He walked out of the inn, fingers lazily scrolling through the floating blue interface.
[Quest: Entrance Exam Preparation – Complete]
Objective: Raise at least one stat from F to C within 30 days.
Failure Condition: Death.
Time Remaining: 5 days.
Cane stared at it, lips tightening.
"…So that's how it works," he muttered. "Doesn't matter how many stats hit C... As long as at least one does—within thirty days."
He tilted his head.
"So the timer's still running... because it's not about finishing early. It's about having one C-ranked stat when the deadline ends."
[That was obvious from the start, stupid Cane.]
Cane groaned, massaging his temples. "It's hard to focus when you see the writing 'die' okay."
[Excuses, excuses. Maybe if you read instead of panic-sprinting through your quest list like a headless goblin, you'd catch these things.]
He kept walking his usual path toward the forest. The road was the same as always: patches of grass trampled by cartwheels, the dirt uneven from recent rain.
The market tents near the trailhead stood eerily quiet.
Normally this area bustled with chatter, coin, and the smell of overripe fruit. Now… half the stalls were closed. The rest? Untended, their produce left to wilt.
He slowed as he passed the familiar apple cart. This time, there was no cheerful voice, no shy greeting from the girl, just a profound silence and a canvas half-draped over sagging baskets. Cane frowned at the sight, then heard a voice behind him.
"Oh—ah, apologies, young man!" An older man with sunken eyes and a pale, sleepless face rushed over. "Didn't mean to leave the stall."
"You're fine," Cane said. "I just wanted to buy some apples."
"R-right. Of course, one moment—"
The man began picking through what was still good.
Cane reached for his pouch, thinking to buy a full basket… then stopped.
Bronze. A few silver.
[Congratulations. You are now officially poorer than the average rat.]
Cane sighed and settled for a small handful instead.
As the vendor tied them up in a cloth pouch, Cane asked, "Hey… wasn't your daughter usually here?"
The man froze, his hands shaking slightly. When he finally spoke, his voice was so soft, as if heavy with a great burden.
"...She didn't come back," he said. "Went out on a delivery. North side of town. Two nights ago."
The air around them felt colder, as if frozen by grief. The man said nothing more, and Cane didn't press him. Cane understood that everything had been said in that heavy silence.
He accepted the pouch silently and turned walking away toward the woods without another word.
[You're quiet, stupid Cane.]
He didn't answer. He just keep walking.
Then, after a long stretch of silence, he stopped and let out a slow breath. "...I'm not thinking about it."
[You're not thinking about the apple girl's father, who just watched you leave like a man whose whole world caved in?]
Cane turned his face forward. "No. I'm not."
"…What good would it do? I have one job—get strong. Or I die. That's it."
But just as he reached the deeper treeline, a sharp ping echoed in the air. A blue window blinked to life before him.
[New Mission Available: Choose One Path]
Rescue the missing townspeople.
Reward: None.
or
Eliminate 50 Goblins.
Reward: Raise one stat to Rank C.
Cane stared at it. Then, slowly, his brow furrowed. "…Are you screwing with me?"
[What are you mad about now? This is a good thing.]
"You gave me a mission that helps me, and paired it with one that gives me nothing. What's that supposed to be?"
[You're the one who said you wouldn't help anyone again, remember?]
[Shouldn't be hard to pick. Just kill goblins and take the prize.]
Cane's fists clenched.
His mind raced back to the words he'd said at the start. His vow to stop throwing his life away for strangers.
[So? What'll it be? One option gives you a stat. The other gives you… what? A grave and a thank-you?]
Cane trembled, then a yell of pure rage tore from his throat. "AAGHHH!!" He marched forward with a heavy stomp.
"You're right. There's only one choice." His face stiffened and his voice was flat as he turned down the goblin trail.
"Let's go hunt."
