Homesteading in a fantasy world

Next day when I was back in the woods. Most of the traps were sprung again. Two of the traps were weird, the nooses were half constricted, but I didn’t find anything else "weird." Moving back, I still looked for activity and it has gotten lower.

When I got back, I started to select the fence posts. After I removed the bark and cut them to length. Sharpened one end and made a cut into the top.

I went and got a thick piece of rope to try and use my counterweight ability and see if I could drive them in without having to dig out the holes where the fence posts need to go. If I can do it like this, it would be a lot faster.

When the first one was ready enough for a test, I went to the first post spot I marked yesterday. It took some setting up because I made them quite tall, so I had to pull them up with the rope.

First, I tried to pull down and activate my ability, but that didn’t do anything exciting. It only used my strength and pulled it in until the sharp end ends. It looks like I have to get creative. I decided to jump, then grab hold of the rope higher up and activate counterweight.

It worked, but my grip was a bit too loose, and I lost hold of the rope. But even then, I got the fence post in a few inches. That got me a level up in counterweight.

The problem was I was trying to hold too much weight, and it was hurting my hands. I went off to find some gloves or something else to wrap around my hands. I didn’t find any gloves for this work, but I did find leather pieces big enough to protect my hands.

It still wasn’t perfect, but I did get this one in before I even call myself amateur at this technique. I didn’t go and get another one ready to drive in before I pulled out this one, and it was way harder than I expected it to be. Looks like the counterweight ability works really well. I didn’t expect the dirt to get that dense deeper down.

But this is good news. The fence posts will be strong. Why did I pull it out? Because I needed to make slots where wood planks can be attached. Using nails for fences isn’t a good idea, especially because I was running out of mine.

So, a bit more primitive way is called for. Luckily, this fence didn't have to hold against heavy animals. Is this the perfect way? Absolutely not, but it will be good enough for my current needs.

I got to work and got my carpentry up by one level and the counterweight ability up to level 4, when I finally finished with the fence. All that was left is to build the gate.

This was not a hard job. The only problem would be the hinges, but I just straight up skip them and made the whole gate just lift out. Make it just big enough for me to pass through with some wider boxes in my hand if needed.

It was weird to be closed in a fence like this where you could see through it but couldn’t squeeze your way through like you could with the fence for the cows.

Now it’s time to build the coop, but while I was walking back to where all the wood was, I noticed the main house and the barn they were built to withstand cold. I completely forgot about this part. I could never make the coop winter proof with the design I was going to build.

So why waste the last of my nails on it when I could only use it in the summer? The chickens would only need a roof over their heads to protect against sun and rain.

I could just make a roofed over area. It doesn’t have to be completely waterproof, just good enough. Using the boards, I planned to build the coop with will be good enough.

It was quite easy to do this, but it was still annoying always moving the ladder and climbing up and down every time. When I was finished with it all, it was already evening, but I thought I could still try to get the chickens captured today.

So, I went and got some grains and went on a let's call it a hunt. I honestly expected this to be difficult, me trying to get them closer and closer and they running away.

But it all went so quickly and easily that before I realize it. I put the gate back in place and all 6 chickens were inside, getting familiar with their new surroundings while I just stood there dumbfounded.

After some time, they tried to get out. Slowly and carefully at first, but more roughly as the time went on. It took quite a long time until they settled down and went under the roofed area, where I had laid some hay that they started making nests out of.

I watched them work a while longer. How they made the nest was interesting and how they communicate with each other seemed equally interesting. I’ve always loved watching how animals communicated and lived.

Next morning brought change to my usual chores. Before I went to the forest, I went to check up on the chickens. They were still a bit sleepy, but they were already starting to move around.

I looked at the nests but found no eggs. I Inspect the area and looked if they eat any grass, they did. So, they will not go hungry today, but I will need to monitor and see if they need anything else to survive.

At the second deer trap, I was successful and got a level in trapping for it. Leaving it to bleed out as usual while I went to check the other traps. Only one other rabbit trap was out of place, so a lot less movement today.

Looking for tracks, there were a lot less of them, like a lot less, and I couldn’t figure out why that was bothering me as I made it back to the deer. I removed the hide, then took out my axe, so I could cut the joint easier.

At this moment, all my hairs went stiff at the back of my neck. Like last time, I quickly moved to stand up and look in the direction I felt myself being watched.

Thinking it was the wolf again, I was not prepared for what I saw from the corner of my eye. It was not a wolf. The first thing I notice was a dagger moving towards my now turned back. Using the momentum from my turn, I started to swing my axe towards whatever was coming.

I was now turned around enough to see fully what was trying to attack me. It was a short, round, greenish creature. Each leg was skinny and so were its arms, and both were too short for the body size.

I was lucky that I aimed low because the creature was short, and I would have probably missed it and ended up with a dagger in my belly. It was still going to be a close call because it was moving fast towards me. I acted on training and experience and lean back so I wouldn't overshoot my target and actually hit it with the axe head and not the shaft.

It was over fast. My axe hit through its ear into the brain, ending the creature instantly. Massive dose of adrenaline coursing through me made thinking hard, but I quickly inspected the body, the system told me it was a dead goblin.

