When most people think about rest, the first thing that comes to mind is sleep. Sadly, with everything that had happened, Cromus could not. He tried to relax, drawing calm from the rhythmic rise and fall of Athas’s breathing beside him. Yet his sharp, green eyes remained open, scanning the shadows that pooled in the cavern’s jagged walls. His gaze lingered on the old goblin shaman seated cross-legged near the entrance and then shifted to Loose Tooth, who fidgeted a few paces away. The two younger goblins huddled nervously behind him, their glances flickering between Cromus and the cavern’s darker recesses.

  The shaman sat with a weathered stillness, his gray-green skin etched with deep lines, illuminated faintly by a soft, bioluminescent glow from the moss clinging to the cave walls. His every motion was deliberate, his aura calm yet unshakably wise. After a prolonged silence, his voice broke the stillness, gravelly yet commanding.

  “Biggin like you should rest,” he said, folding his spindly hands in his lap. “Ain’t no use wearin’ yerself thin.”

  “I’m fine,” Cromus replied curtly.

  The shaman regarded him with an almost fatherly patience but did not push the issue. Instead, his gaze shifted to Loose Tooth, who busied himself rummaging through a satchel. Cromus assumed Loose Tooth had grabbed it during the chaos after releasing all the animals from their cages.

  “That one,” the shaman said, gesturing toward Loose Tooth with a tilt of his bald head, “he got plenty to say ‘bout you.”

  Cromus’s brow furrowed, his attention drawn to Loose Tooth, whose fingers paused momentarily before continuing to rummage through the bag. He seemed determined to avoid eye contact. “Does he?”

  The shaman nodded slowly. “Says we got a lucky Biggin ‘mong us—a half-blood with more strength than Red Fist. Smarts too. But most ‘portant, he says you ain’t cruel.”

  Cromus let the words settle in the heavy air, but his thoughts snagged on the name Red Fist. “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned Red Fist,” he said, his tone edged with curiosity. “What is he to you?”

  His question wasn’t directed at any one of them, but he noticed how Loose Tooth’s ears twitched, and the two younger goblins shifted uncomfortably, clutching at the frayed edges of their tattered clothes. Their unease was palpable.

  The shaman stayed quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on the glowing moss. When he finally spoke, his words came slow, each one heavy with memory.

  “Red Fist? He be the chief. The big boss of our tribe,” the shaman said. “He’s got the blessin’ o’ Ooog—the first goblin blessed in my lifetime. First I ever seen.”

  His voice grew quieter, almost reverent. “He start out strong. Real strong. Got the tribes all to follow him. Made us one. Made us strong. Took what we wanted. Crushed the weak.”

  “Sounds like a remarkable leader,” Cromus said carefully, his tone unreadable.

  The shaman turned his sharp, sunken gaze toward him for the first time. His eyes, dark and knowing, seemed to bore into Cromus. “Remarkable, sure. But power’s a heavy thing. It bends ya. Breaks ya.”

  Loose Tooth, still clutching the satchel, stared fixedly at its contents, but Cromus noticed the tightness in the goblin’s jaw. The two younger goblins huddled closer together, their fear as tangible as the damp chill of the cavern.

  “In the tribe,” the shaman muttered, his voice rough, “weak don’t last. Like bad meat, they tossed out. If ya try savin’ weak ones? Same. Tossed out with ‘em.”

  The old goblin let out a low, rattling breath and stared at the two younger goblins crouched nearby. Their wide eyes darted between Cromus and the shaman, full of fear and shame.

  “I was shaman once,” he went on. “Kept the tribe strong. Fixed ‘em up when they bled. But I got slow. Couldn’t do spells fast no more.” He spat onto the stone floor, his disgust clear. “Red Fist didn’t like that. Said I was useless. Out I went.”

  Cromus’s sharp eyes flicked toward Loose Tooth, who fiddled with the satchel in his lap, avoiding Cromus’s gaze.

  “Them two,” the shaman said, jerking his chin at the younger goblins, “they begged for me. Yapped at Red Fist, sayin’, ‘Don’t throw out shaman!’ But their ma an’ pa?” He snorted. “They knew better. Kept their mouths shut, just watchin’ their whelps dig their graves.”

  The younger goblins whimpered, their heads bowing. Loose Tooth’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching around the satchel.

