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

by Paul Bellow

  As I pondered my moral decision, the drums stopped outside. I rushed toward the door, hearing shouting outside, something about get the female. Is Eric okay?

  I cast Shut the Front Door then turned around and ran to the back wall. The flimsy boards came off easily, and I slipped outside as goblins pounded on the front door.

  "Open the door," they called.

  Sticking behind the shacks in a make-shift alley, I walked toward the town square. When I arrived, I saw Eric and Bernard being put into metal cages on carts.

  What happened to them? I wondered as worry rushed through my mind. After casting my charm spell and others, I didn't have enough mana to take on a whole goblin town.

  Had they killed Eric and Bernard or were they knocked out? I watched in silence as the carts, pulled by goblins, rolled toward the edge of town. What should I do?

  "Be careful, Kali. We should follow them."

  "Yeah, but how?"

  "Take it slow. I can help. We got this."

  A pep-talk from a telepathic spider was the last thing I would've ever thought I needed, but in that moment Charlotte kept me calm, cool, and in control of my emotions.

  They must've dispelled the illusion on them. I still appear as a goblin, but they know who I am. Where are they taking them? Questions piled up in my mind.

  I crept back down the alley toward the edge of town. Tall, scraggly bushes and shrubs dotted the desolate landscape. Using them for cover, I followed the carts.

  Several dozen goblins marched in front and behind the carts. Whenever possible, I checked to see if either Eric or Bernard had woken up. They had to be alive.

  Why would they imprison them if they were dead?

  "I don't know, Kali."

  Rhetorical, Charlotte. I was being rhetorical.

  "Sorry."

  It's okay, but let's be quiet, okay?

  ▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨

  Miles added up. While short, the goblins moved quickly. The shaman had stayed behind in the village, so I expected little trouble unless they saw me.

  Stealth wasn't my forte, but I stayed out of sight while tailing them from a safe distance off the main path. Mountains rose to our left, majestic and ancient.

  Once again, I noted how fun the game would be if we weren't trying so desperately to find a way out. Josh popped in my thoughts, but I pushed him aside.

  The last thing I needed was to think of him and get sad. I needed everything I had to continue the journey and somehow save the other members of my party.

  Why hadn't we let more people into our party? The mistake kept hitting me over the head as I struggled to keep up with the goblins on the march.

  They had brought at least a few drums which they beat constantly, filling the air with the sound of their struggle beat after beat.

  I wanted to quit when they continued through the night, but I marched on. What little rations I had in my bag went fast. Should I have taken the shaman's spell?

  "You did the right thing, Kali. Being good makes sense."

  My spider made sense. Why let the game turn me into some mindless killer only out for myself? I stepped in time with the beats of the drums.

  ▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨

  At daybreak, the goblins stopped. To the left of the road, a path led toward the hills. I spotted a cave entrance in the distance. Goblins carrying the cart continued walking.

  The others stopped and broke camp next to the road. I sat down, my legs aching.

  "You should eat something, Kali."

  "I will. Are you okay?"

  "Put me down, I want to hunt."

  She crawled down my arm. I put my hand to the ground. After she crawled off, I dug into my bag for some of the last iron rations and water.

  Maybe I should go rescue them now. I can take on a few goblins.

  "No, Kali. You've not rested, and you need more mana."

  I took a deep breath.

  You're right.

  "I've caught something, Kali."

  After I put my hand back down on the ground, she hopped on and scurried up my arm. I stood and bit into the beef jerky. Eric and Bernard need my help.

  "We're leaving, Kali?"

  "I can eat and walk," I said. "We need to scope out that cave."

  Charlotte said nothing as I moved from one hiding spot to another. As I neared the cave, foul smells hit my nose even from several hundred feet away.

  Four goblins in chain-mail stood guard outside the cave's entrance. They had taken the cage-carts inside. Maybe there's another entrance somewhere?

  "We can check, Kali."

  I'm too tired to do it now.

  "You should sleep."

  Can you keep guard and wake me if needed?

  "I will, Kali."

  After a few minutes, I found a particularly bushy shrubbery and crawled inside. Curled up in the fetal position on the ground, I put my hand between my knees.

  Exhausted, I fell asleep instantly as the world carried on around me.

  ▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨

  When I opened my eyes, I saw the sun had gone down while I slept. A cold, biting wind whistled through the twigs and leaves, hitting my body.

  It's so cold.

  "You should get up and move around," Charlotte said.

  I crawled to the edge of the bush and peered out. Seeing nothing, I stood up and stretched. After running in place a few seconds, blood circulated through my body.

  "You should eat, Kali."

  There's not much food left.

  "You could summon something and kill it."

  That would make too much noise. I'll eat the last of these rations for now. We've got to rescue Eric and Bernard. I need to do something, but I don't know what. Ugh.

  I took another deep breath. You got this, I told myself. The sound of drums filled the air again, coming from the road. Were they permanently camped?

  And what were they doing to Eric and Bernard in the cave? I had to find out.

  "Don't go, Kali. It's not safe."

