Several days had passed since Luna arrived in this world, and it had been a completely new experience for her - demanding physical work followed by rigorous training, a few hours of sleep, and then repeating the process.
"If I were my past self, I would've given up by the second day," Luna laughed to herself as she swung her sword behind the inn. Strangely, she felt a sense of fulfillment as she tracked her progress through the system.
Luna didn't know what the minimum learning speed should be, but she felt she was progressing quickly. In just a few days, she had mastered the basics of attacking, defending, parrying, counterattacking, and footwork.
"Don't get arrogant. If applying these concepts in real combat were easy, people wouldn't train so hard," she reminded herself before resuming practice. Painful calluses formed on her hands, but she persisted.
To her surprise, during her second week in town, she saw the protagonist of this story—Goblin Slayer—entering the guild to report a completed goblin subjugation quest.
She observed him with interest, noticing the hushed whispers in the guild hall about him. People murmured things like, "How does someone who only hunts goblins reach Silver rank?" But they kept their voices low to avoid trouble.
"He seems to be alone for now, so the anime's main story hasn't started yet. Well, that's not a bad thing, I guess," Luna muttered to herself before returning to her work at the guild.
Dismantling monsters and preparing their meat was exhausting work. Every day, dozens of adventurers brought in monsters and animals in exchange for rewards, and the guild had to process them quickly to prevent spoilage.
"Cut here. Forest wolves have tough, flexible fur, but their joints are easy to slice," the guild butcher instructed her expertly, and Luna absorbed the knowledge like a sponge, imagining it would be useful later.
She also began visiting the guild's library to study monsters and herbs, though most books only provided basic references. If she wanted to learn how to hunt a specific monster, she'd have to ask an experienced adventurer.
Fortunately, the guild receptionist helped mediate introductions, allowing Luna to meet several adventurers and make connections. A few Bronze-ranked parties even invited her to join hunts, but she politely declined, saying she wasn't ready yet.
One month later
Luna smiled as she walked toward one of the town's blacksmiths, a hefty bag of coins jingling in her hand. She had decided to buy equipment for her first hunt.
The techniques taught by the system included archery, throwing knives, and stealth—apparently, the system considered them extensions of swordsmanship, which helped Luna greatly.
Now that she had mastered the basics of swordsmanship, movement, and other essentials, she almost felt ready for her first subjugation. After some haggling and explaining the details to the blacksmith, she successfully ordered a short bow, a few kunai, a small dagger, and a set of light leather armor.
The blacksmith said they'd be ready in a few days, so Luna decided to look for a party to join for her first hunt. To her surprise, when she entered the guild, she saw something very familiar—the small group of adventurers who traumatized many anime viewers during their first goblin hunt.
A young swordsman and two girls were approaching the rookie Priestess, inviting her on a goblin subjugation mission.
"Should I warn them?" Luna wondered but quickly dismissed the idea. She knew they wouldn't listen to her—especially since she was still Porcelain rank. All she'd gain by warning them was their resentment.
Turning away, she instead approached the receptionist to check for suitable subjugation requests and any recruiting parties.
"Finally going on your first hunt?" the receptionist asked in surprise before pulling out a few requests.
"There are plenty of sewer rat extermination quests. I think that's a good opportunity for you. As for groups, most Porcelain-ranked adventurers have already left on goblin hunts. Their numbers have increased recently, so there are many requests on the board."
Luna thought for a moment.
"Tell me, is Goblin Slayer looking for party members?" she asked curiously.
The receptionist gave her a strange look. "Are you sure? He's... a bit eccentric."
But Luna didn't mind and just smiled in response.
A few hours later, Goblin Slayer arrived at the guild, and the receptionist introduced them.
"Hello, Sir Goblin Slayer. I'm a new adventurer and was wondering if I could join your party. Would that be possible?" Luna asked timidly.
There was a moment of silence.
As the scent in the air hit her, Luna understood why other adventurers spoke poorly of him. His armor reeked of wild, musky odors, and his equipment looked like a patchwork of salvaged parts. Yet, she could also sense their practicality.
"What can you do?" the man asked bluntly.
Luna briefly explained that she was a swordsman with some reconnaissance skills. She didn't dare boast, knowing Goblin Slayer operated on pure logic—he'd assign her a role fitting her abilities.
After some more discussion, the receptionist informed Goblin Slayer about the rookie party that had left earlier for a goblin hunt. He thought for a moment before turning back to Luna.
"I'd like to see your skills. Accompany me today." His tone was calm.
Luna hesitated but ultimately agreed. Even though she knew the goblin nest they were heading to was dangerous, the man in front of her was a professional. The risks, even without proper equipment, shouldn't be too high.
"Alright, I'll go with you."
And so, after borrowing a standard set of leather armor from the guild, the two set off toward the goblin caves.