Chapter 9

Tehemena Falls - Quest Tickets

[Goblin Soldier has been defeated.]

[You have gained 20 experience.]

Bellamy shifted his body and dodged an incoming spear thrust from a Goblin Warrior. The Goblin Warrior was a Level 5 Common monster. It was considerably more robust than their Goblin Soldier or Goblin Scout counterparts that were Level 3. It would be a cakewalk if the Goblin Warriors were alone. However, each party of Goblin Soldiers and Goblin Scouts was led by a Goblin Warrior or a Goblin Shaman, and their Parties varied between three to five in numbers.

Slash

[The target has taken 98 damage.]

Clunk

Stab

[Critical hit!]

[The target has taken 280 critical damage!]

[Goblin Scout has been defeated.]

[You have gained 20 experience.]

After a successful block with the Small Iron Buckler, the Goblin Scout had lost its foundation, giving room for an opening to strike its vital organs. The Goblin Scout collapsed on the ground, and its black eyes turned to grey. The only one left in the Goblin Party now was the level 5 Goblin Warrior. Due to its cowardly nature, the lone Goblin Warrior panicked at the sight of his slain companions.

"Wind Sprint Lv1"

Bellamy dashed forward while the Goblin Warrior was still shaken.

"Precision Stab Lv1"

[Critical hit!]

[The target has taken 450 critical damage!]

[Abnormal condition, Bleed, has been activated for 30 seconds.]

[The target has lost 26 health points from Bleed.]

Another three seconds went by.

[The target has lost 26 health points from Bleed.]

[Goblin Warrior has been defeated.]

[You have gained 60 experience.]

"These goblins are tough compared to the rats," stated Bellamy as Luny was summoned. "Luny, I need you to scout for the Goblin Hideout nearby. Quietly," he emphasized. "I'll buy you more steaks when we return to Golan."

[Your pet loves steaks. Pet Loyalty has increased by +1.]

"Luny will do his best!" the little sprite bellowed cheerfully.

"Shhhh!" Bellamy frowned. "Qui-et-ly!"

"Oh right! Young Master's orders, Luny will try to follow them."

Luny dashed off into the woods nearby. It only took him a few seconds to vanish before Bellamy's sight. It would be rather unfortunate if they encountered more than three Goblin Parties at once. They were in goblin territory after all, and Bellamy deemed it necessary to scout the area ahead. In the distance, he could hear Tehemena Falls roaring plunges, unfazed by the frosty northern weather.

As he inched closer to the sound of thundering waters, Bellamy sighted more Goblin Parties. Occasionally, a Party would be led by a Goblin Shaman, which was slightly harder to deal with due to the Shaman's ability to cast long-ranged Elemental Skills. Bellamy's Elemental Defense was adequate because of his high Wisdom stat but was meager compared to his high Defense. Thus the opportunity to increase his proficiency with his defensive Water Skill, Aqua Shield Lv1, arose and helped defeat the Goblin Shaman.

[Goblin Shaman has been defeated.]

[You have gained 80 experience.]

[You have cleared the quest, Kill 8 Goblin Warriors & 2 Goblin Shamans.]

[Rewards, 70 silver, 1 Warrior's beginner equipment Ticket has been transferred to your Soul Window.]

"Ticket?" Bellamy pondered, then hid behind a large boulder and covered himself with a few fallen branches produced from his battle with the goblins.

"System, show me all Tickets."

[You have 1 Warrior beginner's equipment Ticket available.]

[Would you like to redeem the Ticket item?]

[Yes/No.]

"Yes."

Before him, several options were made visible in the Soul Window.

Which option will benefit me the most? I already have most equipment slots filled, so the only viable option is gloves.

Bellamy tapped on the gloves option in the Soul Window to examine the stats.

Warrior's Favor

Rating: Silver+

Type: Gloves

Defense, +10; Elemental Defense, +2, while equipped.

Skills:

Numb

Sacrifice 10% of the item's maximum Durability and ignore 50% of incoming damage for 5 seconds.

Active skill

Cooldown: none; Duration: 5 seconds; Cost: Item maximum durability, -10%

Durability: 230/230

Requirements: 18 Strength, 18 Stamina

Compared to the other equipment that he could redeem, it was one of the few items that possessed a Skill.

The stats are plain, but it has a pretty useful Skill.

Bellamy evaluated the item and furrowed his brows.

I don't exactly see myself as a Tank or front-liner, but maybe I should consider it an option in the future?

Bellamy continued taking out more Goblin Parties throughout the day and had earned three new tickets and Quest clears. He had risen to Level 4 and was half-way to Level 5. In the field ahead, toward the direction of Tehemena Falls, a dim, green light emanated. It was Luny, and he seemed to be injured!

