The Goblin's Shadow (A LitRPG Series)

by Kyle Vauss

  Dagnor finished his spell. A glowing shape of a bear trap appeared over his head and then drifted to the Sac Mother. It gathered over her head then sank over her body.

  Then it vanished.

  “The trap failed,” said Dagnor. “Her resistance is too high.”

  Sac Mother swiped again, hitting all three of us in one arc, and dropping my health bar further. I felt pain where she had caught me on my thigh, and I felt as if my movements had been slowed.

  “Do you have any more spells?”

  “Nothing that would work here,” said Dagnor.

  “Some wizard you are,” said Gabber.

  I moved back further. It would be pointless to pull my sword and hack at the Sac Mother in her current state. We needed to weaken her. But how?

  Then I realized. She was a creature of darkness, born in the pitch black of the caverns. It was all she knew. And that meant that her weakness could only be one thing.

  My Glowing Lights were high up near the cavern roof , casting a pale light over the area. I focused on them and gathered all 3 orbs together. Staring at the Sac Mother, I made them descend on her. The lights concentrated inches above her body. As the light, brighter now that all 3 orbs were close together, bathed over her, the Sac Mother shrieked in pain. Her health began to fall.

  This was how we’d beat her. We just needed her health to fall a little more, and then we could finish her off with our blades.

  Just as I thought there was a way out of this, my Glowing Lights began to fade. The cantrip had reached its duration limit. Another blink later, and we were plunged into darkness.

  “Cast them again,” said Dagnor.

  “I can’t,” I answered, listening for the movements of the Sac Mother. “They’re on cooldown. You’ll learn about this when you actually have spells of your own.”

  “We need more light,” said Gabber.

  I heard a rush of air, and one of the Sac Mother’s arms hit me, catching me by surprise and draining my health bar further. In the darkness, she had the advantage, and we wouldn’t last long now.

  I looked around. The exit was ahead of us. It was fifty feet away, and from the thin rays of light that reached us, I knew that it was up a slope.

  “We need to get to the exit,” I said. “She can’t follow us out.”

  “We won’t get by her,” said Dagnor.

  “Not all of us,” I answered. “Gabber, go to the cavern exit and dislodge as many rocks as you can. We need as much light in her as possible to keep her at bay. Dagnor and I will stay and keep her busy.”

  “We’ll do what?” said Dagnor, sounding scared.

  “Just trust me.”

  Gabber scrambled away, and I heard his footsteps patter in the direction of the exit. There were bound to be loose rocks near the cavern opening. If he could dislodge them, we might have been able to get enough light into the cavern to finish off the Sac Mother.

  I felt a stinging pain on my neck. It was as though tiny teeth were tearing at my skin. I put my hand to my neck and grabbed a sac worm that was trying to bore a hole through my skin. I wrenched it away and then threw it across the cavern.

  “Got one,” shouted Gabber, across the cave.

  I heard a rock tumbled to the floor, and a thin streak of light shot through the darkness.

  “Keep going,” I told him.

  He wasn’t going to be able to do it quick enough. He was just a small goblin, and the rocks would be too heavy.

  “Dagnor, go and help him,” I said. “Put your barbarian strength to good use.”

  “But-”

  “Just do it!”

  When Dagnor moved toward Gabber, I was alone with the Sac Mother. I had just over a quarter of my health left. I reached into my bag for a healing potion. As I did, the Sac Mother swiped and hit me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me. It seemed like the arcs of her limbs were getting bigger all the time.

  “Hurry up guys,” I said.

  More rocks tumbled to the floor and rolled down the hill. Three more beams of light shot through the cabin. One of them illuminated the Sac Mother’s slimy skin, and she cried out in pain.

  “It’s working,” I said. “Just keep it up.”

  I just needed to keep her busy for a few more minutes. With the barbarian helping him, Gabber would soon be able to get enough light in here.

  I heard a swish of air, and I stepped back, hoping I moved quick enough to avoid the Sac Mother’s flailing arm. When my HP didn’t drop, I knew I’d managed it.

  More rocks tumbled down. Light penetrated the darkness. Bolts of it hit the Sac Mother’s belly, and her skin seemed to smolder.

  “Almost there,” I said.

  I moved back further. I listened out for the tell-tale sound of the Sac Mother’s limb attacks, but I didn’t hear them. Instead, my chest exploded in pain. I reached down and grasped hold of a sac worm, squeezed it and threw it away.

  “Grab hold of one end,” I heard Dagnor say. “Heave it on the count of 3.”

  The Sac Mother moved toward me. She was getting ready for another attack. This one would be enough to drain my meagre HP. I moved away as far as I could, but then I felt the cold wall of the cavern on my back. There was nowhere to go.

  With the light snaking into the cavern, I could see her now. Her skin was burnt where the light had hit it. Her face was a picture of pain and rage. She slithered toward me, with more throat sacs opening as she covered the ground.

