There seemed to be quite a few wild beasts active at night in this region.
But Minori didn't care—as long as they weren't provoking him, he had no interest in them.
Tonight, he was in an exceptionally good mood.He had gained considerable combat experience over the past few days, and if his map was correct, a goblin tribe should be active somewhere nearby.
Minori planned to search carefully tomorrow.
Yet—
A strange feeling lingered at the back of his mind.A nagging sense that he had overlooked something.
He thought about it carefully, trying to pinpoint the cause.
But nothing came to mind.
The only danger he could recall was the ogre ambush he had faced some time ago.Still, he had destroyed that group entirely, and no similar incidents had occurred since.
As Minori closed his eyes, the night wind stirred.
Cool air filtered through the dense leaves, carrying the rich scent of earth and vegetation.
Minori's nose twitched slightly.
A faint, vaguely familiar smell drifted on the breeze.
At first, he dismissed it—but just as he was about to relax into sleep, his eyes snapped open.
This scent—
Goblin.
Rotten, rancid, like moldy socks left to decay for decades.
Minori's drowsy mind cleared instantly.
His pupils shrank slightly beneath his black hood.
He had grown so used to the goblin stench over the past weeks that he had subconsciously ignored it.
But now—
Realization hit him like a cold knife.
The creatures passing near his camp at night weren't beasts.
They were goblins.
—
In the darkness, Minori's expression twisted into something cold and dangerous.
It wasn't simple bad luck.He had been targeted.
Damn it.
The vague unease that had haunted him these last few nights now solidified into certainty.
After he had maxed out his Sword Saint job class, there hadn't been any monsters in the forest capable of threatening him.Not even a few ogres posed much of a danger unless they attacked en masse.
Perhaps because of that, he had grown careless—his initial caution eroded by success.
And during that lapse, someone—or something—had been watching him.
Minori's sharp mind continued analyzing.
Ordinary goblins lacked the intelligence for long-term stealth operations.
It wasn't possible for simple-minded goblins to shadow him without being noticed.
No.
His gaze darkened further under the hood.
This wasn't the work of an ordinary goblin.
A mutant?Or something even more dangerous?
Minori licked the corner of his lips unconsciously, the old habit from his PvP days resurfacing.
Tracking skills—
Ranger? Forest Priest? Druid? Rogue?Or some New World variant?
Such professions specialized in stalking prey through wild terrain.Without magical detection, even a YGGDRASIL veteran could be caught unaware.
Calming his racing thoughts, Minori silently adjusted his assumptions.
The goblin tailing him likely possessed professional-level skills.
Which meant—
This wasn't just a random encounter.
It was a trap.
Minori reviewed the past few days carefully in his mind.
He realized now that the number of goblins in the surrounding area had decreased significantly—only to spike sharply today.
Coincidence?
Unlikely.
It was clear now.
The goblins had been subtly manipulating the environment, herding him, perhaps preparing to ambush him.
Had he not noticed the mutant goblin's presence tonight, he might have walked straight into it.
—
Understanding this, Minori made no outward reaction.
He leaned casually against the thick trunk of a tree, feigning relaxation.
Tonight, the roles had changed.
The hunter and the prey had switched places.
As the moonlight dimmed and the first pale rays of dawn filtered through the leaves,Minori stretched lazily, pretending he had slept peacefully.
He leapt lightly from his perch, landing without a sound.
Not only had he rested well—he was sharper than ever.
If the enemy had not attacked him yet, it meant one thing:
They feared him.
Or at least, they deemed direct confrontation too risky.
Minori tore a chunk of rye bread and bit into it with deliberate nonchalance, savoring the spiced pork packed inside.With his iron sword at his side and his senses alert, he moved deeper into the forest.
Though outwardly relaxed, his peripheral vision swept constantly across the terrain.
As expected—he detected nothing.
The stalker kept their distance skillfully.
At least fifty meters away, he estimated.
Trying to find them directly would be fruitless unless they made a mistake.
"Fine then," Minori thought grimly."Let's see what kind of trap you're so eager to lure me into."
His golden eyes, hidden by his hood, flashed briefly with a predatory glint.
Roughly ten minutes after Minori had departed—
A figure emerged silently from the shadows.
It had green skin and pointed ears, resembling a goblin.But it was almost twice the size of an ordinary one.
And—
Its eyes were different.
Where goblin eyes were small and narrow, filled with bestial cunning,this creature's eyes were wide and human-like—with a stark, chilling contrast of white sclera and tiny black pupils.
The creature moved cautiously.
It sniffed the air with its flattened nose, examining the crushed leaves and broken branches where Minori had passed.
Without hesitation, it continued tracking.
Even more disturbingly—
Wherever it walked, the dense undergrowth parted silently before it.
The bushes, grass, and branches bent away as if making way for a passing king.
And throughout the process, it made no sound at all.
Hours passed.
By noon, the sun's harsh beams stabbed through the thick canopy in golden columns.
Minori took a brief rest, drinking from one of his many water skins.
He glanced upward at the sunlight streaming through the forest ceiling.
He had bought more than sixty water skins when provisioning—each one about five kilograms.
Enough to last him well over a month, even if he rationed carelessly.
Minori smiled faintly under his hood.
He was ready.
The goblins thought they were the ones laying the trap?