Anbaixiu's Concern

Goblins were complicated creatures, difficult to describe. Most goblins were wicked yet puny, cruel yet cowardly; applying such contradictory adjectives to them felt entirely natural. An ordinary goblin had a scrawny build no larger than a human child's, and possessed little more combat ability. Under normal circumstances, a well-trained militiaman could take on three adult goblins. Goblins typically triumphed through sheer numbers. They reproduced at an astonishing rate, commonly birthing four or five to a litter, and were absurdly easy to keep alive—they could grow up eating mud. Goblins could be found all across the world. Be it the wilderness, the Underdark, or the deep forests, they managed to survive everywhere. They were the very first monsters most adventurers encountered: weak, yet exceedingly dangerous. Possessing an intellect on par with humanity, they understood how to lay traps and hatch schemes. Born inherently cruel, even a goblin whelp wouldn't hesitate to tear open an enemy's throat. During his adventuring years, Anbaixiu had dealt with goblins plenty of times and had witnessed the horrific fates suffered by adventurers taken captive by them. Hence, Anbaixiu said to Catherine, "Hide off to the side for now. Let me handle these goblins." Catherine asked, puzzled, "Why? I don't need anyone protecting me." Foolish though she might seem, her combat prowess was no joke: a doubly ascended legendary ranger and mage, protected by three elven artifacts. Anbaixiu wasn't even certain he could beat her in a one-on-one duel. Anbaixiu didn't explain, only saying, "I'm a divination wizard. Listen to me." "All right." Catherine possessed the sensible mindset of an employee: if the boss told her to keep out of it, she would just stand aside and watch the show. Still, why had this lich suddenly grown so considerate toward her? Seeing Catherine obediently pull back and cast Invisibility on herself, Anbaixiu rode Naomi onward toward the goblin camp. The goblin sentry from earlier hastily blew a horn. The gate of the goblin camp swung open, and over a dozen goblins clad in tattered leather armor charged out, brandishing an assortment of weapons. The goblin at the head of the pack was half a head taller than his companions and visibly sturdier. Rather than leather armor, he wore a thin suit of iron plate and wielded a spiked flail, swinging it wildly in Anbaixiu's direction. Earlier, to weave through the dense jungle more easily, Naomi had shrunk down from her elephantine bulk. This made Anbaixiu look far less intimidating, prompting the goblin chieftain to roar at him, "Which donkey-kicked idiot dares come cause trouble on our turf?" Anbaixiu raised a hand and said, "Don't misunderstand. I'm just a passing adventurer looking for directions. If you could spare a map of the surrounding area, I would be most grateful." "Adventurer? Map?" The goblin chief scratched his head and asked Anbaixiu, "You from outside?" It was a complete waste of breath, but Anbaixiu patiently answered, "Indeed. I've just arrived in the Emerald Dream Forest and need a guide." Just then, the goblin on the watchtower slid down a rope and scurried over to whisper in the chief's ear, "Boss, he wasn't alone just now! Looked like there was a human chick with him, but who knows where she ran off to!" "A human chick?!" Hearing that, the chief's eyes gleamed instantly. Yet after scanning the surroundings, he couldn't spot Catherine anywhere. His eyes darted about slyly as he told Anbaixiu, "So you're a guest from afar! We're the most hospitable folks around. Come on, please, head inside! We can talk over whatever you need. By the way, are you alone? If you've got companions, bring 'em in for a drink too!" Anbaixiu quietly watched the goblin chief's little act. Unfamiliar with the land, he had originally hoped to avoid unnecessary trouble, but it seemed a dog could never be broken of eating filth—goblins would always be goblins. Anbaixiu smiled at the goblins. "Sure. But I'm not much of a drinker—could you convert that to cash?" Goblin chief: ??? It was the first time he had ever heard of redeeming a round of drinks for cash. How did this human seem even greedier than a goblin? Before he could formulate a response, Anbaixiu provided the answer for him: "You hesitated, so I suppose that's a no. Since negotiations have broken down..." The goblin chief was utterly bewildered. How had negotiations broken down?! What had just happened?! Before the chief could process anything, Anbaixiu had already raised his hand, preparing to pelt the mob with a triple salvo of Fireballs. But then he remembered: he wasn't Master Ultraman the Lich right now, but Hawkeye Barton the Ranger. Dispersing the mana gathering at his fingertips, Anbaixiu pulled a magitech rifle from his personal pocket dimension. Back when he had upgraded Erha's weapons, Anbaixiu had forged several spare magitech rifles for himself, and now they came in handy. He raised the magitech rifle and aimed straight at the goblin chief. Anbaixiu discovered that his perception expanded faster and with far sharper clarity; even the ambient breeze resolved into detailed data stamped into his soul. Wind direction, lighting, humidity... A cascade of data was analyzed purely on instinct before he pulled the trigger. A gale conjured by the magic array propelled the bullet down the barrel, tracing a distinct vapor trail through the air. The goblin