Chapter 13: 13 Quest opened. 

“My first kill!”.

Jin looked at the silver blade, which seemed devoid of any stains because of how clean and precise his slash was. Then he glanced down toward the poodle blood, turning the Rabbit’s fur red.

The tang of metallic scent wafted through the atmosphere, prompting Jin to knit his brows, disturbed. He touched the body and stored it inside the bracelet, along with the still-dripping head, sticking to a tree.

For the last time, he sheathed his blade and clasped his hands together in prayer, hoping that he could withstand the guilt of killing living beings. ‘I can do it!’.

With new determination added to his mind, Jin tried to resume his adventure, but after walking dozens of steps away, he stiffened. He heard rustling bushes that jolted his nerves and made him alert.

Another horned rabbit hopped out, followed by another one. Jin’s cheeks twitched. He gripped the Katana handle as he faced the two beasts that began to growled with predatory eyes.

“Come!”.

The two rabbits darted away in a straight path. Still, unlike the earlier rabbit, who was pretty much reckless in its approach, these two rabbits had something different as they manoeuvred across the tree using their advantage of strong hind legs.

*Swoosh!

A chilling breeze that kept humming as it tried to reap his life, Jin had to change his tactic and stop being defensive. After deciding what to do, Jin dodged the assault using his footwork, purposely using his peripheral eyes to observe and predict the rabbit’s movements.

“There!”.

With its pointy horn ready, the first rabbit lunged toward Jin in a straight path, and Jin welcomed it by sidestepping to the side and swinging his blade downward, cutting its body into two.

Jin raises his blade forward for the second rabbit, letting it collide with the rabbit head-butting, and his blade easily pierces its skull. Jin’s shoulder jolted, receiving the impact; he crouched down, waiting for the numbness to disappear.

“Huuf, man, rabbit in this world sure is ferocious. Different from what I know!”. He grumbled while storing the rabbits’ corpses inside his bracelet.

After ensuring he didn’t see his target herb, Jin began to move toward another place and resume his search for the herbs.

Jin continued his search until he found the sun had shifted its face to the west, and the clear sky now had a tinge or blazing hue mixed within. The cold wind also seeped through his mind, chilling his consciousness.

“Man, I should get back already. Thank god I met the quota!”.

Thanks to his beginner’s luck, he found a dozen herbs. Along the way back, Jin never forgot to ensure he was still right on the track and occasionally watched the sky for direction.

Jin’s face brightened when he saw the open field, and he hastened his pace. ‘I’m out!’. He rushed toward the gate, baffled about the situation he was in.

What lay before him was the scene where adventurers beside him were being inspected in front of the gate, forming a line.

Thankfully, the line was not too long, so Jin’s turn came shortly after while he observed the other adventurer beside him.

“Where are your things?”.

“Ah, I got it inside this item.” The guard and other adventurers were taken aback by the kid’s words. They exchanged looks and soon kept it to themselves, as it was not good to pry into others too much.

“Okay, you may proceed!”.

“Thank you!”.

Jin wandered into the market district where the stalls were still promoting their products, his stomach growling in protest. He looked around and soon settled into a stall that drew him in because of the smell.

“Sir, how much for the skewer?”.

In front of him, a stall shrouded in white smoke sells meat skewers. The meat was lining up near the blazing charcoal, letting out a sizzle that aroused his appetite every time the juice dropped.

“It’s three copper coins”. The chubby old man with a refreshing smile and thin outfit greeted him.

“Give me ten of them!”.

“Alright!”. The man hurriedly wrapped ten of them inside a paper bag before he gave it to Jin.

“Thank you for your patronage!”.

Jin took three silver coins from his bracelet and gave them to the chubby man as he started to leave the stall. The currency in the Kingdom, or the World, used coins such as copper for the lowest currencies, Silver, Gold, and Platinum coins.

The exchange rate between a coin was around ten. 1 Platinum = 10 Gold, 1 Gold = 10 Silver, 1 Silver = 10 Copper. There is also another coin that was said to become a phantom for it was never to be circulating, because it was not to be used as a transaction, but to use a symbol of honor from the King himself, which was called Royal Coin.

