Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Goblin Shaman
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Two glowing green eyes filled with intense malice fixed on me.
Probably imagining the gruesome deaths of his fellow goblins at the hands of the intruder who had made it this far.
Those shining green eyes, as if enchanted with some special curse, must be one of the Goblin Shaman's defining traits.
I faced him down, carefully scanning the surroundings.
The area was lit by torches that brightly illuminated the stone statues and pillars, yet it remained a dim underground base.
I turned my head again to gaze at the altar.
There was only one path leading to it: the stone stairs in the center.
Flanking the altar and behind it were more dark tunnels gaping open.
Dozens of narrow passages, too tight for a human to pass through easily.
But plenty wide enough for him to escape.
Silence hung between me and the shaman as we intently sized each other up.
The Goblin Shaman glared at me, sensing something was off.
No matter how I looked, there were no other goblins in this underground base.
Was this place just for the Goblin Shaman alone?
Even while facing him off, I never once thought I'd lose to him.
No matter what sneaky tricks he had, my powerful demi-god energy would shield my body completely—no way I'd get hurt.
I deliberately made no move.
Then, the shaman began chanting an unintelligible incantation.
He slightly raised his skull staff, casting his spell.
The skull embedded in the staff flashed orange and green, lighting up the area around the Goblin Shaman.
But the glow around him darkened again in moments.
My guess: a self-enhancement curse.
Or something very similar.
His presence was far stronger now than before.
To analyze, I recalled the earlier incident.
Even before spotting the shaman, a dark red energy orb had flown at me, and I'd dodged it.
His attack spells were clearly cast stealthily and swiftly.
But dodging them was easy with my stats. The explosion's unexpectedly wide radius had just grazed me a bit.
The distance to the altar was still quite far.
The moment I charged toward it, the shaman would instantly cast a spell and widen the gap.
And this visible underground base wasn't all there was.
With all these tunnels around, there had to be facilities behind the altar too.
He was an intelligent creature.
The instant he realized a head-on fight was disadvantageous, he'd vanish into one of those passages.
'Gotta end this quick.'
Uncertain what spell the shaman might unleash next, I pondered how to take him out before he could flee.
I didn't have any speed-boosting skills yet.
The closest thing was the technique I'd recently practiced: finely manipulating Domain power to propel myself from behind.
It was a technique I'd barely mastered through practice.
My first application of a skill's potential.
I activated [Domain] first.
"[Domain]."
As I invoked Domain, sensation bloomed across the space itself, making everything far sharper.
The Goblin Shaman frowned, sensing the sudden change in the altar area.
But he didn't attack right away. I immediately understood why.
'So that's the secret...'
With Domain active, his strategy became crystal clear.
The Goblin Shaman hadn't come alone after all.
From the dark tunnels flanking the stone stairs to the altar, faint killing intent emanated from within.
An ambush.
The plan was for goblins to spring out from both sides the moment I climbed the stairs, striking in concert.
Four goblins in total, each hidden and poised to strike.
Completely out of sight, and even my high Agility hadn't picked up their presence.
The Goblin Shaman must have cast a presence-concealing curse on them.
Luckily, Domain enveloped the space itself, so it could detect them even if they had true stealth skills.
The Goblin Shaman could cast a lot of spells.
At least four that I'd seen so far.
For a human, reaching level 10 and gaining job skills only nets two...
And the others Domain had detected.
They were no ordinary goblins.
Their forms, sensed through Domain, were far larger and tougher than the big goblins I'd faced before.
Very likely elite monsters as well.
The tension that had eased after massacring goblins surged back.
I prepared to go all out.
I drew my demi-god energy to its utmost limits.
A faint golden aura began seeping from my body.
This was my full power: after two Body Awakenings, with skills upgraded to 2nd Grade.
I wasted no more time.
'Take out the Goblin Shaman first.'
I planted one foot heavily, signaling the true battle's start.
Then I kicked off the ground, charging at my maximum speed.
With every step, the floor cracked, and the cavern shook violently.
At that speed, the ambushing goblins panicked, forgetting their hiding spots as they tried to block me.
They swung massive axes to bar my path.
But it was already too late.
I blew past them before entering their attack range.
Dodging the goblins, I bore down on the Goblin Shaman ahead like death itself.
He was startled at first but quickly composed himself to cast another spell.
He swung his skull staff, launching another dark red energy orb.
Thankfully, it was the same one as before—only one attack spell, it seemed.
I didn't dodge.
The orb and I closed in at nearly matching speeds.
Concentrating demi-god energy in my right hand, I seized the incoming orb head-on.
Crackle!!
The energy orb crumpled in my grasp and exploded, but it inflicted no damage.
At that absurd sight, the Goblin Shaman recoiled in horror and turned to flee into the rear tunnel.
He prepared his next spell—maybe a speed one.
His movements were quick, but not enough against my speed.
