Chapter 14 Part C

  Continued from Part B

  I needed some followers...I decided. I'm going to have to look at the create life skill more closely. I'd wanted to buy time first with upgrading defenses. But now with the goblins escalating I can't wait on that. Although I only hadn't done this much so far because I'd been pressed hard with self defense problems.

  But I also realized I could be more clever with my traps also.

  Using the shovel I started cutting sod turf up from the meadow in sections. It was hard work...wish I had a skill for it. But I didn't separate or fully cut the turf out. Instead I was peeling away a big sheathe of it!

  This I gently started to roll up in a roll, like they do when you are laying sod and you have to move the pieces but don't want to damage the sod. Its actually hard work because as a piece of sod gets bigger, its much heavier very quickly to manage. But you can't really use cut sod pieces unless you get them to be a pretty good size. And as it gets heavier its now much slower to move.

  I then used the rejuvenate spell to regrow sod turf that I'd cut away. So that the meadow isn't harmed and is brought back to full strength.

  I can now use this sod pieces to help build hidden hidey holes, cover roofs, or make something just harder to see also. Its good to store up building materials like this. Plus if you keep rolled up sod moist you can store it that way a few days before you use it all.

  I can't help but nervously watch the minutes pass by. The platoon of goblins will be here soon, though it is a half hour walk from their camp, not counting the hornet mess they have to cross.

  Within about 30 minutes I have a full sheet of sod. (I can replenish the sod where it came from with rejuvenate).

  Damn this stuff is heavy! Its the dirt and clay attached to the sod that makes it that heavy...

  Then I had another problem how to move the sheet of rolled up sod without it coming apart. I now had a sheet that was about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide. And there's two of those. I'll use them to cover things I want to hide. I'm also severely out of breathe from working hard and fast to get it.

  Shit. It won't be ready in time.

  All I can do is hope to have it ready for the next patrol. I stopped working to come back to it later, as the patrol of goblins is approaching my fortified zone. I also checked my status screen.

  Health; 206/226

  Mana; 192/786

  Stamina; 87/200

  Health regen; 12 per day

  Mana regen; 100 (hourly)

  I'll have to be careful in this fight...

  The goblin line advanced, the shield units spreading out as they advanced. The goblin archers are in a line behind them. Already they are trying to shoot at me.

  Shield up! I blocked several arrows and then pulled back before the real main volley could shot at me. I'm standing at the front of my fortified zone, right between the two improved trap sets; the entrance. I also have a wide front open 20 foot wide zone here, to try to entice them to charge into it (but the traps still cover 100% of the zone, as they can reach about 10 feet wide with the vine tentacles that stretch out of the sides of the hedge walls of the trap.)

  They unleashed another volley with me. Shield Up; I blocked four arrows this time while hugging the thorn walls to reduce the arrows. This shield is good sized, which is why they can't get me.

  The goblins seemed reluctant to march forward, but the patrol leader screams some profanities and murder promises at them.

  !

  Something flew at me from the corner of my eye! Its too late to block! No!!

  But then I was surprised when the improved trap grabbed a thrown spear from a stealther goblin 90 degrees to my side, away from the main block of goblins. Wow interesting. I hadn't thought that could happen, but it makes sense. If the trap can sense and go after someone... then sure it could end up going after their weapon by mistake.

  Another stealther! Shit...I got lucky.

  But then I'm shocked also when I start to see and smell smoke coming up. I turned my head to see that a second goblin stealther has a lit torch and has lit my pithouse on fire, back behind the front lines near the maze's center! They'd been studying the lay out of my maze this whole time! I'd not killed off all the stealthers in my zone also!

  "No!" I yelled in frustration.

  The goblins are laughing at me.

  I cast a root trap on the arson goblin. Now he's panicking as he's caught next to the very fire he started! He's screaming for help! (-20 mana)

  HAahahaha...

  You will burn in your own enmity. Burn you little bitch!

  The arsonist goblin is now getting burned in his own fire. Probably that wouldn't normally happen except he'd used some kind of flammable oil in the process and he happened to be carrying that too.

  There's a small flame explosion burst that then confirmed my theory as he's now ignited himself into a living torch.

