Starting with the goblin extermination

Chapter 20 Uninvited Guest

Arlando 3563, Ashwood, Outer Reach.

Logan arrived at the goblin camp around noon and crawled through the bushes.

Then, several warm goblin corpses appeared on the ground.

puff-

Logan twisted the hilt and pulled the longsword out of the last goblin's chest.

The green-skinned dwarf, now without support, collapsed to the ground, blood spreading in all directions from its base.

Logan leaned on his longsword, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

Releasing multiple combat skills in a short period of time is too physically demanding.

He felt very tired, but also very refreshed.

It's strange, really. In his past life, he was a modern man who had only ever killed chickens, but now, he's quite adept at killing goblins, without any psychological burden. Moreover, he even felt a sense of pleasure the moment the sword tip pierced his muscle.

"I might actually be a little weird," Logan said with a self-deprecating laugh.

He wiped his face, which was covered in sweat and blood, opened his eyes, and saw the line of text that appeared before him:

[Thrust LV2 (98/100)]

"Just two more hits."

Logan spat on the ground and shook his still-dazed head.

Today is his fourth day of surviving alone in the Ash Forest.

For four days, he tirelessly hunted monsters and completed his missions. He slept in a fallen tree hollow, ate dried meat and chewed on dry cheese, crossing off missions one by one on his list.

His leather armor was riddled with wounds again, and his newly bought dagger had become somewhat dull while collecting loot.

However, his longsword remained steadfast.

Logan wiped the longsword with the prepared cloth and applied oil.

After all, it's your livelihood, so it's always good to take good care of it.

A mountain breeze blew by, carrying leaves that fluttered onto the goblin's corpse.

Logan could sense that the qualitative leap in his [Thrust] combat technique was just around the corner. He only needed two more attempts to break through that barrier.

Unfortunately, he had already cleared the forest clean.

Let's collect the loot first.

Logan sighed, drew his dagger, and cut off the goblin's ear.

An adventure alone is quite boring, with no one to talk to. He's starting to miss the chattering Papa; at least there was someone to talk to, which made the desolate forest less eerie.

It's no wonder adventurers prefer to travel in groups. Putting aside everything else, spending long periods alone on missions in the wilderness will inevitably lead to psychological problems.

It was as if it were echoing his thoughts.

Just after Logan cut off the second goblin ear, he heard a sharp cracking sound of a branch breaking in the distance.

Then came the sound of hurried footsteps.

This was not the kind of noise Logan wanted to hear.

In the wild, the sound of unfamiliar footsteps usually means trouble.

Almost instinctively, Logan abandoned the spoils on the ground, crouched low, and drew his longsword back into its sheath.

A moment later, a gray shadow stumbled and crashed through the bushes.

It is Elsa, the wanderer we haven't seen in a long time.

The usually aloof wanderer was now in a sorry state.

The iconic grey cloak was torn to shreds, and a horrific, deep wound ran from her chest to her abdomen, exposing the bone. Dark red blood gushed from the rolled-up flesh, splattering onto the ground as she ran.

Her sapphire-blue eyes had dimmed, and the mask covering her face had disappeared, revealing a pale, paper-white face that was so exquisite it seemed unreal.

She thought she saw Logan.

She didn't speak; perhaps she no longer had the strength to make a sound.

She took one last step forward, and then fell straight forward.

Logan instinctively took a step forward and caught her with one arm.

It's very light.

Hot blood followed, instantly staining the leather armor on Logan's chest.

"Feed..." Logan frowned.

no respond.

Elsa's head slumped limply against Logan's chest, her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Things happened too fast, but Logan's mind worked even faster.

There's trouble here.

Logan had witnessed Elsa's skills firsthand; she was agile and her movements were clean and efficient. Logan deduced that Elsa must have mastered a combat technique.

The pursuers behind her are definitely not pushovers; they've driven her to this point.

A clear thought flashed through Logan's mind: let go, leave her here, and run away immediately.

The worst thing an adventurer can do is take risks, let alone have any pathetic compassion. After all, they are just temporary teammates who have met by chance, and he has no obligation to provoke unknown and deadly threats for the sake of a beautiful woman.

Reason prevailed, and he made a move to put Elsa on the ground.

But it was too late.

"It's right ahead! Damn it! The blood's still warm!"

Accompanied by shouts, three figures pushed aside the bushes and rushed into the clearing.

The newcomers were clearly not expecting a stranger to be there. Although they didn't know who Logan was, all three of them tensed up upon seeing him.

The first one was a tall orc with a scar on his face; it was the same scarred orc Elsa had been following earlier.

However, right now, blood was dripping from the heavy broadsword in his hand.

Logan noticed two extremely abrupt, bloody holes in the orc's armor, though the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

Behind him, two thugs, each wielding a long sword and a short knife, were panting heavily, their faces filled with murderous intent.

Logan glanced at the leading orc and found him quite hateful.

He could see the arrogance in that guy.

"Kid, mind your own business."

The orc twisted his thick neck, and the two thugs behind him watched him warily, as if they were facing prey.

"Throw her over here, then get lost. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll spare your life."

Hand them over, one life for another.

It sounds like a very good deal.

But is this really the case?

Logan remained silent, staring at the orc. Under the stimulation of danger, he even felt a little short of breath.

The orc's tone sounded relaxed, as if he really intended to let him go.

But Logan noticed that the two thugs did not let their guard down.

Instead, they spread out to the left and right, tacitly advancing on either side of the scarred orc, forming a semi-encirclement.

Logan could even see the sword hilt being gently twisted in one of the hands.

Their practiced positioning suggests this is something they've done before.

They had no intention of letting him go.

In the dead of night, a murder was committed to silence witnesses, leaving no one to testify.

The moment he hands over Elsa, the three of them will pounce on him, chop him into mincemeat, and strip him naked.

Even more fatal is the gap in strength.

The fact that this scarred orc could severely injure a skilled and agile wanderer suggests that his strength likely surpasses that of an ordinary Iron-rank adventurer.

Two combat techniques? Or even more powerful ones?

Moreover, being outnumbered and surrounded, Logan alone would undoubtedly die.

Should he turn and run? Behind him was a small, semi-enclosed cave, which had originally been a goblin camp. If he were forced inside, that would be his final resting place.

There's no way to retreat.

So how do you survive?

He immediately made an expensive decision.

His left hand suddenly lifted Elsa's waist, and using her body as leverage, Logan discreetly reached for the cold glass bottle—

That bottle of [Basic Healing Potion] is worth 5 gold coins.

With his thumb, he pried open the cork, and with his fingers, he pinched open Elsa's tightly closed mouth.

The vibrant green liquid, radiating life, was poured into her throat without hesitation.

A total of 5 gold coins.

What they bought was his and her lives.

"What? You can't bear to part with this little wench? You want to be buried with her?"

"Can."

Logan's lips moved slightly.