Still, he was closer to the tunnel, so I might miss him by a hair.
I focused Domain power on my back.
Compressing the Domain force behind me instantly, I used it as propulsion to shove myself forward.
Whoosh─!
My body accelerated beyond limits.
Catching his back at last, I drove my fist forward without hesitation.
The Goblin Shaman's upper body exploded without even a scream.
《Elite Quest - Goblin (Elite) Subjugation》
The reward was a whopping 100 EXP—equivalent to the entire Zone 1.
No item dropped, unfortunately.
He crumbled to dust, leaving only his robe behind.
The four remaining elite goblins stared blankly at their shaman's pathetic demise.
I slowly turned and walked toward them.
The four elite goblins let out furious roars and charged me.
Impressive courage for goblins.
But without their leader, they were just a rabble.
Now it was no longer battle—just hunting.
Same elite monsters, but the rewards differed by double.
Probably because the Goblin Shaman had effectively been the boss.
Goblin Shaman. Definitely a strong monster.
Seemed like he hadn't broken the level 20 stat wall, but at least late teens.
The four elite Goblin Warriors I'd just killed.
They looked to have mid-teens stats.
Like when Zone 2 opened, dimensions without top-tier powerhouses were impossible to conquer right away.
Even growing by hunting wolves, fully clearing this would take longer than Zone 2.
I surveyed the fierce battle scars in the underground base. The altar was heavily damaged from the orb's explosion.
I followed the path the shaman had tried to flee through, ascending to the surface.
By the time I'd completely cleared the underground and surface bases and emerged outside, considerable time had passed.
The goblins inside had been tenacious, and the base's layout was labyrinthine.
But all their resistance was futile against my overwhelming power.
Thanks to [Grasp Complete] as well.
Finally finishing all the hunting, I prepared to return to the village.
Meanwhile, the group led by Dwin and Siron had finished wolf hunting and gathered at the promised spot.
The group, now swelled to 18 members, had quickly established a strict hierarchy of their own.
At the top: Dwin and Siron.
Below them: Manav, then the 7th-day, 8th-day, and 9th-day joiners in order.
The 7th-day arrivals didn't yet see Dwin and Siron as absolute authorities, but the 8th- and 9th-day ones, thanks to Siron's "training," obeyed them without question.
All of them moved like slaves at a word from Dwin or Siron.
Now, they sat around a small forest puddle, chatting idly.
Of course, careful not to irk Dwin or Siron.
"So, what do you think the event will be like, senior?"
A young man from the 9th-day group asked a man from the 7th-day group.
The 7th-day man shrugged briefly before replying.
"Who knows. Hopefully it's a tower gimmick where more people is better. We've got numbers."
"But if individual strength matters... it's every man for himself. Survive on your own."
Tension rippled across the newcomers' faces at his words.
Manav soothed them in his gentle voice.
"Don't worry too much. He won't just let us die."
Siron snorted at Manav's words.
"Don't delude yourself, Manav. He won't abandon us to die, sure. But not because he cares about our lives. It's purely for efficiency."
"If our deaths were more efficient, he'd send us to slaughter without hesitation."
The mood chilled at Siron's cold words.
Dwin silently listened to their exchange.
Then, footsteps echoed from the forest depths.
All chatter ceased instantly.
He had returned.
Led by Dwin and Siron, everyone rose and bowed.
He stood before the group, receiving Dwin's report.
The report was simple: hunting complete without issues.
They could already take down a Star-Eyed Wolf on their own, and he'd ordered them to handle it themselves when Dwin reported yesterday evening.
He nodded at the report. But today, he didn't leave right away.
He glanced at Dwin, Siron, and Manav.
"Starting tomorrow, we hunt Zone 3."
Tension etched the three men's faces.
"Tomorrow morning, you three find me. I'll teach you how to hunt goblins."
"And... prepare for the event."
"Relay these orders to those under you."
Dwin and Siron looked slightly surprised but soon accepted the commands with serious expressions.
Until now, he had been an overwhelming tyrant who merely issued orders.
But now, he showed the face of a "leader" guiding their survival and growth.
He left those words and headed to the village.
Dwin, Siron, and Manav stared blankly at his retreating back.
Surprise mingled with faint hope in their eyes.
A clear shift from livestock treatment—like dealing with comrades.
Of course, still just tools in his eyes.
But now, elevated from consumables to useful instruments in their master's hand.
I returned to the village and headed straight for the [Hall of Revelation].
I reflected on what had just happened.
On the way back, in Zone 2, I'd spoken to Dwin's group in a way that seemed helpful—from their view.
They were still just livestock to manage efficiently.
Only by growing stronger and bringing more resources could my gains be maximized.
This wasn't camaraderie—it was cold calculation.
The Hall of Revelation was one of the village's largest buildings.
I entered slowly.
