Afternoon in the Woods

He left the barbarian to recover and, once the slime had finished drying him, re-equipped his clothing and items. He had a plan for the next phase of dungeon expansion. Something he had in mind since the first day. Something different. He had lacked the materials, and frankly the imagination, to full realize it before. However, now he was growing accustomed to the strange building and blue print options. Like the other circular floors above it, this bottom floor was ringed by filled archways waiting for construction.

For now he was concerned with the four arches correspond to the cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West. Since each of his tower levels were in effect two stories tall, he was four stories lower in the mountain than his entrance. The entrance hallway was thirty to forty feet long, plus the small lip of stone that created the natural entrance and pathway to his dungeon, and of course the mountain itself was thicker towards its base, so he estimated he was safe digging into the rock to around fifty feet towards the eastern entrance before he ran a risk of breaching out of the mountain. However, accidentally exposing a shaft in the narrower part of the mountain wasn’t his only fear. To the west was the heart of the mountain. He could dig for miles in that direction without emerging; but he risked an equally undesirable fate, intersecting one of the tunnels of the boss of Mt Imporne, The Great Wyrm. That was perhaps more suicidal than opening a path for adventurers. The Wyrm did not suffer intruders and did not share territory. It was possible the great beast was already aware of the new micro boss in the mountain so he had to be careful not to antagonize it, at least not yet. That really just left the side paths of North and South for truly large scale expansion.

He pulled up the blue prints of the lesser tunnels, the natural rock caves with no decoration or lighting. He used an imaginary rectangle as the border for the new construction, extending out from his current two story level fifty feet east toward the cliffs, five hundred feet west towards the heart of the mountain, more than fifteen hundred feet in both the north and south, and finally another one hundred feet further down below. Then he proceeded to allow his imagination free rein as he drew winding tunnels, large caverns, dead ends, and sudden drops; a maze that twisted and turned, climbed and fell, and even fed back into itself. He lacked strength. Rather than traps, servants, or his own magic; this was his strategy for survival: a maze of rock into which he could run and hide and avoid the fights he couldn’t win and perhaps, one day, to become the true entrance to his dungeon. That was the same reason his tower had twin staircases, so he always had an escape route. Pieces of the maze opened into his tower at each of the four main archways of this lowest floor. That should keep the golems occupied while he was away.

By the time he was satisfied the goblin had recovered, redressed, and even fixed her unique hairstyle. She had once again taken up a place at the foot of the stairs and silently watched him work. Meanwhile the slime had continued to trail behind him as he went from archway to archway to draw out the new construction.

He pulled open the fame menu. More servants would be nice but he didn’t have a specific need at the moment. Empower Minion had proven helpful for Suo but he had already given the barbarian so much, he preferred to wait for another reward for her. That left his somewhat useful but underpowered Liegelord ability. It cost him a meager twenty points of fame to boost the ability to level two. The description didn’t change and he didn’t particularly feel any more powerful. But sooner or later time would tell if it was worth the cost.

Finally he decided to address a final need. The dagger he had crafted had proven useful but he had created it with the intention of giving it away. He headed back to his smithy and used one of his remaining scrap ores to create a short sword for himself. He briefly considered using the enchanting table to further boost the weapon but as he tested wielding both his staff and the sword at the same time, he decided against it. It was the utility of the weapon that made it useful more so than the small boost to attack.

With the potions, armor sets, weapons, and his own possessions, his inventory was rather full. But he knew he would create more space soon enough. Feathers had an inventory as well if the need to carry more arose, and Suo...

“Suo” The slime bobbled as the orc looked down at it.

....Suo... was something...

He stopped by the golems who had still made painfully little progress on the new training room.

“Stop and listen,” he commanded them.

Again the golems did their odd trick of floating head and limbs moving independently as they slowly turned and stood at attention before their master.

“Once you have finished this room, you will proceed to the bottom floor and begin the waiting construction. You may pick any opening and work together or separately. Consider my blueprint simply a guide. You need not follow it to the letter. You are creatures of the earth, so follow the rock as it suggests. However, know that I want a maze not a single giant cavern under my tower. Do you understand?”

