The tunnel wound deep into the earth, a dark, damp artery of the world. Each frantic breath clawed at his lungs, and his small, scrawny goblin legs burned with effort.
He ran until his vision blurred, until the echoes of human shouts and goblin screams faded into a distant thrumming in his ears. Finally, he collapsed in a narrow alcove, gasping for air, his body trembling with exhaustion and lingering terror.
He was truly alone now. The stench of his former tribe, the crude sounds of their lives and deaths, were gone. Only the cold, damp rock and the faint, earthy smell of the underground remained.
A profound loneliness, sharper than any hunger pang, pierced him. He was a human mind trapped in a monster's body, utterly adrift in a hostile world.
But then, the blue screen shimmered before his eyes, a beacon in his despair.
[Quest Completed]: Find Safety and Resources.
[Reward Received]: [Basic Cultivation Manual: Goblin Path (F)]
A small, almost imperceptible scroll icon appeared in his vision, glowing faintly. He focused on it, and the icon dissolved into a stream of information pouring directly into his mind.
It wasn't a physical book, but a direct download of knowledge.
This is it.
The manual detailed the most rudimentary form of cultivation available to goblins. It spoke of absorbing ambient Earth Essence – the very energy of the surrounding rock and soil – and circulating it through specific pathways within his weak body. It was slow, inefficient, but it was a start.
The system also provided a first, basic
Active Skill:
[Skill Learned]:
* [Earth Sense (F)]: Allows the user to faintly perceive the Earth Essence in their immediate surroundings. Consumes 0.1 Mana per minute.
Mana? He still had 0.0 Mana. The system immediately clarified:
[Notification]: Host possesses 0 Mana. Mana is slowly regenerated over time. Mana regeneration rate: 0.01/minute.
[Hint]: Consuming specific herbs or low-grade spirit stones can rapidly restore Mana.
He gritted his fangs. So he was limited. He'd have to use this [Earth Sense] sparingly. He decided to test it. Focusing intently, he activated the skill.
A subtle warmth bloomed in his chest, then spread outward. Suddenly, the solid rock walls around him weren't just inert matter. He could feel faint currents, almost like veins, coursing through them – strands of dim, earthy energy. It was incredibly weak, barely perceptible, but it was there.
This was the Earth Essence the manual spoke of.
He deactivated [Earth Sense].
No use wasting what little Mana he had. He needed food, too.
His stomach rumbled painfully. He tried his other skill, [Scavenge (E)].
He crawled slowly along the alcove, his tiny goblin nose twitching, his beady eyes scanning the damp ground. After a few minutes, the system pinged.
[Item Found]: Fungal Root (Common) - Edible. Provides minor nutritional value.
There, in a cluster of moss, was a small, pale root. He snatched it up and devoured it, the taste bitter and earthy, but it dulled the edge of his hunger. It wasn't much, but it was enough to survive.
Now, to cultivate. Following the mental instructions of the "Goblin Path" manual, he sat cross-legged (as best a goblin could) in the damp alcove. He closed his eyes and focused, willing himself to sense and draw in the minute traces of Earth Essence. It was painstakingly slow.
He felt like he was trying to collect water with a sieve.
Hours passed. He didn't know if it was day or night outside. He just sat, focusing, trying to pull in the minuscule threads of energy. Frustration mounted, but the memory of the human cultivators, of his dead tribe, fueled his resolve. He wouldn't give up.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a faint, internal thrum.
[Cultivation Progress]: Earth Essence absorbed: 0.001 units.
It was laughably small. But it was proof. It worked. He felt a tiny, almost imperceptible warmth spread through his core, a hint of vitality he hadn't possessed before. This was his path. This was how he would transcend.
He continued his arduous cultivation, the minute gains slowly adding up. He knew this wouldn't make him strong overnight, but every tiny bit of essence absorbed was a step away from being just a runt, a step towards becoming something more.
As he cultivated, the system offered another insight:
[Hint]: For faster cultivation, seek areas with higher concentrations of Earth Essence, such as deep caverns, mineral veins, or specific cultivation formations.
He opened his eyes, a glint of fierce determination in them. This tunnel, this alcove, was just a temporary refuge.
He needed to find a better place. A place where he could truly begin his ascent. His journey had only just begun.