Chapter 22: Survival in a new world

Blue Moon Inn was, unsurprisingly, full when I walked in. as one would expect in a fantasy setting, the first floor was a tavern, with drunken middle-aged men raising mugs of ale and clinking them together before chugging them down. Bellowing laughter and loud bragging filled the space below as several men competed, either by drinking or by tales of heroic feats.

I was interested in neither. I just wanted a bed, so I wandered toward the innkeeper, who was polishing a wine glass at the counter, and tried to catch his attention.

"Um, excuse me, sir."

"Hello there."

Like the receptionist, the innkeeper was burly and muscular. Unlike the receptionist, his head was full of hair, down to the stringy mess on his head and the thick mustache and beard hanging down from his nose and chin.

"I would like a room, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind!" he laughed as he slapped me in the back, almost sending me sprawling over the counter. "As long as you pay up front, we'll give you the best service possible!"

"Oh, no need to go that far. I just want a place to sleep."

I held up my card. The innkeeper glanced at it, and his face fell in disappointment when he saw that I was a Porcelain ranked mercenary.

"Budget, I'm guessing?"

"Sure."

"Hmm, I'll see what I can do. We should have a couple of cheap rooms in the corner. Miranda here will show you the way."

His attitude sure changed quickly when he found out my rank. I didn't complain, though. As this was the first day of my job, I needed to save money wherever possible, so I nodded and accepted whatever he gave me. The innkeeper swiped my card at a magical-looking cashier register, then returned it to me.

"Dear guest, please follow me."

I raised an eyebrow when I caught sight of the waitress dressed in a maid uniform. Her long, golden hair was tied in a side ponytail, with a huge black ribbon and the usual frilly maid hairband. Complete with an apron over her back dress, revealing blouse and extremely short skirt, she looked more like a part-time worker in a maid café than an actual bar waitress from a medieval fantasy world. Not that I was going to question the logic, but hey…

"Would you like some food?" the maid named Miranda asked as she led me up a rickety set of stairs and toward a dark and dank corridor. Two doors stood at the far corner, nearly enshrouded in shadows.

"No thanks. I appreciate it, but right now what I need is sleep."

Miranda nodded as she handed me a key.

"Here's a key to your room. If you need anything, feel free to approach me at any time! Have a great stay!"

"Thanks."

I watched as she went back down the corridor, then glanced at the key in my hand. Sighing, I inserted it into the knob and twisted, unlocking the door and pushing it open. Stepping into the room, I took stock of my surroundings.

Well, it could be worse.

Having slept outside in the wilderness for days, I had no complaints. In fact, as dreary and minimal as the room was, it was clearly an upgrade from sleeping on the cold, hard ground outside. I flopped onto the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, I woke up with a start, noticing the sunlight that was streaming into my window in isolated streams. The room was located in a shadowy part of the inn, so it didn't get a lot of sunlight. Now that I was fully awake, I found the air musty and dusty. The wooden surface of the wardrobe was peeling off, and there was no desk or other furniture except the bed. At least there was a private bathroom for me to wash up in.

That reminds me, I need to buy necessities.

Soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel and new clothes. I had arrived in this world with nothing more than the shirt off my back, and even now I still hadn't changed out of it.

Maybe that's why the girls hate me.

It probably went beyond that, but for now I accepted that as the explanation. Suppressing a yawn, I stretched my arms and put the key in my pocket before venturing out of the room.

"Honored guest, would you like some breakfast?"

Miranda was still working in the inn when I got down the stairs. I wondered if she ever managed to catch some sleep. Given how bright, fresh and cheerful she was, she most probably did. I wouldn't be surprised if I had overslept until noon.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"Let me know if I can help you with anything!"

"Ah, about that…" I raised a hand. "I need to find a shop that sells clothing, soap and other personal hygiene stuff."

Miranda listened, then nodded. "That way…you should be able to find a grocery store that sells soap and other hygiene items. Further down should be a clothing shop, but if you're a mercenary, you might also want to visit the armorer right next to it."

"Roger that."

I followed the direction she was pointing at and nodded. Expressing my gratitude, I left the inn and began my shopping spree.

Surprisingly enough, the money I earned from slaying goblins amounted to more than I imagined. I still had over three quarters of my original reward money left over even after procuring all the necessities such as soap, towels and clothing. I wasn't fond of the fashion in this world, but I couldn't continue wearing my uniform forever. While my Redwood jacket was one thing, my uniform was in a clear need of a wash. I needed to ask Miranda about laundry later. For now, I settled for the cotton garments of this world.

