The King Of Goblins, Frightened

Walking down the aisle, a revolting stench hit Lin Moyu's face, forcing him to cover his nose. The passage stretched out for a kilometer, its iron gates flung wide open, the once savage wolves behind them completely wiped out.

At the end of the passage, a massive mine pit came into view. Its diameter spanned over a kilometer, dark and deep, impossible to see the bottom. A spiraling passage descended into the abyss, populated by goblin monsters. They were clad in armor, wielding large knives, and patrolled in pairs along the path.

[Elite Goblin Warrior (Enhanced Elite Monster)]

Level: 15

Power: 900

Agility: 800

Spirit: 400

Physique: 900

Their attributes weren't overwhelming, nothing even reaching a thousand. Lin Moyu wasn't concerned.

With a single motion from him, his army of skeletons surged forward, rushing into the mine. The enhanced elite goblins, formidable as they seemed, were no match. One by one, they fell under the relentless assault of the skeleton warriors.

[Kill Level 15 Goblin Elite Warrior, Experience +4500]

[Obtain Animal Bones x6]

Notifications of success flashed continuously. Lin Moyu ordered his army to fight freely, clearing the mine with brutal efficiency. The goblins may have been strong, but the experience and materials they provided made them valuable targets. Compared to regular monsters, these elites were worth far more.

"In the future, I'll try soloing hell-level dungeons for more experience," Lin Moyu thought with a quiet confidence.

If anyone else heard this, they'd likely laugh—or spit in disbelief. Soloing a hell-level dungeon was unheard of. Nightmare-level dungeons were already legendary achievements in human history. Those who had attempted hell-levels alone never returned.

But Lin Moyu was different.

As he descended deeper into the mine, his skeletons clearing the way, his experience meter steadily climbed, reaching 99%. Just one more push, and he'd level up. Only the final boss of the dungeon remained.

"Once I defeat it, I should hit level 12," he calculated. In just over an hour, he'd gained over a level. The efficiency was staggering. With just a few more rounds of nightmare difficulty, level 16, 18, or even 19 seemed within reach. Entry into Xiajing Academy was all but guaranteed.

"Sister, we'll meet soon," he thought, a rare smile flickering on his face as he recalled Lin Mohan.

The final boss sat at the heart of the mine. Its massive jaws gulped down air, each breath like the rumble of thunder reverberating through the cavern. Every exhale whipped up a hurricane, nearly knocking Lin Moyu off his feet.

The Goblin King was unaware of the massacre happening outside. It slumbered in ignorance, a state that Lin Moyu's detection technique soon shattered.

[Goblin King (Leader-Level Monster)]

Level: 16

Power: 3000

Agility: 1500

Spirit: 1500

Physique: 3000

Skills: Flame Jet, Sweep, Knock Back

Its stats were slightly stronger than the Mine Wolf King's, particularly in strength and constitution. Lin Moyu mused that even one of his skeleton warriors could go toe-to-toe with it.

As soon as the Goblin King opened its eyes and saw Lin Moyu, it roared and leapt to its feet, swinging its massive sword in a vicious arc toward him. The blade came down with a terrifying force, but Lin Moyu didn't flinch. His gaze remained calm, even mocking, as the sword halted just centimeters from his head, stopped by an invisible force.

Damage transfer.

Any attack that landed on Lin Moyu would be borne by his summoned creatures instead.

But something was off. Lin Moyu's expression shifted slightly as he sensed something wrong. His skeleton warriors had all been hurt. Their soul flames flickered violently, their once bright forms now dimmed, and fine cracks had appeared in their bones.

"How?" Lin Moyu muttered, surprised.

Even as the massive blade had swung toward him moments ago, he hadn't blinked. Yet now, seeing his skeletons damaged, he felt a rare unease.

He quickly retreated, allowing the skeleton warriors to surround the Goblin King, attacking furiously. Each blow struck with precision, tearing into the massive beast, but Lin Moyu was lost in thought.

The damage transfer should have evenly distributed any harm he would have taken among his summons. So why had the skeletons been hurt so badly?

Then it clicked.

His own constitution was weak—only 120 points. His defenses were far too low to absorb an attack from a monster with 3000 strength. The damage transfer had calculated the attack based on his frail body, ignoring the defenses of his skeletons.

Had the blow directly hit one of the skeleton warriors, they would've sustained far less damage.

"I'm the weak link," Lin Moyu realized.

"If I increase my constitution and defense, my summoned army will grow even stronger."

With renewed determination, Lin Moyu watched as his skeleton warriors continued their relentless assault on the Goblin King. As powerful as it was, it wouldn't stand a chance against him—not now, not ever.