Leah was back to the hollow, having carried the unconscious goblin over her shoulder, all the way there. She passed through the roots and laid Ibbi down on the ground.

  She stepped back and surveyed the goblin. Its hands were bound together with some cloth Leah had found. She then moved away and sat down against a nearby root. She’d have to wait for the goblin to wake up.

  Now that she had a moment of peace, Leah checked the skill tab in her system. She looked through her abilities, noting that the proficiency percentage on her blood tendrils had increased significantly, from 0% to 7%.

  She glanced over at her other skills.

  **Active Skills**

  Blood Generation (Proficiency 9%)

  Flight (Proficiency 1%)

  **Passive Skills**

  Enhanced Senses (Proficiency 6%)

  Leah then went over to the status tab. She noticed that she had gained an attribute point from leveling up. She instantly dumped it into intelligence, bringing that up to 16. She thought she didn’t really need to bother putting points into strength or agility since she could gain those by just feeding on a live goblin.

  She sat back, staring at the unconscious goblin. Her mind wandered for a moment. What now? What was her future going to be like now? Would she just be hunting and feeding on goblins forever?

  As she stared into the dark ceiling of the hollow, the silence around her seemed to press in on her, only broken by the occasional rustle of the forest outside. Time seemed to stretch on, leaving her to her thoughts.

  The hours passed slowly as Leah waited for the goblin to regain consciousness. The stillness of the hollow only served to heighten her thoughts—thoughts about her situation and why she had been brought here.

  Eventually, a ray of light pierced the darkened hollow, the first signs of dawn creeping through the cracks in the roots above.

  Leah shifted her gaze toward the faint light, her attention snapping back to the present. She got up, and walked quietly over to the edge of the hollow, looking up at the sky.

  The pale light of dawn filtered through the trees, casting long shadows on the forest floor. Leah stood still for a moment, absorbing the chill air. At this moment, everything felt still. The weight of her situation, the strange new world she found herself in, seemed to settle on her.

  She didn’t know what was coming next or where she would go from here, but she decided that she would keep moving forward. No matter what lay ahead, she wasn’t going to stand still.

  Leah heard the goblin stirring behind her. She turned, her eyes narrowing as the goblin slowly began to regain consciousness.

  She walked over to it and crouched down in front of it. The goblin groggily blinked its eyes, struggling to focus as Leah's shadow loomed over it. Its hands were still bound tightly, and its gaze darted around the hollow before settling on her.

  "Ibbi, was it?" Leah asked.

  The goblin’s eyes widened as it tried to sit up.

  "How can you speak?"

  Leah raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

  "Your kind, you blood fairies. You are mindless creatures. Why do you speak," Ibbi then looked at what Leah was wearing. "And why do you wear clothes?"

  Leah tilted her head slightly, considering the goblin’s words. "I speak because I’m smart. And I wear clothes because I choose to. That’s all there is to it."

  The goblin stared at her, clearly confused, as if her answers didn’t make sense to it.

  Leah shifted her weight, getting to her feet. "Ibbi, I brought you here because I have some questions that I want to ask you."

  Ibbi blinked a few times, still groggy. The goblin pulled at the bindings on its wrists but quickly realized it wasn’t getting free. It looked back up at Leah, eyes cautious but not panicked.

  "You… will not eat me?" the goblin asked hesitantly.

  Leah crossed her arms. "No. Not yet, anyway. That depends on you."

  Ibbi seemed to relax slightly, though its eyes remained wary.

  "I want to know more about this place," Leah asked. "Are you goblins the only ones around here? Or are there other creatures in this forest?"

  "There are others. Many others. The orcs, ogres, wolves, and other creatures. They all live in this big forest. But us goblins," a smile crept up on Ibbi's face. "We have conquered the mountains!"

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  Leah noted the pride in Ibbi’s voice. Conquered the mountains? That suggested an organized society, possibly even a civilization.

  "How many of you are there?" she asked.

  Ibbi puffed out her chest. "Many. Thousands, maybe more! We have clans all over the land, from the deep caves to the high peaks. We are strong!"

  Leah absorbed the information. If the goblins were that numerous and organized, then hunting them endlessly wasn't going to be sustainable. Eventually, she'd draw too much attention.

  "Hey," Ibbi said. "Can I have a taste of your blood?"

  "Huh?" Leah raised an eyebrow, her gaze sharp. "Why?"

  Ibbi licked her lips. “I hear blood fairies have tasty blood. Blood that can also make you stronger, faster... more powerful. I want to try."

  Leah's eyes narrowed, and she took a step back. The idea was unsettling, but if all the goblin wanted was to have a taste of her blood, then she could turn this into an advantage for her.

  "Let’s make this a deal then. What can you offer me in exchange for a taste of my blood?" Leah asked, her voice low and calculating.

  "I... I can give you information," Ibbi offered, her voice tentative. "I can show you where we live."

  Leah studied the goblin for a moment, considering the offer. She wasn’t sure how much information it could really provide, but it might be useful.

  "Fine, I’ll give you a drop," Leah said, as she held out her hand. "Hold your mouth open."

  Ibbi's jaw loosed and opened, revealing sharp teeth.

  Leah used her skill, blood generation, to control a small amount of her blood, shaping it into a drop that floated just above her fingertips. She moved her hand close to Ibbi’s mouth, and the goblin’s eyes widened in anticipation.

