Chapter 66: Bear Goblins? Just Roadside Trash!

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Bear Goblins? Just Roadside Trash!

"ROAR!"

The Bear Goblin pumped its thick legs, charging at Pip. The massive iron-studded spiked club in its hands swung with ferocious momentum. It reasoned that smaller creatures were naturally easier to handle; it would certainly finish off this shorty first before taking its time with the two humans who were seeking their deaths. It thought, "Heh, today is a truly good day. Food is actually delivering itself to my doorstep." At the thought, thick saliva drooled from its mouth.

"Scatter! Pip, hold it off from the front with me! Erin, watch out for yourself!"

Lorin quickly barked out the orders. He was just about to raise his Shield and press forward when a figure rushed out even faster than him.

"Bring it on! You rotten-skinned dung bucket on legs, you actually dare call me a shorty? Do you think I’m easy to bully?" Pip charged fanatically at the Bear Goblin, without a single trace of fear in his eyes. Closing the distance with a Quick Step, he used his height disadvantage as an advantage to easily dodge the swinging club. A faint red glow surged on the Warhammer in his hands.

"Fierce Strike!" he shouted.

Empowered by his Combat Skills, the Warhammer viciously struck the Bear Goblin’s calf. With a loud BANG, its lower leg snapped cleanly in two.

"HOWL!" The Bear Goblin wailed and stumbled forward, barely propping itself up on the ground with its club to avoid collapsing entirely.

Seizing the opportunity to strike while the enemy was down, Lorin channeled his spirit and cast Magic at its broken leg.

[Lorin’s Lightning Traction]

A sparkling arc of electricity slashed through the air, linking him with the Bear Goblin. Due to its massive size, the creature wasn’t pulled directly toward him. However, its broken calf was yanked until it pointed straight at Lorin, bending into an unnatural L-shape. The Magic forced the fractured bones to tear through flesh once more, sending intense, agonizing pain radiating from its lower leg. But as the most aggressive creature among Gnome-like beings, this only provoked its ferocity.

"Des...picable!"

It let out a low growl and completely abandoned its defense, swinging its club directly at Lorin in mid-air. Its robust muscles provided more than just Power; its speed far exceeded that of an ordinary person. The club produced a continuous SWISH as it swung.

Lorin’s heart skipped a beat. The downside of Lightning Traction was now fully apparent: while it restricted the enemy, it also restricted him. Fortunately, he still had many tricks up his sleeve to forcefully break the link. He hurriedly activated the Midnight Touch on his feet, transforming into a Dark Shadow and appearing behind the Bear Goblin.

"Continuous Slash!"

Before the Bear Goblin could retract its weapon, Lorin swiftly unleashed his Combat Skills, carving three bloody gashes into its back. Meanwhile, Erin waved her Magic Staff and whispered a Spell, "Bala Astra!"

Three silver-white Magic Missiles quickly condensed at the tip of her staff and exploded against the Bear Goblin’s chest almost simultaneously. Amidst the brilliant glow of the explosion, the Bear Goblin let out a mournful, agonizing shriek, "HOWL! Galon will tear you apart alive!"

Although it had been hammered to its knees by Pip, it still angrily swung its club in a wide circle around its body. Thanks to the height difference, Pip didn’t take a single scratch. Lorin, however, was still caught in the momentum of his finishing Continuous Slash and couldn’t forcefully twist his body away. Fortunately, he reacted swiftly, raising the Dragon Scale Round Shield in front of him. Sinking his stance, he relied on the Shield to solidly block the sweeping blow.

BAM!

A massive force transferred through his arm, sending him flying instantly. After spinning half a circle in the air, his chest slammed into a tree on the perimeter.

"Lorin!" Erin cried out in alarm.

"I’m fine," Lorin said, crawling out of the snowbank. He felt that aside from having the wind knocked out of him when he was sent flying, he hadn’t sustained any serious injuries.

"You dung-for-brains piece of trash! How dare you hit my brother!" Pip swung his Warhammer again, smashing it right into the center of the creature’s back.

The Bear Goblin’s eyes widened dramatically. It coughed up a massive mouthful of blood in agony and faceplanted into the dirt.

"Drop dead!" The short fellow raised his Warhammer, roaring as he prepared to bring it down.

"Stay your hammer!" Lorin rushed over in quick strides, not even pausing to drink a Healing Potion, terrified that his hard-earned Exploration Experience would sprout legs and run away. He ran at the fastest speed of his life, managing to plunge his sword into the paralyzed Bear Goblin’s heart to end its life right before the short fellow dealt the killing blow.

[First enemy killed — Bear Goblin]

[Reward obtained: 200 Exploration Experience]

[Current balance: 252 Exploration Experience]

Seeing the prompt pop up just in time, Lorin breathed a huge sigh of relief. At least he hadn’t taken that hammer blow in vain.

"You’re not dead?" Pip stared at Lorin in astonishment.

"Was I supposed to be dead?" he retorted irritably.

The short fellow scratched his head awkwardly. "Pip thought you were going to be smashed flat."

"Lorin!" Erin ran over with a Quick Step, angrily scolding him as she approached. "Why didn’t you drink a Healing Potion!" She reached out and felt Lorin’s chest. "How are you? Where does it hurt? Say something!"

"I’m fine, I’m fine. The shock just injured my arm a little, but the Shield and Chest Armor blocked everything else," Lorin said, gently patting her hand.

Although that hit looked terrifying, after adjusting his posture, the Dragon Scale Round Shield absorbed it completely. The very center of the Shield had been hammered into a dent, and a few hairline fractures appeared along its edges, but it was far from being pierced through. Moreover, his Half Armor protected his back when he crashed into the tree. The soft inner lining dispersed most of the impact across his entire torso. In the end, it was merely his left arm that ached severely; it was likely slightly fractured.

For Ordinary Adventurers, this would indeed be considered a significant injury, requiring months of rest to recover, or spending a fortune to hire a Priest for treatment. But for someone like him who had recorded Treating Light Injuries, he would be fully recovered in three or four days at most. Having plenty of gear was truly a blessing. If he had been missing even one piece, he wouldn’t be able to be so confident.

That Glen was right; his Continuous Slash indeed had a major flaw. He couldn’t move at all while unleashing it. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to save that money after all. Lorin decided that if he couldn’t find another teacher shortly after returning, he would pay to have Glen instruct him.

"Where’s the Healing Potion?" Erin asked, frowning as she traced the dent on Lorin’s Shield.

"No need, no need. I have a Magic Ring that can cast a Healing Skill." Lorin extended his hand and used the Ring of the Flame Speaker on his chest. He didn’t dare hide it anymore, afraid that Erin would forcibly pour a Healing Potion down his throat. That was 33 Gold Coins!

A warm light glowed. This time, it even seemed to trigger the ring’s Beginner’s Luck, instantly dispelling the uncomfortable feeling in his chest.

"Where did you get so many Magic Accessories?" Erin opened her mouth in surprise. Counting that damned thing from earlier which could cast a Shield Skill, this was already the second one she had seen. And then there was this Chest Armor he was wearing. It looked scarcely inferior to Rain’s. Although it was just a single piece, it shouldn’t be something a porter could afford, right? Just how many more secrets was this guy hiding?