Chapter 106: Tactical Specialization: Goblin Frenzy
Two dull thuds in quick succession instantly threw the entire Goblin Camp, which had been conducting routine patrols, into a complete uproar.
Shrill screams rose and fell as all the green-skinned monsters grabbed their weapons and scurried about like a stirred-up hornet’s nest.
Amidst the chaos, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the wide cave in the deepest part of the camp.
An abnormally large, dark figure emerged, its steps heavy.
It was a variant, completely different from an Ordinary Goblin.
Not only was its back held ramrod straight, but its height also surpassed that of a normal adult human.
Its dark, reddish-green skin was wrapped around exceptionally developed muscle groups. Two thick canines protruded from its lower jaw, exuding a ferocious aura.
The creature was even wearing a set of cobbled-together Armor. On its chest was a piece of broken steel plate, clearly stripped from a human Knight, while its lower body was haphazardly wrapped in the thick hide of a Magical Beast.
It dragged a heavy Warhammer stained with dark red blood, carving a deep furrow in the ground with every step.
A Big Goblin.
In the brief ten-odd seconds it took for the leader to emerge from the cave, the Short Bow in Lance’s hands never stopped.
The bowstring vibrated wildly.
Every time the string hummed, two Goblins attempting to approach the camp’s edge would scream and fall into pools of their own blood.
In an extremely short time, four Goblins had already been killed with precision shots.
As the Big Goblin let out a roar, Lance could clearly feel the morale of the surrounding Goblins, who had started to shrink back from his arrows, surge once more.
[Tactical Specialization: Goblin Frenzy]
This was a unique Specialty that only Goblins who commanded a tribe could awaken.
The Aura’s Effect allowed all the Ordinary Goblins under its command to completely ignore Fear.
As long as this leader had not fallen, the horde of monsters would never flee and scatter due to heavy casualties.
Because of this Trait, the Adventurer’s Guild’s tactical guide stated that when facing an organized Goblin tribe, a direct decapitation strike would often yield exceptionally significant results.
Kill the leader, and the remaining minions would rout without a fight.
But the current situation was clearly a bit tricky.
The Goblins here were completely different from the ones in the previous camps, which were filled with the old, weak, sick, and disabled.
Not only were they wearing piecemeal Armor, but they were also carrying Shields made from wooden planks and sharp spears.
Trying to force his way through the protection of over thirty armed Goblins to kill the behemoth at the very back was far too difficult.
Lance felt no panic whatsoever.
Facing a mob of Goblins charging at him, screaming while holding their Shields, Lance pushed off with his legs, moving at high speed around the outskirts of the camp like an agile cheetah as he searched for a suitable angle to shoot.
Supported by an Agility Attribute of nearly fourteen, even with the severe agility penalty from shooting on the move, the short-legged Goblins couldn’t even touch the hem of his clothes.
The Big Goblin watched the constantly moving human and let out a disdainful sneer.
It knew that a human’s stamina limit was nothing compared to that of Demons like them.
Any intelligent Demon leader, when facing a powerful individual enemy, would use its most common tactic: sending out cannon fodder to frantically wear down the opponent’s stamina and Magic Power.
Only when the prey was exhausted would they personally step onto the field to reap their prize.
Unfortunately, it had made one fatal miscalculation.
Stamina was precisely the one thing Lance did not lack at the moment.
The Goblins’ attack clearly showed signs of tactical coordination.
A few of the slightly stockier Goblins were even carrying battered Wooden Shields, attempting to flank him and cut off his escape route.
But they couldn’t keep up with Lance’s speed at all.
He turned and drew his bow while running.
The air above the camp was filled with the chilling whistle of arrows.
The Goblins holding Wooden Shields had no time to adjust their positions before Lance found an angle and shot them down one after another on their charge.
The slaughter continued.
Green blood stained large patches of earth.
One by one, the Goblins wailed and fell before Lance.
When he confirmed that only a dozen or so Goblins were left standing and fighting in the camp, the Big Goblin, which had been overseeing the battle from the rear, finally sensed that something was wrong.
’Why is this human completely different from the Adventurers I know?’
The prey had been running and jumping at high intensity in the forest and had fired dozens of arrows. Logically, he should have been panting for breath long ago, unable to even draw his bow.
’So why does he look like he’s not tired at all?’
Watching its dwindling number of tribesmen, the Big Goblin could no longer stand by.
It let out a furious roar, gripped the heavy Warhammer tightly with both hands, and launched into a savage charge toward Lance on its thick legs.
Lance could even feel the fine sand around him tremble and rise slightly as its heavy footsteps pounded the earth.
He quickly turned his bow and fired two arrows at the charging behemoth.
CLINK! CLINK!
The Feathered Arrows struck the Big Goblin’s chest with precision.
However, weakened by the Chest Armor, the arrowheads only managed to pierce the surface of its flesh.
For the Big Goblin, a piercing wound of this degree was like being tickled; it did nothing to stop its charge.
’What a terrifying Constitution Attribute.’ Lance quickly made an assessment in his mind. ’Its Constitution must be at an absurd level, around seventeen points. That’s a full nine points higher than my current state. Conventional ranged physical attacks are completely meaningless against this kind of tanky monster.’
"Cecilia!"
Lance decisively gave up on his pointless shooting and shouted behind him.
He had waited until now to have Cecilia act because if the Big Goblin knew another Adventurer was present, it wouldn’t have allowed Lance to whittle down its Goblin minions. It would have attacked sooner. Then, if Lance had to focus on the Big Goblin while too many other Goblins remained, it would have been a huge burden for both him and Cecilia.
The next second, a faint glow of surging Magic Power lit up in the bushes.
A One Ring Spell: Magic Missile.
An Energy Arrow, shimmering with dazzling blue light, shot through the air, leaving a long trail behind it.
It nimbly curved around a thick oak tree in mid-air as if it had eyes of its own, slamming straight into the chest of the charging, defenseless Big Goblin.
BOOM!
A massive impact of Magic Power erupted in an instant.
The Big Goblin cried out in pain as its crude Chest Armor shattered into several pieces on the spot.
Its enormous body was forcefully brought to a halt by the powerful kinetic energy, even stumbling back several steps uncontrollably, stamping deep footprints into the ground.
But Lance saw the truth in a single glance.
Although the attack looked impressive and had destroyed its Armor, apart from a new wound on its chest, the Big Goblin’s combat effectiveness hadn’t suffered a substantial, devastating blow.
It still gripped its Warhammer tightly, the ferocious gleam in its eyes now fully ignited by the pain.
’It’s no use. Its Constitution Attribute is just too high. A Spell like Magic Missile, which leaned toward basic single-target damage, clearly didn’t have a high enough damage conversion rate against an Elite Monster with such high health and defense, especially before Cecilia had chosen her class.’
"Cecilia, clear out the remaining Goblins! I’ll deal with this big guy."
Lance quickly changed his tactical plan.
He knew very well that Cecilia’s current Ethereal Magic Pool had a maximum capacity of about 120 units.
Casting a single complete One Ring Magic Missile consumed 8.5 units of Magic Power.
It was not at all cost-effective to waste all her precious Magic Power on this high-health tank.
Using her remaining Magic Power to clean up the grunts was the most rational choice.