THUD—!
A black-hued goblin appeared, stamping its foot.
It stood well over two meters tall.
Its huge body looked heavy, and it had fierce red eyes and sharp teeth.
It glared at Astan with a savage face.
-GRRR…….
The greatsword in its right hand looked more than twice as large as the one Gunt had used.
And that red energy around the blade…… was that fighting aura?
It was certainly in a different league from an ordinary goblin.
'So this…… is what it feels like when your flesh trembles.'
He was not afraid.
Why would an Intermediate-grade demon and Swordmaster fear a three-star magic beast?
He was simply tense because he had met an opponent stronger than any magic beast he had fought so far.
Astan grinned and swung his sword once.
WHOOSH—!
Goblin blood clinging to the blade scattered across the ground.
“Come!”
At Astan's shout, the goblin general ground its teeth and let out a lion's roar.
-ROOOOAR!
That voice alone could rival a five-star magic beast.
As the goblin general charged fiercely toward him, Astan took his stance and swung his sword with all his strength.
SWISH!
At last, the goblin general's greatsword, rippling with fighting aura, collided with Astan's sword, which was wrapped in the Aura Blade of a Swordmaster.
CRASH—!
The clash of the two sword auras shook the air and raised a fierce gale.
Then the goblin general's body lifted off the ground and flew dozens of meters away.
Was that really a three-star magic beast?
The fighting aura it had used surpassed that of a high-level Expert…… it came close to the energy of a top-level Expert.
-GUH……!
The goblin general lay sprawled on the ground, coughing blood.
Astan quickly ran to it and swung his sword.
SLASH—!
Unable to react in time, the goblin general left its neck open to Astan's blade.
-GR…… GHEK…… GRH…….
Clutching its neck as blood poured out, it twitched.
But it did not twitch for long.
In less than ten seconds, it stopped moving.
The goblins stared blankly at Astan, seemingly stunned by their leader's death.
“Is this…… really a three-star magic beast? What's with all that experience……?”
Astan looked at his Status and let out a snort of laughter.
“Well, I can distribute the AP gradually later…….”
He grinned.
At the fierce look in Astan's eyes, the goblins flinched and backed away.
Even their leader, whom they had feared, could not defeat that human.
How were they supposed to kill that monster?
-SK…… SKREEE!
As the goblins tried to flee, their faces drained of color, Astan quickly kicked off the ground and leapt up.
“Where do you think you're going?!”
BOOM—!
A deep crater opened in the ground.
Eleven goblins died in that single blow.
Astan's eyes flashed as he hunted the goblins with wild laughter.
“Ahahahaha!”
SPLASH—!
“Die!”
SLASH—!
It was, quite literally, a festival of blood.
In less than thirty minutes, Astan had wiped out an entire goblin settlement.
And this was a B-grade request?
“Fucking easy.”
Astan chuckled, looking down at the five goblins sitting on the ground with their heads bowed.
“Do not worry. I will not kill you. But in return…… you will behave, yes?”
Astan beat all five goblins unconscious with his fists.
Then he sank his fangs into their necks and injected his blood.
-GRRK…….
Even for a Swordmaster, moving so much loot alone would take time.
“Now, get up!”
THWACK—!
-KEK……!
The five goblins who had been knocked out trembled and struggled to their feet.
Fear flickered in their eyes.
Astan ordered them to collect the byproducts and loot.
“Pile everything over here.”
-K…… KEK……!
They hurried toward the corpses of their own kind.
While they worked, Astan entered the settlement and looked around.
Inside the crude huts, strange eating utensils lay scattered across the floor.
“Is this…… the goblin general's hut?”
The structure was five times larger than the other huts.
When Astan went inside, a smile spread across his face.
“Bingo!”
Goblins were magic beasts that robbed and hunted many races.
They usually did it for food, but…….
Jingle-
Sometimes they plundered gold, silver, and jewels, too.
The reason was simple.
They were shiny and beautiful.
From a small chest in the corner of the hut, Astan took out accessories decorated with gold and gems.
“Ha! What a fine reward. Oh, right!”
How many levels had he gained?
*Name: Astan
*Race: Vampire
*Grade: Intermediate
*Title: -
*Nation of Origin: Rabadian Empire
*LV: 43
*Strength: 60
*Agility: 120
*Stamina: 200
*Magic Power: 450
*AP: 100
*Skills: Magic(+), Basic Swordsmanship, Crode-Style Swordsmanship, Sword Aura(+), Thrall Conversion(+)
*Help Available
“Wow!”
Had he gained ten levels in one go?
Astan marveled at his enormous growth.
I really should hunt three-star magic beasts.
No, should I take this chance to hunt four-star ones, too?
He grinned.
“At this rate, I can become a high-grade demon within 1~2 years.”
The collection work went on for hours.
The goblins carried the byproducts and spoils to the freight wagon.
Astan scratched his head at the sight of the fully loaded wagon.
“This…… might be too much for one horse to haul.”
