Dick could now discern his physical condition with clarity.
In the murky birthing nest, shrouded in darkness, a transformation had occurred. The newborn goblin baby, once crawling on all fours, had matured into the infant stage, walking upright on two feet.
Dick's accelerated development was a direct result of absorbing life energy through his 'Vitality Absorption' skill, drawn from the forest elf mother. This rapid growth, far surpassing the natural month-long stage, elevated his life status significantly above the weakening elf mother and her goblin offspring, dependent on her care.
Compelled by this newfound strength, Dick acted decisively. Despite his goblin rebirth, his human consciousness remained intact, untouched by goblin sympathies. With a goblin in each hand, he drained their life energies, fueling his continuous growth and development.
The female Elf, whose live Dick extinguished, displayed expressions of relief and peace in their final moments. To her, he was an angelic figure, a liberator from their despair, rather than the harbinger of death he truly was.
In the dank, foul-smelling lair, Dick embodied dual roles. The fluorescent green life energy coursed into his body, enhancing his vitality with each absorption. Meanwhile, the evolution points he garnered from his kills steadily increased.
System prompts echoed in the background, affirming the enhancement of his life status and physical development. Soon, the last goblin baby, eyes brimming with despair, fell to Dick's hands.
Feeling a bottleneck in his evolution, Dick heard the system's inquiry:
[Ding! The host has reached the evolution conditions. Should evolution be started?]
"Yes," he affirmed, anticipating his ascent to a higher form. Such evolution promised the inheritance of attributes, levels, and skills when he returned to reality.
Eagerly, Dick sought a relatively clean spot to sit and await his transformation.
Ten minutes later, he inhaled deeply, surveying his evolved goblin form. He had transcended the fragile infant stage, entering the sturdier cub phase. His physical strength, speed, and perception were profoundly different from before.
Inspecting the system panel, he noted:
Host: Dick Grayson
Species: Ordinary Goblin
Status: Infancy Current Status: Healthy
Body: Weight 10 kg, Height 30 cm
Combat Power: G
Skills: Life Absorption, Tool Making
Evolution Points: 150/200 (acquired through hunting)
Birth Mother: F-level forest elf (deceased)
"The life state has evolved, as has my physique, now possessing some combat ability. And skills too," Dick mused, examining the 'Tool Making' skill.
[Tool Making: Basic Goblin racial skill, enabling the use of seemingly insignificant items to create tools for hunting and survival.]
Contemplating the skill's description, Dick casually picked up a large stone and a disproportionately long wooden stick, a plan forming in his mind.
Dick deftly tore off vines clinging to the damp stone walls of the cave.
In his hand, he soon wielded a stone axe, its size dwarfing his goblin cub stature. "This will serve for defense or attack," Dick mused, not overly disappointed with the rudimentary weapon his skills had crafted. Leaving the birthing lair, he headed towards the cave's entrance.
He had eradicated the forest elf mother and the newborn goblins of this lair. Aware of the danger posed by the potential return of adult goblins, who would surely seek vengeance, Dick recognized the severity of his predicament. "This is as real a threat as any in reality, but now I'm armed with skills and weapons to fight back," he thought.
Dick's immediate goal was to complete the system-assigned tasks. He had evolved to a G-level goblin, yet one more creature remained to be slain to meet his quota.
Approaching the cave's luminous entrance, bathed in dazzling light, Dick paused, allowing his eyes to adjust. The forest outside was quiet, eerily devoid of the usual goblin guards. "Where have all the adult goblins gone?" he wondered, perplexed.
Returning to the lair, Dick hastily buried the body of the forest elf mother. Then, he followed the lone path leading to the goblin village, deep in thought.
Upon arrival, he was greeted by an unexpected scene. The air was thick with the scent of blood, and the ground was littered with goblin corpses. An invasion had occurred in his absence.
Dick's gaze fell on a dying adult goblin, feigning death amidst the carnage. Without hesitation, Dick wielded his towering stone axe and silently approached from behind, swiftly ending the goblin's life.
With a sigh of relief, Dick thought, "Finally, the system's mission is complete." Just as he prepared to rest, a startling figure emerged from the grass – a tall, armored knight, dragging a goblin corpse.
Dick recognized him instantly. "A Goblin Slayer? this world has them as well?" he pondered, shocked at the presence of his kind's notorious adversary.
Realizing the danger, Dick turned to flee, but darkness engulfed his vision.
His consciousness snapped back to reality. Lying in a tree hole, he took deep breaths, realizing he had narrowly escaped the biggest crisis in this other world.
"It was a Goblin Slaying Knight," he reflected, recognizing the need to enhance his strength to evade such formidable foes.
Unsure of the differences between this simulated world and his actual reality, Dick chose a cautious approach, deciding to lay low until he gained significant strength.
The system then announced the end of the task.
[You have ended the Goblin Life Simulation. Settlement commencing.]
Rating: C
Evaluation: Your composure and initial skill extraction were commendable. You efficiently eradicated the birthing nest's inhabitants and evolved successfully. However, encountering A Goblin Slayer was unfortunate.
Reward: 50% attribute inheritance; skill vitality extraction, tool crafting; one simulation opportunity.
"Seems like a decent reward. Time for the next simulation," Dick thought, pleased with the outcome.
The system presented the next Goblin life simulation options:
Choose your birth mother:
A. Tragic human monk
B. Charming harpy
C. Violent cave spider
D. Corrupted dark elf
E. Ugly dwarf goblin