"I'm a Goblin…" - Regular Speech.
'…So what?' - Thoughts.
{Is the Title} - Voice of Heaven Announcement.
Chapter 2: Hunting and Gluttony
Stepping into the blinding sunshine for the first time (in this body anyway) was slightly painful. Blinking the tears away, Naruto beheld the forest that his goblin tribe lived in. it was thick, dark and was very likely quite some distance from any human settlement…
…perfect for goblins then.
"Gobuto, take this." his companion, Goburyū, handed him something. Looking at it, Naruto/Gobuto beheld…a stick. A very ordinary looking stick.
{As the result of a specific action, the Skill [Appraise Weapons] was created.}
[Appraise Weapons] (Level 1, 00.00)
Allows the user to inspect weapons. Initial data scanty, but improves at higher levels.
Current Information Displayed: Weapon Name, Durability, Description and Damage Dealt.
OK. Useful. Gobuto instantly used it on the stick in his hand.
[Solid Wooden Stick]
Improvised Weapon
A stick made from a fallen tree limb. You really cannot get more basic than this, aside from your fists.
Concussive Damage - SX1.5
Durability: 25/25
…
'Note to self: get a better damn stick!' Gobuto thought as he walked forwards, trailed by Goburyū. 'S' meant strength and 'X1.5' meant times 1.5, so the damage dealt each time he hit something with his stick was currently…16.5, which he didn't doubt was low by any world's standards. Including the bonus he got from [Instinctive Combatant], it was 17.5 per hit, which wasn't better by much.
Still, it wasn't worse than getting pig iron kunai instead of solid steel kunai. When Tenten had heard about that shop selling him that rubbish after he had gotten back from his training trip with Ero Sennin, she had given them a pointed (emphasis on pointed here) reason to not try that with him ever again.
Friends were good.
Hearing rustling leaves, Gobuto stopped Goburyū with a hand to the chest. Ahead of them, a small rabbit with a single horn as long as half of the rabbit's body hopped out of the undergrowth. Gobuto immediately used [Appraise Creature] on it
Horned Rabbit - LV1
Rabbit
S: 5
T: 4
D: 10
I: 10
W: 7
'Huh…this isn't so bad.' Gobuto thought, 'This thing's fairly weak…better avoid that horn though.'
In a few whispered words, Gobuto outlined his plan to Goburyū, who nodded before climbing a tree.
Gobuto leapt out and startled the rabbit. Surprisingly for a small animal, the instinct to fight won out over flight and it bounded at him with that rather sharp horn pointed in his direction.
Dodging to one side, Gobuto yelled, "Now, Goburyū!"
With a yell, the other goblin dropped out of the tree and fell towards the rabbit, smashing it over the head with his club and breaking the horn off.
{Horned Rabbit Defeated!
Gobuto gains 20 EXP and [Rabbit Horn] (Small)!
Goburyū gains 20 EXP!}
"Nice!" Gobuto said with a nod.
Splitting the rabbit between them immediately was the decision they made, as they were both dying to have something other than cave moss and lichen.
Either goblin taste buds were more sensitive than that of a human or he was just that hungry, because the Horned Rabbit meat tasted really good.
Examining the horn, Gobuto was hardly surprised when another window popped up.
{As the result of a specific action, the skill [Appraise Item] was created!}
[Appraise Item] (Level 1, 00.00)
Allows the user to inspect regular items in the world. Information is scanty until higher levels.
Information Displayed: Item Name, Description.
'OK, so that makes three 'Appraise' skills. Wonder why it isn't just the same one?' Gobuto wondered, 'Meh. Let's try this one out.'
[Rabbit Horn] (Small)
Crafting Material
The broken horn from an adolescent Horned Rabbit. It can be used as an improvised weapon, but it will break after a single use.
