I was running like my life depended on it and I couldn’t wait any longer. It was finally time to begin summer break. I ran all the way from my school to my grandmothers house.

"Grandma! I'm home!"

I yelled out as I swung the door wide open, realizing Grandma's shoes were gone, maybe she went out shopping.

I walked to the living room to play some of grandmas video games but I saw that Grandma had left a video game out on the floor. I’ve never seen this one before. It had the Title 'RE:Quest'.

I picked up the case video game and wondered what this kind of game it was, I pulled out my phone and searched for the game's name but nothing came up on the web.

I wondered if should I play this without grandmas permission? Grandma always said that I can play anything that I like or that looked fun. She had let me play a game where I could commit crimes what was it called again Crime Theft Assault 6 (CTA 6).

I eventually made up my mind and decided to play the game. I picked up the case and took a close look at the case one more time. There was a sentence in quotations that said 'No Saves, No Reloading, One Life Only'.

I figured it must be one of those hard games, like the popular Felden or Ghouls-like series... It sounded difficult and cool, Let's give it a go!

I pushed the disc into the console. I always love going to Grandma's, when she buys games she always tries to buy the hard copy version of games. I feel like everything is going digital nowadays for convenience, but Grandma loves buying physical copies of video games.

"I'm home!"

I heard Grandma say as she entered the house. She must have seen my shoes next to the entrance.

"Oh Grandma, welcome back!"

Grandma made her way into the kitchen and began to put away her groceries.

"Hey kiddo!! How have you been? I heard you're going to spend some of your summer break with me".

"Yeah, Mom and Dad are out on vacation and they'll be back... um, next week maybe? Oh yeah Grandma did you decide to make a game?".

"hmm? What do you mean? I'm a gamer, not a developer".

"So you're one of those game testers then right?".

"huh? What are you on about kiddo?".

She closed the fridge and began wrapping the plastic grocery bags.

"Well it's just that you had this game called RE:Que-"

Grandma dropped the grocery bag she folded.

"Cid!"

"huh?!"

Grandma had started to run toward me, I'd never seen her run or move that fast before. A bright blue light began to shine from the side of me where the TV and console station was.

"Grandma-!"

I was sucked into the TV. More like I was being sucked into a portal that was coming out of the TV. Grandma didn't stop though, before my head was fully submerged in the TV I could see Grandma running towards me. She definitely saw the mysterious blue portal but something felt off about her, her whole demeanor changed instantly, almost as if she had become a different person for a moment.

Before I knew it I was in front of a character creation screen. I didn't have a body but I could see almost as if I were in VR creating an avatar. I was in shock and worried about Grandma.

I'm just going to pray that Grandma didn't get sucked in... No, I have to assume she also got trapped in the game and is on the same character creation screen. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I was going to try and recreate my body as best I could. Once I do I will try to find Grandma and escape this video game.

I spent about three hours to match the avatar to my appearance. I have Black hair, age 16, about 164cm, gender male, race human. It was an interesting character creator. It was good to analyze everything I could see, I tried to remember as much as I could from this character creator as well.

The number of races shocked me, the list went on and on. I couldn't stop scrolling. It said I could become an Elf, Dark Elf, Spider, Slime, or even a Vending Machine. Wait does it say Hot Spring?

It didn't say anything about magic or skills yet. Perhaps it is something that I have to learn in the game.

I took one more look at my character and it looked as close as it could to me. wait... there was a copy-body transfer button! damn it! I was so focused on making it look like me when there was a simple button. Even though I spent hours on the character creation, I clicked to copy-body transfer button with a bit of sorrow. After the character creation it let me pick a spawn point, I clicked the spawn button to send me to the starter town since it was recommended but the text changed to 'random' as soon as I pressed it.

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"What!"

I was then being sucked in by the blue portal once again. This is terrible if I don't spawn to the starter town where will I start?

***

I didn’t know where I was but my destination was to find the starter town.

I was lost in a forest after I walked off trail. I opened my status window, level 1.

