Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 309 Tripartite Convergence
"Oath Keeper Blackwood" is a proper professional-level adventurer team, consisting of four professionals with different roles who complement each other.

A human female named "Margaret", a level 4 [Swordsman], is the squad leader;

Soldin, a level 4 dwarf [Shield Warrior], is mainly responsible for restraining enemies in the party, using his class characteristics to absorb damage, and creating opportunities for teammates to attack.
Sand Gold, lv4 [Wanderer], uses the power of shadows to roam the flanks of the battlefield to assist in strategic attacks and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy at the crucial moment;
Joshua, level 1 [Mage], is too low a class level to have the opportunity to choose a specialization, but the large number of low-level spells he has mastered that are useful in the middle of an adventure have allowed him to be recruited into the team, making him a newcomer to the "Oathkeeper Blackwood" team.

This team, consisting of three near-level 5 professionals and one rare spellcaster, represents the best possible future for almost every low-level adventurer in River Valley.

Any one of them could be considered a "big shot" to them—the kind of person you wouldn't dare speak loudly even if you were sitting nearby in the tavern.

Given the team's strength level, the goblin hordes that lower-level adventurers used to have to fight tooth and nail to barely wipe out, and even their nightmare "bear goblins," are no longer targets due to the low rewards.

But no matter how strong they are, they are still adventurers and need to earn bounties through missions issued by the association to pay for their daily living expenses and the bills accumulated from updating equipment and consumables.

Essentially, they are no different from those lower-level adventurers, except that they are at a slightly higher professional level, giving them more options.

Currently, having received a temporary investigation mission from the Adventurers' Guild, the group ventures deep into the Fog Forest to search for possible traces of the demons in the petrified lizard's lair.

Although we encountered a minor problem along the way—specifically the armored monsters in the Rotten Roots Mud—we arrived at our mission destination without any major incidents.

Furthermore, by using the special combat skill [Shadow Insight] of the wanderer "Shadow Gold" in the squad, and by taking advantage of the subtle negative energy residue in the air, they followed the trail all the way into the tunnel located at the deepest part of the petrified lizard's nest.

Thanks to Saloyan's repeated trials over the past few days, based on the intensity of the purgatory aura he left behind and the traces outside various crevices and caves, they determined that the demon they were tracking had shown signs of getting lost in the Underdark.

The "Oath Keeper Blackwood" team decisively chose the route with the highest density of residual negative energy and the shortest time interval, thus avoiding the same fate as the devil, getting lost in the complex and dangerous dark region.

This greatly shortened the distance between the two sides.

On one side are seasoned professionals with rich adventure experience and excellent physical fitness, capable of traveling for long periods of time; on the other side is a novice adventurer who can only move around without even mastering "proficient" level combat skills.

If they hadn't been worried that the devil would discover them in advance and set up an ambush ahead, and had deliberately slowed down their pursuit, the Oath-Keeping Blackwood Squad might have caught up with them as early as yesterday.

Of course, it's not too late to do it now.

It could even be said that the timing is perfect.

When the group rushed out of the cave, the first thing they saw was the goblin corpses scattered on the ground, tortured to death and left with only fragmented limbs and internal organs.

The intensely pungent smell of blood permeated the air, causing even the wandering assassin, Sand Gold, to frown.

Then came the enormous, armored monster's corpse.

Unlike its ferocious and monstrous appearance when it ambushed them in the mud, the Armored Monster is now almost unrecognizable. Its broken pincers and the huge wound on its chest, from the shoulder to the neck, revealing its internal organs, indicate the horrific experience it had in life.

Even his skull had been sliced ​​off his shoulder, and he was now being held in the arms of a black-haired youth, a short blade piercing his eye socket and popping his eyeball out.

"It's the aura of the devil on him!"

With shadow energy covering his eyes, Sha Jin's extremely serious voice suddenly rang in everyone's ears. The members of the Blackwood Squad followed the direction he pointed and looked at the other side of the field, where a younger, more immature-looking young man dressed as a low-level adventurer stood.

"Ready to fight!"

"Make a decision without hesitation," Captain Margaret said in a low voice.

The squad formation changed instantly.

