Chương 88: Chapter 055 Pseudo Goblin Skills Unlocked (Part 1)

The forest closed in, and the path narrowed to little more than a rocky trench, thick with roots and ferns. The stream twisted into a dense grove of trees and moss-covered stones.

"Damn it," Jack muttered. The forest had reclaimed the stream. They took the time to gorge themselves on water before they were forced back into the forest, now at least a few miles ahead of the hounds. They'd managed to add a little distance from the hunting horns; they were still distant and muted beneath the canopy. But still coming. [Assassin's Intuition] triggered as something shifted, the air went still, and a branch snapped.

"There's danger near…" That's when the first goblin struck. It dropped from a low branch with a scream like a strangled crow, rusted blade slashing at Cain's face. Cain twisted and brought his sword up just in time. Steel met flesh and bone, and the goblin's body split at the waist. Blood sprayed across the horse's side, and the beast reared and neighed from the surprise attack.

"Goblins. That's all we need," Cain complained as he wiped his sword clean. [Assassin's Intuition] triggered, and another branch cracked.

"Another!" Jack's eyes darted left, and he had just enough time to draw his bow before another goblin burst from the undergrowth. Its skin was grey-green, stretched over sharp bones with its beady black eyes gleaming in its narrow skull. He placed [Assassin's Mark] on the creature. Malnourished, angry, no protections. The goblin shrieked and launched itself at Cain. His horse reared again, its eyes wide with panic. The creature struck low, aiming for Cain's thigh. He twisted, dropping from the horse just in time.

His sword flashed, and the goblin rolled beneath the strike and growled. It leapt again, landing on Cain's chest, its rusted blade stabbed, missing Cain's throat by inches.

"[Chronos Sphere]." Jack used one of his precious [Chronos Sphere] spell scrolls. He dropped from the slowed-in-time horse. Leaves hung in the air like drifting feathers, and Cain's horse hovered above him in a slow-motion mid-kick. He ran to the goblin and rammed his dagger into its back with [Backstab], before slitting its throat clean. Time snapped back, and the goblin corpse dropped from a confused Cain.

Jack exhaled hard, his palm still itching as the rush of power hit and the fleeting memory of the female assassin tossing the dagger into the heart of an elven archer. A new pseudo skill slid into place, along with the dagger-throwing technique as the memory drifted away. He sighed with relief as his muscles loosened and fatigue began to ebb from his bones. No healing this time? Despite using the dagger, none of his injuries had healed from the kill. Why did my ear heal? Cain looked around, confused.

"What the hell just happened?" Jack blinked; the forest had brightened.

"I can see more clearly now." Cain frowned.

"You good, Jack?" Jack nodded as he checked his classes and skills. [Class Screen-Internal View] Class: Novice Blood Mage (0) Compatibility: 82% ——Pseudo Sky-Knight: Skyward Charge (0) ——Pseudo Goblin: Night Vision (0)"I-I got a new skill," Jack said with a smile.

"Night Vision… I can see much clearer in the darkness."

"From killing a goblin?" Cain raised an eyebrow. While they travelled, Jack had explained how being a blood mage worked, but hadn't mentioned gaining a pseudo skill from a previous goblin kill. He also hadn't disclosed his two combat classes; he couldn't explain how a teenager could possess four classes.

"From the dying," Jack explained.

"It's how being a blood mage works. This new skill looks to be passive… now that's a good skill." Cain just shook his head in disbelief. He'd killed countless goblins, and all he'd got was a bloody sword and 3 silver an ear. He mounted up again.

"We keep moving." Jack mounted his horse with a groan. Despite the goblin kill relieving some of his fatigue, his back and arse felt like they needed a month at the Adventurers Guild's spa to recover. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. After a few minutes, [Assassin's Intuition] triggered, and another goblin dropped from a tree onto Jack's horse's back. The horse whinnied and bucked. Jack yelped as he clung to the mane, his legs close to slipping free.

With some resistance, the creature's claws cut through his pseudo [Shield] before raking across his side, slicing through his hunting jacket and skin. Jack grunted from the pain, twisted hard, and grabbed the goblin by the throat. The creature screeched, teeth flashing in an attempt to bite him. He ripped an arrow from his quiver and shoved it into its mouth. The goblin bit down, splintering the shaft, but Jack was already falling. He hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs.

The goblin leapt down after him, snarling, with its jagged teeth bared. Its broken blade, a shortsword with eight inches of jagged metal remaining, came down… Jack rolled. The blade stabbed deep into the dirt beside his face. He kicked the goblin in the ribs before scrambling to his feet. Cain had dismounted his horse and was on his way to help, but two more goblins ran from the underbrush. Cain turned to face them. The goblin slashed again, the blade scraping against Jack's arm.

