Zarvendia is a parallel world to Earth. In other words, Zarvendia shares many fundamental similarities with our home planet: animals, landscapes, people, and life itself. We've already witnessed this through creatures like wolves and hawks, which are just as present here as they are on Earth. Likewise, certain familiar plants have made their appearance in this world, such as the yarrow. However, Zarvendia also boasts its own unique flora, like the mysterious Midnight Shade.

  This parallel nature suggests a strong likelihood that the majority of Earth’s plants and animals also exist here in some form. For instance, the poisonous Wolfsbane.

  The sun blazed warmly overhead as I lay sprawled out across a bed of soft, lush grass. Nearby, my summons bickered as I tried to take a nap.

  I have had plenty of free time on my hands lately. Ms. Lonnie, our instructor, was still away on her vacation. According to what she had told our class before leaving, she wouldn’t be back for about another week, giving me even more idle days to spend as I pleased. Of course, I wasn’t going to spend my break so lazily. I had an objective.

  Don’t forget about the homework she gave you.

  “I’ll do it later.”

  That’s why I figured now would be the best time to raid the goblin snarl.

  “Here Master.”

  I got up to see Shade sitting proudly with Wolfsbane in his mouth.

  “Good job.” I patted his head.

  Transporting the Wolfsbane to my inventory, I went back into my lying position.

  “Just a bit more guys.” I told my summons as a collective.

  With that, Shade went back out deep into the forest.

  Wolfsbane. A flower feared by beasts, hunters, and herbalists alike. It grows quietly beneath the shade of towering trees, favoring cool soil and still air. Its petals are violet, shaped like drooping hoods—hence its other name: monkshood. But unlike a monk, it offers no mercy.

  The poison aconitine is what gives wolfsbane its fangs. It attacks the body from within, disrupting the heart’s smooth flow, paralyzing the muscles, and numbing the nerves. Victims feel their limbs go cold, their breath shorten, and finally, silence. It works fast, and if ingested, even faster.

  Its poison even affects a person’s skin, which is why direct contact without protection like gloves is heavily discouraged.

  Luckily, my summons aren’t affected by physical issues like poison, which is why they’re perfectly capable of harvesting and transporting the wolfsbane.

  As for me, all I need to do is rely on my inventory. One important thing I’ve discovered is that when an object is placed inside my inventory—say, for example, the carcass of a rat—it becomes completely unaffected by the passage of time. If the carcass was missing a small toe when I stored it away, then even after hours, days, or longer, when I retrieve it, it will still be missing that same exact toe, without any further decay or change. In a sense, the object becomes frozen in time. Only when I bring it back out does time resume its natural course for it.

  You may also wonder whether a goblin will be affected by the wolfsbane. After all, that’s my plan, isn’t it? To use the wolfsbane poison to kill the goblins as a whole.

  If you thought that, then you’re absolutely right. However, if you assumed that poison wouldn’t affect goblins, then you’re mistaken. Because of the striking similarities between a goblin and a young human—particularly in terms of anatomy, blood composition, and overall bodily structure—a goblin would react to poison in much the same way a human would. In the case of wolfsbane, one of the most infamous and lethal plants known in the floral world, a goblin would almost certainly die within a matter of minutes after exposure.

  The main issue is that this will only work if the goblin actually ends up consuming the poison. If it just touches it, it won’t be as life threatening. For my plan to work, I need the entire snarl to consume it, and for all to die at a similar time.

  Sounds hard to do.

  It was, before I came up with this plan.

  “Here’s our shares.” Rogue and Jittear appeared with strange looking ferns within their grasp.

  “Nicely done you two.” Placing their ferns on the ground next to me, I sent them off once again.

  Finally getting up, I crossed my legs as I fiddled with the sticks in front of me.

  The best way to kill a goblin efficiently with poison would be to make them consume it. Now, would it be quicker for them to drink it, or to eat it?

  Drink.

  Exactly. A water tainted with Wolfsbane poison will be more effective and fast acting than food covered in the poison. Not only would the taste be more noticeable, but it’d be harder to hide.

  But, how can you force the entire snarl to drink a tainted drink, you may ask.

  From the scouting missions that Nightclaw has given, it appears that there is a large welll used within the snarl as their main source of water. Clearly, this well is what I should poison, right?

  The problem is whether the goblins will all drink at the same time. What if only a few goblins drink, and when the rest see the gruesome deaths from drinking, they ban the well from being used? Or, if a good percentage drink, and there’s a few stragglers that don’t partake. How can Beric confidently make it so that the entire snarl will drink at the same time, so that they’ll all die without any survivors?

  The fire that I had been trying to start finally sprang into life. I had to be quick, before anybody would notice the smoke from above.

  There’s a simple answer. Make it so that all the goblins have a need to drink.

