Chapter 72: Hobogoblins
Humanity had fought countless bloody battles to carve out safe havens for itself, but in the grand scheme of the world, those territories were nothing more than a tiny island surrounded by an endless ocean.
The lands controlled by the Divine Brilliance Empire might look vast on a map, but compared to the territories ruled by the myriad races, they were almost insignificant.
If he had a choice, Cole would never leave human territory.
Humanity itself was already dangerous enough. Between the ancient families, hidden organizations, political struggles, and enemies lurking in the shadows, he had more than enough problems without voluntarily stepping into the territory of another race.
Unfortunately, cultivation didn’t care about his preferences.
With no other choice, Cole prepared everything he might need. Mana potions, recovery potions, several emergency treasures, food, water, and other necessities were carefully packed into his storage ring. He also made sure to prepare enough equipment to deal with unexpected situations.
Once everything was ready, Cole left alone.
.....
Five days later.
Cole had been traveling continuously for five days, moving deeper and deeper away from human territory. The familiar traces of civilization had long disappeared, replaced by endless forests and untouched wilderness.
At first, there hadn’t been much difference.
Tall trees stretched toward the sky, their enormous branches blocking portions of the sunlight. Thick grass covered the earth beneath them, swaying gently whenever the wind passed through.
But somewhere along the journey...
The atmosphere changed.
Cole suddenly stopped.
His eyes narrowed as he slowly scanned his surroundings.
Everything looked almost exactly the same.
The towering trees.
The thick vegetation.
The uneven earth beneath his feet.
Yet the air felt different.
Hostile.
There was an invisible pressure lingering everywhere, almost as if the forest itself were watching him.
From somewhere deep in the distance came a terrifying roar.
"Roarrr!"
The sound shook the leaves overhead.
A second roar followed from another direction.
Then another.
Cole’s expression became solemn.
These weren’t the sounds of ordinary beasts.
Every roar carried an unmistakable trace of bloodlust.
Cole continued forward, his senses stretched to their limits.
The territory of the Divine Brilliance Empire bordered the Kingdom of Hobgoblins.
Unlike humanity, hobgoblins were born with the ability to absorb mana from the atmosphere. They didn’t need to rely on expensive mana potions simply to cultivate, and their bodies had adapted to mana over countless generations.
The difference between the two races was enormous.
The conflict between the Divine Brilliance Empire and the Kingdom of Hobgoblins had continued for hundreds of years.
Yet despite the countless battles and resources humanity had poured into the war, the Divine Brilliance Empire still hadn’t managed to completely defeat the hobgoblins.
Cole’s eyes flickered.
As expected of a race naturally favored by mana...
He didn’t linger on the thought.
Instead, he activated the A.I. chip and continued scanning the surroundings.
Every movement.
Every fluctuation.
Every suspicious trace.
All of it was recorded and analyzed.
As Cole advanced deeper into the forest, the signs of battle became increasingly common.
Eventually, he spotted a body lying beneath an enormous tree.
Or rather...
What remained of one.
The creature’s corpse had been torn apart, leaving only half of its body behind. Dried blood covered the surrounding grass, while several deep claw marks had carved their way across the earth.
A little farther ahead, another corpse lay partially buried beneath the vegetation.
This one had already begun to rot.
A thick, foul stench drifted through the air, causing Cole’s eyebrows to tighten immediately.
The smell was so disgusting that his stomach churned.
He covered his nose slightly and continued walking.
This was only the beginning.
The farther he went, the more corpses he discovered.
Some had been reduced to scattered bones.
Others had been torn into pieces.
A few were so badly mutilated that Cole couldn’t even determine what kind of creature they had originally been.
The forest that had appeared peaceful from a distance was actually a massive slaughterhouse.
Cole’s expression gradually hardened.
He didn’t dare become careless.
Every step was carefully placed.
Whenever he passed through an area, he deliberately erased his footprints and disturbed vegetation, making sure there was no obvious trail for anyone to follow.
Whenever he crossed soft earth, he concealed the marks.
Whenever branches were broken, he rearranged them.
Even his resting spots were carefully selected and cleaned afterward.
Cole knew that once he entered the territory of the myriad races, he could no longer afford to act recklessly.
Here, he wasn’t the hunter.
He was the outsider.
And somewhere beyond the trees, countless creatures might already be watching him.
I’ve kept the same sequence of events and terminology, while strengthening the atmosphere, Cole’s caution, and the tension around the hobgoblin and the mysterious human blood. Because apparently entering monster territory while already having multiple enemies requires some amount of common sense.
These were precautions Cole had no choice but to take.
After all, his enemies were already numerous. The Saint family was still watching for any opportunity to deal with him, and then there was the mysterious organization that had attacked him before. He had no idea how many people they had sent after him or how far their reach extended.
Until he understood the situation, carelessness could cost him his life.
Time continued to pass as Cole moved deeper into the forest. Without realizing it, several hours had already gone by, and the border between human territory and the Kingdom of Hobgoblins had long since disappeared behind him.
He was now deep inside hobgoblin territory.