He was not even sure the wagon would hold up.
In the end, the goblins had to move the wagon themselves.
It made slow, laborious progress.
They moved so slowly that they had to camp along the way.
When Cielo Village was less than a kilometer away, Astan sighed softly and looked at the goblins.
“You have worked hard. I'll have to push it from here, so…….”
SLASH—!
“Die.”
Astan cut the goblins down without hesitation.
Then he collected magic stones, hides, and other byproducts from them.
“Now, let's go!”
He pushed the wagon from behind, helping the horse carry the load of byproducts.
The residents of Cielo Village tilted their heads at the sight of the piled-high wagon.
What could be loaded on it in such quantities?
Those who approached soon frowned.
“Ugh…… those are magic beast hides.”
“There are magic stones, too.”
“Are those…… bones?”
“Is he pushing from behind because one horse cannot pull it?”
“How much strength could a child that young have……?”
Ignoring their stares, Astan pushed the wagon to the Mercenary Guild.
Then he opened the door and called Rina.
“I have finished the request! Please inspect the byproducts!”
“Eek……!”
Startled by Astan's booming voice, Rina fell from her seat behind the counter onto the floor.
“Wh…… what……?”
She got up and walked straight to the front door.
If he had finished a request, he should come inside.
Why was he asking her to inspect something……?
“…….”
The moment Rina stepped outside, her whole body froze.
“I wiped out the goblin settlement in Ruel Forest for the B-grade request. These are the byproducts…… please inspect them. And this is the magic stone and hide of the three-star goblin general.”
Astan held up a magic stone the size of his palm and a black hide.
Rina flinched and stepped back.
Goblins had green hides.
Only the goblin general and goblin shaman, classified as three-star beasts, had black ones.
And look at the size of that magic stone!
It was nothing like a two-star magic stone.
'Nearly the size of a four-star stone……!'
Had he really wiped out a goblin settlement?
Alone?!
That was impossible……!
Click!
Had Gunt heard Rina scream a moment ago?
Or perhaps it was the commotion outside.
Whatever the reason, he came rushing out of the building at the sudden disturbance.
“What is going on?”
Gunt stopped short when he saw the wagon.
“I came to report that I have completed the request.”
Gunt frowned at Astan, who stood before the wagon.
“This is…….”
“These are the byproducts I brought back after wiping out the goblin settlement in Ruel Forest for the B-grade request.”
“……You wiped out the goblin settlement? Alone?”
“Yes.”
Astan nodded confidently, and Gunt looked incredulous.
A B-rank mercenary, a high-level Expert swordsman, a second-circle mage…… yes, Gunt recognized Astan's talent.
The boy was a genius among geniuses without precedent.
But he was also twelve years old and lacked combat experience.
A settlement formed around a three-star goblin general and more than a hundred goblins.
A twelve-year-old B-rank mercenary had wiped it out?
'Even an A-rank mercenary would struggle to destroy a goblin settlement alone.'
Gunt frowned and glared at Astan.
Had he really done it by himself?
Gunt had to consider the possibility that someone had helped him.
“Even an A-rank mercenary would struggle to wipe out a goblin settlement. Are you saying…… that you did it yourself?”
“Why would that be impossible? And besides…….”
Astan looked at Rina.
“I would like to ask whether I had time to hire other mercenaries.”
“Well…….”
“The day before yesterday, I completed three E-grade requests, two D-grade requests, and three C-grade requests. The innkeeper can confirm that I rested at the inn after collecting my payment.”
In other words, he had taken only one day to wipe out the goblin settlement and return.
“On the way to Ruel Forest, I encountered goblins, Giant Rats, and other magic beasts several times. Then, with only a rough map, I found the settlement in the forest and fought them. Afterward, I rested, loaded the byproducts onto this small wagon, and returned. That alone took a full day.”
“…….”
There certainly had not been enough time to hire anyone.
And were there even mercenaries in Cielo Village capable of defeating a goblin general?
Even in a small city, a person who could kill a three-star magic beast alone would be considered an elite mercenary.
'C~B-rank parties have wiped out goblin settlements before, but…….'
A single B-rank mercenary never had.
“Whew…… First, report this to the lord.”
Rina swallowed at Gunt's order and nodded.
Then Gunt turned to Astan.
“I will send an investigator soon…… Once the inspection is complete, I will pay your reward.”
“Understood.”
“We will also buy all the byproducts.”
Astan nodded and moved the wagon into the yard behind the guild.
The horse was panting, and Astan drew water from the well for it with an awkward expression.
While it drank, he took hay from a corner of the wagon.
“You worked hard, too. First…… I should unload, shouldn't I?”
“Please unload the hides over here.”
Following Rina's directions, Astan unloaded the byproducts from the wagon.
Magic stones, hides, and other parts were laid out on the ground.
He intended to sell the jewels in the cloth pouch elsewhere later, so he left them in a corner of the wagon and covered them with daily necessities.