The next day.
Rustle—
Rustle—rustle—
The sound of leaves brushing in the wind rolled through the forest canopy with the morning breeze.
Tang Zheng sat with his legs resting on a thick branch, his back against the trunk. He opened his eyes, took out his pocket watch, and flipped it open.
"Eight oh seven. I wonder if time in this world is exactly the same as in my previous life." Tang Zheng closed the pocket watch again and looked out at the forest, still steeped in dimness.
Although the sun had long risen, little sunlight reached the ground beneath the dense cover of branches and leaves.
Still, compared to nighttime, visibility had improved considerably.
Tang Zheng had awakened long ago. More precisely, he had spent the entire night half-asleep and half-awake, perhaps because leveling up had improved his physique.
Though he had not slept much all night, he felt neither drowsy nor fatigued.
If visibility in the forest had not been so poor, Tang Zheng would have set out long ago.
Whoosh!
Tang Zheng tilted his shoulders while sitting on the thick branch, and his body immediately dropped from the tree.
Just as he was about to hit the ground—
Bang!
Tang Zheng adjusted his posture and landed steadily on both feet.
"Time to move."
Tang Zheng gripped the iron sword in his hand and spoke softly, his gaze calm.
As he ventured deeper into the Ogre territory.
The number of Goblins he encountered in the forest gradually increased. At the same time, large numbers of Goblins became Tang Zheng's experience points.
One day!
Two days!
Four days!
Over several consecutive days, more than a hundred Goblins became Tang Zheng's experience, along with some wild beasts and ordinary monsters.
The "Sword Saint" level rose again, reaching Lv. 9!
The number of Goblins he had killed might have seemed high, but it was actually not much. The Great Forest of Tob was extraordinarily vast, and a hundred Goblins were only a tiny fraction of the many Goblins within the Ogre territory.
Moreover, those slain Goblins were merely the ones Tang Zheng encountered naturally in the forest. On average, he only killed twenty Goblins per day.
So it was not much at all.
In addition.
Tang Zheng discovered that not every Goblin had a tribe. Many Goblins simply gathered in small groups to live and hunt.
It was not that Tang Zheng was unwilling to work harder to kill more Goblins.
The forest environment was simply too restrictive. For thirteen hours each day, the forest was plunged into complete darkness.
That was extremely unfriendly to Tang Zheng as a human. Goblins were weak, but they possessed the racial Innate Talent of "Night Vision."
Nighttime was not suitable for hunting at all.
Furthermore, the dense forest hindered Tang Zheng's movements to a certain extent. The area he could travel each day was extremely limited, further restricting his ability to act.
Over the following days.
Tang Zheng's routine became monotonous. He was either killing Goblins or on his way to kill Goblins.
If he was lucky, he would encounter a Troll.
Because wherever there was a Troll, there was bound to be a Goblin settlement nearby.
As time passed.
Tang Zheng himself did not realize that, with the growing number of dead Goblins, a faint stench of blood began to permeate the outer regions of the forest.
It was the smell gradually emitted by the decay of countless untreated Goblin corpses.
Rather than attracting large numbers of beasts, it caused many beasts to flee the outer regions in fear and migrate toward the center of the forest.
The beasts had begun to realize that a terrifying monster had appeared on the outskirts of the forest!
Year 4 Before the New Calendar.
Lower Wind Month, June 11th.
Ten days had passed since he entered the Great Forest of Tob on the 2nd.
Inside a small Goblin settlement.
"Waah!!"
"Waah—"
"..."
The Goblins' screams and wails rang out in rapid succession.
Tang Zheng swung the iron sword in his hand expressionlessly, sword light flashing continuously through the air.
Whether it was because he had killed too many Goblins or because the "Sword Saint" level had increased, Tang Zheng's swordsmanship was becoming increasingly proficient.
He raised his leg and kicked.
The heavy force sent a Goblin flying, smashing it into several Goblins trying to flee in the distance.
Tang Zheng pushed off the ground and caught up within a few steps. With a flick of his blade—
Several Goblin heads flew into the air and fell to the ground.
A moment later.
After dealing with all the Goblins, Tang Zheng followed his usual method, cutting off their ears, placing them in his pack, and storing them in the Item Box.
Glug~
Glug~
Tang Zheng picked up the waterskin at his waist and gulped down several mouthfuls before letting out a breath.
Then.
Ignoring the corpses on the ground and the bloody smell hanging in the air, Tang Zheng took out a piece of cooked boar meat and began taking large bites.
This small Goblin settlement actually doesn't have a Troll? What a shame.
Tang Zheng's cheeks were stuffed full as he silently thought while chewing.
The Goblin corpses around him did not affect his appetite in the slightest. After all, he had become somewhat accustomed to it after living in the forest for so long.
Thinking of this.
Tang Zheng simply squatted on the ground, set the iron sword beside him, held the waterskin in one hand and the boar meat in the other, replenishing his strength and resting.
The boar he had caught several days ago had been cooked with the "Warming" spell, cut up, and stored in the Item Box. Whenever he wanted to eat, he only had to take it out.
At this moment.
From a distance, Tang Zheng looked much like a wild man.
His sturdy linen clothes were somewhat tattered, covered with leaves and traces of branches from bushes.
His originally Black short hair had also grown much longer and looked messy.
This was already the fifth set of clothes Tang Zheng had changed into. His previous clothes had been even more ragged than these.
If he had not mastered the "Odorless" spell, his entire body would probably have been giving off a sour smell by now.
However.
Through the skin exposed beneath his tattered clothes, it was easy to see that Tang Zheng's body had unknowingly gained a sturdy, muscular quality.
"Attribute Table."
Tang Zheng silently recited in his heart.
[Attribute Table]
Player: Tang Zheng
Justice Value: 35 [Neutral]
HP: 113 (8%) MP: 13 (1%)
Physical Attack: 113 (8%)
Physical Defense: 13 (1%)
Agility: 113 (8%)
Magic Attack: 13 (1%)
Magic Defense: 13 (1%)
Overall Resistance: 0 (0%)
Special Traits: 0 (0%)
Total: 28%
[Ability Table]
Innate Talent: [Player]
Overall Level: Lv. 11
Experience Bar: 1721/5000
Class:
Basic Class: Genius Lv. 1 (Warrior...)
Mid-tier Class: Sword Saint Lv. 10
Skill Points: 19
Passive Skills: Item Box, Slash Enhancement (10%)
Active Skills:
Warrior: Instant Reflection, Fourfold Slash of Light, Quick Slash, Stealth
Magic: Papermaking (First-Tier), Warming (First-Tier), Minor Healing (First-Tier), Magic Arrow (First-Tier), Odorless (First-Tier)
Class Skills: Potion Making, Alchemy
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