Hours later, Ash leaned back against the cave wall, his stomach full and content. He took a sip from a can of soda he'd found, surveying his little camp.
He'd managed to scavenge a surprising number of useful items: a makeshift bed of a mattress, blanket, and pillow, a knife, a grill, and a decent supply of snacks.
'Not bad for a random cave,' he thought. At least he could rest here until the rain stopped.
He settled onto the mattress, trying to recall any other "game commands" he might know. "System," he said aloud.
Ting
[Player: Ashborn Locke]
[Player Number: #23875]
[Level: 1.1]
[Stats:]
[⇒ Strength: 5]
[⇒ Endurance: 5]
[⇒ Agility: 5]
[⇒ Intelligence: 5]
[⇒ Magic: 5]
[Extra Point: 0]
[Profession: Warrior: Level 1]
[Sword Skill: Shadow Sword: Level 1]
"Okay, that's... vaguely helpful," Ash muttered. "Quest?" he tried.
Ting
[Quest: You are currently in the Trial stage.]
[You will receive your main quest upon completion of the Trial stage.]
[Trial Stage Completion Requirements:]
[⇒ Find and store at least 100 Regular items in your inventory.]
[⇒ Regular items must contain at least 50% gemstones.]
Ash's eyes widened. "Gemstones? Seriously?"
***
Waking up the next morning, Ash's body protested with a chorus of aches from his night spent on the uneven cave floor. The air drifted into the cave felt crisp and cold, a stark contrast to the lingering warmth of the now-dead campfire.
He pushed himself into a sitting position, groaning softly, and peered out of the cave entrance. The rain had finally stopped. A weak morning sun filtered through the trees, painting the wet leaves in shimmering light.
With a sigh, he stood up, his muscles stiff. He hefted the backpack he had filled with scavenged items from the cave.
It was heavier than it looked, packed mostly with food and drinks he hoped would sustain him on his journey. He estimated he had around forty items, a number that would steadily decrease with each meal.
As he started walking away from the cave, his mind drifted back to the system screen he had seen the previous night.
[You will be able to return to the real world after you reach Level 100.]
The sheer impossibility of that number weighed heavily on him. Level 100 felt like an insurmountable goal.
He also couldn't forget the initial message about needing the system's permission to leave the starting room.
'This is insane,' he thought, a knot of worry tightening in his stomach. 'What if Mom wakes up and I'm still gone? She'll be worried sick.
The image of her anxious face fueled his determination to find a way back, and quickly.
Lost in thought, he continued walking straight ahead, the forest stretching out before him in a seemingly endless expanse of green and brown.
Subconsciously, his gaze drifted upwards, catching sight of a large, ancient tree. High in its branches, he noticed a bird's nest. And within the messy collection of twigs and straw, something sparkled.
"Could that be... one of the gemstones the system mentioned?" he wondered, a flicker of hope igniting within him.
Curiosity overcoming his caution, he began to climb the tree. The rough bark scraped against his hands as he pulled himself up, branch by branch.
Reaching the nest, he carefully peered inside. Nestled amongst the debris was a small, rectangular gem, its color a vibrant, shimmering blue.
His eyes widened in surprise and a surge of relief as he picked it up, its smooth surface cool against his palm.
Ting
[You have obtained a Blue Gem.]
[Total Gemstones: 1]
'Finally!' he grinned, a genuine smile breaking through his worry. 'One down, ninety-nine to go... or rather, forty-nine more for this trial.'
Krieek! Krik! Krieekkkk!
The sound was sudden and unsettling, like the grating of giant insects. Ash froze, his smile vanishing. It sounded like multiple creatures, their calls echoing through the quiet forest.
Cautiously, he peered down through the leaves. His blood ran cold.
Beneath the tree, a small group of green-skinned creatures with pointed ears were walking and chattering amongst themselves. They were short and wiry, and their crude clothing appeared to be made from animal hides.
'Goblins!'
The creatures looked exactly like the goblins from the fantasy games he used to play. Their guttural language and their appearance were unmistakable.
He held his breath, clinging to the branches, not daring to move. He waited, his muscles tense, until the chattering group of goblins disappeared into the undergrowth.
Only then did he slowly, carefully, reach into his backpack and place the blue gem inside.
Goblins, he knew from games, were rarely alone. Where there were a few, there were likely more, possibly a whole nest nearby. And goblins weren't known for their friendly disposition towards humans.
'What a troublesome game,' he thought, a wave of frustration washing over him again.
Wanting to avoid any further encounters, he scanned his surroundings from his vantage point in the tree. In the distance, he spotted a thin column of smoke rising above the treeline, likely from a campfire.
'That can't be from goblins,' he reasoned. 'They're usually afraid of fire.'
After a moment of consideration, a risky idea formed in his mind. He decided to head towards the smoke.
'Who knows,' he thought, a sliver of hope flickering, 'maybe there are other players. At least... another human.'
He carefully climbed down the tree, his movements slow and deliberate. Once on the ground, he peered left and right, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of the Tenebris Sword. Then, he set off in the direction of the distant smoke.
***
Unfortunately, his cautious approach led him to the ruins of what looked like a small village. Dilapidated wooden houses and broken fences were scattered haphazardly, and the source of the smoke was clearly visible now: a large, crude campfire in the center of the ruins, surrounded by... goblins.
The smoke wasn't a sign of friendly company; it marked the heart of a goblin nest.
Not wanting to be seen, Ash quickly climbed to the top of a tall, leafy tree at the edge of the ruins. From his hidden vantage point, he observed the scene below, trying to find a safe way to bypass the nest.
Dozens of goblins, male and female, moved around the ruins. They behaved with a disturbing semblance of human society.
They chattered in their guttural language, gestured wildly, and even engaged in what looked like playful shoves and minor squabbles. The main difference was their diet.
Ash watched, his stomach churning, as they tore chunks of raw meat from the carcasses of what looked like small forest animals, the blood still glistening on their sharp teeth.
His nausea intensified when he saw some of the goblins gnawing on smaller, more... human-shaped appendages. He fought down the urge to vomit, knowing the sound could alert them to his presence.
Finally managing to control his revulsion, Ash was about to descend from the tree and try to find a different route when he noticed something near one of the larger, more intact buildings in the center of the nest.
Piled carelessly on the ground was a collection of colorful gemstones, glinting in the sporadic sunlight that pierced through the trees.
'If I could get that many...' The thought of completing the trial faster, of getting one step closer to returning home, was a powerful lure.
He hesitated, torn between the need to leave and the tempting reward. He weighed the risk against the potential gain, his mind racing.
Ultimately, the desire to escape this world as quickly as possible won out. He decided to try and take the gemstones, but he knew he couldn't face the sheer number of goblins directly.
He would have to be clever. Where the goblins had gotten the gemstones didn't matter to him. All that mattered was getting them and getting home to his mother.
He would need a plan.
***
Ash stayed hidden in the same tree for the next two days. He only descended when absolutely necessary to relieve himself, carefully choosing his moments when the goblin activity was low.
The rest of the time, he remained amongst the leaves, observing the goblins' routines, their movements, their habits.
'I am a Warrior,' he thought, a sense of grim determination hardening his gaze. 'But not all battles are won through brute force. Sometimes, a Hunter needs to use… strategy.'