The dust golems saluted him smartly. He took that as a good sign at least.

“You may defend yourselves if attacked, or if it’s a battle you believe you can win, but I don’t expect you to patrol or defend the dungeon at this time. Continue the cave construction until I give further orders, or you feel you are finished, and report anything suspicious to me when I return.”

With that he dismissed them back to their work. It was early afternoon as the trio set out and left the dungeon behind them. Knowing they had made good time on the trip before, the orc allowed himself breaks to harvest resources and kill any small monsters or beasts. A handful of the strange plant monsters protected some of the resource trees again. They also encountered a large wild boar. Before he would have probably avoided the tusked beast unless he was truly starved. But between the three of them, the overgrown pig posed no threat.

A new thought came to him as they got closer to their destination. What about the goblin scavenger that had died? Would he have respawned with his tribe in the clearing? Would the other goblins be upset or suspicious he had betrayed them? He had never really discussed life and **** with other monsters before, after all it was rare to encounter another monster who preferred civilized conversation rather than combat.

“What happens when a goblin dies?” He asked his feathered minion.

“Huh?” She seemed legitimately puzzled at the question. “They dead!”

“No I mean do they return to the tribe?”

“Return?.. No return. They dead!” She insisted again.

This would require a different approach.

“What about the tribe? There aren’t that many of you, wouldn’t you all quickly disappear?”

“Fool dies, makes room. Clan make new baby. Strong again.” She talked like she was teaching a slow child.

That was... different. They replaced their numbers by reproducing? Every time he had died, sooner or later he reappeared back at the cave. Other monsters appeared in more or less the same spots. Even the plant monsters were predictable in their spawn patterns.

“Have you ever died before?” He asked the question carefully. Neither of them seemed to be enjoying the strange conversation.

“Die...” she stopped in her tracks and stared blankly into the distance. The seconds stretched along but she didn’t move or speak. Her eyes clouded over and she looked confused as she concentrated. Finally she slowly began again speaking like recalling a distant dream. “... Me... not die... Me be me when open eyes.... but.... before.... me, not me.... not me... live in swamp... not me pick berries... not me eaten by Great Boa... How me remember not me?”

She was beginning to tremble at the memories locked away of previous lives.

“Ssh, it’s ok,” he reassured her as he wrapped the small goblin in his arms. “You don’t need to think about that anymore.”

He could feel her slightly relaxing but the warrior refused to show weakness.

“I only have one more question,” he continued as he looked past her into the forest. “Do you remember the darkness before you were you and opened your eyes for the first time?”

“Darkness?... No darkness... not me close eyes. Me open eyes.”

She didn’t know of that hellish purgatory?!

Was that why the screams were so rare? Other monsters weren’t conscious of their defeat? They were.... recycled? Was it because of the tribal nature of the goblins? He couldn’t ask the slime. He had always assumed the other monsters died and respawned in the same endless cycle as himself. Was he the only one? A fear he had never allowed himself to express before quickly darted across his mind. Had the screams in the dark always been his own?

He held the goblin tighter as the slime wrapped itself around their legs. The sunny forest suddenly felt very cold.

The conversation left an unpleasant feeling in both their minds. The normally standoffish barbarian even stayed a little closer to his side, though her stoney gaze remained the same. Baal pondered the implications as the group traveled in silence. It was evening by the time they reached the clearing but he was no closer to any answers.

Their arrival, however, was not what he had expected. The goblin’s shelters were gone. The shallow pits they had dug and the central fire were still there. There was even a small new pile of resources that had been piled. They were clearly in an early stage of rebuilding. But at the moment that wasn’t important.

What was important, was the dozen or so goblins huddled back to back in a rough circle around the resources brandishing their crude wood or stone weapons as well as two of the swords he had gifted them and the other spear. Even worse was what the tribe had been surrounded by, and was trying to fend off.

Black Wolf - ???

The status was red. These were dangerous. These were much stronger than himself. And it wasn’t just a single wolf, but a small pack. He spotted six but there could easily be more hiding just outside the clearing. One in particular was larger, standing on a dead goblin like it was a trophy.

