I can actually feel that wave of energy smooth things out. Leveling up must give more benefits than just getting stronger, which makes it suck even more that my limit is so low. There has to be a way around that. For the time being, I guess I’ll have to try to kill some more goblins. That’s gonna have to wait until after I recover, though. But at least I know I can kill them.
The mere fact that the creature seemed so apprehensive about meeting an adult human suggests that most people can kill a single goblin. They’re probably harder to deal with in groups, though. Just fighting one was bad enough, I can’t imagine being swarmed by a whole group of them. When I recover, I’ll try to hunt them down on my terms. They might even have some supplies or something that I can use. Oh right, that pointy stick might actually be worth finding.
Sebastian got up and returned to the pond. The goblin never picked up its pointed stick, and it was the most weapon-like thing he’d seen thus far. It took longer than he had hoped but eventually he found it, a sturdy stick about half a meter long with a pointed end on one side. Not the fanciest weapon but certainly better than nothing.
Having found a weapon to defend himself with, and one that would also come in handy for hunting goblins, he realized just how exhausted he was. He hadn’t gotten much sleep before he was dragged out of bed and while he had no idea long he was unconscious after the fall, he felt confident it wasn’t long.
Even with everything he’d been through while down here, it hasn’t actually been more than a few hours. By his best guess, it was around 4 am. That coupled with his injuries and the crash from the adrenaline rush meant that he could barely keep his eyes open.
It took the better part of half an hour to find a small alcove-like gap in the cliff wall. He used some leaves and branches and bushes he found nearby to fashion a simple shelter. Any expert could probably point out a dozen things he did wrong but he didn’t care, it did a good enough job of hiding him from any would-be attackers and provided some insulation against the cold ground so he could sleep. Which he did. He passed out from exhaustion almost as soon as his head touched the pile of leaves.
It wasn’t the best night’s rest but by the time he woke up the sun was fully out, lighting up the gorge. Sebastian didn’t have a lot to do over the course of the day, except finding food and water, of course, and maybe trying his hand at hunting some more goblins. But before he got started, he decided to take some time to think things through now that the sun was out and he felt a modicum of safety, regardless of whether or not that feeling was accurate.
While there wasn’t much room in his simple shelter, there was at least room for him to sit up and lean against the cliff wall. He looked out at the sunlit gorge through the gaps in the branches and leaves that made up the side of the shelter as he thought about the events that landed him in his current circumstance.
I’m not entirely sure how I survived everything that happened last night, but I did, and I’m not gonna give up. I’m gonna escape this gorge, and I’m gonna either find my way back home or build myself a damn good life here, in this fucked up world. Either way, this level limit won’t stop me from getting justice in the process.
He took a deep breath and considered his options.
What do I know, and what can I use? The Valley of Remembrance is where they dump anyone they deem unworthy of being a hero. They took me out of the back of the castle which means we probably went west. At least if I remember that map in Kendrick’s office correctly, but I'm not sure if we turned at some point.
I think there was a forest west of the castle on the map. There weren’t any trees around the cliff though— Wait! Yes, there were! When I tried to run, I turned back and there was a tree-line in the distance. Meaning I'm either west or southwest of the castle, about a couple of hours or so by carriage.
Leveling up certainly helped me recover a bit, as did some sleep, but I’m still not in any condition to climb this cliff which means I’m gonna have to find some other way out. Although, to be fair, I doubt I could climb this even at my best.
Even as Sebastian tried to figure out where he was and how to get out of the gorge, he still couldn’t quite let go of Lyra’s, and the kingdom’s betrayal. No matter how much he tried to focus on his current circumstances, his mind kept going back and replaying what they did.
The whole thing is suspicious. At first, they made it sound like the hero summoning was a thing of the ancient past, done out of desperation to save them from the demons. They spoke of old records and fate. And yet, everything seemed… routine. Like a well-oiled machine. They had a shittier room ready for me, or at least in case someone like me arrived, all without a single word to the servants. The ‘Hall of Heroes’ didn’t feel like some ancient thing. This ‘Valley of Remembrance’, as well. Everything felt so common place, like they’ve done it several times before. The way they treated the others, and me in contrast. There was experience there, they knew exactly how to hook them, and they got rid of me without hesitation.
He chuckled, not out of amusement but indignant anger.
I can’t prove it, but I’m sure. They have done this before, or worse, they do this regularly! Summon people from other worlds, trick them into thinking they’re some special heroes, and then use them as weapons in their wars.
Sebastian had already been plenty pissed but upon realizing what actually happened, rage bubbled up from within him and his mind raced.
I had a good life—a fantastic apartment, several prospective jobs—and then they kidnapped me, promised me the world, and then discarded me. Worse yet, they tried to kill me and dispose of me like I was last week’s trash!
When he first woke up in the gorge, he thought about killing Lyra and the rest of the people at the castle, of getting revenge. It had just been a gut reaction, an emotional response to the pain of betrayal. Now, it became something more. It became a promise.
It wasn’t relevant right now, though. First he would have to survive. And even if he did survive, his limit was so low that there wasn’t anything he could do to them himself.
I can’t do anything, but the others can. Once I’m free from this gorge, I’ll have to reach them somehow. Convince them to turn against Lumeria. It’s just a question of how. Lyra would probably just kill me if she were to find out I’m still alive, so I can’t just go back to the castle.
This is going to take a long time, but I’m nothing if not patient.