The dwarf Soldin, holding a shield in one hand and his prism mace in the other, stood at the very front of everyone.

Margaret was slightly behind, her longsword already drawn.

The wanderer Shajin, who was originally at the back of the group, moved to the side, his body appearing and disappearing in the dim light.

Protected at the back, Joshua nervously chanted incantations, and a faint magical light could be seen flickering on the surface of his wooden staff.

The group naturally had no idea about the relationship between Xia Nan and Abi, nor did they hear any conversation between the two.

From their perspective, the two people in front of them were accomplices.

One is a demon possessed, and the other is probably a purgatory believer seduced by the demon.

They are all enemies who could pose a threat to the team.

On the other hand, from Xia Nan's perspective.

The group of adventurers who inexplicably emerged from the cave showed obvious hostility upon first seeing him, clearly indicating they were not good people.

He tossed aside the half-stripped head of the armored monster, held his longsword horizontally in front of him, and was ready for battle.

At the same time, the "devil's aura" mentioned by the wanderer made him slightly concerned, and he watched Abby's gaze from the side with a strange look.

Aside from Abi, who appeared quite flustered after her secret was exposed, the other two sides reacted very quickly.

As the group rushed out of the cave and arranged themselves into formation under the captain's guidance, Xia Nan had also completed his preparations for battle. He even had a mental plan for the upcoming battle and had found a breakthrough point.

Kill the back row first.

Before the opponent could even get used to my fighting style, I used the exaggerated mobility and explosive power granted by [Fang Hunt] to take down the enemy who clearly looked like a spellcaster, so that he wouldn't become a problem.

Therefore, it is even possible to reveal one or two cards.

Then there's the Wanderer. Their stealth ability is essentially useless under the effect of [Mind Gathering Vision]. You can pretend not to notice them and then use [Gravity Etching] to deliver a fatal blow once you get close.

Finally...

"Crack."

Not far away, the wild boar that was placed on top of the campfire had been completely charred. The simple frame supporting it finally could not bear the weight above and collapsed suddenly, causing the campfire below to burst into flames in an instant.

The flames suddenly brightened.

Their eyes met.

In that brief moment, Xia Nan clearly saw the face of the dwarf standing at the very front of the group.

Soldin?
I was surprised.

The other party was the same, their previously wary face now showing suspicion.

"Captain, something's not right."

The dwarf didn't turn his head, but said in a muffled voice.

“I recognize that black-haired guy. He’s the adventurer who sold me the flail before I set off. I just saw him at the guild. His name is Xia Nan.”

The situation was urgent and rushed, and Margaret didn't have a chance to observe much before instinctively issuing the order to prepare for battle.

Now, however, they belatedly and keenly noticed the details on the field.

The two men in front of us were both young, but their clothes were almost completely different.

On one side was the typical attire of a low-level adventurer in River Valley Town: leather armor, a one-handed sword, and a small, portable round shield—you could find this look anywhere in the White Sparrow Tavern. On the other side, however, they were fully armed, wearing exquisitely crafted, expensive-looking plate and chainmail armor and specially made leg armor. The longsword in their hands was clearly of high quality, and there was even an unsheathed sword stuck in their back. Their entire demeanor was more refined and profound, clearly that of a very experienced adventurer.

Unless they were family or something similar, Margaret didn't believe that two types of adventurers could appear in the same team at the same time.

At the same time, what struck him as odd was the way the two were standing.

Although the battle seemed to be over and they were in the loot collection phase, the two of them were standing much further apart than normally needed for cooperation. This wasn't a comfortable distance for easy conversation or passing of items; it was more like a kind of "safe distance."

Furthermore, normally, when members of the same team are processing materials, it is impossible for one person to take action while the other simply observes, or even faces the person processing the materials, rather than looking outwards and being wary of their surroundings.

What further confirmed Margaret's suspicions was the reaction of the two men when they escaped from the cave entrance.

Instead of rallying together like teammates to support each other and face potential battles side by side, they maintained their distance.

The more experienced, black-haired youth even slightly adjusted his position to ensure he could observe both himself and the other young man simultaneously, keeping both within his field of vision—clearly indicating his wariness.

