Following his usual route, the forest was quiet save for the normal chirping of birds. The sounds of ordinary beasts were scarce.
"A bit too quiet." Adam remarked.
He lowered his water skin, rehanging it at his waist, and listened to the surrounding noises.
His expression unchanged, he pressed forward.
Now that he knew he was being watched, he needed to stay alert to any changes around him.
Hm?
Adam's ears twitched. A sound!
From the northwest, was it?
Pensive, Adam kept moving, turning toward the source of the noise.
As he drew closer, the sounds grew clearer, roars of a beast mixed with goblin cries.
Soon, a large group of goblins came into view.
A quick glance revealed over twenty of them!
At that moment, the goblins were surrounding a massive black bear.
"ARHHHHH!"
The bear opened its bloodied maw, bellowing as it tore into a goblin.
The gruesome scene didn't scare off the numerous goblins. Instead, it seemed to ignite their ferocity.
Screeching, they relentlessly attacked the bear with crude weapons and even stones.
After losing nearly half their number, the blood-drenched bear finally collapsed.
The surviving goblins, shrieking with excitement, hoisted the bear and headed deeper into the jungle.
The corpses of fallen goblins were casually dragged along by their living kin, trailing on the ground.
Companions who'd hunted the bear together moments ago were now mere food in the eyes of the surviving goblins.
Hidden behind a tree, arms crossed, Adam watched the goblins depart, a cold smirk curling his lips.
Their direction clearly led to a goblin tribe.
"So this is the trap you've been preparing for days?"
"The same trick as before?" Adam's eye twitched.
He now understood that the earlier ambush by six ogres was no accident, he'd been lured into a trap.
And now they were using the same tactic again.
Adam felt he might have overestimated the intelligence of this goblin variant.
Still, a goblin capable of influencing ogres piqued his interest.
"They've been so careful, never showing themselves."
"Unless they're completely at ease, they won't reveal any flaws." Adam tilted his head slightly, following the goblins.
As he ventured deeper, a dilapidated goblin tribe came into view.
But Adam's focus wasn't on the tribe itself, it was on the terrain.
The ground rose sharply on both sides, making the trees there taller than in other areas.
Two small hills formed a narrow, gourd-shaped path, with the goblin tribe nestled at its heart.
"A well-chosen spot." Adam noted.
"Luring me into this terrain means escaping like last time won't be easy if I'm surrounded."
"No… that's not entirely right."
Feigning ignorance, Adam continued forward, expressionless. "Ordinary goblins lack the intelligence to coordinate such a complex 'act.'"
"Are they planning to sacrifice this entire tribe? That's ruthless."
Adam's gaze grew icy, and he let out a low, cold chuckle.
"I still haven't fully adapted to this world. It's not just humans who have intelligence."
"Some demi-human races are just as cunning as humans. Underestimating them as mindless creatures is bound to backfire."
"I need to shift my mindset. I've been subconsciously ignoring that humans are a disadvantaged group in this world."
Adam shook his head lightly, muttering to himself.
Since entering the Great Forest of Tob, he'd been heading eastward.
Once his general direction was known, setting traps along his path would be easy, something he hadn't considered initially.
Of course, the jungle's complexity meant sticking to a fixed route was the best way to avoid getting lost.
Behind him, the figure trailing Adam cautiously peeked from the underbrush.
Seeing Adam enter the narrow jungle path, its tense, timid green face relaxed slightly.
That human was too strong.
It had seen powerful ogres cleaved in half by a single strike, a strength it had never witnessed.
It wasn't unfamiliar with humans fighting ogres, but usually, it took several humans working together to fell one.
"Fucking human!"
"Killing so many of our kin, daring to enter the Great Forest alone… you'll pay with your life."
The green figure crouched, its voice sharp with anger and resentment, fists clenched as it whispered.
If Adam heard this goblin speak, he'd be shocked.
Under its watchful gaze, Adam fully entered the narrow path. Excitement and bloodlust gleamed in its tiny black pupils.
Its fear subsided.
The goblin stood, following confidently.
It had to see this human die at the hands of many ogres.
His flesh would surely be delicious.
The goblin recalled the sweet, fragrant food Adam ate each morning, licking its lips.
Meanwhile, Adam moved forward at a steady pace.
Halfway through the narrow path, he suddenly stopped.
If his stalker had been tailing him all this time, seeing him enter the trap would surely lower its guard.
So...
Without a moment's hesitation, Adam spun around and sprinted back.
This time, he made no effort to stay quiet, charging toward the rear with full force, his eyes locked on the jungle behind him.
At the same time...
"I see you!" Adam roared.
Buzz!
[Detected 1st-tier magic Camouflage, requires caster level 1–7. Current conditions met.]
[Consume 1 skill point to learn?]
Got you!
Adam grinned at the notification on his attribute panel.
***
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