Wang Xi's eyes widened, and he barely stopped himself from cursing aloud.
'That goblin is a whole size bigger than Captain Rich, and they have the nerve to call it "Weak"?! What a joke!'
He didn't have time to load a bolt into his crossbow, because the burly goblin had already raised its log club.
"AHH—"
Goddalir, who had fallen in front of it, stared with wide, beautiful eyes, her pale face filled with terror.
It looked as if the girl was about to lose her life right then and there.
Wang Xi shot out from behind a tree at top speed, drawing his longsword and slashing at the goblin's green head.
The strike was fast and vicious, aimed at splitting the creature's skull wide open.
—THWACK!!
A muffled thud echoed.
Amidst a spray of wood chips, Wang Xi's slash was blocked solidly by the log club the goblin was carrying. The longsword sank deep into the wood, getting stuck.
The goblin was extremely alert, raising its club at the critical moment to block the fatal blow.
"ROAR!"
It let out a low roar and spun around abruptly, sending Wang Xi flying.
The creature's strength was immense. Seeing his surprise attack had failed and that he had lost his balance, Wang Xi decisively let go of his sword.
The longsword remained stuck in the goblin's club, while Wang Xi was thrown several meters.
STUMBLE STUMBLE STUMBLE!
He staggered back a few steps before regaining his footing.
He looked up to see the goblin already charging at him with huge strides, raising its log club to smash down on his head!
'And they call this a goblin?!'
Wang Xi dodged to the side. The club slammed into the ground beside him with a deafening THUD, sending mud splattering everywhere.
The force of the wind from the swing stung his face, making his eyelids twitch.
'With that brute force and that stance, are you sure this isn't a green-skinned orc?!'
He complained inwardly, taking the opportunity to draw the dagger from his waist and delivering several lightning-fast stabs at the behemoth.
The cold, glinting afterimages of his blade bounced off the goblin's chest, abdomen, and ribs one after another.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!!
The impact numbed Wang Xi's palm, and his expression changed slightly.
Although the heavy plate armor on the goblin was rusted, it was still thick and tough. Not only that, but it seemed to be wearing a layer of chain armor underneath.
He made a split-second decision, rushed forward again, and stabbed at its throat.
But the behemoth reacted quickly as well, raising a thick arm to block while charging forward with its face half-covered.
BAM!!
Wang Xi felt as if he'd been hit by a charging bull. A dull pain spread through his chest as he was sent flying.
He rolled several times upon landing but quickly scrambled back to his feet, seemingly unscathed.
At some point, a sapphire-blue tunic had appeared over his upper body. Now, its front was covered in a spiderweb of cracks.
—「Blueberry-flavored Sugar Coating」
At the critical moment, Wang Xi had used this Card.
It was because of the Sugar Coating's protection that he had avoided broken bones and internal injuries, suffering only a dull, aching pain in his chest.
SHATTER.
The sapphire-blue tunic shattered on its own, dissolving into a brilliant cloud of dust that carried the thick scent of blueberries.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
The Weak Goblin cracked a hideous grin and charged again, raising its massive club.
It seemed to want to smash the human flat with a single blow and savor his fresh flesh and organs. Unlike the timid goblins in the caves, who only liked to eat fruits and vegetables, this one preferred meat!
Wang Xi stared at the charging green-skinned behemoth, his gaze sweeping over its heavy armor before he took a deep breath.
'Conventional methods can't break its defense!'
He grit his teeth.
'Then have a taste of this—'
Wang Xi pulled out a Card.
A flash of white light.
A long, menacing chainsaw appeared in his hands.
"Today, I'm gonna open you up, you green-skinned can!"
He yanked the cord.
The chainsaw roared to life.
At the same time, the goblin's massive club swung toward him, whistling frighteningly through the air.
Wang Xi's expression was calm as he dodged with an agile sidestep. As their bodies passed each other, his eyes flashed with ferocity, and he swung the chainsaw—
VREEEEE!!
The high-speed saw blade bit into the goblin's thick right arm, sending a shower of blinding sparks flying a meter away.
The heavy armguard held for only half a second before it was sliced open by the 「Cupid's Chainsaw」, which tore cleanly through the chain armor and the arm itself!
Dark green blood sprayed everywhere.
The log club fell to the ground.
"ROAR!!"
The behemoth goblin let out a pained shriek.
Wang Xi swung the chainsaw again, bringing it down in a powerful vertical chop that struck the creature square in the chest.
VREEEEEEEEE!!
Sparks flew and green blood gushed.
The 「Cupid's Chainsaw」 was an Artificial Universal Card designed specifically for clearing obstacles and skeletons. It contained patented technology from the Gear Conglomerate and was forged from a special alloy. It could saw through solid steel as thick as a leg, to say nothing of a green-skinned can wrapped in sheet metal!
In just two seconds!
The behemoth in front of Wang Xi was sawn clean in half!
「Target eliminated!」
「Capture the 'Weak Goblin's' ability?」
'Yes!'
Wang Xi stared at the gruesome corpse, now in a permanent "split," and put away the chainsaw, panting heavily.
A ball of green light flew out of the goblin's body.
And entered the space between his eyebrows.