Time to claim my level 20 reward: a new skill.
The NPC in his pitch-black robe was still there.
"It's been a while. Your path grows ever clearer."
With the NPC's words, new power flowed into me.
I immediately checked the skill details.
[Precision Enhancement 1st Grade]Description: For a set duration, all skills can be used with greater precision.
(Duration: 1 min / Cooldown: 60 min)
Proficiency: 0% Divine Aspirant's active skill.
I headed outside the village right away to test it.
First, I spread [Domain], then activated [Precision Enhancement] within it.
The Domain's sensory feedback remained the same.
But my control over the Domain power was incomparably sharper.
In this state, I could pinpoint even invisible foes' weak spots with Domain force.
The short 1-minute duration was a shame, but it was a powerful utility skill to decide key moments.
Satisfactory performance. I smiled contentedly.
[Dimension 34]
"Ha..."
A man sighed right in front of the woman beside him.
It was more a lament, really.
They were whispering in the shadows behind a dark building.
Despair and exhaustion etched their faces.
The man's name: Kim Min-jun.
The woman's: Hasr.
"Ugh... Never thought it'd come to this..."
Kim Min-jun said in a regretful tone.
Dimension 34 had been progressing smoothly.
Everyone cooperating, helping each other adapt to this strange world.
All but one.
And that one was the culprit behind this mess.
It all started on day 4.
Yorn, one of the few leaders in Dimension 34, suddenly vanished.
The next day, he was found outside the village.
Transformed into a hollow-eyed monster.
His zombie-like state threw everyone into panic.
They eventually subdued him and began debating.
Blame flew: slimes were the issue, something in the slimes, slime fluid does this, slimes are monsters after all—wild speculation, mostly slime-related.
Then, one person cautiously raised a question. A day-1 survivor.
"Wait... what about that girl?"
All eyes turned to him.
The school-uniformed girl from day 1 who never hunted, just huddled in a corner.
No one had seen her since.
No one said it outright to avoid spoiling the mood, but her death was obvious.
Right then, she emerged from the shadows of a village building.
Four days without food, yet perfectly fine.
She spoke with a face of utter resignation.
"Yes. It was me."
She'd been secretly listening to it all.
She confessed everything calmly upon appearing.
First, her name: Bin.
Then, her ability.
Her unique ability, [Blood Kin Ghost].
If she didn't eat people, she'd lose reason and attack everything indiscriminately—a horrific power, she explained.
Yorn was her first victim.
Kim Min-jun and Hasr subdued her with ropes from the shop. She submitted meekly.
But the people's fear didn't stop.
The weak majority couldn't coexist with an unpredictable monster.
Eventually, calls to execute Bin prevailed.
Kim Min-jun and Hasr opposed to the end.
But against survival threats, their voices faded.
Yet Bin didn't want to die.
To survive, in the face of death's terror...
Bin made her final struggle.
She abandoned her humanity on purpose.
Letting go of reason, becoming a full Blood Kin Ghost.
That day's massacre was gruesome.
Three died on the spot, turning into zombies obeying her like Yorn.
Bin claimed half the village as her domain.
And now, day 9.
Dimension 34's survivors had lived in terror since.
Hunting or returning, they had to sneak to avoid Bin and her zombies.
Rebellions happened, but only birthed more zombies.
Hiding in lodgings was their sole safe haven, but even that might not last. Lodgings weren't fully safe.
Unbought ones couldn't be opened by force, but bought ones could be breached with enough power.
Whether remnant reason or whim, who knew.
Over time, people grew stronger.
But Bin and her zombies grew even more.
Now, Kim Min-jun and Hasr spoke in their promised hideout.
"What do we do now?"
Hasr asked desperately.
Kim Min-jun had no answer. No options left for him either.
He sighed instead.
After long silence.
"There... has to be a way."
Kim Min-jun replied weakly, but without hope.
They quietly parted into the darkness, heading to their lodgings.
[Dimension 64]
Day 10 morning.
I opened my eyes in the lodging bed.
Outside the window, the artificial blue-tinged darkness lingered, but faint new sounds reached me.
People moving, low conversations, metallic clinks of gear checks.
Dimension 64 was no longer my silent domain alone.
I rose and peered out the window.
Two groups led by Dwin and Siron bustled in the village square.
Probably up early due to my orders yesterday.
Today was day 10. Event day.
To minimize fatigue, I'd slacked on training more than usual.
Watching them, I thought.
People were now my livestock—and new variables shaping this dimension.
Gazing down, various considerations swirled.
Zone 3's opening brought opportunity and threat.
Goblins would have intelligence and organization far beyond wolves.
That rabble alone might not conquer it.
Should I intervene personally?
Or let them test their limits, sacrificing a few?
But first, sharing intel to minimize losses made sense.
Everything would resolve most efficiently for me.
Fully awake, I left the lodging earlier than usual.