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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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After getting the details on goblins from Adela, I left the capital.
I headed to a forest a short distance away, said to be teeming with monsters, including goblins.
True to their reputation as the pushovers of the fantasy world, goblins inhabited the forest’s edge, unlike other monsters that lurked deeper within.
“Damn it, where are they?”
I couldn’t find any.
I was ready to slay monsters, level up, and wreak havoc as a reincarnated extra, but…
Finding goblins was proving surprisingly difficult. They were nowhere to be seen.
Well, it made sense. As weak monsters living on the forest’s edge, they were prime targets for adventurers.
And being so close to the capital, any significant increase in their population would be dealt with by the imperial forces.
Of course they’d be hiding.
How could the guild ask for three goblin ears for the entrance exam if goblins were extinct?
“Especially in the morning…”
Being nocturnal, goblins were nowhere to be found during daylight hours.
Besides, as a former regular guy just a few hours ago, I had no idea what goblin tracks even looked like. All I saw were rabbits and squirrels.
“This is why novels are so convenient.”
In a novel, it would be as simple as, “I wandered through the forest and encountered some goblins!” A few sentences, and boom—goblins.
“Well, I’m not the protagonist.”
I wondered what the protagonist was doing right now.
Probably raising his heroine’s affection levels during a disguised theory class, as per the story.
Sitting next to the second-ranked student as fate dictated, somehow getting entangled with her in increasingly improbable ways.
“Tsk tsk. Poor heroine.”
Honestly, I wasn’t envious of the protagonist’s harem.
His presence at the academy caused all sorts of chaos: barrier breaches, monster invasions, random Demon King appearances, deadly encounters with named monsters during training exercises…
Who would be jealous of that?
The academy students might not know, but to me, knowing the story, they seemed like volunteers for a suicide mission.
And the heroine, by virtue of being the heroine, would be dragged into it all.
Honestly, the novel is absurd. Any sane person would ditch the protagonist and run.
There was that one character whose body shrunk but retained his adult mind. He was a walking disaster, and I never understood why anyone would stick around him.
Lost in thought, I suddenly heard a sound from the bushes.
Kieeek!
The unmistakable cry of a goblin, just like in games and anime.
It practically screamed “Goblin!”
It would be rude to ignore such a direct invitation to a fight.
My heart pounding with anticipation, I crept towards the bushes, eager for my first monster encounter in this world.
A shape emerged through the branches and leaves. My vision cleared, and there it was—the monster I had been searching for.
Whoa!
Comically long limbs, elongated ears, a large nose covered in bumps, and green skin. It was a textbook fantasy goblin.
Awesome!
This was different from 3D or 4D.
This was a real monster, moving of its own volition, tangible and alive.
“*Pant… pant…*”
Should I kill it? Should I kill it now?
I couldn’t just stand here with a monster right in front of me.
Three goblins were dragging the carcass of a boar, presumably back to their lair.
Kill them now and be done with it… or follow them and raid their lair?
The latter, obviously!
I’d postpone the killing for now. Following them seemed more… profitable. And more fun.
I carefully trailed the goblins. The fools were oblivious to my presence, focused only on their prize.
Ten minutes later, we arrived at a secluded corner of the forest.
A large opening in the wall looked like the entrance to a cave.
Target acquired.
I’d kill them here.
Getting any closer risked alerting the rest of the goblins inside.
Wouldn’t want to spoil the fun later.
I licked my lips, drew my sword, and charged.
As I closed in…
“Howdy, fellas!”
I shouted, startling the goblins.
Kieeek?!
They turned around just in time for…
Swish!
…my full-powered swing to decapitate the goblin dragging the boar.
The other two charged at me, but…
“Moving!”
As expected of the weakest monsters, they were slow.
Seriously, how could I not dodge such telegraphed attacks?
I sidestepped their clumsy club swings and thrust my sword forward.
“Solar Fist!”
My sword pierced a goblin’s eye.
Kyiieeeek!!!
The goblin shrieked in pain.
Solar Fist is the best.
It normally required a flashlight, or a bald head to reflect sunlight, but…
As the ultimate physical therapist, nothing was impossible for me.
