21- Of first encounters

12 Goblins and 40 medicinal herbs gathered later.

Their motley team had done fairly well without any relevant incident for all the day. Which of course was a bad sign they were not fond of, regardless of how absurd it sounded. Even Feugan felt uncomfortable knowing that nothing wrong had happened.

Well. Maybe Feugan himself was the one most torn about this peculiar feeling, a feeling which he couldn’t help to think it was due to his master’s experiences with life and luck. Or “the lack of if”, as he recalled his master's constant pleas for “At least decent dice rolls”.

And then it happened.

Feugan had a weird mixture of feelings as he felt relieved their good luck was finally interrupted. Which then made him concerned on how much of his master’s twisted sense of bad luck he had inherited. All of which was a matter for an entirely different time. Setting himself in a low position, claws and tail at the ready for combat, after having warned Mimiru, which in turn had made their guardian, Bannon, ready himself.

There was a presence lurking nearby. A very faint and well-hidden presence. They had failed to notice until this moment not because of a lack of experience, or because they had been reckless or overconfident. Quite the opposite, they had realized something was wrong, because in fact nothing felt wrong at that time. Wandering or traveling in a forest which happens to be the habitat of dozens of dangerous kinds of animals (and even plants) is akin to treading on danger during your whole trip. For the experienced, it is not a matter of finding a completely safe place, but rather finding a path which makes it less likely to be spotted by predators, or a path from which you can easily escape.

But at this very moment they realized there was no apparent danger around them, they couldn’t feel any predators nearby. Even from the trees, they noticed they couldn’t hear the chirping of nearby birds. Soon the whole area fell silent as they remained still and explored the surroundings with all their senses, weapons readied on their hands as they stacked closer together with their backs to each other in order to avoid leaving blind spots.

The sudden rustling of nearby bushes, shrubs and a few low branches, along with the movement of shadows on nearby trees, all of this still somehow devoid of any other signs of life, told them all they needed to know.

They were surrounded.

“Tsk. We have been had. We got too confident and walked right into an ambush. Mimiru! Feugan! Get closer, don’t show your back to them. We find a gap in their formation and you guys flee first onto any sizeable gap we find”

“{Ill rush forth first, even if the gap is small I can surely push forward}”

“Good to have your help on this Feugan”

“Really?! Can you two talk or not?!”

Cut short by the increasing noises and the now noticeable presences coming from all directions, even from above them. Mimiru noted that, as she tried to make a reasonable count from the different directions the sounds came from, she could now easily pinpoint the wide unmasked presences. More than having been surrounded without her realizing it to this point, it bothered her even more that she was now quite able to perceive them. To be able to even count them with the ease and accuracy she was experiencing only meant one thing, they were surrounded by some kind of monster. She had realized that one of the changes she was experiencing due to having her class changed to “Beastmaster” consisted in being able to perceive more easily where monsters were. She had noticed it but kept experimenting with this feeling, after all it was basically an extra sense which she was not entirely used to (and sometimes not comfortable with). But her main concern was other right now. A monster that was not only able to hide its presence but also capable to set an ambush and conspire along with others? Those all were unmistakable traits of a fearsome enemy.

“That can’t be right! We are too far from their usual territories!”

“What is it? What do yo-” Mimiru was suddenly interrupted as she got a clear view in front of her as a pair of short thin figures came out from their hiding among some bushes, holding weapons and showing themselves way more closer to comfort than what she expected.

“{Kobolds?}”

They all agreed in this assessment within an instant.

Small bodies the size of a child, but that’s where that comparison ended. A lizard like tail and fanged snouts. Resilient bodies covered with strong scales, sinewy arms and legs bearing sharp-looking claws. The unmistakable small lizard figures were closing in, slit golden eyes fixated on them, just like a varied assortment of crude-looking weapons.

