Fang Zhen trailed the four water-fetching goblins from a distance.
He moved cautiously, careful not to attract the attention of the four little green monsters.
After walking for about three or four minutes, Fang Zhen heard the sound of a stream up ahead.
A few dozen steps later, he saw a stream flowing through the woods. Near the stream, there was a relatively open clearing.
This was the four goblins' destination. Carrying wooden buckets, they made their way to the stream to draw water.
Fang Zhen silently followed.
The four goblins reached the edge of the stream. Muttering amongst themselves, they dipped their wooden buckets into the current to draw water.
Fang Zhen narrowed his eyes.
'Just four goblins. I can handle this.'
He felt utterly confident.
He'd already built up his confidence from clearing out the Goblin Camp earlier.
Fang Zhen took a deep breath, steeling himself. He shed his usual demeanor, adopting the mindset and self-image of a predator. Even his gaze grew sharp.
Without a word, he gripped the long spear with both hands and began to run. He picked up speed, accelerating into a full-on sprint.
Fang Zhen's greatest physical asset was his explosive power. Back in school, even without practice, very few people could beat him in a hundred-meter dash—not even the student-athletes were a sure bet.
He quickly accelerated to an incredible speed.
By the time the water-fetching goblins noticed him, Fang Zhen had already charged to within seven or eight meters of the stream.
But by then, it was too late.
Fang Zhen had already built up momentum. Like a charging Knight, he let out a furious roar, seizing the initiative.
The two goblins by the stream who had just turned to face Fang Zhen were frozen in terror, unable to mount any effective response.
Considering the massive size difference, from the goblins' perspective, it was as if a human were watching an enraged rhinoceros charge them—a rhino with the legendary Dragon Spear strapped to its horn. Forget a person, a beast like that could flip a Land Cruiser.
The overwhelming pressure left the goblins paralyzed with fear, completely dumbfounded.
Fang Zhen didn't give them a second chance.
Gripping the long spear with both hands, Fang Zhen thrust forward. The spear pierced straight through the first goblin's chest, then continued on to impale the one behind it.
His charging thrust skewered the two goblins together.
The two goblins shrieked, but the immense momentum of Fang Zhen's thrust hadn't yet dissipated. He carried them several more meters on the shaft of his spear before finally coming to a halt.
Inertia carried the two skewered goblins off the end of his spear. They tumbled into the stream with a huge splash, their purple blood instantly staining the crystal-clear water a pale lavender.
Fang Zhen ignored the two incapacitated goblins. Instead, he swung his long spear in a wide arc, the tip of the blade striking the third goblin squarely on the neck.
The spear's blade was as sharp as a dagger. Combined with the force of the swing, it sliced the goblin's neck wide open. The creature let out a wretched scream, clutching its throat as it collapsed.
Even Fang Zhen was surprised by his own accuracy.
He'd only thought that the clearing by the stream was open enough for wide, sweeping attacks with his spear—a greater advantage than he'd have in the forest. He'd swung on instinct, not expecting to be so precise and take out another goblin in one move.
'Am I really a genius?'
His confidence surging, Fang Zhen laughed heartily. He drew his spear back, gripped it with both hands, and charged the final goblin.
The last goblin, terrified, let out a strange shriek and tried to flee. But it completely failed to account for the difference in speed between it and Fang Zhen. It had barely taken a few steps before the gleaming, sharp point of the spear pierced through its back and exited its chest. With a final cry, it collapsed to the ground.
Fang Zhen pulled his spear free and surveyed the battlefield by the stream.
It hadn't even taken ten seconds from start to finish, and all four goblins were dead.
"Hahaha!" Fang Zhen's heart swelled with satisfaction, and he roared with laughter.
He was discovering that with each battle, he grew stronger—in mindset as well as in skill.
After his bout of laughter, Fang Zhen's gaze turned sharp and focused.
The battle had been swift and decisive, so he hadn't used much stamina. He could handle another fight. Maybe even two.
His loud laughter was also a tactic, a way to lure reinforcements from the Goblin Camp.
His long spear was limited in the dense forest, but in a relatively open space like this, it gave him a massive advantage in reach, whether he was keeping his distance or using wide, sweeping attacks.
The saying "an inch longer, an inch stronger" was a hard-earned lesson from ancient Martial Artists—not just empty words.
He stepped forward and delivered a finishing blow with his spear to the two goblins that were not yet dead. Once he confirmed they'd stopped breathing, he quickly scanned his surroundings.
About seven or eight meters into the woods from the stream, he spotted a large tree next to a cluster of rocks—a good place to hide.
Fang Zhen moved quickly, ducking behind the tree and rocks. He crouched down, hiding his body while he caught his breath.
The stream wasn't far from the Goblin Camp—only about a hundred and forty or fifty meters. They would have heard the commotion.
'I'll hide here and see if they send reinforcements. If a large group comes, I'll avoid a direct confrontation and circle back to raid their camp. If only a few show up... I'll use the open terrain by the stream to my advantage and annihilate them all!'
He took deep, diaphragmatic breaths, regulating his rhythm to calm his emotions and speed up his recovery.
Before long, Fang Zhen heard guttural goblin shouts coming from the direction of the camp.
Strangely enough, Fang Zhen could understand most of what they were saying.
The green-skinned monsters from the Goblin Camp had heard the noise, sensed something was wrong, and were sending reinforcements.
Fang Zhen peeked out from his cover, looking into the forest.
Soon, he saw a group of goblins running toward the stream.
'One, two, three, four, five. Five goblins.'
'And one more, bigger, wearing leather armor. Must be some kind of goblin elite, right?'
Fang Zhen did a quick calculation.
'After some real combat, my abilities have grown. I can consistently handle more than seven goblins.' 'The area by the stream is open, perfect for me to leverage the reach of my spear.'
'The advantage is mine. It's no illusion.' Fang Zhen made his assessment.
He took a deep breath and rose from his crouch. He hunched his body, poised like a cheetah ready to strike.
The five goblins soon reached the edge of the stream.
Seeing the bodies of their comrades in and around the stream, the goblins were both shocked and enraged. Guttural noises erupted from their mouths as they vented their fear and fury.
And at that very moment, Fang Zhen moved!