Chapter 122

Judging whether there are Hobgoblins in a Goblin lair.

For adventurers active in the Mist Forest, as long as they have a little experience, it is not difficult.

First and most obvious, naturally, is the entrance passage, which is more spacious than ordinary Goblin settlements.

Standing over seven feet tall, with a burly physique like a brown bear, the first thing they do after becoming the leader of a Goblin tribe is to widen the cave.

Of course, compared to their "Hobgoblin" cousins whose intelligence rivals humans, the Hobgoblins' modification direction is more direct.

Upholding the philosophy that "bigger is better."

If it weren't for the fragile soil structure in the cave and the limitations of simple and barren construction knowledge.

These stupid creatures, covered in thick fur and simple-minded, might even have let the scrawny, pitiful Goblins under their command expand the lair all the way to the depths of the Mist Forest.

Secondly, there are the animal carcasses near the lair.

This is also very easy to understand.

After a Goblin tribe gains an elite leader, their combat capability will also undergo a qualitative change.

Goblins who could originally only rely on gnawing tree bark, digging up grass roots, occasionally catching a rabbit or wild bird, and only getting a full meal by luck.

Under the leadership of the Hobgoblin, their diet undoubtedly became much more luxurious.

Sambar deer, forest cattle, some unlucky adventurers, and even some low-level monsters would be placed on the dining table under the Hobgoblin's mace.

Therefore, if a large number of adult animal skeletons and carcasses are found near a Goblin lair, then there must be a problem with this cave.

Finally, experienced adventurers like Berg, who has been mixing in River Valley Town for many years, can even judge the specific situation inside through the smell in the feces and the slight traces at the cave entrance.

Now, all the above signs have appeared.

The probability of Hobgoblins existing in the lair has almost reached over eighty percent.

Under normal circumstances, the "Green Blood" squad, without professionals sitting in, would naturally retreat without nostalgia, without looking back.

But the same situation as the day he met Xia Nan, the extremely rich smell of blood and the quiet, dead environment, finally made squad leader Adeline make a decision.

Taking Xia Nan, the two went down together to enter the cave to find out the situation.

"Drip."

Viscous water droplets glowing with a ghostly green pus slowly dripped, splashing a cluster of turbid and tiny water splashes on the dirty, muddy, wet ground.

Xia Nan held the single-handed wooden sword 【Green Pine】 of appropriate length, keeping his body slightly sideways, maintaining a posture ready to exert force at any time, moving his steps cautiously.

About half a body's distance ahead, Adeline was still at the very front, her two iron hammers in her left and right hands almost blocking the entire tunnel.

As the leader of the "Green Blood" squad, even if no one asked her to do so on weekdays, whenever a challenge came, Adeline would always be the first to step forward, leading by example, and actively standing in the most dangerous place.

It is hard to imagine that among the bottom-level adventurers who crazily pursue strength and wealth, there would be such a responsible leader.

If it weren't for her extreme paranoia about Goblins, her development would definitely be much better than it is now.

With Xia Nan's 【Tooth Hunt】 on him, his short-distance movement speed far exceeded that of most bottom-level adventurers.

Although he did not explain in detail to Adeline and the others, after so many missions, including the battle where he instantly killed "Scar" Bennett, his teammates knew that he possessed this displacement-type combat technique.

Extremely high mobility.

Plus his own outstanding combat power, it is estimated that he has already touched the edge of a professional.

Considering everything, he is the best candidate to enter the cave with Adeline.

As for Berg...

Relying on his longbow, his positioning as a long-range shooter, his combat power in the cave would be less than half, and there are great limitations.

Staying outside the cave to keep watch with Abi can also maximize his reconnaissance ability and rich adventure experience.

Her nostrils flared, Xia Nan's pitch-black eyes stared into the deep depths of the tunnel, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

He didn't feel anything outside before, but now as he went deeper with Adeline, he felt more and more that something was wrong with the lair.

"Could it be that it was already cleared by other adventurers before we arrived?"

"If that's really the case..."

Whether for the squad itself or for himself, it is not good news.

Although he received the mission bounty rewarded by the Association without doing anything, he couldn't get a penny of the Goblin bounty, which is the bulk of the "Hunting Day" income.

