The sun climbed higher over the Gnarled Woods, casting shadows through the twisted canopy of trees. Zork moved through the forest with Grak beside him, both goblins following the same hunting paths they'd walked a hundred times before.
Except this time, Zork knew things.
Knew that the eastern trail had better game. Knew that the horned rabbits gathered near the mossy stones by the creek. Knew exactly where to step to avoid the snapping twigs that scared prey away.
"Zork being weird today," Grak muttered, eyeing him suspiciously. "Walking different. Thinking too much."
"Zork just hungry," Zork replied, which was true enough. His stomach still growled, same as always. But his mind was different now. Clearer, more refined, somehow.
The Gnarled Woods stretched for miles in every direction, a buffer zone between the goblin territories and human civilization. To the south, maybe half a day's walk, sat Millbrook, a small frontier city where adventurers gathered before venturing into monster-infested lands. The town's Adventurer's Guild posted bounties on goblin ears. Five copper pieces each.
Zork's tribe had lost twelve members to adventurer raids last season alone.
But adventurers rarely came this deep into the woods unless they were hunting something specific. Most days, the goblins only had to worry about starvation and each other. Today though, Zork had different worries.
Today, Zork needed to get stronger.
"There!" Grak pointed ahead.
Three horned rabbits grazed in a small clearing, their spiral horns glinting in the scattered sunlight. Normally vicious when cornered, but perfect prey for hungry goblins who knew how to hunt.
Zork's grip tightened on his bent dagger. In his previous life...his first life?...he'd caught one rabbit that day. Barely enough to keep from starving.
"Zork take left one. Grak take right," Zork whispered.
They crept forward, silent as death. The rabbits' ears twitched but didn't turn. Closer. Closer.
Zork struck first.
His dagger plunged into the rabbit's side, finding the gap between ribs. The creature shrieked and thrashed, but Zork held firm, twisting the blade. Its Warm blood spilled over his green fingers. The rabbit went still.
Grak's club came down on the second rabbit with a wet crunch. The third bolted into the forest, escaping.
"Two! Two good!" Grak laughed, shoving his kill into his crude sack. "Tribe eat tonight!"
But Zork wasn't listening. Something was happening.
A warm sensation flooded through his body, starting in his chest and radiating outward. His muscles tingled. His vision sharpened. Even his thoughts felt... faster?
[Level up—!]
[Level 1 → Level 2]
[All stats +1]
[SP: +5]
The glowing words appeared before Zork's eyes, invisible to Grak. Zork gasped as power surged through his pathetic goblin frame. It wasn't much...just a small increase....but Zork felt it. Felt himself becoming more than he was.
"Zork? You okay?" Grak was staring at him. "You making weird face. You want shit? Me look away"
"Zork... Zork fine," Zork managed, catching his breath. "Just... just excited for food."
But inside, Zork's mind raced. He'd hunted rabbits before. Killed them. Many times. But never... never had he felt this. Never had these words appeared.
'Because Zork never "level up" before,' he realized. 'In old life, Zork died never reaching Level 2. But now... something change in zork'
They continued hunting. By the time the sun reached its peak, Zork had killed two more rabbits. Each death brought that same rush of satisfaction, though no more level ups came. Grak seemed pleased...four rabbits total was a good haul.
As they walked back toward the tribe's cave, Zork's thoughts ran high. The woods around them were dangerous, yes, but predictable. The real threat lay south, where humans built their cities and trained their warriors. Where magic-users like that girl learned to turn goblins into ash.
Millbrook was small, barely worthy of being called a city. But it had walls. Guards. The Adventurer's Guild. Unity. Coordination. Strength. Everything the goblins lacked.
Everything Zork would need to overcome if he wanted to truly survive.
"You really being weird today," Grak said again as they approached the cave. "Zork sure he not sick?"
"Zork fine. Just thinking."
"Thinking bad for goblins. Make head hurt."
Maybe Grak was right. Maybe thinking was bad for normal goblins. But Zork wasn't normal anymore. Couldn't be normal. Not with this system, these words, this power flowing through him.
---
Night fell over the Gnarled Woods. The tribe had cooked and eaten the rabbits, and now the goblins lay in their usual sleeping pile, their bodies pressed together for warmth against the chill of the night.
Zork couldn't sleep.
He laid there, staring at the cave ceiling, watching the faint glow of his status screen hover in the darkness.
[Host]: Zork
[Race]: Goblin (evolvable)
[Level]: 2/10
---
[str]: 4 [agi]: 6 [vit]: 5
[int]: 3 [wis]: 2 [luk]: 2
---
[SP]: 5
[RP]:10
---
[Skill(s)]:
- Awareness (SSS-Grade)
-
The numbers had changed. All of them, up by one. Zork felt that difference in his muscles, his reflexes, even his thinking.
But what caught his attention were the lines:
[Stat Points: 5]
[Regression Points: 10]
"What... what is Ree...gree..zion ....stat...points?" Zork whispered to the screen, barely breathing the words.
The system responded:
[Regression points (RP) are earned through achievements and stat points (SP) are earned through growth]
[SP can be used to enhance basic stats]
[RP can be spent in the system shop]
[would you like to access shop?]
[yes] / [no]
Shop?
Zork's clawed finger trembled as he reached for [yes].
The status screen dissolved, replaced by a new display:
[—System Shop—]
[RP: 10]
[—available purchases—]
[skills]
- pain resistance (e-grade) - 10 rp
- quick learner (e-grade) - 15 rp
- night hunter (e-grade) - 8 rp
- survival instinct (e-grade) - 12 rp
- devour (c-grade) – 30 rp
[Items/info]
- evolution hint – 5 rp
- stat boost potion - 5 rp
- bestiary entry: horned rabbit - 1 rp
- local map - 10 rp
Zork's eyes widened. So many options. So many things zork could become.
But zork only had 10 points. Not enough for the powerful skills. Not enough for most things.
His gaze lingered on pain resistance(e-grade), that cost exactly what he had.
"would make zork pain in hunt decrease" zork mumbled to himself.
But something in his awareness(sss-grade) made him hesitate.
'If zork spend all points now, zork have nothing for later. But if zork save, zork might die before using them.'
Decisions. Hard decisions.
Around him, the tribe snored and shifted in sleep. Grak muttered something about rabbits. The chief coughed in his corner of the cave.
None of them could see what zork saw. None of them could become what zork could become.
Zork stared at the glowing shop, at the promise of power written in light, and felt that strange feeling again.
Hope. Terrifying, burning hope.
"Two more days," Zork whispered to the darkness. "Two more days till magic girl. Zork need to get stronger. Need to get smarter."
The system shop flickered, waiting for his choice.
And Zork, for the first time in his short, brutal goblin life, began to truly plan for a future beyond tomorrow.