I missed polyester fabric.

Hmm, even counting the fees for the inn, there's still quite a bit of money left over.

Checking the credit in my card, I decided that I could afford a bit of equipment, so I visited the armorer.

In the end, I almost didn't buy anything. None of the armor could measure up to the protection my Redwood Robe afforded me, and my staff was superior to whatever weapon the armorer had in his store. That was only natural. Of course the heroes would be given the best weapons in the kingdom. There was no way a little city armorer would be able to match up to such quality.

That said, feeling sorry for the armorer, I decided to buy a dagger. My staff, while powerful, was clunky and unwieldy in close combat, so I preferred something I could use in extreme quarters. A dagger was perfect for the job and could double as a sneaky weapon for a surprise attack. I was tempted to buy a sword, but I wasn't enthusiastic about buying unnecessary things, especially when faced with the possibility that I would be tight on money in the following days.

I did get some combat gloves and boots that were more appropriate for the missions I planned to undertake. Pulling them on, I felt more like a real mercenary.

"Thanks," I told the armorer before leaving. With the necessities procured, I headed back to the inn to dump my stuff, wash up, and get changed. Fortunately, there was a magical washing machine in the basement of the inn, so I loaded my clothing there and washed them. There was also a magic dryer, so I made full use of everything to get my uniform and Redwood jacket cleaned and dried.

By the time I was done with my errands, it was past noon. I returned to my room to stow away my stuff and then headed to the forest to collect more herbs or something. I wasn't going to rely on my current pool of money forever. I intended to save up so that I could live comfortably, perhaps upgrade to a better room.

We'll see.

As I entered the forest, I realized to my horror that I had completely forgotten to ask about the type of herbs I was supposed to collect. Again. Even though I had just gone to the guild house yesterday to deliver the goblins, I didn't ask the receptionist about the herbs. I wasn't too fond of the idea of hunting goblins again.

Besides, I killed the goblins in this area yesterday. It'll be unlikely that new ones would spawn here again…

Once again, I made the fatal mistake of assuming. As I groaned over my stupidity, something struck me from behind.

"Ugh!"

I toppled over, clutching my head. Blood coursed through my fingers, but the wound at the back of my skull was slowly closing. I moaned and raised my head, only to see an entire pack of goblins emerged from the surroundings and aiming their weapons at me.

Twang!

An arrow struck my arm, piercing it. I let out a shrill cry of pain and clutched at my arm. The goblins let out triumphant howls, and another let loose a second arrow, which slammed into my shoulder and sent me spinning.

The goblins were now upon me, stabbing me with their daggers. Burning, caustic sensations ran through my wounds, and I realized that their weapons had been coated with poison. Suddenly I regretted not buying healing potions and antidotes. Even worse, I recalled that I had left my Redwood Robe back in the inn, thinking that I didn't need it for a mission as simple as collecting herbs. I never thought I would be ambushed by a bunch of goblins.

What a stupid mistake. I couldn't believe I had left my Redwood Robe behind in my room after washing it. The fabric was still warm after being put into the dryer, so I subconsciously spread it over my chair and forgot to put it on when I left my room.

Looked like I was going to pay for the mistake with my life.

Am I going to die here?

Hell, no. I had already died once, if not twice. I wasn't going to let myself get slaughtered by a bunch of ugly bastards.

Gritting my teeth, I drew my dagger and stubbornly resisted. Kicking one of the goblins away, I slashed at the nearest one, gutting it. It screamed and staggered back, but I slit its throat before it could escape. As it fell, I stabbed the next goblin, which was busily stabbing me with its own jagged knife. I endured the pain and sank my dagger into its skull, plunging the blade all the way to the hilt. Blood sprouted from the wound, drenching my hand, but I twisted the dagger instead of releasing it.

The goblin shrieked and fell, its body wrecked with spasms. I tried to pull the dagger out, but another goblin lunged at me, clawing at my face.

"Get off me!"

With a defiant yell, I grabbed my staff and unslung it, smacking the goblin. Its hold slackened and I seized the chance to wedge my staff between myself and my assailant before cracking its skull. Heaving, I twirled my staff around and knocked a few goblins aside.

"Ugh…"

The poison was coursing through my veins, making me sick and nauseous. I fought down the hurling sensation in my stomach and raised my staff. The chittering goblins climbed back to their feet before surrounding me once again.

