Path to the Apocalypse

Andrew's life was going so well, he almost felt guilty about it, particularly when the rest of his family was dealing with all this crap because of him. His relationship with Li Jing and Cathryn was amazing in so many ways, he couldn't help but feel like he was on top of the world every time he was around them, which was pretty much constantly. His other self was also doing well. A week after he was born, he finally stopped growing, stopping at what he thought the goblin equivalent of about thirteen was. His stats seemed to have stabilized at that point and his skills were developing nicely.

[Observant Goblin: 1

Strength: 2 > 7

Agility: 4 > 13

Will: 14

Intellect: 16

Energy: 3 > 10

Sensitivity: 444

General Skill - Concentrate: 22

General Skill - Introspect: 21

General Skill - Observe: 24 > 28

Skill Points: 1]

The Shaman had advised him to keep working on his Introspect skill until it was over twenty, in order to get better options for when he merged it with his Rest skill, which had been most of his focus over the last few days. In between training his Introspect skill, the Shaman would take Andrew around to see the rest of the small town. The building in the center was the town hall, where the Chief, a large, heavily scarred goblin with an infectious laugh, and the Shaman worked together to handle all the administrative needs of the town. Nearby was the blacksmith, who made all the town's tools and weapons, the tailor, who made the clothes, and the apothecary, who made potions and gave out medical advice. He also introduced him to the local guards and merchants, pretty much anyone who did anything, but they were obviously less important than the first three.

Every time the Shaman introduced him to a new person, they gave Andrew a little gift. Most people gave him small treats or trinkets, but the big four gave him more significant gifts. From the Chief, he got a map of the area around the town, detailing the goblins' territory. From the blacksmith, he received a small dagger, perfectly sized for him, with a long thin blade, and an elegant sheath. From the tailor, a nice set of clothes, simple and functional. From the apothecary, he got a stamina potion and a wink, which… Well, it was clear the apothecary was one dirty old man. Which Andrew found strange since he hadn't actually seen any women around. When he'd first shown up, he'd figured goblins just didn't have the same sexual dimorphism as humans, but the Shaman always called the other goblins by male pronouns. Andrew thought it was weird, but then he remembered they seemed to be in a medieval society, so he figured the women were probably just oppressed.

Andrew didn't have much time to spare for thoughts like that though. The Shaman kept him busy. Every day was filled with working on skills, touring the town, eating, and sleeping. Andrew felt like he was trying to prepare him for something, but he couldn't quite figure out what. He kinda thought the Shaman was making him his apprentice, but he didn't seem all that interested in actually showing him what he did. It was just working on skills and meeting all these people. He still couldn't rule it out, though. Maybe the Shaman was just having him focus on basic skills first? He did seem to be overly interested in his first evolution.

"My Introspect skill is over twenty." Andrew announced as he walked into the Shaman's office at the beginning of the day.

The Shaman looked up, blinking slightly. "Already? My, you are a gifted one, aren't you?"

Andrew blinked back. "Was- was it supposed to take me longer?"

The Shaman cocked his head, pondering the question. "That is a question, isn't it? For a normal goblin? Absolutely. Getting any skill over twenty in less than a month is an impressive feat normally. However, for a goblin with stats like yours? Such feats should be expected, yes? To those much is given, much is expected." The Shaman paused, before shaking his head. "But I digress. Your physical development appears to have run its course and with your Introspect skill over twenty, it is about time for you to begin leveling. You should take Rest as a Class Skill now." Andrew nodded, opening his status page and using his Skill Point to get Rest as a Class Skill.

[Rest: Increase Energy regeneration by one percent per level while resting.]

Andrew raised an eyebrow at the skill’s description before dismissing it and turning back to the Shaman. "Done.”

The Shaman smiled. "Well done. You should give it a try." He gestured to Andrew's usual spot.

Andrew nodded, moving to his spot and taking a seat, focusing on trying to rest. At first he didn't notice much difference, but as he began to shift to get more comfortable, he noticed a strange… nudging, guiding him, pushing him into more comfortable positions. He shifted more, getting more and more comfortable as he fell into a daze. Suddenly the system dinged.

