The elite assassin goblins were few in number, but they caused great trouble for the rescue team.
These small, agile goblins could easily find a gap and stab someone in the back if they weren’t careful. Everyone was on high alert to avoid falling into the same trap. But soon, the situation began to turn around.
It all started when the first elite assassin goblin fell.
With a cry of pain, the elite assassin goblin battling Yang Yu collapsed, motionless.
In the rescue team, the elite assassin goblins were wreaking havoc. Seeing one of their own taken down so quickly was a shock.
This… how is this possible? Why wasn’t it him? It had only been three minutes since the battle started. Even if he were to win, it shouldn’t have been this fast.
Our elite assassin goblins are incredibly agile. An unassuming character like him shouldn’t have been able to kill one of us. It should be the other way around, with him screaming and bleeding on the ground. Why is it one of ours lying there instead?
The reality was the opposite of what the goblins expected.
How did he do it? Was he hiding his strength all along? No way. Our elite assassin goblins have sharp instincts, far superior to ordinary goblins. Even if an opponent hides their strength, we can sense it. In this team, we only sensed one strong individual.
From the goblins’ perspective, Yang Yu’s strength was below average, making him seem like an easy target.
They couldn’t accept this fact and kept trying to convince themselves otherwise.
Right, the boy must have incredible luck. He must have blindly struck out and coincidentally hit his mark.
All the elite assassin goblins arrived at this conclusion simultaneously.
Only such an explanation could satisfy them. In that moment of self-reassurance, they let their guard down.
Andeno seized the opportunity, grabbing two goblins by the neck and snapping them. The other adventurers swung their weapons, severely wounding the elite assassin goblins.
The tide turned instantly. In no time, the elite assassin goblins were down, unable to rise again.
After this battle, Andeno had a newfound respect for Yang Yu, silently reflecting, “This boy is something else. Has he been at the back of the team all this time, anticipating such an attack?”
Sekamens was equally astonished, deeply impressed.
“Who is he? Did he foresee this? Did he already sense that assassins would target us? The way he fought, countering after taking hits, showed a level of resolve few possess. If it were me, I’d be too busy defending to find an opening to counterattack. Yet he didn’t hesitate at all.”
Looking at the fallen elite assassin goblins, Yang Yu felt a mix of frustration and awe.
Are these NPCs really that reliable? How did they manage to take down every elite goblin in the blink of an eye?
Killing one elite assassin goblin gave a huge boost to his experience bar. He thought he’d level up to 20 after killing another one or two. But now, all the potential experience was gone. He had activated [Killing Intent Surge], planning to cut down enemies rapidly, but now he could only wait for the skill effect to wear off.
The chaos subsided quickly, and the rescue team regained their composure. Thanks to Yang Yu’s quick reaction, the casualties were fewer than expected, but there were still fatalities. Time did not allow for mourning or retreat; their escape routes were already cut off when they entered the forest.
Even if help was coming, who knew when it would arrive? The enemies were so swift that by the time reinforcements came, they might already be fertilizer for the forest.
Instead of dwelling on regrets, it was better to focus on defeating the boss hidden deep in the forest and finding a way out.
After Andeno’s motivational speech, the team regrouped and set off again.
The closer they got to the goblin’s main camp, the more tense everyone became, but no one backed down. Occasionally, small goblin squads would attack, but they couldn’t stop the determined team.
“Report: the area ahead is full of magical surveillance eyes. We couldn’t find a way around them.” Several mages had carefully examined the dense forest and came to this conclusion.
These magical eyes were tiny, detectable only through careful probing.
Previously, they found these eyes like a single boat on an ocean. Now it was like a school of sardines, overwhelming the mages, some of whom fainted from the sight.
The area was under tight surveillance. Any passage through would be immediately detected.
Andeno planned to push through, but Yang Yu grabbed his arm and whispered a suggestion: destroy the eyes as they advanced.
“Destroy them and announce our presence. Everyone, prepare for battle,” Andeno decided, flexing his muscles.
His spirited demeanor greatly encouraged the team. For the first time, they felt closely tied to the world’s fate. Now was no time to relax.
Yang Yu took a deep breath, feeling ready for the battle ahead.
His experience bar was just shy of level 20. If the NPCs hadn’t been so good at kill-stealing, he might already be at level 25. But there was no way to grind levels now.
He had discussed with Andeno about sparring to test his strength and quickly forfeiting, but Andeno misunderstood, thinking Yang Yu wanted to train, and told him to focus on the mission instead.
So, leveling up had to be put aside.
With the boss battle imminent, the difference between level 19 and 20 was minor. He decided to save his energy for the boss fight rather than engaging in skirmishes with regular goblins.
Partly because the adventurers were too good at stealing kills, and partly because, according to the system, if his team didn’t kill the boss, he’d get nothing.
Thus, he needed to conserve his stamina for the boss, aiming to complete the legendary quest of defeating the source.
Even if they couldn’t finish the quest, he had a backup plan: having the rescue team destroy the surveillance eyes to ensure their safety.