Mind in a strange familiar haze between clarity and mania, Rachel smiled at the cool air that tickled the hair on the back of her neck as the sapphire and alabaster moons broke through the canopy, bathing her in contradictory energy.
Time stretched and flashed by in the blink of an eye between each action as she moved from group to group of goblin scouts; her cold pursuit through the ominous forest was liberating as the bright azure rays embraced her.
Whistling as she stalked the crying and whimpering goblins through the night, loving every agonizing, panicked twitch that came from their muscles, Rachel reveled in the hunt, losing track of time.
Yet, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t remember what she did or the goal pumping through her veins in her methodical approach. She made sure to let these creatures know she wasn’t in their forest, they were in hers, and a few had to be left alive to spread the story.
Rachel slipped through the night like a ghost, swift movements leaving a gust that whipped up leaves as she moved to less dense areas to soak in the celestial bodies’ light that cast a cold tint across the scenery.
It was as if the forest itself held its breath as she continued to explore her new abilities under the watchful gaze of the two moons. The unusual creatures dashed for their holes or brush to hide in as her whistle silenced the woods.
A small smirk lifted the corner of Rachel’s full lips as her chest shook with silent laughter; she had been leaving a trail of bodies for the goblin leader to find, welcoming him to follow the carnage to meet her and set the tone.
Two goblins scurried across the ground—the last of their troupe of five that she’d easily outpaced in a wide circle, waiting behind a tree to set the mood; if she was a myth in this world, she had to start it right.
Drawing in air, she let the same foreboding whistle penetrate the still night, waiting a few seconds to step out from behind the tree as the sweating and panting goblins tripped, falling on their faces.
This was so much fun, but it wasn’t necessarily the fear she smelled from the creatures that made her heart thump—on the contrary, the hunt itself would be boring—no, it was the challenges she placed on herself and the stage she was setting with their boss that drew her anticipation. It was the rare instance when she saw a goblin hear the whistle that foretold their deaths but chose to face her regardless instead of running.
Stepping out from behind the tree, seeing the creatures’ lives flash before their eyes as they saw her illuminated figure and glowing, red eyes.
Ceasing the sound, she tossed the horn one of the goblins had fumbled and dropped in their previous encounter, making them flinch as it hit the ground; one had lost their trousers in the whirlwind that was her assault. “Go ahead, blow it.”
It swallowed, tentatively reaching down and releasing the call, making Rachel smile. “Perfect. Now… who is going to run first—you?”
Rachel caught the neck of its friend when it dashed to the left, it wasn’t even hard, gripping the tiny, wriggling thing and lifting it off of its feet to dangle in the air; it wasn’t as if their path was random, either.
She threw it at a leafy area that didn’t reverberate in the same way as its surroundings with their footsteps; the goblin screamed as it fell through the pitfall trap, landing on spikes below.
“You tried. You’re all so… weak when alone or when you can’t lay an ambush. I guess there is a reason people in this world do find it troubling to deal with your kind, though,” she mused, letting the goblin stumble to the foggy zone that would lead back to the direction this tribe had migrated from, according to the information she’d gathered.
“I really hope your boss won’t disappoint me,” she sighed, walking to the pitfall trap to stare down at the evidence of previous use.
The goblin was still alive, gagging and rasping for help, no doubt, as it processed its death, holding onto the sharpened stick that had penetrated its gut; things died a lot slower from some wounds than some movies portrayed.
Her focus turned to the south, letting the chilling vibes of the sheens of light cast from the dual celestial objects soak through her skin, noticing a light blue and white glow emanating around her; she felt invincible, which, oddly enough, wasn’t exactly a good feeling.
He’s still not upset or in a rush… Rachel hummed to herself, following the path of the goblin champion as he moved between the areas of brutalized goblins, observing her work. Maybe I need to change my tactics… Shit.
Rachel’s mouth drew in upon hearing Anthony enter her ears’ range again; it appeared he’d handled his side of things while she tried to make this conflict with the goblin boss more appetizing, yet a sudden idea made her smile, and she instantly accelerated into a sprint. Surely, if something would get this bigger goblin motivated, it would be invading his home.
Slowing near the cave entrance, Rachel held her hands behind her back and started her whistle, daring any of the goblins nearby to challenge her; word had gotten back to the cavern regarding the slaughter, which was why the boss was on the move.
Her call was met with goblins ducking behind trees and running into the tunnels to warn the others the hare had made it home. She passed through the outer perimeter, walking past the petrified goblins that had seen her crush their friends, their blood still wet on her fists, cheeks, and front.
She bypassed all the traps, sharp eyes and ears tracking every twitch in the area; her whistle came to a stop when an arrow was shot at the back of her head from an archer in a tree. It whizzed past her neck as she tilted it to the side, half turning to stare up at the petrified creature that had thought itself completely hidden.
“Most of you are already that terrified of me, hmm?” she softly asked, standing just outside the abyss that led to deep tunnels underneath the earth.
Anthony was cautiously making his way to the area, and Rachel could understand why now that she could hear everything within the caverns below—hostages—but, for some reason, she wasn’t thrilled to go rescue them; the hero could do that.
“Boring. If all of you attacked, maybe I’d be forced to get serious, but I suppose most goblins are cowards.”
Sighing, she found no enjoyment from the throng as they all inched around her to run into the tunnel; eight goblins from the scouts she’d encountered managed to make it back to spread the news, yet not one had the brass to engage her again.
Her ears shot straight up as a shrill, much louder horn sounded a hundred meters north. It was a hidden cave entrance that appeared to be their emergency exit; they were letting all of the other goblins in the area know the home base was under attack, or maybe not, considering the goblins around the forest changed course, running uphill.
Are they retreating? Goblins really are no fun… she internally grumbled, putting her hands on her hips and turning in a slow circle to face the cave again.
Her ears drifted forward, listening intently to the chatter of snarls, whimpers, and cries that echoed through the tunnels; some of the resonances didn’t come from goblin throats but human vocal cords, and not adults.
I guess Anthony has another quest to rescue the kids… Why do they keep them alive? she coldly thought, studying the goblin’s decorations with a hint popping into her mind.
Human clothing, human skulls, elven-like strung together ears, and bony fingers piled up in purposeful piles outside like some art statement drew Rachel a vivid picture of how these creatures lived; children were likely a delicacy—even among humanoid meats—Rachel theorized, considering the twelve unique, muffled whimpers she heard deep inside.
I could go in and rescue them, but…
Her eyes rose to the clearing heavens, bright with celestial wonder; she didn’t want to leave the sapphire moon—if she did, Rachel instinctively knew she’d start questioning her actions again, and there was a time for that, but that wasn’t now.
“When did I get such a twisted soul?” she whispered to herself, chin still lifted to the sky as her eyes shifted to the left, acknowledging Anthony when he saw her through the trees; it wasn’t hard, considering her glow. I have a lot to unpack when this is over.
Anthony’s spear rested against his shoulder, bright-green irises scanning the still woods for danger or traps, which he skillfully dodged, proceeding with care, unlike her.
“Took care of the goblin ambush?”
