Goblin Dependency
Chapter 50 - 50 38 Petrification

50: Chapter 38 Petrification 50: Chapter 38 Petrification The real world is not a video game.

Before a Boss appears, it won’t suddenly play a cutscene or use a grand open space with epic background music to herald the coming battle.

The occurrence and conclusion of a battle are abrupt and short.

Most of the time,

like a rabbit under an eagle’s claw or a mosquito in a tree frog’s mouth, adventurers, when faced with more powerful predators,

don’t even know what kind of danger they are facing before they become corpses.

First, it was Larry who was closest.

Wearing compact armor, sweat still trickling down his face, he turned halfway, showing Doris the exquisite statue he had discovered behind him.

But then, the sudden loss of sensation from his back and the terrified gaze of the blonde girl made him realize something was wrong.

No time to turn around.

Larry instinctively reached out as far as he could, as if exerting all his strength to push Doris out of harm’s way.

Unexpectedly, in response to Larry’s actions,

this slender, delicate blonde girl, who seemed like she could be knocked over by a breeze, in this moment displayed a courage utterly different from before.

Instead of turning to escape, she even stepped forward, her face pale yet determined, gripping Larry’s hands tightly with both her own.

Her body suddenly tilted back, her slender arms trembling and straining, trying to pull Larry’s body out of danger.

Since the start of the mission, the two who had always been awkward were finally clear about their relationship under the catalyst of a life-or-death crisis.

But, it ends here.

No matter how deep and moving their love, it ultimately vanishes like ashes in the wind when faced with an indescribable terrifying power.

A lifeless pale ashen color spread from Larry’s back at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Swallowing life and color along with it.

Back, chest, abdomen, arms…

Just in the span of a breath.

Larry and Doris remained in their posture of gazing and grasping at each other, Larry’s neck veins protruding out, even still seeing the strands of hair on the side of the girl’s cheek flowing.

But the two now had become like those sculptures of snakes and scorpions on the ground,

turned into two unmoving, silent pale statues.

Next, it was the Half Elf Hai’an and his guard Wood.

Even though they were farther away, they still couldn’t escape the attack of that unknown force.

Almost at the very moment the word “caution” sounded.

“Ding!”

From the Half Elf’s body came the sound of something fragile shattering.

Then, a verdant light burst from Hai’an’s waist like fresh sprouts after rain, instantly enveloping his entire body.

The air in front of him twisted and distorted, as if an invisible force had been blocked by the green light from the Half Elf’s body.

Just for a moment.

Hai’an’s face still retained a confused expression.

Until the next second, he realized they were under attack, the magic items he wore for survival being consumed with them.

Wood was the only professional in the entire team.

Even if he wasn’t considered a standout, far from reaching the threshold called “Transcendent,”

the extraordinary agility granted by “Wanderer” still allowed him to react first.

His figure blurred instantly, and the shadow beneath his feet drifted with his steps.

He didn’t dodge, nor did he parry.

Instead, he suddenly concentrated all his energy, gathering all his focus.

Like an ascetic waiting for the wave on the shore, he gritted his teeth and tensed every muscle, facing that unseen force surging through the air like a tide.

Buzz—

His body suddenly stiffened, then abruptly relaxed.

The excellent physique afforded by being a professional allowed him to barely withstand the erosion of this formless force.

No time to feel relieved.

This usually calm and collected Wanderer now exhibited an extremely frantic behavior.

He abruptly turned and rushed toward the Half Elf he was protecting.

“Run!”

Lastly, it was Xia Nan who was on the other side of the courtyard.

Originally planning on heading back and returning to this relic for exploration later, he had no intention of taking souvenirs home.

He wasn’t interested in Larry’s excited shouts, so he fell to the rear of the group.

And because of this,

whether it was Larry and Doris’s struggle and petrification or the green light bursting from the Half Elf,

he saw almost everything that happened on the field.

But, like dewdrops making ripples on water or the subtle arc traced by a bird’s wings, those seemingly clear and detailed scenes to you are indeed the briefest moments in time.

Xia Nan felt he had reached his utmost limit.

Larry turned back—he halted his approaching steps.

Wood’s caution—he instinctively reached back for his sword hilt.

Green light flashing on Hai’an—he drew out the iron-gray Beheading Longsword from his back.

And when the Wanderer’s shout of “Run” reached his ears, his brain translated it into comprehensible information, issued a command, transmitted it through nerves to move muscles and bones to take the first step,

the invisible force that seemed to permeate the air like mist arrived in front of him.

Boom—

The world felt like someone pressed the mute button, and the vivid colors began to fade away.

It’s hard to put Xia Nan’s current feelings into words.

It’s like winter swimming in temperatures below minus twenty degrees.

First, the surface of the skin instantly chilled and stung, the frigid chill of the river water seemed to try to seep into his bones through his pores;

Then numbness set in, the perception of the areas invaded by cold seemed to be frozen, gradually vanishing;

And then, as the body detected the crisis, the blood vessels contracted instinctively, the accelerated blood circulation causing a wave of warmth to wash over, fighting off the encroaching chill.

The “Master” level [Vortex Slash] bestowed Xia Nan with two precious attribute points, coupled with his relatively resilient willpower from two lifetimes.

In this moment, “body” and “mind” formed a barricade against the force of petrification further encroaching into his body.

Allowing him to pass the test of life and death.

Suddenly his mind blurred for a moment, and the colors before his eyes surged back.

Fingers, knees, even the toes of his boots, were covered with a layer of pale ash.

In his line of sight, Hai’an was being carried by Wood into the dense forest beyond the courtyard.

The Half Elf’s face was filled with panic, his bloodless lips opening and closing, shouting two words to Xia Nan:

“Hurry, escape!”

Only now did the culprit responsible for nearly wiping out their squad in a breath,

drag its bloated and massive body, with the leisurely and calculated stride typical of a predator, steadily crawling out from the misty forest behind the courtyard.