He took another breath to calm down. When he felt his his heart rate slow some, he gave himself a once-over to check on his various injuries. He had recovered better than expected, but he was still in pretty rough shape. The various cuts and bruises wouldn’t be a problem, assuming they didn’t get infected. They would heal just fine and wouldn’t even be much a hindrance in the short term either.
His right-side ribs, his left arm, and his left shoulder were the main worries. The ribs were doing surprisingly well—they hurt, but he could move. His arm couldn't hold much weight at the moment, but it wasn’t broken and should recover, given time. His shoulder had stopped bleeding from the bite, but he could really use something to clean and bandage it.
I guess my luck continues. So long as I can make my way out of here, find some food and water, and tend to these wounds then I should actually be fine. Assuming I don’t get caught and killed—or worse—by a horde of goblins first, that is.
Feeling rather decent, Sebastian carefully made his way out of his shelter. He stood outside, just looking up at the sun for a while. It was surprisingly impactful simply to stand in the sun after everything that had happened, and everything he had decided to do from here on out.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
For the next couple of hours, Sebastian walked around the gorge looking for a way out or a lone goblin to hunt, whichever happened to come first. It wasn’t until some time in the afternoon, based on the movement of the sun, that he paused and noticed that something was off.
That’s odd, I know I’ve been distracted but still, the hunger should have kicked in hours ago. He rubbed his stomach, as if it would help him feel what was going on in there. It’s not like I’ve had any breakfast and I’ve been pretty active all night. Come to think of it, I’m not really that tired even though I’ve walked around in the sun for hours, even though the cliffs do provide some shade I should still be exhausted and thirsty as hell. Could leveling up have an even bigger impact than I thought?
As Sebastian was contemplating the effects of leveling up, he failed to notice the three goblins making a late lunch around a small campfire up ahead.
“Kek?”
One of the goblins looked up and saw the strange human somewhat casually walking toward them. Sebastian was distracted by his thoughts but not quite so distracted that his blunder went unnoticed for long. He stopped dead in his tracks. One of the goblins, who was just as surprised as he was, looked up at him.
Shit…
The first goblin to notice him reacted almost identically as the one from the night before, it first looked startled and apprehensive until it saw the blood and injuries, and before it realized that it had friends and the human was alone. Next came the same creepy smile before the goblin rushed over, sprinting toward its prey. The other two goblins didn’t react quite as fast. They only noticed Sebastian when their companion suddenly got up and sprinted toward something.
Sebastian was caught off guard but wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He readied himself, both mentally and physically, as the first goblin ran directly at him. Hoping that this one would attack in the same way as the last one, he held his pointed stick to his side and right on cue, the goblin jumped at him.
At the zenith of the goblin’s otherwise graceful pounce, Sebastian thrust his stick forward, cleanly skewering the goblin right where he hoped their heart would be. The goblin stopped dead in its tracks, literally. Gravity took over and pulled the goblin straight down, and the stick with it. Sebastian almost lost his balance but quickly made sure to compensate. He hurriedly used his foot to pry the stick free from the goblin-kebab.
Level 4 goblin killed
Experience gained: 121
The small advantage he had gained from the other two goblins’ slow reactions was already gone. They quickly came at him. Acting on instinct, Sebastian took a step forward and launched a backhand swing at the closest goblin; the direct hit sent it rolling away as the other one pounced on him.
Sebastian managed to avoid its bite but couldn’t hold it at bay with his injured arm. He fell over and landed on his back. The goblin wailed on him with its small clenched fists on slender arms. At the same time, it desperately tried to bite him while Sebastian held the goblin up by the throat with his weakened arm and defended as best he could.
The stick was too long for him to use the pointed end in his position, but he smacked the butt of the stick directly into the goblin’s face. After a few hits, the goblin fell off of him, and he rushed back on his feet. Sebastian barely got back up before the other one came back into the fight with a jump. He reacted quickly. He dropped the stick and then grabbed the goblin by the throat midair and threw it to side, or more accurately, used its own momentum to push it to the side.
Immediately picking the stick back up he closed the distance and stabbed the goblin before it could properly regain its balance.
Level 4 goblin killed
Experience gained: 126
Level gained
Experience surplus: 32
As the alerts popped up in his mind, he quickly rushed over to kill the last goblin that still lay unconscious on the ground.
Level 4 goblin killed
Experience gained: 123
The same wave from last night’s level up washed over him once more, and he could practically feel his exhaustion and aches melt away. The heat from the wave was especially intense wherever he was injured. He could almost feel his wounds heal in real time.
Sebastian took a deep breath and reached into his mind to check his Status.
Name: Sebastian Moore
Level: 2/5
Exp: 39%
Title
- Blessed
Talent
- Akashic Connection
Level 2, he was quickly approaching his limit but that wasn’t about to stop him.
Huh, how come I get experience as a number when I kill a goblin but in my Status it’s displayed as a percentage?
Wanting to satisfy his curiosity, he focused on his experience in his Status, same as he had with his Title and Talent.
Experience:
155/400
Doing some quick calculations in his head, Sebastian figured that his first level required 100 experience, his second 200, and this third one apparently need 400. The experience surplus seemed to be—very—roughly 50% of whatever was left over after a level up.
If the experience required for each level doubles, then it makes sense to only show a percentage on the actual Status. It would quickly get annoying to see numbers in the millions or higher once people level up. Although, exponents tend to go crazy pretty fast so maybe it’s not quite so simple.
The big thing though, was that he could confirm that leveling up satisfied his hunger and thirst, which meant that hunting goblins and finding food and water were pretty much the same thing. That placed hunting firmly on the top spot on his list of priorities.