Amara was clearly perturbed, her breaths ragged and labored as fatigue weighed heavily on her. With each exhale, wisps of hot air escaped her lips, mirroring the waning strength of her magical barrier. Finally, like a flickering mana crystal lamp on the verge of extinguishing, her barrier faltered and dissipated into nothingness.
Like a pair of gophers, the bandits cocked their heads excitedly. Sensing their opportunity, they abandoned their mundane game of cards and turned their attention to the vulnerable prey before them.
A perverse grin spread across their faces as they eagerly advanced towards the cornered lamb, their anticipation palpable as they prepared to indulge in something far more thrilling than their previous pastime.
“Kekeke,” one of them chuckled darkly. “Your resistance was admirable, but you only delayed the inevitable.”
The other man licked his lips, his gaze trailing over her exhausted form, slick with sweat. “You religious types are so wasteful,” he accused, throwing himself on top of her like a bloated toad. “How can you bear to go through life without making use of the wonderful body that your god so graciously gave you?”
“But don’t worry,” the other man encouraged with a twisted smile. “We’ll play our part and give your pipes a good cleaning. Proper maintenance is long overdue, right? Keke!”
“The boss’s meat sword is so massive he’ll never suspect you’ve already been used,” reassured the other man, more to himself than the healer. “After all the waiting you put us through, you better be tight as shit.”
“Hey, wait a minute,” demanded the other bandit. “Who the hell died and made you king, huh? Why do you get to go first? Let’s measure cocks; the smaller one gets to go first,” he argued confidently.
The other man cringed at the bizarre suggestion. “What the hell? That’s creepy as fuck! Just flip a coin, you weird bastard!”
The man looked a bit disappointed, but he conceded to the idea and fished a copper coin from his pocket. “Then here goes,” he remarked, flicking the metal into the air. “And no take-backsies!”
Before the coin could complete its descent into the man’s waiting hand, a boot from behind found its mark in that vulnerable spot between his legs.”
“Hic!”
A high-pitched squeal escaped his lips as he doubled over, crumpling to the ground in agony. Standing behind him was a youth with silver hair and stern butterscotch eyes, his expression unfriendly.
DING!
[Seeds of Ruin]
[Quest Difficulty: C
A Goblin Shaman—an anomalous monster driven by an insatiable thirst for power and control has somehow obtained the forbidden knowledge of an esoteric science.
For the past two years, it has commanded a formidable horde of goblins to capture highly fertile human females. These unfortunate women are then used as vessels to birth genetically superior goblin offspring. If properly indoctrinated, these demihumans possess the potential to unleash untold havoc upon the world.
Clear Conditions: A new victim has recently been procured to conceive another child. Your task is to neutralize the Goblin Shaman and its horde, freeing the prisoners before any further harm can be inflicted.
Rewards:
▪︎ EXP +15,000
▪︎ Runetablet
▪︎ 90 Gold
Quest Failure:
Stolen novel; please report.
▪︎ Prolonged suffering of the prisoners
▪︎ Emergence of a formidable new species
▪︎ Rise of a Goblin King]
“You little shit!” yelled the other bandit as he rose to his feet and brandished his weapon. “Who the hell do you think you are, huh?!”
“RAWR!”
Before the bastard could charge in, Zephyr lunged at his unprotected groin, sinking his sharp teeth mercilessly into the tender flesh.
“M-My genitals!” he whimpered in a high-pitched voice, his arms raised as if pleading with the gods of hedonism to take pity on him.
“Who the hell ever uses the word genitals anymore?” Daisuke scoffed.
As Zephyr continued to thrash his head from side to side like a rabid beast, the man’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted, his soul seemingly departing through his gaping mouth to heaven.
“Can you manage?” Daisuke inquired calmly, extending his hand to the distressed healer.
Knowing that time was of the essence, the girl bit her lip and summoned her courage. Wiping away her tears, she took his supportive hand and did her best to find equilibrium on unsteady feet.
