Author's note: I have not proofread this chapter yet. Just a heads up. I’m still stuck in grad school and decided to write this chap with my little free time. Enjoy.

Chapter 13: Climbing the Ranks

A life-changing event.

It was at that moment that I started yearning for more strength, for more power. I realized that I was too weak, a mere fodder in this world-turned-apocalypse. I quickly moved towards the center of the city, near the place where the hill I came from was located. It was the very same location where the portal was.

My stomach continued to growl. I needed to eat. I was really famished.

This place was crowded with monsters, and unlike the other parts of the city, there were far more corpses here, their decaying bodies filled the streets. Looking up the sky, I realized that the fire engulfing the city had subsided somehow. There were still numerous trails of smoke cruising up the sky, but it was evidently lesser than before.

I opened my quest window. According to it, I still have five hours left. I should find some corpses soon and deliver it to the portal. It will be arduous, but the reward exp this time would be worth it. My only problem was this petite body. I was not entirely sure if I could drag dead bodies on my own even if I do find them.

But first, I needed to take care of this growling stomach.

Looking around, I surveyed my surroundings. Burnt buildings, rotting bodies, toppled cars, broken posts, roaming monsters. Killing my fellow goblins would cause a commotion here. I decided to find a place with lesser monsters, ideally a place where I could hunt those nasty bastards one by one.

Soon enough, I finally found my first target. Inside an alley, two Goblins were dragging away a female body. I was momentarily taken by aback at this unexpected find. It was like killing two birds with one stone. If I managed to kill these two, I would gain decent Exp. Moreover, I would be able to obtain a female dead body.

The approached the Goblins. With just the two of them, they managed to drag the corpse through the ground. The face of the human female skidded through asphalt, cutting the skin and peeling it slowly.

Noticing my presence, the two goblins looked at me for a moment but eventually resumed dragging away the body. I approached them, a knife ready in my hand. Without warning, I stabbed the neck of one Goblin. It tried shrieking, only to gag from its blood after.

The remaining Goblin, upon seeing this, widened its eyes in shock. It was frozen, probably trying to digest what just transpired. Using this chance, I unhesitatingly shot my knife towards its throat. The Goblin reflexively blocked the attack using its arm. Blood spurted on my face but I ignored it. I immediately pulled out the knife that stabbed through the arms of the Goblin. It shrieked in pain after. It seemed that it had come to realize that I was trying to kill it.

“Just die already,” I mumbled. My foot hit the Goblin’s abdomen, sending it flying backward. Its body hit the wall of the alley, before falling down the ground.

Just as I’ve thought. This body of mine was stronger than your average Goblin Worker. The difference was really evident right now.

The Goblin, trembling in fear as I approached, shrieked repeatedly. It tried standing up, but I once again sent it flying by a kick. Nearby, its companion was squirming as it breathed it last moments. There was no way it would survive a knife on the throat.

I gripped the hilt of my knife then repeatedly stabbed the body of the Goblin sprawled on the ground. Moments after, a notification popped up.

You have killed a Goblin Worker!

You have received 51 Exp!

I turned my attention to the remaining Goblin, the one with a hole on its throat. It had stopped squirming, the light in its eyes was dimming. I knew that even without me doing anything, it would eventually kick the bucket. And it did.

You have killed a Goblin Worker!

You have received 49 Exp!

Body tired and famished, I crouched down and began biting the flesh of the dead Goblin. I bit, chewed, and swallowed. I devoured the disgusting meat nonstop. There were numerous moments wherein I felt like spitting it out, but I steeled my resolve and held it in my mouth. It was better this way. I’d rather eat this filth than consume human flesh. I did not wish to let go of what remained of my humanity.

Due to the title, Cannibal, stamina will be restored at a faster rate upon consumption of a Goblin.

I felt the strength I have lost after walking through the city for more than a day coming back to me. Despite the lingering disgusting taste in my mouth, this was actually a refreshing feeling.

Now that I think about it, such effect was not mentioned before. As far as I know, the title, Cannibal, granted bonus stats only. So, it also had a hidden effect of speeding up the restoration of vigor upon meat consumption, huh? How convenient.

I wiped the blood that clung to my face. My clothes were a mess, and the blood stains refused to come off. I also noticed a small chip on my knife. As expected of a cheap weapon.