  The spear stealth goblin ran towards him to try to help that guy, evading some of the wall traps (he must have mapped out blind spots in the way the hedge walls snare people). I snared him too with a root trap (-20 mana).

  The main goblin force continued to try to pelt arrows at me, while their shield wall units create a hedge for laborer goblins to create a bonfire. But they can't really see me now that I'm in the thorny hedge maze.

  Ah...I'd anticipated this. They are trying to burn me out after all.

  I blocked another arrow volley. There's now a pile of arrows at my feet. But that's realistic; nothing beats a kevlar shield. There's no way crude poorly made goblin arrows would get through other world kevlar shield designs.

  I pulled out the crossbow and carefully set it. The goblins are initially nervous as they don't know what I intend to do.

  I ran back towards the burning goblin that's on fire, which also is a different direction from the main goblins. And instead of putting out the fire I put the pile of wood I had in my time space item box into the fire also to fuel the flames burning him. And I reinforced the vines holding him, which were burning also.

  That goes toast...he's already going into shock.

  Then I went over to the other goblin with a lit log and did the same.

  Now I've got 2 burning stealther goblins, slowly dying. Their screams stopped when they went into shock.

  But now I had to hurry and run back up to the main fortified zone because the main group of goblins almost has their bonfire ready. They are getting long spike stakes that resemble spears or lances ready to ignite the tips, and use them to burn up my fortifications, so they can attack me.

  Only...they hadn't counted on the idea that I might have a counter for that!

  I ignited a big create water spell formula right above their bonfire instantly! (-10 mana) Then I did another one on two others to cover all the fire burning spaces. (-10 mana)(-10 mana).

  The goblins are dismayed as their hard work for the last fifteen minutes is going up in flames. I was also grateful that I'd been practicing that water technique in order to have the optimum volume.

  But I'm nervous now too because the bonfire was too big to be entirely put out. Already the goblins are trying to salvage it and managed to pull the fire logs around the edges out. They are just now separating the fire remnants into two new fire pits now, while their boss screams at them!

  My pithouse is now burning pretty hard... behind me.

  Damn you bastards. That was a very nice underground house even if it was only 1 room.

  Shit...

  I used a create water over the area around the pithouse to prevent the rest of the meadow being soaked. (-10 mana) But I had to just let the pit cabin burn. Although as long as the wind doesn't pick up the rest of the maze shouldn't start on fire from that since its not right up against the walls.

  I also have an idea now that the amount of water created by this skill is about 5 gallons per level. Its not enough to really stop that blaze too much. Yet the volume isn't bad either. Its getting there slowly.

  But I realized I can cancel the spell of the one trap that's burning, and with it take the fire with it. This made it so I didn't have to use mana to put out the second fire and saved mana. I don't have as much to put out anymore either. (And the goblin in it is already dead.)

  I used another create water on the pithouse blaze just to be safe. Its now starting to get put out. The meadow actually is a huge fire risk now that I think of it. I better be more careful. But for now everything is under control, except the big group of goblin ahead of my maze where they are trying to start another bonfire to use.

  I have to really conserve mana now.

  The goblins now have 2 more fire pits they are making...

  I casted two root traps on the goblins surrounding them! The goblins began screaming as I watched with a smile. The root trap is tied to the fire, so they'll burn with the flames growing. Again they aren't careful enough when carrying flammable accelerants on themselves when going near fires...

  Their leader challenged me and is making a fuss, but I can't understand their language. So instead I shot a couple crossbow bolts at him. I hit other goblins he was clustered around instead. But two of my shots missed with only one hitting.

  They laughed at me for it. But I don't care. (I don't have a lot of crossbow bolts left by now...)

  The root traps with about 7 goblin laborers in them is now on fire with the goblins inside them screaming for help.

  Do I risk more mana?

  But I do need to bust up the cluster of them to make them more manageable.

  Just a bit more... once they burn a bit more and go into shock then I can dispel magic and erase the root trap, which will put out the fire. (I think this is actually an advanced technique that maybe not everyone can do...)

  Ah what the hell. My mana is getting low but I need to scatter the goblins hard and early before they can mount an effective attack.

  I put down two root traps onto their archers line, trapping them thoroughly.

