Chapter 5: 5: An important decision.

While slowly crawling through the thick bush, accumulating small scratches at every step, the idea of taking just a small peek lost some of the initial appeal... Not that it had much, to begin with...

Crouching a little bit more and taking another step with caution so as to not make any noise— and to not scratch my body even more than I already did —my eyes landed on the thing. No, the monster. 

*kokiki ki keke*

Fortunately, there was just one of those green little dudes, crouched down, munching on a small rodent resembling a squirrel. The rodent was too bloodied for me to recognize anything else regarding its origins. Not that there would have been much of a difference if it wasn't in that state. I didn't recognize most of anything anyway...

As for the goblin...  There was not much to say outside of the obvious savagery in which it devoured the poor thing while letting creepy sounds from time to time. Oh, no... There was something. The thing was without a doubt a male. It was easy to see that since there was no dirty loincloth or anything to hide his... thing...

*ke keke ki*

*shiver* 

’Fuck it... I'm out. Goddamit goblin laughing like a freaking monster... Cmon feet, move!’

And they didn't. Despite my internal ramblings and random curses, my eyes were still glued on the goblin. Disgusted and terrified as I was, but at the same time fascinated by it. 

A thought that scared me even more than the thing in front of me formed in my head. I tried with all my might to discard it but somehow it wasn't working. 

That was a chance. 

Probably the only one I had. The thing was distracted and unarmed. His club was two good meters away from him. I had the element of surprise on my side and a weapon. Well, two weapons actually. 

On one hand, I had to be cautious, and not take unnecessary risks, but on the other hand, risks had their own benefits. In short, I didn't know what to do.

I was not stupid enough to think that the option of running away would be there forever. Sooner or later I would have no other option but to confront them, and the thing called level was obvious to me, as well as its significance and the most obvious method to increase it.

If I discarded such an advantageous situation... Well, this world did not look like a place where weaklings and softies had much of a chance at survival. Even more so if you were just dumped in a place full of monsters without any kind of preparations or information.  

’Speaking of information... Appraisal’

The level was a little high but with all the advantages I had... There was a big chance of success.

’Though, if the thing finishes that meal... yeah, the advantage is gone... no good...’

Even so, it was not a good decision to just charge blindly without a prior plan. Even if I wouldn't die this time, there was no telling what would happen the next time.

Damn, I should have stabbed something or at least try to familiarize myself with my spear a little. If I were to get out of this alive, that would be high on the to-do list. It could prove useful in situations like this one. 

Anyway, back to the original problem... I had the element of surprise. I had to make it count. 

I started to look for vulnerable parts that I could take advantage of. The head was out of the question. I probably wouldn't be able to stab its skull with my improvised spear and the club had too little range to my liking.

*shiver*

I could feel how my blood was going cold and goosebumps crawled on my spine. It was said that in these situations someone would start to sweat. Me, not so much. On the other hand, I could feel my body going cold as if I was naked in the winter and the problem wasn't some sudden decrease in temperature. It was just an uncomfortable feeling. Like some cold tinglings all over the body.

’Whatever... Not the head. What else?’

The legs... was not a bad choice. Hindering his movement useless was a good plan in case things would go bad and I had to run away... But the thing was still a monster and it could just ignore it for all I know. I doubted that pain and fear worked for it as it worked for me. And it certainly worked wonders for me.

Worse, it could enrage the thing and make it aggressive. 

’Too big of a risk. Something else. The one-shot head is no good, the legs were not good either... What else? Ehh... the belly?’

That would make huge damage for sure, not so much as the head but even so. The problem was that I couldn't attack it from the front so I had to strike it from the side. 

Fortunately, I got tired of carrying the spear and the club at the same time and attached the latter to my waist. I made some kind of belt from the same vines I used to make the club to cart it easier. 

If the situation got messy and I somehow lost the spear, the club would be within reach.

I made my way out of the bush, with small steps, my spear poised to stab it with all the courage I could muster. Fortunately, the thing was with its back to me and didn't seem to sense my approach. 

When I was close enough, I stabbed forward. 

*Kiiikiiiikiki* 

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The goblin started to scream and try to turn around to face its aggressor but my spear was embedded in his right side and I refused to let go of it.

As long as I could keep it pinned down and didn't let it stand, the victory would be mine. As the realization came to me, I strengthened my grip on the spear even further. I just had to keep it down like that. I just had to not let it go.

The beast struggled on the ground, screaming and throwing his hands and legs all over the place. His wild movements shock me from side to side but I didn't let it go as if my life depended on it. And that was because it was. 

After some time the goblin started to slow down seemingly losing his strength. The loss of blood was probably part of the reason too, but even so, it had taken too long. 

It was likely that our fight to be noticed by... by... I didn't even know... Noticed by anything around here was bad. So, I had to finish it fast. 

Making my decision, I let the spear go, grabbed the club resting on my makeshift belt, raised it high, and jumped straight at the weakened goblin while the thing descended right on its skull. 

The goblin attempted to stand but at that point, there was not much it could do. I smashed my club on his head and heard a sharp cracking sound.

The goblin twitched a little after which got limp. 

[*Ding: You have killed level 8 Cave Goblin!] 

[*Ding: You have reached level 2!]

[*Ding: You have reached level 3!]

” Oh my God, I have done it. ” I said while losing all the strength in my legs and crumbled to the ground. 

My breath was rough and my heart was beating wildly while all kinds of thoughts were spinning through my mind. Unfortunately, there was no time for resting. I was still aware of that much at least. 

’Now... haah... haa... let's get the hell out of this place... and quickly.’

Unstable and shakily as I was, I got up, grabbed my spear— which was still embedded in the goblin— and the club, and prepared to get the hell out of there. I looked at the now lifeless corpse for the last time and ran away. 

After some time I slowed down a little. There was no safe place anywhere anyway. I didn't want to tire myself for no reason. 

My spear and club were still dirty with the goblin blood. Which was not good. 

I started to rub the spearhead on the ground to scrape the blood from it. I wiped the rest of the blood with some grass and leaves. 

Using the same steps for my club, I managed to mask the smell as best I could. Keeping them was still a risk but I could not abandon my only weapons like that. I tightened the vines that got somehow loosened from the impact with the goblin’s skull and I was ready to keep moving.

” But first, a quick look at my status. ”

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” Are you kidding me? There's barely any growth at all... At least I was right and the stats got up... ”

There should have been a reason for it... And I couldn't pick a fight with the world for being unjust anyway... And there was no time for complaints either. 

’Do not forget where you are... Elizabeth.’

” ... ”

’This is so damn awkward.’

Worse, it was supposed to be my name from now on. Even worse, it was chosen by me... I couldn't even say it in my mind without cringing, let alone out loud. I didn't even want to imagine introducing myself to someone else like that...

Well, it could be worse... It could be them calling me by that name...

”...”

*sigh*

I sighed in defeat and decided that it was better to keep moving. For some reason, the forest was full of monsters out of nowhere and I didn't want to stay in one place for too long.

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