After witnessing two powerful Trolls die easily at Tang Zheng's hands and seeing the human before it gradually approach,
especially
as the twin swords in the man's hands swung, each motion sent a terrifying gust of wind its way, making its cheeks sting faintly.
Run—
The Goblins' timid nature had long been woven into the genes of their race. Faced with the threat of death,
the first thought that rose in this Goblin's mind was to flee.
However!
If this Goblin had simply lain flat on the ground without moving, Tang Zheng's large-scale destruction of the surroundings might not have uncovered it unless he happened to strike it directly.
But now, as the Goblin fled, the magic it had cast, "Camouflage," began to change. It was as if a layer that could actively change colors had suddenly appeared in this space.
It was exceptionally conspicuous!
"I see you!"
Tang Zheng paused his sword-swinging motions, turned to look at the object that was running while automatically changing colors, and revealed a brilliant smile.
Hm?
Tang Zheng suddenly realized that it was moving very quickly.
Despite the complex terrain of the forest, it ran as though on flat ground. The surrounding vegetation posed no obstacle to it whatsoever.
What kind of ability was that?
Tang Zheng was somewhat surprised, but his hands did not hesitate in the slightest. He gripped the sword hilt in reverse, then threw the iron sword like a javelin.
Whoosh!
His astonishing strength made the iron sword let out a sharp whistle through the air.
It instantly struck the color-changing creature!
"Ah!!"
A scream rang out through the forest. Then the creature collapsed onto the ground, wailing without stop.
Only then did Tang Zheng stroll over leisurely.
Because it had been attacked, the effect of the "Camouflage" spell had already dispersed.
The Goblin's appearance was completely exposed before Tang Zheng, making him freeze for a moment.
Unlike ordinary Goblins, whose bodies were entirely dark green,
this Goblin's skin was clearly much lighter. Two sharp fangs protruded from its lower jaw, and its greatest difference was its size!
Even adult Goblins were roughly the size of human children, but this Goblin was nearly as large as a Dwarf.
"I'm going to die!"
"It hurts! I'm going to die!"
The Goblin lay prone on the ground with an iron sword embedded in its back. The immense pain made it scream miserably without end.
If Tang Zheng still could not be certain based solely on its appearance, then hearing it speak now told him that his previous guess had been wrong.
"I thought you were a mutated Goblin." Tang Zheng looked coldly at the Hobgoblin wailing on the ground. "Turns out you're merely a Goblin subspecies—a Hobgoblin."
Hobgoblins.
They were a subspecies of Goblins. Whether in physical ability or intelligence, they were far superior to Goblins and came quite close to human standards.
However!
Compared with the Goblins' almost terrifying reproductive capacity, Hobgoblins did not reproduce very well. Since Hobgoblins could also mate with ordinary Goblins,
they often lived among Goblin communities. And because of their superior bodies and intelligence, Hobgoblins held a higher status.
Tang Zheng stepped forward and planted his foot on the screaming Hobgoblin's head, abruptly silencing it. Then he reached out and pulled the iron sword from its back.
Pfft!
Green blood sprayed out!
"Ah!!"
The Hobgoblin had shut its mouth out of fear, but the pain once again made it cry out miserably. Its body could not help twitching as it weakly begged,
"Human, don't kill me..."
"If I die, the Ogres won't let you off—ah!!"
Bang!
Hearing it mention the words "Ogres," Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes and casually stomped down again, pressing its head into the soil mixed with broken branches and rotten leaves.
"So noisy."
Tang Zheng spoke impatiently, while a look of realization appeared on his face.
So that was it.
If he remembered correctly, a group of Hobgoblins did live within the Ogres' territory. They seemed to be a Hobgoblin clan called the "Jik Tribe."
This Hobgoblin tribe had even appeared in the anime.
Just like the relationship between ordinary Goblins and Trolls!
The relationship between Hobgoblins and Ogres was similar. Because Hobgoblins possessed intelligence, the Ogres had brought them under their rule.
Of course, to the Ogres, the Hobgoblin tribe also served as a reserve food source!
After Bone Lord killed Ogre Gu, the "Eastern Giant," this Jik Tribe was liberated and joined Carne Village.
As a result, they also came under the rule of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, making them one of the few relatively fortunate groups in the New World.
But they should have been living in the inner region of the forest ruled by Ogre Gu, the "Eastern Giant." Why had they come all the way to the outskirts?
Tang Zheng felt somewhat puzzled.
But he had also figured out how this fellow, who had caused him trouble during this period, had managed it.
Hobgoblins could be considered the nobility among ordinary Goblins, so commanding ordinary Goblins was no problem for them.
As for Trolls?
Because of the racial characteristics of Trolls, compared to ordinary Goblins, Trolls were more willing to protect and heed Hobgoblins.
Hm?
Tang Zheng moved his foot away and looked at the Hobgoblin beneath it. Its body had clearly begun to convulse violently, as though it might die at any moment, causing his brow to rise.
It really was fragile.
But it was far stronger than ordinary Goblins.
He had held back somewhat when he threw that sword earlier, but an ordinary Goblin would likely have been pierced through and killed on the spot.
This Hobgoblin had merely suffered a Severe Wound. The fact that it had lasted until now showed that its physique was vastly stronger than that of an ordinary Goblin.
A gleam flashed through Tang Zheng's eyes. He raised a hand toward the wound on the Hobgoblin's back. "Minor Healing."
Not long ago, he had indeed planned to execute this Hobgoblin, but he had suddenly thought of another use for it.
A gentle white light emerged and descended upon the Hobgoblin's mangled, bloodied wound!
The wound, which had been continuously spilling blood, immediately began to stop bleeding. Then it started recovering rapidly.
A low-tier Healing Magic spell was clearly not enough to completely heal such a Severe Wound, but keeping the Hobgoblin alive was not a problem.
The Hobgoblin, whose body had been twitching as though it were about to die, stopped shaking. Bewilderment and the relief of surviving a disaster appeared in its pupils.
Its green head, covered in dirt and rotten leaves, pulled free from the soil. It raised its head and looked upward, seeing the human standing before it and watching him coldly.
"Human—"
"As long as you let me go, the Ogres definitely won't cause you any trouble."
The Hobgoblin's body trembled. It hurriedly climbed up from the ground, hunched itself over as it spoke and backed away, while craning its neck and putting on an act of forced composure.
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