Chapter 16: Scrap Iron

Chapter 16: Scrap Iron

Leif lounged against stone steps leading up to the most intact building within the village. A carved statue made of wood depicting a winged woman with arms raised high and small symbols etched into her arms lay on its side next to him. The statue was decayed, the wood rotten in several places. Noting that its eye’s had been gouged out by some sort of blade or claws probably wasn’t important.

All around the village Leif’s animal followers wandered around, rifling through dirt or munching on leaves and vines. It suddenly struck Leif how despite being of plant origin he only tolerated herbivores and omnivores. No, that wasn’t quite right. He had observed birds exclusively eating worms and insects.

I protect them because they rely on me. He realised. If the first animals to live around me had been a pack of wolves or something similar I think my outlook might be different.

And it was true. In his earliest moments of awareness he had protected the presences living within his branches. He continued to watch the beasts go about their business and turned his attention to the system prompts he had received.

Level up! Class [Brawler] is now level 2!

For ridding a ruined village of goblin squatters using only your body you have gained a level!

+1 to [Willpower] +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point!

It was a strange level up. [Willpower] and [Spirit]? How exactly do class growths work? Mentally shrugging he turned to the skill options.

New class skills available! [Iron Fists] or [Scrappy Focus]!

His focus wandered between both skills. Like previous options there was no description. Instead only vague impressions of what each did. Is there a skill that would let me see more about skill options?

[Iron Fists] felt like a very simple skill. Unarmed attacks did more damage. But it also had some sort of defensive application, like parts of his body he struck with would take less damage from the recoil?

[Scrappy Focus] was strange. The skill felt familiar in more than one way. He was almost entirely certain that this skill was similar to [The Well Within]. Similar in that it would build up a pool of energy that could be used to empower other skills.

He mentally prodded at the pool of energy within him, bloated and full from the goblin slaughter. Would [Scrappy Focus] add to this pool? Add to a separate pool? And if so how would it be different? Would the skills interact synergistically or hinder one another? He didn’t know.

The second way the skill felt familiar was less tangible. A whisper he couldn’t quite hear, something he had long figured out was due to his life before being turned into a tree. Whatever that had been like.

This time the feeling he received made him think he had possessed the skill before? Or maybe something very similar?

He considered both skills. The odd allure of [Scrappy Focus] or the simplicity of [Iron Fists]... He hadn’t hurt himself at all when attacking the goblins, but they were unarmoured and soft. He had a cultivation skill, it replenished quickly as he fought due to the various ways he would absorb lifeforce...

There didn’t seem to be a wrong choice.

You have gained the [Brawler] skill [Iron Fists]!

===

Iron Fists:

Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*

When you make an unarmed strike the attack deals more damage.

As you attack with a body part it becomes more resilient to physical harm as if it were made of metal.

===

It was as though a group had come through and picked what they wanted from the corpses. But what? And are they still around?

Leif picked up a bent sword, the feel and weight became familiar as faint echoes of who he had once been filtered through his mind. He was close, Leif could feel it. As he held the weapon it were as though the puzzle pieces of his past became more distinct. Though when he did test swings it felt notably weaker than his punches and kicks.

Can’t deny the efficacy of my class perks. Though I suspect a weapon in better condition would be far more effective. He noted, the old unknown part of himself critical of the blade's condition. Leif looked around before continuing into the city.

While he couldn’t see any evidence of inhabitants he did notice several more instances of clear looting. What's more the darkened corners of ruined structures seemed oddly sharp, as if the shadows were being emboldened to come out of hiding.

Some buildings appeared to have been flattened from above. Checking inside he found what seemed to be hollowed out boulders over a metre wide had crashed down into the structures. But very little furniture was left, the paraphernalia he had come to expect from exploring several destroyed villages was absent.

A part of his mind he didn’t fully understand analysed the battle. How it was odd the city was destroyed instead of occupied, how there only seemed to be the corpses of one side present in the aftermath.

Maybe it was an internal conflict? The people turning on one another? Then the victors took what they could and fled? It didn’t feel correct but it was the best guess he had.

The empty and abandoned streets gave the outer layers of the city a haunting feel. It didn’t help that Leif kept detecting lifeforce and the bare hint of emotions and intent at the very edge of his perception.

His alternative senses only stretched a few dozen metres and grew fainter the further out he pushed them. Shadows loomed ominously, they danced through the narrow gaps of alleyways and shifted when he wasn’t looking.

He let [Grand Action] Swap between [Spirit], [Intelligence] and [Alacrity] as he prowled forward.

Each attribute ever so slightly affected his perception in different ways. As Leif focused he noticed something push back, it was incredibly subtle to the point he couldn't be sure he had actually noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Whenever he stopped progressing and went to look he found nothing. Whatever is out there is shadowing me. Coming here might have been a mistake... Though he still didn’t see any signs of the city's inhabitants, the feeling of a trap being closed around him became harder and harder to shrug off.

Thankful he had left the animals back in the village, yes, even the deer, Leif continued on. Occasional uses of [Amber Awareness] told him that there were indeed things following him. Small creatures being careful not to be seen.

Then, just as Leif decided that going any further was a poor idea, chittering came from all around.

Leif whipped his head around and saw them. Hundreds of pairs of beady little eyes watched him from the roofs of nearby buildings. More slunk out of alleyways from the direction he had come. Leif let out a hiss of dissatisfaction.

Goblins. Had goblins done this to the city? It didn’t feel right, how could these little monsters have overcome the walls and so many armed defenders?

Booming laughter came from a building as a figure stepped out. They were tall with their heavy muscular physique visible under patched together armour. Now that he noticed, all the goblins seemed to be partially armoured in similar hack job protections.

But comparing this being to the comparatively tiny goblins he had seen so far seemed like a disservice. It was as if a dire wolf had casually walked out from where it had been living among rabbits.

“We have no quarrel with your kind little plant.” The newcomer called. His deep voice echoing through the shattered buildings and crumbling walls. “But if you wander so carelessly into my territory... Well...” Sharp tusks jutted from the monster's chin, their mouth agape with a wicked smile.

Leif backed away, he didn’t make a sound in response. This creature was taller than him by almost a head, comparing it to the other goblins almost didn’t feel fair.

“No talk? How disappointing!” He grinned. “Do you even know what I am? Do you know who I am? Do not tell me that they didn’t teach you? Or are you a stray?” The towering goblinoid spoke with a lilting, mocking tone.

The swarms of goblins all cackled and laughed. Their cruel, amused intents locked onto him.

“Out of respect... for your elders.I will not kill you! You see, the last sacrifices, I mean test subjects, haven't come out of their hole in quite some time. How do you feel about running the gauntlet for me?”

I don’t think I have a choice. He grumbled internally.