Once again accompanied by the adventurer girls, I set out toward the abandoned prospecting mine the mayor had told me about.
Unlike our last outing, this time the trip was official: the mayor had hired the girls to act as my escort. With the threat of a goblin raid looming, it had been decided that the village's defenses needed to be rebuilt and reinforced, and that meant one thing: resources.
To strengthen walls and barricades, I needed stone; dense, durable, and plentiful. But with no working quarries anywhere near the village, the only viable option was to scavenge from one of the old prospecting mines scattered throughout the hills.
When I had informed Belle that I'd be spending at least one night away from the tavern, she'd puffed out her cheeks like a sulking child and crossed her arms. Still, beneath her mock indignation, there was genuine worry. Despite her pouting, she packed a basket of smoked meats, roasted vegetables, and freshly baked bread, and insisted I take it. She even sent along a small barrel of ale, "to share with your bodyguards," she'd said with a sigh.
Her act didn't fool me. She was worried, not angry. When we'd said our goodbyes that morning, I'd noticed her whispering something to Ria, the red-haired mage, who had been throwing me sly glances and smiling in a way that could only spell trouble. Whatever they'd discussed, I was sure I'd find out soon enough; probably the hard way.
The girls were all equipped with the gifts I'd made for them the day before, and seeing them wear and wield my creations filled me with quiet pride.
Josey, the tall and confident swordswoman, now wore a form-fitting set of light armor made from leather reinforced with steel. The sleek, layered design fastened with buckles and straps that I'd tailored perfectly to her frame. It offered far greater mobility than the rusted iron set she'd been using before, and, judging by her grin, she was very aware of that.
Daisy, the quiet assassin, had been absolutely smitten with the pair of curved steel karambit blades I'd crafted for her. During our last trip, I'd noticed she fought with her daggers held in a reverse grip, darting through shadows like a phantom. The twin karambits suited her perfectly: deadly, elegant, and efficient. Every so often, she'd twirl one between her fingers, the gleam of the blade flashing like a cat's eye in the morning light.
Ria, of course, wore her new utility belt proudly. I'd fitted it with a pouch containing two Health, Mana, and Antidote potions, all small glass vials about the size of test tubes. They fit snugly in individual slots, so they wouldn't rattle while she moved. She'd slung the belt low on her hips, more like a fashion accessory than a piece of adventuring gear.
As for me, I wore my newly completed temperature-controlled adventurer's gear and carried my latest invention: a repeating crossbow.
It was a weapon I'd modeled from an early-game design in one of the old zombie survival games I used to play. Crafted mostly from sturdy oak and reinforced with iron brackets, the bowstring was drawn by pulling a lever built into the trigger guard. A small wooden magazine sat on top, capable of holding ten short bolts at once, and for something made of wood, its firing power was nothing short of impressive.
For aiming, I'd added a metal crosshair mounted in a circular sight ring attached to the rear of the frame. Primitive compared to Earth's technology, but incredibly effective in this world.
The four of us trekked through the forest at a leisurely pace. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, dappling the mossy ground in gold and shadow. The air was fresh and rich with the smell of pine and damp earth. According to Mayor Chrone, the mine we were heading toward lay only about a quarter mile outside the village, nestled into the side of a small cliff face.
Our plan was simple: reach the site, set up a temporary camp, and then get to work collecting as much stone as I could haul into my storage space. Once we had enough, I could begin construction on the village's new defenses.
As we walked, Ria fell into step beside me, her staff lightly resting across her shoulders. "That crossbow of yours is interesting, Abel. How fast can you actually fire it?"
I chuckled, glancing down at the weapon. "Faster than you'd think. I practiced for about an hour after making it. Right now, I can fire, reload, and line up the next shot in about a second and a half."
Ria raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "That's faster than most archers could dream of. Even the best bowmen I know need at least two seconds per shot."
"I wouldn't rely on me for an archery contest," I said modestly. "It's mainly for self-defense. I'm not exactly planning to become an adventurer. Just something to keep me alive if monsters or bandits show up."
Ria smirked. "Still, I'd love to see it in action."
As if fate had been listening, the opportunity came almost immediately.
We were crossing a narrow section of the trail when Daisy suddenly raised a hand, signaling us to stop. A few meters ahead, a lone goblin shuffled through the brush, dragging a freshly killed rabbit behind it by the ears. The creature was small and wiry, dressed in crude, rotting animal hide that hung off its greenish-gray frame.
It was so absorbed in its prize that it didn't notice the four of us crouched behind the trees.
Before anyone else could act, I knelt, leveled my crossbow, and lined up the shot. The world seemed to narrow to the small metal crosshair hovering over the goblin's head. I pushed the lever forward, chambering a bolt, then pulled the trigger.
A muted thwip echoed through the woods.
[Slain – Goblin – 5 EXP]
The bolt punched cleanly through the back of the goblin's skull, exiting through the forehead before embedding itself deep into the trunk of a nearby tree. The creature crumpled soundlessly, the rabbit still clutched in its clawed hand.
Josey blinked, impressed. "Damn. That thing's got bite."
I nodded, walking over to inspect my work. The bolt had pierced bone as though it were paper. "Goblin skulls aren't exactly dense, but still… that's more power than I expected."
The best part was the noise, or rather, the lack of it. The soft snap of the string barely carried beyond a few meters. It was practically silent compared to a bow, making it perfect for stealth engagements.
When I turned around, I caught Daisy eyeing the weapon with barely disguised interest, her gaze sharp and predatory. She looked like a cat watching a bird she wanted to pounce on.
"No," I said preemptively.
She blinked innocently. "I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
Ria snickered quietly, and Josey rolled her eyes. "Boys and their toys," she muttered under her breath.
With the immediate threat handled, I stored the goblin's corpse in my inventory, waste not, want not, and we continued on.
It wasn't long before the trees thinned and the terrain sloped upward. We reached a small cliff face, roughly ten meters high, its base half-concealed by creeping ivy and tangled roots. And there, partially hidden by the overgrowth, stood the entrance to the old mine.
The opening had been sealed long ago; two thick wooden posts driven vertically into the ground, with heavy logs stacked horizontally behind them to form a crude barricade. Moss grew between the cracks, and insects buzzed lazily over the damp wood.
I crossed my arms, studying it. "Getting inside would take someone with a lumberjack's axe, or a few hours of hard labor."
Josey tested one of the support posts with her gauntlet. "They're solid, but rotted enough to break through if we put our backs into it."
I smirked. "Or… someone who can store large objects in an extra-dimensional inventory."
Three pairs of eyes turned toward me.
"Oh right," Ria said, grinning. "That's you."
I stretched my arms and stepped forward, feeling the excitement stir in my chest. "Exactly. Let's clear this place out."
And with that, I reached forward, placed a hand on the barricade, and prepared to pull an entire wall of timber into the void.