Morning in Roland Town was as noisy as ever.

The starving commoners rose early. Even if hunger had kept them awake until midnight, they dared not indulge in a moment of extra sleep for fear of missing the few work opportunities available.

News had spread last night that several young women had been abducted by Goblins. The Patrol Team, who usually paraded around with their noses in the air, had been completely useless. The town’s flimsy outer wall was no match for the Goblins’ insatiable greed.

The breach created by a Mutated Goblin a few days ago still hadn’t been repaired. Only a shoddy collection of fences had been put up, which the Goblins had long since torn to pieces...

But the townsfolk hardly cared about such news anymore. After all, just staying alive took everything they had.

Adventurers gathered in their designated areas. Most lingered near the Association, while those not planning to take on any quests today were, as usual, drinking and boasting in the taverns since early morning.

No matter how hard times got, these people who lived with their lives on the line would never go hungry. In fact, they were living even more comfortably.

The world was full of wealthy people who were more than happy to spend a little coin posting quests at the Association to solve their problems.

Inside Batora Tavern, the largest in town, the air was buzzing with conversation.

"There are more and more Goblins lately..."

A Half-Beastman, whose arms were twice as thick as a commoner’s thigh, grumbled as he chugged a large mug of ale.

The faint aroma of malt mixed with alcohol made him let out a satisfied sigh.

"I went to Loran Forest yesterday and took down six of ’em in one go!"

"Haha, with a big frame like yours, killing Goblins is as easy as slaughtering chickens."

A Ranger next to him clapped him on his brawny arm. "More Goblins is actually a good thing for us. The bounty on them has gone up. If there aren’t any good quests, just killing a few Goblins each day is enough to keep us living well with good food and wine."

"But if there are too many, it could lead to trouble..."

The Assassin at the same table, who rarely spoke, chimed in, taking a small sip of his wine.

"If a High Tier Goblin were to emerge, it could lead to a disaster."

At the mention of this, the faces of many nearby Adventurers darkened. After all, about ten years ago, the Doria Kingdom had suffered a large-scale Goblin siege. The disaster had affected four cities and dozens of towns and villages, with casualties numbering in the hundreds of thousands!

The Kingdom’s population was reduced by a twentieth as a direct result!

"Let the Lord and his people worry about that stuff."

The Half-Beastman waved his hand dismissively. "Even if something like what happened ten years ago did occur, it wouldn’t have much to do with us. Worst case, we just move to another city, or even another kingdom. We’re Adventurers, where can’t we make a living?"

"If it really comes to that, we might not have time to escape..."

The Assassin muttered, but didn’t argue further. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

After all, it was just an increase in Goblins for now. The emergence of a High Tier Mutated Goblin that could command the various clans and form a tribe powerful enough to threaten the Kingdom was still a long, long way off.

...

Morning in Loran Forest always seemed so quiet and peaceful.

After finishing breakfast, the group packed up and followed the trail of the retreating Cursed Cat Demons.

"This way..."

Cody stood on a branch, carefully surveying the area below. In the previous battle, one of the Cursed Cat Demons had been badly injured and left a trail of blood.

This was the biggest advantage they had in their pursuit.

"It’s daytime, and that Cursed Cat Demon is injured. It can’t have gone far. It most likely found a place to hide and rest nearby. If we keep following the blood trail, we should find it soon..."

Bain said as he scanned their surroundings, wary of potential dangers.

Even though it was daytime, one could never let their guard down in Loran Forest.

Every Adventurer, during their path to growth, is often taught a lesson paid for with someone’s life: always respect the adventure, and always respect the forest.

Only by constantly remembering this could one have a chance to become a veteran Adventurer like him.

Everything went smoothly. They soon found another bloodstain not far away, leading them southeast.

Bain frowned slightly. The trees around them were growing taller and the forest deeper. They were getting very close to the Deep Forest Area.

The habitat of Cat Demons was normally on the border between the outer area and the Deep Forest Area. The Cursed Cat Demons, in particular, usually dwelled near the edge of the Deep Forest Area, or even within it.

Continuing the pursuit might be risky.

But as he had just said, the injured Cat Demon couldn’t have run far, and since it was morning, the risk was well within a manageable range.

The Deep Forest Area wasn’t some forbidden zone where entry meant instant death. The distribution of Demons in the forest actually followed a more gradual progression. The divisions into an outer area, the Deep Forest Area, and the Core Area were just rough classifications for easier understanding.

If they had only just entered the Deep Forest Area, it was practically no different from the outer area.

Bain had entered it more than once in his past adventures and had personally verified this fact.

Another five kilometers was an acceptable distance. If they still found nothing after that, they would have no choice but to give up.

"Isn’t it a little strange?" Lin Mo said, habitually glancing at his panel. "We’ve been walking for a while now, yet we haven’t run into a single Demon."

He had been hoping to grind some Skill Proficiency along the way.

"That’s actually quite normal..."

Bain explained, "Since two Cursed Cat Demons have appeared in this area, other Demons—be they Goblins or anything else—would instinctively stay away to avoid becoming their prey."

"So you’re saying this area is the territory of those two Cursed Cat Demons?"

"More or less."

Bain nodded. "However, Cat Demons are pack animals, so there might be other Cat Demons in this territory."

"Found them!"

As they were speaking, the voice of Cody, their scout, suddenly filled with excitement.

He leaped down from a tree and pointed into the distance. "Right up ahead."

Everyone’s eyes lit up. They all drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

"You two, be careful. Stick close and don’t fall behind," Bain warned the two younger members.

As for Lin Mo, in Bain’s eyes, this Adventurer younger than his own nephew was already a reliable comrade, not a rookie in need of protection.

The group fell silent, focusing their minds. They moved forward as quietly as possible in the direction Cody had pointed...