The feel of the slime getting squished under the club was an odd sensation. Not that it died, but he broke off a chunk of its stone at the cost of one spike off his club. He was drawing back for another hit when the cave behind him rumbled with the sound of...something. An explosion? What could possibly explode in the world aside from magic? Or his ass when the under-cooked chicken hits? He was still waiting for whatever effect to hit him.

The rumbling scared the slime and surprised both Akeno and Esfir, who came out of her lala land. Both of which went for the cave. One going in, the other shouting from the entrance. Well all the more fun for him! He lunged after the slime, bring the weight of the club down on its body again. He didn't have to go ham on it and go full force, but he kept swinging the club down with decent strength to cause as much damage as he could in quick succession.

@Zeroth@King Cosmos

---

@Unkown58@Lucius Cypher@King Cosmos@Kazemitsu@Crusader Lord

---

The narrow passage had been somewhat widened by the explosion, but it still required the runtlings to travel single file if they wanted to go any further into it. At least now they didn't have to squeeze sideways, though. And since Lazash and Vola were standing in it, they could now see that it widened again after only a few feet, into a chamber that had a lower ceiling. That chamber slowly began to slope upwards and turn on itself, like a spiral ramp deeper into the mountain.

As Lazash gathered up the remains of the Flak Beetle, it seemed that some of its parts might be in a harvestable state...but under the gunk and soot, it was hard to tell whether legs, pincers, or whatever else might be there. She would need to clean and process the chunks with a knife or sharp stone of some kind, to pry apart the remaining bits from the bug's actual muscle tissue. Speaking of which, it had a grayish white color with a phlegmy texture, much like raw shrimp or crab, so it would probably need to be cooked unless she wanted to risk something like what Grunthor had gotten from eating the raw or unsanitary bits of his Elwet earlier.

Meanwhile, Vola began to investigate the shiny chunks of ore that had been blasted out of the wall. It felt relatively hard, but brittle, and almost looked like gold except for that same hardness. Its natural color seemed to be the shiny, brassy yellow, but here and there it had tarnished to produce an effect that seemed to shine or change colors when one tilted it back and forth in the light. When Lazash joined her, the two Runts were able to gather 10 pieces of it between them. It looked like there was still some of the ore left in the wall as well, but unless they wanted to blow up something else, they would need some tool better than what they already had in order to chip away at it...

Esfir and Akeno both called after the two of them to investigate, but as the party of orcs hung near the entrance of the cave, a sound drifted to them from within the tunnel depths. However, this sound didn't seem like it came out of the ground. Rather, it felt like it was reverberating through the roof above them---from somewhere inside the caves, and yet, further UP the mountainside.

It was a roar.

Lazash and Vola obtained:
Raw Chalcopyrite Ore x5, Each (10 total)

Meanwhile, Grunthor chased after the fleeing slime. Though it was rolling and bouncing down hill, the Runt had longer legs and an insatiable lust for slime blood. As he caught up to it, Grunthor swung with all his might just as the slime was bouncing up. It ran right into his club with a KA-CRACK and broke another bone spike out of it---but the rocky shell on top of its body broke again as well, and the rest of the club smashed into its jelly body. With a high pitched warble, the slime made one last attempt to get away...then it died.

Victory!
Loot Obtained:
Lightly Damaged Singed Stone Slime x1
Stone Slime Flake x2

But then, as Grunthor caught his breath after exerting himself so much in that final sprint...a painful gurgle issued from his stomach. However, almost thankfully, this was a familiar sensation he'd had at least once as a human as well. It looked like he wouldn't be finding out what a "magical discharge" entailed just yet. All he needed was to find a bush to pop a squat in.

---

---

@Rune_Alchemist@Timemaster

---

When Svarok seemed to go along with the goblin's ploy, the big eared creature looked surprised at first, and then nervously joined her in laugher. But as she bent down to retrieve the other goblin's spear, the one with the hatchet's expression changed---

Then Carmina started talking, causing the little monster to look at her. Nervously, it started to smile, and took a few steps back while trying to stay at an angle where neither Svarok or Carmina had a good view of the hatchet it held behind its back. But it didn't attack either of them, and was actually starting to look rather chuffed as Carmina really heaped on the praise. There was a rustling in the bushes, in the same direction the speargoblin had come from...

Followed by a "gack!" sound as Svarok shoved her newly acquired spear into the back of the downed goblin who had dropped it. The creature gurgled and died quickly, slumping to the ground.

The rustles in the bushes stopped, made a slight "eep!" noise, and then started rustling in the OPPOSITE direction as fast as they could go. The hatchet goblin yelped and started backing away faster.

"Uh, was just playin' jokes! Like me said! Not, um, not spyin' on orky camp!" The hatchet came out from behind his back though, and was held defensively in both hands. "DEFINITELY not huntin' orclings when they go out into woods! And, and um, me never seen dat gob afore!" It pointed at one which now had a spear jutting out of its spine. "He not with me! Must be with, uh, some udda tribe, like da buncha gobs in da south mountains!"

If the two Runts let him, this goblin looked ready to flee for real this time. But since it seemed like his backup had abandoned him, the advantage---and thus, the choice---was distinctly theirs for the moment...

Victory!
Loot Obtained:
Lightly Tainted Goblin x1
Stone Spear (Poisoned) x1
Dirty Loincloth x1
Furry Pouch x1 (Contains ??? Poison Gunk)

If Svarok looked closely at her new weapon, she'd be able to see that the black tip on the rock was some kind of tar-like salve that smelled a lot like the Rotleaf Seedpods she'd acquired, only worse. But it had been made from a tree branch apparently sturdier than her own Wooden Stick, and had a Sharp Rock much like the one she carried wedged into its tip for the blade. For a goblin, it needed to be used in both hands, but given her larger size and greater strength she could also ostensibly use it with just one arm or even throw it if need be. A decent upgrade to her current arsenal.

