Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 32 Venom Glands (4k)

"Whoosh!"

The strong wind caused by the high-speed movement made Xia Nan's black hair on his forehead swing violently.

A shadow flashed across his sight, and Wood, holding two daggers, came closer.

"Master, are you okay?"

His anxious and concerned eyes scanned the half-elf's body carefully several times.

Seeing that there were no external injuries, he breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, it was because Wood was too concerned that he was distracted. There were no obstacles blocking him, so he could see everything that had just happened on his way here.

He naturally knew that the rust monster had its head chopped off without even touching Hai'an.

However, the anxiety caused by his dereliction of duty and the fear of what might happen still made him feel guilty.

"so far so good."

Wood rejoiced in his heart.

Then, he turned his head and looked very seriously at Xia Nan, who was holding a long sword and was about to go forward to support the others.

He nodded sincerely and earnestly.

The battle situation was urgent, and Wood himself was not very good at speaking.

But at this moment, he has truly recognized in his heart this young man in the team who he once doubted but has now proved with practical actions that he is trustworthy.

"call out."

Like a shadow, the figure in black leather armor disappeared again.

It was not until then that Hai'an, the half-elf who had just experienced a life-and-death crisis, finally came to his senses.

"Huh...huh..."

He was breathing heavily, and his originally fair face was covered with sweat.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...thank you!"

Haian apologized incoherently to Xia Nan beside him.

In response, Xia Nan didn't even make any response, and rushed out from beside the half-elf.

On the one hand, in his opinion, even Hai'an and others a few days ago were still strangers to him whom he had never met before.

But now, since I have joined the team and become a member of the team.

Even for the sake of the 100 gold coins, he should fulfill his responsibilities within his ability.

On the other hand, it is also because——

One of the only two rust monsters left on the field took advantage of this opportunity to crawl in front of the two people.

"hiss!!!"

The sharp and high-pitched scream seemed to burst the eardrums.

The slender tail covered with a wavy yellow-brown carapace waved in the air, bringing up countless grass clippings with each wave.

Unlike the green goblins whose "combat effectiveness" is determined by "number", the rust monsters, which rarely live in large groups, do not feel fear or anger because of the death of their own kind.

These large insects, which usually roam in deep caves, seemed to be stimulated by something and showed extremely strong aggressiveness.

Even though the edible metal weapons had been corroded by the venom and were right under their feet, they showed no interest in them and just madly attacked the living creatures in front of them.

With the iron-gray beheading sword across his chest, Xia Nan was not in a hurry to attack. Instead, he walked around the rust monster with the sword in his hand.

The brain works at high speed.

Everything that had happened since the start of the war flashed through his mind.

First of all, the biggest threat to him is naturally the corrosive venom spewed from the mouth of the rust monster.

Whether it was splashed on his body or accidentally touched the sword, he felt extremely distressed and found it difficult to accept.

We must be more cautious!
Secondly, the Rust Monster is covered in a thick and solid shell.

Judging from the blow Larry had just delivered with his one-handed hammer, Shanan wasn't sure if he could break the armor with a single sword strike.

If he failed to cut through the insect's defense in an instant, and there was no flesh and blood on the blade to transmit the force, the subsequent reaction force would make him stiff.

The tolerance rate is extremely low!
Therefore, looking for a breakthrough along the gaps between the rust monster's shells, as Wood did before, is undoubtedly the best way to deal with this insect-like monster.

but……

A hint of hesitation flashed across Xia Nan's dark eyes.

A few seconds ago, I did use [Spin Slash] to chop off the head of a rust monster.

But he didn't think so much at the time. He just saw his teammates in crisis and instinctively followed Wood's method and chopped them down with a sword.

Without even aiming carefully, the sword blade had already penetrated into the insect beast's shell.

Now that I think about it, was it a coincidence, or some kind of fighting talent?
He doesn't quite understand.

However, he would not let this illusion of extreme uncertainty interfere with the current battle that concerns his own life.

"boom!"

The powerful fin tail swung to the ground like a whip, splashing countless mud spots.

Xia Nan barely escaped.

The long sword in his hand swung along, creating sparks on the yellow-brown shell.

"Tsk, what a pity, it was so close."

