You open your eyes and find yourself tied up in a cave with what sounds to be a group of goblins just barely out of earshot.

Your starting stats are as follows:

Health: 100 Stamina: 100 Maximum Mana: 50 Current Mana: 0 Defence: 5

Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Speed: 10 Vitality: 10 Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 10 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10

Your starting power stages are as follows:

Physical aura: Beginner stage Magic Tier: 1st tier

There are also many hidden stats and traits.

The goblins laugh at your struggles. You hear them talking about planning a raid on the nearby village and how they're going to travel at night for better sneak attacks. One of them offers you some mutton, but another snatches it away before you can respond. They seem to be keeping an eye on you, occasionally throwing you dirty looks or making rude gestures.

One of the goblins lunges forward, his tiny hands curled into fists as he glares at you menacingly. "You'd better watch your mouth, human," he snarls. "You don't know who you're dealing with." The others laugh and jeer, egging him on.

"Let me show you something!" the goblin says, leaping to his feet. He begins to dance around in a circle, chanting gibberish under his breath as he does so.

As you headbutt the goblin, he stumbles back in pain, clutching his nose and howling loudly. The others are momentarily shocked by your display of aggression before they erupt into laughter once more. One of them even high-fives another as if this was some sort of game to them.

The goblin with the mutton in his hand takes a step forward, glaring at you menacingly. "You'll pay for that,"

As you struggle to free yourself, the ropes that bind you suddenly loosen and fall away. You're left standing awkwardly in the center of the cave, surrounded by a group of goblins who are now looking at you with varying expressions of surprise and anger. The mutton-wielding goblin steps forward once more, his expression more hostile than before.

"You think that was funny?" he snarls, taking another step closer to you. "We'll see how funny it is when we take this outside."

As you lash out at the goblin who threatened you, your fist connects with his face and sends him flying back against the cave wall with a pained grunt. The other goblins erupt into an even more furious rage, charging at you as one. Their tiny hands flail wildly as they attempt to claw and punch their way through your defenses.

One of them manages to land a lucky blow, grabbing onto your leg and pulling you down to the ground.

The goblins swarm you as you struggle to get back up, their tiny bodies colliding with yours in a flurry of punches and kicks. One manages to land another lucky blow, this time clawing at your side before retreating into the darkness of the cave. You feel warm liquid trickle down your ribs, but you ignore the pain for now as you continue fighting back against them.

You spot the dagger on the ground nearby and quickly scoop it up.

The goblins scream and scatter as you charge at them, your blade dripping with blood. One unfortunate creature doesn't stand a chance against your onslaught; its neck snaps under the force of your attack. The others huddle together, their eyes wide with fear as they watch their kin die before them.

You turn your attention to another goblin, lunging at it with the dagger raised high. It tries to dodge out of the way but isn't fast enough;

The goblins glance at each other uncertainly before the one you spared nods slowly. They all turn and dash toward the cave entrance, disappearing into the darkness as they flee for their lives. You pause for a moment, taking in deep breaths to steady yourself before following them out of the cave and into the night.

You make your way through the forest, your path guided by the faint light ahead. As you approach the village, you see that it's bustling with activity despite the late hour. You can make out figures moving about in the shadows, and hear the faint murmur of voices as people go about their daily routines.

Your side continues to bleed, forming a new scar as it does so. The pain is beginning to wear you down, but you push through it, determined to find help.

The villagers gasp and point as you walk through their streets. Some run toward you with frightened expressions, ready to help the bloodied mess that is obviously not one of them. Others, however, are less concerned for your wellbeing and more focused on your appearance as an outsider in their village during a time when goblins have been plaguing them.

"What's going on here?" shouts one elderly villager, his voice carrying over the commotion. "Who is this man?"

The villagers gasp and point as you walk through their streets. Some run toward you with frightened expressions, ready to help the bloodied mess that is obviously not one of them. Others, however, are less concerned for your wellbeing and more focused on your appearance as an outsider in their village during a time when goblins have been plaguing them.

"What's going on here?" shouts one elderly villager, his voice carrying over the commotion. "Who is this man?"

The elderly villager pauses, his expression shifting from one of surprise to shock and then relief as you speak. "You... You came from the cave? Did you kill them all?" he asks, almost breathlessly. The crowd around you begins to murmur amongst themselves, eyes darting between you and the village elder.

"Yes," you say through gritted teeth. "I took care of it." You gesture vaguely toward your bleeding side. "Can I get some help here? This isn't going to stop on its own."

