Chapter 21: 19. The Trial of Instinct

"FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" I screamed while I was giving my all to run away from the huge spider...

 

I was constantly dodging the attacks of the spider... It was trying to bind me using the webs that were being shot from its abdomen... The trees that we were leaving behind were now covered in sticky webs.

 

I was running as fast as I could but I couldn't manage to lose my pursuer... Its eight legs made the spider unbelievably fast...

 

"Shit!" I yelled as I managed to dodge another shot of the sticky web.

 

For how long have I been running!? This shit is getting annoying...!

 

(It has been ten minutes since you found the spider!) The goddess said cheerfully... She seemed to be enjoying the spectacle...

 

"Fuck!" I swiftly dodged another shot of the web...

 

Is this thing going to get tired from chasing me!?

 

(Well, she seems pretty hungry. She might also use your corpse to lay some eggs, so...) The goddess explained.

 

"That's way too dark! Why would you even tell me that!?" I shouted as I started running even faster with the hopes of losing the fucking spider.

 

This only motivated the spider to also run faster in order to catch me... The spider even started to shoot more of her sticky webs...

 

This is hell! No, the real Hell would have been better than this! Fuck all deities!

 

(Meh. Been there once. It's always hot and my uncles and cousins from there are a bit weird... The food is pretty neat though.) The goddess said casually.

 

Huh? What the fuck!?

 

(By the way, I ran out of popcorn. I'll be right back in a minute or two.) The goddess said with annoyance.

 

While I was desperately running away from the spider, and pointlessly insulting the deities of this world, I managed to spot something strange in front of me... There was a wide variety of bones with some meat attached to them...

 

Wait a minute... The goddess said that the spider was hungry, right?

 

...

 

I think I have an idea... It is a bit risky but... Ah, fuck it!

 

I ran as fast as I could and reached the bones. I immediately grabbed one and then stopped running. I turned around to face the white spider.

 

For some reason the spider also stopped running. It was looking at me with its multitude of eyes.

 

Here goes nothing...

 

"H-Hey! Want some meat!? Take this as a peace offering!" I showed the spider the bone that still had a lot of meat attached to it...

 

The spider actually tilted its head while watching me...

 

Is it working...?

 

I could see that some liquid was coming out directly from the mouth of the spider... It was saliva... As soon as it touched the ground, the saliva made a small crater... The dirt was melting...

 

Oi...! This spider's saliva seems to be acid... Why the fuck is even that possible!? No... Don't lose your composure... Just stick to the plan, Ru...

 

"Here! I'll give you this so please leave me alone!" I shouted as I threw the bone... It landed directly in front of the spider.

 

The spider didn't waste any time and started eating... It was like seeing one of my sisters when they eat... The bone and all the meat disappeared in less than ten seconds...

 

Did it work...?

 

The spider started to drool once again... It was looking intently at me... I don't think that's a good sign...

 

I immediately grabbed another bone and threw it to the spider. The spider ate the entire bone with the meat before it started drooling again...

 

"Please accept it and leave me alone!" I said as I threw another bone...

 

Man, this is probably the worst idea I ever had...

 

The spider and I were stuck in this exchange... I threw bones with meat at it and the spider simply ate those bones...

 

After five minutes, I finally ran out of bones...

 

"Oh no..." I was preparing myself to run again...

 

The spider simply tilted its head while looking at me. Its multitude of eyes were making me feel chills down my spine...

 

(Kay, I'm back... Ehh? What the...?) The goddess sounded genuinely surprised.

 

She's surely amazed that I managed to screw this up so badly... I should probably run away now...

 

As soon as I took as step backwards, the spider followed. It moved forward when I took that step backwards...

 

(Oi! I was gone for five minutes and you seduced the spider!? Why didn't you wait for me to do that!? Now I will have to see the replay!) The goddess was completely annoyed.

 

(Seduced...? What are you even saying!?) I yelled to the goddess.

 

I moved another step backwards and the spider moved towards me... It was still looking at me intently while keeping its distance.

 

(Well, she now wants you to fertilize her eggs to have many spiderlings. She doesn't want to eat you anymore.) The goddess said as if it was natural.

 

Ehh...? Did I hear that correctly?

