It is 9 system hours in the morning. A bird chirping the morning silent. The sun already up and children are playing outside. Firebird Adventure Guild, one of the biggest adventurer guild in the world of Ireda, located in Axom. It is 100 meters long, 80 meters wide and 80 meters height, from inside, with a lot of facilities provided and service, making it one of the busiest place in Ireda.
As I enter the building, I can see a lot of adventurers chatting, testing their skills, buying weapon and more. It is fortunate for me that it not that busy this time, so I can just go straight to counter. Like who the hell like waiting. As I approach the counter, I can see a very beautiful girl standing behind the counter, wearing dark blue outfit. I guess that is their uniform huh…
"May I help you?", say her.
"Yeah sure, I would like to register here", reply me. Girl, your voice so cute, you are safe that I not into girl or else I already kidnap you and make you mine.
"May I know your name, age and blood type?"
"Blood type?". Why would someone need blood type to register?
"Oh, it for whenever someone in great danger, we know what blood type can be use for blood transplant.", answer her.
That kinda make sense and explain why this guild known for it hospitality and recovery.
"Mira, I am 18 years old and I am AB blood type."
"Okay, may you wait here." She then went into the room behind her. Wait her ears… IS SHE AN ELF?!
"So, elf exist in this world huh…"
After I wait like 30 minutes, she finally come out.
"Sorry, we got problem back there. Here your adventure card." She hand me a wood card.
When I take a look at the card, I can see my name, my level and my rank.
"So here the introduction, the ranking start from F to S. You can climb up the ranking by completing tasks, contributing to town and donating your finding. Of course, it needs to be approved by us. For quest, you can only take the quest rank same as your rank or 1 higher, so if you F rank, you can take F and E rank quest." Is all I can summarize because she likes to rambling.
"May you find your success."
I then leave the counter after I take my leave. Before going on adventure, I walk around the guild to see if there any service I would need. There are weaponsmith, alchemist, library and more. Long story short, I didn't visit any of them, I poor.
My stomach grumbling.
"Ugh, I should have buy that cereal from that old man. Need to clear a quest quick."
As I look at the quest board to find a quest, none of them are in my rank. Did all of them already taken by newbie? After a long search, I finally find one.
"Investigate the ruin, rank quest… huh why there no rank?"
Suddenly a big bear man approached me.
"It is because a lot of people fail this quest. Many return injure, some went missing, and there also death. I wouldn't recommend you to take that one miss.", explain him before turning away.
"sigh but I still need money."
I then take a moment to think.
"Well if I find something valuable at least it something I can exchange for money."
I then take that quest paper before embarking to my first step into adventuring.
15 system hours, Evening
It took about 4 hours of walking to arrive at the cave. God I hope I can afford ride here, walking really take a toll on my leg. I take a look at sign beside me.
"Marville Cave. Ugh it covered in un moss. How old is this place?"
After taking a deep breath, I enter into the cave. The floor are very slippery and the wall got that moist onto it. After venture about 30 minutes, I haven't sense any danger or literally anything interesting.
"God this is awful, there nothing here. Do I get scam?"
I say that as I close my eyes, which is a big mistake. I step on wet stone which make me slip into the hole that somehow can be seen with naked eyes that can be avoid but THIS STUPID STONE MAKE ME FALL INTO IT.
After falling like less than a minutes, I crash onto somewhat soft ground that reduce the impact.
"If this ground is hard I might dislocate my bone. HECK I CAN DIE!!"
After I manage to stand up, I can hear a noise coming from a hole. The hole is big enough to let 5 meters person though. I slowly approaching the noise until I can clearly hear it properly.
"No… way."
I stop my feet, as I can clearly hear the moan of a girl coming from there. My curiosity got me as I slowly approached it. The sight I witnessed are one of many I wish to forgot. I cover my mouth, holding my breath as my eyes widen in shock looking at the horrifying scene in front of my eyes. This is where the answer lies, why there many adventurer disappear, and why most of them are woman. Inside, are the orcs impregnating a lot of girl. Some of them already lose some limbs. Some of them are giving birth, and there also fresh corpse.
"I need to get out of this."
Feeling scared, I try to run but tripped due to wet stone. DAMN YOU STONE. The noise I made are audible enough to attract the orcs attention to me. Knowing what to do, I get up and run as fast as possible as I don't want to face same fate as those girls. From 1 orc to 2 and then there a dozen chasing after me.
"I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die."
The orc are coming close to me. I start tearing up as I don't want to imagine what my fate gonna be.
Then I notice a bridge some distance away from me. When I am about to cross it, the orc manage to slash my back, making me lose my footing as I fall into the depth. As I fall, the thought come to my mind, "is death a better fate than becoming monster baby maker?". It doesn't take long before I fall into the water. The water isn't that deep, so I managed to swim to a nearby shore.
