8 Facing Human Adventurers

Dick, still reeling from his recent encounter with the black wolf, was taken aback to find himself suddenly targeted by a group of human adventurers. It was clear from their conversation that they viewed him as nothing more than prey.

"Oh? A lone goblin that managed to kill a black wolf?" remarked a man clad in leather armor, a shield in hand. He eyed Dick curiously, who was smeared with blood and visibly worn out from the fight. "But it looks quite bedraggled. Probably exhausted from its battle. This goblin is an easy target right now."

Another member of the group, a handsome warrior with a long sword slung over his shoulder, looked at Dick with a mix of amusement and interest. "What an ugly creature. Goblins are such repulsive beings. Why would the gods even create such monsters?"

A blonde girl magician, part of the team and seemingly under the warrior's protection, scowled at Dick with evident disgust. "Ugh, I can't stand the sight of these creatures!"

"Hehe, lucky us," the soldier quipped. "It's unfortunate for the goblin to cross paths with us. Let's finish it off quickly and return to the guild."

The shield-bearer's gaze lingered on Dick and the black wolf's carcass. "Well, since we didn't find any horned rabbits today, these will have to do. Let's wrap this up."

"Let's get this over with. I can't bear to look at it any longer!" The magician girl began chanting, her staff at the ready.

As the adventurers prepared to attack, Dick cursed his misfortune. To run into a band of humans so soon and to be dismissed as weak and unsightly was more than he could bear.

Faced with the overwhelming odds of confronting three adventurers, Dick knew he was outmatched. His current strength and lack of direct combat skills made a head-on confrontation unrealistic. With a quick decision, he dropped the black wolf's body and dashed into the grass, making his escape.

"Don't let it get away! You idiots!" the magician girl exclaimed, halting her spellcasting in frustration.

"Don't worry, Lily. It's just a goblin. It can't outrun us," the warrior reassured her, leading the charge in pursuit of Dick.

Unbeknownst to them, Dick hadn't actually fled. Instead, using his small, agile goblin body, he quietly circled back, taking advantage of the tall grass to sneak up behind the unsuspecting magician, Lily.

From his hidden vantage point in the grass, Dick's eyes glinted with cunning and ferocity as he watched Lily stomp around in anger, her companions having naively left her alone. "These novice adventurers are too inexperienced," he thought to himself, preparing his next move.

Dick, his heart alight with a sly grin, had sized up the adventurers from the start. Their demeanor and equipment suggested they were novices, likely at the white porcelain or obsidian level. Such beginners were typically matched against G or F-level monsters, but they lacked the cunning and malevolence that Dick, an F-level goblin, possessed.

Unaware of the trap they had walked into, the adventurers had underestimated their opponent.

Dick, his tongue flicking over his vicious lips, had no desire to engage with humans under normal circumstances. As a goblin, he had to consider the possibility of the existence multiple Goblin Slayers in this world. His strategy was usually one of stealth and avoidance.

However, these overconfident adventurers had actively sought him out, and Dick was determined to make them regret their arrogance.

A cold glint in his eyes, he waited until the other adventurers had moved away. Then, seizing the moment, he leaped out of the grass with a ferocious snarl.

"What, what's going on!" Magician Lily gasped, completely caught off guard. The goblin she had thought was fleeing had cunningly circled back. Her inexperience and fear were palpable as she fumbled with her staff, trying to conjure a spell.

But Dick, swift and premeditated in his attack, knocked the staff from her grasp. With one powerful blow, Lily was sent sprawling to the ground, unconscious.

"Jie Jie Jie, too naive, little sister," Dick sneered, his feral grin widening as Lily's eyes widened in shock and fear. Before she could react, a green fist connected with her face, plunging her world into darkness.

"The first one," Dick declared, dragging Lily's limp body into the dense grass. He then retrieved his homemade bow and arrow, his gaze icy and determined.

"It's easier to handle novice adventurers than to fight against my own kind," he mused, quickly securing Lily and setting off in pursuit of the remaining two.

Soon after, distant screams echoed through the forest. Dick returned, now adorned in loose leather armor, wielding a shield and a long sword. His triumphant demeanor was evident.

"Full harvest!" He surveyed his spoils: the unconscious Lily, the weapons of the human adventurers, and the black wolf's meat and fur. The encounter had been a successful test of his skills honed in the simulation, far smoother than he had anticipated.

He had not only taken down an F-level black wolf but also outwitted a team of obsidian-level adventurers. Their inexperience and naivety had played into his hands, making them easy prey compared to the likes of the veteran knights like Goblin Slayers.

As Dick contemplated his next steps, pondering where to stash his newfound bounty since the tree hollow was too small, a sudden, long roar reverberated through the forest, shaking the giant trees. The sound sent a ripple of shock through Dick, hinting at new, unforeseen challenges that lay ahead.