Chapter 45: Gains

Blossom collects her dagger from the troll's eye socket, her eyes steely with determination. With a final, solemn nod towards us, she disappears into the dense forest, leaving the battlefield behind. I hope she will face no further difficulties in reaching her destination. She isn't exactly in a combat ready health. Ayame and I survey the scene around us. Goblin corpses lie strewn about around their crude weapons and makeshift armor that have been shattered. Pools of dark blood mix with the dirt, creating a strong visual evidence regarding our hard-fought victory. I make my way to the fallen war troll. Finally, its massive form is now lifeless and still. I bend down and retrieve my steel spear from where it was embedded, feeling the reassuring weight of the weapon in my hands. The spear, with its smooth, well-crafted shaft and padded grip, feels like an extension of my own arm. Now that we are not in a life or death situation I can finally examine my new weapon. [Steel Spear] [Rarity: Common] [Skills: Lesser Handling] My old iron spear was in the 'junk' rarity, so there's a definitive upgrade in that department. It feels nice not having a Goddess-approved trash weapon in my hands. The skill is also interesting. I've felt that my control over the spear is much greater, I thought it was because of the padding on the handle only, but this must've also played a role in creating that feeling. Although this is not a super-duper OP legendary tier dragon-slaying, god-devouring weapon, I'm very happy with the significant upgrade it brings compared to my old junk spear. Ayame walks over to the hobgoblin's war axe, the one she used to showcase just how acrobatically gifted she is, and picks it up. It also seems to be a common rarity steel axe, just like how her sword is a common steel one. We scour the battlefield for any other valuables, but the rest of the items are almost worthless trash- broken daggers, shattered armor, and tattered clothing. The only things of value we find are three lesser healing potions on the hobgoblins' bodies, identified by Ayame, which we pocket for later use. Supposedly consuming a [Lesser Healing Potion] heals 30 HP, a small amount in the grand scheme of things but it can definitely be a lifesaver. As opposed to higher grade potions, this one can't heal serious injuries, though, only scrapes and cuts and such. While we are scavenging the battlefield I have the time to inspect my status and see multiple notification-like sentences. To sum them up; I've slain 18 goblins since coming to the monster camp, with the strongest being level 6, I've assisted in the killing of three more. I've dealt the finishing blow to one level 13 hobgoblin, but most of the damage was dealt by Ayame. Finally, I assisted in the level 22 war troll's elimination with my thrown projectiles, but most damage was dealt by Blossom and Ayame was the one to finish it off. Altogether I've gained 940 XP from the fight, an absolutely staggering amount. I went from Primordial Level 3 with 0/169 XP to… [Name: Quinlan Noir] [Race: Primordial] [Title: -] [Primordial Level: 6. XP 265/371] [Primary Class: Assassin lvl 2 → 6] [Secondary Classes: - Slave Master lvl 1 → 5 seaʀᴄh thё Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. - Warrior lvl 4 → 7 - Thief lvl 2] [Vitality: 26] [Strength: 22] [Agility: 25] (23 + 10%) [Intelligence: 15] [Wisdom: 15] [Unused Skill Points: 12] [Unused Attribute Points: 0] I decided to spend my Unused Attribute Points on Vitality, Agility and Strength relatively evenly this time around. I'm happy to see that three of my classes have leveled up significantly as well. The fact that Slave Master gained four levels just shows how much of a beast Ayame was in this battle. She definitely did more than what one could expect from a level 14 combatant, especially considering the shoddy state of her gear. After thoroughly searching the battlefield and finding no other valuables, we make our way toward the monster camp. The camp is surrounded by a crude palisade made from sharpened tree trunks, haphazardly placed yet intimidating enough to deter less intelligent intruders. Inside, the camp is a mess of tents made from tree branches, tattered cloth, and animal hides. A pungent smell of decay and waste fills the air, making it clear that this place was never meant for comfort or cleanliness. The goblins' crude dwellings house nothing noteworthy- just piles of bones, broken weapons, and other worthless trinkets. We step over discarded refuse and scattered bones as we move further into the camp, our weapons at the ready in case of any lingering threats. Finally, we reach the small mountain, or rather more of a large hill, that looms over the camp. At its base, we find a dark cave entrance. My heart starts to pound with anticipation, a mix of excitement for the potential riches and morbid curiosity about how the captives have held up inside this wretched place. We cautiously begin to explore the cave system, moving slowly through the winding passages. The air is damp and cold, carrying a musty smell mixed with the faint, lingering stench of decay. The atmosphere is oppressive, the darkness pressing in on us as we navigate the narrow, uneven paths. The first chamber we enter is a vast, almost empty room, my guess is that it is used as a general sleeping area. Forest foliage has been brought in and thrown around the floor, creating makeshift beds. The chamber is large enough to house many goblins, and the evidence of their presence is everywhere- discarded bones, tattered bits of cloth, and the unmistakable scent of unwashed bodies. My guess is that the goblins retreat here when the weather is too hostile or when they need to hide from a threat. As expected, there's nothing of value here. The goblins were mere foot soldiers, with the troll and his lieutenant hobgoblins holding ownership over the best gear, sleeping places, and riches.