Agu stole a glance at Lyle, observing the faint smile that appeared on the human's face. A heavy weight lifted from his heart.
This powerful human seed pleased with his response and had even accepted their offering.
Perhaps, not only could he save Big Brother Mukua, but he might also establish a relationship with this human powerhouse!
Thinking of this, a sense of excitent stirred within Agu. He felt more confident than ever that coming here in search of human aid was the right decision.
His tribe mbers had been too foolish—too timid, relying only on the ogres who viewed them as re backup rations.
Clang—
"You've provided quite a bit of useful information. That must have been troubleso," Lyle mused, lightly tapping the blade of his iron sword with his fingers. His expression was thoughtful.
"So... what kind of reward should I give you?"
As soon as the words left his lips, Agu's voice rang out, eager and filled with restrained excitent.
"Master, Agu requires no reward!"
Agu's emotions ran high. He quickly added, his voice trembling slightly, "As long as Master is willing to spare Big Brother Mukua, that is more than enough."
Saying this, Agu hesitated for a brief mont before his gaze subtly drifted toward Lyle's wrist—where a ping-pong-sized, tribal treasure was wrapped around it like an ornant.
"If Master is willing to return our tribe's treasure, our Gigu Tribe would be honored to assist you in gathering intelligence on the ogres."
Agu's voice carried a nervous edge, cautious yet hopeful.
Hehehe...
Lyle chuckled, his expression growing ever more gentle. He looked at Agu with a smile.
"A fine deal indeed."
The mont those words left his lips, Agu and the other two Hobgoblins' faces lit up with joy.
They had rely answered a few questions, yet they were already being rewarded? This was completely unexpected!
"Using a fourth-tier spell might be a little wasteful, but I need to test its effectiveness."
Lyle smiled as he raised his hand, pointing toward the air in front of him.
The Heating spell could raise the temperature of any object it touched—including the very air itself.
The three Hobgoblins knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with joy. However, as they looked at Lyle's empty palm, confusion flickered across their faces.
Then, in an instant—
Agu's expression changed dramatically. The joy vanished, replaced by sheer terror. His mouth opened as if to say sothing.
But before he could make a sound—
"Heating."
Lyle uttered two simple words.
Hummmm—
At the center of his outstretched palm, the air temperature surged instantly to 400 degrees. A faint red glow shimred across the air.
The once-refreshing forest breeze turned into a scalding inferno.
Agu inhaled instinctively, and the superheated air rushed down his throat, searing his vocal cords. His scream died before it could even escape.
A suffocating dizziness overwheld him.
Then, even the pain seed to vanish.
The dark green skin of the three Hobgoblins first swelled, turning an angry shade of red—their blood boiling, blood vessels rupturing.
55 EXP
62 EXP
63 EXP
[EXP Bar: 180/10,000]
White-hot steam hissed from their bodies, their forms shrinking as they dried up.
The Heating spell was continuous. It had already reached 300 degrees instantly, but over ti, it would keep rising—until it peaked at 1,200 degrees.
And so—
The three Hobgoblins, now reduced to shriveled corpses, began to show crimson, hairline cracks on their surfaces.
Just then—
Lyle felt a sudden wave of heat on his face. His expression flickered, and he swiftly canceled the spell, stepping back.
The scalding air burst outward, turning into a scorching heatwave. The surrounding leaves and underbrush withered instantly, yellowing as they curled into brittle husks.
Lyle took a breath—and even he felt the burning sting in his lungs. His nasal passages tingled painfully.
Despite only targeting the Hobgoblins, the sudden thermal expansion of the surrounding air had affected him as well.
This spell doesn't discriminate between friend and foe...
"Hiss... Looks like I can't use this spell carelessly," Lyle muttered, pinching his stinging nose. His gaze flicked to the three mummified corpses, then to his own tingling hands.
"The spell affects even the caster... This is definitely different from normal tiered magic."
"If this were a higher-tier spell, it wouldn't just be a burning sensation—it could be lethal."
Lyle frowned at the thought. If the heat continued rising uncontrollably, the spell would be dangerous to use without high fire resistance—or even complete fire immunity.
Behind him—
"A-Agu..."
Mukua, the surviving Hobgoblin, stared in horror at his comrades' shriveled remains. His voice trembled.
He had never expected that this smiling human—who had seed so reasonable—would wipe out Agu and the others in the blink of an eye.
Crunch!
A twig snapped underfoot.
Lyle turned toward the stunned Mukua, his expression light, his smile pleasant.
"You two seed close," he said casually. "Why don't you join him?"
Gulp.
Mukua's entire body shuddered. His throat bobbed. A pungent stench spread from his lower half.
"Y-you... You're going back on your word...!"
"You lied!"
Mukua scread in terror, twisting his upper body as he clawed at the dirt, desperately trying to crawl away.
"Don't kill !"
"I'm useful—I know the locations of many weaker Goblin tribes!"
"Human! Human, you promised! You promised!"
Blinded by fear, Mukua shrieked and pleaded, his emotions spiraling out of control.
Lyle stepped forward, iron sword in hand, closing the distance between them.
"A deal is only valid when both sides are equals," he said, his voice calm.
"If one side is too weak... the other simply devours them."
"It's the sa principle as your law of the jungle."
"Your friend, Agu, probably understood that. But he placed too much faith in his own intelligence. Humans aren't like ogres."
Lyle's voice remained even as he lifted his sword.
Then—
A flicker of movent caught his eye.
The bushes rustled.
Rustle— Rustle—
A small Barghest stumbled out from the undergrowth, looking disheveled.
"Awooo!"
The little Barghest shook its head, then locked its dark eyes onto Mukua. It hesitated for a mont—then bared its fangs, barking aggressively.
Lyle raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
He hadn't expected the creature to follow him all this way.
His lips curved slightly.
"How about dealing with it for ?" he said, lowering his sword.
"Awoo!"
The Barghest's eyes glead. Its bone-like chains rattled slightly as it lunged at Mukua.
Thud!
"Get away from !!" Mukua screeched, swiping at the Barghest and sending it flying.
Despite his injuries, Mukua was still far stronger than a re pup.
"Awoo!"
The little Barghest tumbled, shook itself off, then pounced again.
This ti, it circled behind Mukua, sinking its fangs into his crippled legs.
A guttural scream filled the air.
Monts later—
Crunch!
Mukua's head lolled unnaturally.
"Hah. Cowardice is ingrained in the Goblin race," Lyle remarked, shaking his head.
Mukua had the strength to fight back, yet he had wasted his last monts paralyzed by fear.
"Awoo..."
The Barghest sat on its haunches, licking blood from its muzzle. Its empty stomach rumbled.
Lyle glanced at it.
"Barghests are omnivores, aren't they?" He pointed at Mukua's corpse.
The pup's dark eyes glead. Without hesitation, it devoured the body whole.
Lyle watched, a little impressed.
"Huh. That could be useful for corpse disposal."
Then he turned away.
"Ti to go."
He took a few steps—then looked back.
The Barghest sat there, staring at him.
"What are you waiting for? Follow ."
"Awoo!"
The pup hesitated—then bounded after him.
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