30 Finally Home

Reaching the gates, Lucius spotted a few more bodies on the ground. It seemed the situation was growing dire as people became more desperate. None dared to stop them; they looked pretty strong from the outside, and others didn't know if they carried anything valuable.

Inspecting the crowd, Lucius saw some individuals who seemed strong, though the system prompt didn't provide specific information. He could still read their aura to some extent. They should be around levels 3 to 4, with the strongest ones at level 4. However, he didn't spot anyone at level 5.

The goblin village raid had gone well, and that was the reason he was ahead of the curve. They could have gathered a larger group to raid the village, but it would result in sharing experience points, and Lucius believed the goblin village they visited was merely a small outpost. He shivered at the memory of the Goblin Mage they encountered – just the system saying it was a mage was enough to keep it in his mind.

Lucius pondered over a question: if humans had a max level of 10 on this floor, why couldn't goblins also level up? He wondered how goblins got stronger or levelled up. With these questions filling his mind, he hoped to find answers soon.

Entering the city, they all relaxed. It was safe, and they could rest without worries. Lucius told the others to meet up later in the room. He sent Charlotte a friend request, which she accepted.

Lucius had chosen to focus on personal matters for the time being. After acquiring the gold, he felt the need to take care of himself before making any important decisions. His priority was to shower and rest, allowing him to clear his mind and prepare for the next steps.

As he strolled through the bustling city streets, he couldn't help but notice the lively trading activities around him. People were engaged in bartering and exchanging various goods, from meat and fruit to weapons. Lucius even noticed some artisans attempting to create armour from animal skins. However, the quality of their craftsmanship seemed subpar, failing to provide adequate protection.

Upon returning to his room, Lucius was pleased to find it tidy, except for the desk where he had left the mud and makeshift map.

Looking at the desk with the mud and makeshift map on it, he decided to add to it after relaxing. He had a cold shower and then removed his clothes, cleaning them before lying on the bed. Gazing at the ceiling, he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

After a few hours, he woke up feeling refreshed. It was still daytime, and he knew that due to the disrupted sleep schedule, he would be awake at night. However, he didn't care much about that since he didn't have to work anyway. Stretching, he wanted to stay in bed all day, but he knew he had to get up.

Dragging his legs like a zombie to the sink, he washed his face before sending messages to the others.

The first to arrive were Kevin and Lily, as they were staying next door. After a little while, Charlotte and Talon arrived too, entering the room and glancing around. The room was clean, but their expressions turned peculiar as they noticed the messy desk.

''Sit on the bed or floor, I will update the map, and you can comment if I forgot anything,'' he instructed them before walking over to the map.

Kevin and Talon sat on the floor while Lily and Charlotte sat on the bed looking at Lucius.

He stood above the desk and began adding details to the map. He drew a few sticks to represent the forest, a line on the mud to signify the river, and a bear cave depicted as a small cave and a small rocky point further ahead. Then, he continued by drawing the huts, forming a small circle around them to indicate the village or outpost they had discovered earlier.

''Anything to add?'' Lucius inquired, particularly focusing on Charlotte, as she might have explored a different route.

Charlotte pointed to a location before the river and suggested, ''Add the plains and a forest there, followed by some grassy land before some red petal trees.''

Nodding, Lucius updated the map once again to reflect the additional information provided by Charlotte, giving them a more comprehensive view of the surrounding terrain.

Looking down at the map, they now had a better idea of their surroundings, but beyond the village they had visited, they still knew nothing.

''Okay, let the meeting start,'' Lucius said as he settled into the chair, turning his gaze toward the others before beginning to explain.

''First of all, we must acknowledge that this was a risky adventure, and we'll start with that.'' Saying this, he paused momentarily to let his words sink in.

''But on the bright side, we've levelled up significantly, discovered the goblin village, and rescued Charlotte.'' Taking a deep breath, he continued.

''Now, this village, or more like a working outpost, as you can call it, was where we saw some goblins gathering wood to store and build something,'' Lucius explained, pausing briefly as he directed his gaze towards Talon.

''What is the problem in this situation?'' he asked Talon, seeking his input.

''That the goblins know how to use tools?'' Talon questioned, looking a bit confused as to why Lucius singled him out for the question.

''Yes and no, anyone else?'' Lucius responded, nodding and shaking his head while scanning the group.

''You mentioned the goblins were cutting and storing logs, but only three houses were made using the good logs. Most of the huts were constructed using sticks and grass,'' Charlotte added to the discussion and continued.

''The goblins can use tools, and they can sort of communicate at least the higher-level ones,'' hearing this, Lucius nodded, agreeing.

''So where do they take the resources they gather?'' he pointed at the map, indicating a blank area above it.

''The strongest goblin at this village was a level 7 mage, which was something we encountered for the first time – a goblin instructing others on what to do during a fire situation, indicating its intelligence is not below that of humans,'' pausing, he put a hand to his head in thought.

''We also saw the prison guard, and he seemed to have a higher IQ than the rest. There was supposed to be one more goblin with high status, but we never saw it,'' mentioning the three wooden houses.

''That means it was out hunting or doing something else, but with all the cut trees in the forest and the amount of them in the storage, it does not add up. If I am not mistaken, he should be the escort for the resources,'' with that, he let out a final breath. They were lucky that the other fighter or mage was missing; otherwise, they would have formed two hunting parties to chase them down.

''Okay, so that's the information we know about the goblins at the moment,'' with that, he concluded this subject before shifting his focus to the status panel.

[Name: Lucius Maxwell]

[Age 36/200]

[Level 5 Exp 130/500]

[HP 140/150]

[MP 100/100]

[Free Attributes 4]

[Strength 16]

[Health 15]

[Agility 13]

[Intelligence 10]

[Mana 10]

Skills 'Empowered Luster' 'Steelwork Forge'

Gold 113

After killing the [Goblin Fighter LvL6] and the [Boar LvL2] on the way back, Lucius gained an additional 70 EXP and 7 Gold.

Realizing the amount he had, he knew it was time to explore the district area. He had previously attempted to trade the coins between them, but they seemed to be tied to the user, at least for the time being.