Goblin Dependency-Chapter 259 - 139 Intermission

The leaden clouds piled up like a continuous mountain range, and the thick gray clouds rolled, scattering a curtain of rain.

Crystal-clear raindrops fell mid-air, caught by the long, piercing howl of the wolf, shredded and pulled, reflecting the sharp, cold, iron-gray Wolf Teeth, which transformed into the illusory mane flowing with the wolf’s roaring head.

Hiss—

A ferocious wave composed of rainwater and grass clippings bit down, leaving a blood-tinged scar on the enemy’s body.

A thick, hairy arm struck down like a whip from the air beside, claws closing in, only to grasp two broken blades of grass and a few fading echoes of a wolf’s howl now far away.

A hit-and-retreat attack.

Thick-soled boots sank deep into the muddy meadow, the retreating footsteps slowing from fast to slow, and finally, as fallen leaves floated down from both sides and the rain settled again, standing firmly still.

"Huff...huff..."

The chest heaving violently, hot breaths puffed out from the nostrils, condensing into gray-white mist in the cold air.

Xia Nan gasped for breath.

His face, drenched in rain, showed no clear expression except for those pitch-black eyes reflecting the towering figure in front, revealing immense focus.

Berg had his head crushed, beyond dead; Adeline had been slapped away by the Bear Goblin in an explosive state, also severely injured and out of the fight.

In just a few minutes, the situation took a drastic turn for the worse.

For the moment, the only one left able to confront the Red-haired Bear Goblin head-on was himself.

Having been teammates for days, the relationship with the two wasn’t particularly close, yet they could be considered friends.

But at this moment, he had no time to mourn Berg’s death or worry about Adeline’s injuries.

The Red Mane’s torrential attacks, along with the immense pressure of being fatally wounded with even a slight graze, left him breathless.

In such circumstances, Xia Nan didn’t even have the chance to cast the [Vortex Slash], only utilizing the superior agility provided by [Teeth Hunting] to inflict shallow wounds that held no hope on the enemy, then quickly retreating.

——The scar he’d just inflicted with the Beheading Longsword across its waist only two seconds ago was already being healed by the muscle writhing beneath it, staunching the blood quickly.

Ever since Berg’s death, in just a few exchanges with the Bear Goblin,

the toll on Xia Nan’s stamina was more than all previous encounters combined.

The pressure was too great!

The huge difference in strength, along with the loss of teammates one after the other, would already cause anyone less resilient in spirit to lose all fighting intent and have their skull smashed by the Bear Goblin.

It was because Xia Nan had been reborn, his attitude, mindset, and all other aspects changed, that he managed to hold on with the burst speed of [Teeth Hunting].

"Where is the breaking point?"

He temporarily distanced himself from the opponent.

Xia Nan held the longsword tightly with both hands, gasping but letting the boiling, surging blood within him run unrestrained through his veins.

His mind was unusually calm, thinking meticulously and comprehensively about how to win this fight.

Or, how to survive...

In retrospect, since his travel through time, Xia Nan had slain quite a number of goblins, yet experiences of battling equally matched or slightly stronger opponents were also part of his past.

He seemed to have gained some shallow experience, unsure if it’s correct.

In his opinion, the overall strength of both sides is certainly crucial in battles of this caliber.

But what truly determines who can survive and strip the opponent of their equipment as spoils is whether you can seize those fleeting, short opportunities during the fight.

Use your strengths to break through their weaknesses.

The fact that Xia Nan was still standing, breathing, and devising a strategy indicated that the Bear Goblin in front hadn’t reached an invincible level for him.

"Then there’s still a chance!"

The Red Mane’s body was extremely robust but unarmored and its skin and flesh’s resilience was incomparable to steel, with limited defensive capability.

In previous rounds, the Beheading Longsword hadn’t dealt effective damage because too little time was given to exert force, not even allowing for a [Vortex Slash].

If given a chance to exert full force, he believed he could make an impact.

On the other hand, its gigantic, muscle-bound monster-like body made the Red Mane less agile than himself.

"Maybe this is a point to act upon?"

His brain worked rapidly, countless thoughts flashed in his mind in just a few breaths.

"Right, I also need to be cautious of that explosive state it used to break through the entire line earlier!"

The dark red energy covering its body is a precursor, which must be noted.

Considering the other unexposed abilities it may possess, more carefulness is essential in battle, keeping vigilant and preparing a retreat before striking. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Xia Nan even started contemplating which equipment on him could be effective in the coming fight:

The Wooden Sword [Green Pine]...though it’s the only "Blue Equipment" he had, the Bear Goblin in front apparently didn’t fit the damage-enhancing enemy type, its sharpness comparable to an ordinary One Handed Sword, kept as a backup;

The three Kerosene Bombs in the waist pouch...might be useful.

Referring to the Red Mane’s performance in the fiery ruins, even if severe injury can’t be inflicted, it could serve as a necessary delay.

Moreover, the most crucial and his last card...

"Ha!"

A familiar voice suddenly interrupted Xia Nan’s thoughts from outside the battlefield.

He instinctively glanced in the direction of the voice.

There, seeing Abi, who had been busy fending off goblins intruding the village and couldn’t free himself, had somehow reached the edge of the field.

His body was covered in blood, appearing particularly dire.

Yet, through his eyes, barely filled with spirit, and his still freely moving body, it was clear he hadn’t suffered severe injuries.

The blood covering him mostly belonged to the now-dead Green-skinned Goblins.

Knowing his limited ability, Abi didn’t rush into the battlefield, becoming a burden for Xia Nan.

Instead, he crouched on the sidelines, half-squatting.

In his hand, an empty small glass bottle.

Beside him, Adeline lay on the ground, her face gradually becoming flushed, her body quickly recovering from injuries.

Xia Nan was stunned, recalling the scene when he first met Adeline at the Alchemist’s potion shop.

"Right! She had a bottle of Healing Potion on her."

Originally thought his team leader had exited the field, little did he expect there to be a turning point.

Breathing slightly easier, he rushed again toward the Bear Goblin.

He must draw the enemy’s attention to buy time for Adeline’s recovery.

Meanwhile, Abi silently guarded Adeline, wary of potential goblin appearances around them.

The villagers’ deaths and Berg’s passing seemed to mature this newly-minted adventurer from the countryside significantly.

No hatred, no time for grief.

Just with a face full of stench blood, feeling numb.

Until Adeline gradually regained mobility under the effects of the Healing Potion, confirming she didn’t need the Wooden Shield in his hand,

he cast a deep glance toward Berg’s corpse on the field, and Xia Nan battling Bear Goblin to buy them time.

Then turned, charging toward the direction from which goblin shrieks in the village came.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l