Gobuto decided that trying to stab something with a dagger that would break with one hit wasn't worth it, so he chomped down on the horn and ate it up. And…
{As a result of devouring [Rabbit Horn] (Small), the skill [Lesser-Improved Piercing Power] was gained!}
[Lesser-Improved Piercing Power] (Level 1, 00.00)
Grants a slight bonus to attacks made with weapons that have the [Piercing] Characteristic.
Bonus Attack: +2
Useful for when he has a better weapon than a damn stick, but not so useful right now.
As they had to hunt two of the damn rabbits in order to complete the quest, Gobuto motioned to Goburyū to follow him again as he set out to hunt the damn thing.
This time, they did it the other way around. Goburyū was the decoy and Gobuto landed the strike that killed it. Landing a solid strike to the back of a small animal's head with a regular stick with enough force behind the blow to kill it isn't something most Chunin-level Shinobi back in his own world would be able to do with the aid of chakra, let alone in a runty goblin's body with no such thing as chakra existing.
They were not Uzumaki Naruto.
{[Horned Rabbit] defeated!
Gobuto receives 25 EXP and [Rabbit Horn]!
Goburyū receives 25 EXP!}
Quest Complete!
Daily Quest: [I'm Hunting Wabbits]: You and your companion have successfully slain two [Horned Rabbits] and will not go hungry today!
Quest Reward: 100 EXP, 10 SP
As Gobuto once more divided up the spoils and chomped down on the rabbit meat, he mused that at some point, he would have to find a blade of some kind to get the skin off of the carcasses, as it seemed to dull the taste somewhat.
{As of a result of devouring [Horned Rabbit] meat, the skill [Escape] has been gained!}
…what?
[Escape] (Level 1, 00.00)
If fleeing from an enemy, this skill adds +5% to the chance of success.
As Uzumaki Naruto, he hadn't been in the habit of retreating. The very thought was nauseating for him. But…in this weakened body and with no accelerated healing from either his Uzumaki Heritage or Kurama, having a way to retreat quickly would probably be an advantage.
"Let's head back to the cave." he said to Goburyū, who was finishing off his half of the rabbit. The dim goblin nodded and followed Gobuto.
'That's five skills I've learned today…[Appraise Weapon],[Appraise Item], [Appraise Creature], [Lesser-Improved Piercing Power] and [Escape].' Gobuto thought as he walked, 'Most aren't exactly useful right now, but with a bit of practice they could be. Better practice what I can.'
So he started using [Appraise Item] on everything he could see…trees, rocks, bushes and the like. It was just about the only skill he could level up properly and sure enough…
{[Appraise Item] has levelled up! 1-2!}
'That's one down.' Gobuto thought.
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The Next Day
Goblin Cave
{You have survived another day! You gain 10 EXP!}
{Gobuto has levelled up! 1-2!
Gobuto gains five Attribute Points!
Gobuto gains ten Skill Points!}
This is what woke Gobuto up the next morning. He was suddenly reminded that he was sleeping on a dirt floor, under a filthy blanket and with only a filthy loincloth to protect his modesty.
'Clothes…' he thought dreamily. He missed his Hokage outfit.
Quest Created!
Clothes Make the Goblin!
You are tired of running around almost naked. Create some clothes or armour to wear!
Quest Reward: [?] Skill, 200 EXP
Accept?
Y/N
…
'Is this quest thing responding to my thoughts?' Gobuto wondered. It certainly seemed like it.
Hitting 'Y' with one clawed finger, as he really did want some clothes, Gobuto decided to explore the cave that was his home.
It was a large series of caves that seemed to go back quite far into the cliff that they were dug into. Gobuto recognised that they were somewhat cramped by the standards of humans, but for goblins they were perfect.
"Hmm?" Gobuto kicked something with his right foot. Looking down, he saw it was a rusty looking dagger of some kind. The shape was very different from the tantō he was used to seeing in his world.
"[Appraise Weapon]." he grunted.
[Rusty Blunt Dagger]
A dagger that has seen far better days. The edges are nicked and blunt and the point has snapped off. The engraving on the hilt indicates that this was once the dagger of a member of the nobility.
Slashing Damage: None
Piercing Damage: S+1
Concussive Damage: S+1
This confused Gobuto somewhat. Where did this come from? By the looks of it, it had been here for quite some time.
Shrugging, Gobuto ate the dagger, but didn't get any skills. Only to be expected from a weapon in such poor condition, he supposed.
"Hey there young'un." the quivery voice of the ancient goblin came from the cave nearby as he tottered out, "What're you doing here?"
Gobujiji - Level 20
As Naruto scanned the level he saw floating above the old goblin, he had to admit that he was surprised at him having such a low level, considering how old the goblin elder seemed to be.
"Gobujiji…I was just exploring the cave." Gobuto replied, "What are you doing here?"
"Relaxin'." the old goblin replied, "Got some human women back here…ah, it really can't be beaten, the touch of human women."
"Aren't there female goblins though?" Gobuto pointed out, disturbed by the idea of forcibly taking women.
"Yeas indeed!" the old goblin cackled, "But it is hard, very hard indeed for a male goblin and a female goblin to have runts. With human women, it's as easy as bim-bam, thank-you-ma'am. Best part is, it only takes twenty days for a human woman to carry a goblin to full term, compared to twenty-five days for a goblin female."
"What if a goblin female carries the child of a human male?" Gobuto could help but ask.
"Same as the human women carrying goblin children." the old goblin said, "It ain't done often on account of males bein' more trouble than they're worth. Those that ain't a lot of trouble, ain't worth the girls breedin' with 'em though."
This made sense to Gobuto, but he had a few more things to ask.
"Where did the human women come from, Gobujiji?" he asked.
"Adventurers that the last generation captured." Gobujiji replied, "They took them prisoner and most of the good armour and equipment when they went pillaging for more women and equipment."
"Can I have a look at what's left?" Gobuto asked eagerly.
"Hah! Young goblins shouldn't get ahead of themselves!" the old one scoffed, before he looked thoughtful, "Weeelllll…I could let ya look at the stuff…if ya bring me some Horned Rabbit Meat. A whole rabbit. Do that, and you can take yer pick of what's left. How does that grab ya, youngster?"
Quest Created!
Bribing the Old-timer: Gobujiji is reluctant to show you the pile of weapons and other items left over from the ransacking the previous generation left behind, but will let you if you provide him with a whole Horned Rabbit, minus the horn.
Quest Reward: Access to the Stash, +200 EXP, +10 SP, +50 Reputation with Gobujiji.
Accept?
Y/N
Hitting 'Y', Gobuto nodded to the old goblin. "Will sometime today be alright?"
"Hah! If ya can get one today, I'll even show ya the way to the DEEP cave, where no goblin has ever returned from after entering!" Gobujiji scoffed.
Gobuto grinned. "I'll hold ya to that, Gobujiji!"
Later
Forest
Once again, Gobuto had dragged Goburyū out to help with the hunting. Not that the other goblin was complaining. Apparently most goblins never ate Horned Rabbit meat as they kept being impaled by the horn.
'Idiots. Goblins have to be idiots.' Gobuto thought as he ruminated on this fact. It didn't take a genius to figure out that a Horned Rabbit attacked with its horn, so how can these people, err goblins, not figure out that they needed to dodge the damn charge?
Even he hadn't been that stupid as a Genin…he hoped.
He had distributed his Attribute points just before leaving on the [Hunt the Wabbits] quest, putting two into Strength, two into Toughness and one into Dexterity. The mental stats could wait until he was strong enough to relax a little.
"Gobuto, can we eat?" Goburyū asked.
"Once we find prey, Goburyū." he replied, "Let's try that area from yesterday. Hopefully it won't take long."
And, funnily enough, he was right. No sooner had they reached the area where he had killed the second Horned Rabbit than another one appeared and was quickly smashed by Goburyū's club.
{[Horned Rabbit] has been defeated!
Gobuto receives 20 EXP and [Rabbit Horn]!
Goburyū receives 20 EXP!}
Before Gobuto could do anything, Goburyū devoured the entire thing. He must have been really hungry.
In irritation, as Gobuto was just as hungry, he beat the crap out of his companion and lectured him about the importance of hierarchy…in other words, no stealing prey before it can be divided between them.
{Goburyū has become your minion!}
Well, that's all to the good. Moving on…
Once Goburyū recovered from Gobuto's 'lesson', the two moved along and started to hunt the second rabbit of the day. This was useful, as it allowed Gobuto some time to think about what he should do to improve the conditions of his tribe.
They were, quite frankly, barely surviving. Eating caterpillars, fruit and lichen because they were too stupid to hunt Horned Rabbits, which were the weakest prey in the entire forest, wearing nothing but loincloths (and breastbands in the case of the females) and wielding no weapons more powerful than wooden clubs!
Time to change that…starting with getting access to that stash of weapons.
"Gobuto, look!" Goburyū pointed with his club at two Horned Rabbits.
"Think you can handle one while I deal with the other?" Gobuto asked with a grin.
"Yeah!" Goburyū replied with a wave of his club.
Bringing out both of the [Rabbit Horns], Gobuto charged at one of the Horned Rabbits, making it leap away from its companion in fright, as Goburyū slammed his club down between him an the other rabbit.
Gobuto had become quite adept at predicting the attack pattern of these odd rabbits. Once they dodged an attack from him, they would stare at him before tensing and charging forwards, head lowered and ready to impale him.
The counter was to dodge to the side as soon as it moved and lowered its head to charge. That way you could attack it when it was running past you…like so.
Gobuto shoved both of the improvised weapons into the throat of the rabbit, making blood gush out like a fountain. Flopping to the ground, the Horned Rabbit twitched for a moment before dying.
Over with Goburyū, he had smashed the head of his opponent with one strike from his club.
{Two Horned Rabbits have been defeated!
Gobuto earns forty EXP and two [Rabbit Horns]!
Goburyū earns forty EXP!}
Quest Complete!
Daily Quest: Hunt the Wabbit: Complete!
Quest Reward: +100 EXP, 10 SP.
Gobuto still wasn't certain exactly what the SP was for. It didn't have anything to do with his Attributes; he had tried and gotten an [Invalid] Warning.
Putting it to the back of his mind, Gobuto devoured the Horned Rabbit that Goburyū had killed, reasoning that Gobujiji had said he wanted a whole one.
{As of a result of devouring [Horned Rabbit] meat, the skill [Lesser Agility Boost] has been gained!}
[Lesser Agility Boost] (Level 1, 00.00)
Horned Rabbits are infamous for their speed and dodging prowess…at least compared to goblins, anyway.
- Passively increases Dexterity by 1.
{You have acquired all the skills possible from [Horned Rabbits]! You gain 100 EXP!}
That was pretty damn cool. What was really interesting to Gobuto was that there was a limit to what skills each animal could give him.
"Oi!" Gobuto whacked Goburyū over his head before he could grab the last rabbit, "That's for Gobujiji!"
"But I'm still hungry~!" Goburyū whined.
"Then hunt!" Gobuto barked, "I caught this one to give to Gobujiji. You can hunt the Horned Rabbits yourself now, remember?"
A figurative light bulb lit up over the dimmer goblin's head. "Oh yeah!"
"Be back before dark." Gobuto cautioned his greedy companion, "Gobujiji said that really strong monsters come out after dark and attack us goblins on sight."
"R-Right." Goburyū nodded.
Dubiously, Gobuto threw the Horned Rabbit carcass over his shoulder and headed back to the cave. He now had his ticket to getting access to the stash of weapons, which was all to the good.
He had the feeling he'd need them.
Back at the cave, Gobuto was gawked at by all and sundry as he sauntered in and deposited the Horned Rabbit in front of Gobujiji, who had eyes as wide as dinner plates as he looked between the rabbit and the smug-looking Gobuto.