Still in extreme alertness. I quickly figured out there was more heading towards me, and they were in a circle. I could see the noose closing up. Luckily, I saw there was still a way out and started sprinting as hard as I could towards that.

***

Rich Dirt moved with experience and instinct from years of active combat. He figured out a way out of the ambush faster than the surrounding goblins figured out their sneak attacker was dead.

The goblin closest to the escape route tried to strike out with its spear, but the man was too fast, and he missed. Leader of the goblins, Grey Coral notices the escaping prey and started quickly giving commands to chase it down. It took a bit for all the goblins to correctly start running after the man.

How did the man kill Shadowy Stick he was able to get so close and I didn’t feel him being that high level, thought the goblin leader? He smells so young. That man does not make sense. I should be more careful.

After that revelation, he starts to command everyone to tighten up and not full sprint after the human. He was a smart leader in combat and noticing his information was wrong, he decided to act with caution, a real rarity for the goblin race.

When everything was proper, and they were moving with speed after the man, he tried to call out for their scout. This was the moment he noticed he was missing and thinking back, he wasn’t part of the damn ambush too.

“That damned snivelling coward,” the goblin leader yelled.

All the goblins shivered. They know how cruel their leader could be when he was displeased. I should have killed him when he questioned my plan and disagreed with killing the man. I let my greed of having one of the best scouts of the surrounding goblins get the better of me. Never again, the goblin leader swears to himself.

When they made it out of the forest, they noticed the bridge the man was crossing. How the man had gotten so much further away was a mystery to Grey Coral.

When the knowledge that there was a bridge here where there was none before hit him. He could only think about how they will be able to kill the human, then raid the farm and give the information to the camp leader about the bridge to get a lot of benefits and also a replacement for that idiot of a scout.

All his daydreaming came crashing down as the man made it to the tower and started to winch up the bridge. Every inch the bridge raised, his dreams died more.

He yelled quickly to attack and started running himself as fast as he could. All he was able to think about was his dreams burning faster every time the bridge got higher.

The goblin leader was so distracted by this that he didn’t notice that the man was now on top of the tower on the other side of the river. He also missed that when they were running, he was at front and others were trailing behind in a loose line.

The human was smart and didn’t try to hit the goblin in the front, but the one further back. His first shot didn’t hit the head or anything else instantly vital. The slowest goblin got hit in the right thigh.

It didn’t kill it, but it was out of the fight and will bleed out if not helped. His cries of pain were missed by all because of their own war cries as they run for the raised bridge.

The man was calm and steady like he had done this thousand of times and shot after shot hit downing or killing the goblins. He had missed only once because the goblin fell at the perfect time for the arrow to fly over it.

At the start of the ambush, there were nine goblins. One was killed at the start, there were 5 left now and the 5th one was alive only because he stumbled and fell. Before he could get up, he was pinned to the ground by an arrow.

The man got one more before the goblins reached the bridge. Goblin leader noticing there were 2 large logs that still connected to the other side and was happy. He could still get everything he wanted.

He starts to turn around to give command to his troops but had to quickly drop down. Because he noticed an arrow coming towards him. It took a part of his ear when it passed by and when he looked where it went, it had buried itself in his best spear wielder's chest, killing him instantly.

Quickly panicking, he looked back at the man and saw cold eyes and an arrow pointed straight at him. But now that he was on the ground and couldn’t move as well, he could only watch as the arrow hit his upper leg, pinning him onto the bridge.

While the goblin leader screamed in pain and tried to pull out the arrow so he could try to escape. The second-best spear wielder tried to move towards his leader to help him but got an arrow through he’s chest for his trouble.

Rich Dirt was holding his last arrow. He steadied his aim and shot it at the goblin leader. Without hesitation, sinking it into his chest. As he stood there alone in the tower he built, he quickly realized every enemy was either dead or dying.

“Why”. He yelled at the top of his voice. “This was supposed to be my heaven, not another battlefield”. He continues to yell without thinking, tears running down his face. Cursing anyone and anything that he could.

As much as he pretended that this was real life, in the back of his head he had believed that this was a reward for his life on earth. His perfect dream. Living in a fantasy world, being able to just build and farm. His perfect world.

His voice soon started to give, and he slumped down, exhausted, staring out into the horizon with hazy eyes. But there was another pair of eyes that was neither dead nor dying.

Sitting in a bush watching it all happen was a lone goblin. At first, when the man started to scream, he thought it was a scream of victory, but soon figured out he was screaming at someone.

The goblin almost ran right there, thinking the man knew he was there. But before he ran, he saw the tears. Listening a little more, he got an idea of what the man was yelling.

While only knowing a few words in the human speech, he understands enough to get that the man was cursing things that could snuff out his life in a moment.

Waiting to see how the man would be struck down, nothing happened. Eventually, the man slumped down, and the spell was broken. He finally starts to examine and process all that had happened.

From the beginning, he realized this human was dangerous. He was good at noticing small things and the man moved the same way the adventurers did that killed the last horde leader.

He needed to leave before the human became vigilant again. Soon the goblin scout moved towards the camp to report that only he was still alive. As he moved through the forest, other thoughts started to run through his head.

Legends of goblins that gained a class, his favourite story. For any other goblin, a stupid fairy tale. He burned with the desire to do anything to get the same power as he saw within those adventurers that killed the last goblin horde leader of this forest.