Goblin: a LitRPG Novel (Tower of Gates LitRPG Series Book 1)

by Paul Bellow

  The hobgoblin blinked twice in quick succession then turned to the crowd.

  "Goblins rule," he repeated.

  Cheers rose from all the goblins present while the hobgoblins looked on like Roman Senators of the Classical World. I should've stopped while I was ahead, but I pushed on.

  "Elves aren't so bad either," I yelled.

  The entire plaza went quiet as all eyes turned.

  "She's right, guys," the hobgoblin said. "Not all elves are bad. I have one or two elf friends."

  "Get out of here, traitor," a short goblin yelled then threw a tomato at the hobgoblin.

  "Hey," the hobgoblin shouted as it bounced off his armor.

  As he turned his attention back to us, I wondered if I needed to cast the spell a second time.

  "Hold on a minute," another hobgoblin said.

  Dressed in black clothes and wearing a beret, he walked toward us.

  "Now you did it," Eric said.

  "I didn't start this," I hissed at him.

  "Maybe not, dear goblin, but I’ll finish it," the hobgoblin in black said.

  He stopped in front of us, looking each of our group over one after the other.

  "Was that magic I saw?" he asked as he stared into my eyes.

  "Yes," I said.

  "How does a lowly goblin like you know the magic arts?"

  The rest of the crowd were silent, all their eyes on us.

  "Wait a minute," he said. "Are you with Magi Inyontoo?"

  Finally, a break, I thought as I nodded.

  "We are with him," I said.

  "The plan progresses well? Why are you here in Taowutang?"

  "We're on our way back to report to him," I said.

  "Yeah," Eric added. "Are you trying to impede us?"

  The hobgoblin chuckled.

  "You seem to do a good enough job of that yourselves."

  Isn't that the truth.

  "We should go," I said. "Time is of the essence."

  "Indeed," the hobgoblin said.

  He stroked his chin as he continued staring.

  "Can we go now?" I asked Eric. "Please?"

  "Yeah, let's get out of here," he said.

  I grabbed my staff from Bernard. All of us turned to walk away.

  "Hold on," the hobgoblin said.

  Eric stopped and turned around.

  "Yeah?"

  "Aren't you going the wrong way? The docks are over there."

  He pointed in the opposite direction.

  "I know," Eric said. "We've got other business to do. Are we going to have a problem?"

  "No, no," the hobgoblin said. "Carry on."

  "Come on," I said, grabbing Eric by the arm.

  We walked off in a hurry.

  "Are you crazy?" I asked when we were out of earshot of the crowd.

  "What do you mean?" he asked. "You're the one who cast a spell and got us noticed."

  I stopped and crossed my hands over my chest.

  Bernard sighed.

  "Will you two please stop arguing? I told you, the game will work against us because we're getting so close. It always works this way. We've got to keep our wits about us."

  "He's right," I said, dropping my arms. "Let's go."

  Traveling undercover, we didn't have very many belongings. I carried everything I had in the game, including my bow. Had the game stopped me from learning it? Or was that on me?

  We skirted the city square and doubled around to the docks.

  Several larger ferries were waiting. We chose the cheapest one to save our money for the rest of the trip. I didn’t know what to expect once we reached the Forbidden Kingdom proper.

  You know anything about the Forbidden Kingdom, Charlotte? I asked with a thought as I leaned against a railing and stared out into the water.

  "No, Kali. I'm sorry."

  That figures.

  "We could listen to the conversations of other passengers."

  Ooh. That's not a bad idea.

  I turned around and scanned the deck. Eric and Bernard were standing on the other side, talking with each other as they looked out at the beautiful view.

  The few conversations I heard on the journey across the channel painted a glum picture of Changtao. Why did the game world have to be as messed up as the real one?

  No answers came as I stared over the rail at the approaching island. Unlike Taowutang, the docks of Changtao were rundown, almost dilapidated. Time to find Eric and Bernard.

  I found the other two talking to each other in common.

  "Be quiet," I said as I walked up to them.