The forest of Kael stretched endlessly under the pale morning light, dew still clinging to the leaves as four adventurers made their way along the old trail. The moss-covered stones beneath their boots marked the path past the ruins, now quiet behind them. Kael, the leader of the group, moved with calm precision.
They were following instructions from the guild receptionist who'd directed them toward a suspected goblin encampment. It was quiet at first, too quiet. But then came the rustle of movement and the stench of unwashed goblins.
A small band of them emerged from the brush, snarling and reckless. They didn't last long. Kael's party moved in fluid, practiced coordination. Blades slashed, arrows flew, and magic pulsed. Within moments, the enemies were reduced to lifeless heaps.
The brown hair man among them scoffed, wiping his blade. "This is barely sport. Goblins are nothing but training dummies for kids."
The woman with twin daggers slid one back into its sheath, eyeing him with a smirk. "You say that now, but I remember you struggling against one with a spoon three years ago."
"What?! That goblin was cheating, and that spoon was cursed," he shot back.
"Sure it was," she replied, rolling her eyes.
Their bickering was cut short by the archer behind them a tall, composed woman with a longbow slung across her back. "Enough. Honestly, you two bicker more than siblings."
She turned toward Kael. "Still, it does feel nostalgic... this forest. Remember when we used to train here?"
Kael gave a small smile. "Yeah. You and I could barely lift our swords back then."
The group chuckled lightly, their earlier tension eased by the shared memory.
That moment didn't last long.
A sudden rustle came from a dense thicket nearby. All four turned in unison, weapons drawn and senses alert.
Kael raised a hand. "Prepare to engage."
But instead of goblins, two human figures emerged, hands raised high.
"Wait, wait! Don't attack we're just beginner adventurers!" the young man shouted.
Kael lowered his blade slightly but kept his guard up. "Names. Now. And why are you coming from the direction of the goblin king's territory?"
The boy hesitated, then answered. "My name's Elric. And this is Rika." He motioned to the girl beside him, who carried a staff and looked winded but determined.
Rika nodded politely, eyes glancing warily at the drawn weapons. "We're not enemies."
Elric stepped forward slightly, his voice calmer now. "We were scouting. There's a cave just ahead deep enough to hide a village, and… we think that's where the missing villagers are being kept."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "That's a dangerous assumption to act on. Why risk yourselves?"
Before Elric could answer, Rika spoke first. "Because I don't want anyone else to get hurt." Her voice was soft, but there was something firm beneath it. "We've already failed once. I won't let it happen again."
Her eyes shimmered, holding a mix of sorrow and guilt.
Elric picked up from her pause. "Back at the ruins, we were saved by someone. A guy, probably the same age as me. He helped us survive, but... he fell into a pit saving Rika. We don't even know if he's alive."
His voice wavered slightly, but he forced himself to continue. "Since that day, we've been trying to live up to what he showed us. We want to be better. Do better."
Kael's expression softened. He stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Elric's head.
"You're still young, but your heart's in the right place. The world needs more adventurers like you. But this mission's dangerous. Too dangerous."
He stepped back and looked at the group. "You should return to the city."
"No," Rika said, stepping forward with clenched fists. "I want to help. I may not be strong, but I can support you guys."
Kael's party exchanged uncertain looks.
"Don't be foolish," the dagger-wielding woman said. "We're not talking about regular goblins. We're facing a Goblin King's force trained, armed, and coordinated. This isn't a rescue party it's war."
Elric spoke up again, voice stronger. "Even so, we want to help. We don't expect to be on the frontlines. Just… let us do something. Anything."
Kael watched them for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. But on one condition you two stay hidden during the battle. Focus only on getting the villagers out. Leave the fighting to us."
A visible wave of relief washed over their faces. "Understood," Rika said, her voice firm. "We won't get in your way."
Kael nodded once more. Then, turning toward the trees, he spoke firmly. "Let's move. We've got a king to dethrone."
The six of them began their march toward the darkened cave ahead.