"Wait! Ragnar, don't go. Wait until Kalia come and check you out"
"Don't worry, aunty. I feel good," I said, running out of the hut. And towards the goblin clan.
Honestly… I want power. Not for glory, not for fun. But so Aunt doesn't have to worry about me getting eaten, so Val can have a future.
I want doors to open for us… and to finally become someone brave and strong enough to protect them.
Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get there, but I can't give up. Not now, not with them counting on me.
That's why I needed to finish the quest.
I smiled, "alright, that's a promise for myself"
As I crossed the river, I saw their camp. It sat between the dense trees.
It was surrounded by a thick wooden barrier blocking the path. Jagged planks stuck out at odd angles, and rusted nails pointed toward anyone who tried to climb it.
One wrong step and the whole thing could collapse, pinning or cutting anyone underneath.
I tried to cross the barrier, but some dusty nails caught me, making me blood and halt my movement.
I hadn't lost much blood, so I gritted my teeth and forced my way through the barrier, emerging with only a few scratches.
But before I could relax I heard loud shouts, my breathing quickened and panic crept up my spine like cold water.
Hideous little green bodies popped out from nowhere, numbered at least twenty, all armed.
Each of them held a sharp stone spear, and some held wooden clubs stained with fresh blood.
Whatever they'd hunted recently, it hadn't ended well. And now I was next.
They looked at me, ready to attack, and I took a stance, suppressing the fear building up in my stomach and facing them.
I shouted, "I want to talk with the chief's daughter, Aria!"
Someone stepped out from the back. "Why would a kobold want to talk with me?" she said, her tone clearly hostile.
She held a spear in her hand, lifting it as easily as if it were a twig. One glance told me she was a proud, skilled warrior.
I recognised her instantly, she was Aria the chief daughter.
She was the tallest goblin I've seen, almost my height.
Smooth green skin, toned legs; she was clearly athletic.
And her chest was so big it strained the armor, bouncing with each step she took.
"Damn," I whispered under my breath.
She had the vibe of a dangerous beauty.
The kind that stabs a man in the throat the moment he annoyed her.
Her squad didn't dare look at her backside even once, showing how much fear she inspired.
As for the enemies… Well, they were already dead.
Her gaze fell on me, andI stepped forward, mustering my courage.
"Aria, daughter of Kalmar," I said. "I've got a solution for your tribe's problem."
She scoffed, exhaling sharply and pointing her spear at me.
"What offer can a kobold possibly bring me? You're lucky I haven't told them to attack you already."
The goblins behind her stirred. Their noises grew, ready to attack me.
I didn't blink. Unbothered, I kept my posture straight, which only made them more wary.
"The Orcs are attacking you, aren't they?" I asked.
They all fell silent. A few goblins gulped; others grew angrier, getting reminded of past harassment.
One shouted, "They killed my brother!"
Another clenched his fists. "They burned our farm and killed my family!"
Aria's expression didn't change, but her grip tightened. Orcs were a problem even to her.
Sure, she could kill an orc 1-on-1, but she was just a single person. How much could she possibly change?
She stepped closer to me, this time, leaving just inches between us.
"Before I could hear your idea, you need to prove yourself," she declared.
I gulped, "how do I prove myself?"
She smiled, "by hunting, me and my squad was just hunting one Vernon.
We took down the male and the female ran away injured.
You need to kill her and bring me her head, and I would hear your idea then"
My face hardened but I nodded nevertheless, she smiled at my reaction and pointed towards the north section of the forest.
"She ran, that 's why, you can use the blood traces to reach her.
But be aware…many more scarrier predators have sniffed the blood"
My fist clenched and I walked towards the direction she pointed at.
She only smirked seeing how fearless I made my way towards Vernon.
I picked my pace, sweat building on my back, I should reach Vernon. And the sooner the better.
Soon I slowed down. In front of me was a cave, its entrance was huge enough to dwarf many buildings back in the tribe.
I looked down in the ground and the blood trace was leading inside the cave.
I followed the blood trace going inside, the light started dimming, until I found the female Vernon trembling in the corner.
I sighed, "thank god the smell didn't spread" but after just a moment, I heard footsteps coming from the cave entrance.
I ran and hid behind a huge rock and looked at the source of the sound.
The lion is as large as a warhorse. Its body is thick with muscle and covered in scars.
The mane is dirty and stiff with dried blood. Its mouth holds long, broken fangs, and saliva drips as it breathes.
One eye is missing; the other glows faintly. It stands still and watches, ready to attack.
The lion walked toward Vernon at a slow, steady pace. She was injured and could not move.
The cave was quiet except for its footsteps. It lowered its head and bit down.
I heard bones crack as it fed, the sound sharp and final inside the cave. Vernon did not scream for long.
I froze where I stood. My body refused to move. My stomach tightened, and my hands shook as I watched.
I knew if the lion noticed me, I would be next. I stayed silent, barely breathing, unable to look away and unable to help.
I stayed frozen, my hands shaking, heart pounding, as I watched Vernon's life end before me.
And in that moment, I understood more than ever why I needed power: to never be helpless again, to protect those I cared about, no matter what stood in my way.
The lion finished and stood still for a moment, then turned and walked out of the cave.
Its footsteps faded into the distance.
I remained there until I was certain it was gone.
Then I stepped forward. What was left of Vernon lay on the cave floor. I felt a sharp sense of relief when I saw her head was still intact.
I knelt down, then separated her head from the body, and secured it.
I did not hesitate. When I was done, I turned away from the cave and began the walk back to Aria.
Seeing me walking back to her with the Vernon head she smiled wildly, "You really did it. Alright, let's walk to a private space so I can hear your idea."
We moved farther away. It didn't take long before we reached a quiet spot by the river, hidden among the trees.
The water flowed gently over the stones. Aria rested her spear against a tree and looked at me.
"Alright. We're alone now. Speak your offer."
I took a deep breath.
"Orcs aren't harassing you for fun," I said. "They need resources and slaves. Your tribe has both."
Aria listened carefully.
"And any place the Orcs go becomes barren," I continued "You already know that."
She clicked her tongue. "Obviously."
"So we can use that," I added.
She raised a brow. "Use what, exactly?"
"Their stupidity to our advantage," I said.
I pointed behind her toward the dark mountain on the horizon, smoke rising from its top.
"We could spread a rumor to the Orcs saying we found resources there that could support goblins for a full year."
"The volcano?" she blinked, tilting her head.
"Yes. And once they go there to check, we push them from behind."
"So they get cooked alive."
Hearing that, she burst out laughing , a loud, genuine laugh holding her stomach.
"You're insane," she said between breaths.
"And unique. Honestly, I've never seen a kobold think like that." She said, leaning closer and brushing my arm. "I like this plan…"
Alright, that escalated quickly.
Then she stepped forward and poked my chest.
"You're coming with me, my father needs to hear this from you. I want to see his reaction meeting you."
"What, right now?"
"Yes," she said firmly.
Before I could argue, she grabbed my arm and pulled me with her. Her grip was iron-tight.
Her squad saw us walking together and their jaws dropped, with expressions that said, "What does that kobold do to our boss?"
I didn't even bother looking at them.
As we headed toward the goblin tribe, a ding echoed in my mind:
[System Notice: Once they accept your plan, you may deliver the goods. Completing this delivery will complete your quest.]
You will be rated. And If they give you 5 stars, you will receive the highest-quality rewards.