Chapter 77 Rusty Sword

Suzuka's gaze burned with a mix of fiery anger and deep pain as she locked eyes with the woman. Without uttering a single word, she closed the distance between them until their bodies were touching.

 She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she placed a trembling hand on her breast, her emotions threatening to overflow. Suddenly, Suzuka pushed the woman against the wall, her whole body pressed firmly against hers.

 She could feel the warmth of the other woman's body against hers, but it did little to quell the intense emotions coursing through her. Their faces were now less than an inch apart, and Suzuka's eyes bore into hers with a searing intensity. She watched every move the woman made with unwavering focus, her face almost touching hers.

The woman gasped in shock, but Suzuka didn't relent, Instead, she placed both of her arms on the wall, trapping the woman and preventing any escape. With every fiber of her being, Suzuka held her there, channeling all her pent-up emotions into this one powerful act.

 She wanted to scream, to let it all out, but she held back, forcing herself to remain composed. At that moment, Suzuka was fierce and intimidating.

The woman tried to plead with her, "Let go of me, please. I get it. I am sorry, okay! We will leave David alone, please. Don't hurt me." But Suzuka was not concerned with David. She was incensed that they had talked bad about Olivia, and she wasn't about to let it slide.

"I couldn't give a rat's ass about David," she snarled, her eyes flashing with malice. "You don't talk like that about Olivia or next time I will make you my bitch." Her voice was cold and menacing, leaving no room for doubt that she meant every word. To make the point across she kissed the woman on the cheek to show that she is not afraid to touch a woman.

Finally, she released the woman, and all of them scrambled as quickly as possible without saying a word back. Suzuka watched her go knowing that she had made her point loud and clear. No one talked about Olivia like that and got away with it.

Suzuka's heart was still racing as she stepped inside the guild building. Her intimidating aura and bloodlust were turning heads her way as she walked the hall. She had been on edge ever since the unsettling encounter in the alleyway earlier, but being surrounded by the familiar hustle of the guild made her feel a little bit better. As she made her way through the crowd, she caught sight of Lisanna, and a wave of relief washed over her.

Walking over to her friend, Suzuka smiled, grateful for the comfort of her company. They began chatting and sharing stories and updates on their lives. But despite the warmth of their conversation, Suzuka couldn't help but feel a nagging sense of unease. She knew she couldn't keep it bottled up any longer.

Finally, she took a deep breath and confided in Lisanna about the woman who had accosted her earlier. Though she left out the more delicate details and didn't mention any names. She couldn't help but wonder why someone would go to such lengths to make a point.

As she spoke, Suzuka felt a weight lifting from her shoulders. It was a relief to have someone to confide in, to share her fears and concerns with. And with Lisanna's support, she felt a renewed sense of mental strength.

The bustling atmosphere of the guild was palpable as adventurers stood in clusters, discussing their latest quests and strategies. Today, the guild was more lively than usual, with the usually half-empty hall almost at capacity. As Suzuka surveyed the scene, she turned to Lisanna and asked curiously, "What could be the reason for such a crowd of adventurers today? Is something important happening?"

Lisanna took a moment to brief Suzuka on the situation at hand. She explained the reason for the unusually high number of adventurers in the area. It was due to a recent threat that had been reported by the city scouts.

 According to their intel, a formidable army of goblins, roughly six hundred strong, was making its way through the territory. Fortunately, the ruler of Rockmine town had been made aware of this threat and had taken swift action. The royal knights had been mobilized to intercept the goblin army before they could cause any damage.

However, in order to ensure that no stragglers remained behind, a quest had been issued to all adventurers in the region to eliminate any and all goblin remnants. The reward for completing this task was a silver coin per head, a sum that had enticed many adventurers to flock to the area in the hopes of earning a substantial reward. 

While the situation was undoubtedly a serious one, Lisanna reassured Suzuka that there was no cause for concern as the town's defenses were more than capable of handling the situation.

Lisanna added to that, "But only those with the rank of rookie 3 or higher can take part in this quest. I am afraid I can't help you with this quest."

Suzuka understood and said, "No problem, Lisanna. I will be taking these gathering quests for today and get myself that title for alchemy shop discounts."

Lisanna handed Suzuka the maps with the locations marked, "I marked the locations with the richest ingredients for you, I hope this helps a little."

With a grateful smile, Suzuka turned to Lisanna and expressed her sincere thanks for the invaluable assistance she had provided, "Thank you Lisanna, this will be a great help, I will run now. See you soon, bye." And with that said, Suzuka set off on her quest.

Suzuka had a long list of herbs to gather, all critical ingredients for different potions. With an entrusted map in hand, she trekked through the dense forest, her sharp eyes scanning the underbrush for any sign of the elusive plants.

As the hours ticked by, Suzuka's focus remained unbroken. The golden sun began its descent towards the horizon, as she moved quickly from location to location, snatching up herbs. But as the sun's last rays of light began to fade. She still had several herbs left to collect, and darkness was fast approaching.