After getting what he wanted, Jin found an empty seat near the park with a small fountain. The place seemed empty because of the weather that would turn to night in a couple of hours, and Jin could only see one girl holding a basket in distress.

Before he took a seat, he noticed something glittering under the wooden seat’s gap. He crouched down, found a silver pendant below, grabbed it, and then sat on the seat.

“Ah? …Um? Sir?”. The girl covered in dust approached Jin with a pale face.

“Yes?” Jin stared at the girl’s eyes and softly answered.

‘Wait, her ears seemed a bit different?’. The girl he mentioned had distinctive ears that were slightly pointed compared to humans. However, it was not too long to be called an Elvish ear.

“…Thath…!”. The girl bit her tongue and pointed her trembling finger at the pendant.

“Is this yours?”.

The girl nodded while somehow holding back the tears accumulating in her eyes. Jin glanced at the kid as she jolted in fright.

“Here you go!”.

“…Eh? …Really?”.

“Um, this was yours, right? Why did you make it sound like a question?”.

“Eh?”. The girl’s eyes open wide. She is having a hard time processing Jin’s earlier words.

“Take it!”.

After a few seconds passed, the little girl, who was wary like a cat, slowly approached one step and another before extending her trembling right hand to take the pendant. She jumped back before looking at the inside of the pendant and unconsciously muttered.

“…I am glad!”.

*Groowl!

Time stopped as a cold wind blew upon the two individuals, who stiffened upon hearing the loud protest from the little girl’s stomach. She hunched her back while hugging her own stomach.

‘Well, I have dinner after this. So, might as well share some!’. Jin took the skewers he planned to use as a supply for adventuring and offered some to the little girl.

“Do you want some?”.

“Eh? No, I was just… *growl!” Another cute growl escaped her stomach, turning her face flushed red.

“Take it, I still have plenty more!”.

Seeing the girl hesitate, she alternated her steps forward and backwards. Jin sprinted to her side, took her under her armpit, and let her sit beside him.

“Here!”. Without waiting for the girl’s reply, Jin wrapped her tiny hand on the skewer stick.

The little girl only stared, dumbfounded at what had transpired before her. Jin felt sorry for what he did but was also at his limit, so he took one and began chomping the meat. His blissful expression melted upon taking a bite; it invited the girl’s curiosity as she hesitantly took a bite.

Her eyes brightened as she felt the juicy and tender meat melt in her mouth. The savoury taste melted his facial muscles, letting her chew the food with a smile.

Jin, who caught the girl’s expression, resumed his meals. The two of them silently enjoyed their food, watching the beautiful dawn that soothed their tired hearts and was accompanied by the calm breeze that brought them closer.

“Ah!”. A disappointed voice came beside him, prompting Jin to turn to the source.

“Here, you can take more; don’t hesitate!”.

“Um, thank you, big brother!” Maybe because her child’s heart recognized the boy beside her as kind, the girl taking more skewers as she began to chomp them with more vigour than before.

‘But, this is strange. She had all the characteristics of elves, but her ears said otherwise!’. Jin muttered while looking at the little girl’s profile.

The girl was probably around six or seven; she was 100 cm tall, and her unkempt, messy green hair cascaded down her shoulder. She had vibrant, large round eyes with emerald pupils, giving her an image of an energetic and kind girl.

However, those charms were hidden beneath her worn-out appearance. Her thin but old clothes were filled with wrinkles, and even her face was smeared with filth and dirt, proving that she was working hard despite still being a child.

Another item that drew his attention was the basket she was carrying. It was filled with a bouquet of herbs that were almost withering. ‘What sort of situation made this girl have to undergo this harsh treatment?’

#####

[Character Quest opened!]

[Character Quest: Queen of Monster!]

Detail: Save the girl from her perilous situation to prevent the birth of the Queen of Monsters in the future.

Reward: Jade Eyes.

Failure: A powerful enemy that could control thousands of monsters would be born. Unleashing Calamity upon the World.

#####

“What!?”. Jin’s sudden outburst startled the little girl, who almost got choked.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep