Following his usual route, Sakeer noticed something odd — aside from the occasional birdsong, the forest was unusually quiet.
"A little too quiet..."
He removed his waterskin, took a brief sip, then secured it back to his waist. His senses sharpened as he listened closely to his surroundings.
Since confirming that he was being followed, Sakeer had grown increasingly vigilant — every sound, every shift in the wind felt more significant.
Rustle.
His ears twitched. Movement — faint, but unmistakable.
Northwest.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, yet his pace didn't falter. Instead, he subtly shifted direction, moving toward the source of the noise.
The closer he got, the clearer the sounds became — the deep growl of a beast mixed with the sharp cries of goblins.
Moments later, Sakeer reached a vantage point behind a large tree. Peering through the foliage, his gaze locked onto the scene ahead.
A massive black bear, its fur matted with blood, stood surrounded by a swarm of goblins — more than twenty of them.
"Roar!"
The bear let out a furious bellow, lunging forward to clamp its jaws around an unfortunate goblin. The creature's body twisted violently before going limp in the bear's teeth.
Yet the brutal display didn't frighten the remaining goblins — it only seemed to embolden them.
Shrieking and howling, they swarmed the wounded beast, striking with crude weapons and pelting it with stones.
Despite the black bear's formidable strength, the relentless assault proved too much. After claiming the lives of several goblins, the blood-soaked beast finally collapsed with a heavy thud.
The surviving goblins erupted in triumphant screeches.
Working together, they began dragging the bear's corpse deeper into the jungle. Meanwhile, the fallen goblins — their former comrades — were unceremoniously tossed onto the pile of bodies, destined to become food for their kin.
Sakeer, still concealed behind the tree, watched the goblins vanish into the distance. A cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"So that's where they're holed up..."
It was clear now — the goblins were returning to their community.
"A prepared trap, huh?" Sakeer muttered dryly.
"Same trick as before..."
The pieces fell into place. The six ogres he'd encountered earlier — that wasn't a random ambush. He'd unknowingly been lured into their snare.
And now... they were trying the same tactic again.
"I might've given that mutant goblin too much credit," Sakeer scoffed.
But still...
The fact that this mysterious goblin could manipulate ogres — brutish creatures that rarely coordinated with others — piqued Sakeer's curiosity.
"Interesting... whatever you are, you're not ordinary."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"If I keep playing cautiously, they'll never reveal their hand."
"I'll need to make them feel confident... completely convinced they've got me cornered."
With that thought in mind, Sakeer adjusted his cloak and quietly followed the retreating goblins.
The deeper he ventured, the clearer the signs became — and soon, a crude goblin settlement came into view.
However, Sakeer's focus wasn't on the cluster of huts or the goblins moving about.
His attention was drawn to the terrain.
The land on both sides gradually sloped upward, creating natural embankments covered in dense trees — taller and thicker than those in the surrounding forest.
The two small hills flanking the goblin settlement formed a narrow passage resembling the neck of a gourd — a natural choke point that funneled anyone passing through. The goblin community lay nestled within this confined space.
"Leading me into terrain like this... If I get surrounded, escaping won't be as easy as last time."
Sakeer's gaze hardened.
"No... something's still off."
Maintaining a calm, expressionless face, Sakeer pressed forward as if unaware of the looming danger.
"An ordinary goblin wouldn't have the intelligence to orchestrate something this elaborate."
His eyes narrowed coldly.
"Sacrificing an entire goblin community just to lure me in? Ruthless..."
He chuckled darkly under his breath.
"I keep forgetting... This world isn't just about humans. Some demi-human races can rival human intellect — underestimating them is dangerous."
"I need to change my mindset. If I keep treating non-human creatures as mindless beasts, I'll end up paying the price. In this world... humans are far from being the dominant force."
Shaking his head slightly, Sakeer muttered to himself.
Since entering the Great Forest of Tob, his path had been steadily heading east.
"Once they figured out my route, setting traps along the way would've been simple... I should've anticipated this."
Of course, the dense jungle's complexity played a role — sticking to a fixed direction had made it easier to avoid getting lost, but that same predictability now worked against him.
Behind him...
A shadowy figure, which had been trailing Sakeer from a safe distance, cautiously poked its head out from behind the foliage.
The goblin's nervous, green face softened with relief as it watched Sakeer step into the narrow pathway.
"Finally..."
That human was far too strong.
The powerful ogre — split in half with a single strike — had been a shocking display of power. The goblin had seen humans fight ogres before, but never had it witnessed one take down such a beast alone. Usually, it required several humans working together.
"Bastard human!" the goblin hissed, clenching its fists tightly.
"You dared to kill so many of our kin... entering the forest alone was your mistake. You'll pay for it... you'll join them in the afterlife!"
Its voice was sharp, laced with both rage and hatred.
At that moment, had Sakeer overheard, he would've been stunned — this goblin could actually speak.
From the shadows, the goblin watched as Sakeer moved deeper into the narrow path.
Its black pupils shrink with excitement, and a bloodthirsty gleam filled its gaze.
The fear that had gripped the goblin earlier was gone. With Sakeer now caught in the trap, there was nothing left to worry about.
"I'll watch you die... torn apart by the ogres."
A grin curled across its face as it licked its lips.
"And your meat... heh, that sweet-smelling food you always eat... I bet your flesh tastes even better."
The goblin couldn't stop itself from salivating.
Meanwhile...
Sakeer advanced steadily, calm and unhurried.
By the time he reached the midpoint of the narrow path, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Now that I've entered their trap... they've probably let their guard down."
With no hesitation,
Sakeer spun around, planted his foot firmly, and bolted back the way he came.
Branches snapped underfoot as he sprinted full-speed through the jungle, disregarding any noise he made. His eyes remained locked on the path behind him.
"I see you!" Sakeer roared.
—Ding!—
『Camouflage magic detected — Requiring a caster level of 1-7. Current conditions met.』
"Would you like to spend 1 skill point to learn?"
Sakeer's eyes widened at the notification that appeared on his status screen.
(End of Chapter)