ominous energy was too much for him. His every instinct was telling him to back off. To turn away. To run away.
Neither Amon nor the Hobgoblin had those Mana-induced instincts though.
Amon waited for the two to enter the cave, then peeked inside.
A flame flickered.
'Conjuring a flame with his index finger and using it like a torch,' Amon pressed his lips together as he smiled. 'So cool!' He thought as he headed inside.
By the time that Amon took a dozen steps inside,
"Something's wrong." The Goblin Chief whispered as he stopped. "There's something… Something entered the cave. I can feel it."
"You better not be getting cold feet now." The Hobgoblin sighed as he raised his Iron Mace. "I'll crush its head. Walk behind me. Be ready to shoot those sparks of yours."
The Goblin Chief wiped his sweat and gulped.
"That female better be worth it."
"Yes, eyes on the prize." The Hobgoblin said with a chuckle. "In less than an hour, I'll open that cage, and you'll be free to fill her up with your seed."
"I…"
The Hobgoblin momentarily turned towards the shaking Goblin Chief.
"I can't wait!" The Goblin Chief whispered with wide eyes as he licked his lips.
The Hobgoblin wanted to laugh out loud, but had the presence of mind to remember that now wasn't the time to make noise.
About twenty steps later, the Goblin Chief's knees gave out. He fell to the ground.
The Hobgoblin had noticed.
"Leaves, wood…" He scratched his chin. "Whatever it is that entered this cave… It's making a nest here." The Hobgoblin's voice grew cold. "It better not have taken the-"
"T-There!" The Goblin Chief pointed. "It's there! I can feel it! That Mana… It's there! Take it!"
It only took a moment of rummaging to find it.
"So that's it, huh?" The Hobgoblin stared at the emerald-cut black stone in his hand. "This is what all the fuss is about?"
The Goblin Chief answered with a weak gasp.
"Oh, come on." The Hobgoblin chuckled at the reaction coming from behind him. "Is it really that bad? How can a stone like this be all that?" He shrugged and started turning around. "I know I can't sense magic but…"
The Hobgoblin's words trailed off as he saw the Goblin Chief with his back arched.
"Wha…?"
A clawed hand was through the Goblin Chief's chest.
SPLURT!
The hand was swiftly pulled out, causing immense amounts of blood to squirt out of the Goblin Chief's hollowed chest. He fell to the ground.
The weak gasp hadn't been the terrified Goblin Chief's way of answering, but a reaction to his chest being pierced through.
Swush-
The Hobgoblin's eyes widened.
It was just for a moment.
Between the Goblin Chief's falling and his last breath… The flame that had been dancing over the Goblin Chief's finger allowed the Hobgoblin to catch a glimpse.
For only a moment, the Hobgoblin could see the monstrosity standing in the cave, before the flame conjured by the Goblin Chief died out with him.
"Fuck…!!" The Hobgoblin cursed under his breath as he grabbed his weapon with both hands. "You just had to come back now, huh?"
He was convinced that the creature that had just swiftly dealt with the Goblin Chief was the one that had been making a nest in the cave.
However…