Chương 40: Goblins

Vaelis didn't seem particularly moved by Zelier's congratulations. Instead, he stared at the crater blasted into the surface of the rock, his expression complicated. His own strongest attack… Would probably only reach this level, wouldn't it? Yet Zelier was still just an Apprentice Mage, and he was already capable of casting spells with destructive power comparable to a Mid-tier Ranger? Was this the advantage of his class? Or simply his personal ability? It was honestly a little frustrating.

"Speaking of which, Zelier… if I remember correctly, you're sixteen years old, right?" Vaelis asked.

"Yeah."

"You should be close to becoming a Low-tier Mage by now, shouldn't you?"

"That's hard to say…" Zelier shrugged.

"Who knows?"

"You will." Vaelis stared directly into Zelier's eyes, his expression serious.

"I can see your talent." The sound of flowing water filled the air. The two were standing a little too close. The atmosphere became strangely tense. Zelier was the first to look away.

"Then… I'll take that as a blessing."

"You're the most talented mage I've ever met." Vaelis paused.

"Perhaps one day, I'll ask you for help with something important."

"What kind of help?" Vaelis didn't answer. He simply stood up and walked toward Blackstone Town. Watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance, Zelier couldn't help muttering to himself. Seriously… He's really pulling the suspense card now? … The next day. Morning. Zelier sat cross-legged on his bed with his eyes closed, calming his mind. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes and retracted his aura. He had just completed a short meditation session.

Unlike deep meditation, which consumed a large amount of mental energy, shallow meditation was more like a brief taste rather than a full immersion. It helped improve concentration and made his mind clearer. Doing this every morning after waking up was actually quite comfortable. Suddenly— A knock came from the door. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Knock, knock, knock…" Zelier was slightly surprised. Ever since he moved in, nobody had ever knocked on his door before. He quickly threw on some clothes. When he opened the door, he found Auro standing outside.

"What's wrong?" Zelier asked.

"There's a gentleman downstairs. He says his name is Marcus and he's looking for you." Auro blinked. Marcus? Why would he come looking for him?

"Got it. I'll be down right away." Zelier grabbed his white ashwood staff, fastened his rapier at his waist, slipped on his shoes, and hurried downstairs. Inside the inn's lobby, Marcus was pacing back and forth, looking unusually anxious. The moment he saw Zelier, he immediately walked over.

"Come with me. We need to go to the Adventurer's Association."

"What happened?" Zelier looked confused.

"You'll know when we get there." Marcus gave a short answer. The Adventurer's Association. Today, the flow of people inside seemed especially heavy. The crowd was so dense that Zelier could barely move. Marcus pushed through the crowd ahead of him, and after some effort, they finally reached the quest board. The noisy discussions around them made Zelier's ears buzz. At the very top of the wooden board was a notice much larger than the others.

Unlike ordinary notices, this one was written with striking blood-red ink. [Goblin Encampment Subjugation Quest — Mist-veiled Caverns] Deep within the mountainous region of the Ashwood Forest lies a small goblin encampment. Their territory has been expanding rapidly, and their increasingly reckless actions have begun threatening nearby villages. The Adventurer's Association is issuing this quest to eliminate this goblin threat. Furthermore— Over half a month ago, the Rod Squad accepted this quest.

However, after confirmation from Association personnel and nearby villagers, we announce with great sorrow: The entire Rod Squad has been confirmed dead. This quest is not only a mission to eliminate the monsters lurking within the forest. It is also a chance to avenge the fallen members of the Rod Squad. The Blackstone Town Adventurer's Association Branch hereby announces: Any party that accepts and successfully completes this quest will receive a large additional reward.

Quest Rank: Low-tier — ★★★ Objective: Completely eliminate every monster within the goblin encampment. Leave none alive. If possible, recover the belongings of the fallen Rod Squad.

Reward: Current intelligence suggests the encampment contains at least: Three [Hobgoblins] One [White-haired Goblin] More than twenty ordinary Goblins Rewards: Each Hobgoblin: 7 Gold Coins White-haired Goblin: 10 Gold Coins Ordinary Goblin: 10 Silver Coins Additionally, the Association will provide an extra 20 Gold Coins as a completion bonus. Association Notes: This is a well-established goblin settlement.

Although it cannot compare to large-scale colonies containing over a hundred goblins, its threat level should not be underestimated. The Association does not recommend parties with fewer than five members accepting this quest. Furthermore, the party should ideally contain at least one powerful Mid-tier combatant. The more, the better.

"Goblin subjugation quest at the Mist-veiled Caverns…" Zelier stared at the notice, slightly stunned. He seemed to remember something. When he first arrived at the Adventurer's Association, he had heard someone shouting and recruiting members for this very quest. He never expected that party to have been completely wiped out. The world really was unpredictable. Nearby whispers drifted into his ears.

"My god… twenty gold coins as an extra reward? The Association really went all out."

"They can offer that much because someone has to be willing to take it. Didn't you see? The Rod Squad was completely wiped out. Those guys were experienced veterans…"

"I heard the only survivor was a ranger. One of his legs was broken, and nobody knows how he crawled all the way back to the edge of the forest. Apparently, he died the moment they brought him to the clinic…"

"Don't bother looking. A quest at this level isn't something ordinary adventurers like us can handle. Better stick to normal requests." Many people had only gathered to watch. But after seeing the terrifying lineup of three Hobgoblins and one White-haired Goblin, most wisely turned away and began searching for other quests. The reward was tempting. But only if you lived long enough to spend it. Zelier glanced at Marcus.

"You want to accept this quest?" A three-star Low-tier quest. The Giant Winged Bat extermination had only been a one-star quest. The difference in difficulty was obvious.

"I think we can try." Marcus answered seriously.

"Our current party definitely can't do it. Going there with only us would just be delivering ourselves to the goblins." Zelier shook his head with complete self-awareness. Just thinking about the goblin images from countless movies and games on Earth made him feel disgusted. Filthy. Cunning. Vicious. Hideous. He really didn't want to die at the hands of a bunch of little green monsters. That would be way too ridiculous.

"Of course not with just the four of us." Marcus held up his fingers.

"Vaelis has already become a Mid-tier Ranger. Your magic is incredibly versatile, and your damage output is strong enough. If we recruit a few more powerful allies…" He looked toward the quest notice.

"We can do it."

"Recruit more teammates…" Zelier fell silent for a moment. If that was the plan… Then maybe this quest really was worth attempting.