"Still, their blood seriously smells like shit," Xiao commented while he was checking his current equipment and tools.

Around Xiao lies the corpses of Goblins. The body count was so significant that it could form a small mountain if all of it got clumped together.

Xiao also found out that the weapon and armor used by the Goblins were mainly from soldiers of the Julian Empire.

This indicates that the Goblin Horde was responsible for the death of many unwanted individuals who got sent to a suicide mission.

"One Goblin Bane Grenade left, better use it against the horde leader. Alright, let's continue the hunt."

After checking, Xiao steps over the Goblins' corpses and walks towards the narrow paths the Goblins were guarding.

Xiao stopped at the cross paths, thinking on which way he should take to lead him to the horde leader.

"I give up, no use thinking about things that I don't know."

Giving up on finding the correct path, Xiao starts sprinting into the first path. He activated his Gamer Eyes and ready his Hundred Form Switch Knife-Chameleons, to intercept anything that will throw at him.

Immediately after just a few seconds of running, his Gamer Eyes warn him about the incoming attack. There were two fireballs flying towards him.

By calculating the timing, Xiao managed to dodge the fireballs as he slid underneath it and resumed dashing without stopping his momentum.

Xiao's plan was to find the horde leader as soon as possible and kill it. That way, he can crimple the morale of any leftover Goblins, making the fight much more effortless. He was also rushing to reduce the chance of getting ambushed from the back or from the top.

Within 5 seconds after Xiao dodges the fireballs, he finally spotted the horde leader, along with two unusual Goblins standing beside it.

Xiao wasted no time using Gamer Eyes to analyze the 3 Goblins.

He found out that the two unusual ones were called Goblin Shaman. They were more dangerous than the typical Goblin because they can cast simple magic. They were the ones who threw fireballs towards Xiao.

And the horde leader was the next evolution of a Goblin, which was called the Hobgoblin. They were physically stronger, and their skin was thicker than normal Goblins.

Both the Goblin Shamans were level 20, while the Hobgoblin was at level 30.

("Two special guards and the highest level among all Goblins. No mistake, this is the head.")

"Found you!" Xiao threw his last Goblin Bane Grenade towards them as soon as he finished analyzing their stats.

The grenade exploded, blasting out brown smokescreen and obscure the Goblins' sight.

Xiao thought he could rush in and finish them in one movement. He was surprised that the two Goblin Shaman immediately cast wind magic, which blew away the smokescreen, neutralizing the Goblin Bane's effect.

"Not that easy, huh?" Xiao quickly throws another grenade as soon as the smokescreen disappears. Once he throws it, he follows up as he rushes forward, readying his short sword on the left hand and the Chameleons on the right.

The Goblins let out a sinister laugh as they thought Xiao was using the same trick again. The Shamans redeploy the wind magic while the Hobgoblin raises its massive bone club, eager to smash Xiao's head to pieces as soon as he is on its range.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Fool."

Xiao sneered, followed by the grenade exploding into a ball of light that covers the area, instantly blinding everything around it.

Since the surrounding was always dark, the sudden appearance of a shining blast pushes the effect of the flashbang to its limit as the Goblins cover their eyes and shouts in pain.

Xiao was not affected by the flashbang because his mask was designed to counter all his weapon's effects, including anti flashbang.

The first shaman nearest to Xiao was the first victim of the flashbang. It received two slashes from him, one to the neck and one to the head, which immediately died from it.

As soon as he cuts the first shaman, Xiao gracefully readjusts his footsteps to launch a thrusting strike towards the Hobgoblin's head. Xiao wants to take out the strongest enemy first while the flashbang effect still lingers.

As Xiao was sure that his sword would be penetrating the Hobgoblin's head, he noticed a sudden movement from it.

Xiao's sword penetrates something, but instead of the Hobgoblin's head, his sword was stuck in the chest of the other Goblin shaman. Xiao then realizes that the sudden movement was actually the Hobgoblin grabbing Shaman by the head and using it as a meat shield.

"ROAAAA!" The Hobgoblin lets out a frightening warcry and immediately swings its bone club frontal cone.

"What the!"

Xiao immediately makes a forceful break and launches himself backwards to dodge the haymaker swing.

("How the hell can he still see?!")

Xiao was shocked as he realized the Hobgoblin's eyes were still closed even after all the stunts it has just done.

The Hobgoblin did not stop with just its weapon. It violently threw the shaman it was holding to the front, which Xiao moved to the side to dodge. The Hobgoblin rampaging forward as it aimlessly swings its bone club, eagerly to smash Xiao to pieces even if its sight still hasn't recovered yet.

("Goddamn brute!")

Xiao starts assessing the environment and plans his next move while the Hobgoblin was closing in with its brutal swings. A hit from the bone club will surely immobilize Xiao.

There's also no space to get around it as the Hobgoblin was half the body size larger than Xiao. So the only way was to turn back or face it directly. Xiao chooses the latter.

Xiao pulls out something and immediately rushes forward, drastically increase his chance to get smashed into meat pieces.

It was not long before the Hobgoblin finally landed a solid hit to something. With its eyesight also restored, it slowly opens its eyes while smiling sinisterly as it expects to see Xiao's body on its side.

Instead of Xiao's body, the Hobgoblin saw the body of his Goblin shaman, whom he had thrown earlier. The head of the shaman got smashed into pieces by its club.

The Hobgoblin hastily looks around to trace the sign of Xiao. He was nowhere to be found.

"You finally stop moving."

A sarcastic voice can be heard underneath the shaman's body.

It was too late for the Hobgoblin to act, for Xiao had his crossbow-Orthrus, anti-tank mode ready. He also activates his Gamer Eyes to further ensure that the shot he was about to fire will fly straight to the head of the Hobgoblin.

"Thanks for the meat shield, now die."

Xiao pulls the crossbow trigger, sending a shot so powerful that it pierces through the shaman's body as if it was non-existent. The same goes for the Hobgoblin's head as it got punctured through in a blink of an eye. The shot only stops after it penetrates deep into the cave ceiling.

There was a short delay before the punctured part of the Hobgoblin's head burst out blood. As blood splatters all over the place, it just stood motionless before slowly falling to the ground.

Xiao pushes away the shaman's body and wipes off some of the goblin blood on his armor.

"Damn it, I smell like shit. Gotta need to do a deep cleaning once this is over. How troublesome."

Xiao complained while he kept brushing off the blood from his armor. To no avail, the green bloodstain stubbornly stays on his armor.

Suddenly, Xiao felt a weight on his back, followed by an immense pain on his left shoulder.

Xiao turned around and saw a small goblin riding on his back, thrusting a dagger into his shoulder.

The Goblin laughs as blood begins to drip from Xiao's shoulder while he just stares at it emotionlessly.

"And now not only deep cleaning but repairing as well. Great..."

Xiao sighed, followed by a quick thrust to the Goblin's face with his short sword, killing the Goblin as it fell off from his back.

"Still have much to learn," said Xiao as he shook his head and sighed once more before continuing his raid.