Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 177 Beast Eyes
The Lunar Feast is approaching.

Every household in Newme is preparing for the upcoming festival.

Candlesticks, lamps, altar incense...

The plane trees lining Eagle Emblem Avenue in the affluent district are even adorned with specially made pendants, waiting for the night to deepen and the moonlight to shine brightly, casting twinkling glows.

Although Iron Bucket Toad is not a high-end tavern, it has always been a popular gathering place for adventurers in the nearby town.

They have both the financial resources and the desire to make the arrangements.

The tavern is now decorated with all sorts of things related to the Moon Feast.

While it couldn't be as extravagant and wasteful as the streets of the wealthy, a few plush tapestries printed with silver moon patterns, the gentle music played by specially hired bards, and a couple of drinks with holiday discounts were enough to make the drinkers feel the festive atmosphere.

"You've never seen so many gray rats!"

"Good heavens, they're even more outrageous than flies in a garbage dump! They've been to the sewers, haven't they? They've filled up places that are wider than the streets of downtown! Just imagine!"

The glistening liquor swayed, and a few drops splashed from the rim of the glass.

Tie Tou gripped his wine glass tightly in one hand, his cheeks slightly flushed, clearly already a little tipsy.

His expression grew increasingly agitated, spittle flying everywhere, and his raised voice frequently drew sidelong glances from the patrons at the next table.

Sitting opposite him were naturally several of his underlings from the Badger Gang.

"And those aren't the tiny mice you usually see at home, the ones the size of your palm."

"They're as big as calves, and they could bite off your toes in one bite!"

"Most people wouldn't last two seconds inside; they'd be gnawed down to bones!"

Hearing him say this, his underlings, quite sensibly, deliberately showed some worried expressions and asked curiously:
"Boss Ironhead, since it's so dangerous, how did our Badger Gang brothers in the sewers manage to survive?"

"Was it the 'Eight Fingers' boss who made a move?"

Upon hearing this, a smug smile appeared on Tie Tou's face. He tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine, then shook his head in a pretentious manner.

"of course not."

"After all, 'Eight Fingers' leader has to take care of the brothers in the gang, and so many rats are not something that can be easily dealt with."

"That is……"

"Have you forgotten those two gentlemen who came to the tavern specifically to see me yesterday?"

"Is that the black-haired guy we met at the tailor shop?"

“That’s right!” Tie Tou’s smugness almost overflowed from his face. “I told you guys, this kind of person is obviously a ruthless character that you can’t mess with.”

"Tsk tsk, you guys weren't there, you have no idea how outrageous the scene was."

"Those big rats, let alone one sword strike each, the gust of wind that person created when he moved through them killed a whole bunch of them!"

As he spoke, Tie Tou pretended to look around before leaning closer and lowering his voice to say:
"I even suspect that he is no longer an ordinary professional."

"You mean..."

"Hehe." Tie Tou smiled mysteriously, pretending to be profound. The reaction of his underlings made him feel extremely satisfied, and he happily gulped down another mouthful of wine.

Without much attempt to conceal it, his boasting naturally reached the ears of the surrounding drinkers.

Even though many of them forgot about it immediately, a small number of them did learn about the powerful professional mentioned by the Badger Gang's junior leader, a man with short black hair and wielding an iron-gray longsword.

"I'm not bragging, but I helped this guy with a little thing this morning."

"Otherwise, I'd probably still be stuck in the sewers, helping the guys inside pack up their things."

"From what you're saying, boss, that professional... has some connection with you?"

One of the underlings followed up the conversation and asked a timely question.

"There's definitely some friendship between us." The blush on Iron Head's cheeks became more pronounced, and he couldn't help but boast, "If it weren't for 'Eight Fingers' boss seeing my loyalty and persuading me to stay, I might have made a name for myself among adventurers by now."

"After spending these past two days together, I think that gentleman seems to appreciate me quite a bit, who knows..."

"That's a professional!" one of the underlings said hopefully. "If he could teach you even a move or two, wouldn't you be able to walk around the lower city like a madman, boss?"

The flattery from his younger brother made Tie Tou so comfortable that he almost squinted his eyes. He didn't say anything, just enjoyed the compliments from those around him.

