"Wrrf…"
A faint beastly whimper came from a nearby thicket.
"Lord, lord, there's something there." Mugu said, his drooping ears twitching as he spoke with a hint of panic.
Adam glanced toward the thicket and strode over.
He parted the bushes with his iron sword.
A small, trembling Invisible Hound cub, its black fur quivering, lay on the ground. Its eyes, filled with terror, fixed on Adam, its body shaking uncontrollably.
The cub was about fifty centimeters long, sizable for a human, but clearly a juvenile compared to the three-meter-long adult Invisible Hounds.
"Lord, it's a Invisible Hound cub." Mugu said, his panic subsiding as he adopted a fawning tone. "No wonder those cunning adult hounds didn't flee, despite your overwhelming strength."
Adam studied the cub.
Its jet-black fur, save for the bone chain wrapped around its body, resembled a black wolf pup from his old world.
But its appearance was far fiercer, and with the small horns protruding from its forehead, it looked vaguely goat-like from the front.
"Truly ugly." Adam muttered, withdrawing his gaze and turning to leave.
Rustle!
A few steps later, he heard movement from the thicket. The Invisible Hound cub had crawled out.
Adam hadn't planned to pay it any mind. A non-threatening cub with minimal experience points was meaningless to kill.
But to his surprise, it followed him.
He paused, turning to face the cub, which trailed cautiously, trembling. His expression was impassive.
"What, planning to avenge your parents?"
"Wrrf…"
The cub dropped to the ground, flipped onto its back, and exposed its belly, limbs splayed and hovering slightly.
Adam's face showed surprise. "What's this about?"
"It's submission." Mugu quickly explained, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes as he looked at the cub. "This Invisible Hound cub wants to follow you, lord!"
He wasn't surprised by the cub's behavior but by its intelligence.
Hmph, what a discerning creature, he thought. The lord is a true powerhouse!
Adam raised an eyebrow at Mugu's explanation. "Didn't I just kill its parents?"
Mugu looked puzzled. "Is that strange? Isn't serving the strong only natural?"
Adam fell silent, studying Mugu.
He suddenly realized he'd overestimated the moral standards of goblins.
No wonder Mugu was increasingly acting like a sycophant.
The blood from the two Invisible Hound corpses began to spread, its scent wafting through the surroundings, attracting beasts with keen noses.
Yet!
A month ago, such a scent would have drawn a swarm of beasts to devour the corpses in no time.
But now!
The beasts that caught the scent showed no intention of approaching. Instead, they moved warily to more distant locations.
The persistent, heavy stench of blood in the jungle over recent weeks had never faded. Every beast knew that venturing toward it meant becoming just another corpse.
However!
Rustle! Rustle!
The sound of swaying branches and crunching leaves broke the silence.
Three figures cautiously emerged from behind a thicket, peeking out. Seeing only the two Invisible Hound corpses and no one else, they stepped from the bushes.
The trio consisted of one small figure and two taller, sturdier ones, each carrying a large woven basket on their back.
It was the three goblins from the Gigu Tribe!
The blood's scent hadn't drawn jungle beasts but had lured these three instead.
Agu, confirming no danger, was the first to leap from the bushes. He stared at the Invisible Hound corpses, shock crossing his face, then seemed to realize something.
He hurried forward to inspect the bodies.
The two goblins trailing him rushed up, clearly worried for Agu's safety.
"W-what, Agu, d-did you find?" The stammering goblin asked cautiously, scanning their surroundings.
"Only ogres should pose a threat to Invisible Hounds in this area." Agu said. "But the wounds on these hounds weren't caused by ogres. Their long chains are missing too, something no beast or monster in this forest would take."
His tone grew excited. "It was that human. We've finally found him."
The other goblin stared at the corpses, fear and dread in his eyes. "Agu, are we really going to confront that human? He killed Invisible Hounds, such powerful beasts. We're no match for him."
Agu stood, far calmer than the older goblins despite his youth. "We must find him, even if it's just his body. He's carrying the tribe's treasure."
At the mention of the "tribe's treasure." The two fearful goblins steadied their emotions.
"That human likely left recently." Agu said, touching the darkening blood on the ground and licking it, his eyes gleaming.
Grrrowl~
Grrumble~
Sudden rumbling came from the stomachs of the other two goblins.
Agu froze, turning to see them staring at the Invisible Hound corpses, swallowing hard.
"Such precious food shouldn't go to waste." Agu said after a moment's hesitation.
At his words, the two goblins let out excited howls and tore into the hounds' flesh.
Agu joined them.
As he'd said, Invisible Hounds were not creatures they could normally hunt or feast upon.
Even glimpsing their bones was a rare privilege, seen only in the trolls' caves.
The sounds of raw, bloody gorging echoed through the forest.
Evening.
Visibility in the jungle was fading fast.
Adam ceased his hunt, finding a tall tree to rest beneath.
[Experience: 9382/9500]
Glancing at his status panel, he noted the afternoon's efforts had nudged his experience up slightly.
"Just 118 points left." He murmured. "Barring any surprises, I'll level up tomorrow."
He inhaled the cool, earthy air, his mood lifting considerably.
***
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