Session 3

"Firebolt," a voice echoed through the dark, cramped, and damp corridors of the town's sewers. The large rat, the size of a Great Dane, witnessed a fast-moving bolt of flames surge through the darkness, hurtling toward it. With little time to react, the rat couldn't evade the oncoming blaze.

The firebolt collided with its fur, initiating a symphony of pain and agony as the flames engulfed its body, devouring fat and muscle alike. In mere moments, the rat met its fiery demise.

"That makes 81," Gohn said calmly, strolling through the darkness toward the rat's lifeless body. He retrieved the dagger Guild girl provided, swiftly cutting off the rat's teeth and depositing them into a sack attached to his waist.

Gohn had become a well-oiled rat-slaying machine during the hours spent in the sewers. His racial perk of 60 feet of dark vision allowed him to spot rats well before they could detect him. Standing just out of their sight, he cast Firebolt from a safe distance.

One Firebolt typically dispatched them; occasional exceptions required a second cast when the initial one rolled low. In this manner, he eliminated 80 rats without facing any significant danger.

Sometimes he would encounter swarms of rat size or bigger roaches the encounters with swarms of large roaches proved manageable. After an initial surprise that led to a premature use of Burning Hands, he efficiently dealt with subsequent swarms using Create Bonfire, reducing them to ashes from within.

Gohn continued dispatching a few more rats and roaches before deciding he'd spent enough time in the sewers. The lingering scent of sewage on his clothes prompted him to retrace his steps, eventually finding the ladder leading to the surface.

Inhaling the fresh air greedily, he relished escaping the putrid mix of ash, sewage, and blood. Stretching his bones, he readied himself to return to the guild. Ensuring the sewer stench didn't cling to his clothes, he appreciated that his gear automatically cleaned itself. Lacking a spare set of clothes and with stores likely closed at this hour, if they didn't clean themselves he would have to make a trip to a nearby river which would be a pain.

Navigating through the town's back alleys, he once again found himself at the guild's entrance with four bags brimming with rat teeth, ready to exchange them for a bit more weight in his coin pouch. He pushed open the door, revealing a bustling guild atmosphere.

The guild was noticeably more crowded than it had been in the morning, with adventurers either solo or in parties scattered around, indulging in food and ale. A singular brown-haired waitress, her hair tied into a ponytail, dashed around with practiced ease. Notably, she sported an extra pair of wolf ears and a long, fluffy-looking tail.

Gohn couldn't help but curse the guild's hiring choices, another attractive distraction in his midst. He shook off the thought and approached the blonde receptionist's desk to announce the completion of his quest.

"Welcome back, sir. How may I assist you?" The guild girl asked, maintaining the same customer service smile.

"I've completed the quest," Gohn stated plainly, placing the four filled rat-tooth sacks on the desk.

"Let's see here," she meticulously inspected each bag's contents, noting down details. "Four filled bags, impressive work, sir. Just give me a moment to get your payment, and you'll be all set," she said, disappearing into the employees-only room behind her desk, carrying the bags and the completed quest form.

After a brief wait, she returned. "And here is your payment, sir," she said, sliding four gold coins across the desk. "Thank you for working with our guild; please do come again," she added. Gohn nodded his thanks, stashing the coins into one of his satchels, and exited the guild, searching for an inn before they closed.

Despite facing some unhelpful locals, Gohn managed to find a decent inn thanks to a kind old man. Securing a month's stay, he casually tossed a gold coin to the innkeeper and collected the keys to his room. The accommodations were simple—a small bed and a hay-filled pillow. And a table and chair by the side of the bed.

After removing his boots, placing his spell book on the counter, and positioning one blade nearby while keeping the other on his person, Gohn sighed. Leaning back, he gazed at the ceiling, allowing the stress to dissipate. Reflecting on the peculiar events of the past few days, he couldn't help but find amusement in the unexpected turns. Chuckling at the absurdity of it all, he drifted off to sleep, his mask in place in case he needed to wake suddenly in the night.

The Very Next Day

Gohn groaned as he rolled off his bed, still craving more sleep. Sleeping fully clothed and with a mask didn't offer the most comfort, but it was a necessity given his current predicament.

He reattached his blades to his side, collected his spell book from the tabletop, and opened it.