 

(Yes, you did. You managed to make her fall in love with you! When is the wedding by the way? I hope I'm invited.) She asked with a teasing tone...

 

I looked at the spider in horror and confusion...

 

(How is that even possible!?) I protested as I was taking several steps backwards trying to escape from the spider... The spider followed me while keeping its distance.

 

(Her species is called Arbreata Lunara. These spiders have really interesting mating rituals. You see... Usually the female spider chases the male spider when the female one is starving. If the male gives the female some food, then the mating will begin. If the male doesn't share its food, then the female will devour the male and use the rest of the body of the male to lay eggs using the sperm of that same male spider.) The goddess explained...

 

What the fuck...?

 

(But... She knows that I am not part of species, right!?) I asked while being a bit weirded out...

 

(That's the thing! The female Arbreata Lunaras have the ability to mate with any male of any species if there's no male of their own species available. They are quite loving and overprotective of their husbands and spiderlings!) The goddess explained cheerfully. 

 

I'm horrified! That thing wants to mate with me!?

 

(Hey! Don't call her a thing! She's your loving fiancée!) The goddess said with a teasing tone.

 

I walked several steps backwards while trying to deal with the information just given to me by the goddess... The spider followed immediately.

 

The spider was drooling again... Its acidic saliva was melting the dirt beneath its legs...

 

Well... On the bright side, the spider doesn't want to eat me anymore... So, my plan was a success, I guess?

 

(I will give you ten points for seduction. Good job, Ru!) The goddess said jokingly...

 

(What do I even do with the spider now!?)

 

The spider suddenly disappeared for some reason. It was completely gone... I was a bit dumbfounded thanks to that...

 

(I took care of it... But jeez! Can't you just survive the trial without doing anything strange!? I had to allow that spider to evolve in order to get her out of there!) The goddess was annoyed.

 

Huh? The goddess just helped me...?

 

(Not quite... The spider would have surely helped you since you became her husband. And since this is a trial for you to complete on your own, I had to allow her to evolve to get her out of there... Well, I guess I can give you few points for creativity. Just don't pull that off again, m'kay?) The goddess said with amusement.

 

I... I think I'm scared of spiders now... For some reason, I think I missed a very important piece of information but I was too confused to even care about that...

 

(I know you're missing her already! Don't worry, I'll make sure to arrange a date for the two of you to meet again!) The goddess was excited.

 

I just silently fell to the ground while sulking...

 

"Man, what did I do to deserve this hell...?"

 

Fucking goddesses, I swear...

---

Okay! I have calmed down! It took me an hour, but I managed to calm myself down. That whole event with the spider was just terrifying... I hope I don't find another one...

 

Anyhow... The area where I was currently at was completely free of other creatures. I was able to gather some wood and made a campfire.

 

My best option is to just sit here and wait... But I know that won't be possible. This is a test for a reason, right? There's no way the goddess will allow me to just stay on one place during all of the trial. Taking that into consideration, I am making some preparations.

 

There were still some bones that didn't have any meat on them, so I am making some makeshift spears and knives with them.

 

The situation with the spider made me realize that even if I have some sharp claws and teeth, it wouldn't be possible for me to defeat enemies like that spider.

 

I instinctively knew that I wouldn't be able to fight the spider and survive, so that's why I ran away in the first place.

 

I mean, one shot of her web and I would be done for... Or like that red scaled snake and its poison... Even if I have these claws and fangs, they are not enough to overcome those predators that have better natural weapons than me.

 

If I get close enough to one of those spiders or those snakes, I would probably die thanks to their poison...

 

(You're really more intelligent than what your file says, Ru.) The goddess said as if she was complementing me...

 

(Is that supposed to be a compliment? Sigh... Forget about it.) I said before sighing heavily.

 

I was watching the fire as I was using my claws to sharpen the bones...

 

(Can I ask you something?) I said to the goddess.

 

You are reading story The Legend of the Goblin Hero at novel35.com

(Shoot!) The goddess answered happily.

 

(You didn't block my skills Crafting or Armed Combat: Spear because you were expecting me to use them from the beginning, right?) I asked.

 

(Who knows?) She feigned ignorance.