---

@ReusableSword

---

Agar's trip back to the Orc Camp was mostly uneventful, as he was passing through territory that he'd already explored and there were signs of other Runts, like that big group he'd met before, running around as well. By this point many prey-level monsters had probably wizened up and decided to give the camp's surroundings a wide berth. But upon reaching the camp's entrance, he was suddenly stopped by the broad palms of the two guards.

"Runts can't come back til they finish the---" one of them started to say, as if following a script, but then he stopped and looked at Agar with fresh, surprised eyes. "Damn, you got two? And a Harpy? I'll be a grukh-pile! Get in there, Runt! Go to Auguz!" The bigger creature slapped Agar on the back and ushered him through the camp thoroughfare.

When Agar re-entered the camp proper, it wasn't hard to find the Head Warrior. He stood on a small platform right in the middle of the thoroughfare, made from a couple of barrels that propped up a few planks of wood. The hastily put together dais seemed to be solely for the purpose of making him stand out, as none of the other orcs seemed to be paying him much mind and he wasn't waving his arms or shouting or anything.

"Finally! I wuz startin' to think all but two of ya died out there!" said the Head Warrior as he hopped down. He took Agar's kills from him without asking or even making any gesture for them to be handed over. Then he lifted them close to his face and examined them with a long, drawn out hum. He looked at the Tatzelwurm, first with both eyes, then just his right as the left high squinted closed. Then he sniffed it, up and down the Tatzelwurm's length. Then he opened its mouth and peered inside. Then he turned the creature upside down and licked it somewhere that didn't seem sanitary.

Following this, he held the Harpy up by its feet, and looked honestly surprised. Then he noted the bite marks on its neck, and glanced at Agar with narrowed eyes. But after a moment, he shrugged, and turned the body this way and that. He tossed the Tatzelwurm back to Agar, then shoved his entire fist down the harpy's throat as if searching for something. After an unsettling moment of watching the bird-creature's stomach bulge, the Head Warrior removed his hand and wiped it on his chest. Then he used that same hand to grab Agar's arm and hold it up in the air.

"ALL O' YOUSE, LISTEN UP! THIS HERE RUNT--" he turned his head and whispered "What's yer name?" and then upon receiving answer he turned back to the camp--"THIS HERE RUNT, AGAR, HAS RETURNED FROM THE HUNT!" He then set the smaller orc down, and turned in a slow circle so that the entire camp could see the bodies of Agar's prey. "HE HAS HUNTED TWO CREATURES! TODAY, HE LEAVES DA BROOD PIT!" Several of the adult orcs cheered or pumped their fists, and many more gave the youngster an approving half-smile or a nod of respect. A few even looked contemplative, as if they were quite impressed. Auguz returned Agar's kills to him.

"Now, for the rest o' the day ya can do whatever the hell ya feel like...but tomorrer mornin', you be at the Trainin' Circle before first light! And after that, we'll figure out some more duties for ya!" Auguz crossed his arms as he nodded. "But no more babyin'! Don't be goin' back to the Brood Pit---from now on, you find yer own food, yer own shelter, and whatever else! If somebody will trade ya for it, or ya take it in a fight, then more power to ya! Just be willin' to work if somebody's willin' t' give ya somethin' for it!" With that, the Head Warrior hopped back up on the dais.

SP Increased! Stamina Points are expended when you exert physical effort beyond basal metabolic requirements, beyond the range of standard resting heart rate, and to fuel certain Skills. When Stamina Points are spent, you will suffer from the Exhausted condition.

QUEST COMPLETED!
Quest: Find Something to Eat and Bring it Back Whole

• Kill a Creature x2
• Keep the Target in High Quality Condition
• Return to Camp Uninjured

A New Quest is Available:

Quest Giver: Head Warrior Auguz
Quest Details: Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (0/2 Minimum)

• Be at the Training Circle before sunrise tomorrow morning
• Find your own food (2/3 meals provided for)
• Find your own shelter
• Accept an optional Quest from another Tribe Member

She didn't understand why Vola was laughing, but it was good enough that they still could laugh. Get it out of their system. Let the adrenaline run its course. And, presuming the answer was accurate, it was good that there was a 'force multiplier' for magic. It must have been a Fire Bolt that triggered that explosion. Maybe something along the lines of a creature inside the cave that had...

Hah.

...that had plenty of gas built up its bowels.

Akeno, however, was correct, the roar that resounded just moments after she had called out about whatever inside the mountain being away of them enough of a signal that a true monster was present. A screech that reverbrated into her bones, nothing like the wolves that howled into the night, the rumbling of bears starving after a long winter. It was more of a chicken with some guts, screeching out with a damaged throat. Esfir's gaze followed the trajectory of the cave's path. The ceiling dipped down, and then rose upwards, leading perhaps to the den of the awakened monster. Could they outrun it? Dive down the slope that they had spent so long climbing up? Was it time to cut their losses, with nothing but a handful of rocks, and try a kinder hunting spot?

Why hadn't she simply taken those Elwets and returned to camp like that?

Esfir Kosova, a spinster withering away in an abandoned shack in the middle of a barren forest, two hours away from civilization.

She had an Elwet beak, within which she stored smouldering embers. Some foul-smelling berries and leaves. Two antlers. A sparkstone. A set of unnnatural abilities. And ninety years of keeping her head down, of believing in smart choices, of trusting in promises made by those above her. Her memories were making her reckless, perhaps. Her left toe was scratching against the ground, her sunken eyes staring deeper inside the mountain cave.

She drew her line in the sand and treated it as a groove in concrete.

"Leave if you don't have anything else to give. Hide or run; I'll keep whatever's inside busy enough for you three to do so."

Stupid way to reclaim her youth, ambushing something that sounded like it was ten times her size. But all it took was a satchel of peppers to chase off a beast. How much more could a monster take?
@Unkown58@Crusader Lord@King Cosmos

The scorch marks were evident, but neither Vola nor Lazash looked like their insides had liquidfied, and their limbs were certainly in place, so the explosion must have been more a firework than a proper bomb. Esfir hid what flicker of relief she felt though, and instead focused on the presence.

