Arthur endured the pain and kept dodging the stones, moving erratically to confuse the Goblins and make himself a harder target to hit.
He knew that running in circles would only drain his stamina and weaken him further, but he needed some time to think of a counterplan.
'These Goblins are used to setting up traps like this. They attack in a steady pattern and hold their positions strictly.
Still, they're just monsters. If I can break their formation, escaping will be easy.'
From his earlier charge, Arthur had gained a good understanding of the Goblins' plan.
They were split into two groups: the first surrounded him and pelted him with stones to confuse and irritate him, while the second hid among the shrubs, ready to ambush him with crude wooden spears the moment he tried to attack one of the front-line Goblins or attempted to flee. In short, he was cornered.
However, this strategy wasn't as perfect as it looked. It was designed to hunt ordinary F-rank beasts, not intelligent ones.
It only took him half a minute to find a weak point he could exploit.
He smirked cunningly and, as a distraction, continued dodging the stones at random for a few more seconds.
Then, suddenly, he changed direction and charged at one of the Goblins nearby.
When he closed in and sensed the hidden Goblins preparing to stab him with their spears, he immediately retreated and redirected his attack toward another Goblin instead.
His movement was random and unpredictable, which completely confused all the Goblins.
Before they could react, he reached his target. Without any mercy, he bit the Goblin's neck, tore its head off, and threw it away.
[ +1XP ]
The brutal scene snapped the other goblins out of their confusion. Two of them rushed out from the bushes in front of him and stabbed at him with their spears.
But Arthur was ready. He jumped to the side and dodged both attacks easily.
Instead of backing away, he bit the closest spear, pulled it hard, and dragged the goblin holding it toward him.
Then he slashed its throat with his front claws. After that, he attacked the second one and tore its body apart.
[ +1XP ]
[ +1XP ]
His attack was fast and sudden, giving the remaining goblins no chance to fight back.
As planned, he created an opening he could escape through—but he didn't take it. He stepped back and stood in the middle of the goblins' formation again.
He showed a wicked grin and muttered,
"That was easier than I expected. These stupid creatures are so weak, and they attack in the same way. I'd be foolish to leave now and pass up this XP feast."
Despite his brutal attack, the remaining goblins didn't show fear. They were used to scenes like this, and they wouldn't let their prey go that easily, So they closed the gap in their trap and started pelting him with stones again.
But it was all useless. Their tricky tactics no longer worked against him. He easily killed more of them, and in just ten minutes, he wiped out half their numbers, shattering their formation and forcing the rest to flee.
In total, he killed 22 goblins and gained 29 XP, which made him feel immense joy.
When it was all over, Arthur stood among the goblins' corpses, thinking about what to do with them.
'I can't eat these things. They're too ugly, and barely have any meat. Alright… I guess I'll just leave them here. But I still need to hunt something to eat. This unexplained thirst for blood isn't going away—it's annoying.'
An uncontrollable urge to kill surged within him. Even after taking down this many goblins, he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to hunt more—not just for food, but for pleasure as well.
He couldn't control his instincts, so he began searching for new prey.
After wandering for several hours, he came across a herd of oddly shaped deer and tried to hunt one, but failed. This made him furious.
As more time passed and dusk approached, his mood worsened. Heat surged in his head.
He couldn't catch anything, and his thirst for blood reached its peak. Unfortunately, hunting time was over as night began to fall, forcing him to return to his den.
On the way, he passed a nearby stream and dipped his head into the water in an attempt to calm himself. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind of all savage thoughts.
He let out a long sigh, causing bubbles to rise to the surface. Lifting his head, transparent drops slid down his beautiful gray fur and fell into the stream. He stared at his unsteady reflection and thought:
'What's happening to me? I don't feel right. My senses tell me that what I'm experiencing is normal and temporary, but it's getting worse, and I'm starting to lose my rationality.'
What Arthur truly feared was losing his humanity. He noticed himself gradually leaning toward his wild side.
He had become extremely emotional and unable to suppress his wolfish instincts. All he could think about was killing and blood.
In the middle of his confusion, he suddenly remembered something important: he hadn't thought to ask the System about what he was going through. Without hesitation, he spoke aloud about what was on his mind.
"System, what's happening to me? Am I sick or something?"
Without waiting long, the familiar blue screen appeared.
[ You are currently experiencing the preliminary symptoms preceding the Full Moon Frenzy. You will return to your normal state by the next morning. ]
'Full Moon Frenzy?' Seeing those words, Arthur lifted his head quickly and looked at the sky, which was beginning to darken.
There, the full moon stood proudly, ready to illuminate the land beneath it once the sun completely disappeared.
Unlike Earth's moon, the moon in this world was enormous, with a bluish-pink hue, and surrounded by a misty ring of celestial dust that enhanced its beauty.
Arthur didn't know exactly what the Full Moon Frenzy meant, but he immediately linked it to the werewolf legend from his world, so he had an idea of what would happen next.
He let out a long sigh and thought, 'This is going to be a very long night.'
And just as he expected, as soon as the sun fully set and night fell, with the moon reigning supreme in the sky, he began to lose control of his body.
Naturally, he tried to resist. He used the "Iron Will" Skill, but it was useless. His savage instincts took command, and the first thing he did was stand straight and howl as loudly as he could.