Fully geared I walk down my tunnel and step into the sewers, only to have a clawed hand rake down my arm from the right.

You have suffered a Claw attack! Damage 5 HP!

*DING*

You have been poisoned! Damage 7 HP!

HP: 292/304

I spin to my right and bring up my shield blocking the next attack. I see that my opponent is too close for the sword and draw the Black Razor off my belt. I block another attack with the shield then swing the dagger at the thing's neck.

*SLICE*

As it collapses to the ground and thrashes around before dying I get my first good look at it. It looks like a six foot tall rat complete with fur and tail, but from the way it stood upright and fought I would guess it is bipedal in nature.

*DING*

New Quests Available!

Kill Ratmen

Objective: Kill Ratmen 1/30

Reward: 10 STAT Points.

Do you Accept? Y/N

Kill The Rat King

Objective: Kill Rat King 0/1

Reward: Lionheart Helm

Do You Accept? Y/N

"Yes, I accept."

'Ah so it was a ratman? And they have a king? So there are at least thirty of these things down here, and who knows what else! I'm glad I took the time to improve my armor!'

I check the corpse for anything of value and find nothing, I pick it up over my shoulder and walk back up to the trash pile and toss it on top. Then I return to the sewers carefully looking around before stepping inside this time.

I turn to the right and start slowly exploring. After about thirty feet I see a small passage on the left but decide to keep following the main tunnel for now. I can already tell that this place is much much bigger than the pit.

I continue on for another seventy feet or so before seeing a crossroads, the main tunnel continues straight but there is a passage to the left and to the right. And the right passage is guarded by two goblins. I draw my sword slowly to keep from making noise then I use the shadows along the side of the passageway to get closer.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Stealth has progressed to level 4!

Stealth

Level 4

MP Cost 15 Agi +3

You can sneak up on average beings.

Once I am close enough I charge,I hit the first goblin with the up-swing as I pass by and continue on to the second and hit it on the down-swing.

Objective: Kill Goblins 27/50

I hear a noise and turn towards the passageway to see a dozen goblins charging at me. I turn to face them and brace for the charge, I take out the first two with a swing of my sword and a bash from the shield but the rest quickly surround me.

Objective: Kill Goblins 29/50

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 3 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 2 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 3 HP!

HP: 281/304

I start cutting left and right as fast as I can quickly taking out another three goblins.

Objective: Kill Goblins 32/50

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 2 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 3 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 2 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

HP: 270/304

'They are barely hurting me? I love this new armor!'

After seeing how little damage they are doing I stop trying to block their attacks and start using the shield to attack them as well. Two swings of the sword and two shield bashes and four more die.

Objective: Kill Goblins 36/50

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 1 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 2 HP!

You have suffered a stab attack! Damage 2 HP!

HP: 265/304

A few more moves and the last three fall before me.

Objective: Kill Goblins 39/50

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Sword & Shield has progressed to level 2!

Sword & Shield

Level 2

Defense +2 Str +2

A style for both offense and defense.

I am feeling powerful as I step over the corpses and advance down the passageway. The passageway is rough and broken with obvious signs of tool marks and after thirty feet it opens up into what looks like a natural cave.

Inside the cave is obviously the goblin's nest and I find six more adult goblins guarding five younger goblins. I don't give them time to react and attack immediately. The six goblins go down without even being able to hit me.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Sword Basics has progressed to level 3!

Sword Basics

Level 3

Str +3

You do 15% extra damage with swords.

Objective: Kill Goblins 45/50

I look at the quest counter and then at the five remaining goblins, I am normally not in favor of killing the defenseless but I want to finish the quest and I know from manga that if I leave them alive I might regret it later. So I step forward and it is over with five swings of my sword.

*DING* *DING*

You have completed a quest!

Kill Goblins II

Objective: Kill Goblins 50/50

Reward: 10 STAT Points.

With that done I clean my sword and start gathering daggers from the dead. I take the daggers all the way back to my room to make more picks out of later. Then I spend an hour going back and forth to move all the bodies to the trash pile.

Once that is done I decide to call it a day and return to my room. Before eating dinner I clean and mend my clothes and weapons. Then I update the map with the new area. After all that is done I sit down to eat my cold dinner and read some more.

With lots of talk about the imperial family line and various rebellions it is fairly boring reading but I figure knowing the history of this world could come in handy someday. So after reading for a few hours I meditate for six hours.

The next morning I get up and do my normal routine. After breakfast I return to the goblin nest to finish cleaning it out, all the trash I haul back to the trash pile. I don't find anything useful until I am examining the walls of the cave, where I find a couple of veins of metal. I fetch my last two picks and come back and start mining the ore. As soon as I have a piece I check it to see what it is.

*ITEM*

Iron Ore

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Observe has progressed to level 4!

Observe

Level 4

Int +4

You can identify items with study.

I end up breaking both picks but am able to mine one hundred and fifty pounds of iron ore. I then spend the next two hours hauling it all back to my room even though I can't do anything with it yet. Deciding the day isn't done yet I return to the sewers and this time I turn to the left to explore the other side.

After about fifty feet there is a hallway to the right but I pass it by, another thirty feet further on I find a hallway to the left and decide to check it out. It goes for fifteen feet then opens up into a room, it looks like another storeroom full of trash. As usual I go through it and haul the trash to the trash pile under the well.

As I am clearing the piles I make a discovery, under the pile is a pair of cans and when I pick them up they slosh. Opening them I immediately recognize the smell of oil, already having a plan in mind for them I take the two cans back to my room.

While there I update the map then instead of going back down I locate some more bones and start making more picks with the goblin daggers I got from the nest. I am able to make another fifteen picks which I hope will be enough for whatever mining I end up doing down there.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Scrimshaw has progressed to level 7!

Scrimshaw

Level 7

Agi +7 Int +3

You can carve bone into items.

Once I am done making picks I settle down to do some reading and have dinner. After a couple of hours I finish The History of the Empire II and decide to call it a night.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Linguistics has progressed to level 6!

Linguistics

Level 6

Int +12

You can attempt to decipher other languages.