  “Then him,” the shaman growled, nodding toward Loose Tooth, “he stepped up. Stood in front o’ me and them. Told Red Fist he was wrong. Said we don’t toss out shamans. Don’t toss out young’uns.”

  Loose Tooth finally spoke, his voice low and gruff. “Didn’t feel right. Someone had to do somethin’, so I did.”

  The old goblin snorted, a dry, humorless sound. “Red Fist didn’t like that. Said Loose Tooth caught my sickness. Weakness. Poison. Tribe agreed—weakness spreads. So out we go, all of us.”

  Loose Tooth’s voice hardened. “I looked ‘round, seein’ all them I bled with, fought with. Not one stepped up. Not even their ma an’ pa. Just watched.”

  The shaman’s face twisted into a grimace. “Red Fist don’t leave no room for fightin’ back. Weak don’t belong in the tribe. Mercy don’t belong.”

  Loose Tooth glanced at the younger goblins, then back down. “I’d do it again,” he muttered. “Even if I knew how it ends. I’d do it again.”

  “Red Fist don’t care ‘bout loyalty,” the shaman finished, his voice quiet but sharp. “Only strength. Only winnin’. If ya ain’t helpin’ him win, ya nothin’.”

  Silence filled the cavern, thick and heavy. Cromus shifted against the cool stone wall, his sharp amber eyes scanning the group as the shaman’s final words hung in the air. The betrayal, the coldness—it all painted a grim picture of Red Fist’s rule.

  He couldn’t help the flicker of irritation rising in him. The story was tragic, yes, but it felt...familiar. Too familiar. It was like something ripped straight from one of the countless games he’d played, where the tyrant ruled with cruelty, and the hero was left to clean up the mess.

  It wasn’t just wrong—it was cliche.

  Still, as the thought churned in his mind, another idea began to take root. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips, sharp and knowing.

  "Tell me something," Cromus said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. His gaze locked on the shaman. "Does your tribe have a rule or law that says anyone can challenge Red Fist for his seat of power?"

  The shaman’s sharp, sunken eyes narrowed slightly, his expression flickering with surprise. “Aye,” he said, his gravelly voice cautious. “But how’d ya know that?”

  Cromus shrugged, his tone casual as he leaned back against the cavern wall. “I’m just a smart Biggin.”

  Loose Tooth’s ears twitched at the words, his gaze finally lifting from the satchel in his lap. The younger goblins exchanged wide-eyed glances, their curiosity cutting through their fear.

  The shaman’s brow furrowed, studying Cromus intently. “Challengin’ Red Fist ain’t no small thing,” he said. “You lose, you die. An’ challengin’ him? That ain’t been done before.”

  Cromus’s grin widened, his sharp teeth glinting faintly in the bioluminescent glow. The idea of turning this grim situation into an opportunity thrilled him. Loyal followers—strong, grateful little warriors—could be worth their weight in gold in a place like this.

  “I’m not worried about that,” Cromus said, his voice steady, confidence brimming. “All I need is a shot. And I’m betting there’s more than a few in your tribe who’d love to see Red Fist fall.”

  Loose Tooth frowned, his hands tightening around the satchel. “You’re serious? You’d really fight Red Fist? That ain’t no game. He’s got the blessin’ o’ Ooog.”

  “Blessing or not, he’s still just another tyrant.” Cromus met Loose Tooth’s gaze, his amber eyes gleaming. “And I’ve dealt with plenty of those before.”

  The words hung in the air, commanding attention, and Cromus could see the faint spark of hope flickering in the younger goblins’ eyes. It was enough for now—enough to plant the seed of trust and loyalty.

  As silence settled once more, Cromus leaned back against the cavern wall, letting a sly grin creep across his face. ‘They don’t need to know it’s only ever been in video games,’ he thought.

  Cromus finally took notice of the notifications he had been ignoring. With a mental command, he opened them, and a wicked smile crept across his face. Oh yeah, everything’s gonna be just fine, he thought, the grin growing wider.

  CONGRATULATIONS!!!

  You have reached Level 3!!!

  You have reached Level 4!!!

  You have reached Level 5!!!

  You have 30 points to distribute!!!

  The notifications flooded Cromus’s vision, chaotic and relentless: defeating Croakers, poison alerts, severe damage warnings, a flagged “poison body” issue for later review, mana lockouts, and, of course, the sweet victory over the Naga. It all added up to three big, juicy levels.

