protagonist or not - III

Med was cautious — and with good reason.

The proposal to join that group of weirdos made him uneasy. And who wouldn't be? They had appeared silently from behind, like actual maniacs.

— You guys could be PK players, hunting solo players to steal their loot. he said, full of suspicion.

Lily, who had been talking to him until then, made a sour face and shook her head in disapproval.

— What a lame argument... Did you even think before saying that? said the rat-man, appearing behind the tank as well.

Carlos, the tank, relaxed his shoulders and slung his shield onto his back. After taking a better look, he concluded that the tamer wasn't all that impressive.

— We should look for someone else. This one can't even talk properly... imagine thinking before acting. he said, already turning away.

Lily stared at the tamer for a few seconds before flashing a sly smile and concluding:

— Honestly, it was great watching you fight from a distance. But, as you can see... my friends weren't too fond of your ugly little face.

Just like they came, they left — without a word more.

Med was left standing there with an unreadable expression, watching the four walk away.

— What the hell was that...? he muttered, still trying to process what had just happened.

But that wouldn't derail his mission: becoming the number one player. He knew that, along the way, he'd encounter people who could be either allies or enemies. It was inevitable.

With unshakable confidence, Med turned toward the forest ahead and began walking.

**"I'll stick to the same route and reach the goblin camp. Let's see what their leader has to offer,"** he thought.

∆∆∆∆

Later...

The werewolf charged forward, ripping the goblin apart while Med coordinated the strikes with a whip in hand.

That attack combo had proven effective. Ever since he learned the pattern, battles had become easier — almost automatic.

The goblin, wielding a wooden spear, fell dead within seconds.

Level: 1 (65/100)

The number of goblins increased with every step. He barely finished one fight before being dragged into another, with only a few seconds of rest in between.

The bright side? It was a dumb XP farm. The goblins didn't even come close to matching the treant's attack patterns.

"I must be close to their camp now," he thought, eyes scanning the path ahead.

After walking a few more minutes, he spotted part of the goblin camp. From what he could see, it was in ruins, with a few wounded goblins wandering the area.

He didn't care much about that. Instead, he focused on his magical beast.

— What should we do now? he asked softly.

That was the downside of adventuring *"alone"* — he ended up talking only to himself.

But the incredible tamer didn't mind. He brought his hand to his chin, thoughtful.

First, he analyzed the environment. He was surrounded by dense forest, tall trees, twisted vines, and thick underbrush.

Then, he had a peculiar idea. He walked about forty meters and hid his magical beast inside a large bush, carefully positioning it so it wouldn't be seen.

After that, he stepped back. Narrowing his eyes, he could just barely spot the werewolf through the foliage.

It was obvious — first, because he was forcing himself to see it, and second, because he knew exactly where to look. No one else would have noticed that hidden presence.

— Very nice. he murmured, satisfied.

— Now for what really matters here.

He returned to his previous position, this time a bit more hidden so he wouldn't be discovered.

"I need to lure at least one or two level 1 goblins,"he thought.

He wasn't sure of the goblins' level, but he went with simple logic: if one died to him, it was probably level 1.

Yes, that was the basis Med used to evaluate enemies.

It took a while, but finally, a target appeared.

The goblin walked with a spear resting on his shoulder, eyes scanning the environment with alertness, ready to react to anything suspicious.

PLINK!!!

The sound startled him. He jumped a bit and quickly grabbed his crude spear.

The green monster swept the area with his gaze, suspicious. He saw no one. But at his feet, there was a stone the size of a tennis ball.

PLINK!!! PLINK!!!

Another stone dropped, this time about three meters ahead of the last. Again, it was enough to capture the goblin's full attention.

Every time he approached one stone, another would drop a little farther ahead, guiding him like an invisible thread. And so it went, for several minutes.

Med smiled. His plan was working perfectly — and this was going to be a solid XP farm.

CRASH! CRASH!

Suddenly, a bush about ten meters to the left shook violently, as if something inside was trying to get the goblin's attention.

— No, no... Med murmured as he watched the goblin veer off the carefully planned path.

PLINK! PLINK!

In a desperate move, he tossed two more stones in quick succession, trying to get the monster's attention back. But it was no use.

The goblin let out a guttural roar and charged straight for the rustling bush.

— What the fuck... Med cursed, his eyes narrowed and expression filled with fury.

A mistake this early on was normal — he knew that. It wasn't enough to make him quit. Not even close. He would keep trying until it worked.

He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes for a second, and clenched his fists.

— Time for the second attempt. he said, determined.

Once again, he did the exact same thing, not changing a single step or stone trajectory.

The goblin, unaware of the death trap awaiting him, looked around as the stone fell again.

PLINK!

The goblin walked cautiously with his spear, until he was about five meters from the bush where the magical beast was hidden.

When he stepped within three and a half meters, Med leapt from another bush, catching the green monster completely off guard.

SNAP!!!

