"Players? Why did they have to come at this moment?" Kierra whispered, exasperated.
If the Hobgoblins showed up now, these four players would be in serious trouble—if not outright massacred.
Victor was worried too. Had their trap backfired onto these unsuspecting players instead?
Below—
"Guys, this place doesn't feel right. We shouldn't have followed that explosion," one of the players muttered anxiously.
"Shut up! You're nothing but a coward," another snapped. "That explosion was clearly caused by a mage player. If we can hunt them down, we might be able to snatch some spellbooks." His voice carried a ruthless edge.
"That's true," another agreed, "but we should be careful. I don't see anyone around. Maybe that mage already fled."
The leader of the group sneered. "Don't worry. I have my pet to track them down."
At his words, a small dog with an unusual yellow coat materialized before them out of thin air.
Without hesitation, the dog began sniffing the air, its keen nose working to pick up any lingering scent.
Kierra and Victor heard their conversation clearly. And so they realised those four were player killers, the lowest scums of the game.
Kierra was fuming mad. Were they seriously trying to hunt her down? And yet just a few seconds ago she was feeling guilty to lead them to their demise.
But now?
Now, she wanted nothing more than to see them dead.
Still, one thing puzzled her: how had they unlocked the pet function so early? Did that mean an exceptional Beast Master was nearby? Otherwise, she couldn't think of any other possibilities.
Victor smirked wickedly. "Kierra, if they came here looking for death, why not use them as bait? We can take advantage of this to hunt the Hobgoblins."
Kierra glanced at the sinister glint in his red irises and swallowed.
But she didn't disagree.
"You're so evil, Raizel," she murmured before chuckling. "Hehe, but I have no problem with that plan, because.. they deserve it."
Her voice was low, chilling, and filled with anticipation.
And she didn't have to wait long.
"Woof! Woof!"
The dog sniffed the air for a few seconds before suddenly barking chaotically.
"Danger!"
The leader of the group shouted, immediately understanding the warning.
The other three players quickly drew their weapons, forming a defensive stance.
But very soon their hands trembled as an overwhelming sense of dread washed over them. They could feel it. Something was closing in from all sides.
Then, the monstrous footsteps echoed like loud, heavy, and unforgiving sound pounding like a war drum in their chests.
And then... they saw them.
"F**k..."
Hulking, muscular Hobgoblins emerged from the shadows, their sinister faces twisted into malicious grins, their hands gripping crude yet deadly weapons. One shot could turn them to mush.
And not just one...
More of them stepped forward—one after another—until ten of them had fully surrounded the four players, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.
"Krrrrr... Krrrrr!"
Their enraged battle cries sent a chill down the players' spines, nearly making them piss themselves.
"We're done for..."
That was the only thought racing through their minds.
"Kierra, be ready. We'll need to attack from the shadows," Victor whispered, preparing to jump in.
Kierra chuckled softly behind him. "I can pull that off. But can you? Let me cast a Fireball on them first, then you can do whatever you wish."
Victor nodded. "Alright. Just make sure to cast it outside their radar."
Neither of them spared a single thought for the four players caught in the crossfire. The blast would likely take them down as well—but that wasn't their problem.
Kierra waited, watching as the Hobgoblins slowly lowered their guard, too focused on tearing apart their unfortunate victims.
Then, the moment arrived.
She silently began casting an explosive Fireball from behind the dense foliage, carefully empowering it to its maximum potential.
"Alright, don't let me down," she whispered, almost as if speaking to the growing sphere of flame.
Then, with a ruthless flick of her wrist, she hurled it toward the target, her motion precise, almost like a pro basketball player making a decisive shot.
From her vantage point atop the tree, missing was nearly impossible.
"Boom!"
The Fireball landed right in the middle of the Hobgoblins, engulfing them in a raging explosion within moments.
"Krrrrrrrreee!"
"Argh!"
The two players who had barely clung to life after being mauled were also caught in the flames—almost as if the fire had granted them salvation from their suffering.
Victor's red eyes locked onto the scorched battlefield below, his body tensed, ready to strike at any moment.
He knew the explosion alone wouldn't be enough to wipe out all the Hobgoblins. But it would weaken them significantly. And this was the perfect chance to eliminate as many as possible.
As the smoke and dust cleared, he spotted the 10 surviving Hobgoblins sprawled across the ground, writhing in agony, their bodies badly burned.
This was it. The moment to strike had arrived.
"Whoosh!"
Victor leaped down swiftly, landing with a soft thud.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the nearest target, his grip tightening around his sword.
The Hobgoblin, struggling to get up, was completely exposed.
Victor didn't hesitate.
"Slash!"
His blade sliced cleanly through the creature's neck, ending its suffering in an instant.
[ Critical Strike! ]
[ EXP +160 ]
"Swoosh!"
Kierra wasn't far behind. Her dagger sliced cleanly through the thick neck of a larger Hobgoblin, targeting its most vulnerable spot.
[ EXP +100 ]
Victor received a portion of the shared experience, just as Kierra had earlier.
The remaining Hobgoblins staggered to their feet, their scorched green bodies twitching with fury. Their grotesque, burnt faces twisted into expressions of pure rage as they set their bloodshot eyes on the two humans who had dared to attack them.
With enraged battle cries, they charged.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
Kierra wasted no time. She swiftly cast several Fire Arrows, the blazing projectiles piercing through one Hobgoblin's skull instantly.
She turned to Victor, flashing a smug smirk, as if to assert the superiority of a mage.
Victor, of course, knew her Anti-Magic abilities wouldn't work here.
This battle wasn't about magic—it was about raw strength and technique.
And with (21+10) 31 Strength points (nearly triple that of an ordinary human), he was more than confident in taking down a Level 8 Hobgoblin in direct combat.
He just needed to be faster.
As an enraged Hobgoblin lunged at him, Victor ducked at the perfect moment, evading its wild swing.
Then—
"Slash!"
He countered instantly, his blade cutting through the monster's chest in a decisive, clean arc.
A deep gash split across its torso, slicing through its flesh and bone.
Blood sprayed into the air as the Hobgoblin let out a guttural, dying gasp before collapsing.
[ EXP +150 ]
"Krrr...!"
Another enraged Hobgoblin roared and charged forward, its bloodshot eyes burning with fury.
Victor, however, grinned—as if he was beginning to master the art of killing.
His predecessor's memories of basic sword techniques, combined with his own past life experiences, made the fight feel almost instinctual.
And his battle hunger only sharpened his senses, allowing him to move with greater precision.
Of course, it was still dangerous—one wrong move and he could be overwhelmed.
But he was learning.
Adapting.
With every swing, every dodge, every kill—
He was becoming a sharper sword.