"Goo, goo."
"Gaa!"
"Goo, Gaa..."
…?!
Faint sounds echoed from deeper within the jungle.
Sakeer's eyes narrowed. He stopped in his tracks, tilting his head slightly to sharpen his focus. As he strained his ears, the muffled noises gradually became clearer.
Something's coming... and there's a lot of it.
His gaze flicked around the area before settling on a thick tree nearby. Without hesitation, Sakeer moved behind it, pressing his back firmly against the trunk. He waited in silence.
Moments dragged by.
The distant cries grew louder —and then came a sound he recognized.
"This…"
Sakeer's eyes lit up.
Goblins.
He'd encountered their kind before, and that distinctive call was unmistakable.
Makes sense... I'm near troll territory.
Remaining still, Sakeer shifted his head slightly, peeking out from behind the tree.
Before long, a group of thirteen goblins emerged from the foliage.
They wore mismatched, tattered clothes — some barely held together by loose stitches. One goblin even had a torn pant leg draped over its head like a makeshift hat.
Almost like refugees... Sakeer thought.
Yet something about this group stood out.
Unlike the previous goblins he'd encountered — who were usually half-naked — these ones were all dressed, even if their attire was ragged and worn.
More concerning were the two goblins at the front — each wielding iron weapons, albeit crude and rusted forks.
Sakeer's gaze shifted to the back of the group...
And his expression darkened.
Several goblins in the rear were dragging five bloody corpses behind them.
Humans.
His fingers instinctively tightened around his sword's hilt.
The bodies — three men and two women — had rough, calloused hands and simple clothing. Farmers, most likely. Their arms dangled lifelessly, dragging along the forest floor.
Villagers...
Sakeer's thoughts sharpened. Although this part of the Great Forest of Tob was still considered its outer edge, he knew the layout well enough — to the north lay the deeper, more dangerous forest regions, while the southern path would eventually lead to open plains.
Further south still was a dirt road connecting to E-Rantel, where scattered villages dotted the region.
Unlike Carne Village, protected by the Wise King of the Forest, these southern villages lacked such guardians. This made them frequent targets for goblin raids, which was why the Adventurer's Guild in E-Rantel regularly posted quests for goblin extermination.
"Goo, Gaa!"
The lead goblin barked impatiently, its yellowed fangs bared in irritation.
The goblins at the back flinched, panic flashing across their green faces. Struggling to lift the corpses, they stumbled forward, picking up their pace.
All the while, none of the goblins noticed Sakeer watching them from the shadows.
His face remained expressionless as they passed.
Quietly, Sakeer's fingers shifted, subtly adjusting his grip on his sword's hilt. Then, with measured steps, he raised his foot and began to follow.
He trailed the goblin group at a slow, deliberate pace — like a predator stalking its prey.
Although this group of goblins seemed numerous, they weren't a major threat.
In this world, ordinary farmers were generally around Level 1, and with proper training, some could reach Level 2. Goblins, despite being subhuman creatures, typically fell within this range as well — their slight racial advantages compensating for their otherwise mediocre abilities.
In short, these goblins weren't difficult to deal with.
However...
From their behavior, Sakeer suspected they were heading back to their tribe.
Realizing this, he chose not to strike immediately.
As Sakeer followed the goblin group deeper into the Great Forest of Tob, the surroundings grew noticeably denser. Trees stood taller, their branches intertwining to form a canopy that filtered the sunlight. The once vibrant forest now felt dim and oppressive, the air heavy with an unspoken tension.
Pausing for a moment, Sakeer retrieved his pocket watch from his Item Box. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, the time showed only 3 o'clock in the afternoon — yet the forest's darkened hues made it feel like dusk.
"I shouldn't go too deep..." Sakeer muttered to himself.
His gaze shifted toward the goblins at the rear, still dragging the lifeless corpses. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Drawing his iron sword, Sakeer turned to a nearby tree and carved two shallow marks into its bark — a personal trail marker.
In such a vast and tangled forest, getting lost was a real danger.
Marking trees ensured he could retrace his steps. Additionally, Sakeer had a bag of lime powder in his Item Box — something he'd prepared for emergencies.
For now, though, the trees and terrain still provided enough visual cues to guide him, so the lime powder remained unused.
Sakeer continued tailing the goblins for another ten minutes before his suspicions were confirmed.
The rancid scent of decay drifted through the air — a foul combination of rotting meat, sweaty socks, and something even worse... like decomposing eggs.
The goblin camp wasn't far.
Soon, the dense forest gave way to an open clearing — roughly the size of a basketball court and a half. The area had been deliberately cleared; no large trees remained, leaving the space oddly barren.
The moment the goblin group entered the clearing, they became noticeably livelier — especially the ones hauling the bodies. Their sluggish pace quickened, their excited chatter growing louder.
Sakeer's gaze swept across the area.
Scattered bones — some from beasts, others unmistakably human — littered the ground in careless piles. Broken limbs, skeletal remains, and discarded skulls painted a grim picture.
Near the camp's center lay a patch of yellowed weeds, blanketed with rotting meat swarming with buzzing insects. The pungent stench rolled through the air like a physical force.
Yet what stood out most was a thatched hut positioned directly in the middle of the clearing.
Constructed from tangled branches and dried grass, the hut was noticeably larger than what a typical goblin would require. Even stranger, it was the only shelter in the entire area — an unusual sight for a goblin tribe.
Sakeer's brow furrowed.
Odd... Why just one hut?
Then there was the goblin population itself — something about their numbers seemed off.
It wasn't that there were too many — but too few.
Aside from the thirteen returning goblins, Sakeer only counted five more stationed within the camp.
And judging by their appearance, these remaining goblins were all relatively young and physically fit.
No elders. No children.
Strange... A tribe with no old or young?
Sakeer's suspicion deepened. Something wasn't right about this tribe.
(End of chapter)