I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

A ghoul was cleaved in two along its central axis, the clean cut of which was chilling.

The other one was swept across by the axe, like a pottery jar struck by a heavy hammer, its upper body instantly shattering.

Another creature tried to climb and bite his leg armor, but he smashed its skull with the handle of his axe, splattering red and white matter onto the swamp moss.

A ferocious beast!

Compared to Garu's introverted personality, his powerful and heavy fighting style is more in line with Xia Lin's stereotype of orcs.

Druid Griffin did not engage in melee combat; compared to the orc's brutality, his fighting style appeared much quieter and gentler.

The ancient oak cane in his hand gleamed with a faint green light, its tip lightly touching the ground as he murmured short, powerful syllables.

The tree roots and vines lurking in the surrounding swamp stirred at the sound of the rhythm, leaping out like living snakes to entangle and bind several ghouls that were trying to circle around.

They then twisted their limbs into bizarre angles, or lifted them high and then slammed them heavily onto hard rocks and tree roots.

He tapped his short staff lightly, and another "entangled roots" sprang out from the swamp, tripping and binding a ghoul that was trying to pounce on the flank guards, twisting it into a pretzel shape.

Griffin's gaze was then involuntarily drawn to the battlefield on the other side.

There, the young adventurer Xia Lin was clearing away the ghouls that were attacking him with an almost ruthless efficiency.

Griffin's brow twitched involuntarily.

So fast?

As a veteran druid who has been active in the adventurer's world for many years, Griffin has seen all kinds of adventurers.

He had heard about Xia Lin from his composed former teammate.

A young newcomer who is progressing rapidly and whose fighting style is somewhat "unique".

Tagan's original words were, "His moves were ruthless and cunning, unlike those of a novice."

Griffin took it at the time as a kind of flattering compliment from Tugen to a younger colleague.

After all, the last time they cooperated to clear out the chicken-snake beast, the battle ended too quickly, and Xia Lin mainly played the role of restraining and cooperating.

Griffin's attention was mainly focused on dealing with the monsters and commanding the vines, and he did not carefully examine the young man's specific strength.

But now he had ample time to "observe".

Four ghouls attacked from different directions.

Griffin predicted that even an experienced warrior would find it quite difficult to deal with, requiring them to parry, dodge, find openings, and possibly even need some support from teammates.

After all, ghouls have poisonous claws and teeth, are fast, and have tough outer skin with good defensive capabilities.

However, Xia Lin's approach was surprisingly simple.

There were no unnecessary steps, no fancy sword moves.

Every movement precisely cuts into the gaps or blind spots of attack, and every swing of the sword goes straight for vital points—the jaw, chest, abdomen, joints, and lumbar spine.

The movements flowed so smoothly, as if they had been rehearsed a thousand times, and exuded an absolute confidence in the coordination of the body.

Griffin even noticed that when Charlin was parrying or dodging, his eyes were already locked onto the weak point of the next target.

The crisp sounds of cutting, penetrating, and breaking bones almost blended together.

Blood and severed limbs splashed and fell in quick succession within a few seconds.

As the ghoul, its torso cleaved in two, fell, Xia Lin had already spun around and severed the fourth ghoul's lumbar vertebrae, his breathing showing no obvious signs of disorder.

Griffin's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the oak staff.

This is more than just "good".

This efficiency and precision, this deadly strike as if he knew the ghoul's body structure inside and out... completely exceeded his expectations of a "newcomer".

Especially when Xia Lin's jet-black longsword cut through the ghoul's troublesome tough skin, it felt unusually smooth.

It was as if the blade was imbued with some kind of power specifically designed to suppress evil and filth.

Griffin was naturally unaware of the existence of the longsword's [Purification] attribute, but the druid's keen perception of energy and life forms allowed him to detect that subtle anomaly.

The fighting style is neither the furious boiling of a berserker nor the cold silence of an assassin, but rather a... peculiar sense of "immersion".

It seems that slaying these monsters is not a life-or-death struggle, but a "job" that requires focused attention and provides some kind of smooth feedback.

Griffin withdrew his gaze and continued to use the vines to control another ghoul that wanted to launch a sneak attack. In his mind, his evaluation of Xia Lin quietly rose a few levels.

This young man seems to possess a fighting instinct and talent that belies his age.

Of course, now is not the time to delve into it.

Xia Lin's combat prowess was a pleasant surprise, meaning that the destructive power of their temporary team far exceeded expectations.

Griffin suppressed his distractions and focused on controlling the situation at hand.

Although the ghouls were numerous, they were quickly reduced to fewer numbers under the frenzied extermination of the three, especially Garu, the orc killing machine.

The guards were under much less pressure and only needed to form a tight circle to deal with any stragglers who managed to break through the defenses with their weapons and shields.

Judging from this situation, these ghouls will soon be completely eliminated by the group.

Captain Ward's arm wound has stopped bleeding and closed thanks to the old priest's continued treatment. Although he is still stinging and weak, he is fine now.

He watched the monsters fall rapidly on the field, and his heart calmed down a little.

Looks like we got lucky on this mission... Once we've cleared this out, the report will be easier to write when we get back; minor casualties, enough to warrant a commendation...

The thought had just surfaced—

"Hey Bill, don't get so close, you're disturbing the priest's healing," a guard hissed.

The young guard named Bill was seen walking with his head down and his steps faltering as he made his way towards the old priest's location inside the defensive perimeter.

His left hand hung at his side, while his right hand was tightly gripping something, hidden in the shadows behind his waist.

Ward initially thought he was worried about his injuries and wanted to get closer to check on him. He was about to tell him to step back and maintain formation when his heart skipped a beat.

Bill's gait... is a bit strange.

It's not the kind of stumble you get from an injury, but a kind of swaying caused by stiff joints and uncoordinated muscles.

His arms swung very little, his shoulders were hunched, and his neck was slightly forward, like a puppet being pulled by invisible threads.

"Bill? You..." Ward began, his voice carrying a hint of unconscious wariness.

At this very moment—

Bill suddenly looked up!

His eyes were a cloudy, pale white, completely devoid of any human luster or focus. His face was expressionless, and his muscles were as stiff as a stone sculpture.

Only the corners of his mouth were stretched into a twisted, inhuman, almost torn arc.

His right hand, hidden behind his waist, suddenly swung out.

The dagger, held in reverse in his hand, gleamed coldly in the sparse sunlight filtering through the dense forest.

It was aimed directly at the back of the old pastor who was facing away from him and was completely focused on continuing Ward's treatment!

Everything happened too suddenly, too strangely.

Most people's attention was still on the outer battlefield, and even the nearest guards barely had time to open their eyes.