David's eyes darted between the goblins closing in, their crude weapons glinting. He raised his hands. "W–wait, guys! Look over there!" He pointed wildly at the tree line. "That's a very beautiful… uh… green woman over there!"
Every goblin's head snapped to where he was pointing. There was, of course, nothing there but ferns and shadows.
By the time they turned back, David was already halfway down the trail, screaming at the top of his lungs:
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"
Arrows and stones rained after him. Rocks pinged off tree trunks, an arrow zipped past his ear. He risked a glance back and almost tripped—these goblins didn't just run, they loped like rabid dogs, eyes glowing red, foam dripping from their mouths.
"HELP!" David shrieked. "THEY'RE TRYING TO TOUCH MEEEE!"
A rope with two rocks tied at its ends spun through the air and wrapped around his ankle. Thwip! He was yanked off his feet and slammed into the dirt. "Oooff!"
The goblins closed in, jumping up and down, clapping and cackling like a pack of hyenas. Their stench hit him—mud, sweat, and something worse.
David's heart hammered. Think, think, think!
One goblin stepped forward, brandishing a jagged knife. Its grin stretched ear to ear.
"Wait, wait, wait!" David cried, scooting back on his elbows.
The goblin actually paused.
David blinked. "…Oh. You didn't actually think I was going to stop you, did you?" he muttered. "Anyway—"
He yanked at the rope, wriggling his leg free. These idiots are like cavemen… which means…
His eyes widened. Idea.
He raised a finger. "Hey! You green people!"
The goblins cocked their heads, puzzled.
"Have you ever seen fire before?"
They looked at each other, blinking, clearly confused.
David smirked. "Thought so." He rubbed his hands together dramatically. "Don't worry. I have just the tools to give you fools some knowledge—straight from college."
He snatched two stones off the ground and knelt, arranging dry twigs. The goblins, intrigued, shuffled closer. David could feel their breath on his neck.
He struck the stones together. Click. Click. Tiny sparks danced. Again—click! A wisp of smoke. One more strike and a bright spark caught the edge of a twig. Flame bloomed, licking up the wood.
The goblins' eyes went wide. They gasped, then burst into squeals and cheers, hopping around the flickering fire.
"Behold!" David announced, raising his arms. "I create… FIRE!"
They all clapped and hooted like he was a rock star.
David grinned. "Now, I'm gonna need that knife."
One goblin happily handed him the crude blade without question, too busy dancing around the flame. Another poked at it with a stick and yelped when it burned him.
David tucked the knife into his belt, gave the goblins a little bow. "Enjoy your new toy, cavemen."
Then, as they were mesmerized by the fire, he quietly walked backward, step by step, smirking. "Nice. Got away from the green cavemen."
When he reached the trees, he turned and sprinted off into the forest, leaving the goblins shrieking and celebrating around their first fire.
A soft ding echoed in David's head.
> Level 1 — EXP: 33/55 (Need 22 more for next level)
David blinked at the floating text. "Uhhh… what the heck? How did I get exp just for walking away?" He scratched his head, then shrugged. "Eh, I'm not complaining. Hahaha! Stupid dumb green cave men! Hahaha!"
He couldn't stop laughing, practically doubling over. When he caught his breath, he slipped the goblin knife into his inventory. "Alright, knife goes in… arms look good… hmmm, what should I do now?"
A voice drifted through the trees. "Master Hawk… is that you?"
David froze. Slowly he turned his head. A young man was Standing between the trunks was a young man with pale skin that seemed to glow under the canopy. His violet hair spilled past his shoulders, the curls catching every glimmer of light like ink brushed with moonfire. His clothes were striking—an ornate black coat lined with golden embroidery that curled in patterns like living vines, a silk cravat loose at his throat, and a gilded saber at his hip.
They stared at each other for several seconds.
Finally David broke the silence. "Uh… who are you?"
The man's shoulders sank just slightly; he exhaled like someone already tired of a conversation. "Of course. You forgot about me. I'm not even surprised at this point." His voice was even, measured. "Let me refresh your smooth moss-brain. I am Daryl Tetsu…" He paused, eyes steady. "Your protector."
David blinked twice. "Still not ringing a bell."
Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose, a flash of irritation crossing his face before vanishing. "How could you so easily forget about me? Were you that drunk?"
"I was… drunk?" David tilted his head.
"Yes." Daryl's tone didn't rise; if anything it cooled. "You were drunk. You ran butt naked through the whole town, terrifying everyone. You caused damage and lost your family a small fortune. Not to mention—" he cut himself off with a controlled breath—"you had a meeting with the Duke's son today."
David's eyes went wide. "Uhhh… wow. That explains a lot."
Daryl's gaze drifted to the stick in David's hand, blue slime still clinging to the wood. His eyes narrowed just a fraction. "Why do you have a blue… slimy stick?"
David held it up proudly. "Oh, this? I beat a slime with it."
For the first time, a crack appeared in Daryl's composure. His eyes widened, just a flicker, but his voice stayed cool. "A slime? You killed a monster?"
"Yeah?" David said slowly. "Why's that weird?"
Daryl's free hand slid down to the hilt of the saber at his hip. In one fluid motion he drew it, the polished blade catching a stray shaft of sunlight.
David's hands shot up. "Hey! Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"
Daryl's expression was unreadable, eyes fixed on David like a hawk watching prey. "Because the real Hawk," he said quietly, "wouldn't be slaying monsters. He's a lazy, spoiled bum."
The edge of the saber hovered inches from David's chest.