In a strange world as a Doppelganger

Chapter 30 - Level 1

Information and concepts rush into my mind, I have no way of comprehending them as they enter but at the same time it feels natural. Even though I wouldn't be able to retell what is bestowed to me word for word, I still feel as if I know them by heart.

As I awake, in goblin form, the world seems different. My senses has shifted ever so slightly. Not enough to be able to pinpoint what but something is definitely different. Swinging over the edge of the bed with my feet and feeling the soil on the ground gives me a strange sense of comfort. The dirt is my friend, is the best way to describe it. My instincts feel almost like a tickle in the back of my head, holding out my hand and closing my eyes. A word comes to the front of my mind and it's almost as if I can see it in front of me as I whisper quietly. A small bead of a flame sit in the middle of my palm, small as that of a wax-candles'. Another word slips through my lips and instead of fire, water pours slowly as if coming from within the center of my palm and filling it to the brim.

I mad a choice and the change is breath taking. The land around me are vibrant and filled with echoes of life I had never even considered. The earth, the water and even the wind feels more alive than some of the creatures I've met thus far. Speaking of, the goblins I meet are looking at me quizzically as I exit from the hut. It takes them a second to realize it's me for some reason. When I show up by the butcher he gets a little startled.

"I barely recognized you! What happened?" he looks me up and down a few times. He's currently working on skinning the fox and I see on a tanning rack nearby is the deer hide. He gestures to a piece of polished metal nearby, an old serving platter maybe? "Have a look for yourself", as he says the words I'm already moving to pick it up. Holding it up and letting the eye adjust to its warped reflection, I see it. My skin is not fully that of my old goblin form, not a dark green like the others. There are hints of blue and what few strands of hair is on this body are all a dark navy color. Even my eyes have gone from goblin-yellow to a vibrant blue.

Standing there, gawking at my own guise, while the butcher comes up behind me. "Can't say I've ever seen any goblin like that before, what happened?" 

"I made my choice?..." I tell him as much as I'm asking myself. He nods slightly "And what did you choose? Feel free to not answer, some people prefer keeping theirs secret as much as they can" he places a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorcerer" the word feels right but a little foreign. I can't pinpoint what it means but I know it to be the truth.

"Oh? That a fact? Can't say I've met any of those before", he goes back to his bench and continues working. "I'll have your things ready in a few days, we'll be taking some of the meat as pay if that's alright with you?" I nod slowly while still focused on examining my own reflection.

After a short stroll through the little compound village the goblins have I can't help but want to test these powers and see what I'm truly capable of. Compared to just yesterday I feel much more powerful and bursting with energy and confidence. Leaving the village behind, I head into the woods. I pass by a patrol of goblins who stare at me as I pass by and as soon as they are out of sight I break from the path and enter the woods.

I can feel the surge of energy within me and the connection to the nature. I could've sworn that the grass was moving away and separating to show me the tracks of a small animal. Sorcerer huh, I think to myself. A faint breeze of memories come, from somewhere else in the depth of my mind. A sorcerer is someone who weave magic naturally and from within themselves. Though some can have magic bestowed upon them and it can manifest in various ways.

While pondering the information that has awakened within me I can see out of my periphery, a movement. Looking over there is another fox skulking about. While observing it, I get to see how it pounces on a shrew and starts tearing the thing apart, taking bites and chewing. Letting the energy reach a pinnacle in my palm I reach out and what I can only describe as a beam or ray shoots forth, the air is suddenly cooled and mist forms in the air as the ray shoots forward, striking the fox in its shoulder. Barely a yelp has time to escape the fox before ice forms over its shoulder and up towards its head.

Baffled by the events I stand there staring at the fox. A creature that seemed to be an equal to me in combat just yesterday now so far beneath me. I may have taken it by surprise but still, to take it out with a magic as simple as I can imagine and from so far away.

I walk closer and inspect the remnants. The ice doesn't penetrate deep but it did hit hard and fast. I'm not really examining it any further but I can't help standing there for a minute, just taking in the sheer difference of my own capabilities. If this was the difference created by me gaining a single level on this creature, what happens at level 2?