Chapter 40

Stone ignored him and watched as another five goblins rushed inside of their camp. They fervently searched for the enemy. Needless to say, the search was not fruitful as their enemy was an inconspicuous little white pebble, laying near their compatriots' bodies.

"I want you to kill two of them. Let the others run. We will follow them. Create a misdirection. Kill two. Just two!" Lucifer highlights the words 'two'.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you for the first time," Stone replied, a bit annoyed.

"Don't be cheeky with me, you wretched mineral," Lucifer hissed.

Stone waited until they settled.

After the goblins carefully searched the whole cavern, even with their expertises and found nothing, they walked to the corpses. Stone observed with interest as they skinned and gutted them. After that, they threw the innards to the kettle, resting within the campfire, while salivating.

[Your heat is at 36% of maximum capacity]

While distracted, Stone formed a [Mana Point] with 10 normal mana points and the heat as far from himself as possible, in this case, 5 metres away. It detonated into a deafening noise and a brief, but intense flash of light.

The goblins jumped into the air from shock and fervently rubbed their eyes.

They shortly argued in gruff voices and two of them left to the area where the flash exploded.

'Swish! Swish!'

Two refined mana arrows pierced the goblins' spines. Stone was gradually getting more proficient in the usage of spells and as the system didn't count this as a 'battle,' he was able to utilize the [Meditation] technique, increasing his casting speed by 10%.

[You have killed a 1st-tier goblin 2 times]

[28.65% experience is split according to talents Subordinate and Parasite]

[Lucifer gained 2.87% experience]

[Stone gained 25.78% experience]

Their bodies collapsed like a rotten tree. A knife slipped from the goblin's hand, loudly clanging on the ground. The three survivors rapidly turned to the sound, gazing upon the two fresh corpses. They shot a glance at each other with an understanding. They ran as if the ghosts were following them.

"Hehe, no ghosts. Only a pebble," Lucifer smirked. "So? When are you going to follow them? They will lead us directly to their camp," he smugly inquired.

"Camp? Oh, it was your plan all along… Okay!" Stone happily replied, finally understanding his partner's plan. He ordered the ants' souls to quickly follow them. They rushed at around twenty kilometres per hour, barely able to keep up with the goblins.

After an hour and a half, they reached a huge cave. Stone could not even 'see' the other side.

The whole cavern was crammed with tents constructed from bones and scarlet leather. On the other side of the cavern, across them was located a two-storey huge tent.

Stone quickly examined his surroundings, the inside of the cavern was full of screeches and odd, loud noises. He stubbornly refused to enter such a place.

"We need to…" Lucifer was mercilessly interrupted before he could even say his piece; "No!"

"But…"

"No! Loud!" Stone issued.

"No, no, no! I completely forgot! That stupid Subordinate talent! Damn!" Lucifer internally swore, not daring to say another word. He did not want to Stone know he could order him as he wished… He shivered, "Fine!" Lucifer capitulated. It was for the best for now.

The camp was brimming with goblins, doing their stuff; some were sleeping, while others bet on dice or took part in some other festive activities.

Stone observed the encampment for two hours, seeing many goblins leaving and arriving through the several shafts and learning their habits. Meanwhile, Lucifer taught him what he knew about the goblin race. He had heard plenty about them as his past was filled mostly with goblins running towards his hosts.

[Your intelligence had risen by 1]

"This looks like a small encampment. I wonder why it's here. They are close to the druegars' village, and a few days away should be at least one outpost belonging to the Army of the Abyss..." Lucifer muttered as he observed with Stone. "Enough observing! Let's commence our happy party!" Lucifer proclaimed without a speck of mercy for these creatures.

"Happy… You mean murder?" Stone deadpanned. He was a master of deadpanning. It was his most used expression, after all.

"Yes. Let's go! Kill the goblin!" Lucifer wanted compensation for the 'mercy' he showed to those three goblins.

"Luci, I want to ask... Do you have something against them? Whenever I killed one, you chuckled"

"Yea, I have. I am not ready to talk about it…" Lucifer's good mood disappeared like steam above the pot as he recalled the past.

"Sorry," Stone apologized.

"Haaah, fine," Lucifer sighed. "Anyway," he said after a moment of awkward silence, "from the size of this cavern, I would say that there should be around 200 goblins and several tens of second-tier guards. In the big tent will probably be a 3rd-tier leader or someone with a class. I would bet everyone here are Monsters," he explained. "Now, find sleeping goblins and kill them, but do not raise any attention," he explained to Stone his battleplan.

After that, Stone was carried by his ants' souls from tent to tent, killing goblins with arrows, needles, or dagger made from refined mana.

[Your skill Mana Carving gained a level]

[Your spell Mana Point, technique Ambient Mana Refinement, skill Mana Carving, will be able to evolve after meeting conditions]

[You have killed a 1st-tier goblin 12 times]

[160.80% experience is split according to talents Subordinate and Parasite]

[Lucifer gained 16.08% experience]

[Stone gained 144.72% experience]

[You have levelled up!]

[You have levelled up!]

The addictive pleasure of levelling washed over Stone as he grew, amplified by another wave of the feeling enveloping him from levelling up twice. It was more powerful than ever before and he was left with a craving for more.

Stone reached the maximum level for his current stage with glee. At least, that was what he and Lucifer thought.