Chapter 14 - Multi Village Destruction, Ambushed

Floor 2: Goblin Infested Plains

Threat Level: H - H+

To advance to the next floor, defeat a tribe and use their totem in the Chieftains Hut to advance to the next floor.

Standing there for a moment, I look at the [Iron Leggings] and the [Gob Chief Necklace]. One is a much needed replacement for my pitiful [worn leather leggings] that has definitely seen better days. While the [Gob Chief Necklace] while common is a nice little bonus pulling up there info with inspect while changing out my leggings.

Iron Leggings

Description: Iron Leggings dropped from a Goblin Warrior on Floor 2 of the Tower of Alabaster.

Grade: Common

Defense: 10

Durability: 100/100

Gob Chief Necklace

Description: A necklace dropped from a Goblin Chieftain on Floor 2 of the Tower of Alabaster.

Grade: Common

Defense: 1

Durability: 100/100

Strength: 2

Reaching into the shadows at the chieftains hut, I wrap a tendril of darkness around a small object on the desk inside. The small object comes out of the hut pulled along by the tendril, leaving it floating in front of me. The small object is a wood carved totem in the rough shape of a Goblin with a sun like object above it. A quick inspect shows that it is the totem of this village.

[Goblin of the Sun Totem]

'Hmmm, requires me to actively try and use the it to move to the next floor. Before that though I am going to clear out a few more villages and collect more totems. Make the floor reward bonus that I learned about in class even better.' With a course of action set, I turn my attention to another Goblin village in the distance this one looking a little bigger and having what looks like wooden barricades built to defend.

"Looks like that one has been left alone for a bit of time if they managed to get up palisades." It reminded me of something that was taught in class. A horrible event before floors like this were classified as civilization floors. A hidden goblin village that spawned from the tower in the corner of the forest managed to develop so far that it ended up forming a goblin city and was beginning to send raids across the floor. A start of a goblin empire. The goblin city started sending raiding parties up the tower floors attacking everything in its path. The worst part was it sent them to the first floor to. No one noticed at first. But sightings and the amount of Climbers going missing so early in their career raised an alarm in The Guild. it took a team of A rankers to clear out the floors the goblins had entrenched into and bring back equilibrium to the lower floors. Some Tower civilizations are much like the goblins. While others have already thrived, some are actually friendly to Climbers. All the Towers around the world connect to the same Tower after Floor 10. The first ten floors of any tower specific to the region that it is in. 'I've heard that the Tower in the Capital has friendly dwarf city on the fifth floor with floors 1 through 10 having variations of undead. Though some people move to different cities to start their climb, it is not all that common. You generally begin your own climb wherever you were born and raised.' Shaking the thoughts of the Tower from my mind I focus on the goblin village that I am approaching.

Coming upon the main entrance to the village, I begin my trail of destruction as planned.

~A few hours later~

Combat Log for three goblin villages.

Goblin Warrior(Lvl:???) Killed. x12

Goblin Archer(Lvl:???) Killed. x5

Goblin(Lvl:???) Killed. x11

Goblin Ambusher(Lvl:???) Killed. x2

Goblin Scout(Lvl:???) Killed. x9

Goblin Chieftain(Lvl:???) Killed. x2

Experience Earned: 623

Tower Coins Earned: 195

Various drops acquired, duplicate drops and unneeded drops have been fed to the Dark.

Goblin Warrior(Lvl:???) dropped [Iron Boots]

Goblin Warrior(Lvl:???) dropped [Iron Armguards]

Goblin Chieftain(Lvl:???) dropped [Iron Ring]

Iron Boots

Description: Iron Boots dropped from a Goblin Warrior on Floor 2 of the Tower of Alabaster.

Grade: Common

Defense: 5

Durability: 100/100

Iron Armguards

Description: Iron Armguards dropped from a Goblin Warrior on Floor 2 of the Tower of Alabaster.

Grade: Common

Defense: 5

Durability: 100/100

Iron Ring

Description: A ring dropped from a Goblin Chieftain on Floor 2 of the Tower of Alabaster.

