ABH - CH 27 - A Feast

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A Feast 

Rise of Winter, Week 5, Day 4

Freddie dismissed the golden notice and focused on where the goblins had seemingly been coming from. There was a long table pushed up against the room's far wall, decorated with a tattered tablecloth in a grimy grey color. At the center of the table was a single chair —and a plate of what looked to be food. Sort of. It held some kind of burnt sausage, porridge, and a grey piece of what could feasibly be called bread.

Freddie’s hand ran over her satchel, where she had rations for several months. Which simply meant jerky, water, and potions. 

Walking up to the table, she spoke quietly, “[Inspect].”

[A Feast Fit For A Goblin, Tier 1, Uncommon]

[A plate of food provided as a reward for conquering the Welcoming Committee. Includes: Black Sausage, Blood Gruel, and a Bread Roll. Edible.]

Next to the plate of food were two utensils —a spoon and a knife. Both looked well used. 

“Uh,” she said under her breath. “It says edible? But what does that mean? Am I going to eat this and get, like, dysentery?”

And it’s named, she thought, almost like a piece of art. 

Glancing around, she saw two offshoots of the hall she found herself in. Each covered in the same vine curtains of Vanda Vines. With a heavy sigh, she looked back at the gruesome work of the past few minutes. 

If she decided to eat ‘A Feast Fit For A Goblin,’ it was best to save how many Quick Clean doses she needed. It was time to work on the bodies before she sat and rested. 

As she approached the pile of weapons to grab one of the rusty daggers, a thought occurred to Freddie. 

I don’t actually want to save the goblin bodies for anything. 

Her eyebrow twitched and felt inside of herself, feeling the magma of her mana stir at her intent. She had enough left for what she wanted. Probably. And it wouldn’t hurt anything… also, probably. 

[Fire Conjuration+Fire Manipulation]

The room was awash in an eerie blue light as Freddie’s flames appeared before her in a ball. She ramped up the heat to maximum and sent a ball of flame to the nearest goblin as a test. The red flesh of the goblin immediately began to bubble and boil, and then it was falling off the monster's bones. Whatever magical resistance it would have had was likely snuffed out with its lifeblood. 

As soon as she caught sight of a red marble in the mess of melted goblin, she also caught a whiff of the scent of sewage that was quickly filling the room. Unable to be distracted by the adrenaline of a fight, Freddie found herself gagging violently. 

Pulling the front of her shirt up over her mouth and nose, Freddie decided to just get it over with and directed four more flames to the other bodies all at once. As they caught aflame, their skin releasing bubbles of the grotesque variety, Freddie found herself unable to look away. 

“You’re doing this, Fred, it’s all you. You killed them, and now you’re harvesting them. Get used to it,” she mumbled to herself, choking on the rancid smell in the air. She stepped back, heading to the far wall, as her flames did their work. 

Looking within herself, she could feel her dwindling magic. She really would have to rest after this. She was still young and untested. No matter how powerful she was for a freshly Awakened child, Freddie was still just that. A child with a powerful Class was no match for someone who has had their Class for ages. Sure, one can brute force stats, but Skill and skill were two different things. 

When she felt the bodies were sufficiently melted, she ended her Skills and went up to the corpses. One by one, she picked up the small thumbnail-sized marbles that were floating within the burnt goop that once was working muscle and flesh. Four red marbles and one purple, all marked with black swirls. They were Mana Pearls. She ran another cleansing flame across them to get the remnants of their previous hosts off, then pocketed them into her satchel. 

Surveying the scorched bones and goop, Freddie pulled out a Quick Clean potion and began misting it around her. It lifted the bloodstains, dirt, and grime. Not that any of it was noticeable on the pitch-black fabric. The only thing it didn’t do was repair the multitude of rips in her outfit. Most were on her back and shoulders, easily covered by her traveling cloak. Freddie didn’t bother to change. 

Instead, she pulled out the chair on the far wall and sat at the table. She ran a small flame over the two utensils to cleanse them. Freddie chose not to waste mana on [Imbue Flame] to hold the hot metal, as she’d rather not waste the mana she was attempting to recover. As Freddie waited, she took the time to look over the System Notice that had been attempting to encroach on her for several minutes. 

[Combat Report]

[Aggreggate]

[Skills Used in Combat:

  Inspect Lv. 4

  Imbue Flame Lv. 5

  Fire Manipulation Lv. 5

  Fire Conjuration Lv. 5

  Fire Step Lv. 5

  Quick Fight Lv. 5

  Regeneration Lv. 5

  Running Lv. 5]

[Hostiles Defeated:

  1 Level 6 Vanda Vine- Killed

  1 Level 3 Red Goblin- Killed

  1 Level 5 Red Goblin- Killed

  1 Level 5 Red Goblin- Killed

  1 Level 7 Red Goblin- Killed

  1 Level 8 Purple Gobline- Killed]

[Contribution: 100%]

[Level Discrepancy: Various]

[Overall Experience Modifier Adjusted for:

100% Contribution against Hostile

User Level Above Hostile]

[Achievements:

  Survived Solo Combat in a Dungeon for the first time. Extra experience applied.]

[Post-Combat Results:

Skill Experience Applied to: Inspect, Imbue Flame, Fire Manipulation, Fire Conjuration, Fire Step, Quick Fight, Regeneration, Running.

Skill Level Up! Inspect is now Level 5! New Features Unlocked!

Skill Level Up! Regeneration is now Level 6!

Class Experience Applied.]

She felt magma rush through her veins and could feel the difference in her Skills. It was a small thing, the knowledge that she no longer had to speak [Inspect] aloud, but it was progress. And Freddie loved progress. 