The atmosphere around him had grown increasingly strange. From time to time, reckless laughter would drift through the trees from somewhere ahead, wild and unrestrained, before abruptly disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Even the slightest rustling of leaves behind him made Cole’s nerves tighten.
Sometimes, he would turn his head and find nothing there.
Yet the feeling of being watched never completely disappeared.
Eventually, Cole stopped beneath the shade of a massive tree and took a moment to catch his breath.
Although he had already reached the Moon Knight Realm, even a powerful cultivator could not ignore the exhaustion that came from traveling continuously for days. His body was strong enough to endure far more than an ordinary human, but fatigue still accumulated gradually, especially after remaining alert throughout the journey.
While resting, Cole’s thoughts once again turned toward the hobgoblins.
They were a powerful race with naturally strong physiques and an exceptional ability to absorb and utilize mana. Their bodies were fundamentally different from those of humans, allowing them to cultivate without relying on the same resources humanity desperately needed.
Unlike humans, who had gathered together and built enormous cities for protection, hobgoblins lived in small tribes scattered throughout the vast forests.
Cole’s eyes flickered as a thought emerged in his mind.
"If I can find one of those tribes, I can use the A.I. chip to plunder their wealth of knowledge..."
A faint sense of anticipation rose within him.
The hobgoblins could potentially provide him with exactly what he needed.
Their understanding of mana might help him create a technique capable of absorbing mana directly from the surrounding environment. More importantly, their naturally powerful bodies could also provide valuable information for developing a body-strengthening technique.
If he could obtain their cultivation methods and study them with the assistance of the A.I. chip, he might be able to discover something humans had never managed to develop.
For Cole, that knowledge was more valuable than ordinary treasures.
He remained there for another hour, allowing his body to recover before finally standing up.
He did not dare remain in one place for too long.
The deeper he ventured into this forest, the more dangerous it became. Staying stationary for an extended period would only increase the possibility of attracting the attention of some powerful predator.
Cole carefully concealed the traces of his presence before continuing forward.
As he moved, the sounds around him gradually changed.
There were more signs of activity now.
It seemed he was getting closer to some hobgoblin tribe.
A few meters ahead, Cole suddenly heard the careless footsteps of something moving through the forest.
Rustle.
Something was pushing through the vegetation.
Then came another sound.
Scrape...
Something was being dragged across the ground.
Cole immediately slowed down.
"Hobgoblin?"
A flicker of confusion appeared in his mind.
He did not immediately move forward.
Instead, he stood silently among the trees and focused his senses on the area ahead.
Then his nose twitched.
A faint metallic smell drifted through the air.
Cole’s expression changed.
He knew that smell.
Fresh blood.
Human blood.
The realization instantly made the atmosphere around him feel heavier.
There is someone else in this forest.
And judging from the smell, that person was human.
Cole carefully moved forward, keeping his movements as quiet as possible. He used the surrounding vegetation as cover and slowly closed the distance.
Then he finally saw what was happening.
His blood ran cold.
Ahead of him was a muscular hobgoblin standing nearly six feet tall. A thick horn rose from its head, while its massive arms were almost as thick as tree trunks. Every step caused the muscles across its body to shift beneath its rough skin.
But that was not what caught Cole’s attention.
One of the hobgoblin’s hands was gripping the leg of a young human woman.
The woman was being dragged helplessly across the ground.
Her clothes were stained with dirt and leaves, and her long hair had become tangled from being pulled through the forest. Her eyes were tightly closed, and from her unmoving body, it was obvious that she was unconscious.
Cole’s gaze narrowed.
A woman?
What could a human woman possibly be doing here?
His eyes remained fixed on her for several seconds before shifting toward the hobgoblin.
The situation was strange.
Very strange.
Cole immediately began scanning the surroundings, searching for any clues that could explain the smell of blood.
The woman was unconscious, but from what he could see, there were no obvious wounds on her body.
No deep cuts.
No missing limbs.
No visible injuries that could explain the strong scent of fresh blood.
Yet the metallic smell was unmistakable.
Cole searched the surrounding area again.
Nothing.
He checked the ground, the trees, the nearby vegetation, and even the path the hobgoblin had traveled.
Still nothing.
The smell seemed to be coming from nowhere.
That realization sent a chill through Cole’s heart.
Something was wrong.
His gaze slowly returned to the hobgoblin.
The anger that had been building inside him intensified.
For a moment, Cole wanted nothing more than to attack immediately and rescue the woman.
But he restrained himself.
There was still too much he did not know.
If this hobgoblin belonged to a tribe, killing it here might alert the others. He had entered their territory alone and had no understanding of the strength of the tribe ahead.
Instead of acting recklessly, Cole quietly followed from behind.
He kept a safe distance, using the dense forest as cover while making sure the hobgoblin did not notice his presence.
With every step, his suspicion grew stronger.
He had originally intended to find a hobgoblin tribe so that he could study their cultivation methods.
Now, it seemed that one had appeared right in front of him.
Cole’s gaze became cold as he watched the massive figure drag the unconscious woman deeper into the forest.
He had a feeling that the creature was going to lead him directly to its lair.