Chapter 11
Setting off to Civilization
Date : Unknown (31st day of the Journey)
The first day of his journey toward civilization began slowly.
Hyoren walked with confident steps, his horned-rabbit spear in hand, his eyes scanning the forest around him. The river flowing to his side—a constant companion guiding him downstream. He kept it close, using the sound to maintain his bearings.
"I hope this river truly leads to civilization. Based on Earth history, settlements are built near water sources. Rivers lead to towns. Towns lead to cities. That's how civilization works."
He thought about the fantasy worlds he'd read about. The games he'd played.
"But this is a fantasy world. Different rules. Different geography."
He stepped over a fallen log.
"But well. What happens, happens. I don't have a better plan."
He continued walking downstream. The wild man looking back at him from the water made him realise about something.
“I hope my speech pattern is still comprehensible. I’ve talked only to myself for whole thirty days.”
He thought about the last time he'd had a real conversation. The last time he'd spoken to another person. His roommate at the university, maybe. A quick goodbye before class. Something trivial. Something forgettable.
"Maybe I should pay more attention to my speech. Ehm.. I don't want my first human contact to think I'm a crazy or maniac person."
The forest was quiet around him. He looked at his reflection again and tried to compose himself.
"Ah. Ahh… Hello. My name is Hyoren Enjo. Happy to work with you."
He winced.
Too stiff damn it! I’m not in job interview!
“"Hi. My name is Hyoren Enjo. You can call me Hyoren."
He paused, imagining a stranger in front of him.
"I might look like a wild man, but don't be afraid. I'm a civilized person and can be reasoned with."
He considered the words.
Okay, that's a bit better. Still awkward, but better.
He practiced a few more variations as he walked. Casual greetings. Explanations for his appearance. Questions about the area. The words felt strange in his mouth..
***
The first days were easy. Hyoren new Level 5 strength was a powerful, in the face of forest monster.
He walked downstream, following the river north. The terrain shifted gradually. The trees grew denser. The undergrowth thickened.
"This northern part of the forest."
He ducked under a low branch.
He spotted the signs everywhere. Broken branches. Trampled undergrowth. The faint smell of something rotten.
"Another trace of goblins. I can see they ate their spoils here."
Bones littered the area. Rabbit skeletons. Squirrel remains. Cracked horns and shattered skulls. The leftovers of goblin meals, scattered carelessly across the forest floor.
A slime oozed through the debris, dissolving the rotting matter.
"Thank you, slimes. For making this forest a bit cleaner."
He continued north. The signs of goblin presence grew more frequent. A foul smell reached his nose. He wrinkled his face and followed it to its source. A pile of goblin dung.
"Ugh…" he covered his nose.
"Their dumps."
He looked around. No slimes here yet. The area was too large, the waste too abundant.
"The goblin population is way higher here. The rate of their dumps is higher than the slimes's ability to scavenge."
He moved on, leaving the stench behind. But more signs appeared as he walked.
A squirrel carcass hung from a low branch. Half-eaten. The bite marks were unmistakable—jagged and crude.
"This squirrel carcass. Definitely eaten by goblins."
The forest was changing. The ecosystem shifting. He was moving deeper into goblin territory, and the evidence was everywhere. Hyoren didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed it.
"More goblins mean more experience points. I welcome this change."
He still encountered the other creatures of the forest. Horned rabbits burst from the undergrowth occasionally. Creeping vines lay in wait among the bushes. Mossback squirrels chittered in the berry bush.
But the goblins dominated this region. They were everywhere. He killed them as he found them.
Around midday, he spotted something familiar. A cluster of trees with spreading branches. Round, blue-skinned fruits hanging from their limbs. The sight made him smile.
"Thank god. I can find melopple trees here."
He'd worried about food variety. His bag could only hold so much. He picked several and bit into one. The watermelon-like flavor burst across his tongue.
"I couldn't bring too much in my bag. I was afraid I'd need to keep eating rabbit meat."
He gathered what he could carry and continued downstream. The river guided him. The goblins tested him. The forest stretched on.
***
Hyoren continued his journey north.
"Another goblin patrol."
