Bear Goblins.
A variant of goblins.
Equally wicked and greedy, but compared to their frail and weak cousins, Bear Goblins possess an almost mutant-like strength and agility.
They are cold-blooded and brutal, with a certain level of intelligence, able to speak both Goblin and Common tongue.
Some assassin organizations in the western continent even recruit young Bear Goblins, training them into professional killers.
Almost every Bear Goblin, upon reaching adulthood, has the capability to become the leader of a goblin tribe.
And any goblin tribe that gains a Bear Goblin as its "boss" will see its courage and threat level multiply under the tyrannical rule and sheer power of their leader.
However, compared to the goblins that infest the continent like cockroaches, Bear Goblins are relatively rare.
Upon reaching maturity, they tend to leave their groups and survive on their own, scattering themselves across various goblin tribes.
Often, with underlings satisfying their gluttonous and avaricious desires, Bear Goblins grow lazy, lounging in their dens like dragons atop their hoards.
If not for their excessive greed or sheer bad luck, low-level adventurers would rarely encounter them.
But at the same time, should any of these fledgling adventurers stumble upon one of these formidable goblin variants, their fate is almost certainly sealed.
A deep, menacing roar echoed through the cavern.
A hulking figure, nearly seven feet tall, slowly rose to its feet. Beneath its coarse, reddish-brown fur lay muscles as thick and powerful as a grizzly bear's. Its yellow-brown eyes gleamed dangerously in the firelight, while viscous, foul-smelling saliva dripped from the two tusks protruding from its lower jaw.
But the most eye-catching detail was the massive spiked maul resting by its feet.
The slender handle made the jet-black hammerhead appear even more menacing. The ground beneath it sagged slightly from the weight, and the steel spikes covering its surface hinted at the gruesome destruction it could unleash.
"Gaghul, hold it off!"
After a brief moment of panic, the seasoned hunter Magi finally reacted, shouting at the half-orc at the front of the group.
Escape was not an option.
The Bear Goblin stood merely a dozen meters away. With its explosive speed, it could close the gap in an instant.
While the cavern was wide, it was only spacious enough for two people to walk side by side—not nearly enough room for them to scatter and flee.
Turning their backs on the creature would only ensure their deaths before they could even reach the exit.
They had to attack first!
"Xia Nan, handle the goblins!"
A single Bear Goblin was already a battle for their lives.
If they had to fend off those pesky green rats at the same time, their survival chances would plummet even further.
Magi had no choice but to trust the rookie who had just demonstrated his skills—to believe that Xia Nan could buy them the space they needed to focus their attacks on the Bear Goblin.
Magi's tense shout snapped Xia Nan back to reality.
Before he could even think, he saw Gaghul, the half-orc at the front, bellowing as he charged the Bear Goblin with his heavy two-handed axe.
Something felt wrong.
Unlike the others in the party, Xia Nan's past life had been that of an ordinary farmer. He had never even heard of Bear Goblins, let alone understood how dangerous they were.
But just from Magi and Gaghul's reactions, it was clear how dire the situation was.
There was no time to hesitate.
The moment Magi gave the order, Xia Nan gripped his longsword tightly and charged towards the four goblins on the side of the cavern.
To be honest, he was unsure of himself.
Unlike the chaotic skirmish the night before, this time, without teammates to cover him, he had to face four goblins head-on in an open cavern.
Perhaps it was instinct. Perhaps he had a natural talent for combat.
As he watched the four green-skinned creatures scrambling to pick up their weapons, a sudden realization flashed through his mind.
"Fighting all four at once is too dangerous. I need to divide them up and attack with full force to create an opening!"
Without hesitation, he instinctively activated his Lv4 skill, Whirling Slash, as he dashed forward.
A cold gleam flashed.
The closest goblin was instantly cleaved in half.
By then, the remaining three goblins had already gripped their wooden clubs and charged at him side by side.
Xia Nan, now fully immersed in battle, reacted swiftly—kicking over a red-hot iron pot on the ground in front of him.
Boiling broth mixed with murky grease spilled out, scalding the approaching goblins and making them halt instinctively. Their previously aligned formation was immediately disrupted.
Plan successful!
Xia Nan lunged forward two steps, using his height and strength advantage, and thrust his longsword straight ahead. The blade pierced through a goblin's frail body, driving deep into its abdomen.
A rush of wind came from the side. He dodged swiftly, evading the clumsy overhead strike from another goblin.
Without withdrawing his blade from his impaled foe, he spun in place—executing Whirling Slash once more.
A sickening tear.
With all his strength channeled into the strike, the longsword carved through the goblin's body, cleaving another in half along the way.
The last goblin barely managed to sidestep the spilled broth and arrived in front of Xia Nan.
But upon realizing that it was now alone, its cowardly nature took over.
It dropped its wooden club and turned to flee.
Xia Nan caught up in two strides and finished it with a swift double thrust.
"Hah... hah..."
He panted heavily.
In just twenty seconds of high-intensity combat, he had burned through most of his stamina, his rough linen tunic soaked in sweat.
His longsword remained gripped tightly in his hand, but his right arm trembled uncontrollably, muscles aching from exertion.
The aftereffects of using Whirling Slash twice in quick succession.
At least he had completed the task assigned to him.
Xia Nan reassured himself with that thought.
Then he turned his gaze toward the battlefield where Magi and Gaghul fought.
"They should be able to—"
"Shit!"