[Observant Goblin advanced to level two!]

Andrew startled awake, looking around blearily. He leveled up? Already? But he'd just start- his eyes widened as he noticed that the sky had gone dark, the Shaman now working by candle light. "Uh… how long have I been asleep?" He asked the Shaman nervously.

The Shaman turned to give him an amused smile. "All day. You have a talent for Rest, don't you?" Andrew blinked. He'd spent the entire day asleep?!? That- that didn't even make sense! He'd just slept the entire night! It was like he'd wasted an entire day! Andrew paused. Wait… he'd leveled up! So… not a waste. Still, not exactly pleasant either. It didn't feel like he'd done anything! "Did you level?" The Shaman continued, shaking Andrew from his thoughts.

Andrew froze, before nodding. "Yes, I did."

The Shaman nodded. "Excellent! Now, you can either merge your Rest skill with your Introspect skill or take either Concentrate or Observe as a Class Skill if you wish to work on your Introspect more.”

Andrew nodded, pulling up his status page to consider his options.

[Observant Goblin: 2

Strength: 7 > 8

Agility: 13 > 16

Will: 14 > 15

Intellect: 16 > 19

Energy: 10 > 12

Sensitivity: 444 > 446

Class Skill - Rest: 42

General Skill - Concentrate: 22

General Skill - Introspect: 21

General Skill - Observe: 28

Skill Points: 1

Free Points: 6]

Andrew blinked. That was a lot of levels for Rest… was all that from the system’s guidance? If so, using an extra skill point to boost his Introspect wouldn't be a horrible idea. But what if he was just good at resting? Andrew frowned for a moment before shaking his head. He didn't have to choose now, did he? He had to make Concentrate or Observe a Class Skill at some point, so why not do that first and see what happens? He could decide what to do with Introspect later. Though… Now that he was thinking about it, he hadn't exactly worked on Concentrate or Observe yet. Maybe he should do that first, to see how far he could get on his own, before making one of them a Class Skill to see how much of a difference it made.

“Well?” The Shaman asked as Andrew dismissed his status page.

“I'm holding off for now.” Andrew explained. “I want to see how effective the system's guidance actually is before I commit to anything.”

The Shaman raised an eyebrow at him. “Have you considered asking me how effective the system's guidance is?”

Andrew blinked. “Uh…”

The Shaman chuckled. “It is encouraging that you're confident in discovering your own answers, but at a certain point you're simply wasting time. Particularly when it comes to basic questions such as how to tell whether it's worth turning a General Skill into a Class Skill before merging.”

Andrew coughed awkwardly. “Right… So, how do I tell if it's worth it?”

The Shaman grinned. “The system's guidance is most effective between levels one and nineteen of a skill, or what is commonly known as the foundational levels. Beyond that it simply allows you to learn faster, not necessarily better. Therefore, the primary concern you should have is whether you think you're capable of pushing a skill higher. If so, then making it a Class Skill could save you valuable time. If not, then it'd simply be a waste.”

Andrew frowned, considering that for a moment. Did he think he could push his Introspect skill any higher? Andrew hesitated for a moment before sighing. Introspection really wasn't his thing. He wasn't exactly great at seeing what his issues were, and even when he did see them, it made him more uncomfortable than anything. Though maybe it was good that his issues made him uncomfortable? It definitely motivated him to fix them. But honestly he was better off asking Cathryn and Li Jing what his issues were than trying to figure them out himself. He was just too confident in the things he did know to see the things he didn't.

[Introspect: 21 > 22]

Andrew snorted at the notification, shaking his head. “Alright, then there's not much use in spending a skill point on Introspect. Though it probably wouldn't be the worst idea to let Rest grow some more… I'll probably focus on Observe and Concentrate for a bit before deciding which one to make a Class Skill, if not both.”

The Shaman smiled. “A wise decision. There's no reason to rush to merge your skills, though be careful not to waste time pushing for gains that simply aren't worth it. If it takes longer than a couple days to level, then you're better off merging. At least at this stage. As for the rest… Well, I suspect you already know what you need to do, yes?”

