The Adventurers' Guild was bustling when Izaru stepped in. The place smelled of sweat, ink, and roasted meat drifting in from the tavern across the hall. Warriors in dented armor lounged on benches, bragging about near-death escapes. Mages huddled in corners with parchment, muttering incantations and equations. And at the center of it all, behind a counter stacked with forms, sat the ever-patient receptionist, Lily.
Her eyes lit up when she saw him."Izaru, back again? Looking for work?"
He gave her a nod, calm but firm. "Yeah. Got something for me?"
"The usual for a rookie," she corrected, sliding over a parchment. "There are herb-collecting jobs, monster culling in the outskirts… low-risk, low-pay. Safe."
Izaru pushed the paper back without even looking. "Not interested."
Lily sighed through her nose, pinching the bridge of it. She'd dealt with stubborn adventurers before, but Izaru was in a league of his own. He didn't even carry a sword—only his fists, wrapped in crimson gauntlets that gleamed like fire under the guildhall lamps. His boots, lined in silver, clicked against the wooden floor. He looked more like someone who'd punch the quest board off the wall than politely accept a paper from it.
"Then what are you interested in?" she asked, already dreading the answer.
"Something strong." His eyes narrowed, voice as steady as stone. "High rank. The kind you think I can't handle. Simply, something worth punching in the face."
The guildhall quieted. A few adventurers chuckled from their tables."High rank, huh? Rookie's got guts.""Guts or no brain. Let's place bets on how long he lasts."
Lily bit her lip, then leaned closer, lowering her voice. "If I give you something like that and you die, the guild takes the blame. You'll need a team, at least three—"
"No team," Izaru cut in, his tone final. "Just me."
Silence stretched for a beat. Then, with another heavy sigh, Lily slid out a crimson-sealed parchment from the back shelf. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."(She pouted, actually. Puffing her cheeks. Because this stubborn guy won't listen to her at all. Cute.)
Izaru took it. The quest was simple on paper but deadly in practice:
Slay ten Ironhide Ogres in the Stonefang Ravine.
High-ranked, armoured brutes the size of houses, their skin harder than steel. Even seasoned adventurers avoided them unless they had siege weapons.
Izaru smirked. "Perfect."
The ravine was silent except for the crunch of his boots against the gravel. The air was dry, filled with the copper scent of old battles. Broken blades and shattered shields littered the cliffsides, trophies of the monsters that called this place home.
A guttural roar echoed through the rocks. The first ogre lumbered into view, towering over Izaru like a fortress of muscle and stone-plated hide. Its tusks gleamed, and its footsteps cracked the ground.
"Are monsters attracted to me or something? I'm pretty sure I don't reek of monster blood. I washed up at the inn yesterday."
Izaru tightened his fists inside the Crimson Wolf's Gauntlets. Energy surged down his arms, the steel hungry for impact.
"Alright," he muttered. "Time to punch some ugly faces in the face. That wasn't funny at all."
The ogre swung its club, a trunk-sized weapon that could flatten boulders. Izaru didn't dodge—he stepped in. His gauntleted fist met the swing head-on. The shockwave cracked the ground beneath him, the sheer force rattling the cliffs. The club splintered into jagged shards. The ogre froze in shock.
Izaru's second punch landed in its gut. A sound like thunder cracked across the ravine as the beast's armoured hide buckled inward. The ogre lifted off its feet and slammed into the rock wall, leaving a crater big enough to bury a wagon.
It didn't get back up.
By the time the sun dipped low, the ravine was littered with broken bodies. Ten ogres. Ten fallen giants. Izaru stood among them, gauntlets steaming from the heat of his blows, boots dusted with shattered stone.
His breathing was steady, calm. No injuries. Not even a scratch.
The only sound was the wind howling between the cliffs.
Izaru turned slowly. He felt a presence. Not monsters. Not humans. Something else.
"Quick to act, isn't he?" Izaru said while smirking. "Come on out. You can't hide from me. Not this killing intent."
Then they came out from hiding. Not humans, not monsters, but-