Perfect.

Gagging, I gritted my teeth and slammed my staff against the ground to unleash a single Corrupting Darkness spell. The goblins shrieked as they were caught by the miasma, and toppled over. Their skin blackened and withered, and they thrashed about desperately as the curse took hold of them. With a final, strangled cry, the horde went still.

I lay on the withering grass, heaving. I still felt like throwing up – the poison was burning my veins and ensnaring me in a terrible fever. My stomach was in knots, fully in the grip of nausea, and my head spun. I wanted nothing more than to die just then, just so the pain would end. Choking, I shut my eyes and waited for the pain to end.

My Regeneration kicked in.

I didn't know how long I was out, but the next thing I knew, the nausea was gone and my injuries were healed. I slowly staggered to my feet and studied my surroundings. I was still surrounded by dead goblins, their once-green skin blackened by corruption.

Oh, Regeneration works for poison too.

However, I knew I couldn't rely too much on Regeneration. There was a point of time when I lay helplessly on the ground, completely incapacitated and vulnerable to other forms of attacks. If there was another enemy nearby…

"Hu…"

I exhaled in relief before I turned my focus to gathering the remains of the goblins as proof that I had killed them. Actually, my mercenary ID would collate the information and beam it to the guild, but physical evidence remained the best method of confirmation.

"Kree…!"

Just when I thought I was out of the woods, another shriek caught my attention. This time, a goblin shaman who was dressed in feathers with fetishes and what looked like arcane tools hanging around his neck and waist, emerged from the forest. He was surrounded by a bunch of goblins, one of which was enormous.

A hobgoblin. A goblin that was taller than a man and three times as thick and muscular. It growled as it dragged a massive club across the forest.

The goblin shaman uttered something incoherently and pointed at me.

"Kree!"

I noticed that like me, it was carrying a staff. But its gnarled staff seemed to be made out of wood – oak, if I wasn't mistaken – and had some horrid, unholy shape at the top. Animal fangs and teeth hung in a string necklace around its neck, jingling as the goblin shaman jabbered and pointed, and wisps of mana swirled around it.

There was no mistaking it. The goblin shaman intended to cast magic.

I stood very still and waited. As I expected, the goblin shaman finished its incantation and blasted me with a fireball. I wasn't able to dodge in time, and the fiery projectile incinerated my head, right arm and shoulder, and a huge part of my chest.

My body flopped down lifelessly. The goblins chittered and cheered, buoyed by the apparent demise of the hated enemy that had viciously slain their brethren.

But despite the severe damage to my body, I wasn't dead. Far from it.

Regeneration kicked in, my missing head restoring itself as bits of bone, brain and flesh replicated from ruined tissue and wove together. The goblin shaman shrieked in horror as it watched me sit up straight, waiting for my arm and shoulder to finish mending. I picked up my dropped staff, cocked my head from side to side, and then returned its horrified gaze.

"My turn," I said simply and raised my staff.

A Doombolt obliterated the goblin shaman before it even knew what hit it. Its destroyed body toppled over, the upper half of its body ceasing to exist.

The rest of the goblins went into a frenzy, howling furiously when their leader was killed. Turning their attention toward me, they lunged as one.

I sighed.

"You guys just don't learn, do you?"

Another wave of Corrupting Darkness struck the approaching goblins and fried them. I shook my head, almost feeling sorry for them, but then a meaty fist struck me.

"Guh!"

I managed to instinctively parry the punch with my staff, but I was still lifted off my feet and sent sprawling across the forest. Coughing, I rose to my feet and stared in shock as a horribly disfigured hobgoblin lumbered toward me.

"I see. So Corrupting Darkness didn't kill you."

The hobgoblin was severely wounded, judging from the black patches of skin and scars, but it was still clearly alive. Enraged, it bellowed before swinging another fist at me. Despite its fatal injuries, it still possessed a great measure of strength. I dug my feet in as I tried to endure its next blow, the staff vibrating violently in my hands.

"Ugh…"

My arms were trembling so badly that I almost dropped my staff. Gritting my teeth, I looked up before parrying another punch. The hobgoblin's fist lifted me off my feet and sent me skidding a few meters back. I regained my balance and slammed my staff onto the ground to steady myself. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself for the next punch.

"Guooo!"

