The clearing erupted into violent motion.
Alister faced a single Kokuryu, relying on his athletic talent and rapid mana bursts to dodge and weave away from its aggressive strikes. Across the clearing, Trevor engaged two Kokuryu simultaneously, switching his modular briefcase into gunblade mode.
Nearby, Grey’s agonizing screams echoed through the brush as his internal organs were violently devoured. Then, abruptly, the screaming stopped—the final, silent sign of his death.
Alister and Trevor ground their teeth together, a cold, killing fury locking their focus into absolute zero.
Enraged, Trevor accelerated into super speed. He carved a deep, horizontal slash straight across the belly of the first beast, then pulled the trigger on his gunblade to obliterate the second. Without stopping, he rushed toward Alister’s foe, slicing its back and cleanly cutting off its head in just a few seconds.
"That... that was fast," Alister panted.
Trevor did not answer. He was dead serious this time. He tapped his gauntlet, switching his weapon into Mode 7: Sniper Rifle.
He aimed down the high-magnification scope at the Kokuryu still feasting on Grey's remains and pulled the trigger. Fitted with a tactical silencer, the high-velocity magic missile penetrated straight through the beast's back, tore through its core, and slipped clean out through its eye socket.
In moments, all seven Kokuryu lay lifeless on the ground. But victory came at the terrible cost of a party member.
"Shit!" Trevor cursed under his breath, lowering his rifle. "I'm too slow... too slow to save him."
"We didn't expect more of them to come pouring out from the bushes like that," Alister said, his chest heaving.
"Just pick up all the drops and let's get out of here," Trevor ordered coldly.
Alister rapidly swept the ground, scooping all the harvested drops into his spatial magic bag.
As Trevor started walking back down the trail, Alister jogged to keep pace. "Where are we going?"
"We're going back to the sector stronghold, and we're going to change our path."
"I guess that's the best choice for now," Alister muttered, rubbing his arm. "We need to compose ourselves."
Trevor's briefcase was resting open, its built-in solar panels extended to absorb the daylight and recharge its internal batteries.
"We've got to learn more about these monsters before we decide our next move," Trevor said, tapping his temple. "Eelon, what are the abilities and classifications of the goblins?"
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[Tactical Readout: Goblin Region Threat Matrix]
[Rank C Threats]: Goblin Archer, Goblin Spearman, Goblin Infantry, Goblin Spell Casters
[Rank B- Threats]: Goblin Chief Wizard, Mighty Goblin
[Notice]: This region exhibits significantly higher drop variety compared to the Kokuryu Region.
[Additional Data]: The Kokuryu Fist Fighters we faced were actually misclassified B- Threats disguised as standard C-Rank wildlife.
Trevor narrowed his eyes. "That makes sense. That is why we were caught off guard."
Alister checked his pocket watch. "What time are we going to leave? It's eleven in the morning, so we still have plenty of time."
"Rubix is fully charged now," Trevor said, snapping his case shut. "Let's get going."
An hour later, Trevor and Alister were walking deep within the damp, shadowed paths of the Goblin Region when a female voice suddenly echoed through the trees.
"Heeeeeeelp!"
Trevor and Alister rushed instantly toward the sound. But when they broke through the thicket, they didn't find goblins—they found a gruesome scene of human depravity.
A female Priestess had been pinned down, her clothes torn as a rogue party of adventurers attempted to sexually violate her. Her own three-person party lay slaughtered nearby in the mud.
The four plunderers froze, turning their gazes toward Trevor and Alister:
Tomboy Archer
Two-Handed Knight Swordsman
Bald Martial Artist
Shinobi-type Assassin
Trevor’s lips curled into a dangerous smirk. "Oh, look at this, Alister. Our favorite type of adventurers."
Alister cracked his knuckles, blue electricity sparking around his wand. "Yeah... and my bloodlust is screaming for a kill."
The battle ignited instantly.
The shinobi threw a barrage of kunai and shurikens. Alister easily dodged his set, but Trevor didn't even bother moving—he casually raised his hand and caught all the flying blades out of the air.
Clank, clank. The metal bounced harmlessly off his high-density frame. Trevor didn't feel any pain at all. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
The bald martial artist stared in sheer disbelief. "This man has sturdy armour!"
Stepping forward, the martial artist delivered a vicious, full-power roundhouse kick straight into Trevor's stomach.
THWACK.
Trevor didn't flinch an inch. He caught the martial artist's ankle mid-air with an iron grip and swung his gunblade downward in a savage arc, cleanly severing both of the man's legs at the knees.
The tomboy archer notched an arrow, aiming straight for Trevor's chest. Before she could release the string, Alister whipped his wand forward and hit her with a Lightning Bolt, instantly paralyzing her twitching body.
The heavy knight charged toward Alister, but Trevor casually fired a kinetic round from his gunblade straight through the knight's leg, dropping him hard to the dirt.
Suddenly, the Priestess shrieked in terror, pointing a trembling finger. "Watch out!"
Right on cue, the shinobi darted out from the blind spot, driving a poisoned dagger straight at Trevor's side.
TINK.
The blade struck Trevor's reinforced ribs and shattered into useless fragments against his plating.
Now, the surviving plunderers realized with absolute, crushing terror that they were completely outmatched against the duo of Alister and Trevor. They were entirely no match for them.
Trevor’s cold gaze swept over the broken mercenaries. "Alister, I want these lowlifes alive."
Alister let the arcs of electricity dance across his wand, grinning grimly. "Okay... just like the previous ones."
The clearing fell into a horrific, suffocating silence.
The Shinobi froze in absolute panic, clutching his shattered hilt as cold sweat drenched his face. The Knight clutched his shattered knee on the ground, completely incapable of standing. The Bald Martial Artist wailed in agony, pooling in his own blood with both legs cut clean off at the knees. And the Tomboy Archer lay completely paralyzed on the grass, her body twitching uselessly under residual electrical shocks.
From the dirt, the bruised Priestess pulled her torn robes against her chest, staring in wide-eyed awe at her saviors. She watched the brutal, terrifying efficiency with which the two men had dismantled her attackers—not like heroes, but like unstoppable, merciless apex predators. end of chapter