The wind blew, the trees and bushes swayed about in harmony. The moon sit high, its dim light cutting through the dense leaves to reach the ground.
In the next moment, a green figure could be seen running. Its head covered with blood and dripping to the ground, forming red tracks.
Soon enough, another figure went by. His speed made nearby bush to swayed about, and the wind whistled.
"Gahkua!" The goblin holding a wooden bat exclaimed in fear, as though begging for mercy.
However, the figure behind it couldn't care less. Rather, he didn't understand what it tried to say.
The figure threw his red dagger at the goblin's leg. It traveled the air and embedded deep into the back of its knee.
The green creature tumbled and rolled. The youth slowed down and walked casually to the fallen creature.
On the other hand, the goblin hold its leg in pain. Then, it noticed a shade covering its body. The goblin opened its eyes to find a man with brown eyes and his long hair tied roughly into a bun. His looks were calm and unbothered. On his shoulder was a tortoise with a hat and a monocle.
"End its life before its friends come," suggested the tortoise.
Shun nodded and cut its neck. The dagger slid through its flesh and bone as though paper. Its head slide slowly to the left before plopping to the ground.
Blood burst out like a fountain and cover everything red. Shun took a step back from bathing himself in blood.
The goblin's body then fell with a heavy thud.
Shun walked closer and touched the body as he chanted, "Return to earth you shall be, but with this magic I delay."
The goblin turned to particles of white as it seeped into his body.
Opening his inventory, one might see a goblin head with x as their eyes. It's an icon for the goblin corpses he hunted. On the bottom left of the icon was a small 56.
Shun smiled slightly, 'Thankfully, with this place where mana recovery is slightly faster than in the waking world, I was able to defeat this many goblins. If not, killing them would only be harder.'
He then looked at Ladev, "How much 56 goblins worth?"
"Maybe 30B coins," replied Ladev.
B shorter for bronze.
"Thirty, huh?"
"Too little? Well, goblins are no different than pests. Normally it's a good thing fifty of them are gone, but at this time of the month. It isn't really their mating season. So they're not exactly ultra aggressive to attack human villages. Hence, demands for killing goblin isn't much."
"Really? I thought they're aggressive all year around."
"They are, but only when it's their mating season," he paused for a moment before continuing, "If you think thirty coins isn't much, you don't have to worry. All living things in this world produced Energy Stone when they're killed. It's used for everyday life.
"With this much goblins killed, I think we'll earn around twenty more bronze coins."
"But I don't see anything from their corpses."
"It must be extracted with alchemy. Only a few mastered it. If you doubt those alchemists, don't worry, the alchemist in Adventurer's Guild are trustworthy."
With only alchemist extracting the stone, they can manipulate the number. What's originally twenty Energy Stones, they can twist the story and tell you it was only five. Fortunately, the alchemist in the Adventurer's Guild was trustworthy– according to Ladev that is.
Shun couldn't help but doubt.
"I see, let's get back then. That reminds me, what can I get for fifty B?"
'I can eat a decent meal in the tavern for ten B. Surely it worth a lot.'
"You can get a decent meal and a room to stay for three days."
"That seems rather expensive."
"It's time of war. Food is getting scarce with failed harvest last month. The city's food stock is drying as day went by."
"Despite the situation you seem calm."
"I'm a tortoise."
"You don't know how far human will act if they're extremely hungry. They'd even eat rats to fill their belly, what makes you an exception?"
"That's a good point, but I'll be traveling with you."
"I never agreed to buy your necessity."
"Of course not, what I meant is as long as I'm on your shoulder. No humans should dare to lay a hand on you."
"Obviously, I still need you so I can build that temple."
They talked as they go back to the city. Soon, they've arrived.
Shun stopped in his track as an army entered the city. Horses in a battle armor, carriages dragged by an animal as huge as an elephant that walked in two legs and has tiny arms.
Just behind the animals were soldiers clad in steel armor– walking with spears and some with swords. Their march trembled the ground and formed trail of dust.
"The army has returned? But it's only been a day they just departed!" The tortoise voiced out his confusion.
Shun didn't provide much comment as he waited for the entire army to enter the city before following them.
He head to an Adventurer's Guild to exchange the corpses to money.
"What can I help you with, dear Adventurer?"
"Yeah, I'd like to exchange a few monsters to coins."
"Very well, please show me your harvests."
Shun nodded and stretched out his hand. Just before his palm, light particles gathered and condensed into corpses.
Dead bodies stacked on the desk. The clerk jolted in surprise, but her professionalism allowed her to root to the seat.
Some dead bodies on the peak even sliding down and landing to the clerk's side. She flinched slightly.
The crowd couldn't help but shifted their eyes to him. Shun could hear whispers.
'Woah that's a lot of goblins. That probably took five days.'
'Does he have some kind of grudges against goblins?'
'Good, less they are the better the world is.'
There were different opinions echoing in the hall but Shun ignored it as he said, "How much money can I get from these?"
The clerk has some trouble speaking as her gaze darted to and fro between him and the goblina.
"Yes, right, your reward." She forced herself to speak. She then get off of her chair and straighten her hand.
A blue magic circle appeared on top of her palm. The corpses then covered with a soft glow. It lasted for a few seconds.
"I've counted the number of goblins. Here is your reward, have a great day." The clerk pulled a drawer and gave Shun a bag of coins.
He accepted it with a smile and a nod.
After doing so, he went on great lengths to find a cheap room.
A sigh escaped from his mouth as he sat with legs spread out and his back lean against the chair.
"Why does finding a cheap inn hard?"
He has returned to the tavern earlier for a rest. Looking for a cheap inn for hours on end and now his legs muscle seem to twist and sore. Normally this wouldn't be a problem as he is a hunter and has a lot of stamina, but twelve hours straight of killing goblins without a rest and straight up inn hunting.
He's not human if he's not exhausted.
"What do you want to eat, Shun? I can order it for you," asked the tortoise.
Still slumped on the chair, Shun raised a thumbs up.
"How's soup with rice?"
"Anything's fine. I'm not a picky eater," he said lazily.
The tortoise called a waitress and jotted the order before walking away. A few moments later, food arrived. The waitress moved the food from the tray to the table smoothly.
Shun fixed his posture and devoured the food quietly until he noticed something.
"Is that... Pretzel?" He asked with eyes open in shock. A food from his world ended up in this place, after all.
Ladev moved his tiny leg, lifting slightly the food, "This bread? It's called Fonez around here, not sure what a pretzel is."
Shun could only groan in acknowledgement and continued eating.
Minutes has passed and only empty plates resting on the table.
"Oh, it's you two." A familiar voice approached. Looking to the left was the waitress that greet Shun earlier.
Her cream hair that is tied to a loose low twin pony tails with side swept bangs. Her eyes reminisce of a topaz.
After greeting them, she sat next to Ladev and grabbed him.
"What are you doing?" Ladev asked as he was lifted.
"Nothing." She said as she squeezed him as though he was a plushy.
"This is animal abuse!"
However, his plea akin to the wind. Shun could only watch with an awkward smile.
"I've heard you're looking for an inn." The girl looked at Shun without stopping squeezing Ladev.
"Ah, yes. I am, but how did you know?"
"Crows on the street."
Shun frowned slightly in confusion.