"Explain what happened. Was that your magic, or a creature?"

Glancing between Lazash and the bug’s final resting place, Vola responded, a very small laugh escaping with the words before she could stop it and she quickly tried to put a serious expression on her face. She really hopes that she’ll outgrow the stress-laughing at some point, the last thing she wants is to look like she doesn’t take things seriously because of it… ”I guess you could say that it was a bit of both?”

Laughter in the face of stress....yes, she could understand that well enough. The joy of catching her first fish after being stranded. The day that they finally came back for her, and got her off of that forsaken little islet years ago. Could remember it all like it was yesterday, recall it as if it was just a fresh as a pizza just coming out of the ovens of Napoli. She wouldn't comment about things, but would let out a long but mostly quiet sigh before doing anything else.

"A creature called a Flint Beetle. It likely contains explosive gases of some kind, as-"

Esfir and Akeno both called after the two of them to investigate, but as the party of orcs hung near the entrance of the cave, a sound drifted to them from within the tunnel depths. However, this sound didn't seem like it came out of the ground. Rather, it felt like it was reverberating through the roof above them---from somewhere inside the caves, and yet, further UP the mountainside.

It was a roar.

Lazash's voice cut off abruptly and in a heartbeat after hearing the monstrous roaring, catching in her throat. It sounded like something straight out of a cartoon or film, and yet it was more than that right now. It was real. Yet the echo of it spoke to a different location, somewhere higher up and back into the mountain yet connected enough to be audible this far down into the caves as well. It was something that no doubt came from a predator of some sort, one that had been awakened from wherever it slept by the din of the explosion that had echoed through the caves perhaps.

...The Head Warrior had been correct. There was a reason some of these things only came out at night. And they'd been foolish enough to wake it from its slumber.

She drew her line in the sand and treated it as a groove in concrete.

"Leave if you don't have anything else to give. Hide or run; I'll keep whatever's inside busy enough for you three to do so."

Stupid way to reclaim her youth, ambushing something that sounded like it was ten times her size. But all it took was a satchel of peppers to chase off a beast. How much more could a monster take?

The female orc runt tightened her grip on her pointy stick, makeshift spear as it was, and sloowly stood up once more to get into a defensive sort of stance. Adrenaline began to flow through her veins, a peculiarly nostalgic sensation, as the beginnings of the visceral instinct to 'fight or flight' started to kick in with a vengeance. It was as if the soreness and explosion and such hadn't happened, but there was one thought that came to mind otherwise. Something important.

"Normally I would accept the offer, but if we run outside into the open we could be picked off. If we stay here, at least we have a choke point to use for defense."

She also had a skill for identifying creatures at that, admittedly, which could be helpful in potentially sighting a weakness. But that statement of hers, at least, summed up her thoughts on the matter well enough. She didn't want to die stuck in a corner, but running in the open from a larger predator was usually not a good idea in her mind. Especially when the passage before them was still small enough that anything too big wouldn't be able to squeeze through easily unless it burst through the thing.

Besides, she'd already volunteered as bait for this operation. Might as well see the hunt through, if she ultimately survived that long, to get back to the camp with a kill if possible.

@ERode@Zeroth@Unkown58@King Cosmos

Agar

// Success! >> The Head Hunter //

Agar slowly made his way through the forest carrying his kills, he was sure that he would run across something but the closer he got to the camp the more signs of the other runts became more and more apparent. It made him wonder just how successful these first few steps for the orc children were supposed to be. He would have a better guess tonight as to the attrition rate of the new bloods.

When he approached the camp, his back was already splattered with blood and grime from the harpy he carried over his shoulder and the Tatzelwurm he carried in his other hand. The guards stopped him for a moment.

"Runts can't come back til they finish the---" one of them started to say, as if following a script, but then he stopped and looked at Agar with fresh, surprised eyes. "Damn, you got two? And a Harpy? I'll be a grukh-pile! Get in there, Runt! Go to Auguz!" The bigger creature slapped Agar on the back and ushered him through the camp thoroughfare.

Agar just tilted his head for a moment before he was ushered back inside and directly up to the head warrior. He said something then grabbed both his kills. His look of confusion only lasted for a moment as the head warrior inspected the kills. He seemed to linger on the wurm and the bites on the harpy for a moment longer than the rest. He wasn’t sure why the head warrior pulled out the contents of the harpy’s stomach and smeared it on himself, perhaps it was to ward off bugs or maybe used like a cologne.

"ALL O' YOUSE, LISTEN UP! THIS HERE RUNT--" he turned his head and whispered "What's yer name?" and then upon receiving answer he turned back to the camp-

“Ize be Agar.” He spoke for the first time to the adult orc.

"THIS HERE RUNT, AGAR, HAS RETURNED FROM THE HUNT!" He then set the smaller orc down, and turned in a slow circle so that the entire camp could see the bodies of Agar's prey. "HE HAS HUNTED TWO CREATURES! TODAY, HE LEAVES DA BROOD PIT!"

Agar held the harpy high for a moment celebrating his victory to the other orcs that looked at him.

"Now, for the rest o' the day ya can do whatever the hell ya feel like...but tomorrer mornin', you be at the Trainin' Circle before first light! And after that, we'll figure out some more duties for ya!" Auguz crossed his arms as he nodded. "But no more babyin'! Don't be goin' back to the Brood Pit---from now on, you find yer own food, yer own shelter, and whatever else! If somebody will trade ya for it, or ya take it in a fight, then more power to ya! Just be willin' to work if somebody's willin' t' give ya somethin' for it!"

“Got it boss, oh Agar did see a big group of uz eadin up twardz dat cave up dare.” Motioning towards the cave he saw earlier. he didn’t stick around much longer, he needed to get to eating but first he had to check the venom situation. The purple veins of venom still saturated the harpy but now it seemed to be more coagulated almost like grape jelly. Luckily for the runt the orc camp wasn’t that well-kept.

