[Current Wealth: 250 Gold]
"Yes!" she yelled with a fist pump. She wasn't going to go into debt.
"Thank you for the transaction," said Ronathon after Moonshine gave him the gold. "Please come again."
"Uhh, Sure!"
[Current Wealth: 54 Gold]
"I really have to go trade in my items." Moon proceeded to leave the shop and started walking towards the appraiser.
The appraiser's job is very simple: It is to identify items, and find their worth. This can vary from monster drops, to jewelry, to minerals and metal, to even weapons and armor. Everything was worth something, and to an appraiser, everything also had a price.
A couple shops down, Moon found the appraiser.
"Good evening, Mr. Appraiser. I would like to sell my drops, please" she stated.
"Aa~h; welcome back, Moon. I imagine you have some worthwhile Hobgoblin materials for me? Especially after I wasn't able to see you on your last scheduled visit, hm-hmm." replied the appraiser with a smile. He didn't have a name, or at least, nobody actually knew it anyways. They all just called him by his profession. Now the appraiser, on the other hand, knew everybody's name, as long as he's seen them twice. With milk chocolate skin, vermilion-colored dreads, and a white smile unlike that of the rest of the town's people, he was a buyer and seller of everything he could get his hands on. Luckily, he had morals to restrain himself, otherwise his level 200 body could get anything in this town.
"Of course, Mr. Appraiser. Today, I have two Hobgoblin maces, some bones, some rare hide that you can make into a cloak, and surprisingly---" She reached into her inventory.
Bum!
She smacked the item down. "--a shield," she finished, her eyes slightly more opened.
"A shield?" the appraiser inquired in disbelief. "Don't tell me: Did you actually fight a High Warrior?"
"No sir---"
"No, no. Of course not... Yes, it would be impossible with your strength."
"Uh." That hurt.
"And anyways, this isn't the classical High Warrior shield in the first place. It's a good bit weaker. Yes~, I think this must be from an inductee High Warrior. How interesting. tell me: how was your fight with THIS Hobgoblin?"
'Um...well...'
________________________________________________________________________________________
This was right before the Hobgoblin King.
"...Damn."
She was stuck in a pincer attack. Usually when she hunted in the grounds, she would always be on the lookout for a solo Hobgoblin that she could lure and fight with no worries. At least, that's what she did the last couple of times.
But today?
'There's one to the right that already has his mace dripping blood... don't want to imagine what it's from.'
"Gehah!" it laughed, rubbing the mace across its cheek with a lopsided smile.
'...And it's deranged,' she frustratingly concluded.
Deranged monsters, crazy monster, psycho monsters... they had all types of names. Of course, they're not actual variants of monsters, but since everything in Satisfy had personality... then of course there would be some monsters more BOLD than others. The problem with these monsters? They don't care about themselves. They hit first, think later. Usually, this would get them killed, but when there's others? They turn into the group's damage dealer.
'THAT is not the problem though. What is... is the anomaly to my left.
Why does it have a shield?'
The High Warrior Inductee suddenly appeared as Moonshine finished luring the monster away from the main battlefield, already entrapping her between the two monsters.
The inductee and Moon made eye contact. Its eyes closed into slits, and it started to bang its mace on its shield, as if alerting its prey that it's caught.
'This guy on the other hand, seems serious.'
"Tch." They began to circle her, getting closer and closer. Moon made sure to follow their pace, not allowing either of them to leave her eyesight.
Suddenly, the pacing stopped. The Inductee banged his shield twice.
"GA-HAH!"
'Got it!'
Moon immediately spun towards the laughing Hobgoblin, blocking its mace just in time with her shield. She threw it off and swung her blade at it, but only cut air. The Psycho already jumped back, as if completing its order.
"Crap!" She started spinning to the left but all she managed to catch was the Inductee clipping her shoulder with its shield.
[You've lost 20 health.]
'Just from that?'
The Inductee continued his attack, bringing his mace down on Moon's shield, her knees slightly buckling from the impact. She straightened up and pushed the mace off. About to throw her own attack, a slimy tongue caught her eye.
"Guard!"
[Your shield will absorb 10% more damage from the next attack.]
Clang!
The Psycho's flying body and mace crashed on Moon's glowing shield.
[You've lost 60 health.]
About to go after the Psycho, Moon turned to slash towards it, but right then the Inductee bashed its shield once and it backed off.
"I see!" she exclaimed, catching onto the plan and immediately changed targets.
Carrying the momentum, Moon spun a whole 180 and slammed the side of her sword across the Inductee's shield, knocking its arm back like crazy. Unprepared for the attack, it stumbled back, its steps uneven.
Seeing a critical right in front of her face, Moon took the opportunity. "Eat this!"
"Shield Bash!"
Bam!
The Hobgoblin's face crumpled, and it launched back. Aware of her other enemy as well, Moon jumped back, and began to drink a Mana potion.
[Critical! The enemy has suffered 400 damage!]
'Nice!' she exclaimed internally. 'That's a big hit. A couple more of those and I'll be done with it.'
She really did like bashing Hobgoblins.
But this Hobgoblin wasn't just going to take a beaten lifelessly.
"Grah!" It grunted, and jumped back on its feet. Following that, it banged it shield three times with its mace, and the Psycho Hobgoblin stopped its charge towards the warrior and backed away, chuckling.
"Grah! Rah! Grrah!" it spoke, stabbing its shield into the sand multiple times.
"A one v. one, eh?" replied Moon, finishing her potion and throwing it back. "Alright."
"GROOH!" With one last roar, it shot towards Moonshine. In response she raised her shield, ready to take the attack.
Fwoomph!---->Claaa~ng!
"What the!" Shouted out Moon in surprise, taking a couple steps back. 'Did it just... did it just throw its shield?'
Fwip-fwip-fwip.
It spun in the air, interfering with her immediate eyesight.
'Wait! Where's the Hobgoblin?' She spun her head around looking for it, but all she saw was a pair of orange feet leaving the ground---7 feet in front of her.
'Don't tell me!?'
"Gra~m!!!"
She hastily put her shield up as the Hobgoblin's mace came striking down.