He then opened the window near the desk, peering outside at the bustling street below. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, it would soon be noon. Despite having slept for well over 12 hours, he still felt tired. Sighing, he began flipping through the pages of the spell book, examining his new character sheet now that he had reached level 3.

Name: Gob

Race: Meta Goblin

Class: Wizard 3

Subclass: Blade Singer

Attributes:

Strength: 13

Dexterity: 16

Constitution: 8

Intelligence: 17

Wisdom: 8

Charisma: 12

Spells:

Cantrips:

Spare the Dying

Create Bonfire

Fire Bolt

Mending

1st Level:

Burning Hands

Cause Fear

Ray of Sickness

Sleep

Cure Wounds (Free use once a day)

Flying Disk

Detect Magic

2nd Level:

None

Spell Slots:

1st level: 4

2nd level: 2

Feats: [Artificer Initiate]

He swiftly linked to the arcane library within the book, delving into the catalog of new level 2 spells at his disposal. Choosing only two spells proved challenging given their potential utility. One option, Continual Flame, served little combat purpose and was more of a novelty in the base game. However, in this new reality, Gohn envisioned a magic torch shop thriving on its everlasting flame. Despite the lucrative potential, the 50-gold casting cost deterred him for the time being, prompting a decision to postpone the idea.

Other compelling spells in consideration included Suggestion, Hold Person, and Crown of Madness. Suggestion offered eight hours of continuous mind control, while Hold Person rendered the target vulnerable to impending doom. Crown of Madness allowed manipulation of enemy attacks, provided they failed a crucial check. Gohn, recognizing the potential dangers of pure mind control in his hands, placed Suggestion on the back burner. If he ever lost the struggle against his desires, mind control would be the last thing he would want in his hands.

Despite this Crown of Madness and Hold Person lingered as potential choices, given their devastating impact on enemy ranks. Gohn envisioned the enormous damage Crown of Madness could inflict if, for instance, a Hobgoblin or Ogre failed its check.

The necessity of Misty Step was apparent for a wizard seeking a means of escape, especially for a blade singer who could seamlessly maneuver in and out of combat. Gohn pictured the strategic advantage of teleporting from a distance to a position behind an opponent, sword poised for a lethal strike. And spell scrolls for spells like misty step and other teleportation spells may not be readily available depending on how ungenerous the creator of this world was about spell scrolls.

Among other spells considered were Shadowblade, Invisibility, Levitate, Magic Weapon, and Mirror Image. While valuable in their own right, they were not deemed essential at the moment. And might be able to be gained from scrolls.

Lastly, Shatter emerged as a must-have, capable of spawning a destructive force within 60 feet. Its versatility and potential for tactical advantage made it an indispensable addition to Gohn's arsenal.

After prolonged contemplation, Gohn settled on Misty Step and Shatter, anticipating the possibility of finding scrolls for other useful level 2 spells later. With the arcane runes engraved, he closed the spellbook with a resounding thud, stowed away his ink and quill, and attached the spellbook to its carrier. Leaving the room, he made his way towards the guild, driven by the need for coins to cover the various expenses wizards incurred.

As he approached the guild, his focus intensified, and he began crafting a brief plan to expedite his stay. The guild, for some reason, seemed to attract attractive women like moths to a light. Given his predisposition, interactions with pretty girls were akin to a dangerous dance, where he risked becoming the main ingredient for a shish kebab if his instincts took control in the guild.

Gohn hesitated in front of the guild doors, taking a deep breath before pushing them open and entering. His gaze swept across the room until it landed on a particular blonde girl. Seated at a rounded table in the far corner, she twirled her ear anxiously, staff at her side.

As Gohn's eyes met hers, her face lit up with a smile. Swiftly, she rose from her seat, moving towards him with a spirited stride.

"Mister, how are you?" she inquired, her voice full of enthusiasm.

"Good. Why are you here?" Gohn asked, genuinely curious, sensing she had been awaiting something.

"You said I could come along on your next quest…" She paused, looking around sheepishly. "So I wanted to wait for you, so you didn't leave without me," she explained with a hopeful smile.

"How long?" Gohn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How long what?" Priestess feigned ignorance, pretending not to understand.

"Did you wait?" Gohn clarified.

"Not that long," she responded, offering a smile while straining to maintain eye contact.

"How long is 'not that long'?" Gohn replied with a touch of sarcasm.

"Since the guild was opened…" She admitted, breaking eye contact and looking down.