A sharp sound sliced through the air as the whip cracked, striking the goblin right in the eyes.

— NOW! Med shouted.

Responding to the call, the werewolf leapt from the bush like a living shadow, charging the enemy as it screamed in pain.

The goblin, panicking, didn't know whether to protect his eyes or prepare to fight. That hesitation, combined with the blinding pain, sealed his fate.

Player Level: 1 (70/100)

— Hahahaha… I've got myself a goblin farm!. he laughed, almost euphoric.

But he quickly covered his mouth, muffling a laugh that sounded straight out of a B-movie villain.

Calmly, he picked up the scattered stones and returned to his original position, ready for another round. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for another unlucky goblin to show up.

The waiting was, without a doubt, the most boring part of the "farm." Even near the camp, the goblins were acting strangely. More cautious, maybe.

Still, he knew it was just a matter of time. It could take an hour... but they *always* showed up. And finally, one did.

— There... he whispered, tossing a stone with precision.

PLINK!!

The goblin stopped, just like the others. His beady eyes scanned the area cautiously. But there was something different about this one.

His weapon wasn't a crude spear or some improvised tool — it was a sword. Old, rusty, and with a broken tip, as if it had survived more battles than it should have.

PLINK!

Another stone fell, following the usual trap pattern.

But this time, something broke the script.

Instead of turning to the sound, the goblin looked *straight at him*.

And for a moment that felt endless, Med felt the creature's grotesque eyes pierce through his skin and probe his soul.

— What the fu...."

He had never seen anything like it. That goblin... was different. There was something in his gaze, in his posture — something that set him apart from the others.

And it triggered fear. Genuine, paralyzing fear... enough to make him run without thinking.

But running was a mistake.

The goblin's hunting instinct activated the moment it saw its "prey" flee.

And so, the chase began.

Med ran as fast as his legs — and his not-so-great agility stat — would allow. Thankfully, he spotted the bush where his magical beast was hidden. A flicker of hope reignited in his chest.

With a burst of courage, he turned his back to the bush and readied his whip.

His eyes locked onto the goblin, who didn't hesitate — didn't slow down, didn't flinch.

The creature charged with the broken blade in hand, ready to fight.

SWISH!!

Med stepped back, trying to dodge — but it was too late. The broken blade sliced into his left arm.

Player HP: 97/100

A sharp pain surged through his arm, but he didn't falter. He reacted instinctively, cracking the whip with precision.

The goblin, however, dodged with a simple head movement. The whip hit nothing but air.

He was being pressured. Outmatched.

But he wasn't ready to give up.

"This goblin… it's twice as smart as the first," he thought, breathless.

"But it's still a goblin. Its intelligence has limits — and that's where my chance lies."

His eyes sparkled with the spark of an idea, his grip tightening on the whip's handle.

The goblin advanced, striking Med several times.

The goblin attacked with ferocity, swinging its sword wildly. Several hits landed on Med, tearing his clothes and chipping away at his health.

But the tamer fought back too, the whip's crack carving cuts into the monster's body.

Player HP: 80/100

Monster HP: 95/100

Feeling the pressure build, Med stepped back carefully until he vanished into the foliage.

His body disappeared into the greenery as if he had fled.

The goblin didn't hesitate — it charged in, thinking its prey was cornered.

But it was wrong.

From the bush, a blur shot forward — lightning-fast.

The werewolf, Med's magical beast, roared as it lunged at the goblin, who had no time to react.

The creature's claws ripped across the top of the goblin's head, leaving a deep gash.

The impact knocked the goblin onto its butt, dazed, trying to understand what had just happened.

Med emerged from the bushes like a shadow, whip already in motion. With precision, he lashed it, wrapping it tightly around the goblin's sword.

He yanked hard.

The goblin resisted, digging its feet into the dirt, refusing to let go. Its eyes burned with stubbornness.

— Take it. Med commanded coldly.

The beast responded instantly. The werewolf growled and charged again, and the pressure became unbearable.

Facing imminent danger, the goblin finally let go of the weapon.

Med smiled, eyes half-lidded.

— Hehehe... Let's see if you're all that without your toy.

Without another word, he and the werewolf launched their final attack — brutal and relentless.

The goblin had no time, no space, and no chance.

Monster defeated

Goblin ear obtained

LEVEL: 1 (90/100)

"Ten more points and I level up... but playing solo is getting harder and harder."

Med paused for a moment, thoughtful. The image of those four people flashed in his mind.

Then, he let out a deep sigh.

— It doesn't matter... it's just us now. Let's go. he said, speaking both to his beast and to himself.

And so, the cycle began again.

— Let's farm, he murmured, tossing another stone with precision.

PLINK!!!

The sound echoed like always, but what he saw next made his face harden.

A goblin emerged from the shadows... bigger, more muscular, with defined features and eyes that didn't look like those of a monster — they looked *aware*.

— I'M SO FUCKED. his mind screamed, in absolute panic.