Despite the hunger that was beginning to gnaw at his stomach and the thirst that scratched his throat, a cold determination drove Corbin. The trail of the larger humanoids, with their deep footprints in the mud, was a mystery he needed to unravel, or at least understand. The relative safety of the inn was tempting, but inaction was a luxury he couldn't afford.
"[Skeletal Servant Alpha], carry the boar," Corbin ordered, his voice still sounding a bit strange, but with a new timbre of command. The [Level 2] skeleton obeyed, picking up the carcass of the [Small Wild Boar] with a visible but manageable effort. [Skeletal Servant Gamma (Canine, Level 1)], with its [Skill Echo: Keen Scent (Carrion)] active, took the lead, its canine skull moving rhythmically as it sniffed the path.
They advanced along the edge of the forest that flanked the northwest trail. The cool morning air carried the scent of pine and damp earth, but it was soon contaminated by a metallic, acrid odor, stronger and disturbingly fresher than that of the village. [Skeletal Servant Gamma] stopped abruptly, emitting a low scrape of bony teeth. [Skeletal Servant Alpha] also stopped, dropping the boar and assuming a defensive posture.
Corbin signaled for both to remain still and silent. He himself crept through the tangle of trees and bushes, his heart beating a tense melody.
The clearing that appeared before him was an inferno frozen in time. Dozens of bodies—human and goblin—lay scattered about. Broken weapons, shattered wooden shields, and the churned, dark-bloodstained soil told a story of brutal violence.
"More dead," Corbin thought, a knot forming in his stomach. The sight was visceral. "But also... more information. And perhaps, more power."
He advanced cautiously, his skeletons flanking him.
"Alpha, Gamma, be alert for any movement. [Analyze] anything that seems suspicious."
Among the greenish corpses of the [Goblin Pillagers] lay humans in simple leather armor. Three of them, propped against a fallen tree, still emitted faint groans. Corbin approached a young guard. [Analyze].
[Human (Guard?) - Extremely Critical Condition][HP: 1/50 (Decreasing Rapidly)] [Condition: Multiple Fatal Wounds. No Chance of Survival without High-Level Magical Healing Intervention.]
A cold pang of helplessness struck him. He could do nothing. With a slow gesture, he reached out and closed the young man's eyes.
His attention turned back to the goblins. Five of them still twitched, dying. An opportunity. With calculated coldness, Corbin raised his [Short Sword (Militia)].
"Hector, Argos, restrain anyone who tries to get up," he thought, then corrected himself mentally; they were still Alpha and Gamma. The renaming functionality would only come with the level. "Alpha, Gamma, restrain anyone who tries to offer significant resistance. Those who barely move are mine."
One by one, he approached the goblins. Quick, precise blows put an end to their suffering – and their existence.
[Enemy Finished: Goblin Pillager (Level 1)! You (final blow) gained 18 XP!] (This notification repeated five times)
[Total XP Gained in this sequence: 90.] [Current XP: 12 (previous) + 90 = 102/100 (to Level 1)]
And then, the notifications he craved:
[You have reached Level 1!][XP: 2/250 (to Level 2)]
[Level Reward: +3 Free Attribute Points!] [Level Reward: +3 Free Skill Points!] [Maximum HP and MP increased! Your Health and Mana Points have been fully restored!]
Corbin felt a wave of invigorating energy. His [Status] sheet updated: [HP: 111/111][MP: 140/140]
[New System Functionality Unlocked: Rename Troops!] [New Skills Available for Unlock in the [Skills] Tab!]
"Level One," Corbin thought, a genuine satisfaction running through him. "Progress."
He immediately accessed the [Skills] tab. With [3 SP] new, his priority was the [Inventory]. [Unlock Skill: Inventory (Level 1)? Cost: 1 SP.]
"Confirm."
[Skill Unlocked: Inventory (Level 1)] [Description: Grants access to a personal extradimensional space. Initial Capacity: 10 slots, weight limit 20kg. Mental access.]
An immense relief. He had [2 SP] and the [3 Attribute Points] from his level-up remaining.
"I need to repair Alpha, who is now Level 2, and improve my perception." He decided: "[AI], distribute Attribute Points: [+1 VIGOR], [+1 INTELLIGENCE], [+1 WISDOM]."
His attributes were updated: [VIGOR: 11], [INTELLIGENCE: 18], [WISDOM: 16]. His potential [Max HP] rose to [119]. His potential [Max MP] rose to [142]. His [Control Points (CP)] remained at [8], but closer to increasing.
"Unlock Skills: [Death Perception (Level 1)] and [Mend Undead (Level 1)]."
[Skill Unlocked: Death Perception (Level 1) (Passive). Cost: 1 SP. Description: Grants a keen sensitivity to the presence and nature of death, necrotic energy, souls, and undead nearby.]
[Skill Unlocked: Mend Undead (Level 1). Description: Channels necrotic energy to repair damage to an undead servant. Mana Cost: 7 MP. Effect: Restores 15 HP to the servant. Range: Touch. Cooldown: 10s. Cost: 1 SP.]
All level-up points spent.
With the [Inventory] active, Corbin began to search the clearing. He found 3 Jusgard Bronze Coins on a goblin. From one of the dead human guards, he recovered a [Steel Sword (Common Quality)]. Upon examining another guard, who looked like a leader, he found a [Chainmail (Small, Damaged)] and a [Simple Iron Helmet (Damaged)]. The [System] notified an echo.
[Analyze.]
[Potential Skill Echo (Human - Experienced Guard): Sword Mastery (Basic) (Common). Acquisition Chance: Moderate.]
Corbin focused his will.
[System: Soul Echo Harvest attempt in progress... Success!] [Skill Echo Acquired: Sword Mastery (Basic) (Common). Cost to imbue in servant: 10 MP. Effect: Grants basic proficiency in the use of swords.]
"Useful." He looked at [Skeletal Servant Alpha (Level 2)]. "[AI], imbue [Echo: Sword Mastery (Basic)] into [Skeletal Servant Alpha]. Equip it with this [Steel Sword (Common Quality)] and the [Simple Iron Helmet]."
[Command received. Cost: 10 MP. Imbuing... Echo... Equipping items...][Current MP: 130/140]
Alpha seemed to straighten. The sword in its bony hand now looked more natural, and the helmet, though a bit large, gave it a martial air.
Now, the new functionality. "[System], rename [Skeletal Servant Alpha (Level 2)] to [Hector]. Rename [Skeletal Servant Gamma (Canine, Level 1)] to [Argos]."
[Names updated. You can now refer to [Hector (Skeleton, Level 2)] and [Argos (Canine Skeleton, Level 1)] by their new names.]
Corbin looked at Hector and Argos. Hector, still damaged from the previous fight, remained at [HP: 11/30]. He felt a strange pang, almost a possessive pride. They were his creations, his tools, his... companions? The thought of losing them now was decidedly unpleasant.
Continuing the search, he found the leather pouch on the human sergeant. Inside, 5 more Jusgard Bronze Coins and the [Local Region Map (Rustic)].
[Analyze.]
[Local Region Map (Rustic)] [Condition: Worn. Contents: Geographical representation of the area. Symbols indicate a river, a vast forest to the northeast, mountains. Two small clusters of structures (possible villages) are visible, one to the northwest, another further south. A walled city symbol appears far to the south. Names absent or illegible (requires greater proficiency in [Common Valerion] or [Linguistics] skill).]
He stored the map, the inn's diary, the [Fabric Fragment], and his total of 8 bronze coins in his new [Inventory].
The morning advanced. He was Level 1. He had basic supplies, a sword, two named servants – one of them still needing repairs – and a map.