  "Take it easy," Eric said. "They're all interested in getting off the boat first."

  "We need to be more careful," I said. "There's no telling what the Forbidden Kingdom will be like."

  "I've got an idea," Bernard said. "And it's not good."

  "Have you noticed that goblin watching us the entire trip?" Eric asked.

  I looked around.

  "Which one?"

  "Don't look," he said. "Trust me. I think that hobgoblin in black sent someone to watch us."

  "We'll be fine if we make it off the boat," Bernard said.

  Eric nodded.

  "Until then, let's all lay low and hope we make it to the docks."

  "I saw them," I said. "We're close."

  "Yeah, but we've been close more than once in this game," Eric said.

  We huddled together in a group while waiting to make a hasty escape once we made landfall. My stomach felt queasy. I blamed it on the choppy waters and the rocking of the boat.

  Truthfully, though, I felt a sense of dread as we neared the end of our quest. At least pirates hadn’t attacked us. I looked over my shoulder and saw the goblin in black watching.

  "Landing," the captain called out from the bridge on the second deck.

  Goblins scurried toward the other side of the boat, causing it to perilously tip over on its side. The stupid game will drown us, I thought as I clutched the rail.

  The ferry crashed into the dock. I cringed at the sound of smashing wood. Goblins climbed over the side and scrambled off in droves.

  "Let's go," I said. "Maybe things are going our way."

  As we walked across the deck to climb off the ferry and onto the dock, I heard a trumpet in the distance. The goblins on the dock scattered as a procession approached.

  I saw the goblin in black grin as it stood at the end of the dock, waiting for us to come forward.

  "What now?" I asked.

  Not even Charlotte answered as we walked toward the gathering crowd of goblins.

  ()xxxx[:::: Chapter 39 ::::>

  Goblin-Style Soup for the Soul

  ERIC

  As we neared the end of the dock, I saw a goblin dressed in furs in front. He held a staff with two bright feathers tied to the top. Throngs of goblins stood all around him.

  I prepared to sweet talk our way out of whatever we were about to encounter. With no way to fight so many goblins, we had to act smart. All of us stopped in front of the shaman.

  "Welcome to Changtao," he said then tapped the staff on the wood.

  The goblins cheered our arrival. I noticed the goblin in black who had ridden over with us walk over to the shaman and stand by his side. He whispered something into the elder's ear.

  I glanced over at Sarah and Bernard, shrugging my shoulders.

  "Thank you," I said as I turned back around to face the shaman and the crowd. "We've had a long journey, and we're in a hurry, so..."

  My voice trailed off.

  "Celebration tonight," the shaman declared. "Goblin-style."

  Another roar of approval erupted from the barely clothed goblins. Most of them had ribs showing they were so skinny and malnourished.

  "Something's not right," Sarah whispered.

  "Don't be paranoid." I smiled. "Things can go our way sometimes."

  "Yeah, but...I don't know. Something's not right."

  I turned to the shaman. He stared at me.

  "Thank you fo
r the welcome," I said. "We're honored, but we must go."

  "No," the shaman said. "You'll come to our feast tonight. We have little food in Changtao, but what we have is yours."

  The shaman stepped forward and patted my arm with his left hand as the goblins wandered off. I stared into the goblin's eyes.

  > Consider Shaman

  [NPC] Garr the Great

  The leader of Changtao, Garr does what he can to protect his people, the lowest people in the strict caste system employed in the Forbidden Kingdom. He appears harmless if you don't harm the goblins he watches over.

  "Come, come," Garr said as he pulled on my arm. "Follow me."

  Sarah and Bernard followed me as I headed after the aging goblin. He ambled, giving me time to check out the so-called city. Changtao consisted of shacks and shanties hobbled together.

  Compared to Taowutang, progress and sanitation were not valued in the goblin slums. Strange, acrid smells wallowed through the air like pollen in the summer. My eyes watered as we walked.