Andrew nodded. His work was pretty much cut out for him at this point. Work on his skills, level up, and merge them into a powerful inner sight skill, and then use whatever skill points he had left to round out his build. Not that he knew what that build would be at the moment, but that was something he had to figure out for himself, not something the Shaman could help him with. Well, unless the Shaman wanted to force him into a particular build… But Andrew would sooner run than let that happen. He wouldn't let himself be made into some kind of tool. Not that the Shaman had shown any particular interest in actually doing that, but with all the focus the goblins had placed on him, Andrew was… wary. Even the Bonded had a hard time resisting the urge to force him to do things for their benefit. How much better could goblins be?

*

"You've probably been wondering why we are so focused on you." The Shaman began as he and Andrew walked back to the Shaman's house, which Andrew had moved into pretty much as soon as he finished learning the language.

Andrew blinked. What a coincidental topic. "Isn't it because of my high stats?" He replied hesitantly.

The Shaman chuckled. "Well, your stats are certainly promising, but no, they aren't why we're so focused on you. High stats are simply something to pay attention to, not something to focus on like we have with you. No, the reason we pay so much attention to you is because you've shown talent. Anyone can reach a high level simply by using their Class Skills over and over, but it takes talent to truly grasp one's skills, taking them to greater and greater heights! The goblins who can do this become the pillars of our community, like the Chief or the craftsmen! These goblins provide benefit after benefit to us all simply by existing! This is why we focus on you and give you these opportunities, because if your talent continues to grow, you will become yet another pillar of our community, taking us to even greater heights! Even if your talent fails you at some point, it is a risk we must take, for the system can correct many flaws as you continue to level, but it cannot grant a goblin talent. Talent can only be discovered, and when it is, it must be cultivated with the greatest care." The Shaman finished, placing a hand on Andrew's shoulder and giving him a kind smile.

Andrew frowned slightly as he considered what the Shaman had said. He had talent? Well, obviously it would seem that way, particularly when compared to the other goblins his age, but he did have years of experience to rely on that the others didn't. Andrew smirked slightly as he thought of how the Shaman would react when he actually fought for the first time. His skills in combat had to at least be in the forties, and Andrew wouldn't be surprised if a few were in the sixties as well. He wasn't sure that qualified as talent though. Andrew glanced at the Shaman. "So, you pay attention to me because of what you hope I'll become?"

The Shaman paused. "Hm… not quite. You see, while we do hope you'll become someone powerful who can help support the tribe, we hope that for every goblin. No, we're giving you attention because we believe you need it. You have potential, but if you never have the room to exert that potential, it is wasted. Our goal is to give you the best environment to make the most of what you have, just like we do with all younglings. The only difference is that you require more, because you are capable of more. By now, the majority of your birthmates will have barely learned to speak. None have unlocked the system yet. The caretakers will spend weeks just getting them to the place you were when you were born! Even if they were given the same opportunities as you , they wouldn't know what to do with them. They will have their own opportunities, which will take them down paths well traveled by the goblins before them. But you don't have a path to follow, so you must forge your own. We can give you advice, warn you away from choices we know will be bad, but ultimately, we have no clue what you need to do or how you should do it. That is up to you. All we can do is help you prepare, and that is why you gain our focus. So that when you need us, we'll be there."

Andrew blinked up at the Shaman as a warm feeling began to grow in his chest. He still didn't particularly like being singled out, being different from everyone else, but… the Shaman kind of reminded him of Arose. He had expectations, yes, but he still obviously cared about Andrew. He wasn't focused on what Andrew could be, but what he was, and what he needed to grow. It wasn't forcing Andrew to be different, it was acknowledging that Andrew already was different, and dealing with the consequences. It was a subtle difference, but it made Andrew feel a whole lot better about how he was being treated by the tribe. He'd been seeing them like the Elders of the Clans, who only saw Andrew for his potential, like he was some sort of tool. Andrew didn't want to be a tool. He didn't want to be anyone's hope or savior or whatever it was people thought they needed from him. He just wanted to be himself. And if the tribe was willing to give him the freedom to do that… Well, he didn't mind helping them out when they needed it either.