Chapter 6: Bugbear

Xia Nan carefully examined his attribute panel.

Compared to the surprise of having his own attributes quantified, the values themselves were nothing special.

All six dimensions were at "5," which he assumed was the level of an average person.

Furthermore, the attribute panel itself was extremely crude, looking like it came from some unfinished, third-rate game; there was simply nothing to see.

The only thing worth mentioning was the lonely entry in his skill bar

【Spinning Slash】lv4 (99/100)

"Is it really just 1 point away from leveling up?"

Xia Nan muttered to himself.

Although he knew he couldn't rush it, being just 1 experience point away from reaching lv5 made him feel restless. He was desperate to know what kind of benefits this level-up would bring him.

His mind drifted back to the moment his proficiency had increased earlier.

"I wonder if using techniques in actual combat provides a bonus compared to regular training."

Having just arrived in this world not long ago, he was a novice adventurer, and the only skill he possessed was the one inherited from his predecessor.

With only a few lines on his attribute panel, no matter how much he stared, he couldn't find anything more to it.

Xia Nan took a few more glances before composing himself and returning to his duty of keeping watch.

……

The next day.

Just as the sky began to brighten, the "Rotten Fish and Shrimp" party packed up their supplies and left the camp.

In the thin mist of the forest at dawn, visibility was no better than at night.

The dense fog filling the air, combined with the lush vegetation that looked identical to Xia Nan, made it impossible for an ordinary person to find their way.

After walking for half a day, he even had the illusion that they had been walking in circles.

Yet, the two in front acted with such certainty, as if they had a mini-map in their heads.

Xia Nan didn't say anything, just followed closely like a little tail.

When they stopped, he stood still; when they lowered their voices, he became just as stealthy.

As for why bottom-tier adventurers like the Rotten Fish and Shrimp party could stroll through the Mist Forest as if it were their own backyard, and even locate the vague direction of a goblin nest in such complex terrain, Xia Nan had some vague guesses.

On one hand, it was likely due to their past experience as "veterans," allowing Magi and the others to distinguish directions based on details in the forest he wasn't aware of.

On the other hand, judging by how this hunter, who had left his homeland, would occasionally stop and press his nose to the ground like a hound, sniffing the air, he likely possessed some exclusive prerequisite skill belonging to a certain class, similar to [Spinning Slash].

But just like Gagoo and Magi, they hadn't mentioned the skill he had used after the battle, as if they hadn't seen it at all.

Xia Nan didn't ask about it.

He simply made a mental note to be discreet about such things when meeting other adventurers in the future, so as not to cause unnecessary conflict.

After trekking through the woods for about three more hours, a small earthen mound came into view.

In the center of the mound was a mud-and-stone cave, clearly excavated by living creatures, with numerous signs of activity around the entrance.

A faint, foul stench could be smelled in the air.

"We're here!"

Magi’s face showed uncontrollable excitement as he lowered his voice.

"What do you say? Should we go straight in?"

Gagoo held his iron axe in both hands, his pupils slightly reddened; he was clearly prepared for battle.

"A cave like this shouldn't have a back exit." Magi carefully scrutinized the mound ahead, hesitating for a moment before saying, "We can go straight in."

"You take the front, Xia Nan in the middle, and I'll bring up the rear." He weighed the longbow in his hand. "Be careful, everyone! Don't get careless!"

Hearing this, Xia Nan, who was about to follow the party into the cave, couldn't help but ask the question on his mind

"The size of this entrance... it's big enough for two adults to walk side-by-side, isn't it?"

"Is it a goblin habit to dig the entrance this big?"

"Uh..."

This question seemed to stump Magi behind him; his voice trailed off, and he didn't speak for a long time.

"The main force is already dealt with, why do you care so much!?"

With the goblin's treasure within reach, Gagoo’s tone was exceptionally impatient.

"If you're scared, get lost! You won't get a share of the loot in the cave!"

As they spoke, the group didn't stop, walking straight into the cave.

"Damn it!" Xia Nan cursed under his breath. He scanned the scale of the cave and felt a sense of foreboding.

"These two bastards have me sandwiched between them."

"If I back out now, I'll probably be the first one to get hit."

At this point, he had no choice but to follow them to the end.

In truth, Xia Nan had only been in this world for a short time and didn't know much about the adventurer profession.

If he had been around for a few more days, he would have understood.

The reason bottom-tier adventurers were labeled as such might be due to a lack of strength, but it was also because of their ill-timed courage, their "just right" cowardice, their conscience that could be blinded by a few bags of gold, and their brains, which were manipulated by greed.

Frequently changing members, wearing rags despite years of adventuring, a party of "rotten fish and shrimp" that would let a pure novice like Xia Nan join so easily...

These things alone were enough to see the signs.

But it was too late to consider these things now.

All Xia Nan could do was grip his sword tightly and stay alert to everything around him.

The cave wasn't deep, and it soon seemed to reach its end.

"Gurgle..."

Accompanied by a faint flickering light, a strange sound came from around the corner ahead.

Unable to suppress his excitement any longer, Gagoo, who was at the front of the party, saw his muscles swell and his eyes turn red.

*Roar—*

With a complete lack of discipline, he let out a wild roar and charged forward, holding his double-handed axe high.

Then,

Just like a stray dog with its throat constricted,

The roar stopped abruptly.

Although Xia Nan was startled by Gagoo's shout, he wasn't slow on his feet, following closely behind.

Therefore, he saw the scene that had rendered Gagoo speechless at the same time.

As mentioned before, although goblins possessed a unique reproductive system distinct from other creatures, as a unisexual species, they didn't mind reverting to the primitive if they had the chance to plunder females of other races, inflicting their violent bestiality upon those poor souls.

And as sentient beings more widely distributed across the multiverse than goblins, humans—despite possessing an exaggerated number of high-end combatants—also had the largest population of ordinary individuals among all races.

The massive base meant that the groups abducted by goblins for the purpose of reproductive abuse were mostly human, especially the physically weaker females.

And these naturally vile mongrels, of course, wouldn't hold any funerals for them.

Goblins, who lived on the edge of starvation year-round, naturally prioritized filling their stomachs when faced with those poor women.

Thus, there was the scene that Xia Nan saw.

It was foreseeable what kind of explosive impact this scene would have on Xia Nan, an ordinary person from modern society.

Even if he became a veteran adventurer in the future, this would remain etched in his memory.

Of course, what caused a half-orc like Gagoo, who had been eating raw meat and blood since childhood, to lose the ability to speak out of terror, was not this scene they were already accustomed to.

It was the hulking figure sitting in the deepest part of the cave, hidden behind the shadows.

Behind him, Magi let out a terrified shriek that sounded like a crowing rooster

"HOBGOBLIN!!!"