  Mountains rose in the distance, kissing the sky with their snow-capped peaks. I wondered why so many goblins were ill-treated by their own kind. Whatever the reason, we were finally getting lucky.

  We continued down a muddy street, walking beside Garr the shaman. He glanced over at me once or twice, but I found it difficult to read his emotions or intentions. At the end of the road, he stopped.

  I looked around the town square. A well stood in the middle. Even more goblins appeared, crowding next to each other and raising the stink level by at least two notches. I turned to Sarah.

  She scrunched up her nose. I grinned. We'd let them honor us or whatever then leave Changtao as heroes on the way to see Magi Inyontoo. The goblin in black stood next to the shaman.

  "Welcome to Changtao," Garr said.

  He lifted his staff into the air. All the goblins quieted down.

  "Tell us about your people," I said.

  "Don't you mean our people?" Garr asked.

  The other nearly naked goblins all looked from their shaman to me.

  "Yeah, I meant our people. My bad.".

  The ancient goblin stared at me with narrowed eyes, but he said nothing.

  "Shall we prepare the ritual soup?" the goblin in black asked.

  Garr smiled and nodded.

  "Time for us all to eat," he called out to the crowd.

  Goblins all around cheered at the news.

  "I'm going to be sick," Sarah said.

  "Yeah, it's pretty bad."

  "No, I'm serious," she said.

  I turned and saw her pale face.

  "Are you okay?"

  "No. I need to sit down."

  "We should stick together," I said. "We'll be leaving soon."

  "You must stay and eat," Garr said.

  He put his hand on my shoulder and flashed a toothless smile.

  I nodded and returned the gesture. We were low on rations. Eating with the goblins before we headed out made sense. Bernard shuffled his weight from one leg to the other.

  "You okay?" I asked him.

  He frowned and shook his head.

  "This won't take long," I said.

  Another round of cheers filled the air as six goblins carried out a huge, iron cauldron. Steam and foul smells escaped from the top, trailing up into the air.

  Sarah clutched her stomach.

  "Here comes breakfast."

  I turned to Garr.

  "My friend needs somewhere to rest."

  He continued smiling.

  "Do you have somewhere she can lie down?" I asked.

  "Harrah, come here," he said.

  A female goblin wearing tattered rags walked up.

  "Take our goblin guest to my quarters," he said.

  "Are you coming with me?" Sarah asked.

  "No, I should stay here for whatever’s about to happen."

  "Fine," she said. "Bernard?"

  "I'm staying here too. Sometimes the worst smelling dishes taste the best."

  "Good luck with that," she said then walked toward the female goblin.

  I watched them walk across the town-square. A part of me wanted to rush after her, but Garr slapped me on the back.

  "Are you ready to eat a hero's meal?"

  "We're not heroes," I said humbly.

  "Nonsense. Our friend from Taowutang told us all about you and your mission."

  "He did?"

  I shot the goblin in black a nasty look.

  "We're honored to have you here," Garr said. "People of your status rarely deem to come to Changtao and mingle with the common people."

  "You're anything but common," I said.

  Maybe I could convince them to rebel against their hobgoblin masters. That would put a dent in their plan to attack the humans and other races with a goblin-fodder army.

  "The music is here," Garr said before I could continue.

  Several goblins banging drums strapped around their necks showed up in the square, stomping through the mud as they beat a rhythm that struck fear in my heart.

  "What's wrong?" Garr asked. "Doesn't the music please you?"

  "It's fine," I said. "We should be going."

  "You need to eat the ceremonial soup first."

  "Ceremonial soup, huh?"

  Garr nodded then tapped his staff on the ground. The feathers up top jostled as a team of six goblins picked up the giant cauldron and brought it toward us.

  After they set it down nearby, I walked over and peered inside. Steam rose from the murky liquid inside. Bits of this and that floated on the surface. The smell pushed me back.

  "What do you think?" Garr asked me.

  "Does it taste better than it smells?"

  Garr laughed along with all the goblins nearby.

  "Not really, but it's ceremonial, so you need to have some. It will give you luck on your journey."

