Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Kobold Hunt
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ㅡGek, gegek...
A kobold with its head smashed in collapsed, spilling brains everywhere.
It was truly lightning-fast strike. Seeing Elise's crisp movements, it was clear this wasn't her first or second time delivering such a brutal punch.
Elise was a professional butcher.
A proper monster slaughterer at that.
"You fucking dogshit bastards!"
The other two kobolds realized the gravity of the situation and tried to flee, but I lunged out and grabbed one by the scruff of its neck like it was just learning to walk.
Then I jammed my knife between its ribs. My blade tore through the kobold's soft flesh and burrowed inside. The tip reached its heart.
ㅡKyugagagak!
The thing screamed and thrashed with all its might, but with its heart pierced, even a monster boasting survival instincts superior to wild animals was done for. I twisted the blade a few times, and it went limp right away.
"Sister! That one's getting away!"
I kicked the dead kobold's chest to yank my knife free, then unleashed a full-force flying kick (Taekwondo 3rd dan) at the next target. But I missed by a hair and faceplanted. Fuck.
"With the Radiant One comes the Lord!"
That's when Elise chanted her prayer.
"Light Bolt!"
ㅡShwoong!
ㅡPuk!
Unlike my flailing, Elise successfully subdued the kobold with her holy spell. A orb of light gathered at the tip of her morningstar, then shot out like a two-pound shot and nailed the kobold in the waist.
"Holy shit, that was badass! Sister!"
A cry of admiration burst out at the awesome sight.
ㅡKuguk...!
The kobold that had been sprinting gleefully rolled across the ground from the impact of the Light Bolt and tried to crawl away, but Elise showed no mercy. She swung her raised morningstar in a sharp arc, crushing its neck vertebrae.
ㅡGehk!
No need to say it—it dropped dead on the spot.
"Whew, nothing to it."
Elise caught her breath, shook off her morningstar, and spoke. Blood dripped from the mace's head like syrup, but her expression was utterly refreshed. It was like killing monsters relieved her stress.
"Hmm, but doesn't look like there's anything worth taking."
I gathered the kobold corpses in one spot.
The ones smashed to bits had nothing on them.
Unless it was a goblin or something with a bit of intelligence, you couldn't expect drop items from regular mobs. These kobolds didn't even know how to use tools, so they never carried anything useful.
"Aw, man."
We fought hard and got nothing? Pure loss. Honestly, unless the guild put out a cull request to thin their numbers, no one would bother with these. Her request was unusual.
As I pondered where to dump the bodies, Elise suddenly drew a dagger from her ankle sheath.
"Whoa, why are you slicing those up?"
She started carving off the dead kobolds' noses like ham slices and stuffing them into her pouch.
Just the two she'd killed herself. As far as I knew, kobolds had no use beyond their hides. A hobby? Some adventurers were like that—psychos obsessed with trophies.
I didn't know her well, but maybe she was one of those types too. Can't judge people by looks or spending habits. These days, this kinda thing fell under individuality. Ubiquity era and all. Respect personal tastes.
"What's the point?"
"Oh, these are for offerings. Since I killed them with my own hands, I have to process them myself. Our god will be pleased."
"Oh man. Who knew? Sounds pretty epic."
A religious ritual, apparently.
Adventurers often salvaged useful parts from monster corpses, but no one sliced off useless bits for fun. Made sense if it was doctrine.
Elise continued.
"By slaying evil monsters and offering their souls to our god, we purify the world's filth. Someday, paradise will descend."
"I... see."
Seemed like Radiant Cross Society teachings.
I wasn't big on religion, so whatever the reason, I didn't care.
"Anyway, easy opponents, Sister. Probably 'cause they were out in the open."
These kobolds were way simpler than the ones inside dungeons. These little [Kobold Workers] were weaker than humans one-on-one, but in a dungeon, they swarmed from all sides like nightmares.
Drop your torch or lose your mage's light in their cramped burrows, and you're dead meat.
They had shit eyesight but insane smell and hearing for navigating their tunnels.
That's why I never did kobold dungeons. Nearly died once before.
"Anyway, shall we head where those guys were fleeing? Bet there's something that way. They instinctively bolt toward their pack when running."
"Is that so? Sounds reasonable. We'll do as you say, Katt."
We shoved the bodies into a corner and headed that way. Both had fled the same direction, so something was definitely there. No way these retards scattered to confuse us in a crisis.