Amara observed her savior’s youthful appearance and briefly questioned his reliability, but she had no other option but to rely on him. Every moment counted for her companions’ survival.
“Please, help my friends!” she implored, desperation evident in her voice.
***
Death permeated the chamber like a tangible presence, mingling with the sickening stench of blood that hung heavy in the air. The trembling toddlers sought solace in the arms of their terrified mothers. The explosive exchange between the goblins and the bandits had ceased—now desperate cries and clashing steel were replaced by the grisly sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh.
The goblins reveled in their victory, their joy palpable as they feasted on the flesh of their fallen foes in glorious abandon. For them, the transition from battle to feast was a euphoric crescendo, a heady cocktail of triumph and indulgence.
Morgana and Gloria watched the gruesome spectacle unfold with trembling eyes, unaware that the nightmare had only just begun. Without warning, the mastermind behind the bloodbath emerged before them, casting a sinister shadow over the carnage.
“…I’m sorry,” Gloria whispered repentantly as she lowered her head and cautiously backed away.
Morgana, caught off guard by the woman’s sudden retreat, stumbled and fell before she could maintain her balance. In that moment, for the very first time, she witnessed a chilling transformation in the goblin’s demeanor. Its previously indifferent expression gave way to a disturbingly eager lust, its eyes alight with excitement and its grotesque tongue snaking out between rows of jagged teeth.
A chill ran down Morgana’s spine as the creature seized her hair, its grip rough and unforgiving. With callous disregard for her well-being, it began dragging her across the uneven ground toward the newly erected tent.
Morgana squirmed and twisted in a futile attempt to break free from the goblin’s monstrous grip. She briefly entertained the idea of cutting her hair to escape its clutches, but all her weapons had been seized—even her concealed daggers were effectively snuffed out.
Just as the monster was about to disappear into the shadows of the tent—
SWISHH!
A throwing dagger struck its back with pinpoint accuracy. With a snarl of pain, the goblin flung its prize aside like a discarded toy.
“Oomph!” Morgana grunted as she collided with the unforgiving ground.
The goblin, infuriated by the attack, tore the dagger from its back with a growl of rage. Discarding the bloody weapon, it turned to confront its unseen assailant with malevolent intent.
As its beady eyes darted around the cavern with alarming urgency, Morgana lunged for the dagger before her mind could form a coherent thought. She drove it into the bastard’s thigh and twisted it mercilessly.
“Kiiiieeehhhk!”
The creature howled in agony, retaliating with a swift backhand that sent Morgana sprawling to the ground. With a scowl, the goblin retrieved the blade, its gaze shifting from the blood-stained edge to the defiant woman before it.
For a fleeting moment, it contemplated ending her life then and there, but the creature knew better than to waste such a valuable resource. It was already bad enough that it had lost a perfectly good female to the uncivilized whims of its kin. And now with the guild’s efforts focused on training younger recruits, acquiring more hosts would prove increasingly difficult.
With a grunt, the goblin hurled the dagger even farther away, hoping to rid itself of the pesky threat. But this time, it wasn’t Morgana who retaliated, but Gloria. Summoning every ounce of her strength, she barreled herself into the goblin like a raging minitaur, sending the creature hurtling off the ledge and into the ranks of its kin below.
“Gehh.”
A lone goblin let out a sigh of contentment as it raised its head from the gaping abdomen of a fallen bandit. Now that its face wasn’t buried in the entrails of its hearty meal, it sensed a peculiar scent in the air.
Like a Bearhound, the creature cocked its head and sniffed around inquisitively. Slowly, cautiously, it followed the trail to a suspicious mound nearby. The moment it was within arm’s reach—
SWISHH!
It found its vision inverted and stubbornly refusing to right itself. A heartbeat later, a final breath before its demise, the creature realized it had been beheaded.
Daisuke emerged from the shadows in the next beat, shedding the cloak of goblin corpses that had masked his scent and camouflaged his approach, his blade gleaming in the dim light of the cavern.