Chapter 9: Another Unsuspecting Victim...

"Oh, ho, ho… I haven't felt that alive in a looong time."

Ch-Chtink!

"Excuse me a moment, little goblin," Raykahl sighed, smacking the threatening daggers aside.

The instant Raykahl spoke again, Rizz had charged in for another finishing blow. He had been knocked aside but Rizz wasn't about to ease up for the sake of banter.

That's when Rizz noticed something… off.

Raykahl was still on one knee. Yet the catkin guardian was no longer breathing heavily. His armor had changed as well. The red and silver armor was gone, completely. He was now adorned in grey studded leather over a heavy black shirt and pants.

And it wasn't a greatsword that had swatted Rizz's attack aside. It was a pair of ornate black daggers with a glowing white gem in the pommels.

With all of those changes, however, the one thing Rizz couldn't look away from was Raykahl's very being. The dark red mane was gone, as was his lion face and features. Pale gold eyes peered back at Rizz. Dual full moons had lowered themselves to dominate the goblin. In contrast the to pitch-black fur covering the catkin's face, it was all more jarring when Raykahl stood back up and his health bar disappeared from view. As did his name.

"What the fuck are you?" Rizz questioned with an intrigued smirk.

"I am different, but I am the same. I'm only Raykahl, at this time." The catkin growled with the same inhumanly low voice, confirming at least one thing to be the same.

Still, Rizz shook his head. "Uh, uh, uh! I won, didn't I? I should at least get an answer or something!"

Raykahl inhaled slowly, spreading his smile and brandishing his new set of fangs. "Rizz. The Menace of Trodar… You are right. You have earned this."

A small scroll made of golden threads was lobbed into the air. Rizz caught it in his mouth to keep both of his daggers at the ready.

Abruptly, the unknown world gate reappeared behind the new Raykahl, confusing the goblin further. But Raykahl didn't care about that. He only turned around, saying, "I look forward to our rematch. Between the true Rizz and the true Raykahl. When I am not… nerfed, as you heroes say."

As Raykahl stepped into the world gate, Rizz spat out the scroll, shouting, "Get back here, scaredy pussy!"

But the world gate vanished, offering no words or explanations.

So, Rizz stored his daggers and scrambled to grab the golden scroll. He rubbed off some saliva and dirt to find a peculiar seal over the lip.

Baffled, Rizz flicked it. "Silver? An actual silver seal? How excessive… I'll save it for later."

The lv. 295 goblin broke the seal and stored it. Then, Rizz unfurled the scroll. He yanked off the flower pot helm to best scan its contents.

Instead of finding any explanations, however, Rizz was left in a daze by something far more outlandish.

"Duhhh helllll…"

Rizz snapped out of his stupor and slammed both sides of the scroll shut. Only after checking that no one was nearby did Rizz re-open the scroll and read the contents properly.

"Hello There,

"And congratulations! You've won an all-expresses paid transmigration experience, the sole earner in all the worlds of Trodar!"

Rizz pulled his eyes back for a moment. Too rattled to think straight.

Slap! Slap!

"... Well, that did nothing." Rizz sighed after already slapping his face twice with zero pain.

But the short breather was just what Rizz needed. He laughed and held the scroll at his side, clearing his head.

"Ha, ha! Very funny, shitheads! Great joke! Pick on the cripple!"

After yelling to get some frustrations and delusions out of his head, Rizz paced for a bit. "Oh, can't forget Krizpee!"

The goblin slid to a pile of ashes left where Raykahl had supposedly been killed. Rizz dug through the soot for a second till he pulled out an ovular chunk of charcoal, storing it without hesitation.

With that done, Rizz returned his gaze to the scroll, still rattled the moment he looked at the bottom. There, he found what looked like a glowing red button that said "Yes". But when Rizz furled the golden scroll again, there were no creases or bulges to be found.

So, Rizz refocused his mind and made sure to start reading from the top. Irked by the thought of being tricked by such an impossible reward, Rizz grew unnaturally impatient.

"Hello There,

"And congratulations! You've won an all-expresses paid transmigration experience, the sole earner in all the worlds of Trodar!

"You'll be allowed one carry-on, which you will select after accepting this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Side effects may vary, possibly including but are not limited to:

- Nausea

- Migraines

- Corporal Numbness

- Certain–"

"Fine! Give it to me already!" Rizz shouted into the scroll, pressing the button out of impulse when it kept claiming to be real.

Click.

Rizz waved the scroll in the air as if flagging down a rescue ship. "I'm over here! Come on! Right here!

"How fucking dare you call this an [Isekai Quest], it was supposed to be rumors and jokes!" Rizz roared in anger. "I did all of that and this is it? This is all I get? Bring back scaredy pussy and explain this shit–"

Dooooshhhhh…

… Rizz blinked… He blinked some more. Then he rubbed his eyes, blinking in the process.

A few meters from the goblin, an enormous world gate appeared. And it didn't look like any world gate Rizz had ever seen before. It looked… modern. The frame looked like modern steel beams, not some ancient dungeon or ruin.

"... Hello? You there scaredy pussy?" Rizz called out. His feet naturally stepped toward the spiral of green and black energy inside the immense doorway. "... Hey, about that rematch… is this where we're having it?"

There was no answer.

Rizz could only step closer. And see it for himself… And reach out his finger.

"If I break a nail, I'm suing!"

… When no reply came, Rizz proceeded to poke his finger through the portal. He couldn't feel anything. Which was normal. But Rizz could pull his finger back to find it still there, perfectly intact.

"Okaaaay… I guess I'll see you on the other side, scaredy pussy! … Don't wait too long to come find me–"

C-CRASH!! HOOOOOONK!!!

An oversized delivery truck barreled out of the world gate. It slammed into the now-unconscious goblin! And proceeded to run Rizz over while laying on the car horn! Once Rizz was left behind the rear bumper, however, the truck ground to a screeching stop.

K-klunk.

The driver-side door opened as a robed, hooded man hopped out. A swirling shadow forever lingered over the man's face, adding to the mystery of his dark purple robes.

But the man didn't seem to care about getting the robe dirty. He strolled over the soot and ash covering the burnt flower meadow, whistling and humming to himself. When the robed man reached the limp goblin, he kept whistling while opening the rear cargo door.

"Upsy daisy, little gobby."

Th-thump…

The robed man effortlessly grabbed Rizz by the wrist and slung him into the empty bed of the truck.

Then, the man started whistling anew.

He let the cargo door slam shut with a bang, latching it down. After slapping the door to test its sturdiness, the robed man strolled back to the front of the car and hopped into the driver's seat.

K-klunk… BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

Before anyone could rush back to the scene of the abduction, the truck backed into the world gate. And all things went back to normal in the worlds of Trodar… for the time being.