For the four or five-day journey back and forth, the mission reward divided equally among everyone is estimated to be only two or three gold coins, not even enough for supply money.

And with the lack of combat, Xia Nan's most important goal now, the proficiency of 【Tooth Hunt】, naturally has no way to improve.

"Don't know..."

Pondering in his heart, Adeline in front, who was originally moving slowly, suddenly paused.

And immediately following, was a roar from the depths of the tunnel.

Ang——

That roar, which was clearly rougher and duller than a Goblin's, made Xia Nan, who had already experienced it many times, instantly recognize the owner of this voice.

Hobgoblin!

It's just that, unlike the anger and violence in his impression, the roar echoing between the stone walls at this moment actually gave people a sense of pain, as if it were suffering and begging for release.

Xia Nan didn't even have time to think much, and that roar, which could clearly be heard coming from a Hobgoblin, seemed to have touched some secret place in Adeline's heart.

The steps that were originally moving cautiously suddenly became hurried and urgent.

Although still hiding her figure under instinct and reducing the movement made, the whole person was already rushing toward the depths of the cave.

The two went all the way down, almost reaching the core of the lair.

Adeline, who was originally blocking in front, opened up the distance, and Xia Nan thought about whether to retreat or follow the other party to rush in, only subconsciously taking two steps forward.

The situation in the lair then came into his view.

First, as Xia Nan judged.

An adult Hobgoblin with thick, dense brown fur, burly and robust like an upright bear beast.

Wielding a mace, the powerful muscle strength that could easily smash metal armor, the tough skin that ordinary people could barely penetrate even with all their might, and even the Goblin minions who obeyed its every command...

Made this creature almost become the nightmare of all bottom-level adventurers.

But now, the situation seems to have changed.

That blood-stained mace that had smashed countless flesh, tendons, and bones was now left with only a bare, twisted hammer handle inserted into the ground.

The protruding metal spikes were either broken on the ground or bent and pressed against the hammer surface.

The hammer head looked as if it had been placed on an anvil and re-crushed with a craftsman's hammer, compressed and deformed.

Just like a piece of iron paper falling on the ground.

The Hobgoblin was still alive.

Lying on its back on the ground, its two sturdy long legs, comparable to an adult's waist, were kicking the ground like a dehydrated fish, leaving messy traces on the muddy, wet soil;

A pair of turbid brown eyes rolled up, revealing striking whites.

The upper and lower jaws, closed tightly with force, made its fangs almost pierce into the flesh on both sides of its cheeks, and the corners of its mouth were foaming with sickly blood.

However, the violent force that erupted during its desperate struggle, enough to overturn an entire Northern Yak.

Was suppressed and firmly bound in its body by an arm that reached out from behind, winding around its neck like a python.

That was an Orc whose figure was several times taller than the Hobgoblin.

Just like lovers on a bed, the Orc leaned against the stone wall, sat on the ground, and hugged the Hobgoblin from behind, naked-choking it.

The warm palm stained with blood rested on the top of the Hobgoblin's head, and the other sturdy arm, as if cast from steel, gently squeezed through the other's neck.

Exerting force.

The sweet angle formed by the squeezing of the forearm muscles and biceps was like iron pincers, binding and squeezing the Hobgoblin's neck.

One second, two seconds...

Seeming to intentionally control the force, clearly able to break the other's cervical spine in an instant, the Orc slowed down the speed and gradually exerted force.

Carefully feeling the struggle of the body in its arms slowly lighten, and the roaring sound approaching nothingness.

Until the Hobgoblin's heart stopped beating completely, both arms hung weakly on the ground, and the smell of excrement came from beneath it.

The Orc then suddenly exerted force, twisting the Hobgoblin's head one hundred and eighty degrees with a "creak," letting it be completely released.

Just like a broken toy, the excitement and pleasure remained on his blood-dripping face as he threw the Hobgoblin's corpse aside.

Standing up, revealing his race's unique light green skin and that familiar totem breastplate.

Pupils shrank!

Xia Nan stood at the cave exit, looking at the Orc not far ahead.

The figure in his memory overlapped with the scene before him.

In his mind, he couldn't help but recall the high-level adventurer squad he saw at the Adventurer Association a few days ago before setting off.

"It's him!"

It was the Orc who was standing beside the elegant man who looked like a mage and was traveling with him!

