BXBX NOVEL Chapter 527 526: Dipping Our Toes (2)
The large amount of experience that that singular Goblin gave was immense compared to its normal variant back in Fovos Forest in March Asmodia; probably equal to a higher level Hobgoblin in terms of the experience I get, but still potentially weaker then a Hobgoblin.
Of course, there was little we could extrapolate from the sneak attack that we just committed on these Goblins, so Jahi just nodded at Anput and I when we noticed the Goblins simply... dissolved into dust and left nothing behind, not even a Core.
Nothing was left in those piles of dust, which eventually got swept away by the soft breeze and leaving no evidence that the Goblin\'s had ever existed in the first place.
It was peculiar, but we progressed deeper into the forest anyways, casting that from our minds for the moment as we prepared to face something else in an actual battle, just so we could test the waters of Sisyphea Island.
With our ears and noses guiding us deeper, we avoided the battlefield and instead made our way towards another set of scents, this one making Anput and I wrinkle our noses in slight disgust and irritation.
Creeping into a clearing, we saw a few felines lounging around a rock, basking in the sun as they dozed off, their coarse fur getting ruffled by the wind.
Their pelts were a gorgeous combination of grey, blacks, and browns, creating a camouflage perfect for this forest, but their beauty aside...
Damn did they shed a lot, and their hairs filled the air, making Anput and I cover our noses as we felt a sneeze rising from everything in the air, deepening our dislike for these three monsters.
Tapping our shoulders, Jahi pointed us towards one of the felines each, before gesturing for Leone to remain where she was and just watch over us, providing support should we need it.
Stalking off to the left, I slid Shatter out of its sheath and clenched my fingers around the rapier, looking towards the other two as I waited for the signal, which made me sigh; Jahi just waited to see that we were in position before lunging forwards, erupting from the forest and making the felines hiss in surprise.
Anput and I bolted out from the forest as well, drawing the attention of the felines as they realized that there were multiple enemies, forcing them to split their attentions to us all.
Their fur bristled as they stood up, and their lips curled back to reveal razor sharp fangs that were perfect for tearing through flesh, while a green shimmer covered their limbs.
They leapt out towards us, hissing and growling in anger as they extended their long claws towards our faces, wanting to rip us to shreds for daring to disturb their nap.
I ducked under the feline\'s outstretched claws and turned to face it as it skidded over the earth, still hissing at me.
They were speedy little felines, but...
Leaping at me again, the monster\'s eyes widened in surprise as my rapier pierced its shoulder easily, the momentum driving the sharp blade deeper into its flesh.
Crashing to the ground, the feline gurgled as I stabbed Shatter into its throat, the icy blade spreading frost over its neck before it died, turning into dust below me.
[Sisyphea Ocelot killed!]
[11,250 Xp awarded!]
Flicking the blood from my weapons, I saw Anput and Jahi doing the same as we looked at one another, the three of us having finished at the same time.
Leone stepped forwards and nodded, her crimson eyes narrowed as she said "They\'re quick, they left behind some deep gouges in the earth, so they\'re relatively powerful, and they can blend into the forest quite easily... Those were some dangerous kitties."
Jahi chuckled, resting her great sword on her shoulder as she added "Individually, and out in the open they\'re weak, but if you didn\'t know they were there? Yeah, those could do some serious damage... Let\'s get going towards the undead now; I\'m curious about them."
Returning to our stalking through the forest, we encountered one more set of Goblins - which we dispatched with ease - on our way to the undead side of the forest, where we could get a better glimpse at the second faction of this island.
The forest itself changed a little on their side, with the undergrowth being sparser and wilted, while the grasses were tinged yellow, like they weren\'t getting enough nutrients.
Trees were peeling bark and weeping sap, while the earth itself felt too loose and grainy to be viable for flora...
We all recalled the words of the Marquess, who warned that the undead used poisons and the like to fight, so this area was likely a reflection of that.
It didn\'t take long for us to hear the familiar rattling of bones and chattering of the undead, so we lowered ourselves and moved more carefully, creeping through the forest and peering around the trees to see a contingent of skeletons stumbling through the undergrowth.
Roughly a dozen of them moved through the forest, and Jahi tapped my shoulder and pointed towards their feet, before clenching her fist, making me nod as I understood her intentions through the hand signs and our Soul Bond.
She and Anput crept forwards a bit more, while Leone remained beside me, her hands prepared to move for when she needed to cast any spells.
When they were in position, I took a deep breath and began to trace out the runes for a spell, my fingers dancing in front of me as a mixture of ethereal blue and dark blue runes formed.
The skeletons chittered in bursts as they felt the mana swelling at my fingertips, but they couldn\'t react in time to the small wave of water that surged towards them, coating their feet and ankles before everything froze over, trapping them in place.
With their movement limited, Anput and Jahi charged forwards and began to cut the skeletons down, while Leone shot bolts at the skeletons skulls, knocking them away.
When their skulls were either destroyed or gone, the bodies of the skeletons would flail around for a few seconds before crumbling into a pile of bones, \'dead\'.
According to the Marquess, they would return eventually, but for now they were dead.
[Sisyphea Skeletons killed x13!]
[33,785 Xp awarded!]
Returning to our side, the two warriors glanced at the bones before Jahi said "Let\'s return for now; the skeletons are the bulk of the undead forces, and I doubt we can find and silently get rid of something larger. We can work with this..."