Bannon was no stranger to fighting against the creatures, but he much preferred to be on the other side of an ambush against them. While he had no doubts he could take on this many of them in a more favorable situation, with Mimiru still doing her very first job that involved fighting monsters head on, and Feugan seemed strong enough to take at least half of them, but his size was against them in this situation, he was certain that Feugan couldn’t use his strongest skills with the 2 of them so close. He had noticed that the Dragon was basically pulling his punches whenever to close to Mimiru or him, probably too worried to not hurt them. Surrounded by all sides, in the open with their backs to each other as the only cover, the odds were wretchedly stacked against them.

Covering himself with his shield, using it along with his sword in order to distract the kobolds in front of him, with the reminder of the original well-polished sheen his equipment had before they undertook their current task. Fully aware that he wouldn’t be getting anyone blinded with the current state of his gear, the goblins and slimes had made a number on the prim look of his shield, nothing a rag and water wouldn’t fix. But right now he would require to use a spell to have a truly blinding effect, a spell that required energy he wasn’t sure he would need for something different later on, this went double for creatures such as the kobolds, creatures that not only had sharper senses, they also boasted other methods of detection that were completely foreign to normal human senses.

Rather, he was just making sure they had their attention fixated on him, it was simple yet effective so he could save up his strengths and special skills for a real dire situation.

Bannon, using all the experience that he had acquired as an adventurer, expanding all his senses, swiftly examined their surroundings. Thinking to himself he then made an assessment of their current situation. “8 Kobolds. All scouts. Maybe migrated from the swamp. No obvious gaps. Mimiru could probably hold 2 of them. If Feugan’s size and robust-looking scales are any indicator of his resilience, he may stall 3. I can dispatch 3 easily but I have to be fast so they don’t get injured, I wont have any room to hold back…” He thought while then focusing on possible scenarios based on his repertoire of spells and skills available.

“Twelve surrounding us.”

“Whaa~ really? But I can only see 8 around us!” Replied Bannon, making sure to sound confident and carefree. Trying his best to avoid his own anxiety show and affect his companions. Keeping a group’s confidence was important -specially- during a bad situation. Nevertheless, Mimiru’s matter-of-fact statement was distressing. His previous headcount was already well past his zone of comfort.

“There are 4 more on the branches above us. I can feel their presence, I think its due to –Beastmaster- ” Mimiru stated with a small and very brief sense of pride that she put aside for maybe another occasion. She thought that after dealing with this hurdle, she would find a good moment when to rub her small victory on Bannon’s smug overconfident face.

She then cuts short her own thoughts, focusing on keeping her shield ready to provide some degree of cover from any possible incoming attack. She lowered her own stance “low hips…” then made certain her feet were set on firm solid ground “don’t slip…”. She was sure she was ready to react at a moment’s notice now. Which wasn’t much of a relief with her shield being no more than a small buckler with the diameter of her own forearm, not an ideal protection against arrows or stones. That and she could perceive the kobolds hiding on the branches were flanking them.

In a swift motion, her dagger changed hands. She threateningly moves her left hand, which now has her shield strapped to it and holds the dagger as well. All in an effort to force the kobolds to look at her weapon. She had observed Bannon doing something similar before in order to get some Goblins eyes focused on him. She disliked the idea of copying him, but it was efficient and didn’t require any specific tools or even magic at all, unlike some lesser spells she had observed spellcasting adventurers using in the field, to obtain the same results.

But. The Guildmaster had asked her to pay close attention and make sure to learn everything that Bannon would teach her, and then, -learn all the things he doesn't teach you too-. Making sure the eyes of the kobolds in front of her were focused on her weapon, she cautiously reached to her bag with her free hand. She had prepared something just in case a similar situation occurred. If she could find it in time, they would have the perfect escape route. Her hand deftly rummaging through her bag, her eyes focused on the enemy in front of her as she kept them distracted with the swaying dagger. Fortunately for her, she had conscientiously arranged everything in her bag, so she knew where she was supposed to look for the tool.