Finding charcoal was easy, he took his time with his kills and found a suitable place just outside of camp to gut both of his kills carefully with his sharp rock. Paying close attention to how the animals’ entrails were put together in their body and being exceptionally carful not to break open their bladder or intestines inside the creatures as not to spoil the meat.

Agar quickly consumed both of what he figured where the hearts of the creatures then went about preparing the harpy. He didn’t want to ingest that venom as it was. He did recall that some people would willingly expose themselves to small amounts of venom at a time to gain resistances to it but sometimes that could also kill you. Right now, he carefully peeled back the leathery skin of the harpy exposing the purple meat below. Scraping what he could of the purple tainted blood off the creature he then set about grinding and breaking up the charcoal in his hands.

If this world still had its basic attributes like his did then this charcoal should help to absorb the venom from these wounds. Lathering the meat with the charcoal then moving the flaps of skin back over the areas. Agar would stop every now and then and check his surroundings, he was just outside the camp but he was still in danger. Pulling the skin off the Tatzelwurm like a long sock Agar began to eat the thing from the tail towards the head. He wanted the venom glands intact as possible to see how they worked, but for now there was someone he wanted to find.

Agar moved quickly back into the camp with a nod to the guards, he knew who he was looking for but wasn’t entirely sure where she might be until he picked up the smell. It was familiar to him no matter how unpleasant, ammonia tanning wasn’t always the most pleasant of things. He moved through the camp till he met the outskirts and a large yurt covered in skins of different animals. More were strewn around and hung up being dried or scraped, the memories of doing this very action himself in his old life came back to him just as strong as the smell.

Despite the smell he continued to eat the wurm with one hand and the harpy’s feet grasped over the other. He waited for a moment watching her scrape the meat and viscera off the hides she was working on before he spoke up. “Shamar?” he heard her name a time or two from the other orcs around the brood pit. “Agar would like to help head hunter, Agar wants to be like head hunter.”

---

@Zeroth

<< Current Quest: Find Something to Eat and Bring it Back Whole. // Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (0/2 Minimum)
Tribe Tasks:
Inventory: loincloth, sharp rock, mangled Tatzelwurm, tainted harpy
Skills: Ingestion, Field Scan I, Blunt Resistance I
Location: back at camp near the hunters hut

@Zeroth @Rune_Alchemist

Carmina continued praising the goblins as Svarok killed one of them. Her distraction seemed to work. One down. The other one was scared...and spilled the beans straight away.

"So, you're...friend was spying on the orc camp, they've got a base in the south mountains and you're out here hunting runts. Good to know! See? I told you, you're smart! Smartest goblin in your tribe. You've got two options now. Option one, you come with us back to our camp where you'll be rewarded for your honesty. " started Carmina, while simoltainously activing her ability, hoping to encourage the goblin to trust her long enough for them to knock it out.

"Ooorrr...option two. We kill you, take your weapons and then I'll consume you. Always wandered how goblin meat tastes like. I've gathered some nice ingredients to spice your meat up too. Can't wait to use them. " continued Carmina while unsheating her weapon and slowly approaching the goblin, a hungry look on her face, teeth in the front, to be seen.

As she talked, she kept moving slightly to the right. Slowly, a step, a small hand movement in the opposite direction, anything that would distract the goblin from seeing she was circling around it. Keeping its eyes away from Svarok.

Sarvok

---

Svarok had to wonder.

If her fellow Orc was being sincere, or simply playing to the goblins pride.

It didn't matter.

The spear she had picked up found its mark, right through the goblins throat. The second time she had stabbed someone. Second time, she had bloodied her hands. It was oddly liberating, in a way, to know that God, if he was even still watching her, would be getting to judge this creature soon had it even a soul too judge. She pulled the spear from the now dead goblins corpse, eyes turning towards the hatched holding one with a frown.

It was good to know at least, that Carmina and her were in fact on the same page.

"You should listen to her, goblin." Svarok agreed with Carmina. "And then perhaps we can have that conversation that I wanted to start with. Really, I didn't want to kill it." She'd say, using her foot to press the dead goblins face into the dirt. "But if you choose violence over words, then be prepared to end up being judged. At least we have some food now." A quick glance over the spear showed it was likely poisoned by something. Smelled a lot like those rot leaves...perhaps she could make a poison of some sort out of them? Hm...a thought to mull over later.

---

---

@Unkown58@Lucius Cypher@King Cosmos@Kazemitsu@Crusader Lord

---

While Esfir, Lazash, and Akeno debated whether to run from the cave, try to hold off the roaring creature, or to hold their ground lest they be seen out in the open, the very creature they were all terrified of...was silent.

No more roars came echoing down the cave. The sound waves soon were absorbed by the rock, and the quiet soon reigned once again. There were no mushrooms left, only a pile of ash, and all that remained of the beetle was currently in Lazash's hands.

There were no sounds of stomping footsteps, no claws raking into stone. Just the dull, dark silence, as chill air settled in the cave.

The outside remained clear as well, as Grunthor and the others had seen several rustling, scurrying shapes hurry away just as the Runts themselves were considering. But none of those monsters returned yet, and their pattering and skittering sounds too had gone silent.

Further up the trail, the waterfall continued to spill its misty contents, and the stream continued to meander swiftly downhill. Everything else was still.

---

---

@Rune_Alchemist@Timemaster

---

Carmina's ability failed to activate, as a buzzer only she could hear brought up an error message from the System. It seemed using the Sing skill required her to...well, sing, or at least speak in rhythmic verse as she'd practice before. And despite her careful movements and Svarok's support, without her song there was one determining factor between the two Orc Runts and the goblin. Carmina did everything slowly as she circled.

The goblin, on the other hand, bolted as fast as his scrawny legs could carry him. Though they had been trying to flank the creature, there was still plenty of space between the two young orcs for the greenskin to dive through the bushes. He paid no heed to any branches scratching his face or brambles underfoot as he ran in a panic, squalling the whole way.

