“Come on! Bring it on!” Randall rasped hoarsely, shouting threats.
Suddenly, one of the goblins on the far left—slightly larger than the others—let out a piercing shriek, then lunged at him like a bolt of lightning, brandishing a heavily rusted dagger.
It’s over! I can’t scare them anymore!
Randall’s mind went completely blank. He had no strength left to resist.
All he could do was watch in despair as that ferocious creature charged toward him, reeking of filth, rot, and feces, the rusted blade in its hand growing larger in his vision.
Just at that critical moment, a sharp, cutting sound tore through the oppressive air from the side!
A blue energy orb, cutting through the darkness, shot forward at a speed far greater than the goblin’s charge. It struck the creature’s side with pinpoint precision!
The terrifying force and destructive impact tore through its skin and muscle the instant it made contact. Ribbons of scarlet flesh split apart like snapped cords.
The goblin’s grotesque green body was sent flying and slammed into a rough tree trunk in the distance.
Its filthy body twitched twice, then stopped moving entirely, sliding lifelessly down the bark to the ground.
The remaining goblins froze in shock at the sudden attack and the grisly death of their companion.
Their murky yellow eyes filled with primal terror. Their throats gulped nervously, and their once-aggressive advance turned stiff and hesitant. Slowly, they turned to look toward the source of the attack.
Randall gasped for breath, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest.
The sudden turn of events had left his mind reeling. When he finally realized what had just happened, he whipped his head toward the direction the blue orb had come from.
Through the treetops, pale moonlight filtered down, illuminating the silhouette of a tall, well-built figure.
A young man—handsome and calm.
“Good, I’m not too late.”
Randall was overwhelmed with a sense of relief, like he’d been pulled from the jaws of death.
“Careful, there are still a few left.” Randall managed to warn the stranger, his voice nearly gone.
It was nighttime, and goblins in the forest were far more dangerous than during the day. One wrong move could be fatal.
“Don’t worry, I’m experienced. I won’t let them escape,” the young man said with a composed nod, clearly misunderstanding the concern.
“I’m a Goblin Slayer.”
Before he could respond, the young man moved—like a streak of silver darting through the underbrush.
With a flick of his wrist, his rapier sliced through the air like a snake and pierced the nearest goblin’s throat with precision.
If one looked closely, a faint magical glow shimmered along the blade.
The youth’s voice rang clearly through the quiet forest.
From another direction, a bone spear came flying at him.
Randall’s eyes widened, but before he could warn him, the words caught in his throat.
The white spear struck the young man’s body, but a shimmer of blue light deflected the impact. The spear fell harmlessly to the ground.
Another goblin, seemingly emboldened by its comrade, rolled forward and lunged, thrusting a stone dagger upward toward the young man’s ribs.
A faint ripple shimmered around the youth’s leather armor again.
The goblin’s strike was completely nullified by some mysterious force it couldn’t comprehend.
While the goblin froze in shock, the youth’s rapier flicked upward.
The blade carved through its neck like a guillotine. A head flew skyward, trailing thick, crimson blood.
The calm voice echoed once more through the night.
To the remaining two goblins, it was nothing short of a death knell.
After watching three of their companions get slaughtered in an instant, the last two goblins panicked.
They turned and fled, stumbling and scrambling through the underbrush.
But the young man was faster.
With just a few strides, he caught up to the one that had thrown the bone spear and drove his rapier through its heart.
You thought you could ambush me and run?
Then he drew the bone wand from his waist with his left hand and aimed at the final fleeing goblin.
A blue orb of magic quickly formed.
The orb burst forth like a comet and struck the goblin squarely in the back.
The sheer force pinned it to the ground, its body crushed and blood spilling from its wounds.
Leaning against the tree roots, Randall was speechless.
This young man was incredibly strong!
He’d seen capable fighters before, but none moved so effortlessly.
Every slash was precise, each step lethal. It was like watching someone butcher chickens.
“Are you okay?” the young man asked as he approached Randall, his emerald eyes flicking toward the blood-soaked bandage on his leg.
“I-I’m fine!” Randall managed to speak, lips pale. “Thank you for saving me!”
Now that it was over, Randall felt a flood of gratitude and awe toward his savior.
In his eyes, this handsome youth who had saved both his life and the future of his daughter Taylor was no different from an angel.
Only after enduring such despair and agony could he fully appreciate what it meant to survive.
“Let me patch up your wound.”
Gauss examined the injury and took out some bandages, blood-stopping powder, and basic medical supplies.
He had never used them before, but always carried them—just in case.
This time, that foresight paid off.
After dressing Randall’s wound, Gauss carried him on his back and began walking steadily toward the village.
“Don’t fall asleep. Stay with me.”
“Got it. Thank you.” Randall gritted his teeth. “Do you know the way?”
He was worried the young man might be unfamiliar with the forest paths at night.
“Relax. I came from your village,” Gauss reassured him.
He had taken a temporary quest from the villagers—to search for goblins and check on a hunter who hadn’t returned.
Luckily, both objectives had lined up nicely.
He saved a life, earned a reward, and killed goblins in the process. Triple win.
As for finding his way back, Gauss glanced at the mental map in his head. A clear, glowing path showed the route.
He could probably walk back with his eyes closed.