Location: Otherworlders Continent | 5th Zone Jakartha City.
Current Date: Year 24,991 | 4th Month Ignara | Day 9.
The early morning breeze whispered through the sprawling city of Jakartha, carrying with it the scent of dew-kissed cobblestone and blooming wildflowers. The sun crept over the horizon, its golden rays slicing through the remnants of night like gentle blades of light. Shadows retreated as warmth spilled across the rooftops, painting the city in hues of amber and gold.
Inside a modest two-story house nestled at the edge of a bustling district, the first light filtered through linen curtains, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. The glow touched everything, faded wood floors, iron-framed windows, and the quiet souls within with a whisper of freshness… and hope.
Chirp-chirp… chirp!
Outside, birds sang with lively voices, heralding a new beginning. Their songs wove seamlessly with the muffled chatter of early risers and the distant creak of opening shops.
The comforting sizzle of eggs on a hot skillet filled the kitchen, joined by the warm aroma of freshly baked bread. The sound of a kettle's soft whistle hissed in the background. Jack sat slouched at the dining table, his hair tousled, eyes still heavy with sleep.
Across from him sat James, chewing methodically, his expression carved in stone. Always unreadable. Always distant. Yet his presence was grounding.
Emma slid a plate before Jack, her movements light and graceful. "Morning, sleepyhead," she teased with a smile.
"Mom, give me my breakfast too,"Sofia said with a happy smile.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the hall tap, tap, tap and Ava entered, brushing her platinum-blonde hair behind one ear, eyes sparkling with confidence. "You ready?" she asked with a bright grin that held just a hint of mischief.
Jack met her gaze and smiled. That familiar thrum of excitement stirred in his chest, like the hum of a distant storm. "Let's head to the Guild."
---
CLINK!
SCRAPE!
STEP!
Chairs solid back. Boots thudded against the wooden floor. In a matter of moments, the team stepped outside where their flying boat hovered, its polished hull catching the morning sun. Arcane runes carved into its frame pulsed with a soft, bluish glow hum-hum-hummm like the breath of a living creature.
They climbed aboard with practiced ease, the wind tousling their hair as Ava gripped the helm.
"Hold on," she said with a playful smirk.
WHOOSH!
The boat leapt forward, slicing through the sky like a bird loose from its cage. Wind roared past their ears, whipping capes and rattling buckles, as Jakartha stretched out beneath them a sea of roofs, towers, markets, and streets alive with motion. From this height, the city looked like a living painting, each district a stroke of color and chaos.
Then
Jack leaned over the railing, narrowing his eyes. "Is that…?"
As they approached the Adventurer's Guild, a strange, peculiar sight awaited them. Something that shouldn't be there.
-------
WOOSH!
The flying boat cut through the clouds before descending like a hawk into the heart of Jakartha City.
THUMP!
The vessel landed with a light jolt in the plaza before the Adventurer's Guild, its runes pulsing softly as the wind kicked up a swirl of dust and leaves.
Jack stepped down, his boots hitting the cobbled ground with a solid clack and immediately, he was swallowed by the chaos.
Clang! Clatter! Raaawr!
The plaza teemed with adventurers of all ages and professions. Warriors clad in steel armor adjusted their greatswords. Mages in flowing robes whispered incantations under their breath. Beasts summoned for battle, snarling wolves, shimmering hawks, even a stone-skinned boar added their wild energy to the air.
The air buzzed with excitement and tension. Voices overlapped in a storm of speculation and strategy.
It felt less like a gathering and more like a prelude to war.
Jack's brows furrowed. "What's going on? It's… way more crowded than usual."
James scanned the scene, his expression sharp. "Let's ask around."
The group split briefly, speaking to nearby adventurers, returning only moments later with the same answer:
"The Goblin Den," Emma said, still processing it. "It's today. The Guild is clearing it out."
Ava's golden brows raised. "Already? That was fast." She folded her arms, cloak billowing slightly in the breeze. "Guess the Guild wanted to strike before the infestation spread."
Jack turned toward the Quest Board, where a massive, freshly pinned parchment flapped in the breeze.
FLAP-FLAP-FLAP
He stepped forward, reading the bold, inked letters:
---
URGENT QUEST: GOBLIN DEN EXTERMINATION
Location: Jakartha Forest – Hidden Den
Objective: Eliminate all Goblin threats.
Reward: 50 Silver Coins per Adventurer
Warning: Sightings of a Goblin Shaman or Goblin Leader. High Risk.
---
Jack's eyes narrowed. He clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. That den… it was his report. Their discovery.
"I'm in," he said firmly, voice sharp as steel.
James turned, measuring him. "Are you sure about this?"
Jack looked back, resolute. "We started it. We should finish it."
Emma stepped beside him. "We found it. It's only right we help stop it before someone gets hurt."
Her voice was soft, but steady. No hesitation.
James smiled, a spark of thrill dancing in his eyes. "Then what are we waiting for?"
CREAK…
Jack's hand reached for the hilt of his weapon.
The hunt had begun.