  Whenever you drink, it’s due to one reason: you’re thirsty. And what’s a mineral that can cause this parchedness? Salt.

  If you burn halophytic plants, mineral-rich plants that contain salt-like compounds, ash salt will be the remaining residue. As long as I can apply this salt to the food of the goblins, the goblins will suddenly become thirsty, and out of desperation, will run to the well. The herbs that Rogue and Jittear brought to me are Elowen Ferns, ferns that grow near the roots of Elm trees, which reside within the deeper regions of the forest. These ferns, according to Sys, are of the halophytic group, which means that they’ll yield much more ash salt than the typical plants near me.

  But now, another problem arises.

  How do I ensure that all of the goblins eat at the same time?

  Very tough indeed.

  Except, it isn’t.

  Oh yeah, make me look like an idiot. That’s cool.

  Remember how the goblins have a surprisingly higher intelligence than other lower creatures? Well, goblins are actually known to mimic human behaviour, such as stealing, eating the same, and even celebrating after successful raids.

  And how do the goblins celebrate after a successful raid?

  They have a large feast.

  But Beric, how will you know when they have a successful raid? Will you simply wait until they begin eating? But if you do, how will you apply the salt? Will you secretly apply it and wait potentially days before the celebration?

  I could but, as you know, I have a time limit. I don’t have the time for possibilities like that, which is why I have a simple answer.

  I’ll give them a reason to celebrate.

  The snarl is currently in despair over the appearance of Shade, which is why they stopped their frequent hunting expeditions. I had wanted to wait until the heat died down, but after thinking about it, I decided that it’d be better if Shade would continue hunting goblins. Like I had hoped for, the goblins became too scared to hunt again.

  Due to this fear, the goblins were trapped in their home, worrying endlessly about this goblin-hunting monster.

  Of course, the goblins would be thrilled if their problem went away. They’d be ecstatic if this beast somehow turned up dead.

  How happy would they be if one of their own, a goblin, appeared at their snarl with the dead beast’s body in his hands?

  Surely, they’d have a feast.

  In short, the plan consists of three main steps. First, in the middle of the night, while the goblins are fast asleep, one of Beric’s summons will quietly infiltrate the snarl and slip the salt into their food supplies. Second, early in the morning, before the goblins have fully awakened, Pickle will appear, carrying Shade’s old body retrieved from Beric’s inventory. Third, we simply wait for the feast to begin and for the effects of the poisoned water to set in. After everything is set in motion, it’s highly likely that the entire snarl will collapse within a matter of minutes.

  There may be a slight possibility that, even after all of this, a few survivors may crawl out. In that case, Shade and Pickle can hunt them after I absorb the rest.

  Now, there’s the final issue. How will Beric have enough time to absorb all of the souls? As we all know, the soul of a dead being stays for only a few minutes, before it is transported to the afterlife and re emitted into the cycle of the world. How can Beric absorb all fifty or so souls, since they all will die at the same time?

  “That’s a very good question, Sys.”

  I haven’t been learning only at school.

  Soul magic is unheard of in this world. That’s why I’ve mainly relied on Sys’ knowledge on some basic spells, along with my own ideas that eventually turned into real usages.

  One of these ideas started with a question. Can I absorb multiple souls at once?

  At first, it seemed ridiculous. Soul absorption was a very slow process, and to then attempt to split my attention to multiple souls at once? Impossible, right?

  Not exactly.

  After I absorbed more rats as time went on, I began to notice that the act of absorbing rats became quicker. From a process that took several minutes, it then turned into an act only lasting a couple of seconds.

  It seems that the more I absorb a specific animal, the faster the process becomes.

  But then I experimented on it further. What would happen if I absorbed the souls of two rats at the same time? Considering how it only took a few seconds for a singular rat, surely I can do multiple?

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  The answer is…….complex.

  While it did work, and it took relatively the same time as a singular rat, I assumed that the absorption of multiple souls was due to my experience with the specific soul type. But, that’s actually wrong.

  Soul magic is a tricky thing. Since it doesn’t naturally exist in this world, it doesn’t always obey the same laws that govern the native forms of magic. Logically, you would think that Beric’s ability to absorb multiple souls would depend on how many of a specific type he has already absorbed—rats, in this case. However, the reality is a bit different. The spell "Soul Absorption" belongs to a particular category known simply as "Spells," alongside others like Soul Summoning, Soul Sense, and Soul Communication—the last being the magic that allows Beric to speak with his summons.

  If you remember correctly, Soul Communication works much like a passive skill, with its effectiveness varying based on the distance between Beric and his summons. Initially, we believed that improving this skill required Beric to absorb the same type of creature as the summon—such as a rat to strengthen his communication with Rogue. But it turns out that any soul absorption strengthens the spell itself, regardless of the type. For example, when Beric absorbs more rats—the creature he’s absorbed the most so far—it doesn't just enhance his communication with Rogue; it improves his connection with all his summons across the board. Basically, due to how Beric can absorb multiple rat souls, he can do the same with goblins.