  The drop of blood hovered for a moment before slipping into its open mouth. Ibbi immediately shuddered, as if something powerful had just coursed through her. A slow grin spread across her face.

  "Ahh... so strong! So sweet!" Ibbi exclaimed, her voice now full of excitement. "I feel... I feel better. So much stronger."

  Leah watched with a cool expression as Ibbi lapped her mouth with her tongue. A moment later, Leah's eyes widened as she heard the chime of the system in her head.

  She opened the panel, and was greeted by a system notification.

  [System Message]

  'You have shared your blood for the first time.'

  'You have gained a new skill - Blood conversion.'

  'You have gained experience.'

  Leah processed the message in her system before looking back at the goblin, who was now grinning from ear to ear.

  Leah looked back at the panel and went to the skill tab to read out the description.

  **Passive Skills**

  Blood Conversion (Proficiency 0%) – Your blood allows you to convert other creatures, even fallen ones, to your side, depending on how much of your blood they consume.

  Leah glanced at the new skill, her thoughts racing. She hadn't expected that. Blood conversion. now her blood had the potential to sway others. It was something that sounded powerful to her.

  She turned her gaze back to the goblin. "Ibbi, how do you feel about me?"

  Ibbi shifted where she sat, her fingers twitching slightly as she stared at Leah. Her usual sharp grin was absent, replaced by a thoughtful frown, as if she were struggling to put something into words.

  "I don’t know why," Ibbi muttered, ears twitching. "But… I feel like I should help you."

  Leah, who had been watching the goblin closely, raised an eyebrow. A slow smirk curled at her lips. "Oh?" she murmured, tilting her head slightly. "Then do you want some more?"

  Ibbi's eyes widened for a moment before a greedy grin spread across her face. She nodded quickly, almost hungrily. "Yes," she said, her voice eager. "I want more."

  Leah stood over Ibbi, her fingers outstretched as she hovered a drop of blood just above the goblin’s eager mouth. With each drop, Ibbi's eyes lit up more, her enthusiasm growing with each feeding.

  She took her time, offering a drop now and then, watching as the goblin's skin slowly began to redden. Ibbi's breathing became heavier, her hands still bound but twitching with energy.

  Then without warning, Ibbi's hands—once bound tightly by cloth—snapped free of their restraints. The goblin surged upward with unexpected speed, startling Leah.

  Ibbi lowered her head, dropping to one knee before Leah, her posture now respectful, almost reverent. Her now red eyes gleamed as she spoke, her voice low but clear.

  "I am yours, Master."

  Leah stood still, blinking in surprise for a moment, before a smirk tugged at her lips.

  As she processed Ibbi's unexpected submission, a sudden chime echoed in her mind. The familiar sensation of a system notification popped up in front of her, pulling her attention away from the kneeling goblin.

  She instinctively opened the panel, her gaze immediately drawn to a third tab that had appeared at the top of the screen, right next to [Status] and [Skills]. It was labeled [Legion].

  Curious, Leah went to it, and a list appeared under the tab. The first entry displayed clearly:

  Blood Goblin - 1

  Leah blinked at the sight, but the system didn’t stop there. Another notification followed closely behind.

  [System Message]

  'You have gained a new skill'

  Blood Connection (Proficiency 0%) – You are now connected to your bloodbound followers.

  She stared at the new skill for a moment. The goblin had become hers, and now it was officially marked.

  Leah's smirk deepened as she looked back at Ibbi, who still knelt before her, awaiting her next command.

  Leah crossed her arms, looking down at the kneeling goblin with an intrigued expression. She tilted her head slightly before speaking.

  "Ibbi," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Will you do anything I ask of you?"

  Ibbi looked up at her without hesitation, her eyes filled with something new—devotion.

  "Gladly, Master." she said with a sharp-toothed grin.

  "Then stand up."

  Ibbi obeyed immediately, pushing herself to her feet in a swift motion, her posture straight and attentive.

  Leah studied Ibbi for a moment, her gaze thoughtful.

  "Follow me," Leah said, turning toward the exit of the hollow. "I want to find the place where the goblins are."

  Ibbi nodded without question, stepping in line behind her.

  ***

  Leah and Ibbi sprinted through the dense forest, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the snow.

  Once they passed the spot where Leah had ambushed Ibbi, the goblin took the lead, moving with ease. They ran for what felt like hours, the landscape shifting from dense forest to open space.

  As they approached the edge. Leah slowed to a stop, her eyes scanning the open expanse before her.

  Below them stretched a vast ice plain, endless and gleaming beneath the pale sky. But what caught her attention was what lay across it—hundreds of camps, scattered like ink stains on a white canvas. Fires burned dimly, figures moved between the tents, and the sheer scale of it made Leah’s eyes widen.

  She turned to Ibbi. "You really weren’t lying when you said there were many of them."

  Ibbi smirked, clearly pleased with Leah’s reaction. Then, she raised a hand and pointed far into the distance.

  Leah followed her gesture, eyes landing on a jagged mountain range jutting out from the horizon like the spikes of a crown.

  "That," Ibbi said, her voice dropping low, "is where all goblins are born. And that’s where the high chieftain lives."

  Leah's gaze stayed on the mountains. A high chieftain? This was beginning to feel much larger than she had initially thought.