“Now, how am I suppose to deliver this corpse to the Portal?” I asked myself as I stared at the female body on the ground. The Portal was stupidly located underneath that hill, and to make matters worse, it was hovering in the air, at a height unreachable by mere Goblins. I clicked my tongue as I thought of stupidity of the one that made it. At the very least, put it on a damn ground!

I grabbed the arm of the female corpse. For a moment, I was worried that it would be impossible to move it through the ground with my strength alone. Thankfully, it seemed that investing stats on strength was showing its result. Although strained, I was able to slowly drag the corpse with me.

After exiting the alley, some of the monsters looked at my direction, particularly at the corpse I was dragging.

They were not going to steal it from me, right?

A bit anxious of someone robbing this loot from me, I continued walking towards the hill. The upslope was making this harder than it was. Damn it. At the corner of my eyes, I could see other Goblins dragging their loot. Unlike me, there were usually two to three Goblin Workers moving one corpse. The way they smoothly cooperated to deliver it to the portal was really extraordinary. Although these guys were ugly and disgusting, they really have a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.

Finally, I reached the top. A Goblin Leader was waiting there. He nodded at my direction, and a familiar silhouette appeared behind him. I was surprised for a moment when a Minotaur appeared. It crouched and grabbed the female dead body I’d obtained.

You have successfully delivered a Female Human Corpse!

Quest Completion: 50%

I see. So, there was no real need for me to go personally deliver the body to the portal. Considering the height of the Minotaur, it would be easy for it to put the body towards the Portal.

The hill I was currently standing on was high, probably on par with the highest building in the city. Standing here, I could see a wide view of the city. But my eyes were fixated on a certain direction: the place where Camp Lamia was located. It was far from here, probably six or seven hours by foot. I was a bit relieved that it looked like that place was fine. Its surrounding area have smoke rising from it, but the Camp itself was fine. The eyes of a Goblin were really good. I could make out the thick walls surrounding the camp. There were dot-like things on top of it, probably soldiers stationed on the battalions. I was not sure.

After delivering the first body, I descended the hill. I needed just one more and I would be able to complete the quest. Of course, I intend to kill Goblins here and there if given the chance.

As I roamed the streets, looking for my second loot, gunshots were heard nearby. I reflexively hid behind a fallen post. A stray bullet could kill my current body, that’s what I believed.

The sound of something exploding was heard, and another series of gunshots echoed. Judging by the sound, there was more than one person firing the shots. I craned my neck and looked at the source.

A few blocks from me, three humans, all wearing civilian clothes, were firing at the Goblins. The way they incessantly wasted ammunition felt stupid. Here and there, corpses of Goblins were scattered about. Their group had managed to kill quite a lot of those monsters.

“You damn fuckers! I’m going to take you all down with me!”

“Die, damn monsters!”

In that instance, I realized that these guys were intent on dying, all the while trying to taking down as many monsters they could with them. They probably lost someone important to them. I could somehow sympathize.

A group of Minotaurs began running towards the trio. One of the humans stopped firing, took out a grenade in his pocket, then threw it towards the group of Minotaurs. Seconds passed by and a deafening explosion shook the air and the ground.

A Minotaur lost its arm, while another one was gravely wounded on the chest. The remaining two cow-like monsters at the rear were fine.

“Die! Die! Die! Die!”

Like a maniac, the human trio fired at the Minotaurs. The one gravely wounded on the chest fell limp on the ground, unmoving. The rest of the Minotaurs squealed in pain as ammunitions pierced their flesh.

Pistols did not work before, but stronger guns worked, huh? Furthermore, grenades were capable of mortally wounding those monsters. I took note of that fact.

It seemed that the human trio had attracted too much attention. A lot of the monsters on the hill began descending, running towards their group. Still, they kept reloading their guns and firing. It was amazing that they have so much bullets with them.

“What a waste,” I mumbled. A non-suicidal human would have made better use of those things. If they were strong enough to pierce through Minotaur’s flesh, then leveling up would become easier.

After encountering the students I helped before, I learned of a few things. First, humans were also capable of leveling up in this apocalypse. At least, that was what they told me. Second, I was unable to see the level of humans. For some reason, the level box was applicable on to monsters. Lastly, humans were also capable of learning skills, and unique ones at that.