Taking a few minutes to relish in her growth, she pulled up her Status. 

[Name:  Fredericka Nemo]

[Race: Human]

[Age: 8]

[Unallocated Stat Points: 0]

[Vitality:              105                         Endurance:           31]

[Strength:             56                         Dexterity:              52]

[Perception:         28                         Magic:                   50]

[Luck:                   78                         Divinity:                 112]

[0th Tier Class: Child of the Gods, Max Level]

[Boon: Druigr’s Blessing]

[1st Tier Class: Young Lady of Flame, Level 12, 12.8%]

[Skills:                  

0th Tier: Inspect Lv. 5, Meditation Lv. 1, Running Lv. 5, Sparkler Lv. 5

1st Tier: Quick Fight Lv. 5, Bright as a Flickering Flame Lv. 5, Fire Step Lv. 5

2nd Tier: Otherworldly Lv. 1, Fire Conjuration Lv. 5, Fire Manipulation Lv. 5

3rd Tier: Imbue Flame Lv. 5

Untiered: Hidden Heart Lv. 1, Nemoan Martyr Lv. 2, Nemoan Protectorate Lv. 2, Regenerate Lv. 6]

Freddie looked at the crimson status screen for several long minutes before dismissing it. 

She was ready to taste ‘A Feast Fit For A Goblin,’ and like it’s name it truly wasn’t anything great. But it was real food. Food she could eat that wasn’t jerky.

She started with the black sausage, the links thick and juicy as she used the spoon to cut into it. The grease was still warm as it pooled into the blood gruel. At the very least, it would be a warm meal. She scooped up the small fraction of a sausage she’d cut off and took a confident bite. 

.

.

.

Her bravery was rewarded, as savory juices filled her mouth with every bite. 

“It’s good,” she said, her mouth still full. 

Emboldened by how tasty the sausage was, she used the spoon to scoop up some of the blood gruel. It was still hot, as well. Freddie swallowed and then immediately stuffed the blood gruel into her mouth. It was creamy and smooth, with a slight spice to it. The bread roll was next, and Freddie used her hands to rip a chunk out of the grey roll. It was surprisingly fluffy. 

After her taste tests, she ate with gusto. Anything that meant she didn’t have to eat jerky was a win in her book. 

Taking the last bite several minutes later, Freddie watched as a golden notice appeared once again. 

[Congratulations! Due to your consumption of ‘A Feast Fit For A Goblin,’ you have gained +1 to Strength.]

Freddie sucked in a sharp breath, causing her to break out into a coughing fit.

“No way,” she laughed. “Gods this Dungeon is good.”

Snapping out of her awe, Freddie decided to pull out the Mana Pearls and [Inspect] them. 

[Inspect]

[Lesser Mana Pearl, Tier 1, Common]

[Lesser Mana Pearl that was left behind by a dungeon monster. The energy within can be used to fuel Spells, Rituals, Skills, or be absorbed directly by a User and used to progress further in their Class]

[Traits: Nature, Acrobatics]

[Produced by a Vanda Vine – Tier 1]

[Lesser Mana Pearl, Tier 1, Common]

[Lesser Mana Pearl that was left behind by a dungeon monster. The energy within can be used to fuel Spells, Rituals, Skills, or be absorbed directly by a User and used to progress further in their Class]

[Traits: Martial]

[Produced by a Red Goblin – Tier 1]

[Lesser Mana Pearl, Tier 1, Uncommon]

[Lesser Mana Pearl that was left behind by a dungeon monster. The energy within can be used to fuel Spells, Rituals, Skills, or be absorbed directly by a User and used to progress further in their Class]

[Traits: Martial, Distance, Evocation]

[Produced by a Purple Goblin – Tier 1]

Freddie read through the notices, noting that all four of the red and black mana pearls were the same. The really exciting bit was the purple and black mana pearl. It had not two but three traits, and one of which was magical in nature. Evocation was a type of mage spell. It was ritualistic magic, much like that of what shamans or sorcerers used, but it was by no means weak. 

In fact, Mage Classes, before making a contract, often used Evocation Skills. 

Although she was still most interested in the Martial traits all five possessed, as well as the Acrobatics trait from the Vanda Vine. Freddie had no intention of fleshing out a mage build. Her magic was meant to enhance the fight, not be the focal point. That was simply not who Freddie was. 

The only trick with mana pearls is that you had to sit and absorb them, which Freddie was sure would not be in her foreseeable future. She was trapped in this dungeon, with peril at every corner. Sure, the first floor only had monsters up to Tier 1 Level 10, and they may be beneath her now. But what happened when, after clearing the floor, Freddie was forced to face up to Tier 1 Level 20? They could range from common and uncommon to rare themselves. Freddie wasn’t unique in that manner. The fights would only grow harsher from this floor on, and she was halfway exhausted after two battles. 

Freddie put her head in her hands, and a frantic laugh bubbled up. Then another. Suddenly, Freddie was full-on cackling. It lasted for an uncomfortable amount of time, and once Freddie sobered up and took on a mantle of solemnity, she still had a fire in her eyes. 

“I’m trapped here, unable to do anything but move forward with a bag of potions and my wits,” Freddie said seriously. “I have no way to get out other than become stronger. No way to escape without a fight.”

A pause, thick and heavy, weighed down on Freddie. 

“That’s more than fine, though,” she ground out.

“I’m more than a spoiled daughter of Nemo. I am Kalina Kastrinova and I am Fredericka Nemo. I am the Unburned, the Devourer of Flame, the Holder of Blazing Light. 

A wild grin spread across her face.

“Nothing will stop me from being a victor.”