But for some reason, and from some moment on, the atmosphere on the field suddenly turned cold.

The fawning and obsequious voices from his underlings vanished in an instant.

Instead, they were met with gazes fixed on their backs and the stiff, unsteady expressions of their underlings.

Seemingly having guessed something, Ironhead slowly turned around, his expression rusty.

What came into view was a metal chainmail that gleamed coldly under the light, two slightly trembling sword hilts, and a pair of dark eyes reflecting his own body, devoid of any emotion.

Looking at the sharp figure silently watching him from the front, Tie Tou couldn't help but reveal a stiff and awkward smile.

"Mr. Xia Nan, what brings you here..."

……

……

Newmere Sewers.

Even though this was the second time Xia Nan had come down with Tie Tou, his overly acute senses still made him somewhat uncomfortable with the humid, dirty, and smelly environment around him.

She climbed down the iron ladder and landed lightly.

Gravity converges at your fingertips, creating an invisible miniature vortex.

The iron scab moss growing in the cracks of the wall then cracked open, turning into tiny dark red crystalline particles that swirled and landed on his fingertips.

When gently rubbed and caressed, the crystals that refracted a metallic luster turned into fine powder, which drifted away with the airflow in the pipe gallery and seeped into the mud.

Feeling the slight stimulation on his fingertips caused by the iron scab particles, Xia Nan pondered.

What flashed through his mind was the dark red crystals that covered Tie Tou's body after he collided head-on with the attacker that morning.

I am certain once again in my heart.

It is a plant unique to the Newme sewers:
—Iron scab moss!

“Mr. Xia Nan, now that you mention it, this ‘Buck’ might actually be hiding in the sewers.”

Tie Tou led the way attentively, speaking without turning his head.

"After all, these humans infected with 'beastification syndrome' will go berserk and transform into bloodthirsty beasts if they do not have a strong enough will to support them. They will be provoked and transformed into mindless beasts."

"And with the Lunar Feast approaching, the moonlight is at its strongest during the entire year, greatly increasing the probability of going berserk."

"Although I don't know if he cares about the residents in the slums, hiding in the deserted sewers is definitely much safer than outside."

"Even if it flares up, it will only kill a few rats at most, and it won't be hunted down by patrols for attacking residents in the city."

Xia Nan followed behind, his calm gaze fixed on the deep, quiet darkness ahead. He did not reply.

Nuum has been built for countless years, through which countless forces have risen and fallen, and countless things are hidden in its vast and complex underground sewers.

Even the town officials with their armies, and the mortal agents of the gods, could not cleanse it completely.

If the concentration of magic in the air weren't limited, it wouldn't be impossible for a dangerous monster-infested area, like a misty forest, to form inside the sewers.

If my future self commits something and is hunted down, this might be a good hiding place.

Once you go into the sewers, you might get lost and unable to find your way out, but similarly, it would be difficult for others to find you in these intricate pipe corridors.

As he pondered, Tie Tou, who was leading the way, seemed to have suddenly realized something and exclaimed:
"I see. No wonder those big rats acted as if they were provoked and chased after people to bite them."

"If there really are beastmen hiding in the sewers, it's like wild beasts marking their territory. If these rats sense the aura emanating from the beastmen, they naturally won't dare to linger any longer, and it's reasonable for them to scurry around under the firelight."

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan, who understood the hidden meaning in the other person's words, raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You mean... he's hiding in the gray rat's nest?"

"That's most likely the case. Even if they're not in the nest, they must be somewhere near it. Otherwise, those gray rats wouldn't be reacting like this," the burly man with a shiny bald head nodded repeatedly.

"Don't worry, the Newme sewers are so big. Although our Badger Gang has lived down here for many years, we are only familiar with a small area."

"But coincidentally, the gray rat's nest is located within this area."

"If the beastman is really hiding nearby, we will definitely help you find him!"

"That will be troublesome." Xia Nan nodded slightly, not acting superior or arrogant just because of his status as a professional.

However, I don't want to owe the other party any favors, so I plan to do them a small favor after the mission is over, within my capabilities and without crossing my moral bottom line.