He hissed and felt blood run hot down his sleeve. He drew his dagger and felt the familiar comfort of holding the damaged handle. The goblin charged. Jack ducked under the strike and rammed the blade into its chest. His palm itched as he ripped the blade free. The goblin howled and slammed a fist into his jaw, causing Jack to stumble from the blow. [Assassin's Intuition] triggered.

"Behind you!" Cain yelled as he killed the second of the two goblins that had attacked him. Jack turned in time to see another goblin rush from the trees.

"Fuck!" Cain intercepted it with a roar and a warrior skill. His sword cleaved through the goblin's raised club and buried deep into its collarbone. The creature snarled and latched onto Cain's arm guard, its jaws snapping. Cain kicked the creature in the balls, tore the sword free, and swung again. The goblin's skull cracked, the top half of its head slid off, and hit the forest floor with a wet thunk. Jack staggered back to the wounded goblin, which was still crawling away.

Blood spilled from its chest; it turned, raising its rusty blade with trembling fingers. Jack didn't hesitate. Activating [Assassinate], he stabbed the goblin through the throat and twisted. The cartilage crunched as a pulse of power passed through him, and some more of his fatigue cleared. Another half-skill clawed its way into his soul. His hand shook as he pulled the blade free, to the memory of a woman's scarred hand quickly drawing the dagger from its sheath before slicing a drow assassin's throat.

Cain exhaled.

"You good?" Unaware of the fleeting memory, Jack nodded while wiping blood from his face. They remounted, both moving with the stiffness of men twice their age. Jack checked his new skill. [Class Screen-Internal View] Class: Novice Blood Mage (0) Compatibility: 82% ——Pseudo Goblin: Night Vision (0) ——Pseudo Goblin: Feign Death (0) T hat's an interesting one. Jack focused on the skill to get a feel for what it did. When wounded, I can mimic death for a short period of time. Not bad. Might save my life.

He cast pseudo [Shield] and healed the cuts with [Heal]; the skin knitted shut with a fragile scab. My shield is rubbish; it's no wonder Novice Mages need a team to protect them. Jack and Cain continued their escape through the forest owned by Viscount Tides. The terrain had grown wilder, thorn-thick and slick with morning dew. They'd already run into goblins. Six so far, but where there was one, there were always more. There might even be a temporary dungeon nearby.

Ten minutes passed before [Assassin's Intuition] triggered again.

"Danger!" Jack called. A few seconds passed before a goblin burst from the underbrush ahead, screeching. It was smaller than the others, a child, but it moved with the same hunger. It hurled a crude stone-tipped spear at Jack as he cast [Assassin's Mark]. Malnourished, angry, no protections. Jack leaned left, and the spear clipped the back of his horse's thigh. The beast bucked, nearly throwing him. He clung to the horse's mane, steadied himself, then drew and loosed an arrow in one smooth motion.

To his surprise, the arrow struck the goblin in the throat. It dropped its other weapon—a rusty fork with bent prongs—and staggered back, its eyes wide and gurgling. Blood bubbled from the wound. It collapsed into a tangle of roots, twitching.

"Good shot," Cain shouted. The goblin would die soon. Jack dismounted and approached the goblin. He wanted another skill; he might need more to survive the coming dawn. The goblin's eyes looked to him in desperation. It was young; its limbs were thin and knotted like roots. He didn't hesitate. Activating [Assassinate], he drove his dagger into the goblin's eye. It spasmed once and then stilled.

The rush of power hit, and more of his exhaustion faded away as another one of the female assassin's memories flashed through his mind, showing her disembowelling a boarkin. The memory faded away, but the knowledge remained. He still wasn't fresh after the rush of power, but he was a hell of a lot better than he should be. A new pseudo skill burned into his mind. Jack pulled his dagger from the goblin's skull and checked his new skill.

[Class Screen-Internal View] Class: Novice Blood Mage (0) Compatibility: 83% ——Pseudo Goblin: Feign Death (0) ——Pseudo Goblin: Iron Gut (0) Jack couldn't help but laugh. Cane gave him a strange look.

"What?"

"I just got the most useless skill possible." Jack wiped his blade on the goblin's tattered rags.

"[Iron Gut]. I can eat almost anything." Cane didn't understand what was so funny.

"That. That sounds like a useful skill. It could save your life one day." Jack snorted.

"You've tasted my mom's cooking, right?" Cain cracked a grin.

"Fair point." They both laughed, and for a moment, it was almost normal. Jack looked skyward.

"You're just messing with me now, aren't you?" Neither the Gods nor the Fates answered, but the hunting horns did.