The corpse of a red-skinned goblin, distinct from its ordinary kin, lay sprawled before Rei and Set. It was a rare species. Since Set had snapped its neck with a single blow, the body bore almost no external wounds. Rei stood over the carcass, stroking Set’s head as he considered his options.
A rare species. That makes it a rare find. Usually, there are no materials worth harvesting from a goblin, but a rare species might be different. There could be parts I can use. Fortunately, time doesn't flow inside the Misty Ring, so it won't rot. I’ll store it for now. I can ask at the Adventurer's Guild or research it in the library later.
Reaching a decision, he placed his hand on the corpse and stowed it within the Misty Ring.
I shouldn't turn in the right ear as a proof of subjugation part, either. If word gets out that I killed a rare species, they’ll definitely ask what happened to its magic stone. I could claim I accidentally destroyed the stone during the fight, but if I keep making excuses like that, it'll eventually look suspicious. It's better to just act as if I never encountered a rare species at all.
“Guru?”
Sensing Rei’s deep thought, Set rubbed its head against him as if to ask what was wrong. Rei petted the creature’s head and surveyed their surroundings.
The objective of this quest was to subjugate at least five goblins. He had failed to retrieve the right ear from the one killed by the rare species' attack, but he had already secured the ears of nine others. The quest was officially complete.
“And we still have plenty of time to spare,” Rei muttered, glancing up at the dim sky through the thick canopy.
The skirmish with the ordinary goblins had taken only a few minutes, as had the encounter with the rare species. It wasn't even noon yet. He had paid the inn to prepare a lunch for him, but it was only enough for one person. Despite his small frame, Rei’s metabolism was incredibly inefficient, and that portion alone wouldn't satisfy his hunger.
“If we want a proper meal, we’ll need to hunt some edible monsters for both of us.”
“Gurururu.”
Set let out a soft cry of agreement, as if encouraged by Rei’s words.
“Alright. Let’s go find ourselves some prey.”
“Guru!”
“...We aren't finding anything.”
“Guru,” Set replied with a small, dejected cry.
They had been trekking through the forest for nearly an hour since defeating the rare species, yet they hadn't seen a single monster.
In a way, it was to be expected. This forest bordered the main highway leading to the City of Gilm. The guild issued regular extermination quests to ensure the safety of travelers and merchants. Under normal circumstances, the goblins Rei had killed should have been cleared out long ago. However, under the leadership of the rare species, the pack had hidden deep in the woods or remained out of sight until the perfect moment to ambush passersby.
According to the guild, they were attacking merchants and travelers in groups... but isn't it strange that they only had rusted longswords? Only the rare species had a decent blade. Were they unable to steal weapons? Or do they have a hoard somewhere that just didn't include gear?
Rei turned the thought over in his mind, but since he wasn't hurting for money, he had no real desire to hunt for a goblin hoard. To the pair right now, an edible monster was worth more than a silver coin.
As if in answer to his wish, Set suddenly stopped and scanned the area.
“Guru.”
Recognizing the sign that a monster was near, Rei readied his Death Scythe, prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
The very next second—
“—!?”
Something small and sharp shot out from the nearby brush.
Rei reflexively swung his Death Scythe, slicing the projectile out of the air. It flew back and slammed into a nearby tree trunk with a wet thud. He stole a quick glance at the tree and saw a long, thin, reddish-black strip of flesh.
“A snake?”
His question was answered instantly as the creature leaped from the thicket. It was a giant frog, tall enough to reach Rei’s knees. Its skin was coated in the same reddish-black mucus as the tongue he had just severed. It stared at them with cold, vacant eyes.
A frog in this forest... I think there was an F-rank quest for a Poison Toad. Is this it?
Without warning, the creature used its powerful legs to launch itself from the ground, hurtling toward Rei.
“Fool.”
Despite its impressive leap, it was only an F-rank monster. Rei calmly predicted its trajectory, held the blade of the Death Scythe in its path, and channeled a small amount of magic power.
“Gero!?”
Unable to change its course mid-air, the Poison Toad flew straight into the blade. It was sliced vertically from head to tail. The two halves slammed into the dirt separately, its internal organs spilling onto the grass.
“Guru!” Set gave a sharp cry and moved to bite into the remains.
“Set, wait!” Rei barked.
Set stopped immediately. “Guru?” It tilted its head, wondering why it had been stopped. Rei pulled Monster Dismantling: Beginner Edition from his Misty Ring.
“This is likely a Poison Toad. Just like the name says, it's a venomous frog. You might be able to handle it, but there's no reason to risk eating something toxic.”
“Guru...” Set looked convinced but still cast a lingering, hungry glance at the corpse.
The toad's skin was covered in a reddish-black slime that screamed "poison" to anyone looking. Rei asked Set to keep watch while he flipped to the relevant page in his book.
The harvestable materials are the tongue, the internal poison sac, and the two hind legs. But...
He looked at the mess on the ground. The tongue had been sliced away when it attacked, and while it wasn't a clean cut from the root, it was still salvageable. The hind legs were perfectly intact. However, the poison sac—the most valuable part of the monster—had been bisected along with the torso. Poison was already leaking out, contaminating the rest of the organs.
“I’ll grab the tongue later. First, the magic stone.”