If I was wearing my Redwood Robe, I wouldn't have to worry about taking a punch or two. The protective, regenerative layers of my jacket would have absorbed the damage. But right now, I was faced with the dilemma of being unable to counterattack.

"Koho!"

I coughed as the next punch knocked the wind out of me. Even with Regeneration, I was being hurt far more quickly than I was healing. Gritting my teeth, I met the gaze of the roaring hobgoblin, who was delivering another punch.

I've to time my attack perfectly.

The hobgoblin's fist reached my staff, and at the same moment I unleashed a burst of mana.

"Shadow Lunar Fang!"

The crescent-shaped arc of black, demonic energy decimated the hobgoblin, erasing almost half of its body. What remained of its head stared at me blankly, then fell to its knees. I kicked its destroyed body, sending it toppling over.

"Huff…"

That was a much harder battle than I thought. If I didn't have Regeneration, I would have been killed at least three or four times over.

"Hu…"

I exhaled and dropped down, exhausted overtaking my senses. There was also a gnawing hunger, which didn't surprise me. I had used up most of my energy in regenerating so many times that u needed to replenish it by feeding. Probably the best method now was to hunt an animal in the forest and eat it. As much as I wanted to eat the food at the inn, preferably served by Miranda, my body could no longer ingest human food.

Meat it is…after I recover a bit of my strength.

I lay on the ground and closed my eyes, only to open them again when I heard the bushes rustle. Too tired to get up, I glanced in the direction of the noise and caught sight of someone emerging from the corner of my eye.

"Hey! Are you all right?"

"Yeah."

To my relief, it wasn't another bunch of goblins but a human. A mercenary, from the looks of it. He was dressed similarly to me, in a simple cotton garb and leather vest, while knives were arrayed around his waist. A single sword hung from his back, strapped to him by a single leather sling, and his hands were covered in gloves.

He stared at the carnage, astonished.

"G…goblins?"

"I believe so."

"Did you kill all of these by yourself?"

"…yeah."

There was no point denying it. I was the only mercenary around. Who else could have killed the goblins?

"Amazing…how did you do it?"

"With much difficulty."

The older mercenary chortled and shook his head. He gazed upon the massacre, and then rested his eyes on me.

"All these goblins…even a hobgoblin too! They'll fetch a fair price, yeah?"

"I wouldn't know. The guild will pay me whatever they think the goblins are worth."

"Yes, they will indeed." The mercenary sank into deep contemplation for a moment. "And they are worth a whole lot."

There was something in his tone that made me sit up in alarm, but I was almost too late. The mercenary had drawn his sword and he rammed its blade into my chest.

"Gah…!"

"Sorry, kid. But this is way too much for you to handle. You should just give the reward to me."

The mercenary was crackling. I croaked, blood dripping from my lips, as I gripped the blade of his sword.

"You won't get away with this. The kills are recorded in my ID."

"Then I'll have to destroy your ID. And even if they're not awarded to me, it doesn't matter. All I need to do is bring the corpses of the goblins back as evidence. Physical proof is the best kind of evidence, remember?"

Once again, I was the victim of human treachery. I wondered briefly how humans were not so different from goblins, after all. Perhaps these scum – whether it was this murderous mercenary or my bullying classmates – were the exception rather than the rule, but I had been a victim of such betrayals or abuse far too many times to count.

Then again, there were people like Dante Infernius and his knights who were honorable and helped me out. Not all humans were evil.

That said, I'm currently being attacked by an evil human.

Coughing out blood one last time, I teetered over.

"Finally."

The mercenary pulled his blade out of me before turning around to start gathering the goblins. The moment he turned his back toward me, I forced myself to lunge at him.

"What…you brat!"

He spun around, trying to throw me off, but I stubbornly held on. Hauling myself up, I took a bite out of his neck, tearing the flesh off with my teeth and swallowing. Licking my lips, I drank some of his blood before he finally threw me off him.

"Fucker! You bit me! You fucking bit me…!"

His words trailed off when he noticed that something was amiss with me. I was slowly standing up, the fatal wound he dealt to me with his sword rapidly closing up and healing. His eyes widened and he backed away, his hand clamping down on his neck.

"You…what the hell are you?"

I shrugged as I picked up my fallen staff. "I'm a mercenary like you."

Then I swung my staff and clobbered him in the head with such force his skull cracked. He went down, and I struck his head again for good measure, to make sure he was really dead.

Crouching down, I began to feed.