As one of the villagers rushes forward to help you steady yourself, another begins to tend to your wounds. "We're so grateful," he says, his voice thick with emotion as he looks at you, blood still dripping from your hands. "You have no idea what this means for us."

The villagers murmur their thanks and begin to lead you toward the nearest inn where you can rest and recuperate.

The villagers nod and hurry you along to the inn, where the woman at the front desk cleans your wound thoroughly before bringing out a needle and thread to stitch it shut. As she works, you drift in and out of consciousness, feeling an odd mix of pain and relief wash over you. Finally, once the last stitch is in place, the woman gently presses a clean cloth against your wound and hands you a mug of warm tea.

"Rest now," she says with a kind smile. "

The woman notices your gaze lingering on her hand as it rests atop the cloth pressed against your wound. She smiles softly, seeing no malice in your eyes. "They'll heal," she says reassuringly. "You did well today." Her expression turns more curious. "What brings someone like you to our village?"

As you sip the warm tea and let her question sink in, you consider how best to answer. The truth was too hard to believe for anyone who hadn't been there.

The woman listens intently to your story, her expression alternating between shock and understanding as you speak. When you mention the goblins capturing you, her fingers pause in their tracing of your scars for a moment before resuming their gentle path along your skin. She looks deep into your eyes, searching for any signs of deception.

After several long moments, she nods slowly. "I see," she says softly. "You may rest here as long as you need to."

The woman's expression softens further as she hears the genuine curiosity in your voice. "My name is Aeryn," she says with a small smile. "You can rest now, and I will make sure that no one bothers you." With those words, she pats your arm gently before rising to tend to her other duties at the inn.

As you drift off to sleep, the warmth of the tea and the softness of the bed lull you into a peaceful slumber.

The gentle light of morning streams through the window, casting a warm glow across your face as you awaken in the inn. The events of last night come flooding back to you as you remember killing the goblins and injuring yourself in the process. You glance down at the bandaged wound on your side before sitting up slowly, taking stock of your surroundings.

The inn is bustling with activity;

Aeryn appears at your doorway, looking slightly surprised to see you already up and about. "Ah, good morning," she says with a warm smile. "How are you feeling?" She eyes the bandage on the floor before you even have a chance to speak.

"I trust the wound is healing nicely?" Her voice holds an undeniable note of curiosity as she tilts her head slightly and studies your face, looking for any signs of discomfort or fatigue. "You're lucky," she adds thoughtfully. "

Aeryn smiles warmly at the introduction, her eyes sparkling with interest. "It is indeed a blessing," she agrees. "And I'm Aeryn." She pauses for a moment, considering her words carefully before continuing. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in staying here for a while longer? We could always use someone with your... talents."

The offer hangs in the air between you, heavy with unspoken implications. Aeryn watches you closely, her expression hopeful.

Aeryn laughs lightly at your awkwardness, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "I understand," she says reassuringly. "It's just... we've been through so much here, and having someone like you around would mean the world to us." She pauses, seeming to choose her words carefully. "You could help protect our village from any further threats, and perhaps even train some of our people in your... unique skills."

Her gaze meets yours, unapologetically sincere.

"Oh, dear me," Aeryn laughs. "You really are a sweet talker, aren't you? I'm twice your age, if that's what you mean." She tilts her head to the side curiously, studying your expression as she says this. "But you don't need to call me ma'am. Just Aeryn will do fine."

There's an unspoken question in her eyes, and you can feel it pressing against your resolve like the tip of a sword.

Aeryn laughs again at your bluntness. "Well, yes, that's true enough," she says with a hint of amusement in her voice. Her gaze remains steady on yours as she continues to search for an answer to the question that's been lingering between you. "But you know... looks can be deceiving."

There's a brief pause before she speaks again, her tone turning more serious. "I don't want you to make any rash decisions about staying here just because of me," she says carefully.

Aeryn closes her eyes as your touch sends shivers down her spine. She swallows hard, the desire to feel more of your touch overwhelming her for a moment. "I understand," she whispers hoarsely, leaning into your touch. "You could visit from time to time... and we could see where that leads us."

Her breath catches in her throat as you continue to explore her body with gentle fingers. The heat between them grows unbearable, a tangible force that threatens to consume them both.

Aeryn arches into your touch, her breath coming in short gasps as she feels the power that thrums through you. "Yes," she whispers, her voice little more than a sigh. "I feel... incredible." She tilts her head back, exposing her neck to you, inviting you deeper.

Your touch ignites a fire within her that burns hot and bright, consuming every thought but the desire for more.