Clearly, the Hobgoblin believed it was spared because it had invoked the ogre lords.
Looking at the cowardly yet sly and foolish Hobgoblin, Adam shook his head lightly.
"Even with intelligence close to a human's." He mused, "A lack of awareness and other factors still makes it look foolish. It can't even grasp the situation and tries to threaten others."
Adam chuckled, then swiftly kicked the Hobgoblin in the chest.
Thud!
The Hobgoblin wailed, slamming into a tree behind it. The impact reopened its barely healed wound, and searing pain surged through it.
"Ah, it hurts!"
"I won't do it again, human lord!"
"Please spare me."
"Human lord…"
The Hobgoblin's shrill voice echoed through the forest.
"You're loud."
"Keep it up, and I'll gut you."
Adam hefted his iron sword and approached step by step.
At those words, the Hobgoblin clamped its hands over its mouth, cowering under the tree, its black pupils brimming with fear.
Adam stood over it, looking down at the Hobgoblin, and nodded. "Good. This means we can talk normally."
"Y-Yes, human l-lord."
"Tell me your name."
"Human lord, I'm called Mugu."
"Mugu?"
"Yes, I-I like eating fruit from trees, so that's my name. It's because-"
Adam waved a hand impatiently, cutting it off. "Enough nonsense. Why are you here?"
"I-I…" The Hobgoblin faltered.
"Don't think about lying. I know you're from a Hobgoblin tribe called the Gigu Tribe." Adam's voice was cold as he watched its reaction.
Hearing Gigu Tribe. Mugu shuddered, its face showing not just fear but a despairing terror.
It had no idea how this human powerhouse knew of its tribe!
In a panic, Mugu spilled everything, blurting out every detail.
The goblin traits of cunning, cowardice, and timidity were on full display.
The story was straightforward.
June and July were peak breeding seasons for goblins, but Hobgoblins faced far greater difficulty conceiving compared to their common kin.
Thus, Hobgoblins often mated with regular goblins to produce offspring more easily, though most were ordinary goblins.
The odds were still better than Hobgoblin-to-Hobgoblin pairings.
Mugu had come to the forest's outskirts to select healthy, strong goblins to bring back to the Gigu Tribe for better breeding.
Then, it encountered Adam slaughtering goblins. Realizing he was alone, the events that followed unfolded.
During Mugu's frantic confession, Adam also learned its abilities.
[Status Panel]
[Talent: Player]
[Total Level: 11Lv]
[Experience: 2620/5000]
[Classes:
Basic Classes: Genius 1Lv (Warrior, Priestess/Priest, Apothecary, Alchemist, Magician, Thief, Guerrilla Soldier, Forest Priest)] Mid-Tier Class: Sword Saint 10Lv]
[Skill Points: 17]
[Passive Skills: Item Box, Slash Enhancement (10%)]
[Active Skills:
Warrior: Instant Reflex, Fourfold Slash of Light, Rapid Slash, Stealth, Tracking Magic: Papermaking (1st-tier), Warm (1st-tier), Minor Healing (1st-tier), Magic Arrow (1st-tier), Odorless (1st-tier), Camouflage (1st-tier) Class Skills: Pharmacy, Alchemy]
[Skill: Tracking]
[Cost: None (10s cooldown)]
[Description: Uses residual traces to determine the direction and size of the tracked target.]
…
[Skill: Camouflage (1st-tier)]
[Cost: 5 MP]
[Description: Blends the caster with the environment, reducing presence. Effect is stronger in jungles.]
…
Mugu's class information contradicted Adam's initial guess, aligning instead with a less likely scenario.
Not a Druid.
Instead, it had two basic classes, Guerrilla Soldier And Forest Priest
This surprised Adam. He hadn't expected a goblin to possess a class like Forest Priest
From their brief clash, Adam could tell Mugu's levels in both Forest Priest And Guerrilla Soldier were low.
Its Total Level likely didn't exceed 7.
Guerrilla Soldier was a class suited for scouting and ranged combat, common among jungle-dwelling demi-humans like elves.
Tracking was a basic skill, somewhat useful to Adam.
Mugu didn't know any advanced skills.
As for Camouflage. Adam was torn. The spell excelled in jungles but was less effective elsewhere.
It paled compared to the more versatile 2nd-tier arcane spell Invisibility.
Still, acquiring the rare Forest Priest basic class prompted Adam to learn both.
After gaining these two basic classes from Mugu, Adam felt no particular joy, instead frowning slightly.
He'd noticed earlier that when Mugu fled, the jungle's complex terrain seemed to pose no obstacle. Plants parted automatically.
Such an ability shouldn't be a Hobgoblin's racial trait.
Under Adam's expressionless gaze, Mugu, cowering beneath the tree, grimaced with reluctance and deep attachment.
Finally, it hesitantly removed a necklace from its neck, a tough vine strung with a ping-pong-ball-sized white bone object.
The item appeared to be an animal bone. If Mugu hadn't taken it off, Adam might not have noticed it.
He'd assumed it was just a bone trinket typical of demi-humans.
"Human lord, this is a treasure of our Gigu Tribe." Mugu said, reverently offering the simple necklace with both hands.
It knew its life was in this human's hands. Displeasing him could mean instant death.
***
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