Alpha Black Wolf - ???

That status was almost the same shade of red as the adventurer’s.

The orc calculated his odds of victory against the worth of the tribe. He had enjoyed their company but this wasn’t about being sentimental. The benefits they provided him in aid, food, items, and goblin pussy weren’t worth him loosing his life; and worse, possibly loosing everything he had gained in the last week.

The thoughts flashed quickly across his mind as he came face to face with the situation in the clearing. Neither group had noticed them yet. It was clearly not worth the risk. Just as he reached his decision and opened his mouth to whisper their retreat, a roar erupted from the goblin barbarian beside him as she charged into the clearing.

The wolves quickly turned to regard them, growling with exposed fangs flowing with saliva and blood.

Fuck

If his minion wanted to get herself killed that was one thing. He didn’t entirely mind sacrificing her if she was intent on doing something so stupid. But unfortunately there was no way he could outrun a wolf chasing him.

The barbarian slammed into the closest wolf, thankfully not the alpha, and began to hack at it with her twin tomahawks. However, the wolf was stronger, faster, and had more stamina than the lizards she had easily killed. Most of her blows either missed the dexterous wolf, were caught and deflected by its powerful jaws, or simply did little damage to its black fur.

The orc quickly recalculated his odds of survival attempting to flee versus making a stand with the goblins. Neither seemed likely to have a favorable outcome but he couldn’t afford to hesitate. If he lost the initiative he would surely die.

He ran forward and joined his goblin minion. The wolf had the upper hand and spun, knocking her to the ground. She parried it’s biting attacks as best she could with her axes but it’s claws were still shredding her down to half health.

Suo was faster than the orc. As soon as it understood its master’s will, it lunged forward and wrapped itself around large canine. The orc had just enough time as he ran to charge a blast of Dark Energy. With his staff arm he poked the beast in the face and released the blast, while his free arm scooped up the fallen goblin. He didn’t break his stride as he ran towards the clump of goblins.

Suo strained to hang on to the wolf as it struggled. The slime was built more for speed than strength. It was quickly loosing control but it bought the orc precious seconds.

The other wolves had started to move in on them but due to their unexpected arrival and swift movement, they made it to the stunned group of goblins.

“Suo come!” He shouted as he entered the relative safety of the defensive ring.

The slime disengaged from the angry wolf, now with a smoking singed wound on its face, and bound across the clearing. Wolves snapped at the slime and tried to catch the blob, but it was too small and too quick. As Suo slithered next to its master, the orc was already busy passing out the additional weapons he had crafted. The three new spears went to the first goblins he he saw, as did the spear dropped by the scavenger killed by the lizard before. The reinforced leather tops and pants he had crafted were thrown to goblins without caring who got what. The trickster from before was there in the center of the group, standing on a pile of stones, sling in hand; and was given the new bow and arrows.

The orc was more relieved than he cared to admit to see the goblin chiefess wounded but alive lying in the middle of the group. Her fur vest was torn and her shoulder bloody from a deep bite. Many of the goblins had similar scratches and bruises though none that lived looked as bad as her. It was clear the formation had been close to collapse.

The wolves surrounded the goblins, snapping and testing the newly reinforced defensive front. They were clearly enraged by his intrusion and attack, but they were wary of the new developments.

The shock and relief in the goblin chiefess’ eyes was palpable. He handed her one of his precious health potions. He told himself it was because she looked like she was about to bleed out and die and demoralize the other goblins, and not that he was worried about her well being. The bleeding slowed and her color returned to a healthier shade of green, though the wound remained. It was after all a minor healing potion, but it was better than nothing.

The gobliness was helped back to her feat and reached out for the orc like she couldn’t trust her own eyes. The orc thrust the remaining set of reinforced rabbit fur armor in her hand. There would be time for greetings and explanations later... hoped. Finally he handed her the small greenish dagger he had crafted.

