Chapter Three: The First Goblin

With a mind as simple as a goblin’s, it clearly could not comprehend why a Silver Moon Bear would appear in this place. Such a high-level magical beast almost never ventured near human villages. It wanted to flee back to its nest to report, but it was already too late.

Leila roared, snapping trees in her path like twigs as she slammed into the creature with overwhelming force.

"Gyaaaah!!!"

The goblin shrieked in pain, its cry sharp and piercing. Leila held nothing back, her giant paws raining down blows upon the goblin like a violent storm. She knew her beast-transformation limit was only about fifteen seconds; she had to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Yet, the goblin before her was not so easily dispatched. This creature was just as feral as the legends across the continent claimed. No matter how much force Leila used to pin it down or flip it over, as long as it could move, it would shriek and pounce back at her. Its sharp teeth and claws left bloody gashes all over Leila’s body. Even though her pain threshold was significantly dulled in this state, she still let out low growls of agony.

After eight or nine seconds of this brutal struggle, Leila began to panic. She could feel her strength waning, yet the goblin, despite having several bones shattered, continued its assault with the relentless intensity of a mad dog.

The goblin clearly sensed that the stunted Silver Moon Bear before it was reaching its limit. It let out an excited, distorted screech. If it could defeat this Silver Moon Bear before its own kin arrived, it would surely be rewarded upon returning to the nest. It attacked Leila with even greater frenzy—clawing, biting, and stabbing with every ounce of its malice. Within a few seconds, the tide of battle had turned.

"ROAR!!!"

Leila gathered her remaining strength to heave the goblin away, then lunged forward. She intended to deliver a final, lethal blow. Even if she couldn't complete the task her master had entrusted to her, she had to buy him a chance to escape. She pushed off with both feet, leaped into the air, and brought her paws crashing down.

The impact landed. Dust billowed, and the earth shook.

Leila had no strength left; she collapsed heavily backward. Her beast form gradually faded, returning to her small, slender frame. She lay on the ground, struggling to turn her head to see if her master had managed to run away. As her final blow had landed, she knew she had failed. Her master had trusted her so much, yet she had fallen short. She was truly useless.

She turned her head, but she did not see Luo Xiu.

*Master got away... that’s good...*

A satisfied smile graced Leila’s face. She slowly closed her eyes as the faint, distorted screeching of the goblin echoed in her ears once more. It was getting closer. Closer.

Leila, already drifting into her own world, felt her eyelashes flutter. With a smile, she murmured, "Master, that meat pie smelled so good. If there really is a next life, I want you to buy me another one..."

"No need to wait for the next life. I'll buy it when we get home."

Luo Xiu’s voice cut through the air. At that exact moment, the goblin’s screeching came to an abrupt, permanent halt. Leila thought she was hallucinating and hesitated before opening her eyes.

She saw the goblin with its eyes wide open, frozen in its final posture of pouncing toward her. Behind it, Luo Xiu held the creature by the shoulder with one hand, while the other forcefully wrenched his dagger from its neck.

Luo Xiu wiped the foul-smelling red blood from his face and spat on the ground. "If I couldn't even beat a half-dead, sneak-attacking monster, I might as well just take Leila home and go to bed."

Seeing Leila looking at him with teary eyes, Luo Xiu smiled. "Well done, Leila. Our Leila is truly a fierce fighter."

Leila felt tears welling up, unable to speak. She tried to sit up to hug Luo Xiu, but her body was completely drained of strength; she couldn't move at all. Luo Xiu stepped forward, tossed the goblin’s corpse aside, and scooped Leila into his arms, whispering, "Hold on for a second."

He quickly pulled up his status panel.

[Name: Luo Xiu]
[Strength: 2]
[Agility: 4]
[Constitution: 2]
[Magic: 4]
[Mental Resistance: 3]
[Note: The average for an adult human male is 3]

[Skill: Basic Healing LV. 1 (0/1)]
[LV. 1 Basic Healing: Can only treat minor scratches and abrasions. Having this should make you a competent physical therapist.]
[Next Level LV. 2 Basic Healing: Can treat common magical beast wounds and physical injuries, such as goblin infections or slime mucus.]

