CH1.3: Elves Talk Too Much

Challenge 2 Time Limit 10min

Complete: Drive off or annihilate Goblins.

Reward: 2 C Red Pills: Red Pills raise physical strength and blood flow. Take enough, and you'll punch out the gods themselves.

Complete: 3 Brutal Kills

Reward: 2 C Blue Pills: Blue Pills raise speed and lung capacity. Take enough, and death won't catch you.

Complete: Break Enemy Morale

Reward: 2 C Green Pills: Green Pills raise cellular regeneration and life span. Take enough, and you will walk the Earth long enough to see the sun go supernova.

Killing shouldn't be natural, but defending a woman felt right. So Vincent stood to his full height, and the goblins hissed at him. Together they sang a horrible war cry.

The pills had already changed him; he could feel it. With that in mind, he felt his odds of winning were high. Vincent shot forward barefoot, kicking the lead goblin in the chest with both feet. The leader shot into the other goblins. He grabbed one of them by its long nose and pulled the bastard off its feet. One tried to swing its club, and Vincent bashed it with the goblin he held.

He felt something land on his back, and he charged into the goblins, and one slammed their club on his arm. Vincent snatched it up and crushed its head between his hands. The feeling of strength was exhilarating. Crushing the goblin's soft skull counted as his first brutal kill. After that, he fell on the goblins punching and charging like a bull running down chipmunks.

Vincent stomped a goblin's foot when one clubbed his side before stabbing his leg with a short spear. His hand wrapped around the arm of another one, and he pulled it off its feet. He had been confident against the 4ft green monsters until Vincent started bleeding out. The barbarian wannabe sucked in a breath before punching a goblin in its big nose, snapping it like a carrot. Blood oozed down while the goblin dropped its weapons to clutch its face. He grabbed one of their clubs and beat one senseless.

A spear caught him in the side, cutting a deep line against his ribs. He should have armed himself with his ax, but the pills had made him cocky.

Or maybe he wasn't using his body right. He grabbed one and used it to block the spear of another goblin. He broke their encirclement and threw them back into the crowd. A goblin was crushed by its thrown fellow, which counted as his second brutal kill. They started looking ready to break when Vincent stood tall.

"Don't stop now; it's just getting fun." He followed up with a laugh. The tallest goblin yelled something pointing at Vincent's leg. Vincent took off his backpack keeping his eyes on the goblins, and took out his ax. The group froze at that. The barbarian wannabe charged them, limping quickly. Before the goblins could get it together, Vincent slammed his ax down like he was chopping wood. The goblin leader's head split in two, raining blood and brains on the other goblins.

Vincent snapped a picture before posting it on morale breakers. One of the new apps on his phone. The second the post appeared, he gained 5 stylish points, a commodity Vincent needed more information on.

He turned his camera on live stream and swung his ax easier than ever before, butchering the goblins. They tried to run, but Vincent limped them down.

Once the last of the ugly green fuckers were dead, he turned to the elf.

6 pills appeared in his hand, and he immediately tossed back a red one. He felt his muscles flex, growing his potential further than before. While the hot elf continued to jabber in her musical tongue, Vincent dug a microfiber towel out of his pack and wiped his face and ax. Keeping his weapons clean was important.

Barbarian Challenges, Located in the province of March

Challenge 1

Complete: Save a woman and have sex with them

Reward: 1 C Red Pills: Red Pills raise physical strength and blood flow. Take enough, and you'll punch out the gods themselves.

Challenge 60

Complete: Slaughter a Goblin King

Reward:

1 x UC Red Pill: Red Pills raise physical strength and blood flow. Uncommon red pills further improve the quality of the body's muscle fibers granting greater strength for less bulk.

5 x C Red Pills

Complete 3

Free the Goblin Prisoners

Reward

1 x UC Blue Pill: Blue Pills raise speed and lung capacity. Uncommon blue pills further improve the explosive power of the body's muscle fibers.

5 x C Blue Pills

Complete: Halt the Ritual of Dug

Reward

1 x UC Green Pill: Green Pills raise cellular regeneration and life span. Uncommon Green Pills further improve the durability of the body.

There were more challenges with varying rewards, but the one with goblins caught his eye first. It was clear there was a difference between class challenges and system challenges.

He approached the elf girl, who backed away, screaming something in her musical voice.

"Can you translate for me?" Vincent asked.

"Give me 10 of your stylish points, and I will give you the language."

"5; it sounds like you're trying to rip me off. I thought we were friends." Vincent said.

"My friends know my worth, but if you need me to sweeten the deal, something is coming down the pipe to help you keep companions. So give me the 10, and I will tell you about it." Message said.

Vincent put his ax away and sipped some water before glancing down at the bloody spear still in his leg. That had to come out, and there was no doctor to help. If it nicked an artery, he would die.

"Pop a green pill if you're scared. Do we have a deal that girl looks terrified?"

The barbarian wannabe tossed back a green pill and sighed. His body felt a little better. "9 and the information."

"Fine," Message said.

Suddenly her babbling started making sense.

"Please, oh March, take me in your sacred grove and protect this pious sister of the wood. I beseech you don't let the monster get me." The elf said.

It was less like a flash of memory of learning the language and more like having a key for everything she said.

His bloody clothes did make him look a little dangerous. After he stripped down to his underwear, he approached the woman again. She backed away faster at that.

"No, not like this."

"Would you rather I wore pants?" Vincent asked.

The barbarian wannabe felt like he needed to stretch his tongue before speaking in that language. His vocal cords were already feeling raw from a question.

"You speak."

"Yes," he needed to keep his words to the point, or his voice would break.

"I am Graceful Wind Dancer On The Waves.

"Windy," Vincent said with a nod.

She had called herself sea breeze, but he felt that fit her better.

"That is a brutally simplified version of my immaculate name. But you don't speak my tongue well; you warble when you should sing. Better than the goblins." She looked upon his victims' broken, bloody bodies before turning away. "Let them find peace, and their bodies nourish the land. Did you have to kill them so cruelly?"

"Yes," Vincent offered his hand to her. "Arise," Vincent said.

The elf shivered. "That is a dangerous word; perhaps you meant to allow me to assist you in standing."

"No," Vincent said.

He pulled on the spear in his leg and wrenched it free. It took a chunk of flesh with it, and Vincent felt the world blacken for a moment.