"Someone seemed excited," he teased, bending his knees to be at eye level with her, causing her to take a step back, a bit flustered.

"I wanted to go on another adventure as soon as possible," she confessed, her excitement palpable.

"I also got armor as you told me," she continued, lifting her priestess gown slightly to reveal her black linen dress and shorts underneath. On top of the dress was a shirt of interlocking chains, forming a protective net. "It's chain mail," she pointed out. While not as defensive as a full plate, it would suffice to prevent the young girl from being seriously harmed by any stray blows. Gohn wondered if the girl had some dwarven blood in her, given her petite form.

"Good job," he praised her, patting her on the shoulder. "I guess I'll take you along today," he declared before heading towards the quest board, with Priestess in tow. He casually selected a goblin-related quest, quickly reading the details before turning to Priestess.

"We're killing goblins today," he stated plainly, handing her the quest sheet to read the details.

"Can we do something else?" she requested, shaking at the thought of venturing into another goblin-infested cave.

"You don't have to come along," Gohn reassured her. He knew that the traumatic events of a few days ago could easily grow into a lasting fear, so he wanted to give her the option to confront it. Trauma, left unattended, could fester and cause irreversible damage.

"No, no, I'll go," she shook her head, looking up at him with determination. "I said I will come along, and I am coming along, mister," she stated sternly, poking at his chest. "You can't get rid of me that easily," she added with a playful glint in her eyes.

"If you say so," Gohn replied, turning towards the guild's reception desk. The guild was relatively quiet due to it being midday, with only one person in front of him. The individual wore a cheap-looking set of metal armor—chest plate, greaves, hand guards, with chainmail and padded leather beneath. A silver helmet, adorned with what looked like horns (though Gohn wasn't entirely sure due to them being snapped), completed the ensemble.

"Goblin Slayer, welcome," she greeted the adventurer with genuine joy, a stark contrast to the fake smiles she usually reserved for others. The name "Goblin Slayer" caused Gohn to halt, ensuring he heard it correctly.

He eavesdropped on their conversation, attempting to confirm that he wasn't imagining things. The idea of inhabiting his Dnd character's body left him questioning his sanity and wondering where he fell on the mental illness spectrum.

The exchange between the two concluded with Goblin Slayer reporting the completion of a quest involving an old Elven fortress. They had saved the village girl mentioned in the quest, as well as the adventuring party that initially failed it. Goblin Slayer's responses to Guild Girl's attempts at conversation were limited to "I see" and "Yes," much to Gohn's amusement.

The realization that he might be in the world of Goblin Slayer unsettled him. Perhaps it was all a coincidence, and he silently prayed that the person before him had no connection to the Goblin Slayer anime. If this was the Goblin Slayer from the show, he regretted not watching it with his younger sister when she asked.

Gohn's mind raced to recall snippets of the show he'd only glimpsed. Goblin Slayer saves a blonde priestess whose party met a tragic end in a goblin-infested cave. He glanced at the small priestess beside him, hoping he hadn't messed up the plot.

"It can't be," he muttered.

"It can't be what, mister?" Priestess asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Just remembered something," Gohn sighed, looking away and falling into contemplation. Recollections surfaced about a high elf with green hair and a dwarf joining the party at some point. He vaguely recalled a demon king appearing at the end but wished he had watched the show with his sister.

The current situation mattered more; he likely derailed the campaign with his actions at the cave. Regardless, he needed to find a way to reintegrate Priestess into the party with the local Goblin Slaying machine, or the demon lord would destroy the world.

Despite the uncertainty, Gohn clung to the hope that the main characters attract level-ups. This might be a walk to his death, but fortune favors the brave, or so he believed.

"Mister, eavesdropping is rude, you know," Priestess chided cutely in a whisper. "Why are we even eavesdropping on them?" she continued.

"No reason," Gohn replied, causing the girl to pout and continue eavesdropping with him. Guild Girl seemed too focused on 'Goblin Slayer' to notice, and Slayer seemed to notice but didn't care.

After a few more minutes of sketchy behavior, Gohn sighed once more, swallowing his pride. Before making his way to the Slayer wanting confirmation of it all."Goblin Slayer," he called out

"What is it?" Goblin Slayer responded monotonously, red eyes peering into him from within the helmet.