"Hey, Luny, are you okay?" asked a worried Bellamy.

"Young M-Master. Strong monsters near the Falls..." Luny told with a trembling voice as he cast Heal Lv1 on himself.

After listening to Luny, Bellamy received a confirmation that Elite Monsters rummaged inside the Goblin Hideout, a Monster Dungeon, according to the Sprite. Due to his low Attack power and without the possession of offensive Skills, Luny could only evade the monsters inside the den.

"Luny feels much better now. Does Young Master want Luny to continue in his assistance?"

"Luny, you don't have to call me that. Just call me Bell," Bellamy responded with a kind smile.

[Your pet feels very happy. Pet Loyalty has increased by +5.]

"I'll Unsummon you, for now, so rest well."

"Thank you, Young Ma-" Luny began, "Thank you, Bell!" he finished with a cutesy grin and vanished into the Soul Window.

As Bellamy went past the waterfall's tumultuous plunge pool, he noticed the Goblin Hideout entrance discovered by Luny. There were no goblins stationed outside, not even a single Goblin Soldier or Goblin Scout. Fewer enemies outside could only mean one thing; they were all inside.

"This looks rather troublesome," Bellamy figured and slowly entered the hideout.

Three new pieces of equipment had now replaced his old gear. His Worn Pants were replaced with Warrior's Poleyn Cuisses; his Casual Work Boots were replaced with Warrior's Insulated Boots; his Worn Cuirass was replaced with Warrior's Plated Armor.

System notification! You have entered a dungeon alone.

Dungeon: Goblin Hideout Lv2

Dungeon Rating: Silver

Experience Modifier multiplied by 6 after the Party Size with the Dungeon Rating. Soul Window communication with the outside world is disabled. Upgrade the Soul Window for additional perks.

System warning! Your Hunter Level is inadequate in contrast to the Dungeon Level and Dungeon Rating. Leveling up is recommended.

From reports he had read, Bellamy knew that the Soul Window was upgradeable. However, there was little to no information about the perks available through Soul Window upgrades. Each hunter would gain their own sets of perks through Soul Window promotions, meaning every Soul Windows was different. One could compare it to a skill tree that would make dungeon exploration more versatile for the Hunter as upgrades were made. Consequently, most high-tiered Hunters were tight-lipped and would rarely unveil their own perks to the public.

"System, how do I reach the next Soul Window level?"

[Soul Window Lv2 is unlocked at Hunter Level 10 and requires two Goddess Thrae's Blessings.]

"Hold on. I already have four Goddess Thrae's Blessings," Bellamy reminded himself.

"System, how do I earn more Goddess Thrae's Blessings?"

[There are many ways to earn Goddess Thrae's Blessings. The Blessings can be acquired through an Awakening, by defeating World Calamities or achieving Dungeon Clears in dungeons with a Heroic Rating or above.]

"Ah," realization struck him, "so as of right now, it's impossible for me to earn more Goddess Thrae's Blessings?"

[World Calamities are considered as Boss Monsters with the Monster Rating of Epic or above.]

[Heroic-rated Monster Dungeons have the Level requirement of 60 or above to enter. Only a set amount of Hunters can enter Dungeons.]

"Yep, impossible."

It was as the Soul Window explained. The difficulty of hunting monsters in the Lands of Thrae and a Dungeon packed with monsters were two separate realms. In the former territory, Hunters resided in their own land, familiar with their surroundings. In the latter territory, Hunters were basically exploring new horizons with wickedness filled to the brim.

Bellamy entered the Dungeon with premature enthusiasm as he was met with the smell of dead animal remains and rotten flesh lingering in the air. Bellamy pulled out a piece of cloth from his Soul Inventory to cover his face from the foul stench. Nearly vomiting in his mouth, Bellamy heard the noise of something advancing, each step shaking the dungeon interiors. The Goblin Hideout was occasionally lit with a few torches here and there. Bellamy narrowed his eyes and saw the outline of what appeared to be goblins. Huge goblins. And running away from them were two Adventurers.

"Eeeek!" the female adventurer voiced.

"Run! Run for it!" the male Adventurer shouted in Bellamy's direction.

"Sh*t," Bellamy smirked ironically, "why didn’t I expect this."

[You have encountered an Elite Monster. Hobgoblin.]

Two of them!

"System, what are their Levels?"

[System is unable to predict their Level at the current Soul Window Lv1.]

[System update! Elite Hobgoblins are at least Level 12 or above.]

[Upgrade the Soul Window for additional perks.]

"Thanks, I guess?" Bellamy sneered.

More goblins appeared as two large frames breathed heavily, emitting death-stares Bellamy’s way.