A Woman Called Hunter

"Thank you for your efforts! Here's your reward!"

After giving the Adventurers two bags of gold coins, Guild Girl returned back to the papers that she was working on earlier. Things were doing fine, as far as she could tell. There hasn't been any new contract for extremely dangerous creatures like dragon, ogre, giant spider, and more. The rate of the goblin-slaying quest that she received was also decreasing, which was good news for the villagers and her.

Oh, it was also good news for Goblin Slayer. When he noticed the decrease, she admitted she might be simply misheard it but he sounded happier than usual.

Though it didn't take much to sound happier than his usual tone, to be honest.

She stopped doing her papers when she heard someone entered the building. Guild Girl looked at the door and saw the one who entered the Guild. The person was mostly covered from head to toe but upon seeing the braided brown hair, Guild Girl deduced that the one who entered the building was a female.

Her clothing looked like the ones worn by high-class people back at the capital. Though it was worn by males and the material didn't look expensive. Look fancy sure but they looked more like working clothes that have the appearance of high-class clothes.

As she walked towards the registration desk, Guild Girl noticed three things that stood out the most from the woman. They were a walking cane that she used in her right hand, though she didn't seem to have a problem walking, a katana on her left side, and a firearm on her right side. The last one interested Guild Girl a lot since firearms were expensive, at least the ones that the woman carried. There were firearms that were only half the cost of the ones high-class people owned but they tend to be longer and usually used by the kingdom troops.

Heck, she had been working in the East Guild Town for years and only ever seen one Adventurer with a firearm and even then, that was not her main weapon.

"I would like to become an Adventurer." The woman stated as she stopped in front of Guild Girl.

"Ah, of course, miss." She replied as she went to pick up the Adventure Sheet. "Please fill out this sheet!"

The woman leaned her cane on the desk and wrote with her right hand. Just as Guild Girl deduced, the woman didn't need a walking cane for support as she didn't have a problem when she let the cane go.

"Here." The woman offered the sheet back.

"Thanks." Guild Girl accepted the sheet and a few minutes later, the ID for the new Adventurer was done. "Here you go!"

The woman accepted the porcelain ID and before Guild Girl could say anything, the former already went towards the quest board. She looked at the papers posted there before taking one of them and returned to the desk. The woman gave the paper to Guild Girl, who couldn't hide her shock upon reading it.

"M-Manticore?! Miss, I don't think a beginner should take this kind of quest." She tried to make the new Adventurer changed her mind. "There's a more suitable quest like slaying giant arts."

"It's not that." The woman grabbed something from her pocket and put it on the desk.

It was a small pouch. Curiously, Guild Girl opened it and was surprised when she saw a heart inside it. She picked up a dictionary about monsters and opened it at the page that she believed to be relevant. It was confirmed; it was the heart of a manticore.

"I slew one on my way here. Figured out it might be the one this quest giver is looking for." The woman explained.

"Ah, I…see." Guild Girl said in return before she stored away from the heart. When she returned, it was with two bags of gold. "Here's the reward for your effort!"

As the woman silently accepted them, Guild Girl looked back at the former's Adventure Sheet. It seemed that she believed herself to be weaker than the reality since it wasn't that impressive for a beginner. It was not uncommon though for new Adventurers to make that kind of mistake. All it needed was some simple adjustment and…

Her thought was interrupted when the woman returned with another paper in hand. She gave it to Guild Girl before picking up her cane and walked towards the door. However, she stopped when she heard her screamed.

"Wait!"

The new Adventurer looked back at Guild Girl, who had her arm stretched towards her.

"Goblin slaying is a dangerous quest, Miss Hunter. This is something that you better take with a team of Adventurers." Guild Girl warned.

"This won't be my first rodeo with something that needs a team." The woman replied before walking back towards the door. "Also, call me Good Hunter. That's what my…associates called me…and Hunter is not my name."

"Wait, what?"

Before she could ask more, the woman – Good Hunter – already exited the Guild. Guild Girl could do nothing but sighed and wished her good luck.

Two goblins were currently guarding the entrance of their nest. It was almost noon, a time when goblins should've been sleeping. But they have learned that all goblins must not sleep at one time unless Adventurers could sneak up into their nest and killed them in their sleep.

The goblins, who were trying to not fall asleep, noticed that someone was approaching their nest. They couldn't guess what kind of species it was or even its gender. The creature was covered in clothes except for the area around its eyes. They tried to guess it through smell but found it unusual. Not like something they usually smell.

Perhaps a new creature decided to join the Adventurers in hunting them?

Both goblins decided that it didn't matter and the only thing that matter was that they kill this intruder for being daring to approach their nest. They ran towards it, spear ready in their hands. When they were close enough, they jumped, intending to impale the intruder.

When the goblins jumped, Good Hunter's cane transformed, now having a serrated edge. She swung it towards the goblins with the cane acting more like chain rather than solid stick. The goblins were turned into chunks of meat as Good Hunter continued her advance towards the nest.

When she entered the nest and saw a shaman post, Good Hunter kicked it, causing it to break apart. She saw that the path became two and decided to enter one of them. Good Hunter walked several minutes before slowing her pace and listened to her surroundings. As expected, there were some creatures that approached her from the rear. Most likely goblins.

Good Hunter immediately turned around and drew her firearm. Just as expected, there were goblins behind her, who were shocked that they were discovered. Most people won't hear them before it's too late. But Good Hunter was not "most people."

