A woman stands in the middle of the forest. Her white-linen shirt, black trousers, and black boots cling to her lean, stick-like figure. She walks with a lazy, nonchalant gait, scanning the undergrowth for a specific herb to brew.
"Heard there were some herbs I can pick here. Like a variation of Oolong tea or something," she muttered to herself. Her eyelids were narrowed slits; her shoulders slouched with a complete lack of motivation.
BAM.
As the dust settled from the explosion, a towering figure loomed over her. Its veins bulged, and its eyes glowed a murderous red, staring daggers through her very soul. Most noticeably, a tiny green leaf sat perched atop its massive head. It thrashed its arms, obliterating trees as green orbs of destruction shot out, choking the air with debris.
"Grr... kill... destroy! I shall kill everything!" the monster roared, its voice sounding like a glitched microphone.
The woman stood unmoved by the devastation. "Put some pants on. You look ridiculous," she mocked, her expression one of pure inconvenience as she looked at the uprooted trees and the dirt scuffing her boots.
The monster looked down at the unassuming woman, its green fists turning white from the sheer pressure of its grip.
"And who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" Spit flew from its mouth. "You can't understand the pain I've been through! I just lost my grandmother!"
Its hands clenched tighter, its form swelling as its green skin twisted into something unnatural.
"Tell me who you are before I rip you apart like the little bug you are!" it screeched.
The woman blinked. Her distant gaze drifted toward thoughts of the market. She could almost hear the simmering sizzle of oil and see the perfect, medium-rare pink of a steak. She imagined the butter and condiments enhancing every savory bite. Her mouth watered.
"My name is Annapolis. I'm an adventurer for fun," she said in a carefree tone.
The monster scoffed. "An adventurer for fun? Tell me, do you have any idea what it's like to lose your family? My grandma and I had a tight bond! She told me stories of adventurers who would slay dragons, defeat orcs, and destroy golems. And the one I'm speaking to only does this for fun?! What kind of backstory is that? You should be ashamed to wear the title!"
The monster's body trembled, tears forming in its eyes as it relived the trauma.
"The meals she cooked... the nostalgia... the games of tag and hide-and-seek... the walks through the city..." Its voice broke. "She died from choking on some tea! I hated herbs so much that I became a giant herb myself!"
It gestured to its hulking, leafy body. "It's like the universe played a joke on my fate. It turned me into the thing I hated most. Now, I have dedicated myself to becoming the Weed Whacker! I shall rid the planet of its greenery and destroy every last herb!"
Annapolis's eyes snapped into focus.
"You're going to destroy my herbs?"
She shot her fist out.
BOOM.
In a single punch, the atmosphere detonated. Trees were swept away like toothpicks. Cracks spider-webbed through the earth, and a massive crater fundamentally altered the forest's geometry. The monster didn't even have time to scream; it was rendered into nothing but fine dust.
The tiny leaf that had been on its head fluttered down, landing gracefully atop the monster's remains.
Annapolis adjusted her shirt, her expression returning to one of bored disdain.
"Nobody comes after my herbs."