17 No More Points
Looking at the group from afar, Marcus frowned.
'This would be hard...'
Afterward, Marcus had then led his followers inside the overgrown grass maintaining their distance.
Stopping on an area, Marcus then went pondering.
Should they continue trying to hunt such a group?
The 9 armed goblins alone looked like a problem, then add to that a stage 2 creature whose limits he knew nothing about.
Marcus and his followers' statistics had been enhanced due to the increase of their stage completion rate, so it would be of course normal to think that the goblins too would have their bodies enhanced the more their rates grow. But considering that Marcus and his followers had even outrun the goblins yesterday with their 20%+ rate without their upgrade from last night, their agility probably wouldn't improve that much even with their rates spanning in the 40s and 50s percentage.
However, putting the problem of the archer goblins aside, even if Marcus and his followers could outrun the ordinary goblins, but what about that Garuka?
Many things about that Hobgoblin remain unknown.
Marcus only had superficial knowledge about goblinoids from an RPG game he had played during his free time in his past life.
From that game, Hobgoblins are stronger than a normal goblin. If a goblin is at level 1 - 25, then the hobgoblins would be at 26 - 50. Other games had other details, but generally, you could tell much that Hobgoblins are considered a higher evolution of normal goblins.
But without levels and stat points he could see here from games, having a good grasp of everyone's strength just from a single inspection would be impossible.
Still, using the difference of the stage completion rate, he could at least have a basic grasp of the goblinoids by comparing them with yesterday's goblins.
The goblins wearing leather armor at least would have been enhanced 2 - 3 times more. While the Hobgoblin then, considering that it had reached 100% before reaching the next stage should have at least been upgraded by 8 times compared to the goblins yesterday, and that too without considering the upgrades and new abilities it had gained after evolution. What's more, it had an iron armor, an iron long spear, and even looked intelligent.
In short, that Garuka is bad news and they should just leave it the fuck alone right now.
Marcus looked at his followers.
Compared to Marcus, his followers would be in a much greater danger considering that they are far slower than him.
Only the tiny variant could keep up with him in speed. Just from the growth it had last night, it seems that its enhancement is more focused on agility.
If Marcus was enhanced 2 times from last night's growth, then the tiny variant with its 16% rate had been enhanced more than 3 times in speed based enhancements.
If the Hobgoblin didn't exist, the two of them could probably harrassed the goblins to the point of annihilation.
But with Garuka, he would not just risk his death but even risked the variant's life.
Now, Marcus is thinking what if he goes alone in a bid to scout or even kill that Hobgoblin.
'If I enhanced myself speed wise...'
He could go with 4 agility enhancements or the reverse of having chicken legs in work out by enhancing his legs strength 40 times.
40 [Leg Strength Enhancement].
He would have the legs of someone whose every single day is leg day and would have legs equivalent to Exodia's.
40 potential points.
Should he use his points?
Of course, he would!
This was a chance for another harvest.
The goblins still didn't know that Marcus's group exists, and once this group of goblins returns with the information of such hunters, there's a possibility that they will be more cautious next time and at that point, Marcus and his followers' chances of ambushing goblins would grow lesser and lesser.
Such a chance was hard to come by. It was true that the goblins possess considerable strength but at least it wasn't completely unknown to him.
If he turns towards other areas right now, Marcus didn't know if the creatures there would be significantly stronger.
Chances are, they can even get killed immediately without having the ability to fight back.
The unknown is always far scarier.
Marcus then decided which enhancements he would like to have.
[Legs Strength has been enhanced... 1 potential point consumed!]
[Legs Strength has been enhanced... 1 potential point consumed!]
[Legs Strength has been en...] ...
[Agility has been enhanced... 10 potential points have been consumed!]
[Muscular Vitality has been enhanced... 10 potential points have been consumed!]
Potential Points: 0
His emergency points were now exhausted. He had been saving it at first for the [Pack Leader], but sometimes, it was better to be flexible. He just hopes that he would be able to recover the points he had consumed later.
At first, the pain from the upgrades wasn't worth mentioning, but after Marcus reached a certain point, he felt something change within his legs and an unbelievable pain arrived.
