"Wow… woo…"
A faint, whimpering cry echoed from the grass nearby.
The low sound was weak, barely audible over the rustling leaves.
"My lord, my lord! There's something over there!"
Hobgoblin Muguo's large, drooping ears twitched at the sound. His voice was laced with panic as he hurriedly spoke.
Sakeer lifted his gaze toward the direction of the noise, then stood up and walked over.
With a swift motion, he parted the thick grass using his iron sword.
Nestled in the undergrowth, a small Barghest lay curled up on the ground.
Its tiny frame trembled violently, and its beast-like pupils, dark and wide with fear, reflected Sakeer's imposing figure. Feeling his gaze, the creature shrank further into itself, shivering uncontrollably.
It was no more than fifty centimeters in length—still sizable compared to ordinary animals but minuscule in comparison to a full-grown Barghest, which towered over three meters in height. Clearly, this one was only a cub.
"Ah, my lord, it's just a little Barghest!"
Muguo, now realizing what it was, immediately relaxed. The fear in his voice was quickly replaced with an ingratiating tone.
"No wonder that cunning big Barghest didn't flee earlier. It must have been trying to protect its young!"
Sakeer glanced at the creature.
Its entire body was covered in dark fur, and just like the others, a bone chain coiled around its frame. Aside from that, it bore a strong resemblance to a small black wolfdog from his past life—
Except for one detail.
Its twisted, menacing face.
The small horns protruding from its forehead gave it an odd, almost sheep-like appearance when viewed head-on.
Sakeer's expression remained indifferent as he muttered,
"So ugly."
With that, he turned away and walked off, losing all interest in the creature.
Just as Sakeer had taken a few steps—
Rustle!
A sudden noise from behind made him stop.
The cub had crawled out of the grass.
It was following him.
Sakeer hadn't intended to bother with it. A mere cub—weak, harmless, and barely worth any experience—held no significance to him whether he killed it or not.
Yet despite its fear, it trailed behind him.
He paused and turned his head slightly, casting a sideways glance at the trembling creature.
"What? You want revenge for your parents?"
At his words, the little Barghest flopped onto the ground, then—
Rolled over.
Its soft underbelly was now fully exposed, all four limbs lifted slightly in the air, frozen in a gesture of submission.
Sakeer raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
"What the hell is this supposed to mean?"
"It's submission!"
Muguo quickly explained, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. His gaze lingered on the small creature in astonishment.
"This little Barghest wants to follow you, my lord!"
But what truly surprised Muguo wasn't the act of submission itself—rather, it was how intelligent this cub was.
Hmph, what a perceptive little beast…
It can already tell how powerful my lord is.
Truly, my lord is unmatched!
Hearing his explanation, Sakeer's expression remained unreadable.
"Didn't I just kill its parents?"
The moment those words left his lips, Muguo tilted his head, looking confused.
"Is that strange?" he asked, his tone completely serious.
"Isn't it natural to serve the strong?"
Sakeer stared at him in silence for a moment.
He had clearly overestimated the moral standards of the Hobgoblin race.
No wonder they're so eager to grovel.
They truly have the mindset of minions.
——
The scent of blood from the slain Barghests had begun to spread.
Soon, the stench would drift far beyond their immediate surroundings, carried by the wind, alerting nearby predators.
Under normal circumstances—a month ago, perhaps—it wouldn't be long before a horde of wild beasts appeared to feast on the remains.
But now?
The beasts that caught the scent didn't dare approach.
Instead of being drawn to the promise of fresh meat, they retreated, instinctively putting more distance between themselves and the source of the blood.
The jungle had been soaked in the scent of slaughter for too long.
By now, every creature lurking in the depths of this forest knew—whoever ventured too close would become just another corpse.
And yet—
Rustle…
The sound of leaves shifting.
Branches swayed as something approached.
Something that wasn't afraid.
From behind the dense underbrush, three figures cautiously peeked out.