  I held my sword, took a deep breath and prepared to charge. If I was going to die, I’d die fighting. I’d hack at her with my last bit of energy.

  As the Sac Mother tensed her arm ready to strike, I heard a large thud. A boulder half my height tumbled down the slope from the exit. More light flooded in, pure, yellow daylight, enough to banish the darkness from the cavern.

  The Sac Mother screamed in agony as the light drenched her. Smoke rose of her skin and the air filled with a burning smell.

  Holding my sword aloft, I charged at her. Just as I reached her, her health bar drained almost empty. I pointed my blade at her throat and then thrust with all my strength.

  The tip of the blade made a squelching sound as it pierced her throat. The metal carved through her sacs and into the meat of her body. I pulled it out and stabbed again and again.

  The Sac Mother thrashed around on the cavern floor and gave high-pitched screams of pain. I moved back, knowing that she was done. After a few more shrieks she stopped moving, and finally, she was still.

  The tingling sound of EXP filled the cavern, and messages flooded my screen. Killing the Sac Mother had been enough for me to reach level 8 and then 9.

  “Come on, Tamos,” said Gabber, urgency in his voice.

  Crawford wouldn’t be far behind, I knew. I walked over to the Sac Mother and kneeled by her corpse. I quickly picked up the loot she had left behind. Without stopping to check what items I’d gained, I ran through the cavern. I went up the slope, joining Gabber and Dagnor at the exit.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  After leaving the cavern, we blocked up the exit as best we could by hefting loose rocks and piling them at the opening. We didn’t have time for a large construction job, but it would have to do.

  “Hopefully that’ll force Crawford to find a different way out,” said Gabber.

  I shook my head. “Doubt it. He’s far more resourceful than I gave him credit for.”

  We tried to put as much distance as we could between us and the cavern. As we marched along a plain filled with brown, dead-looking grass, I began to tire. My stamina was low and my health was even lower, and every step was a chore.

  An hour later, we found a spot at the bottom of a hill where there was a narrow crevice. In there, we found a couple of discarded health potions, as well as a pair of leather boots that had lost their durability. Someone had been here before, at some point.

  We decided that it would make for as good a place to rest as any. In the distance, rising high above a forest area, were a collec
tion of windmills that spun in the breeze.

  As I walked into the crevice, I lost my footing and stumbled to the floor. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t. I felt completely zapped of energy, and even trying to shift my leg sent pain through me. After the fight with the Sac Mother, my health bar was clinging to its last dregs.

  Gabber set his bag on the ground. “Come on, human,” he said. “Don’t cop it yet. I still need you.”

  He reached toward my inventory bag and tried to open it. He tugged on the strings, but they wouldn’t budge.

  “I need to give you a potion,” said Gabber. “But I can’t get in your bag.”

  I accessed my character screen and gave permission for Gabber to have access to my inventory.

  “Try again,” I said.

  Gabber reached into my bag and pulled out a potion. He unscrewed the cap.

  “Human potions stink,” he said, turning his head away.

  He held it out toward me. “Come on, open up,” he said.

  I drank the potion and felt the elixir warm my stomach. It spread through my body, filling my health bar and revitalizing my limbs. When the effect stopped, I sat up, thankful that I could move without agony. I looked at Gabber and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Thanks,” I told him.

  I couldn’t help but feel touched by how scared he’d looked. Gabber didn’t realise that if I died, I’d come straight back. To his mind, he was saving me. This is what it was like when someone had your back, I realized. I needed to repay the favor.

  “Don’t mention it,” he said.

  Dagnor leaned against the wall of the crevice.

  “Take a seat,” I told the wizard. “We need to rest awhile and work out what to do.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want to get my robes dirty. Listen, I saw you pick up loot from the Sac Mother.”

  It was becoming pretty clear that the wizard was only interested in what he could get from us. That was fair enough, I guessed. I’d gone a little further in helping Gabber than I’d planned, but I was still doing it because he promised me loot.

  I nodded. “Guess it’s time to divide it. Fair’s fair.”

  “We’re giving loot to him?” said Gabber.

  I nodded. “He helped us. He’s earned it.”

  Boss battles were so popular in Infarna because they promised the chance of rare loot. Loot had different levels of importance. It started at common and ranged through to elite, rare, unique and finally legendary. Legendary items were dropped once in a blue moon. I’d read on a forum somewhere that the chance of finding a legendary piece of armor or weapon was roughly 1 in 10,000.

  I opened my inventory. In the rush of escaping the cavern, I’d gathered the loot and ran without checking what it was. I almost didn’t want to check it now, because whatever in there wouldn’t live up to the excitement.

  Still, I was filled with anticipation. Could there be a legendary item in my bag? If there was, I’d be able to sell it and pay off my debts.