His gaze subconsciously swept across both sides of the cave.

There were no other figures, and only a pile of Goblin corpses remained in the lair.

Whoosh——

Carrying a thick, pungent stench, a gust of fishy wind suddenly blew past him.

Xia Nan only felt his hair stand on end, as if he were being stared at by some ferocious beast, and the whole person paused for a moment.

Looking forward again.

I don't know when, the Orc who was at the other end of the cave just now had already arrived in front of the two.

The shadow cast by his burly body shrouded him, and a cold murderous aura remained in his scarlet eyes.

Staring.

The air fell into dead silence in an instant.

Then...

A very strange smile, seemingly with a bit of honesty, suddenly appeared on the Orc's face.

The style of the scene changed instantly.

"You, Adventurer Association, lair, mission?"

Perhaps because he had just come out of the tribe not long ago, the Orc was not proficient in the common language.

He just pointed his finger at Xia Nan and Adeline in front of him, using a few simple words to express his meaning.

The Orc's suddenly changed momentum made Xia Nan's brain almost unable to turn around.

He was stunned for two seconds before he roughly understood what the other party wanted to express.

Seeing Adeline silent, seemingly not having reacted yet, he answered tentatively with some caution:

"This lair is indeed the target of our mission, but since you have already cleared it, the trophies naturally belong to you."

Being able to solve a Hobgoblin so easily in a slaughter-like way, the Orc in front of him is probably not just a simple professional, and his strength far exceeds theirs.

In the current environment far from the town, taking action is actually just a matter of one sentence.

In this situation, naturally, one must say more good words and avoid conflict as much as possible.

Otherwise, if you annoy the other party, even if you add the entire "Green Blood" squad, I'm afraid they won't be able to withstand one of the other's arms.

As for the trophies in the cave... compared to their own lives and safety, what are those few gold coins?

Hearing Xia Nan say this, Adeline in front finally reacted and took over the conversation:

"Yes, everything in here is your trophy. If you don't mind, after returning, I can give the mission reward to..."

Before she finished speaking, the Orc, who was shirtless and only wearing half a totem breastplate, waved his hand at the two and interrupted:

"Small money, Volga doesn't want it."

On his blood-stained face, there was still that strange, honest smile.

The Orc named "Volga" reached out and touched his head, turning his head to look at the corpses of the Hobgoblin and Goblins behind him.

"Goblin ears, sell for gold coins."

"You keep them, eat, buy meat."

Saying this, he bent his arm, showing off the arm muscles that had just strangled the Hobgoblin.

"Goblin, die, Volga, satisfied."

Although a bit abstract, combined with the other party's actions and the scene before him, Xia Nan vaguely understood the meaning of the other party's words.

It means that the Orc doesn't care about these trophies in the cave, so he leaves them all to them.

Killing these Goblins is enough to satisfy the other party?

Xia Nan and Adeline looked at each other, clearly neither of them had expected the situation to develop like this.

But before they could communicate further.

The Orc "Volga," who was smiling honestly just a second ago, seemed to have remembered something, and his expression suddenly changed.

"%￥@%#@#& (Orc language)!"

Like a student about to be late, he showed some anxiety on his face.

He didn't bother with the two people in front of him anymore, muttering Orc language that they couldn't understand, and his two sturdy thighs took a fierce step.

The burly and robust figure turned into a fishy wind and disappeared into the depths of the tunnel in an instant.

In the cave, only dead silence remained.

A few seconds later, a rush of footsteps came from the tunnel again.

Only to see Abi looking flustered, running down in a hurry.

Seeing that both were still intact, he let out a long sigh of relief and panted:

"Orc, whoo... professional, I thought... Berg asked me to come down and see the situation..."

"It's fine." Xia Nan reached out and patted Abi on the shoulder, signaling him to catch his breath first, "It should just be a coincidence, no hostility."

Looking back again, he saw Adeline, who was standing beside him just now, had already arrived beside the Hobgoblin's corpse at some point.

Not caring about the dirty blood on her hands, she suddenly turned the Hobgoblin over, revealing its back covered in dense bristles.

Her dark brown, yellowish eyes looked carefully.

After a long time, she stood in place again, exhaling slowly.

A murmur seemed to ring faintly in the air:

"It's not him."

(End of chapter)