Kapitel 8: Muck The Goblin

Onyx was surprised by the goblin's answer. She had assumed that goblins were brutish and violent, with no interest in intellectual pursuits. But as she looked into Muck's eyes, she saw a glimmer of intelligence and curiosity that she had never seen before. Since the small goblin seemed completely harmless, she decided to trust it. "Well, I'm Onyx," she said, offering her hand. "I also come here to learn. Maybe we can learn together?"

"Of course", the creature mumbled, its eyes watering with fear. "What are you doing here, anyways ?", Onyx interrogated. Muck took a deep breath and began to speak, his eyes cast down as if he was reliving the painful memory. "I was once a low-ranking goblin in the tribe," he said, his voice low and raspy. "I served as the chief's goon. But I made a grave mistake that cost me my position." Onyx listened intently, her eyes wide with sympathy. "And the lost library? How did you end up here?" she asked. Muck shrugged. "I stumbled upon it by accident. I was wandering aimlessly through the dungeon, trying to survive and avoid other goblins, when I found a hidden passageway. I followed it and discovered this place. I've been living here ever since, trying to avoid the other monsters and stay alive."

Onyx nodded, understanding the goblin's plight. "Well, you're not alone anymore. We're in this together now, Muck," she said, offering him a small smile. Muck's eyes flickered with gratitude as he looked at Onyx. "Thank you," he said softly. "I never thought I'd find someone who would be willing to help me.

Muck then proceeded to give Onyx a tour of the place, showing her the place he slept (a dirty cupboard), and even showing her interesting books. She was very surprised to learn the frail goblin could actually perform magic spells. When her new friend was distracted, she cast the "Analyze" spell, and the results shocked her. [Muck The Goblin LVL.23] [TITLE : MASTER OF THE LOST LIBRARY]. She was very surprised to learn how powerful the goblin really was, and at first she thought she might have misread the numbers. He's level 23 ? Surely this has to be a mistake", she thought.

Muck was a small goblin, even by goblin standards, standing at only three feet tall. He had a small build with tiny shoulders and short, stubby arms. His skin was a sickly green color, almost like mold, and was covered in patches of matted fur that sprouted from his knobby knees and elbows. Muck's clothing was a mismatched assortment of scavenged materials. He wore a ragged tunic made from the scraps of an old banner, and his pants were made of a patchwork of different fabrics sewn together haphazardly. He carried a small leather bag at his side that was filled with various trinkets and bits of treasure he has found in the dungeon.

However, despite his small stature, Muck carried himself with a fierce and proud demeanor, and Onyx had learnt that in life, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. "Surely if he's this strong, he could help me to learn magic !", she thought. She still didn't know how to refill her mana reserve and thought maybe the level 23 goblin could help somehow. "Hey, Muck ?" she asked. "Do you know anything about how to refill mana ?" she inquired. Muck paused for a second before answering. "Of course Muck knows, mana refilling is the basis of magic, Onyx !", he said. "You can do three things to refill your mana. First is simply resting. If you rest for long enough, your mana will start to refill. But, I prefer the second method since it's much quicker.", he added. "What's the second method ?", Onyx asked. "Meditation", the goblin said. As you get better at it, the mana will come quicker. I can refill my whole mana pool in less than 20 minutes by meditating !", the goblin said smugly. Onyx made a mental note to try that "Meditation" technique out later.

"What's the third method ?" Onyx asked. "Mana potions", the goblin replied. It instantly gives you back your whole mana and can even permanently increase the mana pool's size.", the goblin said. "But Muck doesn't know how to make those yet", he said. "I'm sure we can figure it out together", Onyx said confidently. Before the girl had even noticed, the two of them were already friends.