Chapter 127: Target
A ghost appears and disappears in the battle, taking lives of both the Ebony Direwolves and the gray humanoids.
As odd as it sounds however, it is only the dying ones that this ’ghost’ is targeting, almost as if whoever it is behind that stealthy figure is only executing the ones who are already at the brink of death.
The figure appears once more, this time, taking the life of another gray humanoid as he swung a corporeal, azure blade wrapped around his arms, the humanoid’s head plopping down the forest’s cold ground, surprising even its opponent who doesn’t seem to notice anyone closing in on their fight at all.
Finally, a familiar notification resounded on the figure’s head, announcing to him the harvest of the kill, causing a smile to appear on his face as he listens to it.
[Defeated: Goblin. Rewards: D Tier Evolution Crystal (8), Goblin’s Eye (3), Goblin’s Heart (1)]
Before this one, he had already killed several more of the gray humanoids, allowing him to acquire information about these creatures, learning the fact that in this fight, they might as well be the worse opponents compared to the Ebony Direwolves.
[Goblin]
[Combat Rating: D]
[Talent: Extreme Vitality (D-Rank Talent)]
[Strength: 1000~6000]
[Agility: 800~6000]
[Vitality: 3000~9000]
[Arcane: 1000~3000]
[Harmony: 1000~3000]
[Possible Drops: D-Tier Evolution Crystal (5~8), Goblin’s Eye (3~6), Goblin’s Heart (0~3)]
[Note: The tier of the Evolution Crystal dropped will be dependent on the tier of the creature; the higher the creature’s tier is compared to the lowest tier it can have, the less Evolution Crystal acquired, but the higher the quality is as well.]
[Skills]
[Weapon Mastery]
[Disorienting Scream]
[Lightness]
[Note: Not all individual Goblins possesses all skills, some possess one or two, while others none. Only group leaders are capable of using all three, as it is a requirement to be one.]
[Born and brought some sentience through the blessing of the Evolution Domain, Goblins developed to be one of the apex predators of the Verdant Forest along with the Ebony Direwolves the cunning of these group of creatures to communicate, as well as use tools and traps sets them as natural territorial enemy of the Ebony Direwolves.]
’They’re smart... that’s why they need to be the priority...’ he thought to himself as he took a step closer towards the surprised Ebony Direwolf, the Goblin’s previous opponent, raising his arms as mana whirls into a blade, bisecting the shocked beast into two equal parts as he does so.
[Defeated: Ebony Direwolf. Rewards: D Tier Evolution Crystal (6), Wolf Fang (4)]
Watching the flesh fall down the forest’s ground, he immediately tries to wrap his body around shadow elemental mana once more, all while expanding his senses in an attempt to pick up yet another target for him to hunt down.
’There...’
He noted to himself as he finally saw another pair of opponents facing each other, the Goblin’s gray skin already turned crimson with the blood flowing down its wounded flesh, while the Ebony Direwolf it is facing is already riddled with several bruises from receiving multiple hits of the club the Goblin is wielding.
Mana reinforces and enhances Novus’ legs, allowing him to take just a few steps to close the distance between himself and his target.
And soon, corporeal mana blade already manifested itself around his arms, his gaze sharp, aiming at the neck of the Goblin all while already thinking on how to deal with the Ebony Direwolf after.
It should’ve been similar to how it goes previously, he closes in, then he attacks, causing his stealth to disappear but effectively taking down his target, the Goblin, before moving in and dealing with its targeted direwolf as well.
At least, it should’ve been.
From the corner of his eyes, Novus notices it, a path of attack whose trajectory is directly hitting where he is going, meaning that just a few moments later, if he continues on his path without change, then he will eventually be hit by whatever attack it might be.
’Sharp...’ he remarked as he realized that someone among the Goblins picked his presence up despite his continuous stealth, causing his mind to grow warier of the Goblins all the more.
’Tsk...’ knowing that his target will be alarmed the moment that attack passes them, Novus clicked his tongue as he opts to move faster instead of slowing down, intent on dealing with his target in one fell swoop, before disappearing through stealth once again.
The several meters of gap between himself and his target shortens to not even a few inches in matters of seconds, his arms already raised up as he prepares to deal the killing blow.
Then, once more, another path of attack reveals itself, this time, aimed not towards his head nor any vital organ, but rather, somewhere else.
Before long, he notices his arms feeling odd as a tingling sensation spread, causing him to mess up, the slash that should’ve taken his target Goblin down merely leaving a deep gash on its back, a clearly grievous, dangerous injury, but one that it can survive from nevertheless.
"Damn it, too shallow..." he mutters to himself, ignoring the odd mixture of pain and numbness spreading from his injured arm as he pulled the arrow stuck to it, faint annoyance surfacing on his expression despite the smile of amusement that shows on most of it.
Meanwhile, the one who shot said arrow, another member of the Goblin group, couldn’t help but feel shocked as well, seeing that the bipedal who shares resemblance to their appearance still has the strength to stand up despite being hit by poison capable of paralyzing even the Direwolves more than double their size.
Novus senses his aggressor’s hesitation as well, hence why he took advantage of it as he uses the very arrow it shot to deal the killing blow to his target, swinging his arm in such swift fashion that the arrow whistled across the air as he let it go, travelling straight and directly towards his initial target.
The whistling sound was stopped with subtle cracking as the arrowhead pierces through his target’s skull, the Goblin falling down and along with it, an announcement of his successful kill was presented by the system once more.
[Defeated: Goblin. Rewards: D Tier Evolution Crystal (5), Goblin’s Eye (3), Goblin’s Heart (2)]
Not intending to stop here, he then took another step forwards, mana forming around not as a blade, but rather as a barrier around his body as he reinforces his muscles, skin and bones, his fist approaching the Ebony Direwolf in front of him with such pressure that it fails to respond before it is too late.
A large, canine body flew across the battlefield before hitting a tree, the figure not even being able to let out pained whimper as it draws its final breath, along with the announcement or rewards resounding in Novus’ mind.
[Defeated: Ebony Direwolf. Rewards: D Tier Evolution Crystal (4), Wolf Fang (5), Dark Claw (1)]
"Nice, now to the next one—"
Shadow elemental mana begins concealing his presence to all else around him again, yet before he can complete the process, Novus’ concealment, as well as his words were interrupted as he felt something piercing him from the back.
Directing his gaze downwards, he saw it, an arrow larger than most that he had encountered during his stealthy hunting, piercing from his back all the way to his chest, passing directly where his heart is supposed to be.
"Fuck..."
He couldn’t help but curse as Sensory Perception begins warning him, several paths of attack directed towards his current location, some of them being far larger, faster, far more difficult to avoid than most.
’Defend.’
With not only his senses, but even his instinct warning him of what is about to come, Novus prepares to move and change to the defensive, only for him to feel surprised as yet another low whistle closes its distance with him.
He can only cough as he felt yet another arrow piercing him, this time, right in the middle of his back, tearing his spine apart into two causing him to fall down the ground.
[Immortal Energy: 650/1435]