He crouched behind a thick ironwood, watching the trio through the undergrowth.
"Three goblins this time. This is truly their territory."
He had learned their pattern. They moved in loose groups, sometimes three, sometimes four. But they were predictable.
He circled around them, moving silently through the trees. His Forest Walker skill found the quiet paths—the solid ground that wouldn't crack, the gaps in the undergrowth that wouldn't rustle. He positioned himself downwind, behind cover, with a clear line of sight to his prey.
And he struck. The first goblin died with a spear through its back before it even knew he was there. The next moment, a horned-rabbit tip burst through its chest.
The others finally turned, snarling in surprise and rage. They picked their crude weapons and their black eyes searched for the threat.
A flint dagger was already flying. It found its mark in the nearest goblin's skull.
The third charged. Sometimes it screamed. Sometimes it just ran, blind panic overriding whatever passed for courage in its kind.
It didn't matter. He met it with his spear. The battle ended in seconds.
“I can easily kill groups of goblin. My ambush will kill at least one with ease. With flint dagger throw, I killed another one. And then I can clear the rest. Unless I meet more than five at same time, this is just culling.”
Five meant he might have to actually fight.
***
As the dual suns began to set, casting long twin shadows through the trees, Hyoren stopped in his tracks. The gold and silver light filtered through the leaves and the temperature dropped.
His legs ached from walking for whole day.
"I need to rest soon."
He looked around, assessing his options.
"The night will come. What are my choices here?"
He leaned his back against the bark of an ironwood tree. The rough metal-like surface was cool against his leather tunic.
"Camp in the bush? Suicide. Goblins roam at night. Sleeping on the ground is asking to die."
He thought about caves.
"Looking for another cave?"
He scanned the area. No rock formations, just endless forest.
"Impractical. I'd waste hours searching, and I might not find anything before dark."
His eyes drifted upward.
The ironwood trees rose above him, their massive trunks towering to the sky. The branches spread wide, creating a network of boughs and leaves. The forest roof was thick—almost like a second ground layer high above.
"I guess I will sleep on trees again. Like on my first night in this forest…”
He thought back. When he first come to this forest. Scared. Panicked. He spent the night huddling himself on the trees.
He chuckled. How things change since then.
He looked above again. On the wide boughs. Thinking.
“I've never seen goblins climb trees that high. And horned rabbits definitely can't climb."
He thought about the other creatures he'd encountered.
"Squirrels can climb. But they won't bother me as long as I don't disturb their red berries. Or carry the berry myself."
He'd avoided the squirrel territory specifically because of their aggressive protection of their food source.
“Creeping vines. Hahaha. Well they can try climbing…”
He chuckled.
The image of a creeping vine immobile core slowly inching up a tree after him was almost comical.
“I will sleep on top of the trees. I just hope there is no new monster here. Like snake…”
He knew snakes exist in the forest of earth. But he never saw one in his whole 30 days in this forest.
Only one way to find out.
He grabbed the lowest branch and hauled himself up. Ten meters. Twenty. He found a suitable spot—a cluster of wide boughs. The branches were also covered in leaves that give some cushioning.
He wedged himself securely among the boughs, testing his position. The branches cradled his body.
He settled into the crook of a branch.
"I won't even need to secure myself.This bough is wide enough. I'll sleep here tonight."
He opened his leather satchel and retrieved his dinner. Smoked rabbit meat—his staple filling food. A melopple for hydration.
The view from up here was good. He could see the forest stretching in every direction.
"This first day was smooth. No monsters posed a challenge. I found secure shelter."
He looked out at the darkening forest. He couldn’t make fire in this situation to provide him some light source.
"But I still can't be complacent."
He placed his spear within arm's reach. Made sure the flint daggers were secure in his belt.
Then he lay back in the bough, finding a comfortable position among the leaves and branches. He let the soldier's sleep take him—light, alert, ready to wake at the first sign of danger.
***
Hyoren awoke at dawn. He eat his breakfast, another smoked meat. Gulping water from his water skin.
Then he began the climb down. The descent was easier than the climb. He dropped the last few meters, landing softly on the forest floor.