If they threw a weapon, or gave chase, it was still possible to catch him---but unlike when Svarok had pursued him earlier, he wasn't intentionally going slow this time to lure them into an ambush. They would have to decide fast and move faster, without regard to anything else in their surroundings, if they wanted to catch the mischievous monster.

Of note, however, was that the goblin wasn't heading south towards the mountains, but rather east, deeper into the forest...

---

@ReusableSword

---

Mangled Tainted Harpy has been dismantled!
Eviscerated Tatzelwurm has been dismantled!
Some components have been damaged or are unusable.

Usable Items Acquired:
Tatzelwurm Fangs x2
Sharp Tatzelwurm Claw x1
Tatzelwurm Eye x1
Broken Coilbone x1
Tatzelwurm Hide Strip x3
Tatzel Venom Gland x1
Raw Tatzelwurm Meat, 8.5 lbs (13 lbs w/ bones, blood, viscera, etc)
Harpy Teeth x2
Broken Harpy Talon x2
Harpy Talon x1
Harpy Wing Membrane x2
Harpy Screech Valve x1
Raw Tainted Harpy Meat, 7 lbs (11 w/ bones, blood, viscera, etc)

Item Obtained: Charcoal
Crafting Process: Charcoal + Tainted Harpy Meat
Usable Items Acquired:
Raw Harpy Meat, 7 lbs
Powdered Weak Tatzel Venom

Consumed: Raw Tatzelwurm Meat
New Ingestion: Tatzelwurm - 40%
Ingested Skill(s): Tatzelwurm - Further Progress Required
You've discovered Compatible Skill(s)!
Tatzelwurm:

• Slash
• Poison Attack
• ???

Ingest Skill?
OR
Continue Biomass Accumulation?

As Agar called out to the Head Hunter, Shamar slowly turned towards him. Her knife hand flicked a bit of gristle from the blade to the dusty ground, and she wiped one hand on the hides she wore. As she took in the runt's two kills, one of which he was in the process of eating, she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really nowz..." she said in a higher pitched, not quite melodious voice compared to the throaty gravel tones of most male orcs. "Well. I can see youse had a su'cessful hunt already, little Runt. But real scowts gotta be able t'do more'n kill stuff gudder." She looked over Agar's head, back at the camp, and thought for a moment as she tapped one slender, black nailed finger on her chin. Then she smiled, showing her sharp canines.

"Alright, if'n ya wants to be like me... den take yer pick!" She reached into a pouch on her belt, and pulled out a bright green mushroom. "Ya can either go to da Deep Forest, which is Norff of dem High Cliffs to da East, and get me five o' these here Turtleshells...or..." She gestured back to the camp. "You can go sneak into dat dumbass Bogaht's tent, over near da biggest firepit on da souff side o' da camp, an' bring me his gold pouch!" She sniffed. "And it better not be empty when ya bring it back!"

New Optional Quests are Available:

Quest Giver: Head Hunter Shamar
Quest Details: Choose ONE:

• Go to the Deep Forest, and gather 5 Turtleshell Mushrooms
• Sneak into Bogaht's tent and retrieve his gold pouch without getting caught

As she watched Agar mull over his options, Shamar crossed her arms and idly twirled her tanning knife between her fingers.

"Ya betta choose quick, Runt. Da Deep Forest is at least an hour's walk from camp, and it's already noon--an' trust me, ya don't wanna be out after dark at your size. But, Bogaht usually takes a long nap right after lunch, so if ya wanna grab his stuff while he's outta his tent then ya better skedaddle over there..."

@Zeroth@Rune_Alchemist

Carmina let out an annoyed grunt as she noticed that her skill didn't activate at all, causing the Goblin to run as far as it could in the opposite direction it said initially. A ruse perhaps? Maybe goblin were smarter than they looked.

She pointed to Svarok's spear and at the goblin before she started singing from atop of her lungs, activating her skill as she did.

"Beneath the forest's canopy, eyes heavy with the night,
Gently swaying hands, I bid you to take flight,
To realms of dreams, where fears take no leap,
In soothing silence, my command: sleep!"

If the goblin would fall asleep, they'd have a hostage, if not, at least it would slow him down enough to allow Svarok to hit him with her spear before it ran too far while also letting the two not leave the sight of the other two dead goblins on the ground. They were in a forest after all, who knows what predators might be attracted by them and then they'd lose their prey.

This whole situation reminded Carmina, briefly, of home. Of her "formation" years as she called them. The times when she would have to hunt for food, pick pockets and whatever else she could to survive.

It fell into silence.

Esfir glanced towards the others, tilting her head back to the entrance. If they had gone and ran, perhaps escape would have been easy after all. Nothing had descended from outside the caves either, nothing had squashed flat the critters that had scurried away after that booming roar. If there was nothing that was coming for them, what did that mean?

She swallowed, gathering her wits in her guts, and stepped further into the darkness. Her bare feet padded quietly against the stone and dirt, her brow furrowing with focus as the orc runt approached one wall and continued alongside it. What could that roar have been? A nocturnal creature, just scaring away those that disturbed its rest? A wounded creature, putting on a facade to intimidate those away from approach? Or simply a predator who wasn't interested in hunting?

Hah.

Perhaps it was literally just the delayed echo of the explosion from before, warped into a nightmare-scream by the twisted caverns of the cave?
@Unkown58@King Cosmos

Akeno

Time passed slowly in the wake of the roar. Akeno stood froze, body tense, ready to move but unsure if it was better to run or fight or defend when whatever it was that made that noise inevitably came tearing out of the darkness within the cave.

Agonising seconds ticked by, but nothing happened. No more noises, no signs of movements, no danger at all from what she could tell. Just… a warning, maybe.

A warning she would gladly heed.

“Tsk. Screw this.”

Akeno began to back away from the cave, walking backwards for the first few steps where she didn’t want to turn her eyes away from the darkness, before turning away and jogging over to where Grunthor had apparently managed to crush the rock slime. The other orc looked a little sickly, a little… well they were all green, but him even more so. Maybe he was just worn out, or maybe the roar had scared him.

