Chapter 4 : Goblin Slayer

"Huff huff, ah ahh…"

I walk alone across a battlefield, the wind brushing against my skin, my footsteps echoing in the vast expanse. With every stride, shockwaves ripple beneath my feet, and each movement of my hands distorts the air, warping space and time. I am alone, terribly alone, with no one by my side. Yet, at my feet, the ground is strewn with countless bodies, sprawled like shadows scattered by the wind.

In the distance, I can make out a mass of beings with human semblance, thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands. They blend into one another, their features becoming blurry with distance. But I need not dwell on them. They are about six hundred meters away, a distance I can cover in an instant. I anchor my feet to the ground, and with a breath, I launch forward, shattering the sound barrier.

The shockwave distorts the landscape, and as I approach the humanoid army, time seems to stand still. A tear trickles gently down my forehead. Then, with sword in hand, I strike. In a single blow, everything disappears. In the sky, I fleetingly see shapes rising, vanishing like dreams carried away by the wind. It is both terrifying and sublime.

I plunge my sword into the earth, and in the reflection of the blade, I see my own body. Strange, this body—it is mine, the one I know so well.

Suddenly, I wake up.

"Wow…" I startle awake, a cold sweat running down my body. Last night, we had tried to sleep, but it was a bit too complicated; I had left the bed to sleep on the floor because today we're setting out on a quest. This dream was truly strange, but for now, I must focus on the present. I rise from the floor of the inn room where I had been sleeping. Elvaria is still on the bed, looking as though she managed to sleep after I had left the bed. But how to approach her? She did try to kiss me last night after all…

"Mama… isn't weak… she's a true heroine… it's because of the people from the other world…" Huh? What is she saying? She seems to be talking in her sleep, once again mentioning one of her parents. Who is she really? I'll ask her during our quest.

After that, events quickly unfolded. Elvaria woke up, asked me to help her dress, which I refused, as that was going too far. Then, I went downstairs to have breakfast, which was included with the inn room. I was eating at one of the many wooden tables on the first floor of the inn, waiting for my adventure partner to come down so we could leave. Outside, the sun was still rising, and the morning breeze could be felt inside the tavern, thanks to the fact that it was built entirely of old wood.

"Aley, I'm r-ready, let's go," she says, blushing. She's probably still thinking about the events of last night, but, honestly, so am I.

Right now, we're outside, walking through the streets of the capital of Iveralmn. We're heading towards the guild, planning to accept our first quest as rank E adventurers. Elvaria knows a lot about adventurers but has never actually taken on a quest herself, making her even more mysterious. Last night, she looked desperate; I need to know more.

Hurrying so that we have enough easy quests to complete, we entered the guild, found a rank D quest that would allow us to rank up if completed in under 2 hours.

But.. now, it has been an hour since we accepted the quest and have been walking toward the forest in which it's supposed to take place.

"Aley, do you understand our objective?" she asks for the tenth time, looking worried. She clearly fears that something might happen to me.

"Yes, yes, I know—" but she interrupts me to explain it once more.

"We're going to hunt goblins. They're vile creatures. I learned swordsmanship from my mother, so I can defend myself. Y-you're also quite strong, so it should go well." I sigh, but barely have I sighed before she starts explaining something else.

"By the way, what kind of training did you undergo to gain such strength?" Ah… I wish I knew myself. It's strange, very strange. Well, let's just give her a random bluff.

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"It's ju—" What? I can't speak. "Actually, it's—" I can no longer form sentences, I'm losing control of my body. Due to my difficulty in responding, Elvaria decides to speak.

"It's okay if you're having trouble telling me now. I hope you can confide in me later."

Suddenly, control of my body returns. What just happened? It's strange, far too strange. I don't understand.

"Thank you, Elvaria." At these words, she resumes her usual innocent smile and winks at me to show that it's not such a big deal.

After a few more minutes of walking, we finally arrive at the forest where the goblin quest is supposed to take place. Unfortunately, it seems we won't be promoted, as the journey took a full hour. We won't finish the quest in two hours.

