Chapter 11 – Chomp the Raccoon & Goblin Trouble
Elric woke up to a soft pressure on his face.
"Mmm… Scaly, if this is your tail again—"
> Chomp.
He opened his eyes to see the raccoon from the System Shop sprawled over his head, its little helmet tilted sideways as it drooled on his forehead.
"You're gross," Elric muttered, flicking it off gently.
> [Beast Companion Registered: Chomp (Raccoon – ?? Type)]
[Chomp has stolen: 1 sock, 2 berries, your patience]
Elric sighed. "At least keep the berries. I need the sock."
---
Later that morning, Grandpa and Elric were patrolling the tree line beyond the river traps. Chomp waddled beside them, trying to steal fish from a basket with no stealth whatsoever.
"Elric," Grandpa whispered suddenly. "Stay low."
Elric crouched instinctively. "Trouble?"
"Look ahead."
Through the branches, five figures crept into view—small, green, with hunched backs and jagged teeth. Each held rusty blades or wooden spears.
"Goblins," Grandpa growled. "Scouts."
One of them paused and sniffed the air. Another scraped his blade across a tree bark.
"They're too far from the eastern hills," Grandpa said. "This deep in… they're looking for something."
Elric frowned. "Or someone."
The System buzzed faintly.
> [New Threat Detected: Hostile Race – Goblins]
[Tracking Movements…]
Suddenly, one of the goblins turned, locking eyes with them.
"Run!" Grandpa shouted.
The goblins shrieked and lunged, weapons raised. Chomp yelped and flung his helmet, hitting one goblin square in the nose.
"Good boy!" Elric scooped up a stick and swung wildly, buying a moment of distraction.
"Back to the village!"
---
The villagers were tense as Grandpa spoke.
"We've dealt with bandits. Beasts. Even rogue mages. But goblins? They don't raid. They invade."
Elric stood beside the elder warriors, clutching his beast companion tightly.
"If they're here already," he muttered, "what pushed them this far out?"
> [System Notification: Eastern Portal Fracture Detected.]
[New World fragments merging. Monitoring instability.]
Elric didn't know what that meant.
But he did know one thing: goblins weren't just monsters in stories anymore.
---
That night, while everyone else slept, Elric sat near the river with Chomp and Scaly curled beside him.
He opened the System Shop again, staring at the next beast pack and wondering how far he was from truly understanding this new life.
The stars blinked.
And in the distance, something screamed—high, sharp, and wrong.
Elric stood slowly.
> [Threat Level Rising. Prepare for Eastern Contact.]
---