Clearly, the Hobgoblin believed he was still alive only because he'd managed to mention the trolls.
Sakeer gazed down at the pitiful creature — cowardly yet still scheming in its own foolish way — and shook his head.
"Even with intelligence comparable to a human's..." Sakeer muttered, his tone laced with disdain.
"You're still hopelessly stupid. Can't even assess the situation properly, yet you think threats will save you?"
With a chuckle, Sakeer abruptly raised his leg and drove his foot hard into the Hobgoblin's chest.
Bang!
The Hobgoblin's frail body slammed into a tree with a sickening thud. Blood spurted from its partially healed wound, and it howled in pain.
"Aagh! It hurts!"
"I was wrong! I won't do it again!"
"Please... Please spare me, Human-sama!"
The Hobgoblin's shrill cries echoed through the forest.
"Too noisy."
Sakeer's voice was cold as steel. He gripped his iron sword tightly and began walking forward.
"Make another sound, and I'll kill you."
Hearing those words, the Hobgoblin froze.
With desperate speed, it slapped its own mouth shut, muffling any further cries. Shivering beneath the tree's shadow, its wide, black pupils stared up at Sakeer — filled with sheer terror.
Sakeer stopped in front of the trembling creature, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Good. Seems we can finally have a proper conversation."
"Y-Yes! Yes, of course, Human-sama!"
"Name."
"M-My name is... Muguo."
"Muguo?" Sakeer repeated, raising a brow.
"Yes! I... I like to eat tree fruits... that's how I got my name."
Before Muguo could ramble further, Sakeer cut him off with an impatient wave of his hand.
"Enough. Quit the nonsense."
His gaze hardened.
"Tell me — why are you here?"
Muguo stammered, clearly hesitant.
"I... I… I... "
"Don't lie." Sakeer's voice turned sharp.
"I know you're from the Gigu Tribe."
Muguo's face instantly drained of color. His breath hitched, and his already trembling body shuddered violently. Fear twisted his features, his eyes filled with a dreadful mix of panic and despair.
"How... How do you know...?"
For a moment, Muguo was paralyzed — not just with terror, but with the overwhelming realization that this human somehow knew his tribe's name.
Faced with no alternative, Muguo panicked and spilled everything.
Hobgoblins, cowardly and cunning by nature, weren't known for bravery. True to form, Muguo explained everything in a frantic rush — his words tumbling over one another.
It wasn't a complicated story.
During the Wind months — June and July — Hobgoblins entered their ideal breeding period. However, unlike regular goblins, Hobgoblins found it much harder to reproduce.
To improve their odds, Hobgoblins often mated with common goblins to produce offspring. While these unions typically resulted in ordinary goblins rather than superior Hobgoblins, the overall birth rate was still far higher than relying solely on Hobgoblins.
Muguo had been sent to the outer region to scout for healthy, capable goblins to bring back to the Gigu Tribe for breeding.
Unfortunately for him, he'd stumbled upon Sakeer — who had been cutting down goblins like weeds. After realizing Sakeer was alone, Muguo had mistakenly believed he could manipulate the situation.
That had clearly backfired.
Through Muguo's panicked confession, Sakeer learned more than just the Hobgoblin's motives — he also gleaned information about Muguo's skills.
[Ability Table]
Innate Ability: [Player]
Overall Level: Lv11
Experience Slot: 2620/5000
Class:
Basic Class: Genius Lv1 (Warrior, Priest, Apothecary, Alchemist, Sorcerer, Rogue, Guerrilla, Forest Priest)Intermediate Class: Sword Master Lv10
Skill Points: 17
Passive Skills:
Item BoxSlash Increase (10%)
Active Skills:
Warrior Skills: Instant Reflex, Four-Light Combo, Quick Slash, Stealth, TrackingMagic Skills: Papermaking (1st Tier), Heat Up (1st Tier), Minor Injury Healing (1st Tier), Magic Arrow (1st Tier), Odorless (1st Tier), Camouflage (1st Tier)Class Skills: Pharmaceutical, Alchemy
Skill Details
Tracking
Cost: None (Cooldown: 10 seconds)Description: By analyzing residual traces, this skill can determine the direction and number of those being tracked.
Camouflage (1st Tier)
Cost: 5MPDescription: Activating this skill allows the user to blend into their surroundings, reducing their presence. Its effects are significantly stronger in forest environments.
Sakeer processed the information carefully.
"So... you've been tracking me this entire time?"
The thought alone made his eyes narrow.
For someone as cautious as Sakeer, realizing he'd been watched so closely — and for so long — left a sour taste in his mouth.
His gaze returned to Muguo, who knelt before him — battered, bleeding, and terrified.
"You're lucky," Sakeer muttered coldly.
"For now."
Muguo's class information turned out to be quite different from what Sakeer had initially expected. He had suspected something else, but the odds had seemed low.
Surprisingly, Muguo wasn't a Druid.
Instead, the Hobgoblin possessed dual basic classes — "Guerrilla" and "Forest Priest".
This revelation caught Sakeer off guard. He hadn't expected a goblin to wield a rare class like Forest Priest.
From the brief skirmish earlier, Sakeer could tell that Muguo's proficiency in both classes was far from advanced.
"His overall level shouldn't exceed 7," Sakeer estimated.
Guerrillas excel in scouting, exploration, and ranged attacks. Many jungle-dwelling sub-races — like elves — naturally gravitate toward this class.
The "Tracking" skill was standard fare for Guerrillas — basic yet useful. While not particularly remarkable, Sakeer found it somewhat handy.
As for Muguo's "Camouflage" spell...
Sakeer felt conflicted.
The spell's effectiveness was notably stronger in forested environments but proved far less versatile elsewhere. Compared to the second-tier magic "Invisibility", it lacked flexibility.
Even so...
The rare "Forest Priest" class was too valuable to ignore. Since he had the opportunity to learn it, Sakeer figured there was no harm in mastering it.
After successfully acquiring Muguo's classes, Sakeer didn't feel particularly pleased. Instead, his brow furrowed.
Something had been bothering him.
When Muguo attempted to escape earlier, Sakeer had noticed something peculiar — the Hobgoblin had moved effortlessly through the dense jungle. Trees and grass seemed to shift aside on their own, as if actively avoiding him.
That wasn't a natural goblin ability.
Under Sakeer's cold, unwavering gaze, Muguo cowered beneath the trunk of a large tree. Pain was etched across his green, battered face — but what stood out most was the look of deep reluctance in his eyes.
Finally, with clear hesitation, Muguo reached for the object hanging around his neck — a small, white bone roughly the size of a ping-pong ball, suspended by a tough vine necklace.
Sakeer narrowed his eyes.
"That's no ordinary trinket," he thought.
The object looked like an animal bone, simple and unremarkable at first glance. If Muguo hadn't taken it off himself, Sakeer likely would have dismissed it as a common bone charm — the kind subhuman races like Hobgoblins often carried.
"Human-sama... This is the treasure of our Gigu Tribe."
Muguo's voice trembled as he lifted the crude necklace with both hands, offering it up like a sacred relic.
He knew full well that his life now depended entirely on Sakeer's mood. One wrong move — one sign of defiance — and he'd be dead in an instant.