“Uh, yeah, it wasn’t a huge deal,” he muttered, sweeping her appearance with tight lips. “Huh. Well, you look like you’ve had quite the night; I’m… guessing that isn’t actually your blood, right?”
Showing a charming smile, she held up her wrists, showing light cuts that had already congealed. “Funny story; my blood has turned white! And I’m guessing you’re here for a new quest to rescue the children?”
Anthony forced a laugh, focus drifting between the grizzly aesthetic of the goblin den and the arrow sticking into the ground near her. “Probably triggered by you… I think it’s safe to assume you’ve got everything mapped out with those big ears. So… figure things out?”
“Not entirely, answering both questions,” she shrugged, finding her arm behind her back as he approached; he kept a distance so she didn’t have to look up at him. “The cave messes with my ears a bit, but it isn’t a big deal.”
“Uh-huh.” He studied her for a few seconds, Rachel staring back, wondering what thoughts were going through his head; she was covered in goblin guts, after all—a shower would definitely be needed on their return. “You have this, eh… glint in your eyes that, heh, makes me a little nervous. I guess Mythickin are pretty beastly in the end, no matter what they look like, huh?”
“Hmm-hmm.” She pointed at the blue sphere overhead. “It’s the moon; it appears that different colors or the ones of other worlds have various effects on me—well, that’s my current theory anyway. Oh, heh, I’m still me,” she reassured, showing a toothy grin at his strained chuckle.
“You could say… I’m more me than I am otherwise—unfiltered is a good word… I’m still figuring it out, though. In any case, you’ll want to reach the kids before they get the idea of using them as shields; I’ve… kind of given them the idea that I’m not that kind of hero.”
“You don’t say,” he mumbled, eyeing her gore-stained front and arms. “I look forward to the story about your night when this is done. Any reason you’re staying out here… other than moon-bathing?”
“I have a challenger coming that has been keeping me waiting for too long,” she sighed, gesturing with her thumb behind her. “I suppose it’s my fault for trying to get him riled up; he does seem motivated to come back after that last horn, though.”
“Cool. Cool.” Anthony eased around her, keeping his guard up, which Rachel found cute. Although, she certainly was someone to keep your guard up around.
If only there were two of me, Rachel internally lamented, knowing she’d find a good fight in herself. Her focus returned to Anthony as he paused just outside the rather large cavern entrance.
“Oh, by the way, Zoe wanted me to let you know that she thinks we all share EXP, and it works from a distance—at least, however far away you were at the time.”
“Mmh. So, you two broke into level 3, as well. Good to know. Heh. Remember—”
“Watch my sword on the walls,” Anthony finished with a laugh, switching to his short sword. “Zoe watches some… weird shit.”
“I bet she does,” Rachel mused, having heard part of the story behind that comment on their travel to the caravan. “There are some warriors inside and plenty of places to lay ambushes, so… be careful.”
“Always! I hope I don’t come out to hare stew, as well.”
Rachel gave him a light glare. “Have a little faith in me.”
“Right! Right! Haha. I guess I should wish the other dude luck with how you look right now. You… good to help me with the kids when I get them out?”
“I’m not a complete monster,” Rachel huffed. “I just… like a good fight.”
“Good to hear, and some advice from the cat-girl—there may be hobgoblins here, or far stronger versions of goblins, which, I think you confirmed,” he chimed, showing her a thumbs up and flashing his teeth before heading into the depths to complete his hidden mission.
Hobgoblins? Well, we have a name.
Working out her arms and cracking her neck, Rachel checked the security of her ponytail and running shoes as her large opponent showed up; her footwear wasn’t designed for the beating she’d given them since they were a street running pair, but they should hold up.
Anticipation drew her focus to the brute of a goblin that stood even taller than Anthony, boasting muscles that made Rachel envious and curse her own misfortune; first appearances were looking up, and that wasn’t the only thing that drew her thirsty gaze.
Well-polished, light armor covered part of the red-skinned goblin’s leathery hide, and a topknot held his chocolate-colored hair in place. He held a broad sword that shimmered in the sapphire moonlight, and a pair of studded, topaz earrings adorned his pointed ears.
His large, down-turned nose crinkled as he scowled at her, pointing a finger, his gravelly tone holding a grounded ascent. “You… You are no human—beast woman. You fight for their precious gold.”
“Is that what I do?” Rachel hummed, flexing her fingers; magic existed in this world, and she wasn’t so unversed in fiction to not come to the conclusion that he could be using an enchanted weapon or items.
“I’ve never fought against someone that used a sword before… Well, I guess you could make the argument that your henchmen use swords,” she mumbled, watching the hobgoblin take up a stance that showed he was no amateur.
This… might be harder than I initially thought. This is what I want!
Bouncing up and down on her toes, Rachel shook herself out, thinking that her Muay Thai was great, but maybe she should invest in weapon training at some point—having more options was never a bad thing—she would need someone to teach her some basics, and it so happened she’d met a pretty red-haired man that could offer some help in that area.
“My future is a total mess!” she laughed, wondering if she may have been too prideful not to have put anything in her Stats or gained new Feat additions, but maybe she could put them in without entering the meditative state; she’d learn soon enough.
Time slowed as her Feats activated; she shot forward, paying close attention to every twitch the warrior made, yet alarms flooded her muscles as a light yellow glow encompassed the goblin, driving the creature forward much faster than she’d anticipated and causing after-image outlines that confused her.
Damn. He is using enchantments or some kind of ability!
Pivoting to the left to buy herself time, Rachel timed it as best she could, palms clamping down on the sword to try and bring it to a stop; her ears were carried forward in a sudden turn around that widened her eyes, seeing the grin on the goblin’s face as her feet left the soil—she was too light, no matter her strength.
Her abs tightened, pushing back against the sword so it wouldn’t reach her belly as he brought her into a full circle—her destination, a tree—he was trying to cut her clean in two.
She only let her left eye close, trying to keep the air trapped in her lungs while continuing to keep the sword away from her vulnerable gut; they came to a standstill.
The hobgoblin’s grip eased lower to apply more leverage as he held her against the tree and tried to power through—worse, her main stat was power and not strength—she couldn’t outlast him, and he rivaled her power.
Rachel forced out a laugh, nose twisting and arms beginning to shake from the effort; he really was strong, and her feet weren’t much help pressed against the trunk to keep her stable, but she did have another option since her Lunar Pool was capped.
Trying to find wiggle room, she whipped her ponytail around, managing to cause the thick bundle to slide between her struggling arms as the blade’s edge came closer and closer to her belly. She swapped grips from the sword to her illuminated, silver locks, relying on [Lunar Coat] to save her. The locks caught the edge, acting as a shield; at least her absurdly long and thick hair was somewhat useful.
Elbow swapping to her abs to apply leverage, she found purchase to kick the goblin’s chest, forcing him to stumble back from her pinned position and allowing her to slide down the bark to the damp soil.
Her sports bra made a few ripping sounds, and she felt some rough cuts with the accompanying splinters, but she quickly found her balance and drew distance from the sneering creature; upon feeling a light sting from her left side, Rachel forced a grin, using the tree as a temporary barrier.
