Walking back with Val beside me, I kept glancing at the glowing panel floating quietly above my hand.
It wasn't disappearing, so I tapped it lightly with my claw.
A line popped up.
[System Tutorial Available. Open?]
I rolled my eyes. "Finally."
I hit yes.
The system reacted instantly, its voice neutral and almost bored.
[Delivery System: Explanation Mode Activated]
Great. A talking panel.
[This system's focus is delivery. The user will receive quests primarily related to transporting goods, items, or resources.]
"So I'm a delivery kobold now," I muttered.
Val looked at me. "What?"
"Nothing. Talking to myself."
The system continued.
[Current range: Local World Only.
Future range: Multiversal Delivery once the user reaches required strength.]
My steps slowed.
"…Multiversal? Like… other worlds?"
[Correct.]
Okay. I had to admit that part was cool. Really cool.
A kobold stepping through worlds with packages like some unstoppable courier? That was a title worth having.
The system didn't stop.
[Receivers may rate your service. Higher ratings increase the quality of future rewards.]
"So I'm graded now," I said with a sigh. "Perfect."
[Some deliveries have no deadline, such as your current quest. However, special deliveries may require completion within a time limit.]
Everything was simple enough. Deliver stuff. Don't die. Get good ratings. Become stronger. The usual.
I absorbed the info quietly until the forest thinned out and the trees gave way to open fields.
A large camp appeared before us, wide, bustling, and loud.
Our clan.
Small kobold pups chased each other between tents, yapping and laughing.
Adults were sharpening weapons, sorting fruits, chatting in groups. The air had the usual mix of smoke, cooked meat, and dust.
It felt… warm.
Comfortable.
My chest tightened for a moment. The original Ragnar must've loved this place.
I could feel it.
Val walked ahead proudly, waving his massive arm.
"We're back!"
A few kobolds turned. When they saw me, their expressions softened. Relief. Surprise.
One of the older hunters let out a long breath.
"At least the brat didn't become wolf food…"
I smirked. "Thanks for the confidence."
At the camp entrance stood the chief, an older kobold with deep scars on his muzzle and heavy stone-like scales.
Beside him stood his wife and daughter.
The wife was the first to move.
"Ragnar, dear, are you alright?" she asked, stepping closer.
I had to focus to keep my eyes on her face. She was… well, hot for a kobold.
Curvy body, tight cloth wrapped around her chest and hips, just barely enough to stay in the "village modesty" range.
Her scales were smooth, her posture confident, but she wasn't acting flirtatious. Just naturally attractive.
She looked at me the same way a caring aunt would.
"I heard you went missing last night," she said. "We were worried. You're always so polite… We thought something bad happened."
I nodded calmly. "I'm fine. Just… lost my way back in the dark."
It was the only answer that wouldn't cause more questions.
Her daughter stood behind her, arms crossed. She had sharper features than her mother, slim waist, and intense eyes. Also hot, but in a dangerous, picky way.
She sniffed. "You shouldn't walk alone at night."
I shrugged. "I learned that the hard way."
The chief watched me with his usual stern face. "Good. As long as you're alive. Go rest. We'll talk later."
Val walked past them, dragging me along by the arm. We reached one of the sturdier tents, our home.
Inside, a single kobold woman sat at the wooden table, peeling fruit.
Aunty.
Not our blood relative, but the one who raised us when our parents were gone.
She had a gentle look, rounder tail, softer expression. Not flashy like the chief's wife, but comforting in a warm, motherly way.
Her eyes shot up the moment she saw me.
"Ragnar!"
She stood immediately.
I didn't wait. I moved first, stepping forward and hugging her tightly.
"I'm fine," I said. "Nothing happened. I promise."
Her arms wrapped around me in return, squeezing with that mix of relief and anger only a mother figure can have.
"You scared me," she said. "Both of you."
Val scratched his head, embarrassed.
I pulled away gently and sat down. My eyes automatically flicked to the system panel still hovering.
The quest was still the same.
Deliver 30 Valva to the Goblin Clan.
But something caught my attention, a new line at the bottom.
[Items Prepared: 30 Valva]
The system had already handled the preparation. So I only needed to solve the real issue.
The goblins' problem with the orcs.
And then deliver the fruits to them.
But to do that… I needed contact. Someone who actually mattered on the goblin side.
The memory clicked again.
The goblin chief has a daughter.
She handled negotiations in their clan.
Smart, tough, respected.
And if I wanted the delivery done, she was the first one I had to reach.
I leaned back, claws tapping the table slowly.
Val looked at me. "What are you thinking now?"
I smirked slightly.
"A delivery."
He blinked. "Already?"
"Yeah."
Aunty frowned. "Ragnar, you just got home."
"I know. But I have something important to do."
My eyes drifted to the forest edge.
The goblin village was close, just across the river.
If I wanted rewards… if I wanted that evolution chance… if I wanted strength…
I needed to make that first move.
"And to do that," I muttered, mouth curling into a determined grin, "I need to talk to the goblin chief's daughter."