She pulled the trigger, sending the bullet through several heads of goblins, killing them. Those who survived charged at her, screaming as they ran. Good Hunter transformed her cane back and used it to kill the goblins. She hit many of them in the heads. Sometimes, she plunged the cane into the goblins' chests. One of them managed to climb up into her but Good Hunter immediately grabbed his head and made it kiss the wall very hard to the point of leaving a mark.

Even her kicks and fists were deadly. The latter was strong enough to penetrate into the goblins' hearts and the former if not lethal at least caused them to be incapacitated. She moved with speed and agility that should've been impossible for someone like her. But as they said, appearance can be deceiving.

Seeing their "brothers" kept getting killed no matter what they do, the remaining goblins decided to retreat deeper into the nest. After killing her last attacker, Good Hunter followed them by walking. However, she stopped when she noticed that one of the goblins was still breathing. Incapacitated but alive nonetheless.

She picked the goblin up by his throat, careful not to crush it. Good Hunter stared right at the eyes of the goblin. She then touched the goblin's face with her free hand, feeling its texture…

…before immediately took out one of his eyes. As the goblin screamed, she went towards his mouth and picked his teeth one by one. When he closed his mouth and almost bite her hand, Good Hunter took out his other eye. Once again screaming, she picked the goblin's remaining teeth before finally crushing his throat.

Good Hunter let the body fell to the cave floor. She then squished the head under her boot before continuing.

"Hmph…goblins…"

The goblins that managed to escape from Good Hunter return back to where the rest of their kin were. They passed through several confused goblins, who were awakened by the fight. The goblins approached the shaman, who intended to demand an explanation for his interrupted sleep.

The goblins approached him and were just about to explain the shaman on the current situation…

…when the head of the only goblin that knew magic in the nest exploded. The goblins that still asleep were immediately awakened and they looked towards the source of the sound. It was Good Hunter, her left hand holding the firearm. Soon, the goblins began to run towards her.

The Adventurer transformed her cane and swung it around. Many goblins got caught by the whip, getting cut to pieces in the process. The few who survived were too wounded to be a threat. The even fewer who managed to pass the whip have their faces met a boot.

The goblins began to run away. But since the only way out was in the direction of Good Hunter, they simply ran towards the wall until they can't run anymore. While most of the goblins did that, a hobgoblin finally decided to enter the fray. Good Hunter looked at him as she transformed her cane back into a solid stick.

The hobgoblin charged towards Good Hunter, who merely drew her firearm once again. When he was close enough, she fired the gun, staggering the big goblin. Then, she dropped her cane and ran towards him. Good Hunter embedded her free hand right into the chest of the hobgoblin. As he puked blood, she tried to find the heart. Once she did, Good Hunter took it out from the chest, causing the hobgoblin to collapse unto the floor.

After the biggest threat was taken care of, Good Hunter walked towards the remaining goblins and drew her katana. What followed was something that can only be described of massacre and bloodbath. When she beheaded the last goblin, Good Hunter was covered in blood from head to toe. Yet none of that seemed to disturb her.

Seeing that this nest didn't have any woman, she was just about to leave when she heard something. Good Hunter looked around before setting her eyes on the bone throne of goblin shaman. She kicked it away, revealing a hidden door. Good Hunter opened it and came face-to-face with several goblin children, who were huddling together in fear.

"Aww, poor little goblins…" Good Hunter said. Her voice lacking any empathy and as cold as ice. "Maybe you should consider not being born as ones. Give it a try in your next lives…well, if you receive one, that is."

Good Hunter closed the door back. She walked towards the corpse of the hobgoblin and moved it towards the door. She then used the corpse to block the door. Whether they died because of running out of the air, water, or food, she didn't care much. All that Good Hunter care was that a quick death was not what they were going to receive.

"It's done."

Guild Girl looked away from her papers and almost thought that it was him who approached her. Turns out, it was Good Hunter, no longer having her cane and was covered from head to toe in blood.

Combined with her tone and Good Hunter could easily pass as the female counterpart of Goblin Slayer.

"I see. Good job then." Guild Girl said before giving the reward; a small pouch filled with copper coins. "Thank you for your effort!"

Good Hunter took the pouch and offhandedly threw it into her back. Guild Girl was about to ask the reason when she noticed that she didn't hear the pouch landing. She looked at where it was supposed to land and found no trace of it.

"Wha…what had just happened?" Guild Girl thought.

"No more quest, huh?" Good Hunter commented as she looked towards the board, which was empty.

"We're about to close the Guild, mi…Good Hunter. You can accept a quest when morning comes."

The new Adventurer silently nodded in response. She then walked towards the door and exited the Guild. Outside, she looked at the moons in the sky and made a gesture of reaching them.

"I guess at least none of you are red…" Good Hunter commented as she lowered her hand.

She looked at the ground and saw several creatures emerged. Had any other person see them, they would scream in terror and trying to kill them. But Good Hunter knew them well. Despite their appearance, they were more like little children.

As they moaned and offered Good Hunter her cane and pouch, she crouched and looked at them fondly. They were a few things that could make her feel better.

"Keep them for me for a while, could you?" She asked as she patted one of them.

The little creatures moaned happily as they returned back to the ground, leaving no trace of ever being there. Good Hunter stood up and walked into an alley. In there, the creatures emerged once again, this time with a purple lantern. She touched the lantern and disappeared from the alley, soon followed by the creatures and lantern.

And this chapter is now done.

I admit I was confused on whether to write a crossover with Dark Souls or Bloodborne. I decided on the latter since Goblin Slayer's equipment makes him look like a knight, just like the PCs of Dark Souls. Thus, the Good Hunter is chosen to become Goblin Slayer's foil.

Well, more or less.

If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to tell me.

Review, please!