From her wide field of view, she saw he’d managed to cut a small lock out of her hair and make a shallow wound against her side; thick, white blood oozed out of her wound. The combination of his speed enhancement and magical weapon posed a real risk, but these risky fights were always the most fun.
“Wooh… Close one,” she laughed, making sure to keep herself in view of the two lunar spheres while wishing to place points into her Speed, Quickness, and Power, yet nothing happened; it looked like it could only be done in the meditative state. “Damn… where did you get those magical items?” she asked, brandishing her resilient, glowing ponytail.
“You are tougher than most beast people I slay,” he huffed, advancing on her again. “You no last long against Mish’nig.”
“Your sword’s name?” she hummed, swallowing and calming her thumping heart; it had been ballsy to try and fight someone using a sword with her fists, and a grin brightened Rachel’s face upon recalling Zoe’s words. “Why don’t we change locations?”
Tactical retreat is not running away! she shouted to herself as she turned and dashed for the entrance of the cave, far outstripping the snarling hobgoblin that probably thought she was trying to escape, and, given her superior speed, she certainly could have, but that wasn’t her goal.
The foul stench of the goblin cave hit her like a wall as she ran, holding her side; the sticky sensation of her blood made her grimace. She couldn’t feel the pain right now, likely due to the adrenaline, or whatever equivalent her new body used, pumping through her veins, and though the cut was shallow, she’d never had the like in her life.
“You coward bunny woman; you no hide in my cave!” he roared, making Rachel’s gut twist at the thought that she was actually running away.
“Idiot!” she screamed back, turning as they came to a far more narrow cavern to face the monster, wearing a smile. “Didn’t I say I wanted a change of scenery? Listen to people when they talk,” she chuckled, holding up her illuminated hair and seeing a nearby dead goblin, slain by Anthony.
“You only make it easier for me,” the hobgoblin grunted, entering the tighter space and holding his sword in front of him to skewer her; Rachel didn’t flinch, holding her ponytail up as her defense.
All of her Stats might have taken a hit from being out of sight from the two celestial objects, but her full Lunar Pool also gave her a base multiplier to her Stats due to [Divine Lunar Surge I], which was gaining Tier EXP by the second as she kept the energy in her reservoir.
“You know, I was told using a sword in cramped places isn’t a good idea,” she chuckled, muscles snapping into action as he thrust forward; she parried at the last second, [Mental Acceleration I] giving her the breathing room to act. “Haha!”
He grunted as she pushed up, keeping the blade away from her while barreling into him, taking them both into a more open area; managing to get on top of him, she used her grappling experience to wrestle the sword out of his hands and throw it away.
Rachel winced as he grabbed her hair, but she managed to slip it out of his gloved fingers, slick with mud—at least, she hoped it was mud from the cave floor; it probably wasn’t, though—and she found a hold with leverage; a pop made her grin as she dislocated his shoulder, yet something heavy struck her in the face, popping her head back.
Seeing stars, she stumbled away, trying to gain distance and blinking; ridding herself of a few coughs, her focus cleared to find the hobgoblin stumbling to his own feet, casting his eyes around for his weapon, but it was nowhere to be seen, and Rachel didn’t even know where it had landed during the scuffle.
She sniffed, reaching up to wipe away some blood leaking out of her nose; there was a dull pressure against the area she knew well from taking a blow to the face, but she smiled as the creature straightened with a low growl.
“Bunny woman fights better than me thought, for so skinny and small.”
“Heh. Well, it would be really embarrassing if I were a bunny woman,” she shot back as the fiend forced his shoulder back into place. “Ooh! Impressive. Impressive. We going to keep this up, or are you going to run away like a coward; can you even fight without your fancy magical sword, or are all those muscles just for show?”
The hobgoblin’s nose twisted with a sneer. “Hehe. I take back my label as a coward. You wish for a brawl? I show you the strength of a hobgoblin!”
Working around her neck and preparing for the slug-fest, Rachel took several sharp breaths, flooding her system with oxygen; he was in her ring now, and she could draw him back outside for a quick victory, but that also gave him the wiggle room to find his sword. No, she had to keep his focus on her.
Her eyes narrowed, chin tucked in, and hands up to defend as the large, over two-meter-tall goblin rushed her, heavy blows seeking to make contact with her face; this wasn’t her first time dealing with someone much larger trying to use their strength and size against her.
Just moving back could cause her to trip, and it wasn’t the optimal way to handle the overconfident opponent, so she only backed two steps in an angle, giving her some breathing room and expecting the three-punch combo—smaller and more nimble—she deflected the first, second, timed the third, and jumped in from the side, sliding forward to push under his guard and land a strike right under his chin.
Head snapping back, he stumbled, flailing to knock her away, but she easily evaded the swing, gritting her teeth as she struck where his kidney should have been for her fist to meet steel.
“Tch!”
Knuckles stinging, she refused to back away while having the advantage, flipping around back to grab him by the waist, throwing him into a suplex; he grunted as he struck the stone, rolling to the side and shaking his head to recover as Rachel did the same.
Puffing out a long stream of air, having hissed out and sucked in air with each action to keep oxygen pumping to her brain, Rachel forced a laugh, shaking out her throbbing fist. “That armor is pretty tough stuff… scared to fight without it against a beast woman?”
“Ugh… You crafty animal,” he snarled, rubbing his chin and now giving her some space. “Me no fall for your tricks. Humph. You stronger than you look.”
“Is that the second time you’ve said that?” Rachel mocked. “Third time’s the charm?”
He didn’t respond, edging closer, and Rachel stepped forward to meet his cautious approach this time; he swung in a wide sweep, making her laugh inside while easily ducking to land a throat shot, preparing for a combo, yet a flash of yellow made her curse—it was a bait.
She tried to twist around the feint, but with his speed enhanced by the enchanted earrings, Rachel knew she wouldn’t make it in time; a heavyweight pounded against her side, forcing the air from her lungs. She guarded her face, yet the strike that followed sent her arms into her face, throwing her back.
Doing her best to recover, Rachel’s back struck the wall, and she dove to the left as the hobgoblin charged her, crashing against the stone; coughing and trying to get air back into her lungs, she fought past the pain, sweeping out the creature’s legs on his next advance and mounting him.
Vision tightening, she pounded his face as he tried to guard, but she wouldn’t let up; she saw another blow coming but ate it to deliver an elbow from her mounted position, splitting the goblin’s nose and sending blood into his eyes, blinding him.
“Aragh!”
“Hah-hah!”
Rachel delivered a clean strike to the temple, causing the creature’s eyes to roll back, and she coughed, shifting to slide off of him; he’d managed to get a few solid hits to her side and her face was a little numb, but she’d won—no, she hadn’t won yet.
Forcing herself up with a groan, she looked up to see Anthony standing at a distance with a dozen wide-eyed children, all dressed in rags that were probably taken from the goblins.
Rachel caught the dagger he tossed to her, seeing the smirk on his face. “How… long have you been there?”
“Long enough,” he chuckled. “Didn’t think you wanted me to get involved, but… you guys were kind of blocking the way out; I told the kids the bunny lady didn’t like help.”