Though, it did come with the side effect of permanent blindness.
But it didn’t matter. They were about to die anyway.
I quickly withdrew my sword and stabbed the other eye.
Kiiiiiieeeeeek!!!!!!!
Its cries intensified.
It was like witnessing the agony of LASIK surgery without anesthesia.
I pulled my sword out again. The blinded goblin swung its club wildly, forcing me to retreat. Then…
Whack!
Kieeek!
The blinded goblin’s club connected with the head of its companion.
“Nice shot!”
It must have been a powerful blow.
The other goblin collapsed, bleeding profusely from its head, dead before it hit the ground.
I quickly finished off the blinded goblin.
Thud.
Another head rolled.
I could just cut off their ears and be done with the test, but…
That’s too boring.
I was thinking of a more… creative approach when I remembered a video I’d seen on YouTube Shorts.
“Oh, that’s perfect.”
I tossed all three goblin heads into my inventory. The blue window shimmered, and they vanished.
All I had to do now was go back.
As I turned to leave…
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
A blue window appeared before me. I checked my status.
[ Information ]
Name: Luke
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Year: N/A
Magic Power: 0 / 0
Level: 12
[ Skill ]
Inventory (F)
[ Stats ]
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 0
Stamina: 10
Stat Points: 2
I had leveled up.
And gained stat points.
“One point per level? Seriously?”
One point per level was a rip-off.
Still, two levels from three goblins meant the experience gain was pretty generous.
My gaze drifted towards the cave…
No, I should wait.
Good things were best saved for later, right?
Like a true chad, I put all my points into Strength and headed back to the guild.
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Adela diligently worked, posting requests on the board and attending to various adventurers.
“Adela, are you free after work?”
“Sorry, I have plans.”
An adventurer trying to flirt with her.
“Do you know who I am?!”
“Lizan, you seem drunk.”
An adventurer, drunk since morning, causing a scene.
Despite the usual chaos, one event stood out: Luke, the academy student, wanting to join the guild.
She knew he had dropped out, thanks to the Guildmaster, but it was still surprising.
It was an unprecedented event, not just in her time here, but in the guild’s history.
Luke was currently out on his entrance exam, hunting goblins.
His academy background served as a testament to his skill, so she wasn’t worried about him getting hurt.
Though, it’ll probably take a while.
Adela had never hunted goblins herself, but she’d heard from adventurers that they were surprisingly elusive. There was even talk among the higher-ups about changing the exam requirements.
He probably won’t be back until after lunch.
And just as she predicted, Luke returned around lunchtime.
“Welcome back, I’m glad you’re safe.”
It was a receptionist’s duty to remember the adventurers who went out on quests and to welcome them back.
Adela didn’t mind. Adventurers were like soldiers, risking their lives to protect the populace from monsters. They deserved respect.
She was happy to offer words of encouragement and celebrate their safe return.
“Are goblins usually this hard to find?”
“Um… I’m not a hunter myself, but I’ve heard they’re quite elusive.”
As Adela answered, she noticed Luke’s empty hands.
Adventurers typically carried monster remains in pouches or spatial artifacts.
Did he come back empty-handed…?
Spatial artifacts were expensive, used mainly by nobles. If Luke had one, he probably wouldn’t have dropped out of the academy to become an adventurer. He was likely a commoner.
But he wasn’t even carrying a pouch. Adela assumed he hadn’t found any goblins.
They’re nocturnal and hard to find these days, so it must have been difficult in broad daylight.
Consoling failed adventurers was also part of her job.
“It’s okay, Luke. You can try again later.”
He wasn’t officially an adventurer yet, but she figured he’d succeed eventually, so she offered words of encouragement.
However, his reply contradicted his empty-handed appearance.
“Huh? I got the goblins.”
Before she could respond, he waved his hand in the air and…
…placed three goblin heads on the reception desk.
“Eek! Aaaaaahhhh!!!”
Adela shrieked, and all eyes turned towards the reception desk.
And the culprit…
“Alright, time for the goblin dissection show~”
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