"Y-You…how…that…" the old Goblin stammered.
"One Horned Rabbit, as agreed." Gobuto said with a smirk.
This jolted Gobujiji out of his stupefaction. He barked out a laugh. "Hah! Indeed it is lad! Well, I'm a goblin of my word. Let me eat and I'll take ya to the stash."
Quest Complete!
Bribing the Old-timer: You have successfully brought Gobujiji an entire Horned Rabbit as a bribe and he will now let you at the stash of weapons left by the last generation of goblins!
Quest Reward: Access to the stash, +200 EXP, +10 SP, +50 Reputation with Gobujiji.
Congratulations! You have levelled up! LV2 - LV3!
You have five attribute points to spend.
You Gain 10 SP.
You have enough Skill Point to purchase a skill! Please think [Skill Purchase] to open the appropriate screen!
'Holy…so THAT'S what SP is for!' Gobuto though in surprise, 'So you can buy skills as well as earn them with [Gluttony]!'
Leaving Gobujiji alone to eat, Gobuto went over to the wall and sat down before opening the [Skill Purchase] screen.
Welcome to the skill purchase window! Here you can exchange your accumulated SP for skills. It should be noted that the more powerful the skill, the more SP it will cost and that all of them are either at Level 1 or Level Max.
Additionally, you can browse the skills outside of your means for future purchasing.
Available SP: 50
Skills Available for 50 SP: - [Presence Perception]
- [Lesser-Improved Slashing Power]
- [Evasion]
- [Endurance]
- [Lesser Life Increase]
- [Luck Up]
- [Humanbane]
- [Lesser-Improved Jumping Power]
- [Lesser Shadow Magic]
- [Rest]
- [Force of Will]
…dear sweet Kami…
Gobuto shook his head and focussed. There would be time to be amazed at this later. Now he had to focus on choosing one of these skills. Most of the effects of the skills were self-explanatory, but a few were a puzzle. He reached out and touched [Humanbane].
[Humanbane]
This skill makes you cause fear in all humans, as well as letting you inflict more damage on them.
Do you wish to purchase this skill?
Y/N
Nice, but he wasn't certain that humans were the enemy here. No.
[Lesser Shadow Magic]
A weaker form of shadow magic that allows one to manipulate the shadows within a limited distance. Mastery of this art unlocks [Shadow Magic].
Do you wish to purchase this Skill?
Y/N
Interesting. He'd always wondered what it was like to control shadows like the Nara Clan did. But not yet.
[Rest]
Allows you to quickly regenerate your MP while asleep.
Do you wish to purchase this skill?
Y/N
Useless until he had a skill that used MP.
[Force of Will]
An indomitable will can allow someone to overcome the toughest situations, as well as aid greatly in persuading someone to do something. In times of crisis, the user of this skill can occasionally accomplish what would seem to be the impossible.
Do you wish to purchase this skill?
Y/N
OK…this looked promising.
After going up and down the list, [Force of Will] seemed to be the best one to take. For one, it would be useful in becoming the new leader of the goblins. For another, it was something he had used a lot in his past life.
…well, it was more like 'force of personality and loud voice', but whatever.
He hit yes.
Congratulations! You have bought the skill [Force of Will]!
[Force of Will] (Passive) (LVMAX)
The ability to exert your will over your body, even in ferocious pain, is not a common ability. Neither is the ability to project your will through your words. This skill lets you do both.
- Immune to [Skill Disruption] and [Skill Interrupt].
- +25% Chance of success during [Persuade] or [Intimidate] verbal actions.
- 5% chance of performing a [Heroic Action] if HP is below 30%.
'Whoa…this skill rocks.' Gobuto thought with a smirk, 'Shame it seems to take forever to gather SP.'
"Hoi, youngster!" Gobujiji called, "Ready for your tour?"
"You bet I am!" Gobuto smirked as he stood up.
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Next Chapter: Loot and Racing to the Rescue
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