“She’s not a bunny, though,” one of the eight-year-olds whispered, pointing at her ears. “Bunnies don’t have big ears like that—it’s not nice to call a beast woman the wrong name.”
“Yeah,” another boy mumbled, glaring at the hobgoblin. “Hare warriors are really sensitive about being called bunnies.”
Rachel pointed at the kids before driving the knife into the unconscious hobgoblin’s throat and leaving it to bleed out. “See?! Even kids can understand I’m not a bunny! The education system here is… ugh-ack, heh, top-notch.”
Her nose twisted as another spur of pain came to her side, and Anthony moved closer to help her up; she wanted to resist, but then she felt his muscles—why had she lost her muscle—at least she could enjoy it from others.
“You okay? Scratch that—you’re bleeding all over the place, and I think we should grab some ice when we get back.”
“I told you… I bleed white, not…”
“And you’re bleeding white,” Anthony interjected.
Rachel set her ground as he tried to pull them out of the cave. “Wait! Find the sword—and, umm… his earrings.”
“Unbelievable,” Anthony jokingly sighed, helping her to a wall before moving to the corpse of the hobgoblin. “You’re fashion shopping right now? By the way, kids in this world are freaking tough,” he mumbled, gesturing at the determined children, holding daggers, clubs, or rocks as they searched around for the sword Rachel wanted to be found.
“Seems that way… I hurt… everywhere,” she groaned, realizing it was more about her overexerted muscles than her wounds.
“Dude was tough? And… did you kill all these goblins with your bare hands?” He gave a forced chuckle upon seeing some of the damage she’d done to them. “Intense.”
“Humph. He probably could have killed me if he was smarter. It was kill or be killed; they were kidnapping kids to eat, too,” Rachel muttered, rubbing her split knuckle. “Honestly, Zoe’s the MVP; that sword comment gave me the idea to lead him here.”
Scanning the bodies, Rachel’s mouth drew in; Anthony seemed to be less freaked out about the sight, but the domestic cat might get a tad scared at her brutality. “We… probably shouldn’t tell her about all the gore, though.”
Anthony raised an eyebrow while appraising her handiwork. “Yeah, you might need to see a therapist. Haha. I’m sure she’ll squeal when she hears how much help her advice was to you.”
“Found it!” a small girl called, redirecting the topic as she grunted and reached into a crack to extract the sword.
Rachel smirked and flexed her tingling fingers.
I guess I should thank [Bringer of Misfortune] because that is BS.
Getting up, Rachel eventually allowed Anthony to carry her back to the carts; she hadn’t realized how tired she could get after such a short but intense fight, and it showed she really had overestimated herself. The moonlight helped to ease some of the throbbings, but it wasn’t a total cure.
Zoe and Anthony fussed over her wounds; Rachel didn’t see the big deal, though, since they’d mostly stopped leaking out all over the place, and the druid offered some relief, mending her more serious ones. Word spread about her via the two in-training scouts, and, to all of their shock, a hooded man revealed himself to be the prince of the kingdom to the south.
The reward for rescuing the children came in the way of a sealed letter that would allow them an audience with the king of the nation—a chain quest, as Zoe put it—and the merchants gave Anthony a keg of beer, but the true prize was what happened when they said their goodbyes.
[Level Up - Level 4]
[Lunar Pool I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Mental Acceleration I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Strategic Mind I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Lunar Cap I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Divine Lunar Surge I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Divine Beast Empowerment I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Beastial Instinct I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Bringer of Misfortune I - Advanced to D-tier]
[4 Available Skill Points]
Practically all of her Feats had gained a tier, and she’d leveled; the same was true with Anthony and Zoe, showing Quests were a very optimal way to gain EXP.
On their way off of the road, following Anthony to the exit location, Rachel hummed, looking up at the bright moons overhead; tonight certainly had been eventful, and she’d learned a lot about her transformation.
“So, Zoe, you were saying we all get experience as a group?”
“Mhm!” the cat-girl chimed, jumping forward with a gleam in her slitted eyes. “It’s actually amazing—like, for real—insanely OP! You have an EXP multiplier, Anthony has the training zone, and I have, heh, well, the power of pop culture! Or, eh, well, more isekai and fantasy culture. We’re totally an awesome team!”
“Hehe. Right.” Rachel plucked at her sports bra as they left, glad the druid managed to get the splinters out of her back. “How’s it look?”
“Uhh… not great,” the girl hissed, eyeing the big barrel Anthony carried. “So, I’ve never had alcohol—I’m, heh, underage—but… we aren’t exactly on Earth or the US, so…”
“No can do, cat-girl,” Anthony said, shooting her a sad smile. “Maybe another time, but we need to go; the penalty for not exiting after the quest is done—like soon—is not fun.”
“Oh?” Zoe asked, eyes going big. “What is it?”
“Eh… I’ll let your imagination go wild.”
“Aww! Don’t do that to me!” she groaned. “Ugh. Whatever…”
Anthony’s gaze shifted to the bundled sword in Rachel’s hands; a silk bag carrying the earrings was inside, which the merchants gave her. “You plan to use that?”
Rachel shrugged, catching Zoe’s curious eyes. “I’ve learned the importance of weapons, and adding more skills to my resume isn’t a bad thing.”
“Mmh. I don’t know if swords are your… style,” he muttered, probably thinking back to how she’d brutalized the goblins. “I’d think more of a, heh, hammer.”
“A big one!” Zoe cut in. “Yeah, that would be perfect for you; it’s like… required for, eh, long-eared protagonists in stories!”
Rachel’s chest shook with laughter at the save. “That would be pretty cool… I’m just too light, though; I’d be thrown around everywhere.”
“Oh… I didn’t think about that,” the cat mumbled, ears falling flat. “B-But fantasy weapons can make up for that, right?”
“Maybe. Let me know if you find one. Anyway, it just seemed like a waste to leave them.”
“True… Uh, so my advice totally saved you, Rachel?” she asked, face practically glowing as she turned to her. “C’mon! I want more details about the hobgoblin fight—oh, and we should do more Quests—this was amazing for levels. I’m pretty sure we’re getting close to level 5!”
“How can you tell?” Anthony asked, letting out a short grunt while putting down the barrel to slash the air with his weapon to open up a portal back to Earth.
“Just a hunch; I was doing some research in that mind space—ah! Rachel…”
The girl’s tail went stiff as she exited the portal first, and Rachel followed, dropping the bundled sword on the ground to hold up her hands; Anthony did the same once through, causing the beer in the barrel to slosh.
“What’s—huh—woah! We come in peace!” he laughed.
“Nice and easy, fellas,” one said, holding a radio to his mouth. “This is Alpha Team; we have unexpected guests from a portal in the library, requesting back-up and orders.”
Over a dozen hard, military men surrounded the library—green berets—aiming very large guns at them and wearing deadly scowls; sitting at the table they’d left was a black-haired girl, wearing a steel muzzle and staring at them with bright red eyes—they’d found themselves right inside the vampire holding area.
Thanks, [Bringer of Misfortune], Rachel internally cursed.
