212 A swift death

Kazumi assertively looked on all sides to notify Vincent if a complication arises.

Kazumi estimated the probability of the goblins attacking them wasn’t very high but neither low. Furthermore, if Vincent, Ester, and Lupa kill the grizzly bear and become tired from fighting, the goblins might think they have a fighting chance against the new three intruders.

The grizzly bear was about to swing his paw when it felt a sudden intense bloodlust crawling down its spine and a sense of dread hindering its movement. The grizzly bear felt as if a deadly predator was planning to hunt and devour anything in its path.

After hearing, “Play with the big boys, you lump of fur!” with a hoarse wild voice, the grizzly bear stopped and slightly flinched.

The old goblin and the two goblins beside him fell on their knees after the intense bloodlust enhanced with Overheat Vincent was emitting made their knees go weak. The injured goblin on the ground fainted immediately.

[The murderous intent has also incapacitated the goblins, hah. You better move the fight somewhere else because they can’t move. I think more than enough died while we assessed the situation to take on the grizzly bear or not.]

-Yes, I will make this bear check in the accumulated karma. –

The glaring Vincent opened his hands and charged towards the grizzly bear. He ran and ran, doing his best not to let the gore and blood distract his charge. Vincent experienced enough how a split second of doubt could lead to death.

The grizzly bear extended its arms when it saw the presence permeating an aura of death wanted to have a challenge of strength.

.....

*Thud*

A pair of large paws met with a pair of hot mutated hardened gauntlets. The grizzly bear planted its feet into the ground, but it was futile as Vincent used the momentum to push the grizzly bear back even if it did its best to resist his charge.

“Ester, move the goblins from here. I don’t want to see the ones the gray goblin tried to save die here.” Vincent ordered while pushing the grizzly bear with all his strength.

“Okay.” Ester agreed. She stopped maintaining her Wind Sigil and went to assist the oldest goblin first.

The grizzly bear became enraged after losing to a challenge of strength, to a human instead of a bear. The grizzly bear opened its large gaping maws and attempted to bite Vincent’s head off.

Vincent smirked as he saw this attack from a mile away. Vincent had already considered what could happen while pushing the grizzly bear.

Vincent stopped pushing and used all his strength to remove his hands from the grizzly bear’s grip as quickly as possible. Then with a sly grin as if he was expecting this move, Vincent clenched his fist without a second of hesitation and...

*CLAMP!*

The loud sound of large maws riddled with sharp teeth getting forcefully shut by powerful and precise uppercut caused the running goblins to stop fleeing to take a glance.

The goblins became exceedingly terrified by the human’s appearance, drenched in bloodlust with the ability to stand toe to toe against the grizzly bear. However, the goblins also noticed a strange scene. They saw a red-headed woman helping an injured goblin with the oldest goblin walking beside her.

The goblins became confused and thought their eyes were playing tricks on them because of fear. However, one after the other, they slowly and cautiously approached the oldest goblin to understand what was happening. It seemed the approval of the oldest goblin made them think differently of the humans that appeared.

The grizzly bear took a step back and glared at Vincent with its maws slightly trembling from pain. The anger it felt became immeasurable, so it decided to kill Vincent with its second-most potent attack.

A pair of large paws raised in the air and swiftly fell on Vincent to maul him to death. However...

*Clang*

Sparks flew, yet blood not. The mutated blood gauntlets didn’t even have a scratch from the attack. Since Vincent has more strength stat than the grizzly bear, he didn’t lose his guard as well.

Vincent cracked his neck and mocked with a smirk, “That’s all you got?”

Vincent hastily stopped guarding and extended his hands to grab a finger from each of the bear’s paws. A plan he made on the spot to prevent the bear from attacking and hopefully hindering its movements.

Now that the destructive force was sealed temporarily, it was the right moment Vincent waited for to shout, “Lupa! Ambush!”

historical

Without giving a chance for a breather after uttering the letter “h” of the word “ambush,” in the blink of an eye, Lupa jumped from a tree and cross-slashed the back of the grizzly bear’s neck.

*Roar...*

The grizzly bear let out a pained roar. The wound wasn’t deep enough to cause instant death nor to lop its head off.

