Su Bai wasted no time. With the loot from the mutated coral snake secured in his backpack, he headed toward the next objective marked on his map: the Dark Forest. He had a mission to collect 10 goblin hearts, and although the mysterious ring was still on his mind, he decided to focus on the task at hand.
The Dark Forest wasn't far. As he ventured deeper, the atmosphere thickened. The air grew heavier, and the darkness seemed to move, as if aware of his presence. Tall, twisted trees cast shadows that seemed to whisper around him. Despite the palpable danger, Su Bai was confident in his newly improved level and equipment. The glow of the Celestial Cloudblade on his back served as a reminder of his power.
It didn't take long for him to encounter his first enemy: a Goblin Thrower. It was barely half the height of a human, with green skin and cunning eyes, carrying a basket of stones on its back. Without hesitation, Su Bai activated his Explore skill to gather detailed information.
As he examined it, the information appeared:
[Goblin Thrower]
• Grade: LV5
• HP: 4000
• Physical Attack: 49
• Skill: Throw Three Consecutive Stones (Physical Damage: 58 per stone)
"They have 4000 HP... this is going to take more than a few hits," Su Bai thought, assessing the situation. He knew that Goblin Throwers were dangerous at long range, but if he could get close enough undetected, he could take them out before they had the chance to launch their attacks.
Crouching down, he slowly advanced, hiding among the bushes. When he was about five meters away, the goblin raised its pointed ears, alerted by the crunching of branches beneath Su Bai's feet.
"It's now or never," he thought as he leaped from his hiding spot. The goblin screeched and quickly began reaching into its basket to throw stones. Su Bai knew that if he didn't act fast, the stones would deal significant damage. He decided to see if he could interrupt its attack.
With a precise strike, Su Bai aimed his sword at the goblin's arms just as it was about to throw.
-302
The blow connected, interrupting the goblin's movement. Although the attack had worked, it wasn't enough. The goblin staggered back, dropping the stone, but didn't give up.
-310
Another slash sliced through the air, followed by the goblin's pained shriek. Its health bar dropped quickly, but not enough.
Enraged, the goblin tried to throw another stone, but Su Bai was already prepared.
-315
-620·Weak Crit
A precise strike to the goblin's neck stopped any attempt at a counterattack. The Goblin Thrower collapsed with a final gasp. Su Bai watched as his experience bar inched forward slightly.
Experience gained: +80
Su Bai collected the goblin's heart, along with some copper coins it dropped, and continued his search for more enemies.
After advancing a bit further, Su Bai spotted a more imposing figure. A larger goblin, wielding a bloodstained mace, emerged from the shadows. This wasn't an ordinary goblin.
[Goblin Warrior]
• Grade: LV6
• HP: 5000
• Physical Attack: 57
• Skill: Hammer Strike (170% base attack damage)
"This one's serious," Su Bai murmured as he evaluated the enemy. He knew that a single hit from that mace could be lethal if he didn't dodge in time. The Goblin Warrior roared and charged at him, raising the mace high. Su Bai prepared to dodge but knew he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
The goblin swung with all its might, and Su Bai rolled to the side just in time.
-80
The impact was so strong it sent rocks flying off the ground, some of which struck Su Bai, causing him to lose HP.
"It's strong but slow," Su Bai thought as he quickly moved to counter before the goblin could recover.
-315
-325
The goblin roared in pain, raising its mace for another attack. This time, although Su Bai dodged, the mace grazed his arm, sending a sharp jolt of pain through him.
-72 HP
"I need to be more careful," he thought as he retreated. He activated Endless Icy Cloud, and his sword began emitting a white mist, slowing the goblin with each hit.
-320
-618·Weak Crit
While Su Bai's attacks were effective, the goblin was resilient. Each strike drained more of his energy, and the goblin seemed to be recovering. He knew he couldn't keep up this pace for long.
As the battle dragged on, Su Bai noticed his energy depleting rapidly due to his constant use of Endless Icy Cloud. Quickly opening his inventory in the midst of combat, he drank a Low Common Energy Potion.
+70 energy restored
"That should be enough for now," he thought, feeling a renewed surge of energy. With his strength restored, Su Bai launched another well-timed attack, hoping to maintain the upper hand before his enemy could strike back.
Finally, the goblin managed to land a full hit with its mace.
-100 HP
The blow knocked a significant chunk of health from him, leaving him momentarily dazed. "I need to heal," Su Bai thought. He quickly opened his inventory and drank a Low Common Healing Potion.
+120 HP restored
With his health replenished, he launched back into the fight, dealing consistent damage with each swing.
Eventually, a Fatal Crit gave Su Bai the decisive advantage.
-1702·Fatal Crit
The Goblin Warrior collapsed, and Su Bai exhaled in relief. His experience bar jumped significantly.
Experience gained: +150
After collecting the loot, he found a scroll marking the location of a more dangerous goblin hideout, along with the second goblin heart he needed.
Su Bai continued deeper into the Dark Forest, aware that he still had 10 goblin hearts to collect. The battles grew more intense as he encountered more goblins. Some appeared in groups, forcing Su Bai to carefully manage his resources.
In a fight against three goblins, Su Bai dodged most of their attacks, but a Goblin Thrower managed to land a stone on his arm, leaving him injured.
-58 HP
The next encounter was with another Goblin Thrower, which tried to attack from a distance. Su Bai used his now-refined technique of interrupting ranged attacks.
The goblin fell after 12 hits, and Su Bai collected his third goblin heart.
Experience gained: +80
Later, Su Bai faced two Goblin Warriors at the same time. The fight was much tougher, and he had to dodge precisely to avoid being crushed by their maces. He alternated between regular and critical hits, gradually wearing them down until they finally fell.
Experience gained: +300 (150 per goblin)
With each fight, Su Bai checked his experience bar, which steadily increased. The battles left him exhausted but exhilarated. Every skirmish made him feel more connected to the world of Eryndor, as if it wasn't just a game.
After defeating more goblins, Su Bai checked his inventory: 9 goblin hearts collected. Only one more to go.
Finally, he spotted the last goblin, another warrior like the ones he had already fought. This time, Su Bai didn't waste any time. He activated Endless Icy Cloud immediately, slowing the goblin. Even though he took a hit, Su Bai quickly countered.
The goblin had 1050 HP remaining.
Su Bai executed several well-coordinated strikes, hitting the goblin repeatedly until it finally fell. The tenth goblin heart was his.
Total experience gained from goblin hunting: +1080
As Su Bai reviewed his inventory, he looked at the goblin hearts and various items he had gathered. Despite his exhaustion, he felt satisfied with his progress. He had learned valuable lessons in each battle: how to interrupt attacks, how to dodge better, and, most importantly, how to manage his resources efficiently, using both health and energy potions.
He knew the game was becoming more real, and the missions would only get more challenging as he progressed.
With the goblin hearts collected, Su Bai decided to use his remaining time to complete another mission: hunting the demon cats.