Their wary eyes scanned the clearing.
Only two corpses of Barghests lay sprawled across the ground—no other presence in sight.
After ensuring there was no immediate danger, they stepped out from the thicket.
The trio consisted of one short hobgoblin and two much larger, sturdier ones, each carrying a large straw basket strapped to their backs.
They were hobgoblins from the Gigu Tribe!
Oddly enough, the heavy scent of blood in the air, which should have lured predators, had instead drawn them here.
"..."
After a moment of hesitation, Agu, the smallest of the three, suddenly darted forward.
His wide eyes locked onto the corpses of the Barghests, his expression shifting from shock to deep contemplation.
As if recalling something important, he hurriedly crouched down and examined the bodies.
His two larger companions, who had remained a few steps behind, suddenly panicked at his reckless movement and rushed after him.
Clearly, they were worried for his safety.
"A-Agu… w-what did you find?" one of them stammered, his gaze flitting around the forest cautiously.
Agu didn't look up. His fingers traced the deep wounds on the Barghests as he muttered:
"In this area… only a Troll should be strong enough to take down these creatures."
His brow furrowed.
"But these wounds… they weren't caused by a Troll."
His fingers then moved to the spots where thick bone chains had once been wrapped around the creatures.
"And the chains are gone."
Agu's eyes flashed with realization.
"Beasts and monsters wouldn't have taken them. Which means…"
He inhaled sharply.
"It's him. That human. I finally found him."
His companions stiffened.
One of the larger goblins swallowed hard, staring at the corpses with fear.
"Agu… a-are we really going after that human?"
His voice was trembling.
"He killed such a powerful demonic beast like the Barghest. We—we don't stand a chance!"
Agu finally stood up.
Though younger and smaller, his demeanor was far more composed than his two seniors.
His voice was firm.
"We have to find Big Brother… even if it's just his corpse."
His gaze darkened.
"He was carrying the treasure of the tribe when he left."
The moment those words left his lips, the other two goblins—who had been visibly shaken just moments ago—steadied themselves.
The fear in their eyes was now replaced with grim determination.
Agu crouched again, reaching out to touch the darkened blood on the ground.
Then, without hesitation, he brought his fingers to his tongue.
His eyes gleamed.
"He just left."
Just as he made that realization—
Gurgle…
A loud growling sound interrupted the tense moment.
Agu turned his head to find his two companions staring hungrily at the Barghest corpses.
They gulped, saliva pooling in their mouths.
Agu hesitated for a moment.
Then, he sighed.
"This is precious food… we shouldn't waste it."
The instant he said that—
"GAH-HAAA!"
The two goblins howled in excitement and immediately pounced on the carcasses.
Without hesitation, they began tearing into the flesh, feasting on the remains of the powerful demon beasts they had once feared.
Agu didn't hold back either.
For goblins, the chance to eat an Barghest was an impossible luxury—one they could only dream of.
The only time they'd ever seen the bones of these creatures before… was when they were leftovers in Troll's den.
Now, they finally had a chance to enjoy the meat of a true predator.
The forest was soon filled with the wet, grotesque sounds of flesh being devoured.
Nightfall Approaches
As the sun dipped below the horizon, shadows stretched long and deep across the jungle.
The air grew heavier.
The visibility in the forest dropped rapidly, the thick canopy swallowing the last remnants of daylight.
Sakeer halted his hunt.
He had spent the afternoon sweeping through the forest, searching for prey, but with the night closing in, it was time to stop.
He found a tall, sturdy tree and climbed up, settling in for the night.
With a glance at his stats panel, he checked his progress.
『Experience Gauge: 9382 / 9500』
After a long day, his experience bar had crept up just a little more.
"Only 118 points left."
His lips curled into a faint smile.
"If nothing unexpected happens… I should level up by tomorrow."
Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the cool, earthy scent of the forest.
(End of Chapter)