"Someone killed a goblin…" River muttered, shifting position to get a better look at whoever had taken the shot.
He spotted three individuals—one woman and two men—wearing the Voulton City Hunter Academy's uniform, a sleek black-and-white suit.
The woman stood a few steps ahead of the two men, holding a metallic bow and arrow. The bow was made from tough materials, with a built-in motor that boosted the arrows, making each shot more dangerous.
Seeing this, River couldn't help but sigh.
The Hunter Academy was never stingy with its students—especially the talented ones. For this woman to have a weapon like that during her Awakening Ceremony, she had to be gifted.
River's gaze shifted to the two male students, each equipped with a sword strapped to their side or back.
He couldn't gauge the quality just by looking, but he was sure their weapons were advanced swords—enhanced by technology to increase sharpness and durability.
As he observed them, the goblin charged toward the trio. The two men moved in to intercept. After blocking its wild swings, one of them seized the opportunity and beheaded the monster in a clean strike.
River smiled at the scene. "They're sharing the kills. Good teamwork," he muttered approvingly.
During the Awakening Ceremony, the more monsters one kills, the higher their Level at the end of the process. Most people try to rack up as many kills as possible for a stronger start, and it's rare to see individuals sharing kills like this.
"Their instructors must be good," he whispered.
River looked around, trying to find the veteran Hunter who had accompanied the students. His eyes scanned the area until they lifted upward—sure enough, he spotted a middle-aged instructor.
The man stood tall on a thick tree branch, gaze sweeping across the forest like a hawk in search of prey.
River only saw three students, but judging by the instructor's calm demeanor, the others had to be nearby—probably off hunting goblins elsewhere.
Goblins were weak, just slightly stronger than trained humans. They were decent opponents for Candidates who wanted to face enemies that could at least wield weapons and give a decent amount of Experience Points.
These creatures were short—childlike in size—green-skinned and emaciated, yet with bloated bellies. They were bald, their faces twisted like witches in old folktales. Large, pinpointed eyes, hooked noses, razor-sharp teeth, and long pointy ears that perked up whenever they sensed danger.
River watched as the goblin's head soared through the air before landing with a dull thud on the ground.
The three students didn't celebrate. Instead, they stood still—staring blankly at the air.
"It always looks awkward when someone's checking their System," River sighed.
He started moving again, but the moment he did, a chill ran up his spine—someone was watching him. He looked up and locked eyes with the instructor standing on the tree.
They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before both turned away.
One looked away because he didn't see the other as a threat.
The other looked away because he wasn't particularly interested in locking eyes with a middle-aged man.
…
River's goal was still the same—to find a slime to kill. Not just one, but as many as he could.
After leaving the area where the Hunter Academy students were stationed, River Faelan pressed on toward the place where the slimes roamed.
He walked for at least twenty minutes, and along the way, he saw other monsters. Some were alone, like the Red Feet Turtle—a turtle monster with fire-covered feet. Despite its appearance, this monster that was supposed to be slow could reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. Paired with its hard black shell, it could pack a punch and even kill someone if it decided to ram into them.
River wisely avoided the turtle. He didn't want to see his body flying through the air and crashing down while puking out blood.
Aside from the turtle, River also spotted a group of monsters called Silverback Antelope. They had strength above that of goblins but the endurance and defense of a silverback gorilla.
They stood at least two meters tall. And while they were stronger than goblins, they didn't actively hunt prey—they fed on trees and plants instead.
Of course, that changed if they got angry. They moved as a group, and if one got riled up, the others would follow without hesitation.
Other candidates wouldn't dare mess with this group unless they were extremely confident in their abilities to use guerrilla tactics—or knew about the monster antelopes' weakness: a soft spot located at their bottom.
One well-placed stab from a sword and they'd drop like they'd been shot in the head.
Eventually, River crossed a small lake using a fallen tree trunk. On the other side, he finally reached his destination.
There was a clearing a few meters ahead, hidden by bushes and trees but with just enough of a gap for one person to slip through.
River could already see a few Slimes bouncing in the distance, and his eyes lit up.
He entered the gap and, as he emerged, the sunlight—previously blocked by the towering trees—suddenly poured down on him.
River squinted against the intense brightness. After a few seconds, his vision adjusted.
What came into view was a wide clearing covered in a lush expanse of grass swaying in the calm breeze.
Dozens of Slimes bounced gleefully around the field. Jelly-like orbs in shades of blue, green, and pink, each glistening like a gemstone.
They moved without direction—some even collided, rolling on the ground before wobbling upright again. Then, as if someone had hit a reset button, they would jump again like nothing had happened.
River watched these d*mb monsters with a small smile, the squishy plop sounds of their bouncing filling his ears.
Some of the Slimes noticed him and began to gather around.
Their sizes varied—most were about the size of a basketball, while the biggest ones reached up to River's waist.
Fortunately, there weren't too many of this big Slimes on the field as killing them with a knife wasn't going to be easy.
As the d*mb monsters surrounded him with curious stares, River scanned the area with narrowed eyes. After a moment, he sighed in relief.
"Seems like I'm the first one here," River muttered, clenching the knife tightly in his right hand. "Then I'll gladly take this chance to kill as many of you as I can!"
As his words echoed, River dashed toward the nearest Slime!