Beyond the first three are more adventurers looking for companions. One struck Alec’s eye, not because of the quest he held, but by his vibrant red hair and clothing. He wielded a thin sword on a scabbard adorned with flames.
“Are you going to be my companion?” he shouted as he disregarded Alec’s personal space. “Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!”
“Ok, jeez. I’ll pick you,”
Alec looked at his quest. It’s a D-Class quest about the extermination of goblins in a nearby marble mine. High ranking adventurers have cleared most of the mine but there are a few who escaped the culling. Adventurers who shall take the quest will cull these remaining escapees. It’s also said that there should be two adventurers to do the quest.
“Name’s Agni,” Agni said while wiping the bratty snot on his nose. “And you are?”
“Alec,”
“With your rusty dagger and lack of armor, I bet you’re a new adventurer. Aye?”
Alec nodded his head.
“The first thing adventurers do after agreeing to a quest is to exchange their card. Here’s mine,” They grabbed each other’s card and activated its holographic effects.
---
Name: Agni Edroch
Age: 18
Race: Human
Nationality: Albasterian
Skills:
Strength: C
Speed: C
Agility: C
Intelligence: D
Magic: Medium
Health: 100/100
Mana: 50/50
Skills: [Fire Slash] [Martial Arts: Triple Hit Strike] [Pyroclastic Overflow] [Explosion]
Special Skills: None
Equipment: Light Leg Armor, Light Torso Armor, Edroch Crested Sword [Fire Elemental]
---
“You really are new. Your attributes are abysmal but don’t worry, just stay behind me while I finish the job. I don’t need a companion but the quest asks for two adventurers. Also, how’d you got this special skill? Possession? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“I don’t know how I got that skill. It just appeared. I haven’t used it too.”
“Well, better hold on to it while we finish the job.”
The two of them went to the lobby where their quest was marked ‘On Process’. This meant that no other adventurers can grab the same quest while they are in the process of finishing it. Once done, they passed over the artificer shop where Agni bought an actual real dagger for Alec. He’s got extra money from his last quest and since he’s in a good mood today, he bought a total stranger a new weapon. And besides, those goblins have their weapons and a rusty dagger won’t budge against them.
They reached the marble mine beyond the walls of Alabaster and deep into the forest. The mine is more like a quarry that burrows deep into the ground. In the middle of the mine is this pristine jade lake surrounded by tents and doused campfires. There’s blood in the ground, probably from the last adventurer’s goblin extermination. Despite the massacre, several goblins returned and are now wandering the upper levels of the mine. Agni motioned Alec to follow him and watch for his back.
They tiptoed in the pure white floor of the mine, careful not to make a single sound. When Agni got close to one sleeping goblin, he raised his sword and stabbed the green gremlin by the neck. Red blood spurted out and stained the whiteness of the floor. The goblin wanted to escape but suddenly, the sword turned red and the goblin burst into flames. The fire flashed, blinding Alec. When his vision returned, he saw only a charred spot below Agni’s sword.
“Whoa,” Alec said.
“Shhh…”
They walked deeper into the mine and turned every goblin they passed into ash. It was a breeze by the first part until Agni accidentally kicked a rock that tumbled into the mine cliff. The rock rolled down and alerted all goblins of our presence. We assumed our fighting stance and braced for the onslaught of goblins. Alec pointed to a wall and said that they should make their stand there. With a wall behind them, they would only need to focus on what’s in front of them.
Together, they slashed every goblin that jumped in front of them. Some of the goblins carried their makeshift dagger made of stone. They slashed feebly but Agni parried them with ease. As for Alec, he’s never killed any creatures larger than a god before. Goblin belched blood whenever he stabbed their stomach and neck. It made him sick inside. But it’s either that or he gets stabbed himself. He chose the latter and bit through the disgust as he stabbed goblins after goblins.
“Do you think there are too many goblins?” Agni said. Three goblins jumped into the air with their raised daggers but Agni countered them with [Martial Arts: Triple Hit Strike]
“Yeah, I thought adventurers already cleared this place?”
“The goblins must have called for reinforcements. We need to retreat.”
“Agreed,”
Agni made a path with his [Fire Slash] and they ran as fast they could to the top of the mine. More goblins awaited them by the entrance but Agni swiftly beheaded all of them. He’s amazing at killing goblin but Alec knows that he’s getting tired already. His movements are slowing down and he’s gasping for more air than before.
Then suddenly, a goblin that Alec did not see jumped on him and slashed his ankle. The shock made the pain non-existent but it was enough to slow down his running. They looked around and saw more goblins pouring out of the forest. There are also these goblin variants that are larger than the rest. They are covered with bone armor and armed with a huge wooden club.
“Fucking hell! Goblin Grunts.”
They are trapped. Agni is near the point of exhaustion, he could still escape but he needs to abandon Alec to the goblins. But his honor prevents him from doing that. The Edroch family is the protector of the weak. They fight for those who can’t. Alec fits those criteria. He’s weak. Yes, he could kill but the way he does it is amateur. He can’t just leave that weakling here. He- He needs to do something. Then suddenly, Agni remembered something.
“Use your skill! Possession. Yes. Possession. Do it!”
“I don’t even know what it does.”
“You’ll never know until you use it. It’s our gamble for now. Focus and say the skill.”
[Possession]
A flash of light blinded everyone around them. The goblin raised their arms to block out the light. When the light subsided, their prey was already gone.
---
Alec doesn’t know what happened but when he woke up and saw that the goblins are still dazed, he bolted in the direction of the city. It’s weird. His ankle was slashed but he isn’t registering any pain. And when he ran, his clothes clanked as if he was clad in light armor. He looked down and saw he’s wearing red-tinted armor. Not only that, but his hands are also weird. They are calloused and scarred. His fingernails are long and slender, far apart from his usual stubby ones. No. It’s not only his hands. His arms are stronger, with lean muscles. His legs, apart from perfectly undamaged, are light and fast. He strode on the forest like he’s wearing nothing. Within minutes, he reached the city gates and demanded the gats guards for a mirror.
Sure enough, someone pointed him to the gate barracks armor room where a mirror is nailed to the wall, and the reflection surprised him. Instead of seeing his usual reflection, he saw Agni’s red-haired tan-complexioned face. Even his scream sounded like him.
“What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck,” He repeated. Is this the effect of the [Possession] skill? To become someone else? It’s cool but Alec is still shocked at the sudden change. It’s like he’s wearing a left shoe on his right foot and magnify that feeling to your whole body. His reflection followed his every movement as if it was mocking his current predicament. He sat by a stool and breathed out his every confused frustration.