7: Chapter 7: Four Only 7: Chapter 7: Four Only Bear Goblins,
One of the mutations of goblins.
Equally evil and greedy, but compared to their frail and weak cousins, Bear Goblins possess a physique as strong as a genetic mutation and swift as a shadow.
They are cold-blooded and brutal, yet possess a certain intelligence, rudimentarily fluent in goblin language and Universal Language.
Certain assassin organizations located in the western continent even specifically recruit young Bear Goblins to train them into professional assassins.
Almost every Bear Goblin, after reaching adulthood, has the potential to become a goblin tribe leader.
And the goblins under the leadership of a Bear Goblin “boss” will find their courage and danger amplified exponentially due to their leader’s brutal rule and formidable strength.
On the other hand, compared to the goblins’ vast numbers that spread across the continent like cockroaches, Bear Goblins are not numerous.
After reaching adulthood, they become self-sufficient and scatter sparsely across various goblin tribes.
Often, with minions satisfying their greed for food and treasure, Bear Goblins are too lazy to personally act, content to dwell like a dragon in their lair.
Unless overly greedy or extremely unlucky, encountering one is rare for low-level adventurers.
However, if one does face the most powerful entities among goblin-like creatures head-on, the outcome is obvious for those adventurers who haven’t even achieved a professional level.
A low and aggressive roar echoed throughout the spacious cave.
A nearly seven-foot tall imposing figure slowly stood up, beneath the coarse reddish-brown hair was muscle gnarled like a grizzly bear, and under the firelight, its yellow-brown eyes gleamed dangerously, with viscous, fetid saliva dripping slowly from the two protruding tusks on its lower jaw.
The most eye-catching was the almost half-human tall Nail Head Hammer by its feet.
The slender handle made the pitch-black hammerhead very conspicuous, and the ground slightly sunken under its weight, while the surface was densely covered with steel spikes, hard to imagine the horrific result if such a hammer struck the body seriously.
“Gag, hold it back!!!”
After a moment of panic, the battle-experienced Hunter Magi finally reacted and loudly commanded the Half orc at the front of the line.
Running was impossible.
They were merely ten meters or so away from the Bear Goblin, and with its explosive speed far surpassing an ordinary person’s, it could cross that distance in a blink.
The cave, though somewhat spacious, wasn’t wide enough for them to scatter and flee in all directions.
Turning their backs in a hasty retreat would likely see them torn to pieces by the Bear Goblin before even reaching the cave’s exit.
They must go on the offensive!
“Xia Nan, you handle those goblins on the side!”
Dealing with a single Bear Goblin required them to fight desperately.
If they also had to contend with those irritating green-skinned pests during combat, their survival rate would plummet further.
Therefore, Magi could only choose to trust the novice in their team, who had just shown his capabilities, hoping he could buy them some uninterfered focus on the Bear Goblin.
Magi’s tension-filled shout instantly brought Xia Nan back to his senses.
Before he could even react, he watched as Gag at the front of the group, gripping his hefty Dual Handed Axe, charged at the Bear Goblin with a roar.
Xia Nan realized something was amiss.
Unlike the other two in the team, he was originally just an ordinary farmer and had never heard the name “Bear Goblin,” naturally unaware of its danger level.
However, simply from Magi and the others’ behavior, it was clear the situation was urgent.
In that moment, he had no time for further contemplation.
As soon as the Hunter’s words fell, he gripped his longsword and, steeling himself, sprinted toward the four goblins on the side of the cave.
Honestly, Xia Nan felt somewhat uncertain.
Different from the chaotic battle in last night’s ambush, without his teammates’ restraint and cover, in the open cavern, he needed to face the direct attack from four goblins simultaneously.
Perhaps it was coincidental fortune, or maybe he had some talent for combat.
Watching the four green-skinned rodents ahead hurriedly pick up their weapons, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind.
“A direct one-on-four battle is too dangerous, I must divide the battlefield, attack fiercely to find a breakthrough point!”
Without any hesitation, the diligently trained level-4 Vortex Slash from years of hard work with his former self was instinctively charged as he ran.
A flash of chilling light!
The goblin closest to Xia Nan was swiftly sliced horizontally in half.
By then, the remaining three green-skinned creatures were already gripping their wooden clubs and charging side by side.
Fully absorbed in battle, Xia Nan, quick with his actions, kicked over the bottom of a burnt, glowing red iron pot in front.
Boiling broth mixed with murky grease spilled out; the searing temperatures made the goblins close to him instinctively pause, disrupting their previously tidy formation.
Xia Nan took two bold steps forward, leveraging his tall physique, powerfully thrusting the One Handed Sword forward, and the sharp blade instantly pierced through the goblin’s fragile skin into its abdominal cavity.
As a gust came his way, he sidestepped to dodge another goblin’s descending strike from the side.
Meanwhile, without pulling out the sword embedded in demon flesh, he launched another Vortex Slash in a skewer-like fashion.
The sharp longsword, gathering all its might, shredded the goblin’s utterly unprotected weak physique with an overwhelming force.
It slit through one goblin’s body, accompanied by spurting blinding blood, slicing its companion into two separate parts.
Only then did the last green-skin minion manage to skirt around the fallen iron pot, reaching Xia Nan’s position.
Immediately finding itself alone, it showcased its cowardice as a low-level demon.
Throwing away its wooden club, it turned to flee.
Chased down in strides, killed with two sword thrusts.
Xia Nan breathed heavily.
With high concentration, in merely twenty seconds since the battle began, most of his stamina had already been exhausted, even soaking his coarse cloth garments with sweat.
The One Handed Sword was still tightly gripped in his hand, his right hand trembling uncontrollably, a relentless soreness emanating from his arm muscles.
This was the side effect of using Vortex Slash twice in quick succession.
At least he completed the task assigned to him by the team.
Xia Nan thought to himself.
Meanwhile, he turned his head and looked towards the other side of the battlefield.
“Those two should also…”