“Halt! Who are you? Why are you here?” One of the guards, a woman, asked, her voice tense.

“I’m just a traveler, looking for succor. Surely your city does not turn away those in need?” Jonathan said, trying to sound as pathetic as possible.

“Just a traveler, my ass,” the other guard said, his voice deep. “You’re level 12. People don’t get there unless they seek out fights. I will ask you now, what is your business here?”

“Like I said, I am looking for food, water, and lodging. Perhaps some equipment as well.”

“Do you even have money?” The female guard interjected. “We’re not going to let in some wastrel who cannot contribute to our town.”

“Money? What kind of money?” This was the first time Jonathan had heard of there being money in this place.

“Leviathan Marks, what else?” The woman replied, pulling out a dark coin from her pocket. On it was a strange, tentacled creature.

“Oh. Well, I am afraid that I am lacking in that department. But,” Jonathan quickly said, as the guards seemed to lose interest, “I am quite handy in a fight. If there are any monsters that you need me to kill, I will do it.”

“Handy in a fight, he says,” the male guard snorted. “Alright, I’ll give you a chance. There is a nest of Waste Goblins nearby. Bring me the broodmother’s head, and I will let you in. Might as well let the System make it an actual quest as well. If you manage that, then you deserve whatever you get.” At those words, a dull chime rang out, and the air shimmered. A notification popped up in front of Jonathan.

You have gained a quest!

Babykiller:C

You have been tasked with killing a nest of Waste Goblins and their broodmother. Shame on you for accepting. Think of the little green monsters, their tiny claws, their sharp, blood spattered teeth… Oh, that wasn’t as endearing as I imagined it would be.

Rewards:Entry to Taran, 10 Leviathan Marks

Jonathan sighed as he read the quest description. It seemed that the System liked to make fun of those under its jurisdiction. It was clearly a sapient being, but one that was alien to him. Anything that could function on so many wavelengths at once was something that was not human. Or elf, or orc, or whatever strange fantastical races inhabited this world. Also, if Jonathan wasn't mistaken, the System had purposefully made a sad face with the quest difficulty level. Sighing, he closed the interface and nodded at the others.

“Very well. Do you need some sort of proof?”

“No, the System will handle all that,” the male guard said.

Jonathan turned around and walked away, before turning back, a wry smile on his face.

“I don’t suppose you could point me to this nest?”

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An hour later, Jonathan was standing outside of a hole in the ground. Every now and again, wafts of rancid air would come out of the hole, as if some gargantuan creature was breathing down there.

“Little green monsters, my ass,” Jonathan thought. With a sigh, he approached the hole, holding his nose closed. The hole was more than wide enough for him to enter, not that he especially wanted to. Still, there was no other way to get what he needed. The dryness in his throat and hole in his gut were all the evidence that he needed for going in. Unless he wanted to eat monsters, he needed entry to Taran.

As he descended into the hole, his feet landed in some wet, squishy substance. He was glad for the fact that there was barely any light in here. He wouldn’t have liked what he saw there. Either it was excrement, or something worse. This was yet another reason why he needed proper equipment. The smell got worse and worse the lower he went, until he could taste in his mouth, like a physical thing made out of malodorous vapors. A deep, rumbling snore could be heard coming from the base of the tunnel, and an unholy skittering noise.

A minute later, Jonathan broke into a large cavern, filled with small green creatures. He summoned a mana flame to see better, immediately wishing that he hadn't. Other than the cursory resemblance to their description, they were certainly not, as the System had claimed, endearing. The little monsters were colored a disgusting shade of moss green, and their skin was mottled with sores and open wounds. Their claws extended a few inches out from their tiny, gnarled hands, and their teeth were clearly visible from here. They were most certainly blood spattered. In the very center was a monstrously obese goblin twice the size of Jonathan, with its head tilted in slumber. When he entered, the bevy of goblins went still and looked in his direction, their eyes glinting in the light of his mana flame. A moment later, they were skittering across the ground towards him.

Jonathan snarled as the living tide of green surged towards him, and he consoled himself with the fact that at least his martial arts abilities would work on these things. He got a quick head count as they approached, noting that there were about fifteen of the creatures. They were all about half his height, but still tall enough for him to use his skills on effectively.

As the first two reached him, Jonathan reached down with both hands and stepped through the gap between them, flipping the monsters with ease. His newfound strength made the motion trivially easy. Small, delicate bones cracked as he slammed the creatures into their brethren, eliciting reedy squeaks from the creatures. Then the main bulk of the group was upon him, and he was beset from all sides by scratching claws and rending teeth. Jonathan raised his hands in front of his face to protect himself and got to work. Each punch, propelled with a strength beyond his frame, took a goblin out of the fight, either stunning them or sending them a dozen feet into the distance. All the while, the broodmother remained slumbering, unaware that her children were being murdered as she slept. Then again, murder implied the idea that these things were not just mere monsters, They certainly did not seem sapient to Jonathan. In any case, it did not matter. He had killed a person once before, and he would do so again without hesitation if it was needed.

Each application of his martial skill broke bones and tore sinews, rendering the creatures unable to fight effectively. It was a brutal means of combat, but one that Jonathan was quite adept at. He was nowhere near his limit, and the few scratches that had made it through his defense were worthless, unable to inhibit his motion. As he slowly worked through the weak monsters, one of them was sent flying towards the broodmother by an errant punch. As it landed on her ample stomach, the snoring cut off, and the creature opened one rheumy eye.

Looking up, it wailed in rage as it saw what had happened during its slumber. The creature rose to its feet, grunting with effort, and howled at Jonathan. The goblins around him chortled and ran off, hiding in the far corners of the room. Jonathan quickly analyzed the beast in front of him, and his heart fell. This would not be a pushover.

Goblin Broodmother(Elite)

Level 19

It was only two levels higher than the Alpha Prowler had been, but it was of a different build to that creature, and it seemed to have a rudimentary intelligence. He cursed the unnamed guards from the city gates for sending him on this suicide mission. They had known full well that no normal level 12 could stand against a monster of this caliber. Hell, even Jonathan would be hard pressed with this fight. The monster laughed and trundled across the ground towards him, her massive arms stretched out wide. The creature’s frame might have been covered in lard, but Jonathan knew that it likely had its fair share of strength as well. He did not want to be caught by any attack this creature could dish out.