"This will be your temporary residence since you had agreed to join us on the condition of water… I don't believe you are the type of man to go back on your word, are you?" she asked with a tilt of her head as she flashed a bright smile in his direction.
Wilhelm smiled wryly and glanced at her, "Unfortunately, you seem to have misjudged me for someone who actually cares about measly words. I'm someone that acts based on benefits" he said with a calm smile as he took a step forward, towering over the small woman.
However, contrary to his expectations, she didn't falter in the slightest. Instead, she walked away and waved, "then I can trust you for as long as I am the one who offers you the best deal, right?" she called out after she walked a certain distance, disappearing from Wilhelms sight.
Wilhelm stared incredulously at the spot where her figure had disappeared into. The moonlight perfectly illuminated his lone figure as muffled laughter escaped from his lips.
"interesting," he said lightly and pushed aside the drapes of cloth sealing his tent.
He didn't have any particular reason for staying, other than the fact that he didn't want to sleep on the ground with the danger of animals attacking at any minute. This way, he could sleep peacefully, and at the very least, eat some well-cooked food for a change.
With this in mind, Wilhelm wrapped himself up with his ragged clothes and looked through the holes in the tent, gazing at the night sky. He felt that the little encampment possessed many secrets, especially Anna. Alas, he couldn't put his finger on it. Though, he did notice the minute details.
***
The next morning, Wilhelm woke up after a great night of sleep and lazily stretched his limbs. The smell of burning meat wafted into the air and many people could be heard talking. Something he hadn't yet experienced since arriving at the holy land.
A smile formed on his lips as he exited his tent and stretched his limbs even wider. However, his good mood was soon ruined by a piercing scream, which was generated from the eastern side of the encampment. Shocked, Wilhelm quickly rushed in that direction.
He passed by the other startled residents and soon arrived at the front of the encampment, where a few corpses struck with dozens of arrows entered into his line of sight. He then raised his eyes and couldn't help but whistle in admiration at the sheer number of goblin-like creatures just a few meters away from him.
They were stout-like figures without any body hair. Not only were they extremely short, but their skin was also a dark shade of green and they carried hideous expressions on their faces. This, however, wasn't what caused Wilhelm to whistle. It was the advanced weaponry and vast numbers they possessed.
They numbered easily in the hundreds and were equipped with bows, swords, and even shields. Whereas they, the humans, wielded robust sticks and rocks. Such a sight would be unfathomable back on earth. But here, it made Wilhelm chuckle at the irony. Which inadvertently caused him to become the center of attention.
After all, his appearance was very abnormal, especially his unusual behavior in such dire circumstances. Even the goblins stared curiously at Wilhelm's laughing figure, and the person in question attempted to stop himself from giggling, but he just couldn't.
CHAPTER TEN
After a few more moments of awkward laughter, Wilhelm finally managed to contain himself and closely scrutinize the goblin-like creatures. Their ripped and densely packed muscles were visible and seemed to nearly pop out of their body. Their formation was similar to how humans would've generally moved in the medieval era. Therefore, their intelligence was not to be underestimated.
Wilhelm quickly deduced that these goblins have presumably lived in this forsaken world for quite a while. This meant that they were no strangers to battle, nor could they be taken lightly. Although they were normally weak creatures inside of video games; in this world, they were completely different.
To the humans who lived a comfortable life sitting on their sofa watching TV, the goblins were much stronger. Not to mention the fact that they were in possession of bows and stone weapons. If they fought, the humans would more than likely die tragic deaths.
Thus, Wilhelm could only tap the few bystanders close to him and open his thin lips, "RETREAT!" he roared, and in response, they, along with the goblins, broke out of their stupor. Panic spread across the entire encampment as they rushed away from the goblins who were now charging forward.
An ominous breeze coursed through the air and fluttered Wilhelm's long hair as he gazed upon the massive goblin army. A large number of humans ran by his shoulders as they retreated and even a few arrows streaked across his face.
A strange smile formed on his lips as he slowly trod forward, walking against the grain. He hadn't felt an adrenaline rush quite this strong as of late. There was nothing more exciting than war, to him. Perhaps, he could join his old war buddies in the afterlife, he was always regretful that he was the one to survive, and not his friends.
Wilhelm wasn't someone who cared much about his life. In fact, he had lost all of his family and loved ones long ago. After regularly killing people and being surrounded by death, even he, the governments dog, grew weary. His Alias used to strike fear into the third-world countries who were fearful of assassination.
Thinking to here, Wilhelm smiled wryly and broke out into a sprint. he took out the dagger he had taken from Anna's treasury and ran headfirst into the goblin army. Using his inhumane capabilities, he easily dodged the arrows that streaked by him and jumped over the first line of goblin warriors.
The stout goblins immediately frowned and raised their head, stabbing toward Wilhelm who was a few meters above them. Their short, stone swords were easily dodged by Wilhelm who maneuvered his body whilst in the middle of the air.