  As he swiped through the cluttered log, a new notification popped into view, far more intriguing than the rest.

  CONGRATULATIONS!!!

  You have reached your first milestone!

  Every fifth level, you will receive choices on how to progress in your adventure. Choose carefully—you won’t get another until your next milestone!

  As the message faded, three shimmering boxes materialized in his vision, each promising a unique path forward.

  Draining Bite

  A spell that allows the user to take a bite out of a living opponent, replenishing health equal to the damage dealt. Cost: 30 Mana.

  Cromus’s grin faltered as his mind conjured the image of him chomping down on one of those slimy Croakers mid-battle. ‘Yeah, no thanks.’

  Nature’s Shield

  A spell that creates a small energy barrier around the user’s body. The shield absorbs 40 points of damage for an initial cost of 40 Mana. The barrier can be extended up to half the user’s maximum health by spending additional Mana. Certain magical attacks may bypass the shield.

  ‘Now that,’ Cromus thought, ‘is more like it.’ The mental picture of a glowing shield deflecting blows while he stayed standing made him nod in approval.

  Heavy Slash

  The user spends 20 Stamina to deliver a powerful strike, adding one-third of their regular attack power to the blow.

  Cromus raised an eyebrow. ‘Seriously?’ Compared to the first two options, it felt...lackluster. A healing spell, a protective barrier, and then...a slightly harder hit? He couldn’t help but feel a little insulted by the simplicity of it. ‘What am I supposed to do with this? Oooo me Thud I hit things hard, still a problem, hit it harder! No if I wanted to be limited to things like that I would have gone Barbarian to begin with.’

  He sat there going over everything again, but he knew what he was going to do, in the end to him there was only one choice. He mentally clicked Nature’s Shield and the knowledge of the spell instantly flooded his mind.

  Happy with his choice he opened another Notification.

  For reaching level 5 you have opened the passive feat tree. Feats will cost points to unlock, Choose wisely adventurers.

  Thickened skin

  Your skin naturally thickens, giving you a naturally tougher hide. reducing the incoming damage.

  Animal ferocity

  You gain 10% more attack damage.

  Animal step

  Your movement becomes lighter. giving you a bonus to be unnoticed.

  After taking everything in looking at his massive pool of 30 points, Cromus wanted to try something. Sliding over to his status page he mentally added points to his constitution, the stat jumped from 16 to 25 with a hard stop, the numbers flashed red as he tried to add more. looking back at his pool of points he saw they had dropped by 14 leaving him with 16 left.

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  He repeated the process by dumping all 16 into his strength. The 25 flashed red even though he had no more points to add to the stat. ‘So there is a hard cap? What level did it start?’ Looking over at Sais still unconscious, he decided we would confirm the theory when Sais woke up. Dumping all of his points into only two stats seemed a bit too eager for him early on anyways.

  Dropping the points back a bit. Leaving constitution and strength at 20. He then began to add to his Dexterity bringing it up to 18, his wisdom to 16, his intelligence to 14, and his charisma to 10. leaving him with 6 points out of the thirty.

  ‘If my math is right this will bring my health to 200, and my mana to 140, Ill definitely be needing more mana with the new spells.’ But it still felt off to him, he checked Nature’s shield again. ‘yeah I wasn’t wrong, with this I could basically use my mana almost like another health bar in tight spots.’

  He sat there second guessing himself, He swapped the point from his dexterity to his intellect changing the scores. Intelligence now sat at 18, which gave him 180 mana. which if he used 40 to cast the shield he then could sacrifice a maximum of 100 mana, which would leave him with 40 mana to use on other spells. which is 10 short from effectively being able to have 100 extra life, and cast animal affinity. looking at his pool he had 6 points left.

  “Fuck it, its early stages I am sure I can fix any mistake I make later.” Cromus said, causing the goblins to look at him questioningly except the old shaman who had a knowing smile.

  He put two more points into intellect rounding it up. He had 4 points left. He slid the box with the feats back into his view, mentally clicking Thickened skin.

  You are about to buy Thickened skin which will cost 2 points. Yes/No?

