Startled, he slowly approached the direction where the sound had come from. There, three goblins were walking together, each holding a wooden club.
Subedei quickly slipped into a nearby thicket and hid himself.
"With my current strength… I might be able to take them down one by one."
Taking a deep breath, he picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it at the goblin walking at the very back.
When the stone struck, the goblin spun around, scanning its surroundings in confusion before cautiously heading toward Subedei.
As the goblin reached the bushes and was about to let out a scream upon spotting him, Subedei moved instantly, driving his wooden spear straight into its neck.
The goblin tried to cry out, its mouth opening wide but no sound came. Its eyes bulged in terror, fear etched clearly across its face.
Green blood sprayed from its neck, running down Subedei's face as the corpse collapsed heavily to the ground. The noise immediately drew the attention of the other two goblins.
Subedei tried to hide again, but it was already too late the remaining goblins had seen him.
The two goblins shrieked wildly and charged toward him.
"Grahh! Graaah!"
Pulling the stick free from the dead goblin's neck, Subedei didn't wait for them to approach this time. Instead, he rushed forward to meet them head-on.
As he closed the distance, one goblin lunged madly, raising its club high and swinging down.
Subedei dodged instinctively and plunged the stick deep into the goblin's neck.
A sharp crack echoed as bone snapped. Green blood sprayed everywhere, and the goblin collapsed instantly, lifeless.
As Subedei pulled the stick out, the last remaining goblin seized the opportunity and slammed its wooden club into Subedei's left arm.
He saw the blow coming out of the corner of his eye but couldn't evade in time.
"Aaaargh!"
Pain exploded through his arm, and he screamed as the stick slipped from his grip and fell to the ground. Having never taken such a powerful hit before, his vision blurred for a moment.
When his sight finally cleared, he saw the goblin raising its club again, aiming for his leg.
Subedei moved quickly, reducing the impact but failing to fully dodge.
"Aaah!"
The pain was intense, but he clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay standing.
As the goblin grinned grotesquely and swung again, Subutai raised one arm and caught the club bare-handed.
Blood ran down his arm as pain surged through him, but gritting his teeth, he lowered his body and scooped up a handful of dirt, throwing it straight into the goblin's face.
The dirt filled its eyes.
"Grahh! Graaah!"
The goblin screamed, dropping its club as it clawed at its eyes.
Enduring the pain, Subedei kicked the club aside and threw his entire body forward, tackling the goblin to the ground.
He climbed on top of it and tried to choke its neck, but one arm was numb from blocking the club, and the other throbbed violently, making it hard to move.
Even so, he forced his hands around the goblin's throat and squeezed but he couldn't apply enough strength.
"I have to kill this goblin. Right now."
"If I can't kill it… then I'll die."
"I can't die in a place like this."
Countless thoughts flooded his mind. Then, a crazed smile spread across his face.
Without hesitation, Subedei bit down hard on the goblin's neck.
The goblin screamed in agony and thrashed wildly.
"Grahhh! Graahh! Garkhh!"
Knowing that biting alone wouldn't kill it, Subedei clenched down harder and lifted his head with all his strength.
Flesh tore free.
Green blood sprayed everywhere. The goblin's eyes widened before its body went limp and motionless.
Spitting out the goblin's flesh, Subedei collapsed atop the corpse, gasping for breath.
The stench was unbearable a nauseating mix of blood and rot.
Clenching his teeth, Subedei barely managed to push himself up and stagger away from the body. Green blood dripped from his mouth, splattering onto the ground.
Finally, he lay on his back, staring up at the sky and lost consciousness.
Some time later, Subedei slowly opened his eyes.
Every part of his body screamed in pain when he tried to move.
Though both arms hurt, he forced them up to look. His hands were bruised and swollen, dried blood clinging to torn skin.
"I really need to be more careful… getting hit by a goblin hurts like hell."
His throat was dry. Thinking of water, he stood up and quickly wiped the dried green blood from his mouth.
When he tried to walk, his legs trembled violently, pain shooting through them. Enduring it silently, he began to drag himself forward.
An hour later, as he moved through the forest, Subedei encountered three goblins traveling alone and killed them.
He blinded them by throwing dirt into their faces, then swiftly drove his wooden spear into their necks or stomachs, killing them before they could react.
Eventually, he came upon a small stream. He quenched his thirst and rested for a while.
Stepping into the stream, he washed the goblin blood from his body. Without removing his clothes, Subedei stood in the middle of the water, quietly pouring it over himself.
After cleaning himself, he lay back in the stream, floating as he gazed up at the sky.
Despite his injuries, he was amazed that he could still kill goblins on his own.
"How big is this forest…?"
As the thought crossed his mind, a goblin's scream suddenly echoed from behind him.
"Graahhh! Garkhh! Garhhaa!"
Startled, Subedei quickly climbed out of the stream and stared toward the sound for a moment before gripping his stick tightly and advancing cautiously.
When he reached the source, he saw four goblins standing near the corpse of the last goblin he had killed.
Subedei immediately hid behind a tree.
His breathing quickened, and sweat soaked his palms.
Earlier, he had barely managed to defeat three goblins and had even lost consciousness afterward.
Now, there were four.
Looking down at the wounds on his hands, Subedei thought it would be best to leave immediately.
He took a step forward then stopped.
Gritting his teeth, he made a risky decision.
"If I can lure them one by one… I might be able to kill them."
Trying to steady himself, Subedei turned his gaze back and froze.
In the dim sunlight, the four goblins were viciously devouring the corpse.
Their teeth tore into flesh with wet crunching sounds. Green blood ran down their mouths, pooling into dark green stains on the ground.
Subedei stared in shock and disbelief. Having never seen anything like this before, his stomach churned violently, and he felt like vomiting.
But he knew it well.
If he vomited now… his life would likely end right here.