chief had reacted the instant Anbaixiu raised the rifle, snatching the goblin who had just whispered to him and hauling him up as a shield. Pshh. The bullet streaked past the meat shield's ear and slammed dead-center into the chief's eye. The ferocious impact blew out the back of the chief's skull, splattering brains across the ground. "Shooting is this fun?!" It was Anbaixiu's first time fighting with a ranger's power, and it gave him an extraordinary rush. Perhaps he had hurled too many fireballs to feel anything anymore; blowing off heads with a rifle felt refreshingly novel. Though his single shot had dropped their chief, it failed to deter the rest of the goblins. The filthy little wretches howled and lunged toward Anbaixiu. Even the goblin who had just been used as a meat shield forgot his chief's callous cruelty, bounding forward in an eager frenzy to avenge him. When they held the advantage of numbers, goblins could be remarkably brave. Anbaixiu gently patted Naomi's head. Understanding his intent, his druid companion bore him through the trees in swift, fluid bounds. Perched atop the leaping, darting black panther, Anbaixiu held the magitech rifle rock-steady, the muzzle spitting bullets in rhythmic bursts. Whether the goblins dove, rolled, went prone, or hid behind cover, Anbaixiu picked them off from impossible angles, popping their heads one by one. Now this was hunting. A legendary ranger's power was too much fun. These goblins couldn't cast a single spell; under the suppression of a legendary ranger, their only option was to die. In under half a minute, more than half the goblins lay dead. The survivors finally lost their nerve, wailing and turning tail toward the gate. Anbaixiu had no intention of sparing them. Anyone with a few years of adventuring experience knew moral benevolence didn't apply to goblins—the only good goblin was a dead goblin. He wiped them out entirely before riding Naomi into the heart of their camp. Piercing shrieks erupted everywhere. Provoked into a frenzy, goblins of all sizes surged forth, brandishing improvised weapons to surround them. Anbaixiu said to Naomi, "Let loose and kill!" Naomi understood. Her body swelled swiftly in size as she pounced into the goblin horde. This was Naomi's first battle since being empowered by legendary strength. At first, she was slightly awkward, her power vastly exceeding what she was used to, but she soon grew accustomed to it. Her razor claws easily ripped through goblin flesh, and even a sweep of her tail sent them vomiting blood and collapsing dead. Gradually, her eyes turned bloodshot, her attacks growing increasingly savage. Anbaixiu made no move to stop her. Instead, he layered her in buffs, letting her slaughter to her heart's content. His voice resonated directly in Naomi's mind: Vent it all out, Naomi! All the resentment, rage, and sorrow bottled inside—let it all out, then leave the past behind and start living your own life! Naomi unleashed a desolate, savage roar, turning into a blur of black shadow sweeping through the goblin camp. Wherever she passed, gore and severed limbs flew; the goblins were torn to shreds before they could even glimpse her form. The battle lasted barely two minutes before the majority of the hundred-plus goblins were slaughtered. The rest either fled or curled up in corners, shivering in pure terror. Had Anbaixiu lacked the strength to overpower them, he would have experienced their utter cruelty; because he was overwhelmingly powerful, he saw only their pathetic cowardice. Cruel yet cowardly—such was the nature of goblins. Naomi halted. Her forepaws dripped crimson, leaving sticky red prints in the dirt. Yet she was now remarkably tranquil. Like a docile kitten, she padded over to Anbaixiu and lowered her head, hiding the mist pooling in her eyes. Anbaixiu stroked her head and said gently, "It's fine to cry. But once you've cried it out, don't hold on to those painful memories. I won't feed you cliches about suffering making you stronger, but a tragic past is just like running a business at a loss—we'll just make it back in the future." Naomi was certain once more: in all the world, only Anbaixiu cared about what she felt, and only he understood that she needed an outlet for her grief and fury. Even if he was a lich, he was the person who cared about her most. A ranger shared a telepathic link with his beast companion, so Anbaixiu naturally sensed Naomi's true feelings. The girl had never truly let go of her past. Even having died once, not everyone could suddenly reach total enlightenment. Though Naomi felt somewhat better now, she was still quite a ways from moving on completely. Still, there was plenty of time; they could take it slow. Anbaixiu grabbed a terrified goblin at random and asked, "Do you have a map of the Emerald Dream Forest?" The goblin stammered through chattering teeth, "Th-This... that... If I answer, w-will you not kill me?" Anbaixiu chuckled. "Of course. It's not like I'm a devil." The goblin blurted out, "No! I've never seen such a thing as a map!" Anbaixiu: "..." His human disguise vanished in an instant, restoring Anbaixiu to his lich form. With spectral flames blazing in his eye sockets, Anbaixiu told the goblin, "My apologies. I misspoke just now—I really am a devil." With a sweep of his skeletal claws, Anbaixiu ripped the goblin's soul right out of its body. No map? No problem. He could just read its memories directly.