“Hey. I’m getting out of here before I get ripped to shreds; you should do the same and just take that slime back to camp.”

Her brief bit of advice given Akeno moved on, turning one last one look at the cave and the hills around them before breaking into a slow run back in the direction of the camp and where they had found the chickens before. There was still time in the day for her to hunt something on her own, probably; something that didn’t roar like the thing in the cave had and that they hadn’t been specifically warning not to go after.

Find something easy to kill. Drag it back to camp. Survive the first day of her new life. Figure things out from there.

@Zeroth@ERode@Kazemitsu@Unkown58

Sarvok

---

Why do people always choose violence and cowardice? Strangely though, she was not upset, disappointed or similar like she thought. Oh, there was perhaps a little bit of that there but at the same time...what was this? Some minor bit of...amusement? A slightly odd thought. Oh well, there was a time for reflection later.

For now...

Svarok hefted the spear. She had never really been one for athleticism in her previous life.

All she could do was pray to god for guidance.

She hefted the poison spear over her shoulder, using her other hand as something of a guidance. A small running start. She'd throw her whole body into the throw, sending the spear sailing towards the goblin.

---

@King Cosmos@Kazemitsu@ERode

---

The emboldened Esfir seemed to decide that she would continue into the depths of the cave, whereas Akeno decided it was time to stop taking risks. The little group of Runts seemed intent on separating for now, but hopefully they would all survive to meet back at the camp later.

As Esfir creeped into the cave, further than Lazash and Vola had, she would pass the same Ore Deposit that the Flak Beetle's explosive demise had damaged. And, as her feet carefully, quietly, carried her along the narrow passage, something bounced away from her ankle. It seemed there were three more pieces of the damaged ore that had probably been blown further down the tunnel, in the shadows of the wall where Lazash and Vola had barely missed them.

Obtained Raw Chalcopyrite Ore x3!

She exited the narrow passage into the winding, upward sloping chamber. As she kept close to the wall, Esfir would soon notice how smooth it felt under her touch--and, in some of the uneven crags and nooks of the rock, her other senses told her more that her eyes could not see. Though dry, the rock was quite cool to the touch, and her nostrils could smell the faintest whiff of stagnant water or damp sediment.

The smooth floor rose around the bend like a spiral staircase designed by a drunkard with no measuring tools, then opened up into a long tunnel, almost a natural hallway. Its upward slope continued, though at a lesser grade, and here and there stalactites and stalagmites formed a sort of stony forest. They were all smooth and...almost milky, to the touch. Some of them had points that came to sharper tips, or at least thin enough that they might pass for sharp if they weren't wet. She could hear dripping water somewhere.

The temperature and texture of this rocky tunnel seemed to imply that water from higher up the mountains had worked its way through the stone over time; thus, rather than go deeper and deeper into the earth like some kind of crypt, it had probably emptied out into the valley at some point just like that waterfall they had seen, joining the meandering stream and heading downhill into the forest. So if the Runts continued to follow this cave, they'd be climbing up into the mountain.

However, past this point, the sunlight from the outside could no longer reach. Esfir had only the barest indication of her surroundings, and to go further without a light would leave her blind and groping. She did not hear the roar again. However, even her hushed breaths felt like they might carry for some distance in the long, smooth walls of the dark stone hall. There was, somewhere in that gloom, a quiet scuttling, insectoid in nature--but telling distance, or size, was impossible for the moment. Water dripped.

Meanwhile, Akeno spoke to Grunthor, who was looking a bit sickly, then made her way at a jog back towards the forest and the camp. It had taken them around an hour to reach this valley, but that had been uphill and with more careful observation of their surroundings. Now that she had identified the paths and perils of the locale, Akeno moved much more swiftly. Down the gravelly slopes, across rocky outcrops, down into the scrubby grass...soon she was quite close to the treeline, as the sun above her lingered at almost exactly high noon. The mountainous air was still pleasant, but the heat of the day was rising a little bit and her exertions had worked up a sweat. She got the feeling that, had she not taken the Stamina Point upgrade when she leveled up, that she would probably have needed a rest by this point after all the day's activities.

But, even so, it was nothing a good breather wouldn't fix. As she continued back in the direction of the area where the group had cooked their first meal, no doubt her eyes would be peeled for any more prey she might be able to take with less effort and risk to herself than whatever was lingering in that cave.

And, because she was coming down from a higher elevation, she had a nice view of the trees that would've been hard to pick out from the ground. On one such tree, coiled around a branch that stuck out over empty space without much foliage to cover it, was a Tatzelwurm in the process of sunning itself. The cat-serpent was not only looking away from Akeno's direction, but also had its eyes closed...

---

---

@Rune_Alchemist@Timemaster

---

As Carmina sung yet again, there was a strange buzzing sensation deep within her--something was off with that flow of power she'd experienced. And then her voice hitched for a moment in her throat, one of those sudden breaks a singer doesn't expect until it hits them seemingly at random.

Error. Skill [Sing] cannot inflict [Sleep] at this Rank.

Your MP is Low.

Nonetheless, Svarok followed through on their unspoken plan. With a running start and the torque of all her small body's muscle, she hurled the poison-tipped spear at the retreating goblin!

And she overshot.

Or she would have, if the goblin hadn't been running full tilt, and if the creature hadn't been running in a completely straight line due to its panic. With even a modicum of survival sense to zig or zag, it might've avoided the lethal weapon. But as it was, an arcing throw that would have sailed over its head instead caught it in the back just as it was trying to put on a burst of speed! The not inconsiderable force of an Orc Runt, combined with gravity, combined with with the sharp point of the stone wedged between wood, punctured the skinny green monster's hide. It only went in about three, perhaps four inches at most--and that was enough to pierce muscle and internals. The goblin went down with a scream.

He was still twitching, coughing blood, but death seemed a certainty. Gasping and pleading unintelligibly, he clawed the ground and inched forward, even as the two runts would no doubt close in to confirm the kill. By the time they got there, he had convulsed, and bled, and died.

