Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 213 Surprise, Exit

The air in the arena froze for a moment.

The team's core spellcaster's serious injury and departure from the field was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

From Xia Nan's perspective, it can be seen clearly.

Cash, who had been holding his stone spear high with both hands as the owl charged straight toward Mint, seemingly intending to use his combat skills to attack the enemy and help his teammates, was originally there.

The next second after the girl was knocked away, her face, which had been tense and flushed from the intense battle, was first stunned for a moment, and then a strange look appeared on her face.

The hands that were gripping the stone spear loosened quietly, and the person who was about to attack fell to the ground.

Vera's behavior was even more pronounced.

Having failed to break through his defenses twice in a row, the wanderer from the Underdark was instead somewhat weakened.

The slightly dark, tall figure almost took advantage of the opportunity to move to the side and rear of the owl bear.

Just two more steps forward, and I could plunge the dagger in my hand into the opponent's vulnerable groin.

But after seeing Mint's figure flying backward, spitting out blood, she suddenly slammed on the brakes.

The pointed leather boots left two deep marks in the soft mud.

He exerted his strength again, turning from advance to retreat, leaving a trail of shadows behind him as he suddenly retreated.

Although no damage was inflicted on the enemy, the danger of being attacked was eliminated, reducing the possibility of provoking the Owl Bear and worsening the situation.

Thus, from the moment Owl Bear suddenly appeared and launched his attack on the Seathorn Squad, only a few dozen seconds had passed.

Apart from Mint, whose fate is unknown, the other three, including Xia Nan, did not suffer any injuries serious enough to affect their actual combat ability and still retained sufficient fighting strength.

Xia Nan is even quite certain that the other two members of the team have trump cards that they haven't yet revealed.

If we work together, we can defeat this owl-bear.

Even if we can't defeat the opponent head-on, it's not impossible to briefly hold them off or even force them to retreat temporarily.

He himself had already prepared for battle, and had considered the detailed battle plan in his mind twice.

The owl-bear is enormous and incredibly strong, but it is somewhat lacking in agility.

With the [Fang Hunt] ability, if you move around carefully, you should be able to handle the situation.

Limited by his own strength and the sharpness of the decapitation sword, the [Spinning Slash] alone may not be able to achieve a fatal effect in one blow, but even if it is only a minor injury, dozens or hundreds of strikes will eventually lead to a qualitative change.

In addition, with the control provided by [Gravity Control] and the force field damage of [Gravity Etching] that ignores physical defense, if you can seize the opportunity, you might actually be able to deal enough high damage to the opponent to affect the situation.

After all, this is the real world, not a game made up of pure data. The "challenge level" can only be used as a reference to measure the average strength of a certain monster, and there are many variables in the specific situation.

Moreover, if we have to be honest, although his professional level is only "1", if we take into account factors such as expertise, combat skills, and equipment, can he be compared with an ordinary warrior who is also only level 1?

Xia Nan himself didn't believe it either.

Therefore, when he noticed that Cash and Veris quickly withdrew, he assumed that they were trying to regroup and arrange their formation to deal with the Owl Bear in front of them.

Unexpectedly, just as Xia Nan was about to step forward, he saw Cash pull out two more oil bombs from his waist pouch and throw them at the enemy in front of him.

boom--

The blazing flames suddenly engulfed its massive body, and its thick mane and downy feathers became the best fuel at that moment. The orange-red flames almost turned the owl-bear into a huge ball of fire.

Mao Duo is weak in fire!

Xia Nan's eyes lit up immediately. He thought to himself that this was indeed an experienced adventurer who could remain calm even at such a moment and use the few remaining throwing items to create an advantage for the team.

"Buzz!!"

The owl bear's painful, piercing howl caused the bushes on both sides to tremble slightly, and its massive, powerful body stiffened as flames swirled around it.

It's now! ! !

Talent and experience allowed Xia Nan to perceive this brief opportunity. He gripped the decapitation sword tightly in his hand, took a step forward, and was about to quickly approach.

But at that moment, Cash, who had thrown the oil bomb, did not take advantage of this hard-won opportunity to attack with Xia Nan as expected.