It is not a motionless toy on the table. After countless years of reproduction and inheritance, the Rust Monster naturally knows the disadvantages of its body structure.

The shell has varying thicknesses and undulates like waves, making the gaps between them appear particularly narrow and difficult to penetrate.

In addition, its body is always moving, and its long tail is whistling behind it like an iron whip.

He must be a "professional" like Wood who has already achieved a professional level and possesses outstanding skills far beyond those of ordinary people.

Otherwise, in the fierce battle, it would be difficult to catch the flaws of the insect in front of you.

unless……

"Whoosh!"

A sharp sound of breaking through the air suddenly sounded behind him.

Xia Nan's body paused, then he reacted immediately.

Leaped back suddenly.

Whether it is accumulating strength or retreating temporarily, leave enough space.

Then, a wooden arrow with white tail feathers on the end, stirring up mist, flew past him with a buzzing sound.

Hai'an, the half-elf who regained consciousness after the raid, immediately provided assists to his teammates.

Unlike the previous rapid and straight shots, the arrow in Xia Nan's sight seemed to be much slower.

But it was also as if the half-elf had used some unique technique, causing the tail feathers to vibrate violently while causing the entire arrow to spin at high speed.

Just like the wake left by an airplane flying across the sky, the wooden arrow flew back and forth, leaving a clear path in the misty air.

"laugh!"

Extremely accurate.

The metal arrow flew with incredible accuracy and pierced into the tiny eyes of the rust monster hidden under its shell.

The powerful force of the arrow itself was so strong that it even shattered and distorted half of the monster's insect face.

hiss--

The sound of insects is resounding!

The extreme pain made the Rust Monster almost instinctively raise his body and shake his head, as if trying to shake off the arrow that had penetrated his head.

"It's now!"

Xia Nan didn't hesitate at all.

The legs, which had already completed the force preparation, suddenly rushed forward.

The slightly disadvantaged position prevented him from using the inappropriate [Spin Slash] at this time, and he instinctively thrust the iron-gray long sword in his hand diagonally upwards.

Insect blood splattered!

Driven by the strength of his whole body, the sword pierced through the relatively fragile jaw of the rust monster almost instantly.

Neck, back…all the way up!
boom--

The rust monster held its heavy body high up, and as Xia Nan stabbed it with the sword, it fell backwards to the ground with a dull sound.

Insect skulls pierced with arrows rolled onto the meadow.

The chelicerae twitched unconsciously.

Xia Nan did not dare to slack off at all. The next second after confirming that the rust monster was dead, he burst out with a force that seemed even more powerful than before.

He stepped on the insect beast's belly and pulled out the beheading sword that had been embedded in its shell with force!

Then check the sword carefully!
"Don't get involved, don't get involved..."

He prayed devoutly in his heart.

This opportunity is rare. I can't care about the venom at this moment. I will just strike with the sword when I get the chance.

Although he couldn't say that he regretted anything at the moment, he couldn't help but worry that the sword blade would be corroded by the saliva of the insects and beasts.

Fortunately,

Although there were several more obvious scratches on the sword, the surface of the blade was also covered with thick green insect blood.

But in the end, it still avoided the venom of the rust monster, which is the natural enemy of metal equipment.

Wander, pause, and stab with the sword.

In a truly fierce battle, the outcome is often decided in just a few seconds.

When Xia Nan gasped and pulled the sword out of the insect beast, Wood at the other end of the camp had already dealt with the last rust monster on the field.

The battle is over.

……

The rust monster's attack came suddenly.

If it were an ordinary team of low-level adventurers, facing the siege of these four disgusting insect beasts, even if the whole team was not wiped out, the entire team would probably suffer heavy losses.

Fortunately, there is an experienced professional in Xia Nan’s team.

Not only were traps set up around the camp in advance, but everyone was also alert to the attacks.

He also pointed out the dangers of the rust monsters in a concise and clear manner at the first opportunity, and even took the brunt of the attack, using neat means to eliminate one of them and reveal its weaknesses.

Plus the cooperation of Xia Nan, Hai An and others.

After the entire battle, only Larry was slightly injured because he accidentally got contaminated by the Rust Monster's saliva while escaping. The other four were safe and sound.

Zira——

Larry threw the venom on the one-handed hammer in his hand onto the grass beside him with some disgust.

