Chapter 21: [Vol-1] Ch.21 Of Goblins and Imps

The next day I wake up, and there still isn't any activity in the cavern, so I mark another day on the tally counter, that makes 45. I eat some food, and get to separating rock. After about half the day, I'm now halfway through the bucket, with a small pile of the lighter material building up in its bucket. It's probably not quite enough for another cubic inch, but I've only spent a little over half a day total, so I'd say I'm pretty content with the rate I'm getting it.

I stand up and stretch, and go to check the cavern again, looking through the small hole I made to peek out. This time though, I spot a few small imps running about, and the goblins standing up near the exit, summoning imps again. I quickly head back into the room, and double check my tally marks, and after verifying it's 45, I mark it down on the wall, and put a circle around it, and label it "goblin returns". I then check my status.

<LEGENDARY IMP>
Level: 24
HP: 300/300
MP: 90/90
Traits: Mana Affinity, Earth Manipulation, Mighty Imp
Magic: Stone Shaping

So, my HP is currently at the level of a level 100 common imp, and my mana is much higher than that. I obviously have no intention of challenging the goblins in my current state, so for now, I plan on waiting until the goblins leave, and picking off some imps for food and levels again. For now, I'll just check in frequently, and take note of when the goblins leave, so that in the future, I'll have a better idea of how long they stick around for. I don't know how long they've already been here, but the best I can do is guess.

Every hour or so, I get up and go check the cavern, then return to removing light material from the stone. By my normal sleep time, the goblins are still out there summoning imps, and I'm torn on what to do. On one hand, I can stay up, and really see how long they're out there for, but then I'll probably be too tired to kill some imps and gain some levels for myself. On the other hand, if I sleep, I'll have no idea how long they stay out there, but I'll probably have more opportunities to gain levels and food from imps.

After deliberating for a bit, I decide to sleep. While the benefit of knowing how long they're out there is nice, I already have some info, it's at least half a day, and probably more considering I missed when they exactly arrived. Especially since I missed when they arrived, I decide that the estimate I currently have is already good enough, and getting more meat and levels should be a higher priority, so I go to sleep. I'm very glad I started closing off my sub-cave normally now though, so I can feel some degree of safety despite the melee going on in the cavern.

When I wake up, I immediately go to check the cavern. The goblin party is gone, and there are already quite a few dead imps strewn about from their mutual combat. Just as I psych myself up to go and bait some imps along to fight me though, I spot a single goblin crawl out of a sub-cave. Damn, I was a little worried about that being a possibility, but it seems like we've reached the point where some of the imps have started to evolve. Which means I only have a few hours at most until the goblins turn up. I also will want to try to hide my presence from the goblin, so it doesn't inform the others about me later. I look quite distinct from other imps, so if it spots me out, I'll almost certainly need to try to kill it to prevent it from informing the others.

For now though, the goblin seems content to stay on the far side of the cavern, eating a nearby dead imp. I take the opportunity to get ready to open up my sub-cave to the cavern. Not all the way, but enough that I can get out, which means enough for others to get in. I bring over my bucket of marbles that I've removed the lighter material from the surface, and place it near the entrance. Then I open the sub-cave, and grab a marble, throwing at a nearby imp.

The marble hits the imp in the back of the head, and it turns around. As it looks in my general direction, I throw another marble at it, this time hitting it in the leg. It spots me as the one throwing things at it, and lets out a high pitched cry, and begins running at me. I duck back into my sub-cave, and wait for it to arrive.

Once it enters, I bait it back to my slaughterhouse space. If it had any recognition that the space it was in now was manufactured, it didn't show it, as it reached out to strike at me. Unfortunately for it, I've gotten quite decent at imp on imp combat, and my superior size easily allows me to out range and overpower it, quickly killing it. I then hang it over on one of my bleeding racks, and use a knife that is stored on a small shelf in the room to slit its throat to bleed it out into the bucket underneath its lifeless body.

Well, I definitely want more than just one, so I head back to entrance, and check the cavern. The goblin is still hanging out on its own side, so I target another imp. This one isn't quite as close, so I miss my first throw, but the imp is still startled by the marble hitting nearby, and after a few more shots, it spots me and begins running at me. I again bait it in to the slaughterhouse space, and quickly dispatch it.

This process repeats itself twice more, in relatively rapid succession. Now I have four imps draining blood into buckets along the walls. I only have space for one more imp on the wall, so I head back out to check. The nearest imps now are a bit further away, and I have a feeling getting their attention with the marbles won't cut it, as they probably won't be able to figure out where they were thrown from at this distance. Since I won't just be easily baiting them in one at a time like before, but instead going out into the cavern to fight, I decide to grab my gauntlet and buckler for a little extra help.

Once I'm all suited up, I slowly make my way into the cavern. I hug the wall as I travel in order to try to keep from attracting extra attention. I'm slowly making my way over to an imp that is near a sub-cave entrance a little ways away. As I get closer, the imp suddenly makes small noise, and faces the sub-cave. I stop and watch briefly, waiting to see what is happening. Then from within the sub-cave, a goblin comes out, and runs over to the imp that I was watching. The imp freezes, and turns to run, but is quickly caught, and killed.

I'm about halfway between my sub-cave, and the goblin now. Well, a loss is a loss, and I begin slowly backing away from the goblin back towards my sub-cave as I watch the goblin tear into the imp and begin eating. At this distance, I can tell that the goblin is a little less than a head taller than me. So he's about two heads taller than an imp. I continue quietly retreating as the goblin gorges on the imp, and I've almost made it back into my sub-cave when the goblin abruptly stops eating and stands up.

Slightly confused as to why it did that, I stop and watch. The goblin looks around for a bit, and then spots me at my sub-cave. As I look about, I realize I've made a small mistake. All the other imps have scattered from the nearby area. In fact, they keep a pretty wide breadth from the other goblin as well. As I started to climb the wall back towards my sub-cave, I must have made some noise. The goblin shows me a toothy grin and starts walking toward me.

Shit. I have to decide right now. I can run into my sub-cave, and close it off, and just hope that this doesn't get communicated, or I can fight. I briefly look over at the further goblin. He hasn't noticed either of us yet, and seems preoccupied eating his own meal. Okay, if he hasn't noticed, it's now or never. I'm going to try to kill this goblin. If I don't, there is a chance that all the other goblins will team up and kill me later, and that is something I have no chance of beating. I get into my sub-cave as the goblin is closing the distance between us. By the time I've made it in towards where the slaughterhouse area is, the goblin is close behind me, halfway between the entrance and me. I duck into the slaughterhouse, and ready myself for what will probably be my hardest fight yet. I briefly checking my status before the fight.

<LEGENDARY IMP>

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Level: 29
HP: 330/330
MP: 99/99
Traits: Mana Affinity, Earth Manipulation, Mighty Imp
Magic: Stone Shaping

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