At the very bottom, there was only one "Goblin Minion" talent, and the talents of other monsters seemed to require this talent as a foundation.
Naturally, Lynn did not hesitate and spent a point to activate it. As the point was invested, a red light appeared at the very bottom of the talent tree, filling up the root. What followed was a modification of his physical vessel; a cool sensation swept through his body, and then Lynn felt as if a slightly cold energy had appeared inside him.
The specific bonus of the talent emerged:
【Goblin Minion: Stealth Level +1】
Stealth?
It sounded like a Rogue class skill from the online games of his previous life.
But Lynn could indeed feel a skill that felt like an instinct added to his mind, just like a human's natural sucking reflex.
Crouching down slightly, Lynn felt his presence shift, becoming like the weeds by the roadside, completely inconspicuous.
Moreover, his body also became slightly transparent. The change wasn't major, reducing his visibility by only about thirty percent, but combined with the erasure of his presence, the overall effect was very powerful.
Additionally, Stealth also provided a certain degree of night vision. When he activated Stealth, the entire world before his eyes glowed green, making it feel almost as if he were wearing infrared night-vision goggles.
What is this, making it easier for thieves to steal things?
Lynn grumbled in his mind.
But even if there were things to complain about with this skill, Lynn still couldn't help but marvel at how wondrous the skills of this world were.
If utilized well, the effect of a single skill could surpass several attribute points.
After checking his gains, Lynn looked back at the talent tree to see if his remaining Talent Point could activate anything else. Unfortunately, the potential of the goblin bloodline was indeed very low, with very few branches on the tree. Above Goblin Minion, there was temporarily only a single, solitary path—
【Activate "Strong Goblin" talent? Consumes Talent Point (Goblin) *5】
To get stronger, he had to kill more goblins.
Perhaps this meant that Lynn's peaceful farming life was about to come to an end.
Where were the Talent Points?
Lynn looked around. Not far away, two more goblins were greedily fighting over corn that had fallen in the field.
I need Talent Points, and those two goblins happen to have two heads on their shoulders.
How could there be such a perfect coincidence?
The corners of Lynn's mouth curled up slightly. Crouching down, he entered the "Stealth" state.
Thus, the scene from the beginning occurred.
Relying on Stealth, Lynn sneaked close to the monster before it could notice him, pierced its waist, and killed it.
But besides obtaining a Talent Point, there seemed to be other gains. Though it had clearly been just a simple, unadorned straight thrust, Lynn felt that the sensation upon hitting was unusual.
It was no longer the previous feeling of resistance that required all his strength to pierce the goblin's body. Instead, it was... smooth? It was like stabbing into butter, without the slightest resistance. The iron tool pierced through the left kidney and penetrated all the way to the right kidney, utterly destroying the goblin's "future happiness."
He felt a sudden flash of insight, but it was like being shrouded in a layer of mist, preventing him from grasping the exact realization. Lynn had entered a state of flow, and the 《Monster Identification Manual》 faithfully recorded the harvest of this battle:
“During combat with a goblin, Adventurer Lynn coincidentally struck a weak point in the waist. Having gained some insight, he has unlocked the skill 「Kidney Strike」.”
“Current 「Kidney Strike」 Proficiency: Lv.1 (1/10)”
He had actually unlocked a new skill!
Kidney Strike... It wasn't the most elegant name, but its effect was outstanding against humanoid creatures like goblins.
“Damned human!” (Goblin tongue)
Right then, the sole survivor of the goblins finally noticed Lynn's presence. Even though several of its companions had already died to Lynn's pitchfork, this remaining goblin still did not choose to run when facing such a "powerful" enemy.
The monsters here were not cowardly.
For monsters of the evil alignment, chaos and death were what they pursued.
It gibbered a bunch of Goblin words that Lynn couldn't understand, and then brandished the spear in its hand—which was only a spear relative to its own height—and charged at Lynn.
But Lynn, immersed in his state of flow, barely paid attention to the thrusting spear. Sidestepping slightly, he let the spear miss entirely, and immediately after, he thrust the pitchfork out once more, striking the waist and destroying the kidneys again.
The green-skinned runt skewered on the fork fell to the ground, lifeless.
Having killed a monster by piercing its waist once again, Lynn's understanding of "Kidney Strike" deepened a bit more.
「Kidney Strike」 Proficiency +1. Current: Lv.1 (2/10)
Killed 1 Goblin Minion. Obtained Talent Point (Goblin) *1
Lynn looked around once more.
In the field, all the goblins had been swept clean.
Map cleared. Nice and clean.
Putting away the stray thoughts in his mind, Lynn turned and walked back toward the village.
The setting sun was like blood, and the breeze blew as before.
...
On his way back to the village, he didn't encounter any other dangers.
But when he reached the village entrance, Lynn realized that although it should have been time to light the fires and cook, not a single wisp of smoke was rising from the village.
Oh no.
Lynn instinctively felt a wave of unease.
He quickened his pace. When he finally rushed back to the village entrance, Lynn let out a sigh of relief. The villagers were all gathered at the entrance, forming a tight circle, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.
Fortunately, the scene of bodies strewn everywhere that Lynn had imagined did not appear.
Otherwise, Lynn would really have to wonder if he was some kind of jinx.
Just as Lynn was planning to find someone to ask about the situation, a warm, soft body suddenly threw itself into his arms.
Looking down, he saw a blonde farm girl who had already buried her head in his chest.
“Sarah...”
It was his childhood friend, Sarah.
The farm girl carried a fresh scent of grass and wood, which was refreshing to the senses. Her petite body trembled slightly in Lynn's arms, as if conveying her helplessness.
Although he and Sarah were childhood friends, this was the first time they had ever been so intimate. Lynn was a bit flustered and didn't know where to put his hands, but in the end, he could only gently stroke Sarah's soft, blonde hair.
Sarah sobbed and said, “Lynn... Why weren't you here when the goblins entered the village just now? I thought... I thought you...”
Hearing this, Lynn frowned slightly.
Goblins entered the village?
This was undoubtedly bad news. This was because small groups of two or three goblins wouldn't dare to attack a village, so if they were boldly invading, it meant that there were at least twenty of them in this group.
Rate on N.U.
