Tony managed to catch a few words as the goblins, seemingly frozen with inaction, mumbled among themselves. English words, or at least that was how his brain processed them. Not the most intellectual sounding statements, but simple, sort ones. “He strong.” or “How he do that?” one particularly clever one even managed “This one is dangerous.”. A complete sentence if a short one. The Goblin that had gotten that string of words together was shorter than the rest, though his structure seemed that of an adult.

Tony thought for a second that he had this in the bag. One of their warriors lay on the ground motionless, another stood up now but his hand clasped over a bullet that had struck the shoulder. That was the problem with shooting quickly. You lost accuracy. Then his belief came crashing down as a goblin suddenly stood in the doorway of one of the raised huts.

Larger than even the two warriors he’d hit by at least a head. “You no take my tribe.” He declared. I took the measure of the creature. Firmly muscled for its size with more clothing by far than the others. Instead of the loincloth or chest wrap, the others seemed to make do with, the chief goblin had a fur of some creature wrapped around his body almost like a toga. The most interesting thing was what it held in his hands. Two glistening black knives. Tony guessed they were just made of stone, but they looked wickedly sharp at this distance. He’d never imagined that stone could look that sharp. Like a piece of glass.

Tony slowly stowed his Glock and raised his hands up in a boxer’s guard. “Then you’ll have to come over here and stop me won’t you?” He challenged. Tony understood that he could handle this two ways, shoot or fight. If he had just shot the goblin then it would be a guaranteed overwhelming victory, but one that shows reliance on his pistol. Beating the creature bare handed would show a different kind of strength, one not reliant on anything but his own body.

The goblin furrowed its brow. An interesting image on the small blue man. Being a head taller put the goblin firmly at chest height now. The goblin slowly nodded its’ head and with an agile jump landed with a splash in the water at the base of the hut. The goblin approached slowly as if making a display of its’ confidence. Tony couldn’t help but wonder if the goblin was doing just that. He’d seen other leaders of gangs put on such actions as a show of strength. Fighting but at their own pace. Maybe the creatures here were smarter than he had thought they were.

Jasmine still hung back in the woods a short distance behind him watching this happen. His demeanor had changed from his usually more laid back attitude and it honestly scared her a bit. She seriously wondered who she’d tied her existence to.

“If any of the others move in hold them off with a spell.” Tony said firmly over his shoulder to her.

“Yes.” She quickly replied to his demanding tone. It allowed no room for disobeying the order.

The distance was nearly closed when the goblin stopped and seemed to look it’s taller opponent up and down. It’s eyes calculating and sharp. In a burst of speed, it moved forward black stone daggers in hand. Tony faked a lunge in himself, light on his feet fist pulling back as if for a haymaker. The goblin juked to the side as Tony only halfway through the punch before changing from his right-handed haymaker to a quick left-handed jab, hoping to catch it by surprise.

A glancing blow slid off the cheek of the goblin as it moved to the side faster than could have been expected. Even a glancing blow though stumbled the creature who lashed out and managed to catch Tony’s left forearm with one of his crude knives.

Tony hopped backward hissing in pain as he felt the warm blood flow down his arm and drip of his elbow. The two opponents locked eyes with each other. The goblin rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand and giving Tony a worried look, and Tony smirking back and shifting his weight back and forth as he gets ready for the second round.

This time Tony moved first. He bounced forward on the balls of his feet and closed the distance. The goblin swiftly tried to cut out to keep tony back but Tony just stepped a half step to the side and then closed in closer and started throwing swift punches. He landed two quick jobs with his left hand again, blood dripping from it, staggering the goblin back as it slashed at the air wildly. Following in after his back peddling target he threw a strong right hook slamming hard into the small jaw of the shorter creature. The goblin hit the dirt and Tony bounced back giving him time to get to his feet.

“Come on. This isn’t done yet.” He mocked, dropping his guard and slowly glancing at the cut in his arm. He reached in and manipulated his mana like before. The process, getting easier every time he did it. He cut off the mana quickly this time and pushed it into the arm. He watched it heal as the goblin stood up shaking his head.

Settling back into a more firm stance Tony shot forward again. This time he kept to the jobs. Moving slowly around the goblin avoiding the crazed swings. He beat on the creature. Soon the counter swings stopped altogether and after a few more blows he paused breathing heavily. “Man, I’m getting too old for this shit.” He said under his breath and then really changing things up he spun quickly and his leg lifted and his shin hard into the side of the goblins face, blood and spittle flying as the goblin fell to the ground.