The forest is vast and difficult to traverse. It feels like it harbors hostile creatures; the vegetation is dense and pervasive. I have the sensation that if I let my guard down, I'll be attacked. Behind me is Elvaria, her face showing unwavering determination but also a great deal of stress. She must be scared. In that case, I will give her courage.

“Elvaria, draw your sword. If you're in danger, I'll run to help, I promise. So, stay alert,” I say. But honestly, even though I'm telling her this, I'm the one who’s most at risk here. I’ve never fought monsters before. Suddenly, a voice resonates in my head, causing me great discomfort.

— First lock, access granted. Unlocking first function: Quick Step.

What? What is happening?

“Aley, are you okay?” Elvaria calls out, running towards me with a worried expression. Her red hair flutters with the wind, and her emerald eyes remind me of the sincerity she’s always shown me.

“It’s okay, thank you.” No sooner had I said these words than I heard noises behind me. It’s a mini-army of ten goblins!

“Elvaria, get ready, they’re coming!” She draws her sword and raises it in front of her, ready to attack. As for me, I prepare my fists. Earlier, when we picked up the quest, the receptionist assured me that I didn't need a weapon given my raw strength, but I’m still afraid of fighting barehanded. With the money from this quest, I'll buy a sword.

"Aley, I’ll strike first!” She charges at one of the goblins, who narrowly dodges her attack and falls to the ground. Another goblin approaches Elvaria, brandishing a wooden bat that it’s about to use for an attack. She narrowly evades it. I didn’t expect this; these goblins are human-sized. Some are even wearing armor. I see six goblins armed with wooden bats and four with iron swords.

“Elvaria, take care of the wooden bats; I'll tackle those with lethal weapons.” She slightly turns her head towards me and nods.

“Understood, I trust you, partner!” she shouts, her excitement from the battle evident.

I charge at a goblin armed with a weapon, stopping just in time to slide on the ground and deliver a punch to its face. It’s violently thrown against a tree and crashes down. My strength is clearly extraordinary.

Another armed goblin tries to avenge its comrade by attacking me from behind. It attempts a thrust to my back, but strangely, I can sense it, allowing me to dodge at the last moment. I swiftly move behind the goblin and deliver a powerful kick, sending it crashing to the ground. It slides several meters before coming to a halt. The remaining two goblins, terrified by my power, try to flee, but it’s too late for them. I rush towards them with lightning speed. Unconsciously muttering the words “Quick Step,” I propel myself directly at them. I struggle to stop due to the abnormal speed, but I manage to. As I pass by them, the goblins’ expressions reflect utter despair, and they were right. Two more punches later, and I’ve finished my part.

I take a moment to watch Elvaria fight. She has already taken down 5 of the 6 goblins armed with wooden bats. With a swift strike to the throat, she takes down the last one, completing our quest.

Then, an idea crosses my mind. What if I used “Quick Step” continuously until we reached the city? Would it be possible to return in time?

“Aley, I’m done.”

“Good job, Elvaria. I actually have an idea.”

“An idea? It makes me think we won’t get promoted, which is a shame.”

“Actually, my idea is about this promotion issue.”

“What do you mean?” Elvaria had barely spoken these words when I use “Quick Step” to move behind her, then lift her like a princess in my arms. Her red hair brushes against my skin, and her expression clearly shows surprise.

“What are you doing, A-Aley?” She’s all flustered, which is cute.

“We’ll get back to the capital in time. Trust me,” I say with a smirk. I can’t help but admire her; she’s all red, her mouth agape in sudden surprise. It’s adorable.

“Get back in time, how—” I use “Quick Step,” and suddenly, I move at lightning speed. I use the skill at regular intervals to move faster and faster.

“I-I’m scared, A-Aley!” Her face is tearful due to the speed of my steps. She has wrapped her arms around my neck to avoid falling. Indeed, being carried like a princess by someone moving at lightning speed must be terrifying.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.” At my words, she blushes and smiles brightly, looking all cute. Her earlier fear has completely disappeared.

Finally, we reach the capital in 6 minutes and the guild in 7 minutes. It’s time for our promotion.