  As the ferns began to disappear completely, I caught two falling gourds.

  “Found them.” Nightclaw called from above.

  “Nice timing.” The gourds were small and easy to grasp, and seeing how Nightclaw had transported them easily, they looked like perfect fits. I then used one gourd to store the salt, placing it next to me when I finished. I saved the other for later.

  I recalled Nightclaw as the rest of my summons appeared.

  Jittear, Rogue, and Shade all carried more Wolfsbane flowers within their mouths, eagerly waiting for whatever praise was coming.

  “Excellent job, you three.”

  A small fight broke out as the three squirmed their way into a position to receive my headpats.

  After they were satisfied, I recalled Rogue and Jittear and sent out Pickle.

  “What is your order?” Pickle stood straight like a soldier.

  “Smash these flowers with this rock onto this smooth stone into a paste. Then, when you finish converting it all into paste, place the paste near the fire. When the paste finishes drying, crush the dried parts into this small gourd.”

  Saluting, Pickle quickly went to work and began smashing the Wolfsbane.

  While that was happening, I had Shade lay behind me, and I used his fur and warm body like a large pillow.

  You’re awfully sleepy today.

  “Not sleepy. I just need to stay awake tonight, so I’m sleeping ahead of time.”

  Because the paste would take a few hours with the fire, and since it was mid afternoon, the poison should be ready by nightfall.

  Hey, now that I think about it, do you have to poison them?

  “What do you mean?”

  Well, even if goblins are more like parasites than living creatures, isn’t dying from Wolfsbane far too cruel?

  “It is, but this is the only way.”

  Is that really true? Couldn’t you do the same tactic with the wolf? Make a huge hole for the goblins, or better yet, multiple large holes? If you instead drugged the water with Midnight Shades, and used your summons to transport the sleeping goblins to the holes, you would have an easier way of absorbing a singular goblin without worrying about the other souls disappearing.

  That’s not necessarily a bad idea. “I have two problems with that idea. For starters, that’s going to take up a lot of time. To make numerous holes within a few days, I’d need to summon multiple Drills and Melvins. Second, if any of the goblins wake up in the holes, they’ll most likely scream in terror, which could alert any other animals or villagers nearby. I have to do this quickly and quietly.”

  ……..Yeah, that……sounds right.

  “It’ll be fine, Sys. Like you said, goblins are parasites. They steal from humans, and they even kidnap humans sometimes, right? That’s what Ms. Lonnie taught us.”

  ……I suppose.

  I let out another yawn as I closed my eyes, preparing to go to sleep. “Wake me up when everything’s ready.”

  I got you.

  My summons used to lose all functionality when I was asleep, but nowadays, as long as I give them a simple order, such as to lay down behind me or to do what Pickle’s doing, they’ll unconsciously do it while not having the same individuality while I’m awake.

  With all of that said, I drifted off into a relaxing world.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  By the time Sys woke me up, the sky turned orange and the sun hovered over the horizon.

  Pickle had finished his job and presented the poisoned gourd to me proudly.

  “I’ve finished my task, boss.”

  I patted him on the back. “Great work, soldier.”

  Recalling Pickle, I resummoned Rogue and Nightclaw.

  “For this next mission, I need the two of you to work together.”

  Good luck with that.

  The two grumbled at that.

  “Why do I need to work with this cheater?” Rogue muttered under his breath.

  “No offense, Master, but if you want a job well done, you can just recall Rogue.” Nightclaw said out loudly, making sure Rogue heard it.

  Rogue definitely heard it, as he jumped onto the back of Nightclaw. The two had a small tussle, before I whistled to regain their attention.

  I got my money on Rogue.

  Ugh, they’re imposs - Wait, you betted on Rogue?

  “Nightclaw, can you carry these two gourds?” I wanted to make sure of something.

  “Of course.” Nightclaw confidently used his talons to latch onto the gourds, bringing them with him into the sky.

  “They’re not slowing you down?” I asked below.

  “Nope. I feel as light as a feather.” Nightclaw did a few flying maneuvers to prove it.

  Amazing pun right there. Sys-esque.

  “Showoff.” Rogue said.

  “Good.” I looked back at Rogue. “Nightclaw will transport both the gourds and you on his back.”

  “Huh?”

  “Huh?”

  The two finally did something in common.

  “Master, what are you saying?” Nightclaw came down on eye level with me.

  “I want you both to go to the goblin snarl and wait until it becomes dark. After you make sure they’re all asleep, and when the guards are away, I want Nightclaw to pour the poison into the well. Rogue, you’ll use your ‘hands’ to apply the salt to the food.”

  The two looked at each other.

  “Wait, for real?” Rogue was shocked.

