The Lord of Roland Town was no saint, and certainly no philanthropist.
Although he had just arrived in this world, he could tell from the snippets of conversation he'd overheard and the forced conscription that this Lord was no pushover.
The reward of 100 copper for killing a single Goblin seemed generous, but for these commoners who had never fought before and were generally malnourished from food shortages, those creatures were not so easy to deal with. A single mistake wouldn't just mean losing the money—it could cost them their lives.
But things had already come to this. He had no other choice but to follow the main group and take things one step at a time.
This batch of conscripts numbered around two hundred people, divided into more than forty small teams. Under the watchful eyes of the Guards, they left the town and headed for the nearby Loran Forest—the source of the Goblins and other Demons that had recently been plaguing the town.
It was noon, and the weather was perfect. A gentle, warm breeze brushed against their faces as the brilliant sun shone down, bathing everyone in its light.
Lin Mo looked into the distance and could faintly make out the edge of the forest.
Roland Town was closer to the Loran Forest than he had imagined.
As they walked, the procession naturally began to break up, with each squad proceeding on its own as previously assigned.
Lin Mo observed his teammates once more. There were two middle-aged men who were fairly well-built, suggesting their families were better off than most commoners.
A tall, skinny young man, his face sallow and gaunt, who looked like he hadn't had an easy life.
Finally, there was a boy of only fifteen or sixteen who hadn't said a word the entire time. He simply clutched his sword and followed behind them. The two older men would occasionally glance back at him, afraid he might run off when they weren't looking.
Even though anyone who fled would surely be hunted down and dealt with later, being short one person right now would have a direct impact on their mission.
"Come on, everyone, don't be so quiet."
The skinny young man was the first to break the silence. "When I was an errand boy at the tavern, I heard the Adventurers say those little green-skins are only about half a man's height. They're not as scary as those gossiping old hens make them out to be. All it takes is one good swing..."
He swung the weapon in his hand, its old blade cutting through the air with a dull WHOOSH.
"And you can chop off their heads!"
A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes, as if he could already see himself returning with a sack full of Goblin ears, collecting countless Copper Coins, and feasting at the Demon Hunter's tavern.
As he spoke, his stomach let out a spasming RUMBLE.
The two older men exchanged a look and nodded in unspoken agreement. "The young lad has a point. As long as we work together, these Goblins might not be as tough as we think."
The other middle-aged man pulled a piece of black bread from his clothes, broke off a small half, and handed it to the young man. "My name's Larry, and this is my neighbor, Leo. It's fate that we ended up in the same squad. Here, eat something first."
The young man took the bread and stuffed it into his mouth. The hard, dry loaf puffed out his cheeks, slowly softening with saliva until it coated the inside of his mouth.
Larry then divided the rest of the bread between Lin Mo and the still-silent boy.
After struggling to swallow the bread, the young man, whose name was Barnes, grew even more excited. "Thanks, Uncle Larry! We'll give you the ears from the first Goblin we kill."
Lin Mo wasn't hungry yet, so he stuffed the bread into his pocket and warily eyed the two older men out of the corner of his vision.
They seemed to be the very picture of kindly, neighborly uncles, with faint smiles on their faces, but their eyes were deep, filled with the world-weariness of an adult.
After that, everyone introduced themselves.
"Rhein."
Lin Mo looked at the boy who had suddenly spoken. It was the first thing he had said. His voice still held a boyish immaturity, and his words were stiff, as if he wasn't used to talking to people.
As they spoke, the group continued to press forward. The two older men kept a constant watch on their surroundings, and Lin Mo quickly averted his gaze from the boy, cautiously surveying the forest before them.
They had been in the Nolan Forest for about ten minutes. The grass grew taller and taller, some of it already reaching past their calves. Flying insects would flit past their faces from time to time, making them jump.
"Whew~"
Barnes swatted a beetle on a tree with the back of his blade, killing it. He let out a breath and said, "Another bug. Damn it, that scared me."
RUSTLE—
Just as he was complaining, a rustling sound suddenly came from the tall grass ahead.
In an instant, every member of the squad straightened up, their eyes fixed on that patch of grass.
"RUSTLE—"
The sound came again. Everyone gripped their weapons, not daring to even breathe.
Finally, a white figure shot out from the grass and vanished in a flash.
"Oh, it was just a rabbit..."
Barnes lowered his blade. "If I'd known, we should've surrounded it. We could've caught it and roasted it!"
Seemingly imagining the taste, he smacked his lips and licked them. "I haven't had a proper meal of meat in at least two months. The last time was when a rich customer gave me his leftover roast meat. The taste was just... divine—"
His voice stopped abruptly. A sharp, angular stone flew in from the side and struck him squarely on the head, instantly caving in his temple. A spray of blood burst forth, splattering onto Lin Mo's clothes.
"Look out!"
As Barnes collapsed, Larry cried out in alarm, sword in hand, and looked in the direction the stone had come from.
Amidst the grass, they could vaguely see several short figures crouching, their lips pulled back in grotesque, sickening smiles.
These green creatures blended almost perfectly with the grass. If you weren't looking carefully, you wouldn't have noticed them at all.
Another stone flew at them, but this time they were prepared and easily dodged it.
Lin Mo, holding his sword, took a few very natural steps back to help his teammates guard against any potential dangers from behind.
After a few more thrown stones missed their mark, the frustrated Goblins finally shrieked and charged out from the grass, weapons in hand.
As a transmigrator, Lin Mo was quite familiar with Goblins from their many appearances in fantasy works. But when the creatures that were so weak in games and comics appeared right before his eyes, he realized just how terrifying they truly were.
Sharp fangs, hideous features, ferocious faces contorted in smiles, and cruel, excited eyes that looked upon them like prey.
"Don't be afraid! There's only five of them, we can take them!"
Larry roared, as if to bolster his own courage.
He waved his sword, taking a half-hearted step forward.
The image of Barnes getting his head smashed in was still fresh in his mind. He had no desire to be the next victim.
The next second, the one who charged out was the silent boy who rarely spoke.
He swung his sword, charging head-on at the foremost Goblin.
Goblins were known to be cunning but cowardly creatures. Seemingly intimidated by his charge, that Goblin jumped in fright and frantically swung its nail-studded club, which Rhein easily dodged.
"CRACK—!"
The rusty blade came down but was blocked by the Goblin's arm. With a roar, Rhein pushed down harder, pinning the Goblin to the ground and slowly forcing the blade closer and closer to its throat.
The two older men's eyes were filled with shock. Then, they too mustered their courage and moved forward to block the other Goblins, preventing Rhein from being ambushed.
Lin Mo followed them as well, but he stayed hidden behind the two, using Larry's sturdy frame to conceal his own body.
The two of them seemed to have naturally forgotten his existence, unhesitatingly shielding him with their bodies.
The few Goblins also seemed to not see him at all, their attention focused completely on the other three people.
Skill [Slacking Off] activated!
Lin Mo carefully observed the battle ahead. The moment Larry, who was struggling to block two Goblins' attacks, managed to kick one of them to the ground, Lin Mo struck from the side, piercing the fallen Goblin's throat with his sword.
[Skill Level +1]
A line of small, translucent text flashed at the edge of his vision, followed by a series of messages that made his eyes light up.
"Skill [Slacking Off] Level 4 (100/100) has leveled up!"
"Current Skill [Slacking Off] Level 5 (Max)"
"Gained attribute points: Agility +2!"
"Has automatically evolved into a New Skill—Stealth!"