10 minutes before...
In one of Lily Town area , the air was filled with the scent of roasted meat, fresh herbs, and ripe fruit. One of the liveliest streets pulsed with color and sound, vendors calling out their best prices, children weaving between stalls, and the chatter of townsfolk exchanging gossip over baskets of produce. This was the marketplace, the heart of local trade, where farmers brought in their harvest and food vendors turned the land's bounty into sizzling meals on open grills.
Amid the bustle, a familiar figure moved steadily through the crowd.
Bob.
With a nearly full, oversized bag slung across his back and a cape trailing behind him, he strolled down the center of the market like he owned the place.
"Sir Bob, try my stew, it's made with love and fresh boar meat!"
"This fruit only grows here, please have a mouthful!"
"I'll give you a discount, sir! Straight from my field!"
He was swarmed by voices, hands offering skewers, samples, and wrapped goods.
But Bob waved them off like a famous actor ducking paparazzi, eyes scanning past the crowd as he pressed on. "No thanks, no thanks… maybe next time. My bag full already,"
He then arrived at one of the stall. The stall was simple, wooden, with a small cover to shade from the sun, but the smell that came from it was anything but ordinary. Steam curled from a tray of golden, crisp potato balls, each one slightly cracked to reveal a juicy, browned meat filling within. Bob's eyes locked onto them instantly.
'It reminds me of teriyaki...' he muttered under his breath, practically drooling as he stepped forward.
The woman behind the stall, likely in her late forties, wore a flour-dusted apron and had short black hair tied back. Her face lit up the moment she saw him.
"You're Sir Bob, right? The one who saved little Kel from those bandits? Liam told me everything. You're a very brave young man."
Bob blinked, then grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as if trying to appear modest.
"Oh, it was nothing, madam. I just did what anyone else would've done," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "Liam and his mouth, huh?"
But in truth, his chest swelled with pride. He wanted this story to grow. He imagined bards singing of it one day, children pointing at his statue in the town square.
"Can I have this—" Before Bob could finish his order, a loud commotion interrupted him.
"Aaahhh!" A harsh cry echoed from the end of the street.
Bob turned his head toward the noise, his food momentarily forgotten.
At the far end, a group of children were harassing a grown man by pulling his shirt, throwing stones and handfuls of dirt at him. The children laughed wildly as the man flinched and tried to shield himself, clearly overwhelmed.
"Who is that?" Bob asked the stall lady, curiosity piqued.
"That man? No one really knows. He showed up a few days before you did. He doesn't speak, just growls and mumbles nonsense. Walks around town like a ghost. One day he stole some fruit from Oz's stall... and Oz punched him square in the face. Not a smart move on his part."
Bob winced slightly. "Yikes."
"Hey! Kids! Leave him alone!" a burly man, likely a butcher with a large knife tucked into his belt, shouted at the children.
Startled, the kids scattered and ran. But as they fled, one of them hurled a final stone, which struck the strange man in the head with a dull thunk. He staggered slightly but made no sound, just crouched where he stood, hands over his head.
The man wiped his face with a shaky hand, then continued walking down the street. His left leg dragged awkwardly along the ground, while his right arm flailed limply at his side, completely motionless.
Bob couldn't help but feel pity. He stepped forward.
"Hey dude, you okay? Want this?" Bob offered the warm food he had just bought from the stall, holding it out carefully.
"Aaarrr... llliiiii... sssaaaaa..." the man growled in a guttural voice.
Without so much as a glance in Bob's direction, the man shuffled past him, as if Bob wasn't even there. His eyes were vacant, devoid of any light or focus. His skin looked cracked and dry like sun-baked earth, and his hair was a tangled mess of filth. A pungent, sour smell wafted from him, causing Bob to wrinkle his nose.
'Damn, dude... When was your last shower?' Bob thought. 'If Alan saw you right now, you'd get a full lecture for sure.'
The man continued on, moving stiffly through the street. The townspeople quietly stepped aside, giving him a wide berth as he passed. None of them daring to make eye contact.
"What a weirdo," Bob muttered, shaking his head as he turned away from the man. He was just about to finally bite into the potato meatball when he caught sight of the town square clock.
His eyes widened. His jaw dropped.
"Shoot! I'm late!"
He turned quickly to the stall owner. "Madam, I'll take this, this, and that! Here's the coin and keep the change! I'm in a hurry!"
"Alright, alright!" the woman said, quickly packing the food into a bundle and handing it over.
Bob snatched the package and bolted toward the east entrance.
Damn, I'm late. I really hope I don't get eaten alive by that vicious lioness…
-----
In the forest east of the town...
We had entered the forest after just ten minutes of walking. The eastern part was much closer compared to the southern forest where we first arrived yesterday. As we stepped beneath the canopy, a wave of unease washed over me. Memories of the monster attack and wild beasts from yesterday flashed through my mind like PTSD. My hands trembled slightly.
"What's inside the bag, Bob?" Evelyn asked, eyeing the large, overstuffed sack strapped to his back.
She, Bob, and I were at the rear of the group. Maya walked ahead of us, silent and composed, while William led the party from the front like a seasoned vanguard.
Bob turned his bag around and unzipped it.
"Just snacks and food for our journey. They say you can never prepare enough," he said, pulling out a variety of food items. Evelyn and I leaned in for a peek. Sure enough, most of the contents were food.