The goblin's corpse quickly began to wither, blacken, and curl up. Then, with a soft *POP*, a plump, green mushroom the size of a dragon fruit sprouted from it.
Wang Xi bent down, picked it, and sent it into the fissure in his mind, his movements hidden from the girl's sight.
「Energy: 300」
'This Goblin Mushroom contains even more Energy!'
Wang Xi was secretly delighted.
But now was not the time to draw cards.
First, he pulled his longsword from the club and sheathed it. Then, covered in stinking, dark-green blood, he walked over to Goddalir.
"Gai!"
Goddalir couldn't hold back any longer. Her eyes red, she ran to the young man and hugged him tightly.
"I thought I'd never see you again!"
"..."
Wang Xi sighed inwardly as the girl held him close.
Goddalir had just been on the verge of death. She must be terrified and helpless right now, so he didn't have the heart to push her away.
"It's all right now," he said comfortingly, gently patting her on the back. "The monster is dead."
Goddalir sobbed for a moment before humming in agreement.
She glanced at the monster's corpse, then turned back, lifting her blood-stained face to stare intently at Wang Xi with pure, reddened eyes.
Her gaze shone with gratitude and admiration.
"How did you end up here?"
Wang Xi asked, ignoring the girl's burning gaze.
"And where did all that blood on you come from?"
"I..." Goddalir bit her lip. "I was actually following you in secret, ever since you left the Count's Castle this morning."
"I saw you take down those Lundor Guards and escape into the woods. But I was worried they would chase you when they woke up, so..."
"You killed them?!"
Wang Xi's brow furrowed in surprise.
He didn't have any deep-seated hatred for those guards; he just wanted to escape Randall, so he'd only knocked them unconscious.
Goddalir was startled.
Fearing Wang Xi's anger, she gripped his arm tightly and shook her head frantically.
"No! I didn't kill them..."
Goddalir explained hurriedly.
"I did want to, at first, but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just stabbed them in the legs with my dagger so they couldn't chase you... Gai, can you forgive me? I... I don't want to lose you!"
The girl was extremely nervous. With a trembling hand, she pulled the dagger from her waist as if to prove something to Wang Xi.
"I'm not as weak as you think! A few years ago, when my father and mother were killed by bandits, I used a dagger just like this to run one of them through the throat!"
"Don't leave me behind, Gai. I don't have any family left in Randall..."
Wang Xi was shocked.
'So, for my sake, Goddalir actually considered killing those guards! Even though she only ended up wounding their legs, it was still a kind of proof!'
'This girl can never go back to Randall.'
'Otherwise, she'd probably face the gallows! Even if Master Bato showed mercy, it would still mean branding and hard labor!'
Looking at the girl's helpless expression, Wang Xi's heart softened in the end.
He opened his mouth to speak several times, but in the end, only said one thing:
"Come with me for now. It's not safe here."
There were goblins lurking nearby, and he didn't know when pursuers from Randall might arrive.
He pulled the visibly delighted Goddalir to her feet and quickly entered the forest ahead.
…
…
The two of them ran through the woods for a long time.
It wasn't until Goddalir's stamina gave out and she truly couldn't run anymore that Wang Xi found a relatively hidden clearing to rest.
Wang Xi himself was also a little out of breath.
He had just gone through a battle, used the magical abilities of the Sugar Coating, and then immediately started running without a break. Even with the 「Elite Soldiers」 card supporting him, he was starting to feel tired.
He opened his leather waterskin and handed it to the girl.
"Here, have some water. Take small sips so you don't choke."
"Thank you."
Goddalir took the waterskin, wiped away her sweat, and took a small sip. Her cheeks were flushed red, though it was hard to tell if it was from the long run or from Wang Xi's consideration.
"Gai, you drink some too."
The girl didn't dare drink too much and handed the waterskin back.
Wang Xi grunted in acknowledgment, took a few swallows from the waterskin, and then put it away properly.
When Goddalir saw that he didn't wipe the mouth of the waterskin, a sweet feeling blossomed in her heart. It was proof that Gai wasn't repulsed by her.
In reality, Wang Xi hadn't given it a second thought.
His attention was currently focused entirely inside his mind. Before the dark fissure of Kaos, a ball of green light was floating in the Card Pool belonging to the Two Stars monster, the "Weak Goblin".
'This is definitely a Green Card!'
Wang Xi was full of anticipation.
For some reason, an idea came to him. He turned to look at Goddalir and asked:
"Aren't you curious about the miraculous method I used to kill that monster just now?"
"Of course, I'm curious." The girl propped her chin on her hands and smiled, but then hesitated and shook her head. "But I think it's your secret... Gai, was that Magic? I often heard minstrels in Chuck Castle tell stories about it."
Magic...
'That's actually a great explanation,' Wang Xi thought.
"Yes, it's Magic," he said softly.
He wasn't deliberately trying to deceive her, but the origin of the Cards was truly difficult to explain, and it would also expose his own secrets.
It was a white lie.
"Gai, even though I don't know why you can use Magic, I think... perhaps this is fate."
Goddalir said in a small voice.
"The curse on you will definitely be lifted."
"Yeah." Wang Xi smiled.
Then, he took a deep breath and said silently in his mind:
'Draw!'
In his mind, the green light instantly flared—