After emerging from an extended slumber, Dick found himself invigorated, his vitality restored in full measure.
The cave, his makeshift sanctuary, had undergone significant transformations. Its once simple structure now boasted several newly dug tunnels, each leading to the ground above. Dick explored them, noting their craftsmanship and utility.
What caught his attention most, however, was the entrance of the cave. Once merely concealed behind a barrier of thorn trees, it now bore the creative touch of goblin imps. These mischievous creatures had skillfully camouflaged the entrance with a blend of mud and water, rendering it nearly invisible to the unsuspecting eye. Dick couldn't help but admire their handiwork.
His thoughts then turned to the goblin imps themselves. He sensed through a mystical connection that they had ventured into the perilous Lion Mountains in search of sustenance. The dangers of that place were not lost on him; he knew that many had perished there, including three of the four goblin imps. The fourth had met its end recently. Dick reflected on their fate with a sense of pragmatic detachment. As a summoner, he could easily call forth more of these creatures, but their loss was a stark reminder of the harshness of this world.
Emboldened by his enhanced abilities, Dick decided to further fortify the cave's defenses. The break of dawn was upon him, the sky lightening as the sun began its ascent. Time was of the essence.
He started by manipulating the vegetation at the cave's entrance. With a wave of his hand, an ancient pine emerged from the cliffside, its vast branches artfully obscuring the entrance. This natural façade was both a shield and a statement of his growing power.
Inside the cave, Dick turned his attention to the tunnels. He carved stone-like stairs and summoned creeping vines, transforming the passageways into verdant, living corridors. These green tunnels were not only aesthetically pleasing but also served as a strategic advantage, potentially hindering any intruders.
Upon reaching the ground level, Dick surveyed the area. It was similar to his previous abode, situated at the cliff's base, surrounded by sparse vegetation. Utilizing his mastery over plant growth, he conjured vines along the cliff face, creating a natural barrier that seamlessly blended with the surroundings. The three tunnel exits were meticulously covered, leaving no trace of their existence.
With the cave now perfectly concealed and fortified, Dick felt a sense of accomplishment. His proficiency in wood magic had earned him the title of a friend of the forest among the goblin shamans. The rising sun marked the completion of his work, and with it came a wave of exhaustion from the overuse of his powers.
Retreating to the lair nestled a hundred meters above, Dick found solace in the lush greenery that filled the space. The air was crisp and rejuvenating, reminiscent of an ancient forest. Here, he had skillfully utilized every part of a griffon cub he had slain. Its feathers served as bedding, while its flesh, stored in a naturally cold section of the cave, provided sustenance.
This efficient use of resources meant Dick no longer needed to hunt frequently. He could simply retrieve the preserved meat, cooking it over an open flame when hunger struck.
Yet, one vital necessity remained — water. Addressing this need, Dick summoned a unique plant, the bottle tree. Resembling a large tree with a crown of peach blossoms, it sprouted from a sturdy brown bamboo-like trunk, an ingenious solution to his survival challenges.
In a world woven from the threads of fantasy, Dick stumbled upon a marvel from his past life: a tree with a tremendous capacity for storing water. With a simple puncture, the tree generously offered a stream of pure water.
Surprised by his own ability to conjure such a fantastical plant, Dick's astonishment grew as a cascade of colorful flowers, reminiscent of his previous life, bloomed around him. Despite the joy they brought, he knew this playful respite was brief. Pressing concerns loomed over him, demanding his attention.
The first of these was his precarious location. He found himself in the heart of the Lion Mountains, a vast territory ruled by the formidable B-level monster, the griffin. This treacherous land was fraught with danger, where even a misstep could attract the playful yet deadly pursuit of griffin cubs.
Then there was the issue with Lily, the earl's daughter. Dick's current predicament stemmed from a tangled encounter with her, a revelation that she was nobility leading to an unexpected and nearly fatal confrontation with a high-level adventurer.
As he reflected on these events, his thoughts drifted to the dark elf who had mysteriously fainted. Her resemblance to the simulated image of his mother stirred a strange sense of connection within him. But with her gone, chasing after her seemed futile.
Dick was also keenly aware of Lily's intentions to enslave him, a situation he desperately wanted to avoid, especially to keep off the radar of the notorious Goblin Slayer. His current form, that of a goblin, made every step a gamble with death. Strength was his only safeguard, his only path to survival.
Resolved, Dick decided to seek out the dark elf once he had gained enough strength, driven by the haunting possibility that she might be his birth mother, the woman who had suffered unimaginable horrors at due to his birth.
With these heavy thoughts, Dick prepared for his fourth simulation, a journey to another world that posed a daunting choice of maternal figures: A bright monk, an evil and lustful succubus, a charming harpy, an ugly dwarf goblin, or a vengeful female magician. As he pondered his choice, a sudden, piercing scream shattered the silence, a sonic assault that left him reeling with pain.
Quickly utilizing the healing powers of the magical plant, Dick cautiously approached the cave entrance. Peering through the gap, he saw, ten kilometers away, a massive, battle-scarred griffin in the Lion Mountains. The devastation around it spoke of a fierce conflict, with trees leveled for hundreds of meters.
"This is the ruler of the Lion Mountain Range? A Class B griffin!" he murmured, recognizing the creature but astonished at its wounded state. Nearby, a battered team of human adventurers – a knight with a severed arm, a disheveled succubus mage, an elf archer with a broken bow, and a grievously injured werewolf warrior – fled in desperate haste. They had clashed with the griffin, only to be overpowered and forced into retreat.
Observing this, Dick realized the immense power of the griffin and felt a shiver of fear at his own vulnerability in the Lion Mountains. However, the griffin, fixated on the fleeing humans with a fierce, almost jealous gaze, failed to pursue them. Just as Dick sensed the griffin's gaze shifting towards his hiding spot, he ducked back into the cave, heart pounding.
Only when the sound of the griffin's departing wings reached him did he dare to breathe a sigh of relief. "Could it have noticed me?" he wondered, but the immediate threat seemed to have passed.
With the griffin injured and unlikely to pose an immediate danger, Dick refocused on his urgent need to strengthen himself. The perils of this otherworldly realm were all too clear, and he knew he had to prepare for whatever lay ahead.