  We've got to rescue them. It's what they would do for us.

  Charlotte quieted down on my shoulder as I crawled to a spot where I could see the cave entrance. No ideas were magically popping in my head, but I had all my mana again. Enough to be dangerous.

  ()xxxx[:::: Chapter 41 ::::>

  Escape is a Bittersweet Word

  ERIC

  I opened my eyes and found myself in a dank cell with natural stone walls. My head pounded. Where are the others? Sitting up, I glanced around. Bernard sat with his back against a rough wall.

  Bars from the ceiling to the floor of the cave blocked out escape. Outside them, I saw a smaller area and a cave leading off into the darkness. Two torches outside the call were our only source of light.

  "You're awake," Bernard said in a low voice so unlike him.

  I struggled to my feet.

  "Careful," he said. "They slipped some kind of potion in that soup, I think."

  "Yeah..."

  I rubbed the top of my head. While I still had on my armor, I didn't see my weapons or other possessions. Did Sarah still have the Dawn Acid or had they captured her too?

  The world spun, and I almost fell.

  "Sit down," Bernard said. "You need to rest more. It'll wear off all the way soon."

  I took a seat near him, my back against the cold, hard stone.

  "What happened?" I asked. "We ate that delicious soup, and then..."

  Bernard nodded his head.

  "And Sarah?"

  "I don't know," Bernard said. "Maybe she got away?"

  "We can hope. How long have you been up?"

  "Half-an-hour, I think. Who knows for sure?"

  "Are you okay, buddy?" I asked.

  He nodded.

  "Sure? You seem down?"

  "I need to talk to you," he said. "Not as Benji."

  "Wait, we don't have the staf
f around."

  "I don't care about losing the xp right now. We've got bigger things to worry about, and I need to come clean with you."

  "What do you mean?"

  "There's only one way for us to get out of this situation, but I want to be honest with you first."

  I didn't like the way he was talking.

  "Come on, man. We got this."

  He frowned and shook his head.

  "First, I need to tell you my story."

  I tilted my head and stared at him.

  "When I said I signed up for a beta-test, I was lying."

  I nodded, still staring into his eyes. He turned away.

  "How did you get in the game?" I asked.

  "My parents had me committed to this mental institution, and they told me if I tested their machine for them, they'd let me go back home. They lied."

  He turned back to face me, anger flashing over his face.

  "I'm sorry," I said then pursed my lips together and frowned. "Why did you lie to us?"

  "After being trapped in here so long, I didn't want to take a chance of you not wanting to help me."

  "Because you were in a mental institution?"

  He nodded and said, "Yeah."

  "Bernard..." I shook my head. "We would've still helped you."

  "Really? You don't know this game like me, Eric. There's crazy and dangerous people playing."

  "It's still just a game," I said.

  He shook his head.

  "You don't understand. There's ways to do permanent damage to a person. I've seen it happen."

  My eyes widened.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Exactly what I said. There's bad people in here doing bad things to people."

  My thoughts went to Sarah. Was she okay? Did we have a chance?

  "What else do you know?" I asked. "Did they tell you why there's no quit option in the game?"

  "I know nothing else," he said. "We should rest more before trying to escape."

  "Yeah..."

  My voice trailed off. I closed my eyes, but sleep wouldn't come as thoughts of a way out of our predicament floated through my mind like a flock of drunk seagulls.

  ▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨▧▨▧▧▨▧▧▨▨▧▨

  When I opened my eyes again, my head didn't hurt as bad. I glanced over and saw Bernard watching me. How long had he been up?

  "You okay?" I asked.

  He nodded.

  "About what you said before...It's okay, man. This game is messed up, and you've more than proven yourself."

  "I've not done enough," he said. "I have a way out of this."

  He stood and stared down at me.

  "What are you doing?" I asked.

  "Don't worry about me. One of us needs to sacrifice themselves for the other. That's the only way out."

  "I don't understand," I said. "We can both get out of here."

  I struggled to my feet, still feeling faint.

  "No, we can't. When I do this, you need to take the guard out. Go find Sarah and get her out of here."

  "Bernard, you're scaring me, bro."

  He took a deep breath. A smile spread over his face.

  "Who says there's not honor among thieves?"

  "Bernard, whatever you're thinking about doing, don't. We can come up with another way."

  He shook his head and smiled.

  "You and Sarah helped me, and I’ll help you."

  I stood up and walked over to him. He stepped toward the iron bars.

  "Get in here," he yelled. "Get in here now!"

  "What are you doing?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They won’t understand you in common."

  He pulled away.

  "Get ready," he said. "I see the guard coming."

  "Ready for what?"

  He placed a tiny knife in my hand.

  "You'll have one chance to back stab the guard. Make it count."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Get away from the door," the goblin yelled. "What's going on in here?"

  "Nothing," I said.

  Bernard held up a red gem in his palm. The goblin's eyes glazed over.

  I crept toward the back wall instinctively as the guard opened our cage.