"This thing should still be usable..."

He muttered to himself as he looked at the severely deformed metal hammer surface in front of him, which was corroded by the rust monster's saliva and looked as if it had been gnawed by a rat.

His arm was already thickly bandaged.

"Larry, what are you doing there, come help!"

Behind them, Doris whispered in a low voice while packing their luggage.

"coming!"

The noise caused by the battle and the stench of insect blood made this place no longer safe.

They had to find another place to set up camp before it got completely dark.

On the other side, Xia Nan stood in front of the corpse of a rust monster, and the beheading sword behind him was wiped clean by himself.

At this moment, he was frowning and carefully reading the [Adventurer's Handbook] in his hand.

"Rust monster...Rust monster..."

"Why not?"

The battle was finally over, and he certainly didn't want to give up the spoils in front of him.

Judging from Xia Nan's relatively superficial knowledge as an adventurer, such a large insect, with its chitinous shell that has amazing defensive power, should be able to sell for a lot of money.

But judging from the current situation, these shells are too heavy and obviously cannot be carried back.

Even if you find a place to bury it and leave a mark, by the time you return after the mission is completed, it will most likely have been dug out and eaten by the creatures with a sensitive sense of smell in the misty forest.

Therefore, he wondered if there was anything on the Rust Monster that was easy to carry and valuable in the market, so he could take this opportunity to collect it.

However, there is no record of this kind of monster in the adventurer's handbook in my hand.

"It's a bit difficult to handle now."

He worried in his heart.

And at this moment, he seemed to have noticed Xia Nan's thoughts.

Wood, dressed in black leather armor, approached silently.

Unlike his previous vigilance and silence, he took the initiative to speak in a calm tone:

"The most valuable part of a rust monster is the poison gland located on the upper left side of its abdomen."

"It's dark purple, the size of a thumb, and very obvious. You can find it after searching a few times. The outer skin is a bit tough and not easy to break. Just put it in a cloth bag, but be careful not to put it together with metal objects, as it may be corroded."

"I suggest forgetting about the carapace. First, it's inconvenient to carry. Second, due to the environment of the Misty Forest, this kind of thing will decay quickly once it dies, unless you bring protective materials."

"If you have the chance to go to a town near a dwarf gathering place in the future and encounter this kind of bug again, you can also bring their tentacles with you."

"Just like cutting off the goblin's left ear, the dwarves there will give you another reward."

This was the first time that Shanan heard Wood speak such a long paragraph.

Knowing that the other party was helping him, he couldn't help but thank him:

"Okay, thank you."

He pulled out a dagger from his waist and was about to collect the venom glands in a hurry.

The half-elf Hai'an has already walked over.

"Here, I've already dug out the venom glands of the other three bugs for you. That should add up to a small fortune."

His fair hands were covered in thick green insect blood, and on the palms were three black and purple oval organs.

Hearing this, Xia Nan couldn't help but be stunned.

"you……"

"Consider it as compensation for this mission." The half-elf put the poison gland into a cloth bag and stuffed it into Xia Nan's hand, saying with a smile, "After all, we agreed before that we are only outside the Misty Forest, so there won't be any risks."

"Now that I have encountered a monster of the level of the Rust Monster, it is not realistic for me to pretend that nothing happened."

"Besides, you just saved me... Regarding this, after this mission is over, we will return to Neum..."

"Let's talk about it when the time comes." Xia Nan waved his hand to interrupt the other party.

He is not the type of person who would repay a favor with a favor, and his move in the battle just now was just a natural move.

We were all teammates, and my situation at the time wasn't that bad. I couldn't just watch the other party die.

Therefore, he doesn't really care about the so-called "life-saving grace".

Instead, the three poison glands in the other party's hand made him more tempted.

"I don't know how much I can sell it for when I go back." Xia Nan, who had only 24 gold, 2 silver and 7 bronze coins left in his savings before leaving, pondered in his mind.

At the same time, Wood, who was beside the two of them, was looking at the corpse of the rust monster on the grass. Although the battle was over, his expression seemed even more solemn.

"This kind of bug usually lives in caves in the Underdark."

"Why did so many of them suddenly appear in the Misty Forest?"

"Who drove these rust monsters out of their habitat? Or is there something here that attracted them here?"

(End of this chapter)