Victory! You've slain a goblin!

Obtained Loot:
Lightly Tainted Goblin x1 (2 total)
Stone Hatchet x1
Dirty Loincloth x1 (2 total)
Furry Pouch x1 (2 total) (Contains ??? Healing Salve)

In addition to the goblin's more obvious belongings, he had something in his pouch like the poison gunk from before, but it wasn't the same substance. Instead, a large hollowed nut shell, wrapped in a broad leaf, held a waxy substance that was pale and off white in color. It smelled slightly fruity.

It was easy to imagine what she was walking through. Winter snow building up, then melting in spring and summer. Gradually spilling into the depths, before breaking out the other side. Erosion, over the course of centuries or millennia. Her fingers glided over the tips of the stalagmites, knuckles rapping against their sides. Whatever flowing waters had crafted this tunnel was gone now. Perhaps it was glacial then, rather than snowmelt.

Regardless, she was reaching the point where light had all but vanished and still, there wasn’t a thing in the air that suggested the presence of any particular beast. If she wanted to go further, she would have to go up with a torch, but at that point, she may as well be climbing the mountain in its entirety, just to poke and prod at a beast that may have done nothing more than acted like an old man, shouting at the kids outside the street before going back to sleep.

She snorted at the image.

This was no place for smiles and jokes. Even without a monstrosity, there was still something skittering about in the dark, something that had an advantage over her in this gloom. Was it the creature that exploded? Or something else? The orc runt tightened her grip on her antlers, holding it close to her body like a makeshift shield. If she could lead it back to that forest of stone, there would be light enough for her to see. And if it attacked her here, she could flash freeze it so long as she wasn’t immediately crippled.

There was risk and there was reward, but mostly, there was a simple need to walk back. Step by step, at the same tempo as dripping water.
@Zeroth

Grunthor was resting after beating the death into the rock slime. Despite needing to blow out his own innards from the undercooked fire chicken he picked the slime up. It hadn't been punctured so it retained its goop and sort of its shape. While he was doing this shit was stil happening in the cave, not that he really knew since he wasn't at the entrance. But enough had happened that orc younglings fled, Akeno stopping long enough to give him a warning.

There's still plenty of day time to get another kill if I can find something...or I could play it safe and turn this thing in... He thought to himself. To get a skill or to turn it in. How did you even prepare slime? Was it just boiled into a soup? Fuck it his ass was already going to be a faucet!

Latching on he began to chew, slurp, or drink the slime. However it was one devoured something. Granted he didn't try to eat the rocks, yet, only doing so if it was required to get to one hundred percent. Otherwise the peblet coverings would joint the items in his loincloth bundle. Sometimes fortune favored the bold, and raw slime was certainly bold!

@Zeroth@Rune_Alchemist

A few things happened at once. First Carmina got a message saying her sing skill couldn't inflict sleep at this time which cleared things up in Carmina's mind about how exactly this ability or skill "system" worked. Secondly, her "MP" was low. Made sense that she couldn't use abilities non-stop but didn't know how exactly she'd know, this was easier than she thought. And lastly...the other runt overshot their shot but still somehow managed to get goblin.

"Dibs on the pouch the goblin was carrying!" shouted Carmina as she grabbed the Stone Hatchet before anyone could say anything about it. Turning to Svarok, she nodded at her in thanks before saying "Good teamwork there. No word spoken and we still figured what each other wanted. I'm Carmina. Let's grab the goblins and start the feast, eh? "

Carmina bent down and started slowly pulling the goblin to the other ones.

---

@Kazemitsu@ERode

---

Esfir came to a stop at the edge of the light, holding her makeshift weapon close and considering her options. In those few moments, her eyes adjusted the tiniest bit--enough to make out the slightest difference in the shades of stone beneath her feet and around her. Just beyond where she now stood, in the silty center of the damp groove that once carved this hall, she could see the beginnings of a silvery, flaky crystalline substance. Perhaps an ore like that in the narrow passage?

A cold draft whispered through the stone columns, and in so doing it stirred something at the corner of the Orc Runt's eye. A mushroom or plant of some kind, with long, hairy strands drooping down like a miniature willow tree. The thing grew in a small cluster in a crook between the wall and one of the stalagmites growing at an angle out of the ground. Esfir could also see tiny bone fragments around the spot, and a mound of loose soil deposited in that cramped, stuck cranny.

But as she took her first step back, back towards the entrance, the wet and slicky floor beneath her suddenly seemed to shift. Something round and smooth dug into one heel, but it felt like it was coated in some kind of slime or oil! Down she went, limbs flailing to catch herself on instinct! An impact jarred the antler in one of her hands, and the stones were cold on her backside.

Yet, she was unharmed. Her weapon was also fine, having scratched that same flaky surface she'd seen underfoot. A handful of round, smooth stones clinging to the bottom of her foot peeled off with the flick of a finger.

Obtained Item:
Bufonite x3

Then she heard the sound. Low and rumbling, a hiss carried through a reverberating chest. If she had ever heard an alligator or crocodile's bellows, the warning before snapping jaws, that would be the closest comparison from her previous life. However...there was an odd crackle within the noise. As if it were coming out of a...radio? And as the sound ceased, she again heard that insectoid scuttle and flutter.

But nothing lunged for her. It wasn't as loud as the roar from before--it didn't shake the cave or echo endlessly through the depths. It was much, much closer, and yet...if an animal large enough to make that sound were so close, shouldn't she be able to see it? Wouldn't it be on the verge of brushing up against her? Where was this thing? And did she want to find out?

If she so chose, there were no obstacles between her and the noon sunlight outside--no more need to creep if an expeditious retreat was needed.

Outside, Grunthor wasted no time in attempting to devour his latest kill. Even as his stomach rumbled and grumbled and a painful cramping began in his insides, he bit into the surface of the creature while pulling at it with his hands. It was like trying to eat one of those stupidly big gummy bears, but once he managed (after fierce, jaw aching chewing) to tear open the outer membrane, he was met with a much softer, jello-pudding inside.