Lupa fell on all fours with an angered frown on her face. She became angry that the head was still attached. It meant her claws weren’t sharp enough and her strength as well. No reward for her.

Lupa noticed the grizzly bear opening its large maws with its teeth pointing at Vincent’s neck again. However, before she could curve her fingers and extended her claws to attack again, Lupa abruptly stopped, and the menacing glare gradually faded to one of slight sadness.

Vincent was in a tight spot at the moment. ‘I need one good hit.’ He thought while trying to come up with a plan.

*Pop* Was the sound the two fingers Vincent was holding with a tight grip made. He broke two of the grizzly bear’s fingers at the same time.

Vincent glanced at the grizzly bear and saw its pained, contorted face wincing at the new sensation of pain rushing to its brain.

After Vincent confirmed that his plan was working, he opened his arms sideways with the grizzly bear’s fingers still in his grip to reveal a defenseless chest and stomach begging to get attacked.

Vincent clenched his toes and pumped his calf. However, as he was about to deliver a knee to the grizzly bear’s stomach with all the power he can muster, a turbulent wind flapped his clothes and blew away the green steam. Accompanying the sudden wind was a back pressing against his chest and a red hair waving along with the wind.

It didn’t take long for Ester and Vincent to...

*Boom! Splat!*

A red mist and rain of gore surrounded their location in the blink of an eye. As Vincent had previously told Ester, both were now painted red and covered in gore.

Lupa, however, jumped back and hid behind a tree, sheltering her from the same coloring fate.

*Thud* Fell the grizzly bear on a puddle of its blood. On the grizzly bear’s face was an expression showing how bewildered it was at the moment of death from the sudden explosion.

[I won’t say it was an easy win, but the grizzly bear had overall solid stats. It would’ve been a problem if it was a Magical Beast. But I don’t want to rain... rain blood on your parade, hahaha.]

Vincent didn’t like the joke since he wasn’t too fond of his new appearance. Vincent lowered his gaze and noticed Ester looking at her hands, lightly trembling from what just happened.

Vincent wrapped his gauntlet-covered arms around her waist and encouraged with a tender yet hoarse voice, “Nice fireworks. I told you to believe in yourself, and now look at what you did. You killed a grizzly bear as strong as three of you combined into one. I’m proud of you, my Ester.”

[Vincent, sorry to break your flirting, but the goblins are approaching us.]

Vincent turned around and menacingly glared at the goblins to display his resolve to attack if threatened.

“Please. Human. Spare. Our. Lives.” The oldest goblin said with difficulty. On the goblin’s head now was a small crown made of weed with a couple of small leaves protruding from the sides. Additionally, in his hand was a small brach used as a walking stick. On it was a symbol carved on the top.

[Yep, they can... Ouch...]

-What’s wrong?-

Vincent became worried after Kazumi sounded in pain. It didn’t sound like she was joking nor teasing for a reaction.

-Are you okay? Talk to me.-

[I... I remember something. I think I taught goblins how to speak our language. How to escape from humans. How to best hide from humans. How to... well, let’s say a lot of things.]

Vincent became surprised, causing the goblins to look strangely at him for losing his menacing glare and make a surprised face.

[I know what you are thinking and no. The Book Of Heroes does not depict the memories I remembered. The mark on the goblin elder’s staff of leadership is my mark. A proof I left to let someone I can’t remember do something... hmm, not to attack them perhaps?]

[Well, either way... I don’t know. Looking at the staff helped me recall fragmented memories of my past. This goblin tribe must be descendants of ones I taught.]

[But it feels weird watching a beautiful Japanese woman with a great figure and.]

-Ahem! Don’t boast about your previous body too much. Now is not the time.-

-Changing the subject, can I assume this discovery will lower the chances to get attacked.-

[Not necessary. So choose your words wisely.]

‘Let me start with an ice breaker then.’ Vincent decided.

“We mean no harm to all goblins. ” Vincent said with a threatening hoarse voice, a brightly soul-piercing emerald gaze, and green steam exiting from multiple places, making him seem like a human demonic beast.