Like an acrobatic master, Wilhelm quickly landed on the ground and thrust his dagger into the neck of a nearby goblin. It penetrated a few inches of skin before being stopped by the sheer durability of the goblin bodies. Thus, Wilhelm quickly pulled his dagger out and dodged the oncoming strikes from behind.
Soon, the small goblin army formed a circle around Wilhelm and stopped paying attention to the other retreating humans. As if they found a new toy, many of the goblins laughed wildly as they pushed a small goblin forward.
It was the same one that Wilhelm had stabbed earlier. Blue blood dripped from its neck and stained its leather armor. It glared hatefully at Wilhelm and took a few steps forward, tightly clenching its short sword.
Seeing this, Wilhelm sneered and juggled the small dagger in his hands. Although the goblins were tough, they had never been taught to fight one another, nor were their fighting techniques advanced. So, Wilhelm who was masterful at fighting intelligent creatures, held a strong advantage.
He suddenly kicked off the ground and rushed toward the small goblin, his hair fluttered in the wind as he approached the creature. In response, the green beast looking at Wilhelm mockingly and brandished its weapon, heaving it diagonally.
The goblins physical prowess was incredible; his cleave even wafted up a strong wind. However, Wilhelm merely halted his movement at the last moment, taking 1 step back. The stone sword barely missed Wilhelm by an inch and stabbed into the ground.
Wilhelm smiled and took a step forward, stabbing his dagger into the same hole that he had made previously. This time, however, it went even deeper and blood spurted out like a fountain. The shocked goblin applied pressure to its wound and opened its eyes wide whilst staring incredulously at Wilhelm.
It took a few steps back and tripped on its feet. It attempted to call out for help, but only the sound of gurgling echoed out. Slowly, the life within the goblin’s eyes faded and the entire surroundings turned silent.
None of the other goblins made another sound as they observed Wilhelm, their curiosity piqued. They were a fighting race, so in accordance with that, they respected those with strength, and preyed upon those that were weak.
The goblins that were once laughing looked at Wilhelm with excitement, they were br
eathing heavily at the thought of battling with him themselves. Suddenly, within the crowd, a taller and more robust goblin walked out.
Contrary to the other goblins, this one possessed facial hair and much sturdier muscles. He even wielded a more advanced spear, a sly smile playing on his lips. He pointed at Wilhelm with his thick finger and then patted himself on the chest and spread his arms wide.
Wilhelm's eyes dilated, 'is he trying to recruit me into his clan?' he thought inwardly. His shock clearly displayed itself on his face as his jaw dropped whilst staring at the very large goblin.
To test the waters, Wilhelm nodded his head with a twitching smile, to which the goblin leader beat his chest and laughed. Following which, the rest of the goblins laughed and approached Wilhelm with smiles on their faces.
"Now this is a strange development…" Wilhelm said, but his thought process was soon interrupted by a notification.
[Goblin Warrior slain: 150 experience acquired]
[1250/1600 EXP until level 6]
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The rather grotesque goblins surrounded Wilhelm with smiles on their faces, patting his back and laughing loudly. The fallen goblin which he had killed prior was trampled on by its own kin as if it had never even mattered in the first place.
All of this was, of course, observed by Wilhelm. Such a thing was common for those who worshipped strength. However, the most important thing to Wilhelm was gaining knowledge about the world he was currently in. As such, he didn't hesitate to "join" the goblins.
He used hand-signs and other strange gestures to somewhat communicate with the unintelligent goblins. It took Wilhelm a few minutes until he was finally understood by the leader, who was a size greater than the rest.
The leader goblin slammed his chest and then pointed in a direction, shrugging his shoulders and waving Wilhelm on. Assuming that the leader wanted him to follow, Wilhelm did just that. He and the other goblins slowly formed into an "echelon" like formation as they followed the leader.
Such a strange sight would easily shock any human who bared witness to it. However, most of them had already run away with their tails tucked between their legs. Even Anna was nowhere to be seen as if she abandoned the others first.
Suddenly, a wry smile formed on Wilhelm's lips as he subtly pulled the goblin corpse by its tusks. Even in a strange situation like this, he was forced to bury the remains due to his secret class. His previous good mood was washed away as he bitterly carried the compact and heavy goblin to the encampment he was led to.
Droplets of sweat streaked down Wilhelm's body and clothes as he carried the carcass. They had been walking for an absurd amount of time and dusk slowly encroached upon the lands. Wilhelm's feet were sore and the savannah they treaded across seemed to never end.
Soon, as the last light was about to fade away, walls appeared at the edge of the horizon. From what Wilhelm could see, they were built by stacking some kind of rock, lined with wood. It was by no means, advanced masonry, but it would suffice for a goblin clan.
As they reached the entrance to the goblin stronghold, Wilhelm collapsed at the gates, breathing heavily. The goblin carcass rested by his side and the blood just about all dried up. The other goblins scrutinized Wilhelm curiously for a few moments before walking away, uninterested.
