The fact that goblins understood the value of coins and Gold meant that someone traded with them. Goblins weren't artisans like human blacksmiths or bakers; they were just bandits. Even if a merchant came to trade, it would be periodically or occasionally at best.
Before a merchant arrived, the goblins would have hoarded their accumulated coins and wealth. It was impossible to imagine they had the intelligence to create some kind of internal economy to circulate it.
Therefore, if he could find the Goblin Nest, there was a high probability he would find a considerable fortune.
After thinking it through, Fang Zhen re-examined his chain of logic.
No obvious flaws.
His anticipation grew.
Fang Zhen chuckled.
'Good. My mood has improved lately, and my mind is back to its usual sharpness.'
He was in high spirits and gave himself a little pat on the back.
He felt he had a pretty clear understanding of himself.
His thought process wasn't as wildly brilliant as the genius strategists from historical novels. Instead, his strengths lay in his powerful logical deduction, good imagination, and keen foresight.
This wasn't just his own subjective opinion; it was an assessment given to him by many people who had known him throughout his life—his parents, teachers, and friends.
Having thought it through, Fang Zhen was eager to get started.
He had first encountered the goblins in the woods over there and had followed the sound of their calls for reinforcements to this makeshift outpost.
This shack was clearly an outpost, not their main lair. The lack of basic living utensils and defensive structures proved it.
By common logic, an outpost would most likely be established somewhere between the main lair and the forward area of their raiding activities, serving as a rest stop. Therefore, it stood to reason that if he continued in this direction, there was a chance he would stumble upon the goblins' main lair.
Fang Zhen ran through the reasoning again.
He reviewed it one more time. There were no obvious logical flaws.
He felt a thrill of excitement.
By now, the Snickers bar and mineral water he had consumed were starting to digest. He felt his stamina was almost fully recovered, not far from his peak condition.
He stood up, picked up his long spear, and fixed his gaze on the area behind the goblin outpost.
Fang Zhen wanted to press his advantage and push all the way to the Goblin Nest.
Since the Dark Path was a dungeon, if he wanted to clear it, he had to at least wipe out the monsters.
Besides, there was the high probability of goblin treasure.
He stood up and chuckled.
Fang Zhen suddenly realized his mental fortitude was pretty good. He had adapted so quickly.
Fang Zhen glanced at the traces left on the battlefield.
The sight of the goblins' purple blood didn't cause him any discomfort.
'I feel like my mental tolerance, resilience, and recovery are all very strong,' he thought. 'I have the heart for this.'
His decision to challenge the Goblin Nest was a well-considered one.
The recent battle had seemed vicious and dangerous, and in truth, it was.
The feeling of intensity came from the powerful atmosphere and emotional experience of combat. It was Fang Zhen's first time going through something like this, so his emotions had magnified the sensations, creating a sense of dramatic impact.
But the actual result was that he was completely unharmed.
The reality was that he was well-prepared and held an advantage over the goblins in terms of equipment and physical condition.
Fang Zhen assessed his abilities. In a direct, head-on confrontation, his limit was probably six or seven goblins. Any more than that and he wouldn't be able to divide his attention. It didn't mean he would definitely lose, but the risk would increase sharply, and the situation could spiral out of control.
However, since he was defining this as a war, as a human, he had a vast array of strategies and tactics at his disposal.
'I'm an intelligent human. Why would I fight a creature like a goblin head-on?'
If he used strategy and skill well, clearing the Goblin Nest wasn't impossible.
And, to be honest, he rather liked that feeling of blood-pumping, passionate combat.
Having lived for so long in the concrete jungle, with every day being more or less the same, Fang Zhen had felt a sense of confusion.
Even on days when he was making a lot of money, a thought would suddenly come to him.
He didn't know if he was living 365 days a year, or just living the same day 365 times.
Of course, it wasn't that the latter was bad. There was happiness to be found in the mundane, and one could still achieve great things. Some people became gods of sushi by repeating the same process for decades, which proved that such a life had its own flavor.
But in his heart, Fang Zhen always felt like something was missing, that it lacked a certain something.
'In my soul, I always felt like that kind of life was just... floating. Even when I worked hard every day, it was like I was rootless, unable to find the feeling of being truly alive.'
Fang Zhen suspected he wasn't the only one who felt this way. Many people probably shared similar emotions and experiences, especially men. It was just a feeling that was hard to put into words.
'We're all human; the differences in our hearts and feelings probably aren't that great. But there was no way to talk about it. It would be too weird to bring this up with someone, so I never tried to see if anyone else felt the same.'
But now, he suddenly understood.
What he was missing wasn't anything else but that feeling from moments ago—the life-or-death struggle, the boiling blood, the surging anger, the adrenaline rush, the feeling of his blood pumping through his veins.
People always say emotions are bad, that anger is a negative emotion, but this experience... it was so real. It made Fang Zhen feel, truly and viscerally, that he was alive.
That experience was simply...
"It's simply addictive," Fang Zhen blurted out.
He took a deep breath.
This exciting world, this feeling of being truly alive... and on top of that, the wealth, treasures, secret troves, and even Magic treasures that he wasn't ashamed to admit he loved.
"I like this kind of world."
"I love adventure. I love this kind of life. I will keep going and see just how far I can go."
"Because... HAHAHAHA, this makes me happy!"
A brilliant smile spread across Fang Zhen's face, and a dazzling light ignited in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, raised his long spear, and walked deeper into the forest.
「Twenty minutes later.」
A sandy, bare patch of ground was surrounded by dense woods.
In the center of this sandy clearing stood several large tents.
The material of the tents seemed decent, but the construction was clumsy. Something of good quality had been put together in a way that was displeasing to the eye, making it barely usable. The tents were also filthy, covered in all sorts of disgusting grime.
Seven or eight meters from the tents was a man-made fire pit, surrounded by small hills of piled-up firewood and dry branches.
A few goblins wandered around the tents, and the occasional SNAP of a stepped-on branch could be heard.
The faint smell of smoke and charred meat drifted through the air.
The light smoke drifted around, seeping into the woods.
In the woods, more than forty meters from the camp, behind a large tree wide enough to completely hide a person.
Fang Zhen stood sideways, pressed tightly against the trunk, his sharp eyes silently and calmly observing the Goblin Camp.