Caught off guard, Vaalk stumbled, tripped over a twig on the ground, and the boar on his back was thrown up into the air, landing right on top of him. It looked like a scene straight out of a cartoon.
The Shaman calmly walked out of his hut, gently picked his ladle off the ground, dusted it, and walked right back in, paying no mind to Vaalk and the comical sight.
Sitting cross-legged on a mat inside the Shaman's hut, Vaalk was on the verge of tears. Because of the events during the day, he seemed to have forgotten how grumpy this old goblin was.
'I actually thought this old guy was cute, what was wrong with me?' Vaalk constantly grumbled, but he made sure he didn't do it too loudly so as not to invite any trouble to himself. He had definitely had enough of being hit by a ladle.
"Here, have some soup." Vaalk was in disbelief. 'He's actually handing me soup? I guess he was a cute old goblin after all.'
"Wait, what soup is this?" He stopped just as he was about to place it in his mouth and asked the shaman. His tone and face were laced with suspicion.
The shaman was stunned. "You damn brat! I noticed you were not in good shape, so I concocted some medicine for you, and you look at me with suspicion?! Do you think I will go through all this trouble to poison you?!" His face turned red as he was reaching out for his ladle once again.
Vaalk broke out in sweat, hurriedly apologizing. He downed the entire medicine in one gulp, hoping it would pacify the old man.
The medicine worked wonders; he could feel his pain and fatigue fading. The aches and knots in his muscles eased, and warmth spread through him like he had taken a dip into lukewarm water on a chilly day.
Wide-eyed, he blinked up at the old goblin in astonishment and began showering him with praises. "You're a miracle worker! I feel good as new. I could probably carry that boar on my back and do a lap around the village now."
The Shaman's lip twitched at the display; the constant praise and bootlicking seemed to appease his earlier anger. He waved his wrinkly hand, "Bah. It's nothing serious. It's just some basic herbal mixture. I could do it in my sleep." His voice got smaller as he spoke, telling how good he felt about the praise.
'What an adorable old man.' Vaalk couldn't help but smile. Unknown to him, his view on goblins had changed over time that even their inherently ugly faces felt like normal faces to him now.
"What are you smiling at, you brat? Get out of my house if you're done lazing around." For some reason, Vaalk's smile always seemed to tick him off. "I will send over some boar meat after it's been processed, and don't forget to give some to the parents of those kids you bullied."
Bang. He shut the door in his face.
Vaalk stood there for a while trying to process the shaman's words. 'Bullied? Who? Me? I bullied some kids?'
He couldn't recall when he did or if he did, but that would explain why the little goblins always run away whenever they see him.
"No use pondering about this here, I'll get to the bottom of it later. Time to go home and tally my gains." Patting the dagger by his side, he broke into a stride and made his way back to his cave.
Finding a comfortable spot, he called out, 'System'
------------------------------
Name: Vaalk
Gender: Male
Level: 5 {300/1000}
Race: Goblin
Rank: F
Bloodline: Locked
*****************
Strength: 6
Agility: 8
Endurance: 5
Vitality: 5
Intelligence: 15
Charm: -5
Talent: Infinite Evolution
Skills: Analysis, Night-Vision, Gluttony, Stealth,
AP: 24
Remark: [Has the strength of a slightly larger child]
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"Is this system comparing me to the offspring of giants? What kind of 'slightly larger child' is as strong as I am??" Vaalk once again felt like the system was messing with him.
'Every other stat increased by at least 2 points, but why didn't my charm stat increase? I guess my ugliness must be off the charts. I wonder if it's a goblin thing.
But it wasn't a goblin thing; he was probably the ugliest goblin in the entire village.
"That should be about it. I need to focus on my Agility, and I have a strong feeling I need to keep my intelligence high, seeing as it's my highest stat. But what's up with this shit?"
[Warning: Charm stat requires double the AP]
Vaalk once again felt like crying.