  Yes!

  The patrol leader screams in fury. And to my surprise he just went and slit the throat of another goblin who was probably arguing for them to withdraw. It seems they have kill orders to not allow their people to treat. That's goblins for you. Instead of being happy, I'm not happy when that throat slit goblin dies, because it means he got the XP for it and not me.

  The other goblins are reluctant to attack now and arguing about what to do. They aren't really trying to rescue the goblins caught in the traps...which surprised me. Instead they worry over self preservation more! But if I go back into the maze from the front area, they would probably go back to freeing their friends, instead of watching me and holding their guard up.

  Interesting...

  I've made them pretty afraid.

  Then they withdrew retreating about a hundred yards away from their previous position, and abandoning the goblins caught in my traps. This is a mistake that they've made caused by fear. One of them, a messenger is running down the mountain to probably send a report to the head shaman. (I don't like that part, but its probably expected.) He must have used some kind of speed skill to bypass the giant hornets.

  With the patrol of goblins retreated I went forward carefully with a spear and then began executing the trapped goblins. I stopped to do 2 more water spells on the now going out fire, just to make sure it stays out.

  Still...I am a bit nervous about those shamans showing up. When they do I'll have a tough time, as it will then be a magic battle, and I still don't have a lot of techniques.

  Within a few minutes, I'd executed about 13 goblins from this platoon. They now are demoralized and going back down the hill.

  And as expected they had a dust up with the hornets when trying to cross their zone. And I made it worse by using a trap skill to trap about 4 more goblins right when they were closest to the hornet nest, so they can't flee the giant hornet nest area. (I didn't realize I have such huge range! Awesome!) Those goblins died under a swarm of stings while I retreated back to my area to rest up.

  I briefly had to use create water to put out the goblin fires still there, twice. Then I went to rest. But I only rested after using the binoculars to see the head goblin shaman whipping the patrol leader that lost across the ass until he bleeds. Then he slit his minion's throat as a punishment. Then he went to beat that guy's ass again with more bleeding.

  Goblins really are violent... even to their allies.

  I managed to get a nap in. But my mana bar sucks.

  I got up at 1:30 to check the goblin status and sure enough they have another patrol of a whole squad, like the first one that they are about to send up here.

  I began to work quickly.

  I finished working on my traps.

  The new trap is an improved root trap in a depressed dug out spot, that has the sod laid over it. I then also used bits of mana to sew the sod over the the trap to link their life forces so the sod won't wither away and to keep it healthy. It will also hide the trap also, and be a different type than the grown hedge wall type vine traps that make up the maze walls.

  But I was surprised when there's a ping in my status screen!

  [Camouflaged improved trap skill acquired!]

  I checked it. Yes!

  And now I'm shocked! This thing?! It merged the camouflage sod into a skill?! And its even better than before also!

  It now costs -60 mana to set this thing up. It basically sets the trap mostly underground with the turf sod lid even with existing ground. I can set up duplicates of this thing anywhere as long as its not over rock or water.

  Technically the root traps don't always need camouflage. They can hide in terrain just normally. But it does help because there's things like stealther units that can try to figure out where they are with passable success. There's also times when like this fire damage has burned away a lot of the vegetation covering the ground, and that exposes nearby traps. So there is usage for having the trap improved with camouflage though it won't always be needed.

  I tested the improved camoflaged trap version myself and it does let me walk on it without triggering it or causing me damage,...but I'm not sure yet if it will accidentally trigger on allies or non-hostiles yet. I'll have to test that when I get a chance.

  The goblin patrol will be here soon.

  I set up two camouflaged traps slightly in front and to the sides of the 20 foot wide pathway entrance I'd created. The goblins will think this spot is approachable. And then when its not they'll get caught. But I didn't totally block the zone path with them because I'd rather have them come through here at this choke point than to try to go to the less protected rear side that I'm still working on.

  My mana bar is super low now.

  I'm nervous if I can do anymore. If I do, I'll be slightly above zero mana, and unable to help myself if I get wounded. But on the other hand I'm also anxious to show these goblins that they should basically give up and stop coming up here period, as its my territory.