A sudden movement from behind, along with the sound of rushed footsteps, startled her, forcing her to take a glance towards it. Distracting her and making her unable to promptly find the right tool within her bag. Letting her own inexperience shown in such a crucial moment was something she was already berating herself for.

The 3 kobolds in front of Feugan moved forward dropping their weapons to their sides and prostrated themselves in front of him.

“{Oh Noble Dragon Lord! We greet you today, we salute you and humbly ask for forgiveness by so rudely showing ourselves to you!}” Clamored the Kobold in the middle.

“{Forgive us Noble Dragon Lord!}” Chimed in the one to the right.

“{Praise be the Dragon Lord.}” Chirped the third kobold.

“Eh?! What’s going on?!!” replied a flummoxed Bannon, as he was startled now that the rest of the Kobolds seemed to be prostrating themselves towards Feugan, their arms on their sides, their clawed hands in front of them as if begging for forgiveness.

“{We saw you and we so desired to come and honor you, but your humans startled us! Surprised us! But now we see! It is obvious! It is only natural! A Noble Dragon such as yourself can have any entourage he desires!}” Praised the middle kobold in front of Feugan.

“{It is obvious!}” Lauded the kobold to the right.

“{It is but natural!}” Added the last kobold.

By now, only 2 out of the 3 members of their adventuring expedition could correctly understand what the Kobolds were saying. Not that it was much help in their current situation.

“{Yes! You are right! a gallant Noble Dragon such as I is bound to find himself surrounded by heroes and champions just as easily as nobility and royalty!}” Replied back Feugan, whose chest had quite obviously swelled up, full of pride, fully basking in the compliments.

Through your continuous efforts to overcome external ailments, you have acquired a new proficiency! Resistance to confusion, skill. Acquired!

“Deep breaths… exhale slowly…” slowly repeated Mimiru, with distant glassed eyes, a distinctive tired and defeated feel to her, just as she promptly closed the ethereal blue informative menu that had popped in front of her without paying it too much attention.

“{Of course! A Noble Dragon, has to be surrounded by heroes and nobles!}” Happily chirped the Kobold in front of Feugan.

“{It is obvious! Nobility begets nobility!}” Enthusiastically seconded a starry eyed Kobold in front of Bannon. (At least Bannon’s perception was such, as he had yet to find a Kobold excited from anything else besides food)

“{It is known! Regality calls forth royalty!}” complimented a Kobold in front of Mimiru, startling her, same which she noticed beforehand because its tail was moving so profusely, it was stomping the ground in a manner that made Mimiru think of a helplessly happy puppy.

“Feugan? Mimiru~? Care to tell me what’s going on?!” Bannon was very concerned about what was taking place. 

He was very confused because the kobolds kept making happy (“possibly”, he thought) chirps and yips all around them, after which they tossed their weapons and prostrated in front of them. Mimiru just seemed very tired and defeated. Was it a spell? But he hadn’t perceived any sort of magic influence nearby! But what about Feugan?! He... He seemed to be… Beaming?!

20- Forest Woes

The three of them stood still while listening to Bannon, he was explaining making a brief review of the general plan for this expedition, within a safe spot within the forest. They were right under one of the forest’s mysterious “safe gates”, big wooden structures that somehow resembled gates. Big structures that seemed to be made out of two gnarly and twisted wooden pillars with an inclined ceiling on top of it.

The visage was more like a mockery of an invitation to come into the forest, or at least most people felt that way when seeing such an odd “natural” structure. It was a confirmed mysterious occurrence within several parts of the forest dungeon. Widely used by adventurers and travelers due to the abnormal absence of predators around such structures, regardless of how questionable was the use of non-man-made buildings. They took this opportunity right in front them, right on what was considered an entrance to the forest dungeon.  They were conversing right beside the remains of a campfire, which was most likely used by a group of adventurers that came before them.

