Chapter 13: Goblin Extermination. Part One
Gwen, Gary, and Coal all jumped for joy! They handed over their metal plates to Alicia and she put them into something under the desk.
A few noises later and she pulled them back out. This time they were a little shinier. "Once again congrats on ranking up to rank E!" Alicia said.
After receiving their shiny new metal plates, Gwen, Gary, and Coal took back their adventurer's tags, still bubbling with excitement. With their new Rank E status, they were now eligible to participate in quests that involved combat and protection.
Korr's arrival was greeted with cheers and high-fives, adding to the already lively atmosphere of the guild room.
As he congratulated Gwen, Gary, and Coal on their new Rank E status, he promised to be their chaperone on their first combat quest and that afterward they would have full autonomy.
"Remember though that you can always ask me for help alright" - Korr says as he ruffles all of their hair.
Excited by their new rank, the Dthic party eagerly made their way over to the quest boards to browse through the multitude of available options.
However, with so many to choose from, they found it difficult to narrow down their choices.
Luckily, Korr offered to lend a hand by suggesting a quest focused on Goblin extermination.
The idea of combating an enemy sounded thrilling, and after a brief discussion, the group agreed to take on the challenge.
Goblins were a nasty bunch always wreaking havoc on weaker villages and travelers.
The quest they chose was to assist a few villages in the seemingly growing goblin issue. The group eagerly left the guild hall, heading towards the villages in question.
Excited and nervous, the Dthic party made their way toward the first of the villages in need of assistance.
This would be their first real combat since their encounter within the caravan, but they were more prepared for it now.
They had faith in their abilities, and the fact that they were fighting monsters rather than people made it easier to handle.
Walking outside the castle walls and traveling once more through the forest, the party remained vigilant yet somewhat relaxed.
The chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, and the sound of their footsteps were the only noises that broke the silence.
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It was then that Coal brought up the caravan attack they had experienced.
He mentioned how it had been tough for him to open up about it before, but how he felt more ready to talk about it now.
"It's hard to talk about, but I think it's important for me and you two to talk more about it openly." - Coal
" W-well, what is there to really talk about? It was some bandits and they wanted to rob us, we defended the caravan and sadly people died." - Gary
"Gary! They were people. People who probably had nothing else to turn to but rob others, but they were still people." - Gwen
"You guys did what you had to do. It was a fight for survival, and I know it was hard but you defended yourselves, and each other and are here because of it. Be proud that you didn't cower." - Korr
"But why didn't they use their own elemental affinities? Why did they just get hit and use weapons? No reinforcement spells, no attack spells, they just stood there and got hit. I don't get it." - Coal
"I guess you three don't really get it, but even though everyone has affinities with elements, not everyone is able to make use of them, especially not as easily as you three were able to.
Don't take your village as the norm for all villages and people. The amount of universal energy, mana, qi, aura, or whatever you want to call it is different in each person. Most people don't have the energy or capacity for it to actually be useful to them." - Korr
The conversation stopped and they walked in silence for a bit before getting to a clearing.
The sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm amber hue over the trees.
Gary was the first to break the silence, "Do you think we'll be okay on this quest? I mean, we've only fought bandits before."
Korr could see the worry in Gary's eyes and walked beside him, patting him on the back.
"Don't worry, my boy. You three are more prepared than most. Plus, I'll be there to guide you."
However, just as they were continuing on their journey, they were interrupted by a rustling in the bushes.
The group immediately turned towards the source of the disturbance, ready to face whatever enemy may be lurking there.
Slowly, a green-skinned creature the size of a child emerged from the brush.
The creature had pointy ears and pointy teeth, and its eyes glinted with malice as it glared at the group.
Coal's hand instinctually went to the sword at his side, but before they could take any action, more goblins emerged from the woods behind them.
The party tensed up, steeling themselves for the coming fight. They had trained for this moment and were ready to kill these monsters.
If they didn't get rid of them here who knows who would suffer at the hands of their evil?
There were roughly twenty goblins that had surrounded the group, and they all had a menacing look on their faces as they brandished a variety of weapons.
Most had rusty swords or broken spears, while others carried random clubs.
The majority of the creatures were melee fighters, but the group could see a few in the rear that had bows or blowguns.
The odds were not in their favor, but the party had Korr and believed that they would be fine.
As the goblins closed in on the group, their weapons at the ready and malice in their eyes, Coal, Gwen, and Gary tried to keep their composure, but fear crept into their hearts.
However, just as they were about to engage in combat, a giant rock bear materialized next to Korr. It was Porro, his contracted spirit. "Alright, Porro and I will handle most of them, don't put all your training to waste. Those bandits were definitely harder opponents than these small devils spawn." Korr said, exuding an air of confidence.
Coal took a deep breath and focused on his elemental affinity. As he did so, he felt his spirit energy rise and a warm feeling spread through his body.
Muddy his little turtle earth spirit materialized next to him. The creature had a shell the size of a small coffee table and was armed with a strong bite and powerful claws.
While not as formidable as Korr's contracted spirit, Muddy was an excellent defensive asset.