Chapter 25. Goblin Camp and Preparation.

I woke up with the first rays of the sun, feeling the warm light penetrating through the thick foliage and touching my closed eyelids. Slowly opening my eyes, I gazed at the sky, which was gradually painted in shades of pink and orange. A new day was beginning, and at that moment, I felt alive.

Getting up from the firm ground, I stretched to relieve the stiffness in my back after a night on the hard earth. The pain from yesterday's battle still lingered. Checking my side, I found that there were no wounds, only the ache remained as a reminder. Then my summoned birds caught my eye. Their colors had faded, indicating their imminent disappearance.

"Ever, will they disappear soon?" I asked her.

"The summoning time for the birds has expired. The total summoning time cannot exceed 4 hours," she replied.

"So, from the moment I arrived here, less than 4 hours have passed in the outside world?" I exclaimed in astonishment.

"Yes, in the external world, less than 4 hours have passed. To sum it up, time here moves 6 times faster," she explained with admiration.

"Alright, how many points do I have now?" I inquired.

"You currently have 2884 core points. Would you like to spend some points?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, to start with, open my inventory, and then let's upgrade my abilities," I said with incredible satisfaction in my voice.

"It will cost 500 points to access your items," she stated.

"Now, upgrade 'Summon Flock of Birds,' 'Earth Trap,' and 'Striking Blow.' And what will upgrading 'Shadow Leap' provide me?" I asked.

"450 points have been deducted for upgrading the abilities to level 3. Upgrading 'Shadow Leap' will give the user the ability to remain hidden within 'Shadow Leap' for up to 3 seconds, and it will increase the maximum usage range to 140 meters," she replied.

"Then upgrade that as well," I said with the same sense of satisfaction.

"150 points deducted. You have 1784 points remaining," Ever announced.

"As far as I remember, I have a passive ability called 'Protective Barrier,' but why hasn't it activated even once?" I asked Ever.

"It automatically activates when the user's health drops below 10 points," she replied.

"So, with each upgrade, the health threshold will increase?" I inquired.

"Yes, for the 2nd level of the ability, the health threshold will be raised to 20 points, for the 3rd level, it will be 40 points, for the 4th level, 80 points, and so on," Ever explained.

"In that case, upgrade it to the 3rd level. I'll save the rest of the points for now. However, is there an ability that helps me understand goblins?" I asked, a question that had suddenly come to mind.

"Yes, there is, but it is only available at level 6 of the system. At your level, there is an ability that helps you understand the emotions of goblins," she replied.

"Why would I need to understand their emotions? They are pretty clear when they come charging at me with weapons. So, just upgrade 'Protective Barrier' to the 3rd level," I said, opening the bird's observation panel.

"Oh... It's quite clear indeed. It's like I'm looking at myself through a camera," I exclaimed in amazement.

In the panel, which had become available to me, there were three images showing me from different angles. Oh, I was indeed quite battered. By the way, there was a timer for summoning in the corner of the panel. There were only a few minutes left.

"Can I cancel the summoning and summon them again immediately?" I asked.

"Yes, you can, but the summoning will be random, both in quantity and the primary characteristic of the birds. You might get 3 birds of the same type, or you might get 5 birds," she explained.

"It's time to say goodbye to you," I said, looking at the birds whose gaze was fixed on me. I almost shed a tear as the birds slowly disappeared, as if blending into space.

After the birds had vanished, I successfully summoned four new birds. This time, there were three green ones and one blue bird. To be honest, the catch was no less attractive because the red bird had helped me in critical situations, but what can you do?

I quickly checked my mana panel to see how much mana was spent. It turned out that summoning one bird now required 10 mana. In total, I had spent 40 mana. Not a small amount, considering that this much mana would have been enough for four strikes. Well, nothing can be done about it. I turned to Ever with a question.

"Have the green birds gained any new abilities with their upgrade to level 3?" I asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"In addition to a slight increase in speed, they have acquired the ability 'Hunter's Spirit.' This is an active ability that attracts enemies towards the bird. Activating the ability will cost you 5 mana initially, and then 1 mana every 5 seconds," she explained.