Mind in a strange familiar haze between clarity and mania, Rachel smiled at the cool air that tickled the hair on the back of her neck as the sapphire and alabaster moons broke through the canopy, bathing her in contradictory energy.
Time stretched and flashed by in the blink of an eye between each action as she moved from group to group of goblin scouts; her cold pursuit through the ominous forest was liberating as the bright azure rays embraced her.
Whistling as she stalked the crying and whimpering goblins through the night, loving every agonizing, panicked twitch that came from their muscles, Rachel reveled in the hunt, losing track of time.
Yet, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t remember what she did or the goal pumping through her veins in her methodical approach. She made sure to let these creatures know she wasn’t in their forest, they were in hers, and a few had to be left alive to spread the story.
Rachel slipped through the night like a ghost, swift movements leaving a gust that whipped up leaves as she moved to less dense areas to soak in the celestial bodies’ light that cast a cold tint across the scenery.
It was as if the forest itself held its breath as she continued to explore her new abilities under the watchful gaze of the two moons. The unusual creatures dashed for their holes or brush to hide in as her whistle silenced the woods.
A small smirk lifted the corner of Rachel’s full lips as her chest shook with silent laughter; she had been leaving a trail of bodies for the goblin leader to find, welcoming him to follow the carnage to meet her and set the tone.
Two goblins scurried across the ground—the last of their troupe of five that she’d easily outpaced in a wide circle, waiting behind a tree to set the mood; if she was a myth in this world, she had to start it right.
Drawing in air, she let the same foreboding whistle penetrate the still night, waiting a few seconds to step out from behind the tree as the sweating and panting goblins tripped, falling on their faces.
This was so much fun, but it wasn’t necessarily the fear she smelled from the creatures that made her heart thump—on the contrary, the hunt itself would be boring—no, it was the challenges she placed on herself and the stage she was setting with their boss that drew her anticipation. It was the rare instance when she saw a goblin hear the whistle that foretold their deaths but chose to face her regardless instead of running.
Stepping out from behind the tree, seeing the creatures’ lives flash before their eyes as they saw her illuminated figure and glowing, red eyes.
Ceasing the sound, she tossed the horn one of the goblins had fumbled and dropped in their previous encounter, making them flinch as it hit the ground; one had lost their trousers in the whirlwind that was her assault. “Go ahead, blow it.”
It swallowed, tentatively reaching down and releasing the call, making Rachel smile. “Perfect. Now… who is going to run first—you?”
Rachel caught the neck of its friend when it dashed to the left, it wasn’t even hard, gripping the tiny, wriggling thing and lifting it off of its feet to dangle in the air; it wasn’t as if their path was random, either.
She threw it at a leafy area that didn’t reverberate in the same way as its surroundings with their footsteps; the goblin screamed as it fell through the pitfall trap, landing on spikes below.
“You tried. You’re all so… weak when alone or when you can’t lay an ambush. I guess there is a reason people in this world do find it troubling to deal with your kind, though,” she mused, letting the goblin stumble to the foggy zone that would lead back to the direction this tribe had migrated from, according to the information she’d gathered.
“I really hope your boss won’t disappoint me,” she sighed, walking to the pitfall trap to stare down at the evidence of previous use.
The goblin was still alive, gagging and rasping for help, no doubt, as it processed its death, holding onto the sharpened stick that had penetrated its gut; things died a lot slower from some wounds than some movies portrayed.
Her focus turned to the south, letting the chilling vibes of the sheens of light cast from the dual celestial objects soak through her skin, noticing a light blue and white glow emanating around her; she felt invincible, which, oddly enough, wasn’t exactly a good feeling.
He’s still not upset or in a rush… Rachel hummed to herself, following the path of the goblin champion as he moved between the areas of brutalized goblins, observing her work. Maybe I need to change my tactics… Shit.
Rachel’s mouth drew in upon hearing Anthony enter her ears’ range again; it appeared he’d handled his side of things while she tried to make this conflict with the goblin boss more appetizing, yet a sudden idea made her smile, and she instantly accelerated into a sprint. Surely, if something would get this bigger goblin motivated, it would be invading his home.
Slowing near the cave entrance, Rachel held her hands behind her back and started her whistle, daring any of the goblins nearby to challenge her; word had gotten back to the cavern regarding the slaughter, which was why the boss was on the move.
Her call was met with goblins ducking behind trees and running into the tunnels to warn the others the hare had made it home. She passed through the outer perimeter, walking past the petrified goblins that had seen her crush their friends, their blood still wet on her fists, cheeks, and front.
She bypassed all the traps, sharp eyes and ears tracking every twitch in the area; her whistle came to a stop when an arrow was shot at the back of her head from an archer in a tree. It whizzed past her neck as she tilted it to the side, half turning to stare up at the petrified creature that had thought itself completely hidden.
“Most of you are already that terrified of me, hmm?” she softly asked, standing just outside the abyss that led to deep tunnels underneath the earth.
Anthony was cautiously making his way to the area, and Rachel could understand why now that she could hear everything within the caverns below—hostages—but, for some reason, she wasn’t thrilled to go rescue them; the hero could do that.
“Boring. If all of you attacked, maybe I’d be forced to get serious, but I suppose most goblins are cowards.”
Sighing, she found no enjoyment from the throng as they all inched around her to run into the tunnel; eight goblins from the scouts she’d encountered managed to make it back to spread the news, yet not one had the brass to engage her again.
Her ears shot straight up as a shrill, much louder horn sounded a hundred meters north. It was a hidden cave entrance that appeared to be their emergency exit; they were letting all of the other goblins in the area know the home base was under attack, or maybe not, considering the goblins around the forest changed course, running uphill.
Are they retreating? Goblins really are no fun… she internally grumbled, putting her hands on her hips and turning in a slow circle to face the cave again.
Her ears drifted forward, listening intently to the chatter of snarls, whimpers, and cries that echoed through the tunnels; some of the resonances didn’t come from goblin throats but human vocal cords, and not adults.
I guess Anthony has another quest to rescue the kids… Why do they keep them alive? she coldly thought, studying the goblin’s decorations with a hint popping into her mind.
Human clothing, human skulls, elven-like strung together ears, and bony fingers piled up in purposeful piles outside like some art statement drew Rachel a vivid picture of how these creatures lived; children were likely a delicacy—even among humanoid meats—Rachel theorized, considering the twelve unique, muffled whimpers she heard deep inside.
I could go in and rescue them, but…
Her eyes rose to the clearing heavens, bright with celestial wonder; she didn’t want to leave the sapphire moon—if she did, Rachel instinctively knew she’d start questioning her actions again, and there was a time for that, but that wasn’t now.
“When did I get such a twisted soul?” she whispered to herself, chin still lifted to the sky as her eyes shifted to the left, acknowledging Anthony when he saw her through the trees; it wasn’t hard, considering her glow. I have a lot to unpack when this is over.
Anthony’s spear rested against his shoulder, bright-green irises scanning the still woods for danger or traps, which he skillfully dodged, proceeding with care, unlike her.
“Took care of the goblin ambush?”
