Hell on Elysium had just begun for Malissa as the school day stretched on for hours and hours. While Moros continued to ask question after question. She sometimes thought that he was allergic to thinking for himself.
As the lessons passed on about the history of their planet, the invention of space-bending gates, the economic factors of different worlds, a subject Moros was surprisingly good at, the day was finally over.
At least, in the club activities she would be safe from the question-asking monster, which had eaten her best friend whole…or so she thought.
Right behind her waddled her childhood friend with even more questions on his mind. With pleading eyes, she looked at all the people surrounding her.
But no one took the monster off of her.
"What does a beautiful maiden have to do to stop her childhood friend from blabbering?" the self-perceived beautiful lady asked herself in her own head.
She really liked the dork, though he did have way too much energy at the moment.
She came to the obvious conclusion: The man just needed to cave some monster heads in. He had known him for many years and physical activity always got him all excited, the little kid he was.
Thus she took her little kid to visit the local guild centre.
Since Moros had about as common knowledge as a Balla, she tried to explain it to him very slowly.
The local guild centre offered military, many missions in a lower world. You could take on missions, make contributions and exchange those for merit points. Merit points allowed people to buy new weapons, new materials and basically everything one could desire.
Whether you collected herbs, subjugated monsters or transported goods─there was no limit to the things that were asked for. Be they evil or good, payment is what matters most.
This was also the reason why Elysium was so peaceful. Nobody needed to commit a crime here, because they simply just could go to a lower realm to do it there.
After walking for a few minutes in the blistering cold yet again, they arrived at a magnificent, tall facility, built on the exploitation of countless lower lifeforms. Moros could not even name all the creatures whose bones had been used to complete it.
Before he could ask any stupid questions Malissa yanked him on the inside. Dragging him to the guild receptionist, who casually took note of the two people.
The guild clerk seemed not surprised at their appearance. Neither was he surprised that Moros looked homeless with his clothes, nor that Malissa was currently donning a bikini top in the middle of the winter.
That might be because the guild clerk was a literal child, looking at the two of them.
The place did look awfully empty anyhow, Moros wondered why that may be the case. But eh, thinking was not his biggest weapon, no. He had those in his pants…his hands, his hands, which were currently in his pockets.
The child handed them both a piece of paper and pointed at a magic crystal that stood before the marvellous gate, that flickered dangerously before their very eyes.
Casually Malissa stepped forwards, placing her hand atop of it. A few numbers appeared, the clerk checked it on his desk, and nodded.
Afterwards, she stepped through the gate and disappeared.
Now, it was Moros' turn to put his hands on the blue, magical crystal. Taking a deep breath, his right hand was neatly placed onto it. A wave of an electric current shot through him, making his whole body tingle.
A big Zero appeared in front of his eyes, the clerk looked at him with a befuddled gaze.
"Did not know that they made someone as talented as you, on this planet here."
Moros looked at him in return as if the child could not read or did not know what numbers meant, even he knew that. Low meant bad, high meant good.
"You have to be really special, to be so devoid of talent. Going into a wild, lower realm to die is a good choice, I would have done the same in your stead."
The child waved him away, before turning his head down yet again to continue reading the book in his lap.
"Normally, I would have to give you a long introduction about the risks and dangers of this practice. But since you are here to die anyway, just go on through."
Moros was indeed very special, in the sense that he just did as he was told. Like a true brave soldier, he stepped through the gate, with the intention to die on the dangerous battlefield that would await him.
"TO DEATH, TO GLORY," Moros screamed in his mind.
The clerk was a bit confused, it was a rare sight to see someone this excited for a herb-gathering quest, but one could find weirdos in all corners of the world. So he paid it no mind as the lean frame of Moros shot through the gate.
[World 234516-Avarosia, Evergreen forest]
[Mission Type A-1 Gathering of medical herbs]
[Quantity 0/20 Enemy Type: Goblins Estimated difficulty: 1]
[Good luck soldier, for the glory of the homeland]
Moros' body was flung out of the gate and landed in a pile of soft, green grass. He did find himself by a peaceful, calm and lush forest with flowers blooming. It was quiet and sombre…but it was too quiet.
Moros laid low, on all fours and continued to crawl through the thicket of the grass.
The enemies would not expect him to lay in ambush for them. He did not know what a goblin was, but given how the clerk stressed that he was going to die here, it must be a formidable foe.
Without much movement, he slid forward, always low to the ground, always listening to the sounds of living beings near to him.
Looking at his surroundings, it was not wise to move out in the open too much. He'd make an easy target, if he announced his presence.
Just like the monster he was warned about that just entered the periphery of his vision. It was a green monster, armed with a dagger, with a long nose and frail stature.
Keenly the creature eyed its surroundings, it looked for potential prey─just like Moros.
Pressing his head into the ground, Moros tried to minimise the sound he produced and to stifle his breath.
The monster approached, slower and slower it went closer to the tall grass Moros was lying in wait. Yet, Moros felt the monster was waiting for something…it looked like it had a plan.
Seeing it grin, a foreboding feeling overcame Moros. From atop, a goblin launched itself and crashed down on the boy. The impact caused Moros to forcefully exhale.
Not done, the Goblin yanked the dagger in his right hand and Moros' upper arm. Yet, Moros pushed himself to the side, forcefully throwing the other goblin off.
Without having time to breathe, the first goblin sprinted at him, trying to stab Moros before he could regain his balance. Moros, on sheer instinct alone, pushed his body forward, accelerating toward the hostile mob.
The knife was swung at his throat, but Moros dodged by grabbing the Goblin by his arms and throwing him in the air with all the strength that he could muster.
Airborne, the creature could only look on in sheer shock, as the human it just fought was sprinting to its new position and jumping. The hands of the human wrapped around its legs and pulled it downward in an arc.
In a sick splat, the goblin was slammed into the ground. Its back broke, leaving it squirming on the ground, incapable of moving.
Yet, Moros did not finish it off, yet he turned around in an instant. The other goblin had repositioned itself and did not attack hastily as its brethren had done.
However, the human had not done the same. No, the enemy of the goblin sprinted forward, the goblin waited for the chance to counter his attempt.
Yet, Moros chose to slide onto the grass floor and kick the right kneecap of the goblin, causing its face to writhe in agony.
Not done, he quickly jumped up and held its leg with both hands. With a sickening grin, he placed his food on the knee of the goblin and yanked the leg till it faced the other way.
A pained scream escaped the goblin, its breathing heavy and its vision blurry. Next, he grabbed the arm holding the dagger. Placing his right foot onto the elbow, he moved it way past its breaking point and then even further.
With yet another pained yelp and agonised screaming another bone had been broken.
Seeing his achievement the youth smiled. Without much hurry, he flipped the wounded Goblin over and praised its tenacity to hold onto its small, feeble knife.
Honoured by its fighting will, he grabbed the broken arm, turning it even further till his own hand pointed the knife at its throat and then slowly pushed it forward.
At first, the goblin tried to stop it with its other hand…but slowly the knife pushed on and into its throat. Slowly the light behind its eyes faded and slowly it died.
[Goblin killed +1xp]
Moros laughed like a madman, fighting was really, really fun. Where had such a fun activity been all his life?
Like a reaper, he walked closer to the goblin that had its back broken…
"See you in another life…"
[Goblin killed +1xp]