Rather than discussing the whole plan, Bannon was going over the little details pertaining battle strategies with their current numbers and skills. Feugan stared intently at the rough draws Bannon was making, nodding in either agreement or acknowledgement every now and then, as Bannon continued drawing shapes with a stick on the ground. Explaining basic “by-the-book” strategies to use when confronting different kind of enemies. Positions and how to handle very specific situations they could face given the circumstances and their current objectives. Bannon would explain, make a pause and then look at Mimiru and Feugan in a cursory glance looking for questions or a doubtful look on their faces, once he felt there was no discernible doubt or any of them made an inquiry, he proceeded to the next possible scenario. Nothing too complex, truly. It is said that the simplest strategies were more oft than not successful enough for a group of amateurs, and Bannon was taking that to hearth, going along with the most likely scenarios. The need for such simplicity was even more important given that there was a language barrier in between them. Even with Mimiru’s “translation” for Feugan, it was best to establish and understanding their combat roles beforehand.

Which was great because Mimiru was practically out of the picture by now. A myriad of thoughts assaulting and distracting her. “How come I had never gotten such a warning from food before?”, “Just how expensive can those red dragon curry meat buns be in the open market?”, “What did those -plus strength/vitality- mean?”, “how could that affect me?”, “Would she loose the benefits if she ate something else during the day?”, “Am I the only one freaking out right now?” and many more questions kept her unable to focus on Bannon’s explanations.

***

Not too long after separating themselves from the main path, following a trail left by monsters, they have reached an open space occupied by one of the targets of their expedition. Green Slimes.

They stopped upon realizing the thread in front of them, looking at each other in acknowledgment of the fight that was about to take place, readying their weapons (and claws).

Their tactic was simple in itself, at the very least it was easy to explain. Yet the key to success laid heavily on their proper coordination. Green slimes were well known to defend themselves by shooting a viscous highly acidic fluid. A direct hit on your body would result on a mild inconvenience and maybe a rash, it was much bothersome on leather armor if left unattended for a few days. But it was best known for the really severe reactions it has on the eyes, resulting in an immediate severe irritation, tears and cries for help. The slimes themselves were not much of a threat, if one was to encounter a single one. The real danger laid on facing too many of them at the same time, which would make avoiding their attacks far too difficult of a task, increasing the chances of such an attack finding its way onto an adventurer’s eyes. Which would in turn, make what should have been a simple fight against an easy prey, to be much than they had bargained for.

The easiest way to handle the problem was in itself quite simple. all they had to do was to split around the cluster of slimes and divide their attention on more manageable numbers.

*Through your continuous efforts you have acquired a new proficiency* Dagger novice skill, acquired

“Not. The. Time!” Mimiru berated to no one in particular, trying her best to maintain focus on the battle taking place. Quickly closing the magic blue information window without losing control of the flow of the battle she was faced with. Grateful that she decided to practice the usage of the magical menus in her spare time, closing the message with ease and no ill repercussions.

“One slime.” She mumbled after dispatching one of the slimes she was facing. Sidestepping so the other 2 targets would be one in front of each other, making use of them as cover, making sure the 2 of them were unable to attack her at the same time.

“Low stance… firm grip… look for openings…” Mimiru performed well practiced motions, drilled into her head in the guildmaster’s training camp. Although she had never actually engaged into any sort of life threatening combat before, the guildmaster made sure all the participants to his camp came out with an unsettling amount of weapon handling experience. Today, her dagger felt lighter on her hands than usual, her movements went much more fluid than what she is used to. Reflecting on this, recalling how the guildmaster had taught her to visualize herself in combat situations and imagine the possible responses and actions she could take, she was handling her dagger far more skillfully than she had done before. She would see herself in her own mind performing a series of actions through combat, but once she tried the same movements on a practice dummy, her body would feel sluggish and she would react slower than how she pictured herself doing it. She always had issues with her own movements when practicing on her spare time.

But not today.

