Chapter 42
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Essence Fragment
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“Kee-eek!”
The goblins didn’t even manage to resist properly before being sliced in half.
The hobgoblins were the same. One tried to block late with its machete, but Gentle Breeze shredded its body along with the weapon.
“Grrr.”
In an instant, the path cleared like the miracle of Moses, with a red carpet of blood spread out right up to the goblin chieftain.
The chieftain at least managed to hurl itself out of the way in time, but it had lost nearly a quarter of its forces to a single axe throw.
Overwhelming destructive power. But this wasn’t the end.
‘Retrieve.’
The goblin mower that had shredded everything in its path whipped up a massive gust as it spun in place, then boomeranged right back.
“Kree-eek!”
The goblins who had barely survived the first throw lost their lives to the returning blade. A single round trip took out nearly a hundred of them.
“This is… a bit brutal.”
Even I, who made it happen, couldn’t help but frown at the sight. The power was so immense it felt unsettling instead.
But I couldn’t afford to hold back just because it was gruesome. I had come here planning to kill every goblin in the first place.
‘Pretending to be decent now would just be pathetic.’
I gripped the axe again. Plenty of enemies left. Self-reflection could wait until I survived.
“Kyaaak! Kill! Hu-man!”
The goblin chieftain stomped the ground, spitting curses. At the same time, goblin shamans began binding my limbs with slow curses.
‘Not on my watch!’
I flexed my body, and the smoke dispersed in bursts, restoring my speed. Since ranking up to 2-star, the slow curse didn’t feel as tricky as before.
That’s when I shook off the slow curse.
“Earth, bind!”
Green light flickered from the chieftain’s fingertips, and vibrations rumbled from the ground. Something was coming. I immediately leaped to the side.
Boom!
The earth split, and plant roots burst up from below. They twisted together like claws interlocking.
Cold sweat trickled down my back. A split-second later, and those roots would have ensnared my whole body.
No—even if I hadn’t shaken off the slow curse, I’d have been trapped for sure.
‘It slowed me first, then went for the bind!’
Berserk hobgoblins charged in one after another. If that slow-bind combo had landed, I’d have been done for.
As I ramped up my tension with that thought, the chieftain’s voice rang out again.
“Wooden Snake!”
The tangled roots splintered into pieces, slithering across the ground like snakes.
A 2-star attack spell: Wooden Snake.
‘Tch! Making this annoying.’
The wooden snakes closed in fast, lunging at my ankles like real vipers.
I yanked my foot back in time, but it was close. Any slower, and it would’ve pierced right through.
“Kuoo!”
Sss—
Berserk hobgoblins swung machetes from above, while wooden snakes eyed my ankles from below.
And it wasn’t just one or two. When I snapped to, I was surrounded on all sides by hobgoblins and wooden snakes.
Even with Gentle Breeze, I couldn’t block attacks pouring in from every direction.
‘Ngh! Need to thin their numbers fast.’
I hurled Gentle Breeze at the hobgoblins to cut them down.
The goblins scattered in panic, but the hobgoblins charged straight at it.
‘Berserk’s fatal flaw: they don’t dodge.’
Plus, berserk ones had lower defense than usual. Naturally, they dropped faster than before.
“Phew.”
Just as I thought I could catch my breath, one of those ankle-hunting wooden snakes suddenly leaped at my nape.
“Huh!”
Perfect timing—I’d thrown Gentle Breeze, leaving my right hand bare. Now I had to block a 2-star spell barehanded.
Cold sweat broke out in an instant.
“Kra, kra!”
Seizing the chance, the goblin chieftain let out a nasty chuckle. It fueled my resolve.
‘Damn it, this is nothing compared to Gentle Breeze.’
I thrust my hand toward the wooden snake lunging at my nape.
“Kiaao!”
Its jaws split wide, aiming to chomp my fingers.
I timed it just right to dodge, then snatched its nape in a flash.
“Gek!”
It fell into my grasp all too easily. The training to catch Gentle Breeze had paid off in defense.
“Laugh it up now.”
The chieftain’s face, once smug, was now rigid.
Crunch!
I crushed its neck with a squeeze.
“Kree-eek!”
The magic backlash made the chieftain stagger.
I charged like I’d been waiting. Surviving hobgoblins and snakes lunged, but the retrieved Gentle Breeze took their heads clean off.
“B-bind!”
The startled chieftain threw up a bind—not at me, but to block the path.
Rumble—
A massive wooden pillar erupted in the middle like a wall. Leave it, and it’d turn to snakes again.
