On Zhao Hu's side, his bone-crushing greatsword hacked down from above. The Goblin raised its bow to parry, but—crack! The bow snapped! The blade sliced into its skull!

-74!

It let out a muffled groan and collapsed, twitching twice before falling still.

Meanwhile, Shadow Snake had already circled behind the last Goblin.

The Goblin had just fired its last arrow and hadn't had time to move when it felt a sudden chill from behind—Pffft!

-170! (Backstab! Stealth Strike!)

The deep blue fang pierced into its lower back, sinking three inches deep!

The Goblin screamed in agony and fell face-first! Gray-green blood quickly pooled out.

But it actually wasn't dead yet!

It struggled to twist its head, glaring fiercely at Shadow Snake while one hand desperately reached for the shortbow that had fallen nearby.

Shadow Snake stepped forward expressionlessly, pinning its wrist with her foot. A cold gleam flashed from the dagger in her hand as she cleanly slit its throat.

Puchi.

-110!

The Goblin's body stiffened, finally losing all signs of life.

Shadow Snake pulled out her dagger, wiped the blood on the Goblin's fur, and returned it to her waist.

All five Goblin Archers were eliminated.

The gray mist continued to churn as the scent of blood slowly dissipated into the air.

In the distance, the roars from deep within the Rift Valley continued, as if responding to this brief but intense battle.

From start to finish, the battle had lasted less than thirty seconds.

“Phew—” Zhao Hu exhaled deeply, glancing at his left shoulder before moving it a couple of times.

“That arrow just now made my shoulder go numb; I thought this arm would be useless for a long time. Miss Su, your Healing Spell is simply miraculous. In the blink of an eye, it's like nothing happened!”

Su Yurou held her short staff, fine beads of sweat on her forehead. Hearing this, she smiled slightly: “It's because your body is strong; I only helped stop the bleeding.”

“That's not right,” Tie Dun chimed in, his face full of smiles.

“I saw it clearly from the back—that arrow hit solid. You sent a beam of white light over, and the blood stopped immediately. Brother Zhao, don't you think you should treat Miss Su to a good meal?”

Zhao Hu glared: “I'd love to, but where can I find a place in this godforsaken area? Once we're back at the territory, I'll treat her to a whole roasted sheep!”

Everyone chuckled.

Lin Feng retracted his spear and walked over, his gaze landing on Su Yurou: “That healing was very timely.”

“If Zhao Hu had been half a step slower, the other Goblin's arrow would have hit him.”

Su Yurou lowered her head and pursed her lips, her voice soft: “I didn't expect to make it in time... I just saw him get hit and instinctively raised my hand.”

“Instinct was right.” Lin Feng nodded, then scanned the group.

“With Yu Rou here, you can be more aggressive in combat. But remember one thing: since she's healing you, you must protect her well.”

Zhao Hu immediately beat his chest: “Don't worry, Lord! If anyone dares touch a single hair on Miss Su's head, I'll be the first to hack them down!”

“You were almost turned into a sieve just now,” Wang Wu interjected bluntly.

“That was an accident!” Zhao Hu glared. “Besides, wasn't I kept alive by the heals?”

“Yes, yes, kept alive,” Wang Wu suppressed a laugh. “Healed so well you're bursting with life.”

The group laughed again.

By now, the corpses on the battlefield had completely dissipated, leaving behind several items.

Five white-quality energy crystals, two shortbows (white-quality), and a pair of shoes glowing with a faint green light.

Lin Feng picked up the shoes, scanned their attributes, and tossed them to Arrow Eye: “These are yours. Suitable for an archer.”

Arrow Eye caught the shoes, his eyes lighting up: “Thank you, Lord!”

After distributing the loot, the team prepared to continue their advance.

Just then, a ghostly shadow emerged silently from the mist.

Shadow Snake.

Her expression was more solemn than usual as she landed before Lin Feng and whispered:

“Lord, eighty meters ahead, a large force of enemies discovered.”

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow: “How many?”

“Six Goblin Warriors, Level 15.” Shadow Snake paused, her voice dropping even lower.

“And one Level 18 elite Goblin Boss.”

Everyone's breathing hitched simultaneously.

Six Level 15 melee units, plus a Level 18 elite.

Right then, a series of dull, heavy footsteps echoed from deep within the gray mist.

Thump, thump, thump!

It was the sound of heavy war boots treading on the ground, each step carrying a sense of oppression.

The mist churned even more violently, as if some massive creature was approaching.

Lin Feng gripped his Wildfire Spear, the tip pointing diagonally toward the ground. Without looking back, he issued a low command:

“Prepare for battle.”

Behind him, the six of them gripped their weapons at the same time.

Deep in the gray mist, those heavy footsteps drew closer {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} and closer.

Lin Feng gripped his Wildfire Spear, his gaze piercing through the mist. He could vaguely see a massive silhouette slowly approaching.

It was over two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back, dragging a massive wooden club. The head of the club was embedded with dense metal shards that glinted coldly under the faint light.

Behind it, six slightly shorter but still burly figures spread out in a fan shape. Their gray-green skin flickered in and out of the mist as they held bronze short swords and wooden bucklers.

“Shadow Snake.” Lin Feng didn't look back.

The spectral shadow appeared by his side.

“The elite is mine. You take care of those six.”

Shadow Snake nodded slightly without speaking, but her deep blue fang had already been unsheathed silently.

Lin Feng turned around, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Hu, Tie Dun, Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, and Su Yurou.

“Zhao Hu, you take command.”

Zhao Hu's eyes narrowed, and he followed with a heavy nod: “Understood!”

“Tie Dun, you and Zhao Hu work together. Utilize the advantages of the Heavy Shield Guard to protect Su Yurou and the two archers.” Lin Feng spoke rapidly.

“Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, provide long-range suppression. Don't let those six get close. Shadow Snake will roam the flanks and look for opportunities to finish them off.”

“Su Yurou, focus on healing. Prioritize the front line.”

The five of them responded in unison.

“Then what about you, Lord?” Tie Dun couldn't help but ask.

Lin Feng's gaze shifted to the massive figure becoming clearer in the mist: “I'm going to meet that boss.”

As the words fell, he raised his right hand—【Blazing Spear Light】!

Six streaks of crimson light erupted from the tip of the Wildfire Spear like six meteors, tearing through the gray mist and striking directly at the six Goblin Warriors!

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

Six muffled thuds rang out almost simultaneously! The six Goblin Warriors had no time to react as blood holes exploded across their shoulders, thighs, and waists! Gray-green blood sprayed everywhere!

-120! -121! -122! -123! -120! -120!

The six Goblins wailed in unison, their bodies staggering. Two even fell to one knee, nearly losing their grip on their short swords!

“ROAR!!!”

A deafening roar exploded from within the mist!

The massive figure suddenly accelerated, charging out of the mist and appearing before everyone—the Goblin Boss!

It stood a full 2.2 meters tall, its muscles knotted like rock, and its gray-green skin was covered in scars.

It wore a crude bone helmet on its head, a beast-skin skirt around its waist, and dragged a nearly two-meter-long massive wooden club in its right hand.

The head of the club was studded with dense metal shards and sharp animal teeth.

Its blood-red eyes were fixed intently on Lin Feng.

Those six spear lights just now had been fired by this human.