  Taking a deep breath, I reached into my inventory and pulled out the items. I closed my eyes, prayed to the loot-gods, and then opened them. With my hands shaking in excitement, I checked the items.

  Damn.

  There was nothing legendary, or even unique. The dead Sac Mother had dropped an elite set of greaves with poison resistance and four elite health potions. We also got a sword with less damage than mine but with an armor piercing ability, and a set of rare wizard robes that offered a 200% bonus to mana and 5 mana regen per second.

  “Guess I’m keeping the robes,” I said. “That leaves you with…”

  “Hey,” said Dagnor.

  I smiled. “I’m kidding. The robes are yours. We’ll split the potions. Gabber, do you think you can use this sword?”

  “Seems a little big for me,” he said.

  “Fine. I’ll keep it and sell it later. You can have the greaves.”

  Gabber took his greaves from me and slipped them on. He seemed happy. “All in all,” he said. “It’s been a good trip. I mean, apart from the Sac Mother and her throat worms. But I’ve got myself a nice set of greaves, and that’s not all.”

  “Yeah?” I said.

  “After I tamed the neeve, I got a new power. It was strange. It was like I was always close to understanding more about animal taming. After I tamed the neeve, it tipped me over the edge. My body felt really warm, and suddenly I knew I’d learned something else.”

  “What was it?” asked Dagnor.

  “Animal Whisper,” said Gabber. “If we’re faced with a group of creatures, I can whisper to them all and lower their attack and defence.”

  I sat up against the wall. I pulled out my map and found the green symbol marking our location. We were in a part of the Infarna game world that I’d never visited. I’d never really had cause to, since I spent most my time levelling up in the newbie forest before selling my characters.

  Despite the dangers of the cavern, I had realized something. All this time, I’d been so focused on making money, that I’d forgotten one important thing. Infarna wasn’t made as a way of getting profit. It was created for fun and adventure, and I’d completely ignored it.

  Still, looking at the map, I saw that we were far away from most settlements, and there didn’t seem to be any ‘?’ on the map. These marks were the symbols of quests. Their absence here meant that there probably wouldn’t be many players around.

  I looked at Gabber. “I think it’s time for my reward,” I said. “I’ve gotten you away from player territory. I think our journey ends here.”

  For a second, the goblin looked sad. Then he reached into his bag and pulled out a helm. It was made from polished silver, and it gleamed when daylight hit it. Jewels were encrusted around the visor.

  “I guess,” he said. “Here.”

  I took the helm from him and studied it. Its name was the Helm of Andray, and the yellow color of its name text marked it as a rare item. The value was 5600 GD. If I sold it to an NPC, it’d probably get me roughly 4000GD taking my low bartering skill into account. If I auctioned it out of the game I’d be looking at around 750 real-life GD. Not enough to pay my debts by a long-shot, but enough to make a small dent.

  [Helm of Andray]

  Value: 5600GD

  Defence Points: 45

  Bonus: +7 defence vs broadswords, axes and spears

  Magic Bonus: Helm gives Lord Andray’s intelligence to the wearer, bestowing a 5% increase

  “There’s more where that came from,” said Gabber. “If you’ll go a little further with me.”

  As much as I hated to admit it, part of me had enjoyed our adventure. But I knew that every step forward on the map I took with Gabber, the more chance there was of ruining my shadow walker. I couldn’t afford to do all this work on the character, only to ruin its resale value.

  “I think we’re done,” I told him. “I wish you all the luck on your journey, but it’s time I left.”

  I stood up. It was strange; part of me didn’t want to say goodbye.

  “I mean it, Tamos,” said Gabber. “I know a place full of stuff like this. And not just rare stuff, either. There are elite swords, unique shields. I’m pretty sure there’s even something legendary.”

  That stopped me cold. I was going to get a pretty penny for selling my shadow walker, but it paled in significance compared to what I’d earn if I got something legendary. There was a guy, a few years ago, who’d sold a legendary staff in an auction. Rumor had it he earned enough to quit his job and move to the Bahamas.

  “What do you need?” I said.

  “Sit down,” said Gabber. “You’re making me nervous.”

  I noticed that Dagnor was following our conversation intently. “What about you? Are you in?” I said.

  “I told you. I need money for a class change. If the imp is right, then I’m in.”

  “He’s not an imp, he’s a goblin,” I said. “And his name’s Gabber.”

  Dagnor shrugged. “Whatever.”

&
nbsp; “So, what’s the deal?” I asked Gabber. “What do you need me to do?”

  Gabber spread his map in front of him. “See this?” he said, pointed at a marker on his map far north of us. “This is what I’ve heard humans call a respoon point,” he said.

  “Respawn,” I corrected.

  “It’s a place where goblins enter the world. They aren’t as strong as my clan, or even any of the other clans. In fact, most of my clan didn’t even consider these creatures to be fellow goblins. They’re born without rank, without homes. It’s almost like they’re just sent into the world by some mystic force.”