Chapter 53. Curiosity

Caw, Caw, Caw. The bird rushed forth as it tried to find a safe place for it's tamer. Ash in tow not too far away, leaning on his saber after having battled a group from a small sect. Blood oozing from one of his sides he moved behind his feathered friend to move from the jungle to the mountains.

"First the jungle, then the forest, then another forest, then the freaking valley. I can't catch a break."

"Squak, Squak, Squak"

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know that was a stupid move but what else was I supposed to do."

Grim sat on a branch with a cynical look.

'Damn bird increased his intelligence stat a bit and thinks he's a freaking strategist. Day 20 and this bird is still too darn stubborn.'

Coming to a small rock formation covered in moss, Ash saw that it was the entrance that seemed abandoned by whatever creature was previously inhabiting.

Grim looked inside the hole for a little before alerting Ash to the slight danger.

"Oh what now?" Ash hissed as he wobbly got into a ready stance while communicating with Grim on how to handle the guest in their much needed temporary base.

Getting ready to launch an attack, Ash could see nothing but a gray blob sticking to his face. Falling on his ass, with a sticky substance attached to him. Ash listened and immediately rolled to the side as sharp metal objects pierced the ground where he was standing.

'A little help, would be great buddy.'

The link wasn't even needed to know that Grim was rolling his eyes.

"I know you're rolling your eyes, get to work. I swear, you don't get your way one time and you throw a tantrum. Freaking miser."

An emotion wasn't even sent through their link, Ash could feel the side eye even with a face covered in goop.

Grim watched as attacks were systematically fired out of the hole but not before Grim fired a piercing ray into the hole that caused a hiss.

Popping up from the hole was a goblin that looked a bit snake like. Performing a status check Ash was surprised at the little guy before him.

Beast: Serpent Blooded Goblin (f- rank)

Attributes: Earth, Metal

Male

Innate skill:

Greedy Bastard- If anyone can find some treasure it'd be this cunt.

Skills: [Shard Toss] [Trapper's Mind] [Treasure's Musk] [Soil Toss] [Hallow Tunnel]

{Str: 3.0 Sta: 2.5 Agi: 3.0 Vit: 0.5 Int: 3.0 Spi: 3.0}

Trying to stand Ash faltered back to his kneeling position. "This thing has a pretty great skill.... but what the heck is with the description?! Never seen something like that before, and how the hell does a goblin have serpent's blood?"

The goblin threw more soil at the two causing them to stay at a distance.

Acting as though he were trying to push forward, Ash attacked with more vigor as some of the critter's attention went to him. Seizing the opportunity, Grim sped up as he clawed down with [claw swipe].

The goblin was already crouched with a hand touching the dirt as it tore through the ground with astonishing speed, disappearing. Using his qi sensing technique Ash felt a weak qi presence a distance away. Running forth, Ash dug his hand into the loose soil and pulled out the struggling mud slinger.

Grim flew down and landed on the goblin's head, claws tapping slightly on it's scaly skin.

"Look here you, I don't care if this is your home, we're crashing it for a while."

Anger fueling his serpentine eyes, the goblin looked at the two before breaking out into a cold sweat. Speaking gibberish the goblin pointed to it's lair as it threw it's hand out towards Ash.

"Oh this is rich, a goblin extorting me for money. You're yanking my nuts sir."

Looking again at the little guy that was no bigger than 3 and a half feet. Ash saw the pleading and want in his eyes and he sighed.

"I swear I could just....." Taking some coin out of his pocket Ash slammed the money into the Goblin's scaly paws. Those four fingers closed so fast Ash would've thought they were never open to begin with.

Grim observed this with interest, the little goblin seemed a bit more knowledgeable than he'd thought. A sly look flashed in his eyes at it seemed to understand something.

Dropping him, the goblin got up with a mouth full of drool in his mouth.

'That innocent look is nowhere to be found when he's got money in hand. He may really be a greedy bastard. Haaaaa, but I can't take his home for free like that. Would've been easier if he tried to kill me for it. I'm kinda in the wrong here. Dad wouldn't be pleased right now.'

"Let's go Grim." Heading into the well-hidden entrance, Ash found himself in a cozy little abode filled with rocks and metal. Too tired to look around, Ash found a large slab, laid his stuff down, and had Grim do one of his now favorite passions. Taking some healing pills and bandages, Ash treated himself.

"Make sure to get more than enough to create a covering for the opening."

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Grim's POV*

'Me like collecting.' Flying around the bird saw the goblin again and out of curiosity struck up a conversation.

"You, smart, get objects."

'Yea.' The goblin was guarded but very quickly took to Grim's complement.

'You weak but get objects.' The goblin wasn't able to catch the slight insult in the feathered birds words but enjoyed the complement, nonetheless.

Watching the goblin Grim noticed that he was smelling around with his forked tongue occasionally flickering. Grim tilted his head before offering his help.

Squak, "I, help find." Hesitancy was laid bare on the goblin's face but it smiled deviously.

"Yea.... help." The goblin then proceeded on with his strange antics as he licked the ground, danced around, and dug in certain areas. Grim watched all the while studying what the goblin did.

Smelling around for the final time the goblin looked at Grim. A smile so wide that it almost seemed impossible, appeared on the goblin's face.

"Good object" Pointing in a distant direction the goblin started walking over.

Grim started to move in that direction but paused slightly. Looking back between where Ash was staying and where the little goblin was heading off to.

'Object, Ash, Me , Happy' Now filled with resolve, Grim sent Ash a message that he was doing something.

The little goblin looked back grumbling at the slow but scary bird and waited. Grim eventually came to the relief of the goblin. Setting forth the unlikely duo moved further and further away from the goblins abode.

They moved a few miles reaching a particular area that seemed to have a small creek. The goblin immediately became cautious with Grim following suit.

A colorful chameleon hopped around with great agility as it swung it's tongue like a mallet down at an armored crawfish.

The Adonis like crawfish bobbed and weaved like a skilled fighter. It's upper body humanoid while the lower body was beast like. Blocking the heavy tongue the muscular crawfish attempted to cut the tongue with it's free claw.

A fine coating appeared as the claws tried to clamp down on the chameleon's tongue. Amounting to nothing the chameleon used the hold it's enemy had on his tongue and pulled itself forward.

It's legs sprung off the crawfish causing it to knocked back. Using the opportunity the chameleon pressed the crawfish and wrapped its legs around its head.

The two creatures watched as a crack sound, followed by the limp body of the crawfish. Yet neither moved when seeing the chameleons victory as a wolf like creature tore from the water and snatched the chameleon into it.

Burrowing a hole the goblin beckoned for grim to enter. Together they made a tunnel that approached an area not too far from the creek. However the goblin's careful tapping, frequently flickering of tongue and strange grunting sounds betrayed that he had a specific destination in mind.