"Bushes."
We reached an area thick with bushes up to my chest. Elise started to plunge right in, so I grabbed her shoulder.
"Sister, let's go around. Dangerous in there."
"Got it."
Something always hid in spots like that. Small, low movers. No goblins or knolls with kobolds nearby, but still creepy.
We skirted the bushes, tracked footprints here and there, and kept going. Dense trees hid the sun, but it felt past noon now.
Getting late.
ㅡGyusat. Gyusat.
Then I spotted a kobold walking ahead.
Elise's eyes lit up.
"Let's kill it first."
"Yes, Sister."
We followed it like moths to a flame and backstabbed the poor thing.
Sounds like psycho serial killers, but there was reason.
"Sister? What's this?"
"Very ominous markings."
The kobold with the cracked skull wore a weird hood-like thing. Never heard of kobolds wearing anything. Dumb monsters covered in hides and fur, no concept of clothes.
The hood had a crude but eerie symbol painted in what looked like blood-red paint. Gave me the fucking chills.
"I'll hold onto it."
"Yeah... you take it, Sister. Freaks me out."
Obviously cursed, so I handed it off. Not like I'd blow my nose with it.
Following the kobold's path, the surroundings suddenly darkened. Looking up, thick tree canopy blocked the sun completely.
"Katt. Big trouble."
Elise checking the map looked grave.
"Huh? Trouble?"
"Honestly, no idea where we are."
"Fuck, we're screwed. Yeah, I had a feeling. Haha."
Truth was, I'd sensed it earlier. Totally lost. We'd wandered too far. But I remembered the way back roughly, so no biggie.
Happens once in a while. Not too deep, we'd find our way. Think positive.
That priest who gave me bread once said fate's set from birth, just go with the flow. Recall that in jams—doesn't fix shit, but calms you.
"What the fuck? Katt. Been wondering— what's 'amchang' mean?"
Your mom's a whore.
"Adventurer slang for 'awesome.' Like, super cool."
"I see. But more importantly, aren't we lost...?"
We are, girl.
Elise looked uneasy. She seemed more competent, but I was older. First time lost? At her age, buy some hardship. Good experience.
"Let's finish the job first. Look over there anyway."
Seemed like we'd reached the goal. Weird noises lately.
"Smoke? Fire?"
"Looks like a bonfire. Let's go."
Smoke rose in the distance. Not huge, but clearly someone had a fire going.
Approaching, yep.
"Shh."
I covered Elise's mouth with a finger and whispered.
"Sister. That it?"
Elise nodded faintly.
It was straight-up pagan idol worship. Dozens of kobolds had used teeth and nails to haul mud, shape it, stack stones and sticks. A severed kobold head topped it like a Christmas star. Kinda nice.
Blind folks prepping Christmas?
Couldn't see, but they made it good.
A flag hung there too—fresh leather, probably from a recently skinned kobold. The head's owner? Live sacrifices now?
Felt Cortes roaring. Aztecs reincarnate or what?
"Looks like it."
The hide had the same symbol as the hood, in red blood. Confirmed.
"Smash that and grab the flag?"
"Seems so."
We're fucked.
More culty than expected. Weirder. And way more kobolds.
"Can't we just steal the flag?"
"No."
I stared into Elise's eyes pleadingly. She looked away. But this was overkill, so I grabbed her shoulders.
"Sister, think. Even if we smash it, we can't kill all those kobolds. A few survive, they rebuild after we leave?"
"Still..."
"Rebuild, smash or not—same thing. Stealing the symbol matters more. My take."
I conveyed it firmly. Elise hesitated, sighed deeply.
"Katt. Don't tempt me to fail."
Figured. Over 20 kobolds—two of us couldn't wipe 'em.
"But logical. We'll steal the flag."
"Nah, Sister gets it. You're next-gen talent."
"Talent?"
Elise grinned. Flattery works if done right. Life wisdom. Churches like armies—some overlap.
"Set a fire, knock a few out, grab flag and bolt."
Solid plan, even by me.
"Arson’s mine."
I scouted escape routes first. Underestimated kobolds a bit, but no issue. All workers. Cold calc: I could handle five solo. Hence the plan.
Kobolds had no weapons beyond claws and teeth en masse, but Quilted Armor blocked that, and their size let me kill easy.
"Good, Sister. I'll charge, wreck shit. Torch the idol when you see an opening."