Goblin Dependency
Chapter 81 - 57: Refreshing

Chapter 81: Chapter 57: Refreshing

"Ding-ling-ling!"

An urgent ringing sounded in the night.

The wooden bowl fell to the ground, and the half-consumed orange-red stew spilled across the meadow.

Buzz—

Accompanied by the crisp sound of a sword being swiftly drawn, the steel-gray cold light flashed momentarily in the air.

The next second, the Beheading Longsword was already gripped in Xia Nan’s hand.

Beside him, Alton reacted just as swiftly.

Just moments ago, he was cheerfully sharing tales of his hometown with Xia Nan. The instant the alarm sounded, his expression turned serious.

His two legs almost seemed to leave afterimages.

With agile movements, he had already leaped onto the top of the roadside carriage.

While glancing in the direction from which the sound came, his hand already held a mini and exquisite lute.

The Half orcs’ cheerful, lively nature didn’t mean they were fools to be bullied.

A strong sense of responsibility allows these small figures to exhibit extraordinary courage and determination beyond their size when defending family and villages.

Their nimble and unobtrusive physique grants them agility exceeding ordinary people, along with stealth abilities akin to a Wanderer.

In fact, a Lightfoot Half orc being allowed to leave the community to venture out as an adventurer is evidence of Alton’s abilities.

The reaction of the other adventurers around was not much different.

Amid the sounds of pots and pans clattering to the ground, within seconds, the guards had grasped their weapons and stood in position as per the prearranged formation.

It wasn’t until now, with the adventurers fully prepared for battle, that a noisy commotion arose from the camp of the other side of the caravan.

"Goblin, 23 in total, no subspecies detected."

Calm and precise, the Half orc quickly reported his findings to everyone while tuning the strings of his lute.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Nan could feel the adventurers around him visibly relax.

"Thankfully, it’s just goblins."

It made sense. This close to the town, daring to attack a human caravan, aside from certain demons who have lost their perception of danger due to extreme hunger, only these brainless green-skinned hybrids would do such a thing.

"Kerry, Wilson, get ready!"

The leader-like guard in the team called out loudly to the two adventurers with longbows on their backs.

They moved quickly, as if they had collaborated many times before.

The two archers quickly climbed onto the carriage boxes placed on the roadside to take a vantage point.

Then they aimed at the goblins who were blurred figures rushing through the night from a distance.

Bending their bows and nocking arrows.

"Whoosh!"

The wooden arrows with tail feathers turned into slender shadows and disappeared into the darkness.

Two figures fell in response.

"Keep going!"

The adventurer continued to shout.

The sound of arrows flying through the air rang out once again, but compared to before, this time there were a few coachmen from the caravan joining the attack.

—Their clothes were disheveled, and some even had dirt and grass stains on them, having evidently fallen along the way.

Also holding crossbows, they squinted to aim in the direction of the incoming figures from afar and fired.

This time, three goblins fell.

But it was all due to the two professional shooters, as one arrow pierced through the chests of two green-skinned rats simultaneously.

The nighttime visibility was too poor, and ordinary people without combat experience couldn’t match the strength or accuracy of adventurers frequently battling in the Mist Forest.

Accompanied by sharp shrieks, the rapidly approaching dense footsteps became increasingly evident.

The adventurer in charge of command glanced at the goods on the cart behind and hesitated for a moment. He looked to his side at the caravan captain, Jeff, who was gripping a long-handled spear tightly.

Finally determined, he raised his One Handed Sword high and shouted to everyone around:

"Don’t let these beasts get near the caravan!"

"Brothers, charge!"

As one of the vanguard of the team, Xia Nan couldn’t possibly lag behind in the face of the impending battle.

With strides, he was already rushing forward.

Meanwhile, his gaze followed his sprinting body, sweeping toward the surroundings.

Confirming no ambush signs on either side and with teammates providing support and vigilance at the rear, he felt slightly relieved.

Hoooom—

Amid the tense atmosphere, a high, stirring sound of a lute suddenly rang out in the air.

It was not complex, seemingly made up of high-pitched notes put together, repeating continuously.

Yet it seemed to contain a peculiar rhythm that made one unwittingly immerse themselves in it.

The muscle strength wasn’t enhanced, nor the consciousness clearer.

The notes felt like invisible illusions in the air, seeping into flesh and bones through the pores.

Giving a misperception more conducive to combat.

As if the body suddenly felt a bit lighter, and the accumulated strength in the arm was more abundant.

Xia Nan’s advancing speed suddenly increased.

His mind drifted back to the brief glimpse of the Half orc’s lute, along with the distinctive and vividly colored attire of the other.

"Minstrel?"

The thought flashed through his mind.

In the blink of an eye, he was already at the forefront of the team.

Beside him, the roars of teammates in battle and the sharp clang of metal clashing filled the air.

Xia Nan concentrated, shutting out the noise around him.

Directly ahead,

Four goblins were swinging clubs, baring their teeth and claws as they lunged at him!

The sword tip touched the ground.

With a Constitution of 8 after absorbing Dewdrop, Xia Nan had no concerns about the impact of battle skills on his physical function.

He simply lunged forward fiercely!

The leather boots sank instantly into the soft mire beneath the meadow.

And the moist, brown soil, swallowing the heel, seemed to surge upward with power from the depths of the earth!

A strong force rushed up from the sole, gathering those ordinarily hidden strengths in the flesh to a single point in an instant.

From the palm to the hilt, driven in a precise manner refined through countless practices into muscle memory, moved the sword.

[Vortex Slash]

Whoosh—

In the glow of the flames, the steel-gray sharp arc of light sliced through the night.

Xia Nan felt four subtle resistances transmitted through the sword in his hand.

Flesh like paper, bones like kindling.

With a sharp blade enhanced by strong momentum, the goblins couldn’t even scream in pain before being snatched away by the cold gleam of death.

Foul, putrid blood gushed like a spring, lifting severed limbs and innards high into the air.

The crimson blood left on the sword sprayed onto the ground with the unleashed force.

His bangs flying wildly before his forehead, the bloody smell that surged into his nostrils made Xia Nan frown slightly.

Yet what surged in his heart was an inexplicable sense of exhilaration.

Like a butcher skillfully dissecting pork on a chopping board, the indescribable pressure, pent up from Bear Goblins, Petrified Lizards, and even the unassailable giant serpent that had already died, released in one moment with the demise of the four green-skinned hybrids.

At this moment, only one thought surfaced in Xia Nan’s mind:

"How exhilarating!"