Suzuka continued on, trusting her keen night vision to guide her way. As she searched for the last few plants, the forest grew eerily quiet. Only the sound of her footsteps and the rustle of leaves underfoot broke the stillness.

Suddenly, a loud snap shattered the silence. Suzuka froze her senses on high alert. She turned towards the sound, and her eyes saw. A horde of goblins, poorly armed, was headed straight for her. She could see their beady eyes glinting in the dark, their long, sharp claws at the ready.

Suzuka crouched low, she peered out from behind the thick foliage of a small, verdant bush. She could hear the low growls of the approaching goblin horde, their raucous laughter, and the clanging of their makeshift weapons filling the air. 

Though they numbered no more than twenty, they presented a formidable sight, adorned in the tattered pelts of wild animals and brandishing sharp, splintered wooden sticks.

But it was the leader who caught Suzuka's attention, mounted atop a snarling hound and wielding a battered short sword that was as rusted as it was poorly maintained. His beady eyes glittered with malice as he barked orders to his minions, his cruel lips twisted in a wicked grin. 

Suzuka knew she could kill them all in one magic attack. But living with Bill for so long his thinking rubbed in on her, she tough to herself, "Where's the fun in that." 

As the horde of goblins trudged past the spot where Suzuka was hiding, she held her breath that they wouldn't notice her. But to her surprise, they came to an abrupt halt and began to sniff the air hungrily, as if they had caught the scent of something delicious. Sniffing the air like wild beasts on the hunt, their noses twitched and their beady eyes scanned the area. 

Then she saw the leader of the goblins step forward and inhale deeply. His beady eyes scanned the surroundings, and a moment later, he bellowed out in the guttural goblin language, "Franky smell woman! Delicious! Arghh! Find the woman! Now! Breed woman! More goblins!"

Unknown to Suzuka, the woman's scent was like a magnet to the goblin's race, stirring up their primal appetites. The hordes of goblins began to look for Suzuka's hiding spot, their eyes wild with hunger and their jaws drooling with anticipation. Suzuka couldn't understand goblin language so she didn't know what was going on, not that she cared. It was clear that the goblins were after her, why else would they stop?

 Suzuka cringed as she watched them drool and snarl, driven into a frenzy by the smell of...what? She couldn't tell.

The goblins began to scour the area, their beady eyes darting around in search of their prey. Suzuka peered through the dense foliage, the goblins were closing in, their twisted faces contorted in search of their elusive prey. With each passing moment, their cruel, snarling breaths grew closer, and Suzuka knew that she had to act.

She emerged from her hiding place and leaped into action. In a swift and deadly stroke, she sliced the leader and his hound in half, sending the goblins reeling in shock. But their hesitation was short-lived, as they soon regrouped and charged toward Suzuka with a ferocity that would have frightened most warriors.

Yet Suzuka was not like most warriors. With grace and precision that was nothing short of breathtaking, she unleashed a savage-like flurry of sword strikes, sending goblins tumbling to the ground one after another. Their feeble attempts to strike back were no match for Suzuka's brutality, and soon the clearing was littered with the lifeless bodies of her foes.

Suzuka stood amidst the carnage, her sword still humming with the energy of battle. She scanned the surrounding area, her senses on high alert for any other potential threats. But the only sounds she could hear were the distant rustle of leaves and the soft murmur of a nearby stream.

Satisfied that she was safe, at least for the time being, Suzuka took a moment to collect herself. She wiped her sword clean on the grass, sheathed it, and then stretched her limbs, feeling the ache of exertion in her muscles, "It would be nice to receive Dr. Jenkins's full body massage as he did in medical check-up, that would relax my tense muscles really good."

Suzuka carefully took her time to harvest the kill proof from the monster she had just vanquished. After ensuring that she had gathered every last one of it, she then turned her attention to collecting the herbs she needed for the quests. The moon was set high in the sky, casting a dim glow across the tranquil forest as she completed the gathering.

 However, her heart sank as she remembered that the hunters guild had already closed for the day. She realized that she would have to wait until tomorrow to turn in her hard-earned reward.

With a resigned sigh, Suzuka decided to make her way back to the Mystic Oasis Inn, where she had been staying for the past few days. The journey back was quiet, Suzuka felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over her as she soaked in the beauty of the starlit sky.

Upon arriving at the inn, Suzuka knew exactly what she needed after a long day gathering the herbs. She took the rusty short sword that the goblin leader had wielded and placed it carefully in her room. Then, she made her way to the hot springs to soak in the rejuvenating waters. The steam and warm water soothed her tired muscles, and she felt her worries and concerns slowly melt away.

After a long and refreshing soak, Suzuka made her way to her room to finally get much-needed rest. She allowed herself to sink into the soft embrace of the bed and drifted off to sleep.