  He didn't even look in my direction as he rushed over to Bernard and snatched the gem.

  I leaped across the cell, bringing the knife down on the back of his neck in just the right spot.

  Your back stab INJURES the goblin guard for 21 damage.

  The goblin guard is dead!

  You get 50 xp.

  You have 23,961 xp

  You need 11, 039 xp for level 7 Bounty Hunter

  "Well, that worked out better than I thought," I said, wondering why I'd gotten all the experience points.

  I smiled until the goblin's body dropped and I saw he had stabbed Bernard with his sword, a critical hit to the heart. Why didn't you hide the wand instead of the knife and gem?

  As I kneeled by his body, I realized he wasn't breathing anymore. Had he known this would happen? Why had he sacrificed himself for me to escape? There's always another way.

  I turned and grabbed the goblins short sword. As I stood, clutching the low-quality hilt, I stared down at Bernard's lifeless body. Why did he have to die? This stupid game!

  Waves of emotions washed over me as I stared at the open door of the cell. Don't make his sacrifice worthless, I told myself as I walked forward. Time to play smart.

  Using my skills, I stealthily crept down the cave. All the shadows and nooks and crannies of the natural cave helped me evade detection until I reached the entrance.

  Hiding in the shadows, I saw four goblin guards standing outside in the bright sun. They stood casually, swords sheathed, talking with each other.

  I can take four goblins, but I need to be smart. The battle might call the others out. Were others around? My in-game mind went into overdrive as I ran through situations.

  With nothing else in the cave complex, my only option was to kill the guards and make my mistake. If I got lucky, I might find Sarah and salvage the quest.

  Did she still have the Dawn Acid? Was she alive?

  Only one way to find out. I crept forward, short-sword drawn and ready to strike.

  ()xxxx[:::: Chapter 42 ::::>

  Are You Two Following Us?

  SARAH

  I didn't believe my eyes when Eric crept out of the cave and stabbed a goblin guard in front of the cave. Where's Bernard? I wondered as I ran from behind a bush.

  The other three guards all turned to face him. I cast Cloud of Marvelous Sound with a ten-foot radius centered between two of them. They both dropped their swords and clutched their ears.

  Eric used the opportunity to take the other down. I ran over as he went after the two who were immobilized. They went down as he swung his sword like a true hero.

  "You're alive," I said, out of breath as I reached him.

  "And you," he said.

  I threw my arms around him, holding tight. We stayed that way a moment, the game drifting away from my mind. It returned in full-force as he pulled away.

  "What's wrong?" I asked when I saw his face.

  "It's Bernard. He did something stupid."

  "Oh, no. Is he okay?"

  Eric shook his head.

  "We should go," I said. "There's more goblins down by the road."

  "I've cleared out the cave, but I want to get Bernard's body. We need bury him.

  "You're right," I said.

  "Maybe it's stupid because it's a game, but it's the right thing to do."

  "It's not stupid. Not to me." I took a deep breath, opening up to him. "I'm scared, Eric."

  "Me too," he admitted. "But we've got each other."

  I stopped hugging him and backed away.

  "Promise me you'll come find me if I become an NPC," I said.

  He stared into my eyes, calming me.

  "I will."

  We connected for a moment. All our younger years spent toget
her gaming flashed through my mind.

  "I hate to break this up, but we should get him and get out of here."

  He ran back into the cave. I followed him. We stopped in a chamber partially separated by steel bars. When I saw Bernard's body on the ground in the cell, I almost lost control of my emotions.

  "Did you check for secret passages or anything?" I asked.

  "No, and I lost most of my items. You have the Dawn Acid still, right?"

  "Yeah, it's in the smaller containers in my bag. I hope we brought enough."

  "Wouldn't that be the kicker," he said. "I'll carry Bernard. You watch for goblins."

  "Okay," I said.

  Eric went into the cell and hefted Bernard over his shoulder.

  "Maybe we can revive him," I offered.

  "There's probably a way, but we don't have time."

  "You're right," I said.

  "Come on."

  He walked back down the tunnel to the cave entrance.

  "Why did they bring us all the way out here?" I asked.

  "I have no idea, and I don't plan on sticking around to ask."

  "Back on the second ferry, I heard people talking about Tang Province which is run by the hobgoblins. I bet it's more like Taowutang."

  "Probably," Eric said, his breathing labored.

  We reached the mouth of the cave.

  "This way," I said. "There's a place I've been hiding."

  I walked to the side of the cave entrance then continued around. Behind the hill, hidden by bushes and shrubs, we kept walking. As Eric walked in front of me, I watched him carefully.

  The game had changed more than his appearance. He acted differently. Maybe it was because our time as friends was years earlier? I wasn't sure, but I wondered why we'd stopped being friends.

  A half-a-mile or more away from the cave, he stopped, dropping the body to the ground.

  "Sorry, Bernard," he said. "But you're heavy."

  I stifled a smile. No time to be silly.

  "What did he do, exactly?" I asked.

  "Called the guard in and gave me enough time to back stab the goblin."