Grade: Common

Defense: 1

Durability: 100/100

Agility: 2

Sitting on a box in the third goblin village that I have destroyed, I look up at the sky. 'Looks like unnecessary things could be devoured for their natural energy by the Dark. Nothing left unused is the best feeling.' Nothing was spared in the villages I decimated with manipulation of the Dark. Standing up brushing the dirt from my armor and clothes. The new gear would have been crucial help for a pair of ambushers in the second village if I didn't have my manipulation. The goblins managed to create a tunnel system under their village that they tried to use to attack my legs and feet, hoping to hobble, cutting me down before the rest of the goblin fodder could get to me, didn't turn out well for them though as darkness within the tunnels crushed the life from them. 'The experience discrepancy seemed to high in the beginning, but with already 1/10 out of the way and being close to 2/10. I may be able to gain levels faster than anticipated.' Looking around at the destruction, I hear a whistle and as the darkness feels a shift at the outer edge of the village. The third village was the largest of the 3 I attacked, having wooden walls and on its way to becoming a fort. It had the highest concentration of goblins out of the three. The amount of energy and power the Dark has gained from all the duplicate gear that I didn't need or want. The corpses of the enemies. All of it fueled the Dark's radius and more.

A voice drifting in from the outer edge of the fort, "This one looks to be cleared out too, nothing left not even corpses. You think it's a beast from the upper floors?" a childish voice replies out. The reply comes from another a female, "No, you can see from the footprints the goblins were attacked and then straight vanished, no blood, or anything else." "If it was a beast there would be blood and bits everywhere. I don't like it." a third voice replies. Focusing on them through the darkness, they are the group of three from earlier, they are walking cautiously towards the center of the fort. 'To interact or not..' my face gets a pondering look. 'Though I still don't know if [NETWORK] will hide my outlandish skills. Envy and jealousy breeds hate and fear.' "Hidden.. yes.." a small smile graces my face. A small nod as the three come into the fort center. "Oh another Climber?" Allen calls out to me. Waving a hand showing my palms to keep a friendly air. "You all having a good climb today?" I say jovially. The man Allen looks at me scrutinizing me closer and says, "Wait you are familiar where did I.." the woman next to him chimes up, "He is the newbie from a day or so again at The Guild. Son of the Berserker." A smile comes to my face as I think of Elise and Niona. 'Wonder what they are up to now.' Allen looks at me, "That can't be, usually a newbie stops after the first floor to recover and what not. Wait did you clear this fort, that can't be you just started?" He eyes my gear for a second. "Those are all drops.. you have been doing pretty well then, as expected of the Son of the Berserker especially for a first time solo climb." Tril looks at me shaking his head, "What my foolish oaf of a brother means is, Nice to meet you I am Allen." The gnome snickers at his brother's look of shock, continuing smoothly when he finds his breath, "I am Tril, and the quiet lady is Alfa."

The woman let's out a sound of disgust, "Lady Alfa Esarae Tills from the Noble House of Antor." She drops her hood back platinum hair falling down her shoulders down her back framing pale skin. Deep emerald eyes with sharp eyebrows stare at me in consideration. The point of note is she has pointed ears, now many races have pointed ears, elves, fae, were's, some beastmen, she definitely seems to fall into the fae or elf category.

Smiling politely, my body moves before my mind can catch up performing an ancient elven greeting my hand rising palm up just under my heart with a small bow of the upper body.

The look of utter surprise comes onto Alfa's face. Which quickly disappeared. "Know many of the Elven culture, -" realizing I never introduced myself, I shift back into a normal standing position dropping my hand. "Apologies Lady Tills, my name is Nihr. And to your second question, I have met a few in the past. Spending some time with them." Keeping the wording vague I look out past them as something brushes the edge of my radius. For a moment I saw green skill but not a goblin. "Trouble.." the fort wall explodes in a massive shower of splinters and wooden debris flying everywhere a log smashing flying in the trios direction Allen's head snapping to the side eyes wide. Alfa is already infront of the trio. The sheen of a sword flickering up from her side as a sword splits the log in two halves sending them flying in different directions.

"Be careful there are more!" A shout from Allen sounds out as something smashes a hole on the opposite side of the fort. Splinters and wood cascades against a shield of darkness. That surged from the ground. That quickly fades into nothing. Trils is staring at me mouth wide, "FASCINATING!" his loud shout making Allen look to me, along with Alfa. "Pay attention." my voice echoes around us, causing wide eyes from Allen as shards of wood scrape against his leather jerkin.