After the torturous suffering, a bit of change happened. On his system, to Marcus's surprise, what used to be 1 potential point cost of [Legs Strength Enhancement], became [Legs Strength Enhancement 2] which now costs 100 potential points.
Marcus thought of still focusing everything on his legs but due to the cost, he had to stop it right there.
Bullshit.
What used to be 1 became 100 suddenly. Normally if there was an increase, it would either be double the cost and even just 10 times would do.
Also, it seems that there was another side effect of the prior enhancements. In his discovery, Marcus found out that the control of his body became awkward and his sense of balance became off.
Only after he bought [Agility] and [Muscular Vitality] did he managed to offset such a feeling of imbalance a bit.
The feeling was still off, but he could only deal with it for now.
Still, even then, his legs felt very powerful!
Marcus started to perform consecutive lizard side jumps immediately, he couldn't contain the powerful feeling in his legs any longer.
'Ha! Look at this speed!'
The explosive strength of his legs had been upgraded.
He felt like he could move his legs more than 5 times faster than he was yesterday when they hunted the goblins.
With this, he could finally at least have a little confidence in harassing the group of goblins alone.
Still, he only needed a small number of points for such change?
Isn't this too easy?
'How does the System work?
'Sometimes, something helpful would cost a little, and other times something trashy would even cost expensive. Who even decides the cost of such things?'
The System was weird. But it was one of Marcus's current lifeline. If he could learn something about it, then it would be better.
But right now, he should use what he could for survival.
'I could go try scouting their strength now'
However, there was another problem. How could he tell his followers to wait? They always seem to follow him all the time.
Marcus looked behind him.
He could see a bunch of lizards side jumping.
They looked stupid in his eyes, but he probably looked the same earlier when he did it himself.
As usual, they are imitating him.
Marcus roared.
"Gather!"
After gathering his followers, Marcus then led them a bit closer towards the goblins.
...
"Stay!"
Marcus roared for the 3rd time. However, despite him doing so, his followers were still adamant in following him, making him want to have the capability to facepalm.
'Damn it'
"I. Scout..." "Lure. Enemy..." "You. All. Stay..."
Only after Marcus said such words, then did a change finally happened.
The variant follower suddenly began jumping forward and shouted.
"Leader! I Scout! I Lure! Me Fast!"
Afterward, another lizard came forward.
"Leader... Me... Bait..."
It was the one-armed follower. Following it, other followers too began suggesting themselves one after another.
Marcus looked at them in doubt.
Was it just his imagination, or for some reason, it seems that they are more intelligent than usual.
Marcus looked at them seriously, it seems that they had understood what he wanted to do, but they are still adamant on not wanting him to go alone.
It was hard, but at least they had understood him even a little. For such an understanding, Marcus decided to compromise a bit.
"I. Fast... I. Strong..." "I. Go..." "Together. With. One..."
Marcus then looked at the variant.
"You. With. Me..."
Shifting his gaze towards the others, he then said the words.
"You. All. Stay..."
...
"This is not from a one-horned rabbit!"
Garuka suddenly exclaimed after inspecting the goblin's corpse.
He knew this goblin. This goblin was weak, but he was somewhat cunning so the goblin left an impression on him of being a food thief.
From Garuka's inspection, the goblin had several wounds on its back and a fatal wound on its neck.
However, what's more shocking though is that its head was dug out precisely and had its brain eaten.
It was a horrific discovery!
What kind of monster would only eat the brains of their prey?
"Where are the others?"
Garuka inspected the place and found out that the group of goblins had separated their ways in the area.
And for all of them not able to return...
"That means, all of them must have been hunted down one by one..."
This was a problem.
No need to check for the others.
Garuka decided to report his discovery first to the old goblin head.
"Let's return..."
At first, the goblins Garuka had led were confused about the order since they had just arrived here, but considering it was their leader who was ordering such a thing, they had to follow his words.
Their leader, Garuka, had never been wrong...
However, when Garuka turned himself around to talk to his group, they haven't noticed the two lizards hiding in the vicinity.
One near the group, and one behind Garuka.
...
