"There's only one goblin guard at the mouth of the cave," Pete whispered. "Let me take him out." He pulled his arm back to retrieve an arrow.
"Shh! Get down!" Marian whisper-shouted at him, pushing the boy down by the head. "Goblins have sharp eyesight."
"Fine… fine."
Pete and Marian had decided to survey the Goblin Cave from the outside before leaping in to save Bree. They hid behind a boulder uphill from the entrance.
After a half-hour journey from Nottingham square, the duo had reached the Peatbog mines. It was on the border of the Royal Forests, the hub of all monster hunting. On the way, Marian had explained the location's history to Pete.
"The Goblin Cave is an extension of the mines, cut off from the main tunnels because of a cave-in several years back," she told him. "There was an insurgence of goblins in the Royal Forests last year, and a team of silver knights paired with adventurers fought them off. The survivors of the battle hid deep in the mines. They have multiplied since, formed a new horde, and even appointed a Chief."
The villagers near Peatbog filed a complaint with the Sheriff that goblins had been abducting people and using them as slaves. Seven people had been reported missing. The Sheriff had been apathetic to their cause. Ultimately, the villagers had gathered all their gold and posted an emergency quest at the Adventurer's Guild. However, because of the reward being low and the task difficult, the quest had been ignored by most adventurers.
Rest was conjecture. The good-hearted Bree had come across the emergency quest on the notice board. She had officially taken up the quest to go to the villagers' rescue.
Following Marvin's tip, Pete and Marian had arrived at the Goblin's cave, looking for a way in.
***
Marian started taking off her armor.
"What are you doing?" Pete asked. 'And how can I help?' he did not say aloud.
Marian unclipped the last latch of her armor and removed it. "I need to get close to the goblin guard." Beneath the armor, she wore a thick layer of gauze that she had wound around her bust.
Pete gulped. The impressions of her body were quite visible. Just beneath the gauze was…
[ Virtue -1 ]
"Why are you taking off your clothes?" he asked the female warrior. "How is that going to get you close to the guard?"
"Shh. I just took off my armor. So that I don't appear threatening. Goblins are wary of adventurers and will raise an alarm immediately upon sighting one."
"Oh. But why do you have to approach him? I can just kill him from here. My aim is flawless."
"You're really an egghead sometimes, Rob. Look over there… look at the instruments hanging from the guard's belt."
Pete spied two horns swaying from the guard's waist. One on the front and the other on the back.
"If he falls on one of them, the horn will cause an alarm, without a doubt. We will have the entire horde after us in no time."
Pete rubbed his temples. "I'm sorry. I won't question your methods anymore. But how are you going to speak to the guard? Don't they have their own tongue?"
"Goblik? Yes. I am fluent in the language. "
Pete shook his head with admiration. "Wow. I would be dead already if I had come alone."
"Don't let your hopes down, Rob," Marian said, stepping out from behind the boulder. "We will have plenty of chances to die today. Now… Be ready with your bow and arrow. Kill him when I am close enough to him, and you have a clear shot."
"Got it!"
The girl walked downhill toward the guard. The Goblin spotted her immediately and said something that Pete did not understand.
However, his system notification popped up.
[ Ding! ]
[ Perfect Gene Level 2 ]
'When did it level up?' Pete wondered. 'Was it when I tapped into the Dark Robinhood System?'
[ Learning Goblik Vernacular… ]
[ You are now well-versed in Goblik ]
'Awesome!' The boy could now understand the conversation.
"Hey there, handsome," Marian said flirtatiously. "I am lost and hungry. Can you please help me?"
The Goblin scrutinized her from head to foot. A trickle of drool escaped from the corner of his lips. "You look like a delicious human," he oinked. "It was foolish to come to our nest by yourself."
Marian twirled her braid between her fingers. "I'm sure a fierce goblin warrior like you can protect me from harm."
The guard cackled. He had an ugly disposition- he was obese with wide eyes, bat-like ears, and a bloated face under a hooked nose. "Of course, you little piece of meat," he said, touching her face with a gnarled finger. Marian winced but did not react to his advance. She prayed Rob would find an excellent shot soon.
"Why don't we get started here? Then I can take you inside for a meal," the Goblin suggested. He snipped off Marian's gauge wrap with a knife. "You are so nubile, little girl. Be my concubine."
Marian tried to grab onto her bust cloth, but it slipped and fell. She was topless!
Pete popped his head up and strained his eyes to get a glimpse. He could only see her back and some side-boob. 'Damn it!'
Marian was not at all concerned about the exposure. What she was worried about was the adventurer tattoo on her torso. The inked hilts began from her hips and formed crossed swords over her belly. The tips of the blades reached the plinth of her breasts.
The Goblin's eyes widened at first because of the clear display of voluptuous human boobs. But the realization that she was an adventurer hit him momentarily.
He immediately raised his ax and swung at her. Marian took a swift step back and caught the ax head before it touched the ground. They could not afford the guard making noise. The Goblin tried to wrench it away, but Marian was too strong for him. He let go of the handle, turned back, and ran, reaching for his horn. He removed one from his belt and put it to his lips.
Zip! Plack! The guard vomited blood into the horn instead of blowing air into it.
Pete's arrow had found his throat.
The Goblin fell. Marian lunged forward and caught his body before it hit the ground. She laid him down slowly.
Ding!
[ Guard Goblin x1 ] [ Confirmed Kill ]
[ First Monster Kill ]
[ Your Kill Ledger has been Unlocked ]
[ Total Kills: 3 ]
[ Reward: 50 💰 ]
Pete assumed his kills while under the dark system were counted by default. But right then, he had a crucial thing to do.
The boy jumped from behind the boulder and rushed towards Marian. He had to see her naked!
[ Virtue -3 ]
As he neared her, the girl turned around and gave him a thumbs up. A layer of dust kicked off during the skirmish was in the air. It prevented Pete from seeing her clearly.
'Wait, is this game censorship?!' Pete raged on the inside.
[ Virtue -1 ]
He could see the top half of her cleavage and the bottom half. But no nipples! A cloud of dust covered her midsection. 'What is wrong with the game? I'd rather have the dark system!'
[ Virtue -1 ]
Pete stood transfixed in front of Marian, waiting for the dust to settle. As the air cleared, Marian crossed her arms over her breasts. "Could you give me your shirt, Rob?" she requested in a softer voice than usual.
Pete felt defeated. 'I won the goblin battle but lost the battle of youth.' He took off his shirt and gave it to Marian along with her armor. She turned around to put them on.
"No peeking," she warned.
"Fine."
But Pete could not take his eyes off her. Her bare back was lean and muscle laden. Several long and short scars ran across. Where did she get them? From monsters? Men? Was it masochism?
[ Virtue -1 ]
Now that Pete was without a shirt, the system served him a notification.
[ Perfect Attire Level 2 ] [ Adventurer Mode ]
[ Equipped: Light Mail x1 ]
[ Equipped: Light Helmet x1 ]
[ Equipped: Reinforced Breeches x1 ]
[ Equipped: Leather Gauntlets x1 ]
[ Equipped: Leather Armguard x1 ]
Pete looked like an archer in the army. "Amazing!" he exclaimed, admiring his new look.
Marian clipped on her armor and turned around. "Whoa! Where did you get all the equipment?"
"Well, uh, I got a guy. He brought me the good stuff."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Fine. You look good."
"Thanks," Pete said, handing Marian her weaponry.
They stood over the guard's corpse. "Yuck! He looks disgusting."
"Goblins are disgusting," the girl said, walking with Pete into the cave. "Now we have to deal with a complete horde of them. Let's go!"