Agu stole a glance at Adam, noticing the smile on his face. Relief flooded him.
This human was pleased with his answers and had accepted their offerings.
Perhaps not only could they save Mugu-nii, but they might also forge a connection with this powerful human!
The thought sparked joy in Agu, reaffirming his decision to seek out the human.
His tribe's companions were too foolish, cowardly, and reliant on the trolls who treated them as spare food.
Clang~
"You've provided valuable intel. Thanks for the trouble." Adam said, his face thoughtful as he tapped a finger lightly on his sword's blade. "So, what reward should I give you?"
With a flicker of thought, Adam considered his options.
"Lord, Agu needs no reward." Agu said, his voice tinged with excitement and barely suppressed eagerness. "Just spare Mugu-nii."
He paused, then cautiously lifted his head, his gaze settling on the ping-pong-ball-sized tribal treasure wrapped around Adam's wrist. "If you could return our tribe's treasure, the Gigu Tribe will aid you in gathering all information about the trolls."
Agu's voice trembled with nervous anticipation.
"Hehe." Adam chuckled, his expression softening further as he smiled at Agu. "Quite a fine trade."
"I've decided on your reward."
At his words, Agu and the two goblins lit up with delight. They hadn't expected such an unexpected boon for merely answering questions.
"Using a fourth-tier spell might be a bit wasteful, but it's a good chance to test its power." Adam said, smiling as he raised his palm toward the empty air.
The Warm spell could warm touched objects, so naturally, it could heat the air as well.
The three kneeling goblins looked up eagerly, but their faces turned to confusion as Adam aimed his empty palm at them.
Then, Agu's eyes widened in realization, his joy morphing into terror. He opened his mouth to speak.
But in the next moment!
"Warm."
Adam uttered one word.
Hum!
Centered on his palm, the fourth-tier Warm spell instantly raised the air's temperature to 400 degrees. A red flash pulsed through the air.
The comfortable forest air around the three goblins turned scalding in an instant!
Agu's mouth opened, but searing heat surged in, charring his vocal cords and throat.
Suffocation dizzied him.
Pain vanished as if numbed.
The dark green skin of Agu and the others swelled, turning crimson as their blood boiled and vessels burst.
[Gained 55 Experience]
[Gained 62 Experience]
[Gained 63 Experience]
[Experience: 180/10000]
White-hot steam seeped from their skin, and their bodies began to shrivel.
Warm was a sustained spell. After spiking to 300 degrees, the temperature continued climbing, reaching up to 1200 degrees.
Thus!
The surfaces of Agu and the two goblins, now desiccated corpses, began to glow with hairline threads of fiery red.
At that moment, Adam felt a scalding heat on his cheek. He swiftly canceled the spell and stepped back.
The blistering air rolled outward in waves, instantly curling and yellowing the surrounding branches and bushes.
Inhaling the hot surge, Adam struggled to breathe, his nostrils stinging.
Though aimed at the goblins, heating the air affected him too, the expanding heat waves indiscriminate.
Warm clearly didn't distinguish friend from foe!
"Tch, this spell can't be used carelessly." Adam muttered, rubbing his stinging nose. He glanced at the three goblins, now dried husks without so much as a scream.
His gaze shifted to his burning, scalded palm.
"Even the caster is affected. It's definitely different from standard tiered magic."
"Good thing it's only fourth-tier. Higher tiers might cause more than just burns."
Imagining a higher-tier Warm spell, where even the caster faced terrifying temperatures, sent a chill down his spine.
"Unless I gain fire resistance, or full fire immunity, this spell becomes less practical the higher its tier."
The thought crossed Adam's mind.
Behind him, Mugu stared at the mummified remains of Agu and the others, his face pale with terror, voice shaking. "A-Agu…"
He hadn't imagined that Adam, smiling and approachable moments ago, would kill them so abruptly.
Crunch!
A twig snapped underfoot.
Adam turned, smiling easily at the stunned, terrified Mugu. "Since you two were so close, you can join them."
Gulp.
Mugu shuddered, a foul stench rising as he wet himself.
"Y-you don't keep your word…" He stammered.
"You don't keep your word!" Mugu shrieked, twisting his upper body and clawing at the ground to crawl away.
"Don't kill me!"
"I'm still useful! I know about many lowly goblin tribes!"
"Human, human, you promised!"
Death's terror drove Mugu into a frenzied wail.
Adam calmly stepped toward the crawling goblin.
"A trade assumes both parties are equals. If one is too weak, they're simply devoured by the stronger."
"That's the same as your 'jungle law.' You don't get it, but that Agu should have."
"Too bad he trusted his cleverness too much. Humans aren't like trolls."
Adam spoke evenly, raising his iron sword.
Hm?
His gaze flicked to a faintly rustling thicket ahead.
Rustle!
The Invisible Hound cub stumbled out, positioning itself in front of Mugu.
"Wrrf!"
Shaking its head, the cub's black eyes glanced at the terrified Mugu, then at Adam. After a brief pause, it bared its teeth, growling fiercely at Mugu.
Adam raised an eyebrow, surprised.
He hadn't expected the cub to be so tenacious, tracking him this far. A spark of interest crossed his face.
"How about you deal with him?" Adam said, lowering his sword and addressing the cub.
"Rarf!"
The cub's eyes gleamed, its bone chain swaying slightly as it lunged at Mugu.
Thud!
"Get off!" Mugu screamed, swatting the cub away with a panicked swing, then resuming his desperate crawl.
Despite his broken legs and injuries, Mugu's dual-class strength far outmatched the cub's.
"Woof!" The cub yelped, scrambling up and shaking its head before charging again.
This time, it didn't attack head-on. Instead, it circled behind Mugu, biting at his severed legs.
Soon, screams and wails filled the air.
Moments later, a crack echoed.
Caught off guard, Mugu's neck snapped under the cub's jaws.
"Cowardice and fear of death are truly ingrained in the goblin race." Adam remarked, shaking his head at Mugu's swift demise.
With Mugu's strength, killing the cub should've been easy, but terror had paralyzed his judgment.
"Wrrf."
The cub, battered and bloodied with Mugu's gore matting its black fur, stood resiliently. As a magical beast, even as a cub, its stamina and endurance were remarkable.
Grr~ Grr~
Its flattened belly rumbled loudly.
"Woof." The cub looked up at Adam, eyes pleading.
"Aren't Invisible Hounds omnivorous?" Adam said, glancing at the cub, then pointing to Mugu's corpse.
The cub's eyes flickered. It dove into the corpse, devouring it ravenously.
To Adam's astonishment, the goblin's body, over twice the cub's size, was entirely consumed!
The cub's once-flat belly now bulged roundly.
"Quite an appetite. Handy for disposing of corpses." Adam mused, observing the cub. Despite its fierce appearance, it gazed at him pitifully.
"Time to go." Adam said, glancing at the jungle. He lifted his sword and turned to leave.
A few steps later, he paused, looking back at the cub, still sitting and watching him. "Well? Hurry up."
"Wrrf!"
The cub froze, then its black eyes sparkled. It scrambled after him, limbs bounding eagerly.
***
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