The first quest was to join a guild and complete a quest at the guild. It sounded pretty simple.

I walked until I reached a random town, I wondered if this was one of the starter towns. It doesn't matter I need to level up as soon as possible and learn a magic skill or two because this world is dangerous. I went inside and asked around. I eventually ended up making my way to the public adventure's guild.

My first thought about this situation was that this was a pretty crazy experience. This is my first time in an adventure guild In real life. This was not my first choice to make but when I asked around people said It would be safer to join a merchant guild but I was definitely going to be an adventurer. There were private guilds but the requirements were too strict and didn't want a beginner like me, they said we don't need anyone with zero experience and they told me to go to the public adventures guild.

So I did, I went and signed a waiver and everything, they just measured my mana and stats and gave me a few options to pick from. I could pick a sword, wand, or dagger. I felt the safest choice was the sword, if I used a wand then I was limited by mana. Using a dagger is too close to combat for me, if the enemy had a sword they would easily have an advantage on me with reach and I was not ready to parry weapons with just a dagger. Even with a sword, I still wasn't confident with one because I'd never swung one until now but it was the best option. This place is supposed to be a starter town though, I needed the experience and money to level up and gain some abilities, skills, and points to level up.

When all the paperwork was done I went straight to the guild hall receptionist.

"I would like a quest please".

"Oh umm? A lot of the quest had been taken up, I understand you spent all day on the paperwork but the only quest left is a goblin slaying quest, and it's meant for a party of four".

"Oh, it's okay I'll be extra careful I promise. just one goblin ear right?"

"I can't... it's one goblin ear per person, it's a total of four ears, it's the rules I'm sorry. That is why four members are needed. are you sure you can handle multiple goblins and escape with four ears".

"I mean it's only two goblins, correct? That will get me four ears right?"

"No, you need four goblin ears of the same ear as proof, like four right ears, again you can go solo but I don't recommend it for your safety".

"It's fine it's goblins, and the paperwork says that I can accept and I accept this quest".

"Okay then... but wait, sir, I think someone is looking for you, does that ring a bell?

"yes, it does… but please just tell them I'll be back, I want to look cool for them please".

"Oh, umm... okay?"

I wrote my signature on the quest and went to the goblin cave.

I was pretty excited about my first quest, I honeI do not want to make her worry so I'll level up quickly and head back, when I make it back with powerful magic and a skill or two, then she won't be worried, I'll show her that I can protect her on our adventure, I'll become a hero and beat the demon lord.

I started to approach the goblin cave quietly. The sun will go down in about two hours, so I should get in and get out before it gets too dark.

I pulled out my sword and slowly made my way in front of the goblin cave. I was walking towards the cave but when I took the first step into the cave I stepped on a trip wire. some rocks tumbled and the sounds echoed down the cave, I jumped back, and quickly took a turn to take cover next to the entrance.

Embarassing, that was to close, if that were a booby trap I could've been done for. Luckily goblins are dumb they could've used a normal trap instead of an alarm. It was most likely an alarm type of booby trap. It's better to go back empty-handed to see another day. The trap was really loud so I better escape while no goblins are outside yet. I slowly backed up but then I felt a sharp pain in my throat.

I started to cough out blood, my eyes began to stream blood down them. My throat was sliced. There was a goblin that snuck up on me from outside the cave and assassinated me. I was so distracted by what was inside the cave that I became blind to my surroundings, I'm such a fool, sorry it looks like I can't come back Gr- Gra... hmm? I feel tired. maybe I'll sleep for just a bit...

A blue text box appeared before my eyes.

[Leveled Up] Level 2

[Quest Completed] Kill A Human

[Bonus Points] Undetected

[Bonus Points] One Hit One Kill

[Skill Learned] Precise Strike Level 1

[Skill Owned] Booby Trap Level 1

[New Item] Iron Sword Equipped

The feeling and the sight of killing someone with my bare hands made me sick to my stomach. I fell to my knees and vomited at this sight. This was my second time killing something humanoid but killing doesn't become any easier, does it?