If a person gets his hands on such strong firearms, leveling up would have become really easy. I was a bit bitter by the fact that these guys were merely using them for their suicide charge. They should have waited a bit longer, leveled up, then take revenge only after they have become strong enough.

A stray bullet hit the post I was hiding at. That was close. A bit more and I would have been hit in the chest. Judging by the size of the bore on the stone post, the piercing power of those bullets were great.

The firing continued. By now, the group of Minotaurs from before were dead, but more of them were coming from different corners. There were simply too many monsters here, and those deafening sounds were attracting more of them.

Soon enough, as expected, the trio ran out of ammunition. It seemed that have run out of explosives too. Without a hint of fear, and with only madness in their eyes, they pulled out knives and charged at the monsters. A real life suicide squad.

At first, they were doing well despite the difference in number. But soon, they were overwhelmed by the monsters. I merely stood there as I watched them succumb to their deaths. Even at their last moments, they never screamed in pain. Contrary, they were actually laughing as the Minotaurs ripped off their bodies. I have never seen such madness before, and I somehow shivered at the thought.

After the suicide trio had been reduced to shredded flesh and bones, calm resumed in the center of the city. The monsters, not minding the numerous corpses of their comrades, began entering the corner of the streets once again.

I resumed my task. After an arduous hour of looking around, I finally found another one. I dragged the body towards the hill, until I reached the place where the Goblin Leader was at. Like before, a Minotaur took the body.

You have completed the Quest, Give Me More Meat!

You have received 500 Exp!

You have Leveled Up!

The moment I completed the quest, a loud Ting sound echoed in my ears. I finally reached level 5.

Due to the Completion of the Quest, you shall now be transferred back to Muhar ‘Tava.

I felt something within me was burning, waiting to come out. It felt shackled right now, but for some reason, I somehow knew that it would be released once I was back in that monster-infested Realm.

Slowly, my surroundings distorted, and I once again found myself inside a familiar place. There was no doubt that it was place I went to when I entered the portal before. It was bright, blindingly so. A whirling sound rang in my ears, and I found myself falling down towards the ground.

Unlike before, the ground was hard, and my entire body felt numb upon impact. Above, near the ceiling, a portal hovered. It glowed for a moment, before it closed then vanished.

I realized that the place I was currently at was not the Goblin Slaughterhouse. It was the place I first spawned from. The place of my birth. A limestone cave. Above, silver-black spikes dripped down.

“That is…”

In front of me was the overly bloated ant monster from before. It was absurdly large, its body occupying half the entire cave. Its head was disfigured, and it reminded me of an old man. Unlike before, no Goblins were being ejected out of its large belly. This place was actually quiet, eerily so.

A one-time reset in status points shall be granted. The Special Monster Class is now available for evolution.

My status box appeared before me for a few seconds, and it clearly showed that all of my stats had been reset to the baseline. There was a total of 20 Unallocated points. As for my previous skills, they were still there.

Numerous windows appeared in front of me, showing the available options for my next class.

Goblin Warrior

Grants 10 bonus points to Strength and 2 bonus points to all stats.

Skill [Lesser Chieftain Strength] – Increases the strength of the user by 15 points for five minutes.

Mana Cost: 12

Goblin Mage

Grants 20 bonus points to Intelligence

Two of four basic elemental skills shall be granted:

Skill [Lesser Fire Magic]

Skill [Lesser Water Magic]

Skill [Lesser Earth Magic]

Skill [Lesser Wind Magic]

Mana Cost: 9

Goblin Spearman

Grants 10 bonus points to Agility and 2 bonus points to all Stats.

Skill [Piercing Shot] – Creates a sharp spear capable of piercing strong armors. Damage dealt is dependent on the agility of the user.

Mana Cost: 25

I stood there as I weighted the choices. A Goblin Warrior seemed the best option if I were to go for raw strength. It would especially be useful since our race were tasked on retrieving dead bodies every now and then.

The Goblin Mage, on the other hand, was really enticing. I wondered how it would be like to be able to use magic. Though as expected, it seemed that I will be granted only two basic elements, weak ones at that. I pondered on how strong the skills would be.

I looked at the details of the Goblin Spearman. For some reason, the mana cost for its single skill was colossal. Even at my current state, my mana would be barely sufficient. It must be a really strong skill, considering the amount of mana a single strike would consume.

I was stuck in between choices. Eventually, I let my instinct decide for me.

Do you wish to evolve into a Goblin Mage?