  Mentally clicking yes, he bought the passive feat, which grayed out and branched out to another box that was blackened out. ‘Ok so I unlocked something else but I am not able to buy it just yet.’ He looked back at the other two feats which had grayed out. ‘WHAT! Oh come on, that's some horse shit! I can only buy one feat per milestone?’ He took a breath calming himself.

  Looking at his points he had 2 left. The entire time, his charisma stat was an eye sore to him. But now all he would do would increase it by one. Wouldn’t that be a waste for now? ‘Next time’ He thought to himself. and through his last 2 points into Dexterity, bringing it to 16.

  You are about to accept where and what you spent your points on. Once accepted you cannot take back your choices, Are you sure you are happy with what you have chosen? Yes, or No?

  Cromus mentally checked yes and pulled up his new character screen.

  Name: Cromus

  Age:22

  Level: 5

  Exp: 2990/3800

  Health: 200/200

  Mana: 200/200

  Stamina: 140/140

  Stats

  Strength: 20

  Dexterity: 16

  Constitution: 20

  Intelligence: 20

  Wisdom: 16

  Charisma: 10

  Race: Half-Orc: A race of an orc and human mix. Seen as a descendant of a violent race, other races shy away from you, you will receive a negative two percent to any charisma checks with other races. Though there is not only bad news with this race, thanks to your orc heritage you are more sturdy than most other races, able to face terrors others wouldn't dare, and able to stomach things that would sicken most. You have night vision, in areas of low light you are able to see normally.

  Path: Gaia's Warrior: A warrior for the planet, friend to the forest and beasts alike, this path allows you to cast spells of nature and use equipment modified from the earth, as well as allows you to improve your own capabilities from stats of animals, and have animals assist you later in levels. Gain bonuses when interacting with animals.

  Boiling blood: Thanks to your Orc heritage, you possess a hidden bestial rage that temporarily boosts your stamina and strength. You gain 20% to all strength-based skills, abilities, and attacks. As well as slows down stamina consumption.

  Abilities

  Animal Empathy: From a easy glance you are able to determine an animal's demeanor to you, as well as having a better understanding of how to improve the demeanor.

  Animal Link: Once a day you are able to choose an animal who is neutral with you and create a telepathic link with the chosen animal for twenty four hours or until you sever the link.

  Identify (inferior): The basic ability that most intelligent being, can be used to identify items, creatures, and other humanoids.

  Spells

  Heal (inferior): You are able to spend Ten mana to heal you or a willing target for ten hit points.

  Nature's Assistant: You can spend four mana to help a plant grow a stage in its growth or remove any harmful effect it may have. The bigger the growth or larger effect consumes more mana.

  Animal Affinity: You are able to spend fifty mana to manifest one animal body part on your body for ten minutes.

  Nature’s Shield

  A spell that creates a small energy barrier around the user’s body. The shield absorbs 40 points of damage for an initial cost of 40 Mana. The barrier can be extended up to half the user’s maximum health by spending additional Mana. Certain magical attacks may bypass the shield.

  Skills

  Universal Translate: No worrying about language barrier, anything spoken, or read will be translated to a language you understand.

  Animal Empathy: From a easy glance you are able to determine an animal's demeanor to you, as well as having a better understanding of how to improve the demeanor.

  Nature’s Awareness

  Thanks to your connection to Gaia, you are acutely aware of usable herbs and minerals nearby.

  Passive Feat

  Thickened skin

  Your skin naturally thickens, giving you a naturally tougher hide. reducing the incoming damage.

  Cromus paused. ‘When did I get Nature's awareness?’ Looking back he saw in the mix of notifications he had missed this one.

  Congratulations!!!

  For reaching a milestone you have unlocked new skills to your class. Nature’s Awareness. Thanks to your connection to Gaia, you are acutely aware of usable herbs and minerals nearby.

  ‘Should’ve known—a Druid getting something like this is typical. But minerals? That’s unexpected. I wonder what kind it means,’ Cromus thought, his gaze drifting back to Sais as his friend stirred. With a quick motion, Cromus closed the notifications and focused fully on him.

  “Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Cromus teased, a grin spreading across his face.

  As Sais sat up taking in the scene, seeing all the goblins, and Athas. He glanced at Cromus, his expression shifting into a playful smirk. “In this room, I guess I am.”

  Cromus’s grin widened. “Glad you’re okay. Though, honestly, I’d rather be the one knocked out—this whole worrying and waiting for you to wake up is the worst.”

