The Lord of Roland Town was not a good person, let alone a philanthropist.
Although he had just arrived in this world, just from the snippets of conversation among the people around him and the compulsory conscription methods, it was obvious that this Lord was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
The reward of 100 copper for killing a Goblin seemed generous. However, for these commoners who had never experienced combat and were generally malnourished due to a lack of food, those creatures were not so easy to deal with. One misstep, and not only would they fail to get the money, but they would also pay with their lives.
Since things had come to this, he had no other choice. He could only follow the main group for now and take it one step at a time.
This batch of conscripts totaled around two hundred people, divided into over forty squads. Under the watchful eyes of the Guards, they left the town and marched toward the nearby Loran Forest. That place was the source of the Goblins and other Demons that had recently been invading the town.
It was noon, and the weather was just right. A warm, gentle breeze brushed against their faces, and the somewhat dazzling sunlight poured down, bathing everyone in its glow.
Lin Mo gazed into the distance, faintly making out the edge of the forest. The distance between Roland Town and Loran Forest was closer than he had imagined.
As they walked, the large group naturally and gradually dispersed, acting independently according to their previously assigned squads.
Lin Mo once again observed his teammates. There were two relatively sturdy older men whose family conditions seemed decent among the commoners. A tall, thin young man with a sallow, emaciated face looked like he was having a hard time getting by. Finally, there was a boy of only fifteen or sixteen. He hadn't said a single word since the beginning, merely holding his Sword and following behind them. The two older men would glance back at him from time to time, afraid that he would run away when they weren't paying attention.
Although anyone who fled would definitely be caught and dealt with later, being short one person right now would have a real impact on their subsequent actions.
"Don't be so quiet, everyone," the skinny young man said, the first to break the silence. "When I was running errands at the tavern, I heard those Adventurers say that those Green-skinned runts are only half as tall as a man. They aren't as terrifying as those gossiping wenches make them out to be. With just one slash..." He brandished the weapon in his hand. The old blade sliced through the air with a dull whoosh. "...we can chop off their heads!"
A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes. He seemed to already envision himself returning with a cloth sack full of Goblin ears, receiving countless Copper Coins, and treating himself to a massive feast at the Demon Hunter tavern. As he spoke, his stomach let out a spasming GRUMBLE.
The two older men exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit understanding. "This lad is right. As long as we work together, those Goblins might not be as difficult to deal with as we thought."
One of the older men pulled a piece of black bread from his clothes, broke off a small half, and handed it to the young man. "My name is Larry, and this is my neighbor, Leo. It's fate that we were assigned to the same squad. Here, have something to eat first."
The young man took the bread and stuffed it into his mouth. The dry, hard bread bulged in his cheeks, slowly softening under his saliva and pasting the inside of his mouth. Larry then divided the remaining bread between Lin Mo and the still-silent boy.
Having struggled to swallow the bread, the young man named Barnes grew even more excited. "Thanks, Mr. Larry. I'll give you the ear of the first Goblin we kill later."
Lin Mo wasn't hungry for the time being, so he stuffed the bread into his pocket and carefully cast a sidelong glance at the two older men. They completely looked the part of gentle, next-door neighbors, with faint smiles on their lips and deep gazes laden with the worldly air of adults.
Next, everyone stated their names one by one.
"Rhein."
Lin Mo looked at the boy who had suddenly spoken. It was his first word. His voice still carried a bit of childishness, and his enunciation was somewhat stiff, as if he didn't really like interacting with people.
As they spoke, they continued to move forward. The two older men constantly kept an eye on their surroundings. Lin Mo quickly withdrew his gaze from the boy and carefully surveyed the forest ahead.
They had been in Nolan Forest for about ten minutes. The grass in front of them grew taller and taller, some of it already reaching past their calves. From time to time, flying insects would dart past their eyes, startling them.
"Phew..." Barnes swatted a beetle that had flown onto a tree with the back of his blade, squashing it dead. He let out a sigh of relief and said, "Bugs again. Damn it, scared me."
RUSTLE—
Just as he was complaining, a rustling sound suddenly came from the tall grass ahead. In an instant, the squad members straightened their backs, staring fixedly at that patch of grass.
RUSTLE—
The sound rang out again. Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, not even daring to breathe. Finally, a white silhouette darted out of the grass and vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.
"So it was just a rabbit..." Barnes lowered the blade in his hand. "If I had known, we should have surrounded it, caught it, and roasted it!"
As if imagining the taste, he smacked his lips and licked them. "It's been at least two months since I last had any proper meat. The last time was when a rich customer gave me his leftover roast meat. That taste, it was simply—"
His voice abruptly stopped. A stone with sharp edges accurately struck the side of his head, instantly caving in his temple. The spraying blood splattered, staining Lin Mo's clothes.
"Watch out!" Just as Barnes collapsed, Larry cried out in alarm, raising his blade and looking in the direction the stone had flown from.
Amidst the tall grass, they could faintly make out a few short figures crouching there, their mouths stretched into bizarre and disgusting smiles. These bright Green creatures blended almost perfectly with the grass. Without looking closely, it was completely impossible to spot them.
Another stone came flying over, but the group was already prepared and easily dodged it. Lin Mo held his Sword and very naturally took a few steps back, helping his teammates guard against any potential danger from behind.
After continuing to throw a few more stones to no avail, the exasperated Goblins finally shrieked and charged out of the grass with their weapons.
As a transmigrator, Lin Mo was quite familiar with Goblins, which frequently appeared in many fantasy works. However, it wasn't until those creatures—so weak in games and manga—actually appeared before his eyes that he realized just how terrifying they looked in reality. They had sharp fangs, hideous features, sinister faces and smiles, along with eyes filled with the excited and cruel gleam of a predator spotting its prey.
"Don't be afraid! It's only five of them, we can handle this!" Larry roared, as if to bolster his own courage. He swung the blade in his hand, taking a half-step forward without much genuine commitment.
The sight of Barnes getting his head smashed in was still vivid in his mind. He definitely didn't want to become the next victim. The one who charged out in response the next moment was the quiet, unspeaking boy. He swung his Sword, slashing head-on at the Goblin leading the charge.
As previously mentioned, Goblins were cunning yet cowardly creatures. Seemingly intimidated by his momentum, the Goblin jumped in fright. It frantically swung the wooden club studded with a few nails in its hand, which Rhein easily dodged.
CLASH—!
The rusted blade chopped down, blocked by the Goblin's arm. Rhein let out a furious roar and continued to exert force, pinning the Goblin firmly to the ground and inching the blade closer and closer to its throat.
Shock was written all over the two older men's eyes. Soon after, they mustered their courage and stepped forward, intercepting the Goblins behind to prevent Rhein from being attacked by the stragglers.
Lin Mo also followed their footsteps, though he still hid behind the two of them, using Larry's burly physique to conceal his own figure. It was as if the two men had naturally forgotten his existence, unhesitatingly blocking in front of him. Those Goblins also seemed entirely oblivious to him, their attention completely focused on the other three.
Skill [Slacking Off] activated!
Lin Mo carefully observed the battle ahead. The moment Larry struggled to block the attacks of two Goblins and kicked one of them to the ground, Lin Mo darted out from the side and pierced the Goblin's throat with a single thrust of his Sword.
[Skill Level +1]
A line of translucent, small text flashed at the edge of his vision, closely followed by a series of messages that made his eyes light up.
"Skill [Slacking Off] Level 4 (100/100) leveled up!"
"Current Skill [Slacking Off] Level 5 (Max)"
"Obtained attribute points: Agility +2!"
"Automatically triggered Evolution into a New Skill—Stealth!"