Like a slugger aiming for a homerun, Sato swung the wooden branch he held with both hands and smashed it against the fleeing deer's front legs. Although hitting his mark, Sato felt that his blow was lacking in a way; it needed more heft. The absence of the familiar sound of bones snapping into two made this evident.

Sato had aimed to main, but despite his shortcomings, he couldn't help but laugh as his prey bellowed in pain; his impish nature was showing. However, Sato's little celebration was short-lived as he was soon knocked to the ground by the crashing deer. Its weight pressed against Sato's body, being too heavy for him to push off. The best solution he could think off given his situation was forcing it to get off him.

[b][color=6d742b]"Stupid deer!"[/color][/b] He scowled and roared in annoyance as he tried his best to catch his breath. With the veins on his arms bulging and his muscles tensed, he dug his fingers as deep into the deer's flesh as he could before going in for a bite. As thick as it's hide was, Sato continued to drive his teeth into the deer's neck.

It was strange. 

Over the course of what was almost two weeks, Sato had convinced himself of the reality he was in. He knew not the exact means of how it happened, but he was certain that he had died and was brought back to life through the powers of a Demon Lord. To him, he was but a human trapped inside a monster's body; in a way, a victim of circumstance. However, based on the way he was acting, his humanity had become less apparent as the days passed. It could have been the primitive instincts if his goblin body or the surroundings he spent most of his accelerated growth in. It wasn't wrong to assume that it might have been a little bit of both. The only thing the Sato was certain of was that he needed to survive and the easiest way he could achieve this was become stronger. Whatever concerns he'd later have, he'd deal with down the road.

Exerting as much force as he could, both through his arms and jaw, Sato only managed to injure the deer further, but did little to move its massive body. Fortunately, although not called for by him, the three goblin captains intervened, getting him out of harm's way and wreaking havoc upon the defenseless deer.

In a way, they were all better versions of Sato. Taller, stronger, louder, well equipped, and better looking (this was questionable; probably one of three at best); let’s not forget that they also have actual hair. It was difficult to notice given his bland facial features and expression, but Sato was jealous of the captains for what they were. But at the same time, he respected them for the same reasons. 

They were what he could become, and along with their two leaders, what he had to surpass. Well aware of his inability to overpower them given his current strength, the best thing he could do for now was learn from them.

The first to enter the fray was the one Sato was most familiar with. It wasn't because they were particularly close though; he was just the goblin who Sato challenged and lost to the most. Standing near a foot taller than Sato and probably second in muscle bulk only to their boss was Ballz Acker, but Sato called him Burly-kun given that he was the hairiest among the goblins. The clothes he donned did little to impress Sato; what always caught his attention though, was his brutality, sheer physical strength, and the gnarled piece of wood he used to bludgeon anything and everything that got in his way. In this instance, the deer was in his way along with its ribs - and probably majority of its organs - all of which caved under the force of the goblin captain's violent swings. Sato knew that channeling such a savagery could be useful in the future, but right now, he was only capable of tapping into a fraction of his own.

Sato had the luxury of observing Ballz from a safe distance and this was due to the efforts of another of the three goblin captains. Not quite as tall as their Boss, Red, or Ballz, but definitely better looking than any of them. To be fair though, all the goblins were pretty ugly to begin with. He went by the name Ass Slashin, but Sato just called him Ike-kun. He was the calm, collected, and aloof captain that most respected more than feared. Aside from his innate coolness, the bokken-like piece of wood that he carried around was also something that caught Sato's eye. Under normal circumstances, Sato would’ve thanked Ass for pulling him out of trouble. However, the situation they were in just happened to fall into a something that Sato could consider unusual. Although he has spoken to each of the captains individually, this was the first time he saw them up close during a hunt. If Ballz was known for his strength, and Ass for his cunning, Say-Bah, the third captain, was known to his fortitude. Hearing about how tough Say-Bah was and witnessing it firsthand were two different things. Wailing horns welcomed him as Say-Bah made his presence known. Any other goblin would’ve died in an instant after receiving the full brunt of an attack by a Bowhorn Deer but Say-Bah wasn’t your typical goblin. Although covered near head to toe with some form of armor, what one wore could only do so much to protect oneself from damage. Say-Bah, despite the blow he was just dealt, merely shrugged it off before letting out a loud cry and driving is wooden sword into the deer’s eye. 

After the massacre that had taken place, it was obvious that the number of carcasses that was left behind amounted to more than a day’s worth of hunting. Rallied by their boss, Lansa, the entire tribe jeered and cheered at the thought of eating the night away. While everyone else was absorbed in the excitement, Sato was left under the watchful gaze of Say-Bah. They were tasked to heave the slain deer back to their elders in preparation for their upcoming feast. Luckily, menial labor was one thing Sato excelled in; having it being food-related was just another bonus. 

As he was about to attempt to drag the Bowhorn Deer across the murky ground, an unlikely encounter had taken place. 

[b]"Oi. You's Sore-Toe, right?"[/b]

Honestly, Sato was intimidated by their leader; aside from his massive stature, he had an air of bravado to his demeanor. It wasn’t fear that he demanded, it was respect. Unfortunately, what Sato gave him in return was cluelessness in the form of a raised eyebrow and his left hand scratching the side of his head.

[b][i]”Sore Toe?”[/i][/b] He thought to himself before realizing that most goblins had really horrible and thick accents.

[b][color=6d742b]"Ah. Ya, boss. I’m Sore Toe."[/color][/b] I guess he decided to just go with it.

[b][color=6d742b]”Watcha need, boss?”[/color][/b] Sato grinned while both his hands rested atop his waist as he awaited the goblin boss’ reply.

[@Zeroth]
[HIDER=Summary][b]Post Summary:[/b] Although pushed away from actual combat, Sato got the opportunity to observe up close the three captains. Aside from their strengths, how they fought and moved, he took notice of their weapons and character as well. 

[b]Names: [/b]
[INDENT][color=6d742b]Satoshi Nakata
Sato
Sore Toe[/color][/INDENT]
[b]Specie:[/b] [color=6d742b]Goblin[/color]

[b]Level:[/b] [color=6d742b]4[/color]
[INDENT][color=6d742b]Max Stamina Increased[/color][/INDENT]
[b]Abilities:[/b]
[INDENT][color=6d742b]Use Light Equipment I (1.0):
Stronger I (1.0):
Iron Gullet I (1.0) [Past Life Skill]:
Harder (0.5):
Faster (0.5):
Smash (0.5)[/color][/INDENT]
[b]Inventory:[/b]
[INDENT][color=6d742b]Wooden Club[/color][/INDENT][/HIDER]