“No you don’t. Logging mode ON!”
Gentle Breeze and the tomahawk alternated swings.
“Cough!”
Backlash from shattered spells made the chieftain vomit blood.
After that, it was easy. Hobgoblins wiped out. All that remained were weakened goblins and shamans spamming useless spells.
Thud!
The hunt ended with the chieftain’s head rolling. A lame end for a 2.5-star monster like an orc warrior.
‘My condition was at its worst fighting the orc warrior.’
Conversely, the chieftain faced me at full strength with Gentle Breeze, making it feel easier. High magic resistance helped too.
“Let’s see what the chieftain dropped.”
Rummaging its corpse, a mana crystal pushed out from its chest. First 2.5-star crystal I’d gotten.
Sure, I got Gentle Breeze from the orc warrior’s axe, but technically that was embedded, not from the body.
[Goblin Essence Fragment (1/10)]
[A fragment of goblin essence. Collect 10 to form a goblin essence shard.]
‘Huh? This is material for essence shards? Means I can complete essences without entering dungeons?’
Of course, that’d require killing tons of chieftains.
I had just 3 essence shards secured. Needed 7 more for a full essence—70 fragments if broken down.
Chieftains didn’t always drop them, so completing via chieftains seemed tough.
‘Still, collecting steadily should help. Gentle Breeze slashed hunt times.’
Assassinating one by one would’ve taken 3 hours; luring a horde and wiping took just 1.
‘At this rate, maybe two runs a day?’
No worries on goblin supply. They bred fast.
Wipe a village, and in two weeks, it’s back to full.
‘Problem is the lousy EXP…’
[Cha In-hyeok. Lv 11. (13.1%)] [Mana 1/12]
[Strength 42, Agility 32, Vitality 33, Intelligence 30]
Wiped a whole village, got just 2% EXP. Ranking up must’ve spiked requirements.
‘Worse ahead. Next level-up, it’ll be 1% increments.’
Then, hunt higher grades. Riskier, but necessary to grow fast.
‘Gotta risk it to survive? What a frustrating system.’
For now, clear goblin villages for fragments while scouting next hunt spots.
Somewhere safe for my level with good EXP efficiency.
‘Cool and Yan’ll have their work cut out.’
* * *
Another month passed.
I hunted diligently and finally leveled up.
[Cha In-hyeok. Lv 12. (0.6%)] [Mana 3/14]
[Strength 42, Agility 32, Vitality 33, Intelligence 30]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 10]
Level-up gave 10 points, like last rank-up.
‘Ranking to 2-star boosted level efficiency.’
Higher ranks grow exponentially—here’s the secret.
Balanced Strength and Agility: dumped all 10 into Agility, used spare mana to recruit another orc.
[Cha In-hyeok. Lv 12. (0.6%)] [Mana 1/14]
[Strength 42, Agility 42, Vitality 33, Intelligence 30]
“Nice. Leveled up, and got plenty of goblin essence fragments.”
44 chieftains down to level—netted 30 fragments total.
[Goblin Essence Shard 6/10]
[Goblin Essence Shard Mana 0/12]
Full goblin essence yields 12 mana total. Used 2 on Stealth and Heavy Strike, rest on hobgoblins.
Demon King’s Castle defenses now ironclad. Safe to step out for a while.
‘…or so I thought just yesterday.’
I listened gravely to the intel from Cool and Yan.
“An orc pack’s approached within two days’ march, Master.”
“Damn, how’d this happen?”
Probably the goblin essence shards.
With 6 collected, it started drawing aggro. Invaders increased as shards accumulated.
So far, just lost orcs, but now a whole tribe invaded.
‘Must’ve aggroed while raiding goblin villages.’
At least 30 strong, plus two orc warriors.
‘Can I hold them?’
Hearing it, cold sweat down my back. Bigger than expected.
My side: 7 hobgoblins, 3 goblins, 3 succubi, 3 orcs.
32 vs 16.
Double their numbers, and inferior quality.
Our only edge: superior weapons.
‘No, one more.’
I tapped my temple. My genius tactics remained.
‘I’m Zhuge Liang of Yangyang, after all.’
Nickname from a unit duel card game, but principles same.
Combine card strengths for synergy strategies.
‘Good, prep time plenty. They hit Demon King’s Castle in two days.’
Knowing time and place: huge advantage. Fight where and how I want, overturn numbers easy.
“Need to tweak the ambush room.”
[How so, Master?]
“Oh, nothing big. Just dig a pit.”