After a moment's thought, she raised her hand to signal her teammates to remain calm and not to make any rash moves, while simultaneously raising her voice towards Xia Nan:

"You and he aren't teammates, are you?"

“We are an adventurer party from River Valley Town. The man in front of you has the aura of purgatory lingering on him. We suspect he has been possessed by a demon.”

"You have two minutes to leave, or we will also include you in the enemy's territory."

devil?

Xia Nan's expression remained unchanged, but a slight thought stirred within him.

The first thing that comes to mind is the aura of what seemed to be purgatory that I found in the nest of a petrified lizard when I was hunting it a few days ago.

Out of caution, I didn't go any further and instead returned to town to report the situation to the Adventurers' Guild.

It seems that these adventurers were sent by the association to investigate.

As for Abby...

Xia Nan's gaze swept over the other person, recalling their explanation from earlier.

If he really is possessed by a demon, it would explain why, with Abby's strength, he could survive alone in the heart of the Misty Forest for so many days without any obvious injuries or signs of battle.

However, one should not blindly believe everything the other party says.

Although Abby acted a bit strangely, he was, after all, a former teammate he knew, while the other adventurers who had suddenly appeared in front of him had no connection with him at all.

We need to find out more about the specifics.

Therefore, Xia Nan did not reply to the other party immediately, but only glanced at the group from afar, and then looked at Abi in another direction.

"devil?"

"Abby, is that what they said?"

Tsk——

Sha Jin clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

From his perspective, they were clearly the stronger side.

If Xia Nan and the devil are in cahoots, and are inherently enemies, then there's nothing more to say.
But if, as the captain speculated, the black-haired man in front of them was just an ordinary adventurer who had been unintentionally dragged into this, then his attitude seemed rather arrogant.

"You have one minute!"

Sha Jin frowned slightly and reprimanded Xia Nan in a tone that carried a strong warning.

They ignored it.

Xia Nan simply stared at Abby ahead, waiting for her reply.

But unexpectedly, this naive adventurer from the countryside displayed a very strange reaction.

He offered no explanation, nor did he show any intention of answering Xia Nan's question.

His eyes were unfocused, and he stood motionless in place.

His forehead was covered in sweat, his eyes were unfocused and staring into the void, his pale lips moved incessantly, as if he were muttering to himself, or as if he were talking to some unseen being.

"Thirty seconds left!"

The wanderers' impatient urging echoed through the cave, making Xia Nan vaguely feel that it was a bit noisy.

With only a quarter of the two minutes remaining, they keep urging us on.

However, judging from Abby's current behavior... if he has really been influenced by the devil and has fallen into depravity, then I am not related to him at all. In the words of my previous life, I am at most a "former colleague" and have no obligation to save him.

Weigh the pros and cons.

Xia Nan was reluctant to part with the materials from the lobster monster ahead, but the strength of this adventurer team was unknown, and forcibly staying to fight them could very likely cause unnecessary losses.

If you blow up your armor or break your longsword, major repairs and replacements will be a huge expense.

There is no need to engage in conflict with it.

Having made up his mind, he looked from a considerable distance, his gaze sweeping over the impatient wanderer, and nodded slightly to the female swordsman who appeared to be the leader of the group, indicating his stance.

Seeing this, Margaret visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

She could feel a slight pressure emanating from the black-haired youth in the distance, and it would be best to avoid the fight if possible.

At the same time, he gestured to Shajin beside him to shut up and not provoke the other party any further, so as to avoid changing the situation on the field.

The exchanges between seasoned adventurers are brief but highly efficient, allowing each person to weigh the pros and cons.

Unless the circumstances are exceptionally special or the benefits are too tempting, unnecessary battles rarely occur.

But the adventurers at the bottom are completely different. To some extent, after leaving civilization and towns, they are not significantly different from wild beasts.

They all act solely according to their desires and instincts.

Especially when one's mind has already been bewitched by the devil and is extremely vulnerable.

With just a little prompting, the self-destructive tendencies deep within are triggered, transforming into a raging inferno that ignites the body and mind... self-destruction!
"Buzzing".

The sounds of flames burning and energy vibrations blend together.

A thick, pungent stench of sulfur, accompanied by agonizing screams and raging flames, burst forth in the air.

(End of this chapter)