“Uh, yeah, it wasn’t a huge deal,” he muttered, sweeping her appearance with tight lips. “Huh. Well, you look like you’ve had quite the night; I’m… guessing that isn’t actually your blood, right?”
Showing a charming smile, she held up her wrists, showing light cuts that had already congealed. “Funny story; my blood has turned white! And I’m guessing you’re here for a new quest to rescue the children?”
Anthony forced a laugh, focus drifting between the grizzly aesthetic of the goblin den and the arrow sticking into the ground near her. “Probably triggered by you… I think it’s safe to assume you’ve got everything mapped out with those big ears. So… figure things out?”
“Not entirely, answering both questions,” she shrugged, finding her arm behind her back as he approached; he kept a distance so she didn’t have to look up at him. “The cave messes with my ears a bit, but it isn’t a big deal.”
“Uh-huh.” He studied her for a few seconds, Rachel staring back, wondering what thoughts were going through his head; she was covered in goblin guts, after all—a shower would definitely be needed on their return. “You have this, eh… glint in your eyes that, heh, makes me a little nervous. I guess Mythickin are pretty beastly in the end, no matter what they look like, huh?”
“Hmm-hmm.” She pointed at the blue sphere overhead. “It’s the moon; it appears that different colors or the ones of other worlds have various effects on me—well, that’s my current theory anyway. Oh, heh, I’m still me,” she reassured, showing a toothy grin at his strained chuckle.
“You could say… I’m more me than I am otherwise—unfiltered is a good word… I’m still figuring it out, though. In any case, you’ll want to reach the kids before they get the idea of using them as shields; I’ve… kind of given them the idea that I’m not that kind of hero.”
“You don’t say,” he mumbled, eyeing her gore-stained front and arms. “I look forward to the story about your night when this is done. Any reason you’re staying out here… other than moon-bathing?”
“I have a challenger coming that has been keeping me waiting for too long,” she sighed, gesturing with her thumb behind her. “I suppose it’s my fault for trying to get him riled up; he does seem motivated to come back after that last horn, though.”
“Cool. Cool.” Anthony eased around her, keeping his guard up, which Rachel found cute. Although, she certainly was someone to keep your guard up around.
If only there were two of me, Rachel internally lamented, knowing she’d find a good fight in herself. Her focus returned to Anthony as he paused just outside the rather large cavern entrance.
“Oh, by the way, Zoe wanted me to let you know that she thinks we all share EXP, and it works from a distance—at least, however far away you were at the time.”
“Mmh. So, you two broke into level 3, as well. Good to know. Heh. Remember—”
“Watch my sword on the walls,” Anthony finished with a laugh, switching to his short sword. “Zoe watches some… weird shit.”
“I bet she does,” Rachel mused, having heard part of the story behind that comment on their travel to the caravan. “There are some warriors inside and plenty of places to lay ambushes, so… be careful.”
“Always! I hope I don’t come out to hare stew, as well.”
Rachel gave him a light glare. “Have a little faith in me.”
“Right! Right! Haha. I guess I should wish the other dude luck with how you look right now. You… good to help me with the kids when I get them out?”
“I’m not a complete monster,” Rachel huffed. “I just… like a good fight.”
“Good to hear, and some advice from the cat-girl—there may be hobgoblins here, or far stronger versions of goblins, which, I think you confirmed,” he chimed, showing her a thumbs up and flashing his teeth before heading into the depths to complete his hidden mission.
Hobgoblins? Well, we have a name.
Working out her arms and cracking her neck, Rachel checked the security of her ponytail and running shoes as her large opponent showed up; her footwear wasn’t designed for the beating she’d given them since they were a street running pair, but they should hold up.
Anticipation drew her focus to the brute of a goblin that stood even taller than Anthony, boasting muscles that made Rachel envious and curse her own misfortune; first appearances were looking up, and that wasn’t the only thing that drew her thirsty gaze.
Well-polished, light armor covered part of the red-skinned goblin’s leathery hide, and a topknot held his chocolate-colored hair in place. He held a broad sword that shimmered in the sapphire moonlight, and a pair of studded, topaz earrings adorned his pointed ears.
His large, down-turned nose crinkled as he scowled at her, pointing a finger, his gravelly tone holding a grounded ascent. “You… You are no human—beast woman. You fight for their precious gold.”
“Is that what I do?” Rachel hummed, flexing her fingers; magic existed in this world, and she wasn’t so unversed in fiction to not come to the conclusion that he could be using an enchanted weapon or items.
“I’ve never fought against someone that used a sword before… Well, I guess you could make the argument that your henchmen use swords,” she mumbled, watching the hobgoblin take up a stance that showed he was no amateur.
This… might be harder than I initially thought. This is what I want!
Bouncing up and down on her toes, Rachel shook herself out, thinking that her Muay Thai was great, but maybe she should invest in weapon training at some point—having more options was never a bad thing—she would need someone to teach her some basics, and it so happened she’d met a pretty red-haired man that could offer some help in that area.
“My future is a total mess!” she laughed, wondering if she may have been too prideful not to have put anything in her Stats or gained new Feat additions, but maybe she could put them in without entering the meditative state; she’d learn soon enough.
Time slowed as her Feats activated; she shot forward, paying close attention to every twitch the warrior made, yet alarms flooded her muscles as a light yellow glow encompassed the goblin, driving the creature forward much faster than she’d anticipated and causing after-image outlines that confused her.
Damn. He is using enchantments or some kind of ability!
Pivoting to the left to buy herself time, Rachel timed it as best she could, palms clamping down on the sword to try and bring it to a stop; her ears were carried forward in a sudden turn around that widened her eyes, seeing the grin on the goblin’s face as her feet left the soil—she was too light, no matter her strength.
Her abs tightened, pushing back against the sword so it wouldn’t reach her belly as he brought her into a full circle—her destination, a tree—he was trying to cut her clean in two.
She only let her left eye close, trying to keep the air trapped in her lungs while continuing to keep the sword away from her vulnerable gut; they came to a standstill.
The hobgoblin’s grip eased lower to apply more leverage as he held her against the tree and tried to power through—worse, her main stat was power and not strength—she couldn’t outlast him, and he rivaled her power.
Rachel forced out a laugh, nose twisting and arms beginning to shake from the effort; he really was strong, and her feet weren’t much help pressed against the trunk to keep her stable, but she did have another option since her Lunar Pool was capped.
Trying to find wiggle room, she whipped her ponytail around, managing to cause the thick bundle to slide between her struggling arms as the blade’s edge came closer and closer to her belly. She swapped grips from the sword to her illuminated, silver locks, relying on [Lunar Coat] to save her. The locks caught the edge, acting as a shield; at least her absurdly long and thick hair was somewhat useful.
Elbow swapping to her abs to apply leverage, she found purchase to kick the goblin’s chest, forcing him to stumble back from her pinned position and allowing her to slide down the bark to the damp soil.
Her sports bra made a few ripping sounds, and she felt some rough cuts with the accompanying splinters, but she quickly found her balance and drew distance from the sneering creature; upon feeling a light sting from her left side, Rachel forced a grin, using the tree as a temporary barrier.