The green body that I saw earlier, there were a few more in the radius now, standing in the dust as it clears from the holes in the walls are two Ogres. One lifts a hand pointing in my direction, "There! Kill That One!" another Ogre walks through the Fort main entrance and the wall behind me explodes once more as a fourth Ogre comes through.

"OGRES?!" Trils shouts terrified, Allen has a grim look cross his face, even the proud Lady Tills is even paler than what she normally looked like. "They shouldn't be here!" says Allen in a low voice. Alfa looks at them.. "All above level 10.. they are at least 4th of 5th floor monster's why are they down here.." she turns to look at me for a moment. Allen and Trils doing the same, "That one pointed you out why?" accuses Trils. Shaking my head getting a bad feeling [inspect] hits all four of the ogres.

[Inspected Ogres]

System Status

Tier:G+

Class:Ogre Warrior

Level:16

Health:???

Energy:???

Strength:68

Endurance:31

Dexterity:20

Agility:24

Perception:16

Intelligence:21

Wisdom:16

Charisma:14

Luck:9

Resistances

Physical Defense:

Elemental Defense:

Mental Defense:

Soul Defense:

Immunities:

N/A

Skills

Name Grade Level Description

Club Mastery [Uncommon] 1

Due to continuous use of a club, the user has increased strength and dexterity using them.

Leadership [Uncommon] 1

Through leading and organizing of those under it, whether through force or brains, it has gained the basics of leadership.

Inspect [Common] 1

Through continuous use of your perception and analyzing your Foes and Items you have wielded you have unlocked a basic Inspection Skill. Growth of this skill dependant on Perception, Usage, and Knowledge.

System Status

Tier:G

Class:Ogre Warrior

Level:13

Health:???

Energy:???

Strength:50

Endurance:28

Dexterity:19

Agility:26

Perception:14

Intelligence:15

Wisdom:12

Charisma:10

Luck:7

Resistances

Physical Defense:

Elemental Defense:

Mental Defense:

Soul Defense:

Immunities:

N/A

Skills

Name Grade Level Description

Swordsmanship [Uncommon] 1

The user has trained in the arts of the sword, honing skill and technique. Grants increased use of swords.

Leadership [Uncommon] 1

Through leading and organizing of those under it, whether through force or brains, it has gained the basics of leadership.

Inspect [Common] 1

System Status

Tier:F

Class:Ogre War Leader

Level:18

Health:???

Energy:???

Strength:80

Endurance:38

Dexterity:29

Agility:26

Perception:14

Intelligence:18

Wisdom:12

Charisma:16

Luck:15

Resistances

Physical Defense:

Elemental Defense:

Mental Defense:

Soul Defense:

Immunities:

N/A

Skills

Name Grade Level Description

Swordsmanship [Uncommon] 2

The user has trained in the arts of the sword, honing skill and technique. Grants increased use of swords.

Leadership [Uncommon] 3

Through leading and organizing of those under it, whether through force or brains, it has gained the basics of leadership.

Warcry [Uncommon] 1

A deep primal cry for war, ignites your fighting will bolstering your physical attributes.

Inspect [Common] 1

System Status

Tier:G

Class:Ogre Warrior

Level:14

Health:???

Energy:???

Strength:53

Endurance:25

Dexterity:21

Agility:21

Perception:17

Intelligence:15

Wisdom:12

Charisma:10

Luck:7

Resistances

Physical Defense:

Elemental Defense:

Mental Defense:

Soul Defense:

Immunities:

N/A

Skills

Name Grade Level Description

Swordsmanship [Uncommon] 1

The user has trained in the arts of the sword, honing skill and technique. Grants increased use of swords.

Leadership [Uncommon] 1

Through leading and organizing of those under it, whether through force or brains, it has gained the basics of leadership.

Inspect [Common] 1

'A War Leader.. those shouldn't be down here maybe a stray Orge or two but these four.. are here for me.. War Leader's for Ogres are only ever given missions by something higher rank these are from a group, Someone, Something wants me dead...' looking to my surroundings making sure that I have everything in sight. 'Something feels off.. very off. From the way the ogres are here, to the Trios posture something doesn't sit right..'

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