"You see, Priestess and I are pretty new to adventuring, and we were about to take a goblin-slaying quest. I thought it would be nice if you could teach us the ropes. I've heard great things about your goblin-slaying process," Gohn said with a light bow. "Right, Priestess?" he added, turning to the priestess for backup.

"Um, yes, sure," Priestess answered unsurely.

"When can you leave?" Goblin Slayer asked, staring at the two.

"Right now," Gohn answered quickly, hoping there wouldn't be any scheduling problems. God knows how annoying those could be.

"I'm available at the moment." Goblin Slayer responded before looking at Guild Girl, who stayed quiet during this whole exchange. "Can I have my payment?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Most certainly, just give me a moment," she answered with a bright smile and disappeared into the backrooms.

Once Guild Girl was back with Goblin Slayer's payment, Gohn gave her the quest sheet and allowed her to process the paperwork. The three of them were out on the main street within minutes.

"Goblin Slayer," Priestess called out after a few minutes of walking.

"The East gate is the other way," Priestess pointed out.

"I know," Goblin Slayer responded, continuing on his journey, uncaring about seemingly going the wrong way.

"Are we going somewhere?" Priestess questioned curiously. Gohn praised her for asking the question he wanted answered but didn't want to ask. Priestess immediately became his favorite person in this world after that. 

"Yes, the blacksmith," the Slayer simply stated, and the Priestess became silent for the remaining portion of their small journey most likely questioning what has she gotten herself into.

Gohn could tell he would get along well with the Slayer—no unnecessary words or fluff, straight to the point, nothing more, nothing less.

At the blacksmith, Goblin Slayer had a brief conversation with the weathered blacksmith, who chastised him for neglecting his equipment. The old man grumbled about the effort it took to fix up Goblin Slayer's current armor set. Then, without much ceremony, he handed a scroll to Goblin Slayer, who simply grabbed it and stashed it in his adventure pack.

The blacksmith then turned his scrutinizing gaze toward Gohn and Priestess. "Friends of Slayer?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and squinting through the soot on his face.

"Let's go with that," Gohn answered vaguely.

"What can I do for the two of you?" The old smith inquired, his voice rough like the grindstone he worked on.

"I need a loaner sword, and these two repaired," Gohn stated, placing a gold coin on the counter. He detached both sheets from his side and laid them on the counter as well.

"Okay, what about you, young lady?"

"Nothing for me," Priestess shook her head and walked off to examine some armor while waiting for Goblin Slayer and Gohn to finish.

"What did you do to these blades?" The blacksmith's voice carried a hint of frustration as he unsheathed one of Gohn's blades to inspect them. "The cutting edge is duller than a tree branch, and the point is bent," he paused, scrutinizing the weapons with a critical eye. "What did you do to get them like this?"

"Swords aren't good against stone," Gohn stated without an ounce of shame. He knew his explanation might sound silly, but he was going to own up to it.

"You think? Why were you stabbing Stone anyway? Did you fight a damn Golem?" The old smith asked, his eyes narrowing.

"That is a possibility," Gohn admitted.

"You two are going to be the death of me," the old blacksmith groaned. He grabbed a pair of short swords from the weapon rack behind him and handed them to Gohn.

"Don't break my swords, or I'm charging you extra," the smith warned, giving Gohn change for the gold coin. "These will be fixed up in a few days; come back then," he said, dismissing them and returning to his anvil with the rhythmic beat of a seasoned craftsman.

Priestess, him, and Goblin Slayer promptly left the town. Gohn struggled to resist the urge to vault over the wall; instead, he opted to walk through the guard outpost like a regular person. Fortunately, there was less traffic at this side of the city's guard outpost, and the guards simply waved the trio through without much fuss, much to Gohn's peace of mind.

He was terrified he would be found out if they asked him to remove his mask. And with Goblin Slayer nearby it would be a certified death sentence. Thankfully they didn't and he got to live another day.

And that's where we end our session for today

Author's Note: This is the first part of a three-part chapter that I currently have stored, awaiting editing. However, it's easily over 10,000 words, and fully editing and proofreading it would take some time. I'm considering two options for its release. Would you prefer that I continue breaking up larger chapters into smaller chunks, releasing them periodically as I've been doing? This would result in a faster release rate. Alternatively, would you like me to finish editing the entire chapter before releasing it, providing a smoother reading experience with fewer cliffhangers? Slower release rate though.