  “Well, I figured it was your turn. You know, so you could understand my pain,” Sais retorted, visibly relaxing. But then his eyes narrowed as realization dawned. “Wait a second—you leveled up!” He pointed an accusatory finger.

  “Guilty.” Cromus wore a mock guilty expression, quickly shifting into an exaggerated parent-like worry. “I had to do something while you were busy stressing me out.”

  Sais laughed, shaking his head. “Good to see some things never change.”

  Cromus dropped the act, his smile genuine now. “Good to see you, too. Oh, and we’ve made some friends. That one’s Loose Tooth, and this…” He turned to the goblin shaman and paused, a sheepish look crossing his face. “I didn’t catch your name. Sorry about that.”

  The shaman dipped his head. “I am Keezz. The younglings are Jagz and Ush.”

  Sais nodded respectfully. “Thanks for the help earlier, Keezz.” He turned back to Cromus, nodding toward the creature curled at his friend’s side. “And this?”

  “This is Athas,” Cromus said, beaming as he scratched the sleeping Asalisk behind its horns. “He’s an Asalisk—helped me before you arrived.”

  Sais watched Athas twitch slightly, leaning into Cromus’s hand even in its sleep. He couldn’t help but smile. “So, what have we been up to while I was out?”

  “Talking, learning, leveling up. Oh, and there’s something important I learned that you’ll want to hear,” Cromus said, his tone turning serious.

  As Cromus explained the stats cap, Sais listened intently. They speculated about the limitation, discussing its implications and whether it might increase with milestones.

  “Level 5, how about you?” Cromus asked.

  “Same, what's your xp?” Sais asked.

  “2990 out of 3800.” Cromus stated.

  “Really? I thought you would forsure have more than me getting into fights before I showed up.” Sais replied with surprise.

  “What? what do you have?” Cromus asked.

  “3270 out of 3800. must have gotten one or two more croakers than you.” Sais smiled.

  “Well at least it's not an obscene amount.” Cromus sighed.

  “For now but you give me that lead I am going to run with it.” Sais said with a devilish smile coming to his face.

  Cromus narrowed his eyes. “Challenge accepted.”

  “First to ascend wins!” Sais declared. They clasped hands sealing the deal. “Now let me figure my stuff out and then we can start looking through this place for anything we can scavenge.”

  Cromus simply nodded in reply and gave Sais silence as he messed with his notifications.

  It wasn’t too long before Sais spoke. “You didn’t tell me there were Passive feats I could buy.” an accusation in his voice, with a hint of annoyance.

  “Sorry, it slipped my mind. Though I will warn you I was only able to buy one and all the others grayed out.” He warned Sais.

  “Good to know but I already think I know what I am choosing.” Sais replied.

  “Oh?” Cromus Prompted.

  “Yeah. Portal charge, it allows my summonings to gain a 10% increase to all stats. It’s not as good as the spell I chose Deadly shot, which adds one-third of my dexterity to the attack for only 20 stamina.” Sais said.

  “You took that? I got something similar but with melee. It seemed lacking to me.” Cromus stated.

  “I mean I see where you mean but that’s only early on, 33% will mean a lot more later on. But what did you get that is so much better?” Sais asked.

  “I had the option for a bite attack that heals me for the damage I deal, but… the idea of using it on something like the croakers? No thanks. Instead, I went with Nature’s Shield. I can channel my mana to boost it, up to half my health. It felt like the better choice,” Cromus explained before shifting gears. “By the way, are you done? When you are, I’ve got a trick Henry taught me.”

  Sais quirked an eyebrow “Just a moment.” he said before almost instantly saying “Ok.”

  Cromus willed to share his character stats with Sais. who once he got the notification agreed.

  Sais had Strength 10, Dexterity 20, Constitution 10, Intelligence 25, Wisdom 12, and Charisma 20. His new ability was Duel summoning, which allowed him to summon two of a single summoning at the same time at double the cost. Cromus could only imagine Sais bringing out two Clockwork defenders at once. ‘If this is the progression I can see Sais becoming an army by himself.’

  “Well you definitely optimized the best I could see, bringing up your Int for more of a health pool. I like it. use everything you got at your disposal.” Sais spoke his thoughts out loud.

  Cromus smiled. “ Yeah I see you becoming more of a one man army. Going to be an issue for most.”