 

(You said that I already had all the tools I needed. This may be called the Trial of Instinct, but so far the only things I have done was to run away from everything... Even with my claws and teeth, I am not strong enough to deal with that spider, the bear, the pack of wolves or that snake. If my instincts tell me that I cannot deal with those predators using my natural weapons, then the most logical course of action is to look for countermeasures against them, right?) I said.

 

I know that there's the phrase: "Live to fight another day" but it doesn't really make any sense for me right now... Yeah, I could complete the trial by running away from any of the creatures from this forest since I have the stamina to do so... But I remember that the goddess said that she was here to make me give my all and make me worthy of the title of Hero.

 

Following that logic, running away would actually make me fail the trial. Yes, I would survive, but I wouldn't prove myself worthy of the title of Hero.

 

(Hehe... He... HAHAHAHAHAHA...!) The goddess suddenly laughed..

 

Ehh? Did I just say something strange? No way... I was wrong!? Is running away the correct option after all!?

 

(Man... I really need to give you some credit! You really are a bright lad! All of your assumptions are correct. I mean, what's the point of having a Hero that only runs away, right?) The goddess said with genuine amazement. on her voice.

 

Man... I really got scared that I was thinking something stupid and pointless... I'm glad that wasn't the case...

 

(I only said that the only rule to pass this test was to survive. Making weapons and tools is not forbidden. After all, you're using one of your natural weapons, your brain.) The goddess said with amusement.

 

I feel bad that I didn't consider making weapons when the trial began... That way, I would have been able to deal with that spider and I wouldn't have this trauma!

 

(Don't talk about your wife like that! She will be always waiting for you to have some spiderlings!) The goddess started teasing me again...

 

Sigh... Just don't give her the attention, Ru.

 

I continued to work on the makeshift bone spears and bone knives... The spears were almost as long as my usual one, so I don't think I will be uncomfortable using it.

 

I do wonder what kind of animal has such a large bones...

 

Who killed it? It was probably the bear that I smelled earlier, but I could be wrong.

 

I'm starting to feel a bit hungry. Maybe I should finish this soon and then go hunt something...

 

(Hey Ru... What do you think of my sister Electra?) The goddess suddenly asked.

 

(She's a bitch...) I replied instantly.

 

(I see... What if I told you that the things that happened in her Divine Realm were not really her faul...-) I couldn't listen to what the goddess was going to say...

 

My nose detected a familiar smell... I could hear dozens of footsteps coming towards me...

 

"Wolves..."

 

(Alright... We'll continue this conversation later... I ran out of popcorn again.) She said with a bit of annoyance in her voice.

 

I stood up and prepared myself to run away again... I mean, there's at least a dozen wolves aiming to take my life...

 

"No... I will not run away!"

 

I won't be running away anymore... I will kill all of those wolves and they will become my food!

 

I grabbed one of the makeshift spears and prepared myself... I closed my eyes and took a deep breath...

 

I could hear the wolves getting closer towards me... This time, they were coming from all directions. I was already surrounded so it was futile trying to run away in this situation...

 

I took another deep breath...

 

Time slowed down for me... I heard how some twigs and leaves were crushed under the paws of the wolves. With my nose, I knew the exact location of the wolves... They were all spread out in order to cut my ways to escape.

 

Unfortunately for them, I plan to fight this time.

 

I opened my eyes and launched one of the spears towards the location of one of the wolves...

 

"Eat that!" I shouted.

 

After a few seconds, I heard a pathetic yelp coming from that same direction... The smell of blood invaded my nostrils.

 

"Gotcha!" I said as I grabbed another bone spear.

 

I only have two more of these spears and four small bone knives. Two of those bone knives are not finished...

 

I heard how the footsteps of the wolves became more frantic. They were rapidly approaching me.

 

I quickly launched another spear towards one of the wolves. The spear found its target but it wasn't able to kill the wolf. I could now hear the wolf shrieking in pain...

 

Two wolves down.

 

The other wolves managed to get close to me... They were already growling at me.

 

I got close to the campfire while grabbing the last bone spear with my left hand... Just wait for them to come, Ru.

 

I was calmed. My instincts were not giving me any kind of alarm. The situation was completely under my control. I didn't feel any fear towards the wolves, much less the desire to run away. I could take care of all them right now.