"ah! Would you look at that, the new gobby is a smart one, I knew's it"

"shut yer trap, he's the leader now!"

a horde of goblins started to come out of the cave.

"I wonder why the boss can't kill without hurlin'"

"It's because he's a kind boss he will lead us to a better future I'm sure!"

Upon being brought to this game world of RE:Quest the system forced me to pick random. At first, I thought It was a random spawn, but when I saw the color of my skin and my short height. I realized I had become a goblin. I saved the goblins from being enslaved and became the leader. I almost died, because the leader was a bugbear but the system would not allow me to level up until I killed a human. It was locked like I was stuck in a tutorial. Stupid video game rules screwed me over, I killed a mini-boss for nothing.

I've been taking care of them ever since I became the leader, with my booby trap skill it was very efficient in hunting. It's been a few weeks but I got lost by trying to survive and helping the goblins.

I slowly regained my composure. I stood up and faced the horde of Goblins and Goblinas. I was surprised at the genders myself, I didn't expect there to be female Goblins, I always figured they were all male and had to reproduce through other means.

"Listen! This is the first and last human we’ll kill, I don't like killing. I don't like killing things in general".

I had to make a hard line that I didn't want to cross, I don't want to kill anymore. I've been in command for a while now but I hope they trust me enough and will just believe in me. Killing things is taxing on my mental health it really is not for me. I thought it would feel like a game but it felt too real and killing a human didn't help my mental health either. I have to make it to the town and progress on the main quest but more importantly, to make sure Grandma is not stuck in this game with me. If she's here she's probably waiting for me at the starter town.

The goblins had heard what I had said but they didn't sound happy, it was understandable. In return, humans were like monsters to goblins. Being hunted because your race is a goblin. The goblins surprisingly have intelligence not too far off from humans. Some humans might not even be able to beat these goblins, the goblins are weak so they have to rely on strategy to make up the difference in power.

"What!"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean boss!"

an elder goblin walked up and through the goblin horde and spoke.

"If it is what our savior and master wishes then we will listen to your commands, if not I will listen".

"What if they attacks us again just like today Boss!"

"You can use your judgment to fight to survive but don't kill unnecessarily. I'm sorry but it's my selfish request."

"But Boss-"

"As you wish Master"

The elder goblin cut off the goblin.

"Please, I can't handle this boss or master nonsense, please just call me Cid"

"I can not, you must understand! Master Cid is as far as I can go but you must understand your position as the Leader of this horde".

"I Understand well in clear but-"

Slash*

Sling*

"WHAT!"

I yelled in a panic.

"Had reinforcements"

"How many"

"just one"

The goblin said one?

"Everyone to the cave!"

I yelled as the goblins began running to the cave. I grabbed the new Iron Sword I equipped and began to run toward the killing.

There was an old feeble woman with despair and sadness in her eyes, and white hair blowing with the breeze. it was none other than the person I didn't want to see here stained in blood with killer instinct eyes.

"Grandma?"

I dropped my sword but upon hearing me call her name. She dropped her blades.

"Cid?"

Her saddened eyes gleamed with the joyful eyes of the one and only Grandma I had always known before the portal incident. My Grandma from before we entered the world of this Video Game known as RE:Quest...

"Grandma... I'm glad... I made it back"

I smiled at her a bit teary-eyed, I was a bit sad that she was teleported into this video game with me but am also reassured that she was still alive and fine after being sent to this world.

Those were the words I wanted to say when I came out of the TV but it seems she's been stuck in here with me. I walked toward her, I wouldn't mind if she killed me here and now by mistake I'm just glad she fine and alive. I may be a monster in her eyes. maybe she has a quest to slay me? Again I'm just glad to find her still alive.

"Sorry, I'm late Grandma-"

"Welcome back... Cid, it must've been hard"

She hugged me before I knew it. Ah, I this warmth. but most of all this feeling I began to cry in my Grandma's arms just like how I used to.