A bitter smile appeared on Wilhelm's face as he was deemed strange, even by goblins. He begrudgingly removed his dagger from the pockets of his pants and began digging a relatively large hole. He didn't care if it was directly in front of the goblin entrance, he just wanted to get rid of the remains as quickly as possible.
Dusk turned into night and Wilhelm's hole was finally complete. He kicked the goblin corpse into the grave and covered it back up with dirt. A relieved sigh escaped from his mouth as he sat on the grave and peered up at the moon.
[100 experience has been acquired for burying a hateful goblin corpse]
[1350/1600]
[Completed burials: 4/100]
Wilhelm wasn't even capable of appreciating the alerts that popped up in front of his eyes before drifting off to sleep. Yes, he passed out directly on top of a goblin burial, not at all worried about his personal hygiene.
Soon, the night passed, and the blazing sun once again illuminated the lands. The heat irritated Wilhelm's now smooth skin and caused him to reluctantly flutter his eyes open. His body and clothes were covered in dirt and only his emerald green eye remained beautiful.
His long hair rested on his shoulders as he slowly got up from the ground, lazily stretching his limbs whilst yawning. His eye-patch loosely covered his right eye and he couldn't help but scrunch up his nose due to the foul stench.
He looked to his left and a rather cute creature greeted him. She was much shorter than the other goblins and possessed much smoother skin in comparison. She was green in color, but nonetheless, her sparkling eyes didn't warrant any disgust.
A cute smile played on her lips as she handed Wilhelm a plate full of food. It was an assortment of uncooked innards, eyeballs, and other disgusting goblin delicacies. Wilhelm almost barfed right then and there.
"Thank you, darling, but no thank you… I'll be procuring my own breakfast." Wilhelm said while rubbing his forehead, trying not to displease the young lass. Even he was somewhat surprised at his adaptability to surreal creatures such as goblins.
The young goblin girl tilted her head in confusion at Wilhelm's reaction and pushed the plate closer. She then set it on the ground and ran back to the goblin stronghold whilst giggling happily.
Wilhelm glanced at her retreating back and the revolting plate of food at his feet for a few moments before walking away. When he was walking to the goblin stronghold, he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings.
Their environment was full of large rocks littering the ground. Huge mountains could be seen in the distance and not many trees nor grass were present. The air was rather musky, and Wilhelm presumed that the creatures who inhabited this area were different than the ones in the forest.
With this in mind, Wilhelm decided not to investigate the goblin stronghold for the time being and opted to survey his surroundings first. He walked to his right and trailed a decently large rock with his right hand, making sure that he marked his path.
This continued for around 10 or so minutes until he stumbled upon a large entrance to a cave. A thin, blue wall blocked the entrance and Wilhelm couldn't help but approach the blue barrier. Inquisitive, he reached out with his hand and touched it with his index finger.
Suddenly, he felt his body being pulled in by an unparalleled force. A strange swirl appeared, and Wilhelm closed his eyes in shock. An unknown amount of time passed, and Wilhelm opened his eyes after hearing a strange notification.
[Dungeon: Insect kings’ hideout]
[Difficulty correspondent to challengers’ strength: hell]
[Time limit: Infinite]
[Type: Singular dungeon, no other human will be allowed to trespass while you are present]
[Chance of survival: 0.1%]
[Good luck!]
"...huh?"
CHAPTER TWELVE
Wilhelm stared blankly at the dozens of notifications that appeared in his line of sight as if it were an interface. He had just gotten finished burying a corpse, and now he was stuck in a dungeon that he couldn't escape from.
The surroundings were extremely dark. Even with his night-eye skill, he could barely see within the darkness. Droplets of water periodically fell to the ground, bringing shivers to Wilhelm's spine. The sense of extreme danger assaulted every fiber of his being.
In an attempt to leave, Wilhelm scooted a few inches back and tried to move through the way he had come from. But to no avail, the blue barrier would not budge. Instead, it seemed to close in on him the more he tried to leave.
Wilhelm heaved a deep sigh as he turned around, facing the darkness. He could vaguely see four entrances, each one possessing a set of peculiar characteristics. Like jaws, they were full of razor-sharp t
eeth that bordered the entrance. Each mouth seemingly belonged to a different type of species. One was thicker, one was lankier, another seemed to be an insect of some kind, and lastly, there appeared to be an oversized lions’ mouth.
He contemplated his options for a few moments, neither of the four looked too appealing. However, his rumbling stomach and dry mouth forced him to make a quick decision. Thus, he hesitantly entered into the lion's mouth.
Wilhelm wasn't one who feared death, but he wouldn't just sit around and do nothing if it came his way. He wanted to die in a fierce battle, that was the most thrilling way to fight. Alas, if there was no water in the dungeon, then he would inevitably fall.
With this in mind, he cautiously treaded across the entrance. He used his hands to trail the sides of the wall as he walked, fearful of losing his way. His sight was practically useless, so he constantly perked up his ears and listened closely.
The Holy Land Page 7