Instead, he turned around instantly, not even glancing at the burning owl-bear, and threw the stone spear in his hand into the forest behind him.

call out--

The combat technique was activated, and the silent figure was attracted like a magnet, disappearing from the field in an instant.

Vera and Vérez were perfectly in sync, and Vérez even moved faster.

Before Cash could even throw the incendiary bomb, he had already retreated into the bushes nearby.

When Cash turned around with his stone spear in hand, he had vanished without a trace.

what?
Xia Nan suddenly stopped in his tracks, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his surging fighting spirit, instantly cooling it down.

He immediately realized what was happening and stomped his legs hard on the ground as he was moving forward, gathering his strength.

"boom!"

Mud pellets mixed with leaf fragments danced in the air, and before they could fall, they were pulled and swirled by the invisible air currents along with the thin mist in the air, transforming into a ferocious wolf's head.

The figure, shrouded in a gray sword, roared away in a direction far from the battlefield.

After taking a slight detour, Xia Nan glanced at the direction where Bo He had been hit and wanted to check on his condition.

No body was found; only some bloodstains and fragments of a robe remained on the meadow. The simple yew wood staff was broken in two and lay quietly on the ground.

Thoughts flashed through my mind. Time was short, and I didn't have time to think too much. I picked up the broken staff and stuffed it into my backpack.

Amidst increasingly frenzied and violent howls, Xia Nan's body was enveloped by the wolf-headed phantom and disappeared into the forest.

……

Xia Nan is very fast.

However, compared to the high-pitched and long sound it used in open plains in the past, the wolf howl of [Fang Hunt] now fluctuates in pitch and often has brief pauses, like the sound of a television during signal fluctuations.

It wasn't that he was injured and that it affected his combat skills.

However, due to the environment in the dense forest, there were too many trees, and most of them were too thick for his current physical strength to overcome.

The direct approach affected the use of the "tooth hunt".

Whenever Xia Nan encountered a thick tree that was difficult to break, he had to stop his charge, twist his feet to go around it, and then cast [Fang Hunt] again.

Even so, he moved through the forest much faster than the average adventurer.

When he faced that petrified lizard, no matter how hard he tried to run, he couldn't create any distance between himself and it. In the end, he only managed to save his life with the help of Haian and Wood.

Right now, after the flames of the fire oil bomb have been extinguished, Owl Bear is far superior to the petrified lizard in terms of physical strength, explosive power, speed, and even the degree of hatred he harbors for them.

Xia Nan, however, continued to leave his opponent behind at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After all, he is no longer the novice adventurer who had to spend almost half his fortune to buy a single healing potion and who had only mastered one combat skill.

With 8 points in Agility, 7 points in Strength, and 8 points in Constitution, he can maintain the speed of a 100-meter sprint for a long time, keeping his center of gravity steady and skillfully avoiding obstacles from trees while running through the forest. The bonus to balance from [Tidal Shaping] on unstable surfaces also allows Xia Nan to walk on flat ground and maintain a considerable speed even when running through small pits, branches, and soft mud in the forest.

At the same time, the temporary reduction in body gravity under [Gravity Control] made his steps even lighter, as if he were walking on the moon. Often, he would only need to push off the ground once to fly forward a great distance.

Even the speed when using [Fang Hunt] is several points faster.

Within ten seconds, the roar of the owl bear behind them completely disappeared.

Of course, it's also possible that the other party's hatred was mainly directed at Cash, who threw the oil bomb, and there was no reason for them to pursue him.

Not feeling at ease, Xia Nan ran a little further into the depths before slowly stopping.

"call……"

His chest heaved as he gasped for breath, a faint smell of blood lingering in his nostrils—blood and bits of flesh from the surface of his armor.

My gaze swept around: waist-high, dense grass, thorny bushes tangled like a ball of yarn, and the gradually dimming sunlight filtering through the gaps in the tree canopy overhead, quietly scattering in the increasingly thick fog and illuminating countless tiny dust particles.

In my ears, there was a soft rustling sound, a mixture of the chirping of unknown insects and the rustling of leaves.

Secluded and tranquil.

Just like the misty forest in people's minds.

The ferocious beasts and the blood that had almost stained the ground red seemed to be nothing more than illusions in the forest.

