After witnessing two powerful orcs die easily at Saelran's hands, and seeing the human slowly approach, the goblin's first instinct in the face of death was to flee.
Especially since every swing of Saelran's twin blades sent out a terrifying gust of wind strong enough to sting its cheeks, the goblin could think of nothing but running.
However...
If the goblin had remained lying motionless on the ground, Saelran could have destroyed the surrounding area without actually striking it.
But now, as the goblin ran, the "Camouflage" spell it had cast began to shift, as if a layer of color distortion suddenly appeared in the air.
It became extremely noticeable.
"I see you."
Saelran stopped swinging his swords, turned toward the moving shape, and a bright smile appeared on his face.
Huh?
Saelran suddenly noticed the astonishing speed of his opponent. Despite the complexity of the forest terrain, the creature ran as if sprinting across flat land, untouched by the surrounding vegetation.
What kind of ability was this?
Saelran was surprised, but his response was swift and decisive. He gripped the hilt of his sword and threw it like a spear.
Whoosh–
The tremendous force sent the blade hurtling through the air. It pierced the color-shifting creature instantly.
"Ah!!"
A scream echoed through the forest as the creature collapsed, groaning in agony.
Saelran walked forward at a relaxed pace.
The impact had disrupted the camouflage spell.
The goblin's appearance was fully revealed to Saelran, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Unlike ordinary goblins, which were dark green all over, this one had much lighter skin, two sharp fangs jutting from its lower jaw, and most noticeably, its size.
A normal goblin, even as an adult, was about the size of a human child, but this goblin was nearly the size of a dwarf, twice as large as an ordinary goblin.
"I am going to die!"
"It hurts, I am going to die!"
The goblin lay on the ground with an iron sword embedded in its back, screaming in pain.
If Saelran had not been sure by its appearance alone, hearing it speak confirmed that his earlier assumption had been wrong.
"I thought it was a mutated goblin," Saelran said coldly, staring at the goblin writhing on the ground.
"It is just a goblin subspecies, a hobgoblin."
Hobgoblins were a goblin subspecies, far superior to regular goblins in physical ability and intellect, almost reaching human levels.
However, compared to the terrifying reproductive capacity of normal goblins, hobgoblins were far less fertile.
Because hobgoblins could breed with normal goblins, they often lived together in goblin colonies. And due to their superior physique and intelligence, hobgoblins held higher status.
Saelran stepped forward, stomping on the hobgoblin's head to silence its screams, then grabbed and pulled the iron sword out of its back.
Pfft
Green blood sprayed out.
"Ah!!"
The hobgoblin's eyes widened in terror as it screamed again, its body twitching uncontrollably. In a faint, trembling voice, it pleaded:
"Human, do not kill me..."
"If I die, the Grunnfang ruler will never let you go. Ah!!"
Bang!
The moment Saelran heard the word "Grunnfang," his eyes narrowed. He stomped again, burying the hobgoblin's head into the decayed earth.
"You talk too much," Saelran said impatiently, his expression filled with a sudden understanding.
So that was it.
If he remembered correctly, a group of hobgoblins lived within Grunnfang territory, a hobgoblin tribe known as the "Jike Tribe."
This goblin tribe had even appeared in the game.
Just like the relationship between regular goblins and orcs, the relationship between hobgoblins and the Grunnfangs was similar. Because hobgoblins possessed intelligence, they lived under the rule of the Grunnfang.
Of course, to the Grunnfangs, hobgoblins were also considered emergency food supplies.
After the eastern Grunnfang ruler, Ogloo, was killed by the players, the Jike Tribe fled, and through unbelievable luck, they encountered Vesveria.
Vesveria had come to the Arkenwald Forest to recruit demihuman forces, especially the three rulers of the Arkenwald forest.
But since all three had been killed by players, she could only recruit talented demihumans.
One of them was a hobgoblin from the Jike Tribe, who later became the Goblin King.
So, was the hobgoblin in front of him the future Goblin King?
But the Jike Tribe was supposed to live deep within the forest, in territory controlled by the eastern ruler Ogloo. Why were they here on the outskirts?
Saelran was somewhat confused.
But he also understood how the creature that had troubled him earlier had managed to do so.
Hobgoblins could be considered nobility among goblins. Mobilizing regular goblins was no challenge for them.
What about orcs?
Due to their racial traits, orcs were more willing to obey and protect hobgoblins compared to regular goblins.
Hmm?
Saelran lifted his foot away and looked down at the goblin beneath him. Its body was twitching violently, as if it would die at any moment. He raised an eyebrow.
The hobgoblin was indeed fragile.
But it was still far stronger than a normal goblin.
The sword throw earlier, even with Saelran holding back part of his strength, would have killed a normal goblin outright.
This hobgoblin was only gravely injured, and its ability to survive this long showed its body was much tougher than that of an ordinary goblin.
A faint light flickered in Saelran's eyes as he placed his hand over the wound on the hobgoblin's back.
"Minor Healing."
He had intended to kill the hobgoblin earlier, but he suddenly remembered another use for it.
A soft white light appeared, illuminating the creature's bleeding wound.
The wound, which had been continuously spilling blood, stopped bleeding and began healing quickly.
The low-tier healing spell was not enough to fully heal such a severe injury, but it was sufficient to keep the hobgoblin alive.
The hobgoblin, who had been twitching as if on the brink of death, gradually stopped trembling. Its pupils reflected confusion and relief at still being alive.
A green head, covered in mud and rotten leaves, was lifted from the ground. It raised its head and looked at the human standing before it, staring back with cold eyes.
"Human..."
"Let me go, and the Grunnfang ruler will surely not trouble you."
The hobgoblin trembled as it quickly stood up, stepped back, and spoke while trying to stiffen its neck to appear calm