  “Are you sure this will work?” Nightclaw was skeptical.

  “It will, if you two work together and don’t mess up.”

  Rogue played with his whiskers. “Well……….if the Masters says so, then I guess we have to.”

  “Can’t argue with that.” Nightclaw turned around to give Rogue a lift.

  Rogue climbed atop and the two soared off.

  Are you sure this is going to work?

  “It will. If not, then we’re having rat stew with a side of hawk legs.”

  Hmm, that actually sounds pretty go-........Wait what the fu-

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  “Stop pulling on my back feathers!” Nightclaw hollered in pain.

  “Then stop going so damn fast!” Rogue yelled while barely holding on.

  “So do you admit I’m faster than you?”

  Rogue pulled harder.

  “Okay, I’m sorry!”

  What the hell is wrong with them?

  They’re based on you, so you should know.

  “I don’t even know anymore.” That was kind of a lie. I had a sneaking suspicion that this relationship, along with the general natures of my summons, were all based on people in my past life back on Earth. The only explanation that I can give is that they all felt…….familiar.

  “Okay, we’re here.” Nightclaw shook off Rogue, causing Rogue to fall headfirst into a bush.

  “Thanks for the warning.” Rogue cursed as he scampered out.

  Since I had been using Sense Share to check up on their progress, I examined the gobin snarl more closely. Like I had thought, due to the nearing nightfall, some goblins were already asleep within the cave. There were a few bigger goblins that wandered the borders, but as for the rest, they were either playing or lazing around.

  “Alright, you two. Wait until you know for sure that they’ll be too distracted to see you guys.”

  “Got it boss.”

  “Roger that.”

  I exited Sense Share. Reclining on a small makeshift bed, I relaxed in my new room……….well, not entirely my room. I moved into Arthur and Elaine’s room last year, since I got too big to sleep with Mom and Dad.

  “Looks like we have to wait.”

  What do you want to do?

  “Just wake me up again.”

  Alright.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  “Be very careful.” Nightclaw whispered as they carefully snuck their way through the snarl.

  “I should be telling you that with your big ass wings.” Rogue hissed, wiggling his way past the green heads of sleeping goblins.

  Goblins were known to sleep anywhere within their snarl, even outside on the stone ground under the moon.

  I had given Nightclaw vines beforehand to use as rope, which Rogue used to tie a gourd to both his back and Nightclaw’s back after they landed.

  “The food storage is in their cave, so we have to be very careful and not to accidentally step on any of the gob-” Nightclaw’s words cut out as he tripped on the loose leg of a goblin.

  Time seemed to slow down, as Nightclaw’s head neared the drool filled mouth of an unconscious adolescent goblin.

  Before he could, Rogue quickly pulled his tail back, causing Nightclaw to almost screech in pain. Luckily, he stayed quiet.

  Cursing and giving his thanks, Nightclaw continued on.

  Thankfully, the two had no other accidents and safely made their way to the food storage. Deep within the cave, a crude cavern was formed from the hands of the goblins. Small, pitiful torches lit the place, allowing the two to see worn out crates with most spoiled meat, rotting cheese, and fermented herbs and vegetables.

  Rogue looked at Nightclaw. “I bet you won’t eat that.”

  “Now’s not the time.”

  “Too chicken?”

  Nightclaw scoffed at that. “Fine.”

  Grabbing a piece of meat that looked straight out of a cartoon with its green aura, Nightclaw took a bite.

  The mission almost failed when Nightclaw began vomiting profusely.

  While that was going on, Rogue untied his gourd and set to work. Applying the salt to his “hands”, Rogue quickly sabotaged the food. As he neared completion, Nightclaw began to feel better.

  “That’s 6-4. You’re next.” Nightclaw muttered between multiple gasps.

  “Whatever.”

  When Rogue finished, the two exited the cave and went to the well.

  Nestled with gnarled roots and covered entirely in moss, the well was an uneven hole that stood mostly in the center, lined with stacked stone and a wooden frame that held up a rusted bucket.

  Rogue untied the gourd on Nightclaw’s back, and Nightclaw in turn lifted it up on a stacked stone. Rogue then pushed on it gently, while Nightclaw controlled the positioning. This allowed for a smooth flow of the tainted liquid inside. Pouring the poison into the well, the duo were going to make a clean getaway.

  “Hsshnnhhh?” The sound of a snarl caused Rogue to jump.

  A goblin guard had appeared within the cave, and he was now looking at what he assumed to be strange shapes near the well.

  Not wanting to be caught, Nightclaw pushed the gourd into the well, and Rogue quickly jumped onto his back. Before the goblin could even investigate, the two were already high into the sky.

  That was real close.

  “It’s fine. They didn’t get caught, and they did their parts. The plan is still on.”

  Then that means-

  “Yep.”

  Tomorrow morning.

  The goblin raid will begin.