Hyperion Evergrowing

Chapter 5: Oversized Chickens

Goblins weren’t overly intelligent. And before anyone starts accusing this story of being exclusively about stupid people allow me to clarify.

Goblin’s didn’t need to be smart. They were short lived and violent, and while they had a social hierarchy similar to primitive humanity their ultimate goals in life made higher learning and philosophy unnecessary.

They were monsters spawned from the ruins of civilization, the usual grinding wheel of natural selection didn’t apply. Doing the dirty and waiting for storks to deliver baby goblins just wasn’t how they did things.

Speaking of birds, the goblin tribe currently stalking through the young wilderness near a certain tree possessed several. Not as livestock or pets, these metre tall killing machines with raptor-like talons and beaks the shape of curved daggers were effectively members of the tribe.

When a goblin reached level 10, assuming it met certain criteria it would gain the option to evolve their racial class into a variant of the awakened race's [Tamer] class. This class would keep the goblin hallmarks, [Enhanced Stealth] and [Savagery] while supplementing the monster with several interesting options.

One such option had led to the capture, raising and eventual taming of three Highland Runners. Flightless and with crests of bright red feathers and slick black and blue bodies, these predatory animals were a common sight in less forested regions.

And they were animals. Nothing monstrous about them, but just because a creature wasn’t given a thaumatic bump on the way into existence didn’t mean they weren’t apex hunters in their own rights. The goblin tribe these three birds now belonged to had lost six members trying to raid the nest to claim their eggs.

The goblins often let these creatures go off and hunt as a pack. A skill enforced bond prevented them from acting against the tribe nor getting too far away, so what was the risk? All the monsters and beasts within this part of the wilderness were quite weak, the strongest had been a level fourteen evolved bear that they had filled with arrows from a safe distance.

This is why the goblin tribe wasn’t expecting all three of their prized companion beasts to be dead within the hour. The cause… Well I’m sure you already know.

In the calm afternoon sun, towards the end of the Hush season sat a tree. With its thin twisting trunk of grey wood and a canopy of dull red leaves, this tree made for quite the imposing sight. Other plants, trees included, lived within the forest. But for reasons related to being stabbed by root spears and drained of life things tended to stay away.

But this tree was different. The three birds of prey could feel it. Something in the air told them this tree was different, as though it held itself in a dignified poise. And while the three interloping hunters didn’t understand that this feeling came from the highly unusual phenomenon of this plant monster having a [Noble] class, they could see something they did understand.

This tree, for whatever reason, was practically bustling with life. Squirrels scampered up and down branches while the crimson canopy was flush with chirping songbirds. At the base of this tree was a lush lawn of verdant grass, clearly unhindered by the tree’s usually hungry nature.

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Within this unusually vibrant grass was dinner. Not the tree’s dinner, oh no. Three sets of hungry eyes soaked in the sight of a deer and her nursing fawn. The mother deer gave the newcomers a placid ‘what can ya do?’ look, the same kind she might instinctually give to a fast moving vehicle.

The hunters knew something wasn’t right. They squawked at each other in shrill tones, the sound sending songbirds fleeing and squirrels diving for cover. They prowled around the tree, instinctually looking for danger, ready to flee at the slightest rustle of leaves or the smallest bulge in the soil.

Nothing happened. And as nothing happened, they became more bold. Sharp talons pawed at the ground, beaks snapping. The fawn stopped feeding, its small head peaked up over its mothers frame. It looked imminent death square in the eye and… Promptly went to sleep.

The highland runners gave each other the bird equivalent of a shrug and darted forward. They closed the gap fast, these were evolved beasts, each over level 10. One rushed right for the deer, one taloned foot raised to deliver death in a single crushing blow. The other two flanked to the sides, eager to partake in the coming feast.

As the killing blow descended a brilliant golden dome sprung up around the deer. It cracked when the attack impacted it, white fractures quickly spreading along its surface. The birds had an instant to react, an instant to realise they were in well over their heads and run for their lives. Instead they spent that instant looking on in confusion.

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A spear of wood lanced from the ground penetrating the lead animal through the breast, it thrashed around, feebly trying to break free. The hollow bones of one of the flanking runners were crushed as a second spear shattered its legs.

The final hunter let out a horrified cry and promptly made the correct decision. It ran away. It ran for a whole two metres before roots rose from the ground and sent it sprawling. Before it could stand and continue running its neck was entangled. With a sickening crunch it died.

Silence filled the forest as the three victims of a mostly unintentional trap were quickly drained of their blood courtesy of a newly acquired skill.

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Harvest's Due:

Aspects: Enhancement (Body), Technique (Blood)

Your ability to drain the lifeforce of your victims is improved as long as you maintain physical contact.

You drain blood at an accelerated pace, If you have drained a creature of vitality within the past week you gain +20% to all attributes.

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This skill was a newly acquired addition to Leif’s growing collection and was something the Blight Tree he had duelled two years prior had possessed. Not that his foe had properly taken advantage of the +20% to all attributes component of the skill during the fight, if it had… Well, best not think about it.

At first Leif hadn't known what to do with this skill. He tended to only occasionally kill predators trying to hunt the animals who used his shade and branches as their home. That was when an injured deer had wandered into his little kingdom.

Instead of killing the animal and draining it like others of his species, Leif had protected the deer, the sickly beast had feasted on the plentiful grasses at Leif’s base and in time had made a full recovery. An injured animal in a seemingly vulnerable situation was a very tempting target.

He hadn’t intended to use the creature as a lure. But two [Noble] levels later…

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Under My Protection:

Aspects: Technique (Shield), Social*

You conjure a protective barrier around yourself or a nearby target. If this skill is used while you are protecting another this skill benefits from 50% of your charisma attribute.

Your words and actions have an innate calming effect.

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Name: Leif Vin

Race: Blight Tree

Age: 10

Attributes:

Free: 14

Might: 18

Alacrity: 5

Intelligence: 4

Willpower: 7

Spirit: 16

Charisma: 17

Total Level: 14

Monster Classes: 1/1

Juvenile Blight Tree: 6/10

Skills: Savage Roots / Predators Sense / Harvests Due

Classes: 0/2

Auxiliary Classes: 1

Noble: 8/10

Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action / Under My Protection

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Yes, he still hadn’t figured out how to spend free attribute points.