 

Three of the wolves didn't waste any time and charged at me... I was waiting for them to get closer to me. As soon as I noticed that they were about to jump at me, I grabbed one of the sticks that I used to make the campfire and attack the wolves with the flaming end of the stick.

 

That simple action made the wolves stop their charge. The one who took the hit of the flaming stick yelped in pain. The other two growled as soon as they noticed the stick. I didn't waste any of my time and stabbed one of the wolves with the bone spear.

 

Just like the first time I fought against wolves, the spear managed to penetrate the skull of the animal without any kind of trouble.

 

I then noticed that one of the wolves was aiming to bite the hand that I was using to held the spear. I immediately let go of the bone spear and used my claws to slice up the neck of the wolf. I used the flaming stick to hit the remaining wolf. The wolf shrieked in pain as soon as the flaming stick came into contact with its skin.

 

I hit the last wolf a few more times and it's fur suddenly caught fire... Sadly, the flamming stick was no more. It broke after hitting the wolf a bunch of times.

 

The wolf whose fur caught fire was now running around while howling in pain.

 

(You bastard! Don't burn my forest!) The goddess said with anger.

 

I, of course, ignored her since there was no such rule about fire on this trial.

 

I retrieved the bone spear and grabbed another flamming stick. The rest of the pack of wolves were now more cautious of me... I didn't wait for them to approach me, I went to them instead. I immediately dashed towards one of the wolves.

 

I threw my spear towards one of the wolves. I managed to hit it on its side. The beast yelped as soon as the spear penetrated its flesh. I didn't waste any time and used the flamming stick to attack it. I hit its head repeatedly until I was sure it was dead. The flamming stick broke almost immediately.

 

Three wolves tried to jump at me as soon as I retrieved my spear. I jumped back and used the corpse of the previous wolf as cover. The three wolves bit the flesh of their dead comrade. As soon as I got the opportunity, I thrusted my spear into the head of one of the wolves. The spear found its way into the brain of the wolf.

 

The spear shattered the skull of the wolf like it was made out of glass.

 

The other two wolves jumped back when they saw their comrade perish. I quickly recovered my spear as the corpse of the wolf fell to the ground.

 

For some reason, the situation made me grin from ear to ear. I'm strong... I can complete this trial... I will not fail... Those were the thoughts that were running through my head. Not even once I was worried about the wolves. I knew that I could handle them.

 

The wolves were growling at me... All of the remaining wolves were now grouped. They were preparing themselves to attack me...

 

Unexpectedly, the wolves quickly turned around and then they ran as fast as they could.

 

"They escaped? How weird... The first time I fought wolves, their group didn't run away even though I was slaughtering them..." I wondered to myself.

 

Suddenly my whole being trembled... My instincts raised the alarm. My body moved on its own and jumped backwards...

 

I barely made it in time... I managed to dodge the corpse of a rather large deer. It was thrown at me by a creature with a very imposing appearance. As soon as I looked at that creature, I knew I was not match against that thing...

 

It was a very 4 meter large lion. It had a majestic lush mane. The lion was looking at me as if I was nothing but a small pebble on its way... No, it was looking at me as if I was just an appetizer...

 

(Yeah... That's not a lion. That's a Liger. A Grashouzen Liger to be precise. It is very hungry right now.) The goddess explained.

 

A liger? The hybrid between a Tiger and a Lion? Are you kidding me!?

 

I was completely dumbfounded.

 

The liger moved forward. It suddenly roared with all of its might to assert its dominance... Its massive fangs were scary!

 

The liger ran at me and tried to attack me with its very large claws... I barely managed to dodge its attack by crouching and then moving to the side.

 

I tried to gain as much distance from it as fast as I could but the Liger's eyes were completely focused on me...

 

What do I do in this situation? Do I run? Do I fight? What can I do against such an opponent...?

 

The Liger was standing proudly, that beast knew that it could kill me right now if it wanted to do so...

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

I can't run away just like that... Just the mere thought of running away from this kitty makes me want to puke. I disgust myself for even thinking of running away... My instincts tell me that it is dangerous to fight but... My pride will not allow me to escape.

 

I tightened my grip on my spear and prepared both my body and spirit to face the Liger.

 

"I wonder how liger meat tastes like." I said while licking my lips. For some reason, I couldn't prevent myself from smiling.

 

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