With his inventory shared, he once again took a second to assess the situation. The goblins were much improved and bolstered by his gifts, and although the presence of the five spears wasn’t enough to form a solid front, it was enough to protect every side. After several misses, the trickster had stopped trying to shoot at the wolves as they circled, and waited for one to make a break and charge. His success rate became much higher and the arrows helped to dissuade the attacks. The barbarian herself had plugged the gap created in the circle by his entrance and she was now holding the line with her former tribe. Meanwhile the alpha wolf had reasserted himself over the pack and herded them back into an attack formation.

Baal considered his options. He still had most of his magic. A skeleton might serve as a distraction or provide an opening but he doubted it would provide an effective attack if the tomahawks could scarcely scratch a wolf. He doubted any of their weapons could provide much more than a nuisance but thankfully the wolves were beasts and not thoughtful monsters. They were wary of the pointed sticks and spears. They were wary of the strange slime and larger orc. The only wolf that even looked wounded at this point was the one he had blasted in the face and he knew he didn’t have enough MP to even wound let alone kill them all.

The only other thing he could do at the moment was therefore trying out his new spell. Standing in the small circle of goblins, he activated Miasma. A dense, dark fog began to roll out from his feet in all directions. The goblins were startled by the sudden development but he quickly reassured them. At his current intelligence, the cloud had a nine feet radius around. Half that distance was occupied by the goblins. The remaining feet became a sort of no man’s land between them. The wolves sniffed the black air cautiously and yipped and skittered away. It was unnatural, the smell of weakness and ****.

The alpha harangued the pack back into another attack. The wolves visibly weakened and slowed as they crossed into the miasma boundary. The orc watched his MP ticking down with concern. He couldn’t keep this up for long. However between his magical debuff and the goblin’s improved defense, the attack was pushed back yet again.

Baal decided to take a gamble. He charged another blast of Dark Energy, using most of his remaining magic, and fired it at the alpha. The wolf was much too athletic and avoided the sluggish black orb, but it could sense the powerful magic and killing intent.

The lead wolf pulled back to the clearing’s edge and let loose a howl. For a moment the orc thought he had enraged it to the point of certain ****. But as luck would have it, that didn’t seem to be the case. The other wolves turned to their alpha and began their own retreats. All except for one.

The scarred wolf regarded the alpha and its retreating pack with a low growl. The two wolves shared a long look before the alpha broke eye contact and switched to the orc. The wolf seemed to be burning his face into memory. Finally it turned and vanished into the underbrush.

The odds had suddenly switched greatly in their favor but they weren’t out of danger yet. The lone wolf charged back into the miasma and goblins. Spears bent under its weight but couldn’t penetrate its thick hide. At best they simply kept it at a distance. Even weakened and injured the wolf was pressing them back. It was tenacious. It refused to give up its chance to kill the one that wounded it.

Again Suo wrapped around the beasts legs and did it’s best to hold the wolf back. Feathers unleashed a flurry of furious attacks as she twisted around the larger animal. Arrow after arrow struck true. Tarnished metal collided with black fur. Stones rained down from goblins with no other weapons. But the wolf was relentless. It pushed forward into the group, snapping and clawing for every inch.

The orc charged a final magic blast with all that remained of his MP. Between the close proximity, and the wolf’s attitude, missing was all but impossible. For the second time, it’s head and face were engulfed by the dark attribute magic. Scars like electric currents tore through the right side of its face. It’s fur melted away. It’s right ear split. It’s eye bulged obscenely and exploded in a small shower of viscera.

The wolf yelped in pain and frustration. It was half pushed and half fell over backwards to escape the arcane punishment. It scrambled back to its feet several yards away with a combination of growls and whimpers.

The orc was drained. He could feel the miasma beginning to collapse as his final magic points dropped into single digits and continued to fall. He also had wolf juice on his face and in his mouth.... his mouth.... mouth... he quickly pulled one of the skins containing the unidentified mana spring water out of his inventory and swallowed as much as he could.

Just as before he felt a surge of arcane power as his mana bar flashed. However, unlike the previous times when his MP had been at full, this time he watched the effects of the water rejuvenate and quickly refill the nearly empty bar.

