8. Goblin Bat

The goblins approached, letting out unpleasant, rasping chuckles. I could tell they were looking down on me. Well, I was actually grateful they were underestimating me.

Since it was three against one, I had no intention of fighting them head-on. In a situation like this, throwing attacks were my best bet.

My projectiles were nothing more than ordinary stones. I had diligently stockpiled them in my Storage Ring while I was out medicinal herb gathering, specifically for a moment like this.

I decided to target the goblins on the left and in the center, deliberately leaving the one on the right alone.

I didn't have a specific skill for throwing, but perhaps because my dexterity was decent, the stones flew exactly where I wanted. The goblins dodged, so the stones didn't actually land, but that was fine. That was part of the plan.

The targeted goblins flinched, their momentum breaking as they scrambled to avoid the projectiles. Meanwhile, the goblin on the right—the only one I hadn’t targeted—didn't slow down at all. Instead, it grew enraged and charged ahead. As a result, it ended up isolated, jutting out far ahead of its companions. This was exactly what I was aiming for.

I lunged forward, accelerating instantly to close the distance. Caught off guard, the goblin frantically swung its club, but it was far too slow.

I shifted my weight, slipping past the club to circle around behind the creature. The goblin’s height was about the same as mine, which made its neck an easy target even for a child.

I slashed my knife across the nape of its neck in a single, fluid motion.

The blade, kept razor-sharp by my Magic Whetstone, sliced through the goblin's flesh with ease.

The goblin slowly turned around, blood spraying from the wound. It stared at me with hollow eyes before vanishing like smoke.

This was a phenomenon unique to the dungeon. When a dungeon monster died, it disappeared, leaving behind drop items.

Darn it, I messed up. I’d been sprayed with a significant amount of blood. An unpleasant, iron-like stench clung to me, refusing to fade. I wished the blood would have disappeared along with the corpse. I suppose it was already time for <Clean> to make an appearance.

"Gehya!"

"Gehi!"

Oops, stay focused.

The battle wasn't over. The two goblins that had been flinching from my stones were now closing in. They had no sense of coordination, so I was able to dodge their attacks without any trouble.

At this distance, I couldn't use stones to separate them again, even if I made them flinch. I continued to throw them aggressively anyway, since they at least served as an effective distraction.

I maneuvered carefully to ensure I didn't have to face both at once. I kept my positioning so that the goblins and I were lined up in a single row. This prevented them from attacking simultaneously, making it easy to dodge. The downside was that I didn't have the opening to land a finishing blow with my knife.

Instead, I threw stones whenever I retreated to put distance between us. At that specific timing, the goblins didn't seem able to dodge. While the stones didn't deal massive damage, I knew it would take a toll. Sure enough, after being pelted several times, the goblins' movements grew sluggish.

It was time.

In a single breath, I circled behind the rear goblin. Its movements were too slowed by the accumulated damage to keep up. I thrust my knife into its defenseless nape; the creature gave a violent shiver and collapsed, dead.

Only one remained. With the odds evened, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. I circled behind it just as I had with the others and delivered a single strike. That settled it.

Hmm. My fighting style was starting to feel awfully like an assassin's. Did I pick the wrong instructor? Then again, the core of dagger combat was about accurately targeting weak points, so I suppose it was inevitable that things would turn out this way.

Well, I managed to defeat them safely, so I’d call that a success. It was my first time killing humanoid monsters, but I didn't feel any particular sense of aversion. They were monsters, after all. In this world, it was kill or be killed—a fact that had been carved into my soul back when I was used as a decoy during my days as a slave.

The drop items consisted of three magic stones and the three clubs the goblins had been carrying.

I had checked the market price for goblin magic stones in advance. One fetched five large copper coins. Three would net me one silver and five large coppers.

Hmm, that was a bit meager. I had a feeling that medicinal herb gathering might actually be more profitable. Then again, my real goal was treasure chests; the goblins were just a bonus.

When I checked the clubs with my Appraisal Loupe, I found they were called "Goblin Bat." They were worth next to nothing, but since they could serve as firewood, I picked them up and stowed them in my Storage Ring.

I also collected the stones I’d thrown, at least the ones within sight. They’d proven to be quite effective, so I’d likely be relying on them again.

Now, what to do about my blood-stained clothes? I could use the <Clean> scroll to tidy myself up, but I only had one. I wondered if I should save it. If I ran into more goblins, I’d just end up in the same state anyway. On the other hand, if I wanted to learn the magic, I needed to use the scroll.

Yeah, let's use it!

I couldn't stand the smell. My nose was starting to go numb to it, which was a bad sign in its own way. I could easily see a future where I got used to the stench, forgot about it, and then got treated like a pariah by everyone on the surface because I smelled like a rotting corpse.

Well, fellow adventurers might be used to it, but still.

To be honest, I was also just itching to use magic. It might be a bit of a waste, but I couldn't suppress my curiosity.