- What the... - just escaped my mouth.

- There are goblins coming from that cave - creature pointed backwards. - Kill them first, then we will talk.

I rapidly shook my head, to verify if I'm not seeing things, but apparently, I wasn't, and from the darkness came noises of an approaching horde.

- Fine. Let's talk after they are all dead.

Goblin moved out of the way, and I proceeded to slaughter the rest of them. It took few minutes. Then, like nothing just happened, the creature passed by, heading deeper inside.

- Follow me. Let's get out of sight.

I created a flame in my hand and followed.historical

- Fine, but first tell me who the hell you are.

- I'm Ki'rai. I'm the hand of Xuvi who survived the apocalypse. I've been sent to observe your people. I was reporting about your every move to my masters. I told them about the battle you survived, and they decided to send me and speak with you. The greatest warrior of your race.

I froze.

- Was it you?

- If you are asking about the attack, then the answer is no. My masters do not control your sapling. That is the doing of a being you know as The Great One. You are not working as he planned you to, so you forced his hand to show you the right path.

- The right path? To what? What the fuck does he even want?

- We do not know. The old chronicles speak of him coming to my masters and making a deal with them. He promised them a way out of the slavery under Bahumdabar's. He promised them freedom, but he lied.

The goblins stopped and turned to face me.

- He thought my masters how to damage the tree in the ancient city, Aaraam'soturi. It was supposed to make the rest of Yashasvee'mies's soldiers go and attack him, but instead, they all turned mad and started slaughtering everybody everywhere. He lied to my masters and brought an apocalypse on everybody.

- Wait, wait, wait. Start from the beginning.

- My masters used to rule over a planet, that got forgotten, but one day Yashasvee'mies returned, and singlehandedly freed his people, and enslaved the rest. He earned his strength on this planet using the sapling, that he himself grew to a tree. It was a gift from The Great One. That's all we know. Then he gifted his people the saplings and started building his legacy. They conquered many planets, many worlds.

Goblin resumed his walk, turning his back to me, but still kept talking.

- Eventually, his soldiers became so strong, that he got afraid that they might someday want to kill him, so he started a ritual. He made other Bahumdabar's babies come to the great tree in his city, and perform a ceremony, of granting them a name, but that was just an excuse to put those kids under the influence of the tree he was controlling. Eventually, there weren't any Bahumdabar's that were not under this influence. Many years later Yashasvee'mies decided to stop his expansion, and that was when my masters were approached by The Great One, who told them a way of taking down the Yashasvee'mies. Although, as I said, it was a lie.

- And your masters escaped the massacre?

- Yes. Not many of them though. They were supposed to all die, but they escaped and hid, and remained hidden for many years. Then you appeared, and they send me to watch.

- Wait. Do you know why we got summoned here?

- No. As I said before, my masters don't know what The Great One wants, but he is the one who summoned you. He set up the device, to keep bringing as many of your kind as it can support. From what I heard from your people, he probably wants you to grow your sapling into a tree. You all have been dreaming the same dream send by him.

Then it struck me. The visions of the burning city, the dreams I've been dreaming before, they all were sent by him. He was warning me, that we should focus on upgrading our device.

- He probably punished you for fighting among yourselves, instead of doing what he wants you to do. That's what my masters think.

- Your masters... What do they want from me?

- They think you might be an ally.

- We all can be your allies.

- No. Only you. If your people will start talking about my masters, he will notice, and everything will be over. It has to be only you.

- And what do your masters want me to do?

- You will get your answers when you prove yourself.

- Prove myself?

- Yes. First of all, you need to get stronger. Kill the monster that almost killed you. Then gather ten thousand crystals from the canyon.

- And what do I get from this?

- My masters will me you, and you will have an opportunity to make an alliance. They have the knowledge you lack. And do not be afraid, I'll be helping you. That's why they send me.

- Why would I even trust you? I have no idea if you are telling the truth, or not.

- As I said. I will support you. You have nothing to lose by getting stronger, don't you?

- Fine, but how will we do it?

- First of all, I'll help you with the bosses. The class points are very important for you, as I've heard.

- As you've heard?

- The saplings work in different ways, unfortunately, we know very little about them. My masters are all geniuses, inventors, yet they couldn't figure out those devices. That way they want you to help them because that's the only way of defeating The Great One.

I sighed. That thing was right. I had nothing to lose from becoming stronger, and in the process, I could gather some informations anyway.

- So what now?

- You will kill the boss in this cave, and return to your people. Tomorrow you will need to bring one of those carts you usually have.

I just went for it. Creature spawned the boss for me, and I killed it, trying to ask as many questions in the process, but I didn't gain any new answers.

After that, I headed back to the city to bring the necessary stuff for a longer hunt. Ki'rai promised to meet me by the cave.

Day came to an end with 5 107 840 points remaining on my account, and one class point.