Her movements were short and sharp. A precise thrust of her dagger here, her shield back up between her and the slime she had just attacked, a swift sidestep to avoid an attack by the third slime followed by a well-timed counterattack.

“Two slimes...”

Through your continuous efforts your skills have increased Dagger Skill +0.5

“Oh, the curry bun had indicated something about -physical skill- increase, right?” She thinks to herself, closing the glowing blue menu in a swift motion, with a quick glance she confirms her share of slimes was reduced to a single one without others closing by, a little more at ease now that she confirmed this. One single slime which in turn tries to tackle her with all its gelatinous mass behind an all-out attack, just to be timely blocked with the buckler strapped on her left arm, and then immediately stabbed right into its core. The green slime now turning into a limp mass of green gelatinous goo.

“Three.”

She gave a quick cursory glance around, confirming her share of slimes has been dealt with. After making sure there were no more slimes closing by to her, or any other unexpected threats around them, she then checked on her companions. That was when she saw it, another slime, to her surprise it was trapped under Feugan’s claw. Even with no face, no discernible features to it, no language or even an intelligible message given to her with her monster talk skill, she knew the gelatinous blob was in a fit of rage, furiously squirming under the dragon’s claws.

“What are you doing Feugan? We are supposed to collect a sample from their body, not capture one, we have no means to carry it back-”

“{You got better during combat}”

“Hehe! so nice of you to notice! It’s nothing but the result of practice-”

“{Use your crossbow on this one}”

“I… I was hoping you weren’t going to say that…”

“{They are more plant than animals, better this little blob now, than something more dangerous without real practice}”

“It still feels kinda bad…” She grimaced, the entirety of the offer seemed to make things too easy to her. Even though she knew Feugan was right, slimes were no more than an accumulation of magic and moisture with an appetite, it still seemed unfair somehow.

Now alone, without the rest of its cluster, immobilized by Feugan (and mostly unable to retaliate due to being under the dragon’s claws), the blob seemed too pitiful.

“Mimiru, Just do as Feugan says, you do need to practice using that crossbow against a living target, need to get used to the feeling of it”

“{Can you understand me or not?! Which is it?!!}” Retorted the irritated Dragon while looking at Bannon, which was now scooping up samples from the green slime gooey remains of what had been his share of the fight. Putting big gelatinous chunks inside special flasks, which were a common part of the basic adventurer kit.

“I cannot communicate with you like Mimiru, Feugan. I just figured you wanted her to get some hands-on experience! All my years of experience gives me all this insight, but there is no need to praise me Feugan! No need to look at me with such unbridled admiration!”

“{Is he like this all the time? Is this why you avoid him so much?}”

“-It- is usually worse with women…”

“Yeah! Women cannot stop looking at me while full of admiration and awe! Hahah!”

Mimiru ignored the pointless monologue that started taking place. Bringing out a piece of cloth from her bag. She started cleaning the goo off of her dagger, then proceeding to inspect the edge of it. After confirming the good shape of her weapon, she sheathed the dagger back and then reached back for the crossbow she had strapped to her backpack, bringing it forward already in a ready-to-shoot stance. All in a swift motion she had almost down to heart by now. Looking at the angry slime with uncertainty clearly showing in her face.

She aimed the crossbow at the slime, holding it firmly as to avoid misfiring and hitting Feugan. Even though the crossbow wasnt loaded or even not cocked, the cheap bolts she had would most likely just bounce off his scales if she were to miss. But in her mind she had stablished she would rather not test this out. Sighing in full knowledge that it was for the best to just go for it, Mimiru began preparing the crossbow to put it in use.

Cocked.

Loaded.

Holding it properly.

Her tance was right.

Aim. Exhale slowly and then with a firm grip, squeeze the trigger.

...

Through your continuous efforts you have acquired a new proficiency. Marksman novice skill, acquired. Through your continuous efforts your skills have increased. Diligent worker +1.0! Diligent worker has reached level 2!