“My decision is right. The trees are safe.”
He could see the evidence in the dirt. Goblin tracks in the area beneath his tree. Horned rabbit prints. But the trail led away. They'd given up and moved on, unable to reach him.
He adjusted his gear and started walking, following the river downstream. As he continued, the encounter rate spiked dramatically.
He'd been walking for less than ten minutes when he spotted the first group. Three goblins, foraging in a clearing. He killed them all.
A few minutes later, another group. Two goblins this time, arguing over a dead rabbit. They became experience points..
Then another group. Four goblins, walking in a rough formation.
“What in world with these goblins. I don’t even need to use skill to find them. Every few minutes of walking. Its goblins. Another minutes. Goblins.”
He no longer had to search for goblins, they were everywhere. But something was different.
He noticed it as he observed another group. Four goblins, moving through the undergrowth. They weren't just wandering aimlessly. They had a direction. A formation, crude as it was.
Two in front. Two behind. Spacing roughly equal. He watched them disappear into the trees.
"But I notice... they're more organized now. It's like they're under some kind of leadership. It's crude. But it feels like... an army."
He was moving deeper into their territory.
“Goblins were easy to dealt with as disorganized mobs. If something was directing them… the difficulty will spike. I might encounter bigger patrol…”
The concentration of creatures was a sign of that.
“I welcome this though. With all this goblins sprawling around, I don’t need to expend energy to seek them. To get experience points.”
He continued his journey, moving parallel to the river.
He found another two goblins crouching in the undergrowth ahead. He prepared to ambush them, his spear ready. But something made him pause.
One of the goblins was wounded. Its stomach was ripped open, blood seeping through its fingers. It sat against a tree, breathing shallowly.
The other goblin crouched beside it, pulling grass from the ground and feeding it to the injured one. He stopped and crouched behind a fallen log, observing.
“Wait a minute… those wound... Clearly healing.”
He watched, fascinated. The goblin kept feeding grass to its companion. Bite after bite. The injured goblin chewed slowly, swallowing the green paste.
The wound on its stomach was still bleeding. Still open. But...
“The rate of healing is slow. Around five minutes already passed and the wound still bled and not closing completely. But I can clearly see it getting smaller bit by bit.”
He then realized it. The grass.
“It definitely has healing property. After more than 30 days stranded. I finally found healing plant.”
He watched the goblins for another moment. The injured one was still weak, but the bleeding had slowed.
“Of course. Fantasy staple. Magic plants. Can recover health or mana. Then there will be potions too.”
He moved quickly, stepping out from behind the log. The healthy goblin looked up, eyes locked on him. The injured one tried to rise.
Too slow. His spear found the healthy goblin's throat. He pivoted and drove the blade into the injured goblin's chest.
Next, he crouched over the patch of grass the goblin had been harvesting.
“This grass. Isn’t this grows everywhere?”
The forest floor was covered in vegetation. Grass, weeds, shrubs. He'd walked through it for thirty-one days without a second thought.
He picked a blade of the grass the goblin had been eating. Then he picked a blade of regular grass nearby. He compared them.
"Wait... no. There's a subtle difference."
The healing grass looked almost identical to normal grass. Same shape. Same size. Same texture. But when he looked carefully, holding it up. The stem and middle part glowed faint green..
“Damn. This is actually healing plant? I saw them often around my cave and all over the forest. I thought it just variations of weeds. Which glow slighty. Magic effect you know. Like glowing blue moss on the squirrels.”
He thought about all the times he'd walked past it. All the times he'd ignored it. All the injuries he'd suffered that could have healed faster if he'd known.
“I actually have access of healing plant without realizing it…”
He reminiscent.
“Back then I cover my wounds with cool waxy leaves. But they are not healing me, only alleviate my pain with their coolness… I wish I knew this sooner. Oh well…”
He picked another blade of the glowing grass and examined it.
The goblin had eaten it raw. Fed it to its companion. No preparation. No cooking. Just straight consumption. He popped the blade into his mouth and chewed.
"Oh hey. It's not that bitter. Actually a bit refreshing."