The outer, elastic sac of the Geo Slime tasted like salty rubber, with just a hint of dirt. The slimy gel, on the other hand, had a flavor like roasted nuts--with a powdery, gritty, too-thick dusting of crushed up anti-acid tablets. Oddly enough, that made his stomach feel slightly better.

Lightly Damaged Singed Stone Slime has been torn apart!
Some Items have been damaged or degraded.
Usable Items obtained:
Stone Slime Membrane x1
Stone Slime Gel x1
Cracked Stone Slime Flake x3

Consumed: Partial Stone Slime Membrane
Consumed: Partial Stone Slime Gel

Activate [Ingestion: Stone Slime] (Y/N)? Approximate Ingestion: 0 > 50%. This will ERASE previous Ingestion Progress [Elwet].
Current Ingestion: Elwet - 100%+
No Ingestible Skills remaining [Elwet].
Ingestible Skills [Stone Slime]:

• [Blunt Damage Resistance]
• [Danger Scan]
• [Stone Shot]
• [???] - Further Progress Required
• [???] - Further Progress Required

---

---

@Rune_Alchemist@Timemaster

---

Obtained Items:
Stone Hatchet x1
??? Healing Salve x1

The sun had climbed high into the sky at this point and the shadows had shrunk back, even in the deeper parts of the forest. From the looks of it their scuffle with the goblins had scared away any other critters--the trees and brush were quiet and peaceful.

Now that they had the leniency to look around, the two Runts might note that there were a few things of interest in their immediate area. A small outcrop of rock poked through the dirt, and a couple of loose stones were large enough for tool making but small enough to easily carry. A bit further away, two trees like the one Carmina had seen with petrified growths grew close together, but neither of them had any broken limbs or damaged trunks and as a result there were no stony layers on them. There was also a pointy, cone-shaped shrub with deciduous leaves that curled in tight around the plant. Hidden behind them were clusters of berries in two different colors; the larger, riper looking ones were deep, royal blue, while the smaller ones were green.

If they planned to cook their kills, Carmina would be reminded of the remnants of the fire she'd seen earlier when encountering those other two monsters. It was possible some of the coals left over might still be hot enough to use for a new fire, or at least heaping the blackened charcoal over a new one might help get it up to temperature.

"Indeed, it seems we do well together." Svarok said, nodding and not particularly caring Carmina had called dibs on whatever it was the goblin was carrying. She'd help the other orcling carry the goblin to the other ones, and once she had done so she'd drop the goblin on top of the other ones body. "We should make a fire. It should at least make the taste...palatable." Svarok said, taking a look around the forest now. It seemed as though the scuffle had scared the other critters off. Well, that was fine. Svarok would take a moment to collect a few of the stones then head over to the berries.

Hopefully they would be edible.

"Carmina, was it?" Svarok said, turning to her. "I have a question for you if you'll indulge me. What do you think of God? Of any. Don't worry I'm not going to preach, I am merely curious and looking for something."

Akeno

By the time she made it back to the forest, Akeno had managed to work up a bit of a sweat. The distance between here and the cave wasn’t too far, but it wasn’t close either and the shorter legs of her new body made that distance feel all the further; even so, that she was feeling this worn down from just that amount of exertion was another reminder that this was not her old body and her level of fitness was a lot lower than what she was accustomed to.

The point she had put into stamina helped, she could tell. Any future levels she gained would probably go to either that or making her tougher; magic was nice and had endless potential, but getting rid of the alien feeling of piloting this stubby limbed, underdeveloped body and increasing her own chances of survival at the same time was going to be a priority for her.

She stayed at the edge of the trees for long enough to catch her breath, then turned her attention back her task. Or her quest, she supposed. The forest was still mostly quiet, at least in the sense that there wasn’t much visible wildlife, but from her elevated position she did manage to spot a creature in the branches above her that she probably would have missed had she been standing at the base of those trees. Some kind of snake-like creature was curled around one of the tree’s limbs, eyes closed and facing away from her. The front of its body looked vaguely cattish, and despite the serpentine lower half it had forearms and claws.

Akeno considered it for a few moments, wondering how or even if she should try and fight something like that. The chickens were one thing, those at least had been stood upright and a posture she could imagine fighting against, but how was she going to use her karate against something that looked like it was going to try and coil around her like a python before clawing her face off like a mountain lion? More to the point, how was she going to get it down from the branch without inviting it to pounce down on her?

Maybe she could grab a rock and just throw it at it? Piss it off enough to come down? One of the other Orcs had been carrying a spear but she had no idea how to make one of those or even throw it accurately if she had one. So how could she…?

Oh, right. Magic.

The ball of fire appeared in Akeno’s upturned palm with a thought, drawing forth the skill she had gotten from the KFC earlier now feeling more familiar. She’d thrown it like a baseball when trying to hit the slime and that had worked well enough, so Akeno did it again now, pulling her arm back and pitch the fireball up into the tree above her to try and hit the cat-snake-thing on the part of its body wrapped around the underside of the branch.

@Zeroth

Strange noises and insectoid skitterings.

Low-light conditions and unfavorable terrain.

A threat unseen, but a threat that wasn’t explosively aggressive.

Time to leave then.

Esfir recalled the words of that adult orc, the words that Lazash had shared with them. There was something about the caves that presented a threat. Something about the inhabitants of that cave that was worth investigating, but at a latter time. As far as the illumination provided at the mouth of the cave offered, however, there was no way to delve deeper, no way to catch a glimpse of the creature that seemed to stalk her in the gloom. If that was the case, and if it would not pounce her immediately?

Then she would back off, one step at a time, her eyes still searching in the darkness for a sign of danger even as her feet brought her closer to the yellowed hues of sunshine. It ultimately wasn’t a productive venture, but that was fine. There was still time.

Though perhaps she was a bit bruised, of both body and ego. So much for that line.
@Zeroth