Chapter 25: Goblin Settlement

[Primary Retainer kills Goblin, points +2]

As the silver giant bear before him effortlessly crushed the head of a goblin lying helpless on the ground, a system notification echoed in Luo Xiu’s ears.

"Well done, Leila!" Luo Xiu encouraged.

Today marked the seventh day since they had entered the Sunset Jungle. Including the one that had just perished, he and Leila had truly earned the title of "Wheel Town Goblin Slayers," having dispatched a total of 56 goblins over the past week. This had granted Luo Xiu a full 112 attribute points, causing his status panel to undergo a ground-breaking transformation compared to seven days ago.

[Name: Luo Xiu]
[Strength: 57]
[Agility: 20]
[Constitution: 30]
[Magic: 30]
[Mental Resistance: 6]
[Skills: Basic Healing Lv. 3 (15/50), Dust Kick Lv. 2 (0/10), Appraisal Lv. 2 (0/10), Enslave Lv. 2 (0/10)]
[Available Points: 12]

It could be said that the power now surging within Luo Xiu’s body was terrifying. His physique had also changed significantly under the influence of the attribute points. Compared to his formerly slender frame, he was now much taller, exuding a palpable sense of power that could not be ignored. Stripped of his clothes, one could see defined muscle lines; while not of the "explosive muscle" variety, they possessed a lean, aesthetic quality that was perfectly balanced.

Through the repeated process of adding points, he had developed a deeper understanding of his five attributes. Strength, needless to say, was a pure increase in raw power. Magic was easy to grasp—it functioned as a mana bar for spellcasting. Constitution leaned toward personal resistance; if translated into game terms, it was akin to a simultaneous increase in armor and magic resistance.

The most interesting was Agility. At first, Luo Xiu thought it referred to movement speed, but he later realized it was distinct from simple velocity. More accurately, it represented the ability to coordinate one’s body. In other words, when one’s strength was sufficient, improving physical coordination allowed for increased movement and strike speed. This attribute complemented Strength; if the gap between them became too wide, it would cause severe physical incoordination, so Luo Xiu added points to it occasionally.

The final attribute, Mental Resistance, was exactly as it sounded. Since Luo Xiu rarely encountered opponents skilled in mental pressure, he had invested the least amount of points there. Of course, he had intentionally reserved 10 points for emergencies.

"Master, they’re gone again."

Beside him, Leila, who had transformed into a giant bear, waited for a few minutes. Seeing no more goblins emerge, she reverted to her human form, her expression somewhat dejected.

"Indeed. Goblins are becoming harder to find these days," Luo Xiu sighed.

Ever since Leila became his primary retainer, her strength had been rising alongside his attribute allocations. Just a few days ago, she had finally mastered her transformation. Moreover, Luo Xiu had checked her with [Appraisal], and a faint orange glow had begun to manifest around her transformed state. This meant Leila was on the verge of advancing to the Second Tier.

A Second-Tier Silver Moon Bear! Even a Second-Tier goblin would likely be handled by her like a mere chick.

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction. Yet, for some unknown reason, his "good friends," the goblins, were appearing less and less frequently. Rationally, this shouldn't be the case. Goblins were monsters that excelled in human-wave tactics; they reproduced rapidly, possessed little fear of death, typically charged at enemies in swarms, and were highly sensitive to the scent of humans.

However, despite the many goblins Luo Xiu and Leila had killed, after the initial dozen on the first day, they had only found a few stragglers in the days that followed. This counterintuitive phenomenon struck Luo Xiu as strange, but unable to pinpoint the reason, he could only press deeper into the jungle with Leila, hoping to find more goblins—or perhaps even a Second-Tier one.

Luo Xiu wanted to test whether he could defeat a Second-Tier goblin. He felt it shouldn't be a problem, but his attribute-based system lacked a reference point for power levels.

The sun hung high in the sky; it was midday. After a quick meal, the master and servant continued walking deeper into the jungle. The environment in the depths of the Sunset Jungle was entirely different from the outskirts. The trees here grew exceptionally lush and robust, many of them so thick that Luo Xiu and Leila could not encircle them together. The dense canopy formed a barrier against the sun, and the twisted branches cast a somber atmosphere. Even the few stray beams of light that managed to pierce through the leaves seemed to have lost their warmth, lying crooked and lifeless on the ground.

Suddenly, Leila’s pointed ears twitched. She immediately became alert and whispered, "Master, there is growling not far ahead. And it’s not just one."

The implication of growling in this area was obvious. Excitement flashed in the eyes of both master and servant.

"Move slowly, don't rush. Be careful," Luo Xiu cautioned. Though he was impatient to meet more goblins, he knew the nature of this world and prioritized caution.

The duo moved gingerly toward the sound. Finally, after pushing through a dense thicket, they peered through a screen of trees and saw the source of the noise.

There were ruins built from stone, scattered campfires, rows of meat hanging to dry, and a crude fence made of low triangular stakes. Inside the enclosure, goblins were growling incessantly. It was a small goblin settlement!

Luo Xiu was thrilled. He counted carefully: sixteen goblins in total. Among them, two were noticeably larger, wearing armor stripped from unknown sources and wielding massive stone hammers, their muscles bulging.

Luo Xiu activated [Appraisal]. As expected, they were radiating an orange glow. These were two Second-Tier goblins.

"Leila, wait here for me. I want to try this one on my own," Luo Xiu said, his tone filled with eagerness. He had been looking forward to a hearty, unrestrained battle for a long time. Seeing the worry in Leila’s eyes, he smiled and pinched her cheek. "If I can't handle them, remember to come and save me."

Leila nodded firmly. "Be careful, Master."

Luo Xiu nodded, his expression a mix of anticipation and caution. This was his first encounter with Second-Tier goblins, and he was preparing for a truly realistic battle. And the first step of a realistic battle was—a sneak attack!

Luo Xiu bolted from behind the trees. He moved so quickly that the two guard goblins at the entrance didn't even have time to react. By the time one of them turned its head, Luo Xiu’s figure was already looming large in its terrified pupils—large enough for his fist to make contact with its skull.

One punch! The sound of shattering bone echoed, and blood splattered everywhere.

[Host kills Goblin, points +2]

"Gyaaaah!!!"

The next moment, every goblin in the settlement began to howl. They looked at this intruder with eyes filled with rage, charging toward Luo Xiu with bloodthirsty shrieks.

But Luo Xiu’s attention was fixed entirely on the two Second-Tier goblins. For some reason, he felt a strange sensation. Although these two goblins were also looking at him with rage, they seemed, in some way, even more excited. It felt almost as if they recognized him.