Using an iron dagger, he carefully extracted the magic stone from the heart, being mindful not to touch the leaking venom. The stone was slightly larger than those from the ordinary goblins. Next, he hacked off the two hind legs.
The legs weren't exactly crafting materials; they were sold as food. Specialized butchers would detoxify the meat before putting it on the market. Since it was considered a delicacy, the legs actually fetched a decent price. The poison sac would have gone to an apothecary for antidotes or coatings, while the tongue was generally used as a component for bows.
He stored the magic stone and the legs in the Misty Ring, then retrieved the severed tongue from the base of the tree. The proof of subjugation for a Poison Toad was its webbed right hand, but when Rei saw that the venom had already begun to rot the limb, he frowned and decided to leave it.
“Now, what to do with the rest of this...”
If it were a normal goblin, another monster would have eventually scavenged the remains. But this was a Poison Toad. Its ruptured sac was currently spilling venom all over the forest floor.
“I should probably burn it, just in case.”
“Guru.” Set let out a soft, negative sound.
Rei realized the creature was worried about the toxic fumes burning the corpse would produce. He patted Set’s back and nodded.
“Right. Burning it might actually make things worse. We’ll leave it be. Now that we've got the materials, let’s hope the next monster is actually tasty.”
“Guru!”
With a short bark, Set followed Rei as they forged a path through the woods. Rei smiled as he watched Set occasionally peck at wild fruit along the way, though he remained alert. This was his first official job, after all.
“This looks promising...”
After some time, the dense trees gave way to a sudden clearing. Before them lay a wide, tranquil lake. It was clearly a watering hole for the local wildlife; near the shore, Rei spotted a beast that looked like a massive boar with wicked tusks.
“Guru.” Set pressed its face against Rei, its intention clear. It wanted that boar for lunch.
Rei scratched the back of Set’s head while observing their target. The boar had enormous tusks curving upward from its jaw, and its heavy, powerful frame definitely outweighed Rei. It was currently preoccupied, greedily gulping down water from the lake.
We're about a hundred meters out, and it hasn't noticed us. Perfect for a surprise attack. A boar with tusks... that must be the Fang Boar I had in the stew at the Dusk Wheat Inn.
“Guru.” Set nudged him again, growing impatient.
Rei leaned in and whispered into its ear. “Alright, Set. Listen. I’ll use fire magic to trap the Fang Boar and get its attention. You dive in from above when you see an opening.”
“Guru!” Set gave a determined chirp and moved away, taking flight to circle around so the boar wouldn't spot it in the air.
Rei watched it go, calculating his spell.
First priority is making sure it doesn't run. I need to stop it in its tracks. In that case... surrounding it with fire should be the most effective method.
Once he saw Set reaching a sufficient height, Rei focused his magic power and chanted.
“O flames, become an inferno and form a wall of heat to consume all who touch it.”
The magic power flowing from his words manifested as a crimson line on the ground, circling the Fang Boar. Fueled by his mana, the line even traced itself across the surface of the lake. The Fang Boar finally sensed the danger and prepared to bolt, but it was too late.
“Wall of Extreme Flames!”
The spell completed, and a towering wall of fire erupted from the crimson line, sealing the Fang Boar inside a ring of heat.
“Bururururu!”
The beast skidded to a halt as the wall of fire cut off its path. Its cry sounded more like a horse’s neigh than a typical pig’s squeal. The intense heat singed its tough hide, forcing it to scramble back toward the center of the ring.
The animal’s instincts told it that trying to burst through the flames would result in horrific burns. It hesitated, pacing frantically within its fiery prison. That hesitation was its final mistake. Had it braved the flames, it might have survived with its life. Instead, its death came from above.
“Gurururururururu!”
With a piercing war cry, Set plummeted from the sky. Before the Fang Boar could even look up, Set’s talons slammed down, crushing the beast’s skull instantly.
“Gururu!”
Set let out a triumphant roar and began tearing into the raw meat. The boar weighed well over a hundred kilograms, but it vanished steadily into Set’s stomach.
Rei let out a dry laugh and dispelled the Wall of Extreme Flames. He sat by the lake, eating the lunch the inn had provided. It wasn't quite enough to fill him up, but he spent the time peacefully watching the water until Set finished its meal.
“Nine goblin right ears for the subjugation quest. Please verify them.”
Back at the guild in Gilm, Rei produced the ears from his Misty Ring and handed them to the receptionist. They had decided to call it a day once Set had finished its feast.
“Ah, yes. Let’s see... that’s three copper coins per ear, so your total is two silver coins and seven copper coins. So, how was your first quest?”
Rei shook his head as she handed him the reward. “There were plenty of goblins, but I didn't see any rare species. It must be good at hiding.”
“I see... I’ll make sure to include that in the report for my superiors.”
“Just to be clear, I didn't actually see it. That's just my guess.”
“Understood. But we value the opinions of those who were actually in the field.”
“...Even if it’s the opinion of someone who just became an adventurer today?”
The receptionist gave him a polite smile. “Normally, no one would believe a G-rank adventurer has a Gryphon as a familiar. Regardless, thank you for your hard work today.”
She bowed, and Rei’s first day as an adventurer officially came to a close.
As a final note, the Poison Toad’s tongue fetched five copper coins since it was damaged, the leg meat sold for two silver coins, and the goblin magic stones were purchased for nine copper coins.