CHAPTER 36: CHANCE!

"A village?" he whispered to himself, eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.

He remained perfectly still, his breath shallow, watching the guards. They stood firm, weapons in hand, unmoving, their yellowish eyes scanning the darkened surroundings with eerie patience. Xavier could tell—this wasn’t some ragtag watch. These goblins were disciplined, their formation tight, trained. A reckless charge would end in disaster. He needed a plan. Charging in blindly wasn’t an option.

Then it hit him.

A slow, cunning smile curled across his lips as a plan bloomed in his mind—simple, subtle, and absolutely effective. He knew it would take time, but it would work. He’d reduce their numbers silently, one by one, until there was no one left to warn those inside.

He crouched, fingers brushing over the damp earth until they closed around a relatively large stone. With practiced ease, he tossed it a few meters away to the right, far enough to not give away his location but close enough to be heard.

The goblins stiffened, exchanged glances, but didn’t move. They stayed rooted like statues, muscles tense, eyes sweeping.

Xavier frowned slightly, then picked up another rock, this one smaller. He aimed at a tree branch above and threw—crack! The branch snapped loudly from the impact.

That did it.

One goblin finally moved. It broke formation, stepping cautiously toward the source of the noise, its small body tense, steps silent as it disappeared into the foliage. Its curiosity had sealed its fate.

Xavier, who had been motionless this entire time, sprang into action.

Like a shadow, he crept behind the goblin, his hand closing tightly over its mouth before it could shriek. In the same breath, he brandished his dagger in his other hand. The blade slid against the goblin’s throat from the front, a clean, fluid motion that parted skin and bone like paper.

Green blood gushed in a silent spray. Its eyes widened in terror before the light faded from them. Xavier let the lifeless body slump gently to the ground, the silence of the forest undisturbed.

[You’ve slain an E-Rank Goblin]

[Your existence has been strengthened]

Xavier exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. These goblins were weak. Pathetically so. That gave him no thrill, Not that he wanted things to turn for the worst, but it would get really boring if things continued getting repetitive. But still the goblins were just too weak that a question rang in his mind.

’Why is it this easy? Is it their foolishness... or am i just becoming stronger?’

The answer was obvious.

Either way, this tactic worked too perfectly. He repeated the process again. Then again. Each time, a stone lured one out, and each time, his blade greeted them in silence. Goblin after goblin fell until only one remained.

But this last one was different. Cautious. Intelligent.

It didn’t take the bait.

Xavier watched from the shadows, throwing another rock—nothing. The goblin didn’t budge. Its eyes roamed too actively, body too tense. It knew something was wrong. It was waiting for something... for him.

"Tch..." Xavier cursed under his breath. No choice. He had to end this directly.

He stepped forward, slow and silent—but the goblin was faster. It spun around, and in a blink, pulled out a small bronze bell.

His eyes widened.

Ding—!

"Shit—!" Xavier’s eyes flared with urgency. Without thinking, he threw his dagger. It spun, slicing the air cleanly before slamming into the goblin’s throat, silencing it mid-ring. This was an instinctual action, but he actually killed the goblin with just that.

Ding—!!

The goblin’s eyes widened as it gurgled and fell to its knees. The bell dropped from its hand with a final ding, rolling in the dirt. The goblin collapsed, lifeless.

But the damage was done.

The sound echoed, sharp and damning, cutting through the silence of the forest like a blade.

Xavier didn’t wait—he was already moving, dagger retrieved and cleaned, body melting into the shadows. He slipped back beneath the cover of trees, eyes locked on the primitive gate the goblins had once stood guarding.

The gate was crude—wooden logs lashed together with vines, gaps wide enough to see through. It wasn’t strong, but it did its job. It kept things in, or out.

His heart pounded as he spotted movement. Goblins—lots of them—emerging through the gate, shouting in their harsh language. They were armed. More organized than he expected.

The gateway was too narrow for them all to exit at once.

Perfect.

If they came out one by one or in small groups, he had the chance to take them out before they could surround him.

’This is it... A chance!’

His pulse surged. He brandished his dagger, its blade shimmering faintly in the dim light. A sharp grin spread across his face, a grin that promised violence.

The first wave of goblins hesitated, confused by the lack of an obvious enemy. That moment of hesitation was all he needed.

From the shadows he emerged, silver hair catching the faint moonlight as his figure blurred into motion. He was fast—too fast.

The goblins’ eyes widened as a chill ran down their spines. There was something off about this human. Something unhinged. That crazed grin, the calm rage in his eyes—it terrified them.

Xavier crashed into them with deadly precision. These were just E-rank goblins, the weakest of the lot. They didn’t stand a chance.

He danced through them, dual daggers now in hand—long since abandoning the kitchen knife. They slashed, pierced, and carved through flesh like silk. Green blood sprayed violently, some splashing onto his cheek, warm and metallic. Goblin heads fell, limbs flew, torsos split. It was brutal. Vicious.

Exhilarating.

The thrill of the hunt... the rush of dominance... it stirred something inside him. It wasn’t just about survival anymore. Though it had never been about survival.

It was a high.

One goblin, slightly larger than the rest, charged with a crude wooden club.

"Hmm... this one wields a club, huh?" Xavier murmured, the side of his mouth curling. His eyes sharpened, focused, hungry.

He moved to meet the goblin head-on.