The complex and highly repetitive environment inside the sewers makes time seem to slow down, as if infected by the cold darkness within.

I don't know how much time passed, until graffiti patterns of the Badger Gang gradually appeared on the walls on both sides, and the traces of human life on both sides of the road became more and more obvious.

Xia Nan finally felt a sense of familiarity, knowing that they were close to their destination.

He glanced at the walls on both sides, which were painted in bright colors, and thought to himself that they should be there soon.

I remember when I came here with Wood last time, there were two other people on duty here.

It seems he died in an attack by a swarm of rats.

The gray rats have been driven away, and things should have returned to normal.

Perhaps we could ask the gang members guarding the entrance if they've heard anything strange lately?

As Xia Nan pondered this in her heart, her nostrils twitched slightly involuntarily.

As he breathed, the sour, rotten air that he had grown accustomed to from being in the sewers for so long seemed to suddenly carry a scent that was particularly familiar to him.

It's like rust that's been soaked in water, with a strong, salty, and fishy smell.

That is--

Bloody smell!

"careful!"

Xia Nan abruptly stopped, and his warning voice caused Tie Tou, who was leading the way, to tremble violently, standing frozen in place, completely bewildered.

At the same time, his gaze instinctively turned toward the direction from which the smell of blood was coming.

Those were two completely lifeless, cold and stiff corpses.

One of them was still relatively intact, except for a cheap iron sword with a simple design that pierced through his chest from the front, pinning him to the wall.

The other one looked utterly miserable. His left hand was twisted and torn from the middle of his forearm, with only a few strands of flesh connecting the severed ends, revealing the pale bone fragments underneath. His head was twisted almost 180 degrees, and although he was lying face up on the ground, only the back of his head could be seen.

As for their identities...

There's no need to worry about anything else; just look at the tattoos on the skin outside their clothes, and that's enough to identify them.

It was the thugs from the Grey Badger Gang!
Iron Head stepped forward, trembling, forcibly suppressing his inner fear, trying to identify the two corpses.

But after taking only two steps forward, he suddenly froze, his pupils contracting.

"Oh no! 'Eight Fingers' leader and his gang..."

He suddenly turned around and ran wildly towards the Badger Gang's base.

Xia Nan also quickened his pace to keep up.

The snake-scale arm shield reflected a cold, eerie light, and the iron-gray sword flashed through the air for a moment before the decapitation sword was drawn and firmly grasped in his hand.

Body tense, gaze focused, attention highly concentrated—they were ready for battle.

silence.

An eerie silence.

Unlike the last time when we faced a swarm of rats, there was that piercing howl and the curses and roars of humans echoing through the corridors.

They were now close to the core stronghold of the Badger Gang, but Xia Nan had not heard any sounds of fighting.

The increasingly strong smell of blood in the air seemed to foreshadow how things would unfold.

Finally, with the last turn, the already spacious corridor suddenly opened up, revealing a large open space.

And on the ground, countless corpses that had already died.

The wooden platform, built over several years with crates of timber painstakingly transported from outside, has now mostly collapsed.

The orange-red flames spreading from the overturned brazier surged and swirled, visibly devouring the fragile wooden planks and thatched huts.

It looked like a goblin's lair that had been cleared out by adventurers.

The once arrogant and domineering thugs who roamed the streets are now reduced to mangled and broken corpses, lying motionless in pools of blood.

And their leader, the man known as "Eight Fingers".

At least in the first second after Xia Nan and Tie Tou arrived, there was still a glimmer of hope.

His toes left the ground as he struggled and kicked, his veins bulging, his cheeks turning purplish-red, and his eyes almost popping out.

But just a second later, the hairy hand that was gripping his neck like an iron clamp suddenly tightened its grip.

"Crench."

On the vast, desolate ground, came the cold, crisp sound of vertebrae breaking.

The burly figure, dressed in a robe, casually tossed the eight-fingered corpse to the ground as if it were trash.

The face was blurred by the shadow of the hood.

All one could see was the warm water mist gushing out as the other person breathed;
And those frenzied beastly eyes, reflecting a ghostly green light in the darkness, flickering like will-o'-the-wisps, a mixture of ferocious bestiality and human reason.

(End of this chapter)