“Yes.”

On cue, my body began assuming a different shape. My height increased, and my body became a bit skinny. A spiral mark appeared on my chest. I could feel a weird sensation flowing through my body.

You have evolved into a Goblin Mage!

20 Intelligence points has been added!

Choose two starting spells.

Skill [Lesser Fire Magic]

Skill [Lesser Water Magic]

Skill [Lesser Earth Magic]

Skill [Lesser Wind Magic]

I decided to choose Earth and Fire Magic. It should be possible to create a wall of earth to protect myself while chanting spells. About the Fire Magic, I decided to go for it because of my previous experience with the Babyface Arachnid. Sharp weapons did not work against that giant spider, but fire was strangely effective.

I still have the unallocated points, but for now, I decided to experiment first. I looked at my magic arsenal and found out that it was possible to create simple fireballs and earth spikes.

Licking my lips, I decided to try it out.

“Fireball,” I said. A twirling mass of fire began manifesting itself on my palm. It was small, but the heat it gave off was real. It was the size of a toddler’s fist.

Next, I tried the earth spike. Just like the name implied, it was a spike made of earth. Upon chanting the magic, a small, thin spike erupted in front of me, reaching up to my waist. Disappointing. It was small.

“Allocate 20 Points to Intelligence,” I said.

After a confirmation with the system, I felt a weird sensation flowing through my body. I also checked my mana, it had expanded greatly.

“Fireball,” I chanted.

A smile surfaced on my face upon seeing the result. This time, the size was three times larger than before. It was almost the size of an adult’s fist.

“Earth Spike.”

And a spike made of earth erupted in front of me. It was thicker and longer than before. Last time, before allocating all points to Intelligence, the spike reached until my waist, but this time, it reached until my face.

This was peculiarly satisfying.

Currently, this was how my status looked like.

Goblin Nick

Species

Goblin Mage

Level

5

Health

77/77

Mana

122/122

Strength

1 (+2)

Agility

3 (+2)

Vitality

1 (+2)

Intelligence

40 (+2)

Dexterity

3 (+2)

Luck

3 (+2)

Experience Points

33/1407

Unallocated Points

0

Skills

Identify

Scurry

Frenzied Rage

Portal Access (Passive)

Lesser Fire Magic

Lesser Earth Magic

Title

Cannibal (+2 Bonus to all Stats)

One particularly noteworthy change was the increase in HP. Despite not allocating points in vitality, my HP had increased tremendously. This was probably the effect of evolution. Moreover, with my current mana, I could cast numerous fireballs at this current stage. Spamming intelligence was showing its effect.

The Ancestral Goblin Mother grants minions to all Goblins that have evolved into a Special Class

Touch the body of the Ancestral Goblin Mother to receive your reward.

An indicator appeared in my mind, and I was surprise that it was pointing particularly at the colossal ant monster in front of me. Wait, so this unmoving thing was a Goblin?

Now that I had a careful look, I noticed the small box that hovered above its head.

Ancestral Goblin Mother

Lv ???

I could not see its level.

Just like the system suggested, I approached the large ant monster. Although hesitant, I touched its body. I reflexively jumped back when loud pulsating sounds echoed in the cave. It was coming out of the Ancestral Goblin Mother’s belly.

Moments passed, and two small bodies were ejected by the ant monster. Their bodies were still wet as they started standing up. There were no doubts that these two were Goblin Spawns, level 1 monsters considered weakest of them all.

As I was pondering what was happening, the two looked at me then approached my way. The moment they were a mere breathe away, they suddenly knelt down in front of me.

“Wha—”

A voice of surprise leaked out. What was happening?

The Ancestral Goblin Mother has granted you two loyal Goblin Spawns.

Do you wish to name them?

I was still stunned speechless by what was happening. Eventually, I broke free from my stupor. The two Goblins Spawns were still kneeling before me.

I mumbled, “Yes.”

Please give them a name.

As though the two of them understood this, they instinctively looked at me, their eyes expectant and a bit longing.

“I shall name you, Uno,” I said to the one at the left. Honestly, there were no difference in their appearance. They looked alike, just like every other Goblins. “And you shall be Dos.”

I have a bad naming sense, I know.

Upon receiving their names, the two Goblins placed their hands on their chests then made a small bow while kneeling.

I obtained my first subordinates.