Xia Nan looked up at the rapidly darkening sky and frowned slightly.

Even though they were out of danger, they felt no sense of relief.

Be wary of the shadows cast by the surrounding tree canopies.

Thoughts were swirling in my mind.

Strange, very strange.

For the past month and a half, everything had been perfectly normal: accepting missions, entering the forest, hunting targets, and turning in missions. Even though there were more wild animals due to the recent unrest, it was all within the realm of understanding.

But it just so happens that on this last mission before leaving the team, it's the Seathorn Squad's turn to help him complete the request.

Everything changed.

First, Mint was attacked by beastmen in the human village, then a pack of beasts went berserk and attacked them in the forest, and finally even monsters of the level of Owl Bear appeared.

Xia Nan couldn't help but suspect that there might be something fishy going on.

Was it that beastman watching them from the shadows, trying to trip them up? Or were they chosen as the target of a raid by some other adventurers he didn't know? Or... was there something wrong with the team?

Could it be mint?
The image of the girl being knocked away by the owl bear flashed before Xia Nan's eyes. Her chest was so caved in that it was a serious injury that could cause someone to lose consciousness.

But when he rushed over before leaving, he did not find Mint's body.

They only found the other party's broken staff on the ground.

Was he truly seriously injured and dragged away by other wild animals lying in ambush nearby, too afraid to approach, or...?

He was filled with doubt.

However, with keen perception, he noticed something unusual about Mint from the very beginning of joining the team.

It made him feel that things wouldn't end so simply.

This young woman, who claimed to have taken a job in a niche profession under the "Druid" class, may not have left the scene in such a way.

As for Cash and Veris.

Xia Nan was surprised by the two men's decisive retreat when facing the Owl Bear.

But looking back now, it's not entirely incomprehensible.

After all, the Owl Bear was not something that an adventurer team of their caliber could handle.

Especially when the spellcaster in the squad is severely injured and loses the ability to fight.

Two seasoned veterans would never risk their lives against a monster far stronger than themselves for someone else's mission or for a newcomer who had just joined the team.

To avoid casualties and minimize risks, retreat is indeed the most rational choice.

Xia Nan pondered this, his expression remaining largely unchanged.

From their own perspectives, Cash and Veris's actions would be perfectly fine, but from Xia Nan's point of view...

Only he himself knows what he is thinking.

Then, there was the owl bear.

Monsters of this level should not normally appear on the outskirts of the Misty Forest.

Of course, it's also possible that they happened to be nearby and were attracted by the smell of blood on the ground.

But if there's even a one in ten thousand chance that its reason for attacking the Seathorn Squad is the same as those raging, crazed beasts...

Then things become troublesome.

After all, if you can even control an owl bear, who knows what might happen if you summon a few petrified lizards or manticores?

Now that things have come to this, the team has been scattered, and there is no possibility of continuing the investigation mission.

Xia Nan planned to leave the Misty Forest first, return to a nearby village to rest for two days, and wait to see if any teammates could come out.

As for whether to return directly to River Valley Town to complete the mission or continue the investigation, we'll have to wait and see how things develop.

Thinking it over, he checked his physical condition again.

It wasn't seriously injured. The owl bear's attack didn't involve a sufficient charging process, and it only used its arms to strike instead of its claws, even using its arm shield to block the blow.

After landing and recovering, he didn't even suffer any minor injuries.

The only damage was to his plate and chainmail armor—the thick iron plate on his chest was slightly dented and deformed, and cracks appeared on the surface of the metal buckle at the left connection.

It is still within the scope of repair.

This leaves room for future maintenance and upkeep of Xia Nan.

My fingers ran over the metal plate on my chest, feeling the uneven texture of my fingertips.

For some reason, he suddenly sighed.

With a turn of his foot, he walked towards the woods on the side.

If they wanted to leave the forest, going back the way they came was definitely not an option; who knew if they would encounter that enraged owl bear again?

He planned to make a big detour, bypassing the direction in which the squad was fighting the beasts, and go from the other side.

I just hope we don't encounter any more trouble along the way.

　Thank you to Qingdeng Zui Renjian for the generous donation!
　　Extra chapter... I'll try my best to make up for it...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)