A Malevolent Beginning

Mika and Airi had finally reached the goblin hideout after tracking down the goblin that had fled from the village.

"So, do you want to just burn the whole town?" Mika asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Airi's eyes widened with excitement as she nodded vigorously with both hands on her hips, forming a fist.

However, Mika quickly interjected, "They worked so hard to build them."

Airi stared at him, her playful expression shifting to a menacing one.

She maintained her smile, but it was now filled with sadistic pleasure.

"Don't worry, Mika," she cooed. "I won't burn the whole town, just enough to send a message to those filthy goblins."

Her hand drifted towards the hilt of her sword, which blazed with azure flames, and she drew it with a flourish.

"Now, let's go show them what happens when they mess with us," Airi said with a wicked grin.

Mika and Airi descended upon the goblin hideout with a fury, cutting down any goblin foolish enough to stand in their way.

They fought with grace and skill that left even the most battle-hardened goblins quaking in their boots.

In the end, they had indeed set fire to the entire town, with Airi's sword of azure flame leaving nothing but ash and cinders in its wake.

As the flames subsided, the goblin leader emerged from the rubble of his once-proud hideout.

He was a fearsome sight to behold, towering over Mika and Airi with bulging muscles and a wicked-looking axe.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO!?" the goblin leader shouted.

"Vengeance," Airi replied with a proud smile.

The goblin leader let out a roar and charged toward them, his axe held high.

"Oh, she's doing that move again," Mika muttered as she threw her sword above her head.

Airi hurled her sword into the air, making it twirl before her eyes.

The goblin leader's attention was instantly captured by the blue flames dancing across the weapon's length.

Seizing the opportunity, Airi sprang up and launched a powerful overhead kick that connected with the goblin leader's chin.

The force of the blow sent him stumbling backward, his axe dropping from his grasp.

Undeterred, Airi continued her momentum, launching herself into a graceful jump that culminated with her right foot slamming into the hilt of her sword, sending it hurtling down toward the goblin leader's head.

With a sickening crunch, the blade buried itself deep in the goblin leader's skull, bringing him to the ground in a lifeless heap.

The goblin let out a blood-curdling scream as the flames burned through his flesh, and his blood began to boil around the sword.

The goblin's body convulsed, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to the ground.

Blood gushed out of the wound, boiling and sizzling as it mixed with the azure flames of her sword.

Airi tried to pull the sword out, but it was stuck fast, embedded in the goblin's skull.

The heat from the blade made the goblin's head smolder and smoke, creating an eerie and gruesome sight.

Mika recoiled in disgust at the sight of the goblin's head with boiling blood and Airi's sword stuck in it. "My olfactory senses are being thoroughly assaulted by the stench of putrescence emanating from the sanguinary remnants of that despicable creature's cranial cavity. Such a vile display would make even the most hardened of stomachs churn with revulsion." He said, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

Airi dissipated her sword in a flicker of blue flame before both of them casually strolled away from the smoldering ruins and the screams and cries of the goblin town behind them.

Airi's face was covered in blood, but she wore a proud smile as Mika approached her.

"What happened to not wanting to burn the whole town?" Mika asked.

Airi shrugged, still grinning. "I changed my mind," she said.

"It's just a goblin town, no need to worry about the damage."

"Those poor precious trees," he said, shaking his head.

"Let's try to be a bit more careful next time, okay?"

Airi gave him a mischievous wink. "No promises," she said.

They gathered the spoils of their hard-fought victory, including a rare enchanted sword found in the goblin leader's possession, and headed back to the village to report their success to the grateful chief.

Leaving the destruction of the goblin town behind them.

---

Midsummer 11th, Marcellia, Melm Village, 3:36 PM.

---

"Chief, we've returned," Airi announced, waving her hand while holding the goblin leader's head.

"Airi... I don't think the chief wants to see that monstrosity," I whispered to her, hoping to spare the chief's sensibilities.

"Oh ho... That was fast, an-" The chief interrupted with a gasp and collapsed upon seeing the gruesome sight of the half-burnt goblin's head.

"Oh well..." I sighed, not surprised by the chief's reaction.

"Eh? Chief?" Airi panicked, realizing the gravity of the situation.

[+3000 Exp]

[Leveled up]

---

Midsummer 11th, Marcellia, City Hall, 7:36 PM.

---

"We have finally arrived at the city hall where the Marcellia statue stands," I announced.

"Alright, Alaric said we just need to pray to gain a lot of experience," I said as I clasped my hands together with my fingers straight and my palms facing inward.

Airi looked confused, but she followed my lead and assumed the same praying pose.

Suddenly, the statue glowed brightly, and a notification for a new quest appeared.

[System: New quest received]

+Quest Name: The Marcellia Assistance

+Quest Description: The statue of Marcellia has called upon the adventurers to help the people in the nearby town. The people are facing a minor crisis and need the help of the heroes to resolve it.

+Quest Objectives:

*Investigate the town to determine the nature of the crisis.

*Provide aid and assistance to the townspeople in any way possible.

*Defend the town from any external threats that may arise.

+Quest Rewards:

*50000 Experience points for completing the quest.

*Gratitude and support of the townspeople, including discounts on goods and services in the future.

[System: Accept quest?]

< Yes / No >

Yes.

[System: Quest has been accepted, good luck adventurer]

"So basically, the quest requires us to become town slaves," I said with a hint of reluctance.

Airi's face shifted from cheerful to despair upon hearing this.

We left the hall and were greeted by an old man.

"Hooo, you're the helper for this month?" the old man said.

"Huh? Helper? This month?" Airi asked, looking confused.

"Youngster these days, huh... Look above your head, it clearly says that you agreed to be the city's helper for this month," the old man replied.

Eh? EHH!? THIS IS BASICALLY FREE LABOR.

I let out a deep sigh and placed a hand on Airi's shoulder.

"Yes, sir. We are here to help for the month," I said, forcing a smile onto my face.

I think this is why it gives lots of experience.

---

Midsummer 11th, Marcellia, Destroyed goblin village, 2:50 PM.

---

"Father... I can feel my strength leaving me. Please, save the child."

"I will do everything in my power to save both of you, my daughter."

"No... not me. I am beyond saving. But the child... he must survive. He is our last hope."

As his mother lay dying, her bloodied and torn body wracked with pain, the unborn child inside her struggled for survival.

His grandfather, a seasoned warrior named Guriq, knew that time was running out.

"I understand. Be at peace, my daughter. I will do what needs to be done."

"Thank you, Father. Take care of him..."

With a heavy heart, he drew his blade and sliced open his own daughter's womb, desperate to save the child within.

The child emerged into a world of blood and violence, his first breaths taken amidst the screams of the dying and the clash of steel against steel.

His first sight was the charred and lifeless face of his father, who had been slain by a demon. The smell of burnt flesh and blood filled his nostrils as he emerged from his mother's womb, her lifeless body lying nearby.

His mother's corpse lay nearby, a stark reminder of the brutality of the world he had just entered. At that moment, the child knew only one thing: he had been born into a world of darkness, and he would need to fight to survive.

His grandfather, the man who had saved his life, would become his mentor and guide, teaching him the ways of combat and survival in a world that showed no mercy.

And so, the child grew up to become a warrior, a child of war who had never known the touch of a mother's love or the comfort of a peaceful life.

He carried with him the scars of his birth, a constant reminder of the violence and death that had brought him into this world.

Named Grimm, the child would embody the essence of the darkness and brutality of the world, forging himself as a warrior of unyielding strength and fortitude.