From her wide field of view, she saw he’d managed to cut a small lock out of her hair and make a shallow wound against her side; thick, white blood oozed out of her wound. The combination of his speed enhancement and magical weapon posed a real risk, but these risky fights were always the most fun.
“Wooh… Close one,” she laughed, making sure to keep herself in view of the two lunar spheres while wishing to place points into her Speed, Quickness, and Power, yet nothing happened; it looked like it could only be done in the meditative state. “Damn… where did you get those magical items?” she asked, brandishing her resilient, glowing ponytail.
“You are tougher than most beast people I slay,” he huffed, advancing on her again. “You no last long against Mish’nig.”
“Your sword’s name?” she hummed, swallowing and calming her thumping heart; it had been ballsy to try and fight someone using a sword with her fists, and a grin brightened Rachel’s face upon recalling Zoe’s words. “Why don’t we change locations?”
Tactical retreat is not running away! she shouted to herself as she turned and dashed for the entrance of the cave, far outstripping the snarling hobgoblin that probably thought she was trying to escape, and, given her superior speed, she certainly could have, but that wasn’t her goal.
The foul stench of the goblin cave hit her like a wall as she ran, holding her side; the sticky sensation of her blood made her grimace. She couldn’t feel the pain right now, likely due to the adrenaline, or whatever equivalent her new body used, pumping through her veins, and though the cut was shallow, she’d never had the like in her life.
“You coward bunny woman; you no hide in my cave!” he roared, making Rachel’s gut twist at the thought that she was actually running away.
“Idiot!” she screamed back, turning as they came to a far more narrow cavern to face the monster, wearing a smile. “Didn’t I say I wanted a change of scenery? Listen to people when they talk,” she chuckled, holding up her illuminated hair and seeing a nearby dead goblin, slain by Anthony.
“You only make it easier for me,” the hobgoblin grunted, entering the tighter space and holding his sword in front of him to skewer her; Rachel didn’t flinch, holding her ponytail up as her defense.
All of her Stats might have taken a hit from being out of sight from the two celestial objects, but her full Lunar Pool also gave her a base multiplier to her Stats due to [Divine Lunar Surge I], which was gaining Tier EXP by the second as she kept the energy in her reservoir.
“You know, I was told using a sword in cramped places isn’t a good idea,” she chuckled, muscles snapping into action as he thrust forward; she parried at the last second, [Mental Acceleration I] giving her the breathing room to act. “Haha!”
He grunted as she pushed up, keeping the blade away from her while barreling into him, taking them both into a more open area; managing to get on top of him, she used her grappling experience to wrestle the sword out of his hands and throw it away.
Rachel winced as he grabbed her hair, but she managed to slip it out of his gloved fingers, slick with mud—at least, she hoped it was mud from the cave floor; it probably wasn’t, though—and she found a hold with leverage; a pop made her grin as she dislocated his shoulder, yet something heavy struck her in the face, popping her head back.
Seeing stars, she stumbled away, trying to gain distance and blinking; ridding herself of a few coughs, her focus cleared to find the hobgoblin stumbling to his own feet, casting his eyes around for his weapon, but it was nowhere to be seen, and Rachel didn’t even know where it had landed during the scuffle.
She sniffed, reaching up to wipe away some blood leaking out of her nose; there was a dull pressure against the area she knew well from taking a blow to the face, but she smiled as the creature straightened with a low growl.
“Bunny woman fights better than me thought, for so skinny and small.”
“Heh. Well, it would be really embarrassing if I were a bunny woman,” she shot back as the fiend forced his shoulder back into place. “Ooh! Impressive. Impressive. We going to keep this up, or are you going to run away like a coward; can you even fight without your fancy magical sword, or are all those muscles just for show?”
The hobgoblin’s nose twisted with a sneer. “Hehe. I take back my label as a coward. You wish for a brawl? I show you the strength of a hobgoblin!”
Working around her neck and preparing for the slug-fest, Rachel took several sharp breaths, flooding her system with oxygen; he was in her ring now, and she could draw him back outside for a quick victory, but that also gave him the wiggle room to find his sword. No, she had to keep his focus on her.
Her eyes narrowed, chin tucked in, and hands up to defend as the large, over two-meter-tall goblin rushed her, heavy blows seeking to make contact with her face; this wasn’t her first time dealing with someone much larger trying to use their strength and size against her.
Just moving back could cause her to trip, and it wasn’t the optimal way to handle the overconfident opponent, so she only backed two steps in an angle, giving her some breathing room and expecting the three-punch combo—smaller and more nimble—she deflected the first, second, timed the third, and jumped in from the side, sliding forward to push under his guard and land a strike right under his chin.
Head snapping back, he stumbled, flailing to knock her away, but she easily evaded the swing, gritting her teeth as she struck where his kidney should have been for her fist to meet steel.
“Tch!”
Knuckles stinging, she refused to back away while having the advantage, flipping around back to grab him by the waist, throwing him into a suplex; he grunted as he struck the stone, rolling to the side and shaking his head to recover as Rachel did the same.
Puffing out a long stream of air, having hissed out and sucked in air with each action to keep oxygen pumping to her brain, Rachel forced a laugh, shaking out her throbbing fist. “That armor is pretty tough stuff… scared to fight without it against a beast woman?”
“Ugh… You crafty animal,” he snarled, rubbing his chin and now giving her some space. “Me no fall for your tricks. Humph. You stronger than you look.”
“Is that the second time you’ve said that?” Rachel mocked. “Third time’s the charm?”
He didn’t respond, edging closer, and Rachel stepped forward to meet his cautious approach this time; he swung in a wide sweep, making her laugh inside while easily ducking to land a throat shot, preparing for a combo, yet a flash of yellow made her curse—it was a bait.
She tried to twist around the feint, but with his speed enhanced by the enchanted earrings, Rachel knew she wouldn’t make it in time; a heavyweight pounded against her side, forcing the air from her lungs. She guarded her face, yet the strike that followed sent her arms into her face, throwing her back.
Doing her best to recover, Rachel’s back struck the wall, and she dove to the left as the hobgoblin charged her, crashing against the stone; coughing and trying to get air back into her lungs, she fought past the pain, sweeping out the creature’s legs on his next advance and mounting him.
Vision tightening, she pounded his face as he tried to guard, but she wouldn’t let up; she saw another blow coming but ate it to deliver an elbow from her mounted position, splitting the goblin’s nose and sending blood into his eyes, blinding him.
“Aragh!”
“Hah-hah!”
Rachel delivered a clean strike to the temple, causing the creature’s eyes to roll back, and she coughed, shifting to slide off of him; he’d managed to get a few solid hits to her side and her face was a little numb, but she’d won—no, she hadn’t won yet.
Forcing herself up with a groan, she looked up to see Anthony standing at a distance with a dozen wide-eyed children, all dressed in rags that were probably taken from the goblins.
Rachel caught the dagger he tossed to her, seeing the smirk on his face. “How… long have you been there?”
“Long enough,” he chuckled. “Didn’t think you wanted me to get involved, but… you guys were kind of blocking the way out; I told the kids the bunny lady didn’t like help.”