The fading Miasma snapped back to full power. He charged a new blast of energy at the end of his staff, even larger and stronger than the last. He stood before the wolf. Suo in front of him, Feathers to his right, the chiefess to his left, and the tribe backing them up.

The wolf trembled before them. Not in fear, but in rage. It lifted its head to the fading sky and howled. In the not too distant woods the cry was answered and followed by more. The wolf kept its remaining eye on the group and backed away to the edge of the clearing. It stood its ground and growled at the orc as it stared him down. The howl in the woods sounded again, further away this time, and finally the scarred wolf relented and faded into the underbrush.

The goblins all but collapsed in their relief. Still he was **** to let down his guard or end his spell. Was this a feint? A new pop up signaled the combat truly was over

Fame: 197

Diplomacy +115 (Expanded)
Rescued an allied faction in peril +10
Defended an ally against overwhelming odds +50
Defended an ally without allowing a single casualty +50
Rumors of your power and protection are spreading +5

That was a nice reward, but he still wasn’t sure it was worth what he had risked. It was also strange to see a no casualty reward when several of the goblins were obviously dead, but it seemed the system hadn’t started counting until he had arrived. The remaining goblins were bruised and bloodied, and clearly exhausted, but none looked as bad as the chiefess had before his intervention. The goblins started tending to their wounded and looting whatever useful items remained from their fallen as the orc got the story from the chiefess.

The night before two goblin babies had been born in the makeshift shelters. The gestation was incredibly rapid. It appeared goblin females who had sex would remain fertilized until the clan could expand. At which point they would progress through pregnancy and birth in a matter of hours. As long as the clan wasn’t entirely wiped out, the clan numbers had to stay the same. So if two were born then two must have died. And the only two missing were the scavenger and barbarian who had left with him. If the goblins had died, the tribe assumed their orc ally had also perished.

As a side note, the orc would later learn from the tribe that while goblins weren’t exactly known for mourning, and even as busy as she was with the new arrivals, the chiefess had apparently been inconsolable.

The tribe still had plenty of food from the hunts he had lead, but two of their strongest were now gone. Goblin babies grew fast but it would still be some time before they were productive members of the clan. After the clan had split up in the morning for their daily routine of hunting and gathering, disaster had struck.

The lookout who should have been standing watch had fallen asleep. He was the first to pay for the fatal mistake. However, it wasn’t the wolves. At least not yet. Instead it was a group of adventurers who stormed the clearing.

The goblins who had stayed at camp attempted to flee to the woods, but arrows and magic took down three more as they ran. Thankfully the adventurers didn’t give chase. Their goal wasn’t the tiny experience that came from killing goblins. The goblins were really inconsequential. Instead they looted the dwellings to the ground for the massive stacks of resources.

The real problem was after the adventurers had taken everything they could and left. The goblins reconvened in the clearing and went back to what they knew, gathering the wood and stone to rebuild. Whether the adventurer troupe had disturbed the wolves as well or the pack merely followed behind to feast on the trail of dead, it was impossible to say but the wolves came nonetheless.

The beasts ambushed the clan just as they had started to rebuild. The lookout was alert this time and raised an alarm but the wolves were fast. Another goblin was torn down before he could join the group and two more died as they unknowingly returned from gathering trips. Of the sixteen goblin adults and two babies in the clan, seven died that day, and the others would have joined them if he hadn’t miraculously appeared. One of the babies was now an orphan, though the tribe would raise him together. As for the other newborn...

The reason for the chiefess’ deep wound wasn’t because the wolf was trying to kill her, but rather it was aiming for the tempting morsel she had been carrying. The child she would have died to protect if only because the female baby was, she mistakenly believed, all that was left of her lover.

The orc took the tiny goblin baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. The little thing was vibrant green and seemed to be almost all head, mouth, and eyes. She had her mother’s spotted pattern and teeth, and her father’s coal black hair and golden eyes. As Baal looked down at the innocent little bundle, his daughter reached up and wrapped a tiny green finger in his thick black beard.

Fuck