  But probably the head shaman and the other two shamans think they can come up here to steal magic treasure. That would be partly why they keep sending the other fodder troops up here. But that's also why I haven't fought too many higher level goblins yet also, because they wouldn't be intimidated by a shaman that's below them.

  The fact that they don't have anything to show for their trouble and that I'm holding them off is probably the only thing holding the main high level goblin leaders from coming up here. They fear death themselves. And they aren't sure how strong I actually am. For now I'll try to keep pushing that illusion of invincibility higher. (Actually I feel very far from invincibility.)

  I'll have to keep working hard...

  As the other goblin patrol is approaching I used the same trick as before of setting off a minor trap just as their lines are crossing the hornet dens. Then I did two more of those.

  The giant hornets feasted on goblin meat. It was right to use them against the goblins!

  As the 3 traps I'd set off only costed -20 mana, I decided to risk setting off a few more, but by then the goblin patrol is entirely ruined and in full retreat with tons of giant hornets swarming after them.

  !

  Huh? What's that?

  Unexpectedly, using the binoculars I'd discovered that there's tons of young smaller giant hornets, more than before. This seems to be because they'd had such a feast of tons of goblin meat recently! Their numbers are multiplying! These younger hornets had come out to do orientation flights and learn how to fly and hunt better.

  Interesting creatures, though they are murderous. If they can keep them alive and growing a few more weeks then that nest will be even bigger than before, and more formidable in defense.

  And the status screen system has registered that I'd had a hand in helping the giant hornets trap and kill the goblins and gave me a 40% XP share of each of the kills!

  Nice. I can handle that!

  Hell if I got a 40% XP share any time they killed something I'd be happy to make them allies considering how dangerous this world was. I could help them survive also.

  Unexpectedly I just leveled up!

  About time! I'd killed or helped kill at least a hundred of them today. If that didn't level me up, what would?

  Still...that means its not easy to level up, and that you have to work pretty hard for it.

  Name; Javen

  Race; Administrator class (Censored)

  Job class; Life/Creation Wizard

  Level; 11 --> 12

  Age; NA

  Health; 207/226 --> 207/231

  Mana; 17/786 --> 21/803

  Stamina; 52/200 --> 52/205

  Health regen; +12 --> +12 per day

  Mana regen; +100 --> +103 (hourly)

  Str 37

  Agi 39 --> 40

  Con 75

  Int 130 --> 133

  Wis 130 --> 133

  App 105

  Skills; Survival, Mana Sensing, [Censored], Summoned Danger Sense Turret(human shaped), Smash, Defend, Create Item , First Aid, Meditate, Axe Mastery

  Minor Flame Wave, Create Water, Minor Heal, Root Trap, Improved Root Trap, Camouflaged Root Trap, Rejuvenate, Create Life, Magic Item Box (10 slot),

  Traits; Memories have been censored, Blessing of the Heavens, Mana Genes, censored skills & traits, Life Affinity, Intermediate Life Affinity, Mana Efficiency, Advanced Life Affinity, Creation Affinity, Intermediate Creation Affinity, Intermediate Creation Affinity!

  Equipment; Leather Gloves, Wizard Robes, (Kevlar) Shield, Splitting Maul 34" Axe, Katana, Backpack, Coat, Throwing Dagger (3), Hunting Knife, Flashlight, Combat boots, Goggles, Soldier Helmet, Leather Armor, Orc Knife +3, Combat Boots, Shin Guards, Wrist Guards

  Ris; 612

  Unused stat points; 7 --> 0

  I feel stronger, more powerful with magitek! My mana pool feels bursting with energy!

  I feel slightly faster, but not by much.

  I have some ideas for some new things to try tomorrow.

  ...

  I fought off two more patrols that day, later in the afternoon of about 20 to 30 goblins each. But there's was nothing special about them this time. It seems they'd already planned that it wouldn't be a full on attack, and problably was a probing attack to look for weaknesses each time. I suspect they were just some lowly fodder rookie groups to keep my busy while the goblins assemble their main army. And in fact, these rookie fodder platoons were probably meant to also make me underestimate the other goblins main force when it arrives more fully equipped and with more units.

  Or wear down my mana power and make me have an empty tank for when the main force arrives.