Should be fine.
Haus checked his chest.
That arrow had accurately struck his heart’s location, but fortunately, the “slime armor” provided protection.
The arrow had only barely lodged in the surface layer, failing even to penetrate the second-hand hardened leather armor he had bought at half price.
“I’m fine.” After giving a brief reply, Haus quickly retreated back to Russell and Jack’s side while remaining alert to his surroundings.
At this moment, Jack was gripping the arrow in his chest, gritting his teeth as he forcefully pulled it out.
The spellcaster, Russell, who had been holding her staff and keeping watch over the surroundings, saw Haus retreating and immediately pulled out a roll of bandages from beneath her robe, tossing it to him.
“Help!” Her voice was short and clear, carrying a hint of command.
Although Russell’s tone wasn’t particularly friendly, Haus didn’t mind.
After all, now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things.
He caught the bandages and crouched down, starting to help Jack remove the arrow from his chest.
“Ugh!” An intense pain shot through him, and Jack couldn’t suppress a muffled groan.
To pull the arrow out quickly and safely, Haus had to press down near the wound for leverage, carefully extracting the arrow as if pulling out a nail.
Afterward, he immediately began bandaging Jack’s wound, applying the medical knowledge he had learned from the “Adventurer’s General Guide.” Fortunately, the arrows used by the goblins were crudely made, with arrowheads made of sharpened bone, lacking barbs, and the penetration wasn’t deep; only about three centimeters of the arrowhead had pierced the flesh.
Thus, the wound wasn’t subjected to secondary tearing during the arrow’s removal.
While pulling out the arrow, Haus glanced at the armor Jack was wearing.
It was the same model as Haus’s, an ordinary hardened leather armor with a new price of forty silver coins.
Seeing this armor, Haus felt a chill in his heart.
Damn, is it really that fragile?
Haus had initially thought that the secondhand leather armor he wore, worth twenty silver coins, would be enough to block arrows.
He never expected it to be so fragile.
Fortunately, he was also wearing a set of “slime armor” below the leather armor.
While Haus was helping Jack treat his wound, Captain Garp, following the original plan, had already made his way to Zem, who was blocking the entrance.
“Captain, something’s off.” “I know.” Garp looked toward the goblin in the bushes that Haus had beheaded with a single sword strike.
Normally, an ordinary goblin nest would only have two Goblin Archers.
Typically, only one goblin archer would be on guard outside the cave, while the other rested inside, with the two taking turns on duty.
This was also why Garp and his team had been careless earlier.
But now, why were both of them on guard outside at the same time?
Garp didn’t know the reason.
But now, as the captain, he needed to make a choice.
Should they retreat now, or continue according to the plan and clear out the goblins?
According to the original plan, after the team eliminated the goblin on guard, Jack would be responsible for keeping watch in the surrounding area, Zem would guard the entrance, and Russell would cast a [Fireball] into the cave to create a commotion and lure the goblins deep inside out of the cave.
At that point, Captain Garp and the newcomer Haus would guard the sides of the entrance, and Zem would intermittently open a small gap, letting out only one or two goblins at a time.
Then, Garp and Haus would take the opportunity to eliminate them one by one.
In the plan, aside from their initial actions, Russell and Jack only needed to keep watch around them afterward, guard against sudden dangers, and be ready to provide backup support.
So, even though Jack was now injured and had limited mobility, it wouldn’t have much impact on the original plan.
He could still be responsible for keeping watch, and if his injury wasn’t too severe, he might even be able to draw his bow and provide support.
Garp looked back at Jack.
By now, Jack had already bandaged his wound with Haus’s help, stood back up, and was holding his bow and arrow, keeping watch around him.
He didn’t seem seriously injured.
“Jack, how are you doing?” Garp called out softly.
Hearing this, Jack shook his head and smiled at Garp: “Don’t worry, Captain.
I’ll outlive you!” Hearing that Jack still had the mood to joke around, Garp felt relieved.
Although Jack was always joking, he never lied about matters like this.
He really was fine.
“Good!” Garp replied, then glanced at Haus before suddenly giving an order that surprised Haus.
“Retreat!” In the end, Garp chose to retreat.
After all, for Garp, this was his last adventure.
If he could avoid trouble, it was best to do so.
His beautiful wife and lovely children were waiting for him at home.
And this was also one of the reasons why Garp had agreed to let Haus join temporarily.
Not only did Haus seem honest and reliable, but after Garp left, the team would need a new member to fill his position.
The other members of the team were still relatively young and would continue their adventuring lives.
They needed a newcomer to replace him, the “warrior.” This was the first thought that had come to Garp when he decided to end his adventuring career.
…
At the command, Garp was the first to turn back and return to Haus and the others.
Zem was still blocking the entrance.
“There will be chances in the future.
Unexpected events are part of adventure.” Walking up to Haus, Garp raised his hand and patted Haus’s shoulder, offering comfort.
Haus himself didn’t understand, but Russell, standing nearby, grasped the hidden meaning in Garp’s words.
Her gaze gradually dimmed.
The captain would never be able to adventure with them again.
Listening to Captain Garp’s consolation, Haus glanced at Jack’s heavily bandaged chest.
Though filled with regret, he could only nod in agreement.
He understood.
Above all, caution must come first.
Seeing that Haus could comprehend, Garp revealed a satisfied smile.
Good.
This kid Haus has the potential to become a qualified adventurer.
“Zem!” Zem, who was covering the rear, put away his shield and slung it on his back upon receiving the signal, then turned and quickly ran toward Garp and the others.
Although Zem had a burly build and carried considerable weight, he ran surprisingly lightly, making not a single sound.
Seeing that Zem, who was responsible for the rear guard, had also left, Haus no longer looked toward the cave entrance.
There was nothing left to linger over there.
His teammates beside him, Russell and Jack, felt the same.
And precisely because of this, as they turned away, they did not see that deep within the dark entrance of the goblin nest, a pair of eyes filled with malevolence suddenly lit up.
But Garp, who had been keeping watch and glancing back at the entrance, noticed those eyes.
Upon meeting that gaze, Garp’s pupils contracted, and he instantly realized something.
“Russell!”