Food!
Upon hearing those words, the other Hobgoblin quickly nodded, fear evident in his trembling frame.
Every winter, at least one tribe would fall prey to the trolls. Just the mere thought of such a fate sent a chilling dread through him, an indescribable terror taking root in his mind.
And yet—
None of them had expected Agu to take such a reckless gamble. To seek help from the trolls?
Those horrifying creatures…
Watching Agu emerge from the cave completely unscathed, the Hobgoblin found himself unable to fathom how the younger hobgoblin had faced those monsters without succumbing to terror.
If it had been him standing before a troll, he likely wouldn't have been able to speak—perhaps even move—frozen in sheer fear.
And yet, here was Agu, alive and standing before them.
Awe flickered in the Hobgoblin's eyes.
"It's Fine."
Agu turned to face his two trembling clansmen and spoke calmly.
"It's still summer. There's plenty of food… the trolls won't eat us."
The reassurance did little to ease their unease, but they nodded anyway.
"W-what do we do now?" the stammering Hobgoblin asked hesitantly.
By instinct, their kind avoided provoking anything stronger than them—whether it be trolls or humans. The safest course was always to stay out of their way.
Unless the human ventured deep into their territory, the trolls wouldn't care.
But Agu's expression hardened with resolve.
"Big Brother is the tribe's strongest warrior. We have to save him."
"Let's return to the tribe first. Gather anything of value. We have to offer everything we can… and beg the human to spare him."
Gritting his teeth, Agu spoke with determination.
It had been half a month since Muguo, the tribe's eldest warrior, had ventured into the outer jungle—only to disappear without a trace. Soon after, reports flooded in of mass goblin casualties.
Survivors who had managed to flee from the outskirts to the depths of the jungle had spoken in hushed, terrified tones about what they had seen.
A human.
A monstrous human whose strength was beyond comprehension—even powerful ogres had been felled with disturbing ease.
Fear gripped the entire Gigu Tribe.
Agu had known then that they were powerless against such an adversary.
Thus, he had made the perilous decision to seek aid from the trolls.
But the result…
The trolls simply did not care.
Two Days Later—Fire Moon, July 2nd
Deep within the jungle—
"Grrr… Gollum!"
A low, guttural growl rumbled through the woods.
Two monstrous beasts, each nearly three meters long and standing taller than a grown man, prowled through the underbrush. Their heavy paws pressed against the earth, sharp fangs gleaming as saliva dripped from their jaws.
They circled Sakeer, moving opposite each other in an unmistakable hunting formation.
"Is this your territory?" Sakeer exhaled, glancing between the two creatures. "Fine, I'll leave now. No need to make this a fight, right?"
He held Muguo in one hand, while his other lightly rested on the hilt of his sword. His gaze remained sharp, tracking the beasts' every move.
But then—
"Whew!"
One of the creatures let out a fierce, throaty roar.
Sakeer sighed, rolling his shoulders.
"Yeah… I figured that was a no."
His eyes darkened, his stance shifting slightly as he prepared for the fight.
Behind him, Muguo was already paralyzed with fear, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
These weren't just monster wolves—their thick, jet-black fur and sheer size suggested something far more dangerous.
And there was more.
Unlike common monster wolves, these creatures weren't pack hunters.
And most distinctively—each had two sharp horns protruding from its skull, curving outward like a bull's.
But the most unsettling feature…
Each beast was wrapped in black, snake-like chains, coiling around their bodies like living entities.
The chains slithered and shifted as the monsters moved, yet did nothing to hinder them—if anything, they seemed almost like an extension of their own flesh.
Barghest
Some call it a demon dog—a fearsome magical beast that roams the Great Forest of Tob.
Unlike ordinary predators, the Barghest is strong enough to hunt ogres.
Not only does it surpass ogres in level, but it also boasts greater speed, agility, and special attacks, making it a natural predator.
Against the slow, lumbering ogres, this creature holds a clear advantage in any hunt.
Over the past two days, with the Hobgoblin population almost completely wiped out, Sakeer had been forced to expand his search radius.
This, however, led him deeper into the jungle—straight into the territory of the Barghests.
Which brought him to his current predicament.
Sakeer's gaze swept over the black chains coiled around the beasts' bodies, his expression turning slightly grim.
The old saying came to mind—"Copper head, iron bones, paper waist."
When dealing with creatures like these, the abdomen was the prime weak point—the easiest place to strike a lethal blow.
However, the chains completely negated this vulnerability.
And worse—those chains weren't just for defense.
"Rwar!"
One of the Barghests—circling behind Sakeer—let out a deep growl.
Its green-brown eyes remained locked on him as its limbs tensed in preparation.
Then—
Swoosh!
The beast could no longer resist. With a powerful kick from its hind legs, it launched itself toward Sakeer's back.
Unlike most predators, Barghests weren't just killers—they were sadistic hunters.
They relished the thrill of toying with their prey, drawing out the hunt until the victim was utterly broken—mentally and physically—before delivering the final blow.
But now—
This one had abandoned that cruel ritual.
Instead, it went straight for the kill.
A clear sign—Sakeer was no ordinary prey.
The massive black-furred beast lunged, a foul wind trailing in its wake.
Its powerful jaws—lined with razor-sharp fangs—snapped open, aiming to clamp down on Sakeer's sword arm.
But—
Sakeer's expression didn't waver.
In an instant, he pivoted left, smoothly sidestepping the attack.
At the same time—his right hand swung out sharply.
The blade flashed.
Clang!
The iron sword clashed against the beast's horned skull, a muffled impact echoing through the air.
"Awoo!"
The Barghest let out a pained snarl, its entire head slammed into the ground under the weight of Sakeer's strike.
Panic flashed in its beastly eyes.
It had hunted countless creatures in this forest—goblins, ogres, anything weaker than itself.
Never had it encountered something so much smaller than an ogre, yet so overwhelmingly strong.
The sharp squeak—squeak— of metal scraping against bone filled the air as the blade ground against the beast's horns.
The dog's nostrils flared as it struggled to lift its head—
But no matter how much force it exerted—
It couldn't move.
The second Barghest had been waiting for its chance—ready to launch a sneak attack the moment its companion engaged.
However—
The moment it saw Sakeer effortlessly pin its partner to the ground with a single sword strike—
The attack never came.
Instead, the creature froze, a flicker of fear creeping into its monstrous eyes.
Sakeer smirked.
"Changed your mind?"
His grip on the sword didn't waver. With one hand, he continued pressing the first beast down, keeping it immobilized.
Then, tilting his head slightly, he glanced toward the second Barghest—the one that had hesitated.
"Well then… if you're not going to attack—"
A cold smile crossed his lips.
"—I won't be polite."
(End of chapter)