--------
Clack… Clack… Clack…
Their footsteps echoed against the marble floor as Jack, Emma, and James marched toward the Guild's reception desk. The air inside the hall was charged with anticipation. Even the chandeliers above seemed to shimmer with tension.
Meanwhile Ava and Sofie waited for them at entrance of Adventure Guild as usual.
Behind the desk stood a composed Guild clerk, quill in hand, surrounded by the hum of scribbling papers and murmuring adventurers.
"We're signing up," Jack said.
The clerk nodded briskly, dipping his quill. "Names?"
One by one, their names were recorded in elegant script. Scratch, scratch, scratch…
"You're Group Three. Head to the staging area."
As more and more adventurers flowed in swords slung across backs, robes fluttering behind them, eyes burning with anticipation the list of names grew longer.
Fifty names. That was the final count.
The staging area, once a quiet training courtyard, now buzzed with barely restrained energy. A storm waiting to break.
Fierce-looking fighters adjusted their gauntlets. Mages whispered spell triggers beneath their breath, magical runes flickering along their sleeves. Archers strung their bows with practiced ease, while burly warriors pounded fists against chests to psych themselves up.
The air itself seemed to vibrate.
Twang!
A bowstring was tested.
Fwoosh!
A fireball spell flared for a brief moment before fading into the air.
Clang! Clank!
Weapons drawn and checked; shields lifted, armor locked in place.
Then, a booming voice cut through the hum of preparation.
"Alright!"
Everyone turned.
A towering man stepped forward, his muscles straining under a leather vest, a gleaming Guild Officer's badge pinned to his chest. His eyes scanned the crowd with the sharpness of a veteran.
"We've got our fifty. This is an official Guild extermination operation. No stragglers. No screw-ups. Ready yourselves, we move in five!"
A ripple of shouts and affirmations echoed across the courtyard.
"Let's do this!"
"Hear that, boys? Five minutes!"
"Sharpen your blades, lads, it's goblin season!"
Jack tightened the strap on his dagger. Emma checked her spell focus with eyes narrowed. James stood silent, still as stone, but the grip on his sword said everything.
The ground beneath their boots vibrated with motion as the assembled group moved in a steady, united march toward the looming Jakartha Forest, their formation casting long shadows in the rising sun.
The time for talk was over.
The hunt had begun.
The forest loomed ahead. Silent. Still. Watching.
But beneath that silence… something stirred.
A tension, thick and unseen, clung to the wind like an omen.
After nearly an hour of travel, the group of fifty adventurers halted at the designated point marked on the Guild's map.
And there it was The Goblin Den.
A gaping maw carved into the base of a moss-choked hill, hidden beneath a curtain of tangled vines and jagged rocks. It looked like the earth itself had split open to exhale the filth within.
From a distance, movement flickered.
Rustle… Snarl… Click-click…
Green-skinned, hunched goblins emerged from the shadows scuttling in and out of the cave, sharp eyes glinting beneath the trees. They brandished jagged, primitive weapons: rust-ridden daggers, bone-tipped spears, and clubs hacked from blackened wood.
The stench hit next like rotting carcasses soaked in wet soil and fermented blood.
"Hold your positions," the Guild representative commanded, raising a firm hand.
The squad halted instantly.
"Set up here. One hundred meters from the cave entrance. No sudden movements."
They obeyed. Like seasoned predators preparing an ambush, the adventurers dispersed into a loose semicircle, hiding behind thick trunks, jagged boulders, and low-hanging branches. Leaves rustled. Armor clinked softly.
Jack crouched behind a twisted oak, heart pounding in his chest.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
His eyes scanned the den, nerves taut like drawn strings.
The Guild rep continued, voice low but laced with iron:
"Listen closely. These aren't just pests. A den this old, this active, doesn't survive by accident."
He nodded toward the cave, eyes narrowing.
"There's a high chance of a Goblin Shaman masters of dark rituals and summoning magic… or worse…"
His voice dipped lower. "A Goblin King… or Queen. Highly intelligent. Brutally cunning. Commanders of the horde."
A shiver passed through the group. Even the most hardened warriors tensed.
The forest seemed to lean in closer, listening.
"If we don't slay their leader," he warned, "this is just a temporary fix. The goblins will return. Rebuild. Kill."
Clink!
He drew his sword, the steel gleaming dully in the filtered sunlight.
"Today" his voice rang out, sharp and final,
"We end goblins hear."
SHING!
The sound of blades being drawn swept across the forest like a chorus of steel.
Jack exhaled slowly, steadying himself. His fingers curled tightly around his dagger's hilt.
James stood beside him, eyes fixed forward, his sword resting on his shoulder. At his side, his tamed beast Ironfang, a hulking, wolf-like creature with steel-gray fur let out a low growl.
Grrrr…
Emma's grip on her staff tightened. Faint embers danced across the crystal at its tip, as if the magic within could sense the approaching bloodshed.
The air trembled.
The trees held their breath.
The extermination had begun.
---------
To Be Continued…!!