He waited a bit before the effect. He felt his body warmed. The magic on his body flowed more quick and it flowed to part of his body which got wounded.
“My scratched legs closing fast…”
The small nicks on his hands from climbing and fighting were also healing.
“It seems the effect is minor. As I see in the goblin.. its deep wound needed a lot of grass to be healed. And even then, its slow.”
He chewed on another blade, considering.
“Maybe this is potion ingredients? If this world is similar to games, then yeah. Need alchemy reaction and maybe other ingredients to make the healing trait of this grass to be more potent.”
He had no idea how to do alchemy—no equipment or knowledge.
“But well. That’s for when I arrive at civilization. I would settle for this healing plant for now.”
He began harvesting the grass, carefully sorting through the blades to pick only the ones with the faint green glow. He tied the small bundle of healing grass with a vine.
"Okay. This should be enough. They seem to grow plentiful in this forest anyway."
He stood, brushing dirt from his knees.
The suns were climbing higher. The river continued its endless flow. He adjusted his gear and continued his journey downstream.
***
By the third day of his journey, the goblin presence was overwhelming now. He was beginning to feel like he'd seen everything this forest had to offer.
Then he found something new. He spotted them from a distance—another group of goblins, moving through the undergrowth. Four of them, walking in their crude formation. He prepared his usual ambush, positioning himself behind a thick trunk, spear ready.
But something made him pause.
"Wait. That goblin in the back... it stands taller."
The three goblins in front were normal. But the one in the back. It stood straighter. Broader. Its muscles bulged beneath its green skin, visible even from a distance.
"One hundred twenty centimeters instead of one hundred tall… And..."
His eyes dropped to the creature's hand.
It wasn't holding a crude club. It wasn't holding a sharpened stick or a jagged rock.
It held a sword. Rusted. But unmistakably a weapon. The edge was dull, but the point was sharp enough to kill.
"That's a real weapon. Not some stick it found on the ground."
He watched the group move. The three normal goblins walked in front. The larger one followed behind, its eyes scanning the trees.
“This one is stronger than the others. The weapon makes it dangerous. I need to be careful."
He adjusted his strategy.
"I should prioritize killing the normal goblins first. Reduce the numbers. Then take on the big one."
He waited until the group passed his position. Then he moved.
The first goblin died without a sound. His spear punched through its chest from behind. He yanked the blade free.
The other three spun around, snarling. His flint daggers were already thrown. The first caught a goblin in the eye. The second buried itself in the forehead of another.
The fourth—the bigger one with the sword—charged.
It moved faster than the others. Stronger. The rusted blade swung in a wide arc. Hyoren sidestepped. The blade passed inches from his chest.
The goblin recovered quickly, pivoting for another strike. It was more coordinated than the normal goblins. More aggressive. But it was still a goblin.
Hyoren stepped inside its guard, dodging the follow-up swing. He pivoted behind the creature.
The horned-rabbit tip punched through the goblin's back, piercing its heart. The creature stiffened. The sword fell from its fingers. It slumped.
"Still easy to dispatch."
He wiped his spear on the goblin's loin-cloth.
"But the weapon it wielded made me focus more. It going to hurt me real bad. Unlike the crude sticks the other goblins use."
He retrieved his flint daggers from the fallen goblins. Then he felt it. The essence flowed into him—more than usual.
"It's truly a goblin variant. I feel... four experience points. So this is a Level 4 goblin with a real, albeit rusted, weapon."
He picked up the sword the goblin had dropped. The metal was old, corroded, barely holding an edge.
"The magic stone is also slightly bigger."
He compared it to a normal goblin stone.
"Not by much. But noticeable."
He looked down at the larger goblin. He pocketed the stone to his pouch and left the rusty sword.
"I don't know the name. But I'll dub this new variant... Goblin Fighter."
As the day progressed, he encountered more of them. One in every three or four groups had a Goblin Fighter among its ranks.
"Goblin Fighters are more common than I thought."
He crouched over another fallen variant, collecting its magic stone.
"They're not elite enemies. I just entered deeper into their territory, so stronger goblins become more common."
He walked deeper into their territory. The bigger magic stones in his pocket is the sign.