“She’s not a bunny, though,” one of the eight-year-olds whispered, pointing at her ears. “Bunnies don’t have big ears like that—it’s not nice to call a beast woman the wrong name.”
“Yeah,” another boy mumbled, glaring at the hobgoblin. “Hare warriors are really sensitive about being called bunnies.”
Rachel pointed at the kids before driving the knife into the unconscious hobgoblin’s throat and leaving it to bleed out. “See?! Even kids can understand I’m not a bunny! The education system here is… ugh-ack, heh, top-notch.”
Her nose twisted as another spur of pain came to her side, and Anthony moved closer to help her up; she wanted to resist, but then she felt his muscles—why had she lost her muscle—at least she could enjoy it from others.
“You okay? Scratch that—you’re bleeding all over the place, and I think we should grab some ice when we get back.”
“I told you… I bleed white, not…”
“And you’re bleeding white,” Anthony interjected.
Rachel set her ground as he tried to pull them out of the cave. “Wait! Find the sword—and, umm… his earrings.”
“Unbelievable,” Anthony jokingly sighed, helping her to a wall before moving to the corpse of the hobgoblin. “You’re fashion shopping right now? By the way, kids in this world are freaking tough,” he mumbled, gesturing at the determined children, holding daggers, clubs, or rocks as they searched around for the sword Rachel wanted to be found.
“Seems that way… I hurt… everywhere,” she groaned, realizing it was more about her overexerted muscles than her wounds.
“Dude was tough? And… did you kill all these goblins with your bare hands?” He gave a forced chuckle upon seeing some of the damage she’d done to them. “Intense.”
“Humph. He probably could have killed me if he was smarter. It was kill or be killed; they were kidnapping kids to eat, too,” Rachel muttered, rubbing her split knuckle. “Honestly, Zoe’s the MVP; that sword comment gave me the idea to lead him here.”
Scanning the bodies, Rachel’s mouth drew in; Anthony seemed to be less freaked out about the sight, but the domestic cat might get a tad scared at her brutality. “We… probably shouldn’t tell her about all the gore, though.”
Anthony raised an eyebrow while appraising her handiwork. “Yeah, you might need to see a therapist. Haha. I’m sure she’ll squeal when she hears how much help her advice was to you.”
“Found it!” a small girl called, redirecting the topic as she grunted and reached into a crack to extract the sword.
Rachel smirked and flexed her tingling fingers.
I guess I should thank [Bringer of Misfortune] because that is BS.
Getting up, Rachel eventually allowed Anthony to carry her back to the carts; she hadn’t realized how tired she could get after such a short but intense fight, and it showed she really had overestimated herself. The moonlight helped to ease some of the throbbings, but it wasn’t a total cure.
Zoe and Anthony fussed over her wounds; Rachel didn’t see the big deal, though, since they’d mostly stopped leaking out all over the place, and the druid offered some relief, mending her more serious ones. Word spread about her via the two in-training scouts, and, to all of their shock, a hooded man revealed himself to be the prince of the kingdom to the south.
The reward for rescuing the children came in the way of a sealed letter that would allow them an audience with the king of the nation—a chain quest, as Zoe put it—and the merchants gave Anthony a keg of beer, but the true prize was what happened when they said their goodbyes.
[Level Up - Level 4]
[Lunar Pool I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Mental Acceleration I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Strategic Mind I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Lunar Cap I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Divine Lunar Surge I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Divine Beast Empowerment I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Beastial Instinct I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Bringer of Misfortune I - Advanced to D-tier]
[4 Available Skill Points]
Practically all of her Feats had gained a tier, and she’d leveled; the same was true with Anthony and Zoe, showing Quests were a very optimal way to gain EXP.
On their way off of the road, following Anthony to the exit location, Rachel hummed, looking up at the bright moons overhead; tonight certainly had been eventful, and she’d learned a lot about her transformation.
“So, Zoe, you were saying we all get experience as a group?”
“Mhm!” the cat-girl chimed, jumping forward with a gleam in her slitted eyes. “It’s actually amazing—like, for real—insanely OP! You have an EXP multiplier, Anthony has the training zone, and I have, heh, well, the power of pop culture! Or, eh, well, more isekai and fantasy culture. We’re totally an awesome team!”
“Hehe. Right.” Rachel plucked at her sports bra as they left, glad the druid managed to get the splinters out of her back. “How’s it look?”
“Uhh… not great,” the girl hissed, eyeing the big barrel Anthony carried. “So, I’ve never had alcohol—I’m, heh, underage—but… we aren’t exactly on Earth or the US, so…”
“No can do, cat-girl,” Anthony said, shooting her a sad smile. “Maybe another time, but we need to go; the penalty for not exiting after the quest is done—like soon—is not fun.”
“Oh?” Zoe asked, eyes going big. “What is it?”
“Eh… I’ll let your imagination go wild.”
“Aww! Don’t do that to me!” she groaned. “Ugh. Whatever…”
Anthony’s gaze shifted to the bundled sword in Rachel’s hands; a silk bag carrying the earrings was inside, which the merchants gave her. “You plan to use that?”
Rachel shrugged, catching Zoe’s curious eyes. “I’ve learned the importance of weapons, and adding more skills to my resume isn’t a bad thing.”
“Mmh. I don’t know if swords are your… style,” he muttered, probably thinking back to how she’d brutalized the goblins. “I’d think more of a, heh, hammer.”
“A big one!” Zoe cut in. “Yeah, that would be perfect for you; it’s like… required for, eh, long-eared protagonists in stories!”
Rachel’s chest shook with laughter at the save. “That would be pretty cool… I’m just too light, though; I’d be thrown around everywhere.”
“Oh… I didn’t think about that,” the cat mumbled, ears falling flat. “B-But fantasy weapons can make up for that, right?”
“Maybe. Let me know if you find one. Anyway, it just seemed like a waste to leave them.”
“True… Uh, so my advice totally saved you, Rachel?” she asked, face practically glowing as she turned to her. “C’mon! I want more details about the hobgoblin fight—oh, and we should do more Quests—this was amazing for levels. I’m pretty sure we’re getting close to level 5!”
“How can you tell?” Anthony asked, letting out a short grunt while putting down the barrel to slash the air with his weapon to open up a portal back to Earth.
“Just a hunch; I was doing some research in that mind space—ah! Rachel…”
The girl’s tail went stiff as she exited the portal first, and Rachel followed, dropping the bundled sword on the ground to hold up her hands; Anthony did the same once through, causing the beer in the barrel to slosh.
“What’s—huh—woah! We come in peace!” he laughed.
“Nice and easy, fellas,” one said, holding a radio to his mouth. “This is Alpha Team; we have unexpected guests from a portal in the library, requesting back-up and orders.”
Over a dozen hard, military men surrounded the library—green berets—aiming very large guns at them and wearing deadly scowls; sitting at the table they’d left was a black-haired girl, wearing a steel muzzle and staring at them with bright red eyes—they’d found themselves right inside the vampire holding area.
Thanks, [Bringer of Misfortune], Rachel internally cursed.