"Yeah... eat a lot, so the monsters will be full after they eat you," Maya replied, her voice cold and dismissive, her gaze fixed on the path ahead.
Bob frowned at her comment, then leaned closer to Evelyn, his left hand cupping his mouth as if to keep it a secret.
Evelyn leaned in, curious.
"Is she always like this, grunting and irritated?" Bob whispered.
Evelyn shrugged slightly.
"Not really. She's usually just cold by default. But with you guys? It's like she's even worse."
"Why though?" I interrupted, also covering my mouth.
"Did we do something wrong?"
Evelyn looked upward, placing her right index finger on her chin, thinking.
"Hmm... I don't think so," she answered.
"But she's a good person and reliable too. You'll see when we're in combat. Maybe you guys are just unlucky. Maybe she's in that time of the month, you know?" she added with a giggle.
Bob and I couldn't help but giggle along with her, our mouths covered to muffle the sound.
"Hey, I can hear what you said, Eve," Maya said, side-eyeing Evelyn.
"Relax, sis... we're just joking," Evelyn replied with a smile.
"Yeah, just chill a bit, you know. Making that face will give you wrinkles," Bob added.
Maya sharply turned her eyes toward Bob, like an eagle preparing to strike.
Bob quickly avoided eye contact, pretending to dig deeper into his bag full of high-calorie food. After rummaging for a moment, he raised his hand into the air.
"Tadaa!" he announced, holding up a black ring adorned with strange markings that resembled crossed swords forming an X.
Evelyn and I leaned in to examine the ring. Evelyn's eyes widened, and she shouted, "No way! Did you buy this?"
"Duh, of course. Do you think I'm a thief?" Bob replied, clearly proud of himself.
Evelyn took the ring and examined it closely. "This is a magic item. There are many types with different functions. This one acts as a storage device, you can summon the item bound to it. It's easily worth at least five gold coins."
"I bought it for eight gold, after a discount," Bob said with a sigh. "That guy at the shop tried to sell it for twenty! I think he was trying to drain my wallet dry."
"How could you even afford that?" Evelyn asked, squinting at us suspiciously. "Even we, as adventurers, only make around one to two gold a week. Are you guys doing something shady... like smuggling people or something?" She moved as if she was about to grab her bow.
"No, no, no!" Bob and I immediately waved our hands in denial.
"We just sold some rare items we found," I added quickly, lying without hesitation.
Ever since I arrived in this world, I've lied so many times that I'm starting to think my lying skill might actually be improving.
"Is that so..." Evelyn finally relaxed, her hand moving away from her bow.
Bob and me sighed a relief.
"Alan, this one's for you," Bob said, handing me the ring. "Try pressing on it."
I slipped the ring onto my right index finger. It fit perfectly and honestly, it looked pretty good too. Wait a second... did Bob just propose to me and I accepted it?
No, no, no! I shook my head. I'm not walking that rainbow-colored path.
I pressed the surface of the ring, and suddenly it glowed, shifting its shape. In an instant, I felt weight in my hand. When I looked down, I was holding a sword.
It was stunning.
The blade shimmered with elegant black and gold patterns, giving it an air of both power and sophistication. The hilt felt smooth yet firm in my grip, almost like it was made just for me. Releasing it wasn't easy—not because it stuck, but because it felt like it belonged there.
This… was a truly amazing weapon.
"Wow... this is the first time I've seen a sword like this," Evelyn said, her eyes wide with admiration. Even William stepped over to get a closer look. "Very well crafted," he muttered, impressed.
"This is for me?" I asked Bob, still in disbelief.
"Yup. Use it to uphold that self-defense pacifist thing of yours," Bob said with a grin.
"Thanks, man. This is really nice." I gave the sword a swing and it was surprisingly light. Maybe my ability was affecting it, but it felt completely different from the massive iron broadsword I had before.
"Hey, you guys," Maya called from ahead, her voice sharp. "We're in the middle of a forest. Don't let your guard down."
Just as she said it, a rustling sound came from the bushes.
The trio, Maya, Evelyn, and William, immediately took defensive stances and drew their weapons. Their movements were fluid, practiced. Clearly, they'd done this many times before.
"Is it a monster?" I asked, my sword beginning to tremble slightly in my hand.
"Shhh," Evelyn hissed, holding up a hand for silence. She notched an arrow and aimed it directly at the moving bush.
Shhhff!
The arrow struck, and the bush fell silent. But then, more rustling. All around us, the surrounding bushes began to shake.
"Damn it, we're surrounded!" William growled, tightening his grip on his axe.
From every direction, goblins leapt out of the bushes, shrieking and snarling in unison.
Then, we saw it.
Towering above the others, a goblin nearly two meters tall emerged from behind the trees. Its green skin was darker than the rest, almost moss-colored, and it carried a massive spiked club that looked like it could crush a boulder in a single swing. Its eyes were sharp, unnervingly intelligent for a goblin and they locked onto us with a chilling intensity.
A menacing aura radiated from its body, thick and suffocating. My hands trembled even more. My legs threatened to give out.
This was no ordinary goblin. This was the Elite we had been hunting.
"Well," I muttered, my voice dry and barely audible, "hello there... Elite."