[Host killed a goblin, Points +2]
[Host killed a magical beast for the first time, Points +3]
[Available Points: 5]

Add one point to Basic Healing, three to Strength, and one to Constitution. Luo Xiu didn't hesitate—apply!

A surge of power washed through his body. While there was no major change in his physique, Luo Xiu could feel that his strength had at least doubled.

[Basic Healing LV. 1 -> LV. 2]
[Skill: Basic Healing LV. 2 (0/10)]
[Next Level LV. 3 Basic Healing: Can treat common magical beast wounds and some severe physical injuries, though it cannot reattach severed limbs.]

With the upgrade complete, Luo Xiu immediately cast healing on Leila. A warm, restorative light shone, and Leila felt the exhaustion vanish from her body. The warmth flowed through her, and the wounds she had just sustained visibly closed.

Leila looked at her master in astonishment. *This is Intermediate Healing, right? I never expected Master to know intermediate magic. Master is amazing!!!* Stars twinkled in Leila’s eyes.

Luo Xiu, however, did not let his guard down. He set down the now-recovered Leila and grabbed the foot of the goblin’s corpse. "Leila, grab the head. Quickly, other goblins might be coming."

Leila obeyed, swiftly grabbing the goblin’s head. The master and servant moved in unison, jogging all the way back to the North Gate of Wheel Town.

Dave, a portly guard at the gate, saw Luo Xiu and laughed, teasing, "Luo Xiu, our great goblin slayer! How was it? Did you manage to scratch a goblin’s toe today?"

The nearby guards burst into laughter at this remark.

"Don't tease him, Dave. I'll bet you a copper coin he didn't even get within twenty meters of a goblin today."

"Twenty meters? Last time I saw Luo Xiu, he didn't dare move an inch closer once he was within two hundred meters of one."

But as Luo Xiu and Leila approached, the laughter gradually died out. They stared in disbelief at the green creature being carried between the two, unable to trust their own eyes.

"One, two, one, two..."

Luo Xiu chanted a marching cadence, intentionally slowing down as he passed Dave.

"It’s a beautiful day, Dave. A perfect day for killing goblins." He looked at his companion. "Leila, show our hardworking guard officer a good look at the goblin's head."

Leila obediently tilted the goblin’s ghastly, iron-blue head toward Dave. Dave recoiled in shock.

Luo Xiu felt a surge of satisfaction. He nodded approvingly. "Salute the guard officer, Leila!"

"Salute the guard officer!" Leila chirped, mimicking the gesture perfectly.

The master and servant jogged away to the rhythm of "one, two, one, two," leaving the group of guards staring at each other in stunned silence.

A few seconds later, the shock broke into an explosion of discussion:

"A goblin!!! He actually killed a goblin!!! Did you see that, Dave?!"

"I’m not blind! It’s really a goblin. Even three Tier 1 adventurers couldn't kill a goblin without getting hurt. How did that kid do it?!"

"Is it that beast-kin girl? But she doesn't have a single goblin bite mark on her!"

"Could it be that he just scavenged it? Don't they say a lot of big shots are hunting nearby?"

"I don't know, but I'm so jealous. That’s a goblin! It must be worth a fortune at the Adventurers' Guild, right?"

"It’s not just the money. They say anyone who kills a goblin can go directly to the Baron to serve as a personal attendant."

"Damn, I'm so envious."

Similar scenes played out all the way. Luo Xiu hadn't tried to hide the goblin corpse; after all, it wasn't something that could be kept quiet. Such a large carcass would inevitably be seen by the guards, and once the guards knew, it was effectively known by everyone in town. He might as well take the opportunity to show off.

By the time they reached the front of the only Adventurers' Guild in Wheel Town, Luo Xiu heard a noisy, bustling crowd from inside and blinked in confusion. Normally, Wheel Town had few resident adventurers, and the guild was usually quiet. Why was it so lively today?

Had news of his goblin kill already arrived? That shouldn't be possible this fast, right?