Esdras collected his tent and took out his copy of the map. They were handed to them after the briefing yesterday so they won't get lost.
Naturally they didn't leave behind a horse because they were not suitable for the forest terrain, these areas were thick with growth and vines.
He picked up the pace, it he was late they could use that to make him look bad to the True mages, it was something he wanted to avoid for now.
Following this map would have been difficult if he didn't get the memories of the previous owner. It was nothing like google maps…
Esdras traversed the forest and for a while he was genuinely lost, he was in the right area but he didn't know where the team set up camp.
His ears picked up a noise so he followed it and encountered a Kobold, it stood at 1.5 meters tall and looked like a bipedal dog but with scales instead of fur or hair.
The monster was sniffing the air, it had its back to him.
Esdras froze in his steps and his heart raced, he swallowed down and didn't know what to do. No, he knew but he didn't moved.
He thought that he was ready, that he was prepared but all of that flew out of the window the moment he saw the creature for real.
He hesitated for too long and the kobold turned around, saw him an roared as it charged at him wildly using a crude javelin.
The sight woke Esdras from his trance and he drew the sword at his waist swiftly, the javelin was aimed at his head so he evaded to the side.
The kobold missed his target and stumbled, Esdras was not going to waste another chance so he slashed with all his power hoping to kill it in one strike.
But the kobold proved that it had good reflexes and dodged the fatal blow but it's left arm was cut off and it started bleeding badly.
Esdras braced for the counter attack but he was stunned when he saw the kobold making a run for it. That's right he forgot that kobolds were cowardly.
At the first sign of losing they would make a run for it. But if they faced a weaker opponent then they would give chase till the end of the earth.
Esdras thought it was like a game mob that would commit suicide by player. But they has their own habits.
Esdras thought fast and picked up a pebble, with a whoosh he threw it at the fleeing kobold. He was unlikely to catch up to it otherwise.
The pebble hit the kobold in the head, it fell down and was dizzy when it tried to get back up a sword pierced it's neck from behind.
[+3 EXP]
Esdras finally got the notification he was looking for but the amount was so pitiful he groaned. He needed to kill ten more for one level.
Also there was no loot, the mages of this world did not need any part of low level monsters and there were no alchemist in this world either.
Weirdly enough he heard some laughter at that point. He followed the noise, this time much more carefully, and found the camp.
So this what the kobold was originally doing.
Here he found the teammates he was supposed to join.
"Well, look who decided to join us, what a surprise!" Tara's sharp scratchy voice declared before Esdras could say anything.
'Shit'
Tara was a level 3 apprentice mage and she was sort of like Robert's girlfriend. For that reason she acted like the queen of all bitches and bossed everyone around.
At that time he focused on Robert but he neglected this bitch who liked to make his life miserable for her own entertainment.
"It's good that you're here," Bran the leader pf this team and a level 4 apprentice mage said, "come on, we have to kill the kobolds in this area, we have a plan."
"The bastards raided our camp last night and I couldn't sleep a wink because of them." Tara complained as they went through the forest, "I can't live like this, Bran you have to get rid of them for me."
Saying that Tara clung to Bran's hand seductively and pressed her body against him. Although she was only sixteen years old she possessed the body a twenty year old.
Feeling her assets on his body Bean started breathing hard and gulped down.
"Haha! What did I say before? We will get rid of them all today, we will be the first team to do that! If I knew they bothered you so much I would have done so yesterday."
Esdras rolled his eyes at this shameless exchange and cringed, he felt like he was back in high school. But he was also curious what the plan was.
He followed behind until they came up a… cave? It was a very strange looking cave that was literally jutting out of the ground in the middle of a forest.
"What is this place?" He asked Bran.
"It's a cave, idiot. Can't you see? I found it by accident yesterday."
"Is this the kobolds nest?" Esdras asked agin ignoring the insults.
"No, this is where we'll kill them all, I know where their nest is, we will lead them here and collapse this opening in one fell swoop."
"Oh, that's brilliant!" Exclaimed Tara.
"But, how will we do that?" The third mage apprentice asked, he didn't know his name.
"Easy, do you even have to think about it?" Tara sneered, "these guys will attack the nest attracting as many of them as they could then flee, seeing this the stupid kobolds will give chase."
"You mean me too," Esdras pointed at himself. Just know she included him with the two soldiers tasked with baiting the kobolds to the cave.
"Yes, you," Bran looked at him as if daring him to protest, "Tara, Theo and I have to use our powers to collapse the cave at the right time. Can you help us with that? You're not even at level 3 so shut up and do as you're told."