  I glanced at Bernard. He shrugged.

  "Sure. Then we can get out of here."

  "Yes, yes, you're in a hurry," Garr said. "We know. Grab a handful and eat."

  "A handful?" I asked.

  "It's the traditional goblin way."

  The shaman grinned and waved a hand at the cauldron.

  "Let's get it over with," I said.

  Smells of sour pickles and other unknown items hit my nose as I reached an arm inside. My fingers hit the thick liquid. Trying not to grimace, I scooped up a handful of the soup and brought it out.

  Bernard did the same as he stared at me. I brought the reddish-brown mush to my mouth and shoveled it in, intent on getting it down. As soon as it hit my taste-buds, my head snapped back.

  "That's not bad," I said.

  "I told you," Bernard said.

  As we licked our hands clean, the drum sounds changed, getting slower. Or was it faster?

  "Have more," Garr said, motioning. "We made it special for you, the heroes."

  "Might as well," I said. "Fill up for the road. Can we get some to go?"

  "Get some to go?" Garr repeated then laughed hysterically.

  The goblins followed his example. I glanced over at Bernard. He grinned then licked more of the mush from his hand. Bass from the drums enveloped us.

  Were the sounds getting louder? As I watched Bernard, he changed back into a human. Had the illusion broke? I looked down at my own hands. They were human.

  "That's right," Garr said, his voice deeper and more menacing. "We've caught the three most-wanted adventurers in all the realms. Our reward will be incredible."

  "No, wait..."

  I stepped toward him, but I only made it one step before my legs turned to jelly and gave out under me. While falling to the ground in slow-motion, I realized they had spiked the sweet and salty soup.

  My thoughts went to Sarah. Would she be okay? If I lost her, it would all be my fault. Why had I not made a bigger fuss about her going off on her own? Unable to keep them open, I closed my eyes.

  ()xxxx[:::: Chapter 40 ::::>

  Back On the Road Again


  SARAH

  Inside the shaman's shack at the edge of town, the smell wasn't as bad and my stomach settled down. I wanted a chance to look around for clues.

  "Be careful, Kali."

  "I will be, Charlotte," I said.

  "What are you looking for?"

  "I'll know when I see it."

  As I scanned the one-room abode, I saw a cabinet on the far wall. Maybe he's hiding something good. I walked over and opened the wooden door.

  Several items of clothing hung on the inside. None of them looked new or interesting, but I pushed them aside. Eric should be here looking for secret doors.

  "He had to keep them busy," Charlotte said.

  "I know, I know..."

  After closing the door, I turned and saw a desk in the corner. The drums in the distance changed tone as I crossed the room. Some had tacked a sheet of parchment with "Don't Squeeze the Shaman" on the wall.

  This game would be fun if we had a way to log-out.

  "What do you mean, Kali? You're talking strange again."

  "Don't worry about it," I said. "Can you help me search the room?"

  "Sure," she said. "Where should I start?"

  "Never mind. I've found something."

  "What?" Charlotte asked.

  "I'm not sure," I said as I unrolled a parchment. "Maybe a spell?"

  "We should cast identify, Kali."

  "You read my mind."

  I set the parchment down and cast identify, losing a few more mana. The scroll glowed.

  Magic Item:

  Sacred Invocation of Mana and Hunger – Level 4 Spell – Trade one mana for ten pounds of food.

  "What is it, Kali?"

  "A spell that could come in handy."

  "That's great."

  "I don't think I’ll take it."

  "Why not?"

  "I think it's the only way the shaman is feeding his people."

  "But they're the enemy, Kali."

  "Are they?"

  "I think so," Charlotte said, raising the inflection of the last word and almost turning it into a question.

  "They're not."

  I left the parchment on the desk and turned toward the door.

  Your Alignment Has Gone Up!

  +5 Alignment.

  You are +5 (On the Good Path)

  If it were a normal game, I might've taken it. With the other player characters we'd met, I didn't want to take a chance of hurting someone real over a stupid spell.