Chapter 8: Choice

Starting Unlimited Evolution from Grinding

Larry’s miserable state terrified Leo even more. Ignoring the pain in his injured thigh, he forced himself to stand up and staggered forward.

The mutated goblin behind him showed no hurry. It swung its club down again, savoring the sight of Larry’s twisted face. Only after Larry fainted did it hoist the bloodstained spiked club onto its shoulder and stride toward Leo.

The farce was over. Now it was time for a hearty meal, followed by the continuation of its breeding duties.

The injured Leo couldn’t run far. It didn’t even need to run. It simply walked over leisurely and soon stood behind him.

Leo could feel the heavy footsteps behind him, but he dared not look back. It was as if by not seeing, the dreadful fate wouldn’t happen.

Yet self-deception was a laughable comfort. That heavy hammer that had struck Larry came down again effortlessly, smashing his skull.

—At that very moment, a blade suddenly shot out from the side, piercing precisely into the eye socket of the mutated goblin Zadon at its most proud and relaxed moment.

“Roar—!”

It let out an angry roar and instinctively covered the wound, while a figure flashed past its remaining good right eye’s peripheral vision.

Lin Mo, who had been lurking in the shadows for a long time, finally seized the perfect opportunity. The instant he threw out the broken blade that once belonged to Renn, he surged forward at top speed, slashing before the mutated goblin could react.

The fierce slash hit exactly the eye that had been widened in pain and fury, splitting it in half with a clean cut!

Using the momentum, Lin Mo rolled on the ground to dodge the goblin’s reactive counterattack, then quickly retreated over ten meters, gasping heavily as cold sweat soaked his entire back.

What seemed like a smooth strike was actually the result of countless rehearsals and inner struggles. Only after confirming the enemy’s agility was inferior to his own, and that success was highly probable even if he failed, did he muster the courage to decisively strike at the perfect moment.

The gamble paid off.

Everything unfolded exactly as he had imagined. The monster before him was now blind, having lost both eyes.

Watching the furious Zadon roar and stagger about wildly in impotent rage, a smile finally appeared on Lin Mo’s face. Now, the roles of offense and defense had reversed!

For almost all creatures, eyesight was extremely important.

Especially in battle, without sight, it was difficult to judge the enemy’s position. Both offense and defense became nearly impossible. Most importantly, the uncertainty about the surroundings caused enormous psychological pressure.

Zadon was now exactly like that. Lin Mo didn’t even need to move. Zadon would suspiciously flail its weapon wildly, wasting its own energy.

Lin Mo slowly calmed his breathing and watched Zadon, panting heavily and swinging blindly, then casually picked up a stone and threw it.

The whistling sound cut through the air from the side. Zadon hurriedly swung its club again, only to strike at empty air once more.

Lin Mo did the same repeatedly, each time triggering the big guy’s reflexes. Before long, Zadon was so exhausted it could barely lift its arms.

“Damn… you… little bug, I’ll… kill you…”

With almost no strength left, Zadon could barely even speak its threats. Finally, it slumped to the ground and refused to fall for the trick again, letting Lin Mo pelt it with stones.

One hit, two hits, three hits…

A cold gleam flashed in Lin Mo’s eyes. The next moment, the blade in his hand lunged toward the mutated goblin’s chest.

Zadon still sat there, seemingly unaware.

“Roar—!”

But just as the blade was about to strike, it suddenly roared furiously and exploded upward, knocking the incoming blade away. Then it swung the spiked club, smashing heavily at…

Thin air in front of it.

Lin Mo sneered. He wasn’t foolish enough to risk close combat. He had merely picked up Larry’s weapon and thrown it.

“Damn… you damn it!”

Angry Zadon spoke more clearly, as if itching to smash Lin Mo’s head with the club.

But no matter how furious it was, it couldn’t land a single blow on Lin Mo.

Lin Mo picked up Leo’s weapon and threw it at Zadon again. Once more, Zadon fell for it straightforwardly, smashing the nearby tree trunk into splinters.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo took the chance to circle around and retrieve Larry’s weapon he had just thrown. He even took a running start and hurled it like a javelin, throwing with heavy force.

“Shhh—!”

This time, the blade finally pierced Zadon’s back. Though not hitting a vital spot, it firmly lodged into its abdominal cavity, blood immediately gushing from the wound.

The pain made Zadon increasingly desperate. It knew that if it couldn’t catch that sneaky little bug, it would soon bleed to death.

But Lin Mo gave it no chance, constantly maintaining a safe distance, even entering stealth to harass the goblin continuously. Seizing an opening, he picked up Leo’s weapon and drove it into Zadon’s chest.

Zadon was out of strength. This once arrogant mutated goblin now leaned against a tree, covered in blood and utterly miserable. Its breathing was shallow and weak.

It could no longer lift its weapon. Excessive blood loss made its consciousness fuzzy. Yet even so, that damn little bug had still not come close to finish it off, instead continuing to pick up stones from the ground and smash them on its forehead.

Only after smashing Zadon’s head into a “pig’s head,” ensuring it had no chance to fight back, did Lin Mo tighten his grip on the blade, stride forward quickly, and with one slash, decapitate the mutated goblin.

[Slash] Proficiency +5

[Stealth] Proficiency +5

Five proficiency points?

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment. Apparently, the proficiency gained varied depending on the monster defeated.

This made sense. Challenging stronger opponents yielded higher rewards.

But compared to that, he preferred to deal with less threatening goblins to grind skill proficiency.

The thrilling battle finally ended, and Lin Mo emerged victorious.

But the original five-person squad was now down to only himself.

He glanced at Leo’s corpse, then at Larry, who had been unconscious for a long time and likely already dead. Finally, his gaze landed on a tree not far away where Renn’s body lay quietly.

Beside him was a scarred girl.

Lin Mo slowly walked over and crouched before her, looking at the dry tear stains on her face and her hollow eyes.

“Thank you.”

The girl spoke softly. She had witnessed that damned monster fall and its desperate struggles before death. Like her parents, who had been captured and dragged here, enduring two agonizing days in this dark cave, watching her suffer abuse from those goblins, and finally, just yesterday evening, being brutally murdered before her eyes…

Yet her heart held no joy of vengeance, barely any sorrow left. Only a peaceful stillness remained.

Lin Mo extended his hand to the girl, but she gently shook her head and breathed quietly and steadily.

The air, heavy with bloodstains yet carrying a hint of fresh grass, filled her lungs as she greedily took a deep breath. Her expression froze at that moment.

—She pulled out the dagger tied to Renn’s boot and slowly but resolutely plunged it into her own chest.

At the instant pain struck, a flicker of relief flashed in her eyes. Using her last strength, she embraced her family member beside her, leaning against Renn’s shoulder and looking toward the warm sun on the horizon.

The dazzling sunlight made her squint. Sparse birdsong came from the woods, and a gentle breeze brushed her cheek, just like that afternoon years ago under the shade of trees, where they had nestled close, dreaming of the future...