Tony walked in closer and grabbed a hold of the goblin’s arm, both knives now laying on the ground nearby. With a jerk and a loud crack the arm broke. The goblin screamed as Tony grabbed the other arm and repeated the process. Then he grabbed a leg and lifted and then stomped down hard snapping it as well, and the same with the other leg.

Tony looked around at the other goblins. “Now. The conversation we were supposed to be having.” He started giving the goblin leader a hard kick in the chest cracking ribs. “Oh, that’s right I was about to explain to you the importance of hierarchies and your new place in this new one.” He moved forward and again kicked the goblin sending it rolling again as Tony walked calmly closer to the rest of the goblins. “I’m what you call the Boss. The big cheese. Master. I don't give two shits as long as it implies I control you.” He reached the goblin for the final time and this time set his foot upon his throat. “This is what will happen to those who betray me.” He stomped down with all of his weight. The already bloodied and beaten goblin wheezed out as his throat was crushed. Tears running down the sides of his face.

Behind Tony, a gasp came from Jasmine as she watched the scene unfold. Her hands covered her mouth as if trying to keep the noise down and not attract Tony’s wrath. The goblins at this point had moved further away from what they saw as a monster.

“We obey.” One of the female goblins nearer the front called out. Tony smiled at the little creature.

“That’s the attitude.” He said and clapped his hands together making a loud pop and causing everyone around to jump at the noise. “Now to start with…” He began and pointed to a fire pit near him. “I’ll be taking some of this fish.” He moved closer and grasped a few sticks with fish speared on them that had been cooking by the fire. They were slightly chard on the side that faced the fire as people had stopped tending them as soon as he had arrived.

No one made to stop him or interfere in any way. “I live up that way.” He said and pointed one of the sticks down the river. “I expect to see the tribe first thing in the morning. All of you.” He scanned the scared goblins. “I do not recommend running.”

His tone allowed no room to argue and with that, he turned and faced Jasmine and gave her a much warmer smile. “Step one.” He commented as he picked up the two stone knives and started to walk back downstream at the slow pace. Jasmine hesitated for a long moment before following after.

“Listen up.” He said after a few minutes. “That may have looked harsh but I had my reasons.”

“Like what?” She asked in a braver voice than she felt.

“First of all, they attacked me first. Yesterday three of their warriors attempted to kill me not far from here.” He started. “So they aren’t as sweet as they look, and they look like little monsters.” His pace picked up slightly as he looked to the sky and saw how the day was getting on. “Secondly, we need more people. Two of us will die as soon as I run out of bullets and something too big for either of us shows up.”

Tony finally took a moment to pay attention to the popup that had shown up as soon as he had left the village.

Congratulations! You have conquered a neighboring settlement and forced them to bend to your will. Since this has been done before you have settled down you have gained the following benefits. 1. You will be able to recruit the race you have just conquered. 2. You will be given an additional two points upon settling at a location. 3. 4000XP gained 4. 4GP awarded by your patron for single-handed conquest. You currently have 9GP

You gained 2 levels. You are now level 9. You have 505XP of 5120XP for next level

“They’ll just kill us in our sleep.” She argued but Tony just snorted.

“They could indeed try, but I don’t plan on sleeping tonight and I’m not the deepest sleeper in any case. Besides I plan on having a settlement and whatever benefits that will provide me by the end of the day tomorrow.” He handed one of the fish over to Jasmine and started eating his own.

“Settlement?”

“I’m a settler.”

“I don’t even know what that means. You really haven’t told me anything about you. This is by far the most you’ve talked since we have met.” She almost sounded like she was pouting at that.

“I let you know something when I think you need to know.” Tony countered and quickly brought up his status screen to have a look.

STAT

Base

Bonus

Strength

6 of 10

0.90%

Constitution

5 of 10

0.90%

Dexterity

6 of 10

0.90%

Coordination

5 of 10

0.90%

Intelligence

8 of 10

0.90%

Magic

5 of 10

5.90%

Mana

37 of 52.95

N/A

No More Stats Known About

He quickly noticed that his Magic stat had gone up on its own. Probably from the use he’s been giving it after never having used magic before. He smiled wider as he kept walking and glanced over his shoulder at Jasmine.

“It’s not that I don’t talk a lot. It’s that I usually don’t have a lot to say. That and exercise always puts me in a good mood.” Jasmine felt a shiver go down her spine at the thought that this whole thing was just a bit of exercise for him. She watched his back as she followed him and wondered why she still felt safer around him then she did by herself. ‘Is it because it’s either this or being alone?’ she thought to herself.