"So, now they can serve as full-fledged bait for goblins?" I asked.

"Yes, goblins will instinctively try to kill their prey. However, the higher the level of the monsters, the higher the level of the ability required," she replied with a teacher-like tone.

"Alright, scatter without drawing any attention to yourselves and thoroughly investigate the goblin lair on the other side of the river," I ordered the three green birds. After that, I checked my remaining points, which amounted to 1634 points.

After some time, I received a signal from the birds, and I opened the panel to observe the goblin camp from different angles. The goblin lair appeared before me as a part of the dark and shadowy forest. It was hidden deep within the woods, far from prying eyes, like a fortress of evil where goblins lived and bolstered their strength.

As the birds approached the camp, they gave me a view of the goblins' structures. Their buildings were primitive, yet surprisingly effective, much to my surprise. Goblins were no architects by any means, but their camp was designed to provide them with safety and fulfill their basic needs.

The main structure in the camp was a large construction made from various materials, covered with a massive fur fabric crafted from numerous woolen pieces. At the entrance, there hung the skin of some wild beast, of higher quality than the fabric draped over the structure, adding an atmosphere of wildness and threat.

Around the main structure, there were tents and camps where the other goblins resided. They were dressed plainly and modestly, with clothing made from rough fabrics and animal hides. The tents served as their living quarters, gathering places, and storage for provisions and loot.

The entire camp was littered with the carcasses of animals and beasts that the goblins had caught. As hunters, they brought their prey to the camp to provide sustenance and raw materials. In some parts of the camp, the animal carcasses were being butchered and dismembered for various purposes.

The camp itself was surrounded by a makeshift defense formed by different types of goblins. Most of them resembled those I had killed earlier, but there were also more menacing-looking goblins among them. These goblins were not only larger than the previous group leaders, but they were also clad in more protective armor.

However, the most imposing figure in the camp was undoubtedly the Goblin King. He stood at the center of the camp on an improvised platform formed by tall stones and trees that served as natural walls and protection.

The Goblin King was massive, almost reaching a height of three meters. His skin was a shade of ashen gray, covered in old scars and battle wounds. He was clad in rough armor, covered with clothing made from skins and fabric bearing traces of bloodstains. His eyes, large and lively, gleamed with cruelty and malice.

The weapons of the Goblin King were as impressive as himself. In his hands, he held a massive, blood-stained sword with a sharp blade adorned with inscriptions. Nearby lay a shield made from a mix of materials: stone, leather, and metal. It appeared heavy and sturdy, designed to protect the Goblin King in battle. He took pleasure in watching his loyal subjects, as if training amongst themselves, engage in bloody fights.

Having observed their way of life, I decided to move closer to them without wasting any time. With each step into the forest, I felt the growing connection between myself and the blue arrow that remained with me in the woods. And so, as we continued to advance through the forest, after approximately an hour or so, we neared the goblin lair.

They were unaware of my presence, or at least I hoped they were. Finally, the time had come. I signaled the three birds to activate their "Hunter's Spirit." Once the ability was activated, it was as if something had surged through the goblins surrounding the camp. Their eyes turned bright red, and they started hurling stones at the birds. Some goblins armed with bows and arrows also attacked the birds, but to their dismay, the birds were impervious to harm and quickly headed towards the center of the lair, drawing all the goblins under the influence of the ability.

After some time, nearly all the goblins were gathered in the center of the camp, where their bewildered Goblin King shouted something in their language. However, seeing that most of his subjects were not listening to him, he flew into a rage. With a single blow, he dispatched several of the simpler-looking goblins, but his attack failed to subdue the rest. Realizing that something was amiss, he began looking around for the culprit, which was me.

I deactivated the observation panel and asked Ever, "Can I use the ability I received in the weekly lottery now?" I inquired in a determined tone.

"Yes, you can, but this ability has a cooldown time. The cooldown duration will depend on the number of affected enemies; the more enemies affected, the longer it will take to recover," Ever responded.

"So, I won't expend any mana on this ability, will I?" I asked, slightly hesitating.

"No, you won't," she replied briefly.

"Well, then, here we go!" I exclaimed, using "Shadow Leap" towards the center of the camp.