"Ugh, can this be anymore worst?"
I take out my adventurer card before putting my finger onto fingerprint reader. Then a hologram screen appears. This is one of the great technology in Ireda.
"So I am, 150 meters below ground. Huh not that deep, I guess."
I lie on the ground as I look up to the ceiling. I can't see the ceiling, I am too deep inside the cave. I check my belongings to see if I lose anything.
"Sword check, coin pouch check, adventurer card check. I should bring more self defense stuff."
Feeling defeated, I continue walking around hoping to find a way out. That is until I noticed a moving chest.
"Huh, if this a mimic then it already failed as one"
"Hey I can hear you b*tch"
I am shock to hear a response coming from the chest
"Who are you, failed mimic?", I ask the 'mimic'.
"I am not a mimic, open this chest for me", answer it.
It has male voice, so I think it gonna spread my leg and make me its toy.
"No thank you, your tactic already been expose"
"I SAID JUST OPEN IT'", scream the 'mimic'.
"Alright fine"
Instead of open it, I stab the chest with my sword.
"HEY, WHO TELL YOU TO STAB THE CHEST. YOU ALMOST HIT ME"
"Ouh so you not a mimic"
"I NEVER TELL YOU I AM ONE"
Without taking much time, I open the chest with my sword. Then jump out from it a weird looking 2D, is it 2D? Maybe 2.5D flying creature.
"YOU STUPID B*TCH, IT IS EASY TO JUST OPEN IT WITHOUT QUESTIONING RIGHT?", scream him.
"Yeah yeah, what do you want to reward me?"
"Huh, reward?", ask him.
"Uhh, of course, I help you remember"
My face already frown in annoyance
"Boohoo I not gonna reward you anything. Blegh"
Despite it being 2.5D, it really is expressive. I then grab his body and try to shove him into the chest back.
"Wait, wait, STOP. I SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME"
I am struggling to put him into the chest.
"Then reward me"
I say it with a dissatisfied face.
"Okay okay, ummm… I will be your travelling partner", say him.
I stop trying to put him into chest, but still holding him tight.
"Partner?"
"Yes yes, if you want to know I have live in this world for like a million years already. It just I got tricked and trapped inside the chest for like 100 years.", say him.
"Are you that stupid to get trapped as a being that already live more than millions year?"
"Hey, don't blame me", yell him.
I then take a sit before processing my thoughts.
"Anyway, got any idea to get out of here?"
"Yes, I got a map with me"
He then transform himself into sort of 3D map, but it small in scale considering how small he is.
"Well at least it useful. Anyway, do you have a name?"
"I forgot.", say him bluntly
"Seriously?"
"Hey, trapping for a long time can mess with your memory okay. Do you got any name for me?"
I put my finger on my chin as I close my eyes to think. As I got the name, I open my eyes.
"Cookie"
His jaw drop
"That the stupidest name I ever heard. Why you give me that name?
"I mean, I kinda craving cookies now"
"Ugh you so unbelievable, at least make it sound cool"
"Then Kuki"
"Hmm, yeah that work"
Long story short, Kuki's map actually help me go through the cave without facing any monster. So I managed to escape the ruin safe. When I get out it already dark outside.
"I survive huh"
Kuki then look at me.
"What do you mean survive?"
I look at him with sad look.
"There like orc lair in there. And they reproducing using human girl. If I didn't fall I will join them."
Kuki then look at me.
"At least you find me and manage to escape this cave.", say him.
I smile a bit.
"Yeah. Anyway let's camp here until sunrise"
Kuki and I then find a safe place inside the ruin to close our eyes. But night isn't always peaceful.
I open my eyes as I hear some rustling sound.
"Huh?"
The sight in front of me already make me imagine what gonna happen. There a big orc, very big one right in front of my face. I already been caught. Kuki wake up the moment after and try to save me but due to his small figure, he got easily thrown far away. I didn't manage to grab my sword as the orc lift my small body before it start ramping inside me.
I already got tainted during my young age once, but this is worse, much worse. I can't help but keep on screaming and asking for help despite knowing there no way any human being in the forest now. It continue for a while before it put me on the ground and continue his work. I keep on tearing up, unable to speak a word as the pain keep on coming. It already fill me up a couple times and it not stopping. That is when I see my sword just within my reach.
With the will to keep on living, I grab the sword before pierce through it heart. The pain give me strength that I never thought I can achieve. I manage to slip out before it fall onto the ground. My clothes quite messy but thankfully doesn't rip. The orc liquid keep on flowing out from inside of me, making me weak.
I could see Kuki coming toward me.
"HEY, HANG IN THERE."
That is the last word I hear before lose my consciousness.