Goblin Dependency

Then he realized, he didn't know when it started.

He... seemed to have lost control of his body too.

Just like the brown bear suspended in mid-air ahead, his body was also frozen in place.

"Plop."

The subtle and clear sound of footsteps still rang in his ears.

His fixed gaze could only catch, with his peripheral vision, a slowly approaching figure swaying ever closer.

Zzzzz—

In the air, as if even the night breeze had vanished, a strange sound he had never heard before suddenly echoed, sending shivers down his spine.

It was the thick, resilient skin covered with dense, brown fur, and the flesh beneath it, inch by inch, being peeled away with a chilling and slow sound.

At the center of his vision, Buck, the brown bear suspended in midair, suddenly shivered.

And then, just like some kind of animal costume from a past life, a "zipper" was gently pulled open from the jaw to the chest, down to the tail.

A complete bear pelt was peeled off entirely.

It floated gently to the ground.

Fat mixed with blood was drawn out in gusts; muscle fibers turned into thousands of flesh-colored strands scattered by an inexplicable breeze.

Organs, eyeballs, tongue... bathed in blood, various organs were neatly stacked on the ground.

In just an instant.

The ferocious brown bear that had killed so many humans, transformed from a brawny adventurer,

was left with nothing but a pale, smooth skeleton.

And from beginning to end, there was not even a hint of a wailing cry; the eyeballs didn't even move.

As if it truly was just a specimen.

Xia Nan felt a chill in his heart.

Also fixed in place, the horrific dismemberment happening to Buck made him unable to stop his mind from racing.

Even though he felt no pain yet, was his skin also being peeled away?

Fortunately, his body, frozen in place, happened to be in a backlit position, and he still held his Beheading Longsword in hand.

The complete reflection under the moonlight, and the fair back of his hand on the sword hilt at the edge of his vision,

allowed him to confirm his body's integrity.

"Something's wrong! Something's wrong! Something's wrong!"

"This kind of precise control, absolutely not something an ordinary professional could achieve."

Even "transcendent," or even higher "legendary," in Xia Nan's knowledge, could not exhibit such extremes.

Recalling the elf who seemed to have lost its soul, eyes devoid of spirit, limbs stiff,

he felt a chill rise from the depths of his heart.

"What on earth is... this thing!?"

Moreover, the current paralysis from losing control of his body differed from anything he'd encountered before.

It was entirely different from the "Petrification Gaze," nor was it like the feeling of being enveloped in gelatin by the "Human Immobilization Spell."

To put it plainly, it resembled more the feeling he had when he first crossed to this world, personally witnessing his dwarf teammate across from him having his head smashed by a goblin, then facing a rear goblin attack, the kind of blank mind, body frozen sensation.

Coming purely from physical instinct.

Xia Nan wanted to save himself.

But whether it was [Teeth Hunting] or [Destiny Coin],

under the circumstances of completely losing bodily control, they could not be used.

He could only stand there motionless, listening to the slow footsteps getting closer and closer in his ears.

"Tap."

Messy golden hair fell over the face, dull green eyes reflecting the black-haired figure ahead.

It seemed not accustomed to the body's way of moving.

The golden-haired elf maintained an especially eerie, awkward stance, with the left leg bent, knee tilted outward, ankle on the ground, while the right leg was stretched straight, causing the whole body to tilt sideways.

At the same time, one shoulder hung lower than the other, drooping down, and its slender arms dangled weakly like tree branches, swinging irregularly as the body moved.

He just stood there, two body lengths in front of Xia Nan.

A pair of vacant eyes stared into Xia Nan's eyes.

Still.

As if trying to discern something.

Then, stiffly and slowly raised his left arm.

The deep, dark tone was as if naturally carved with simple textures, the indistinct upright human form, the obscure sheep head whose expression could not be seen, and those two elongated, curved horns extending inward...

It was only until this moment that Xia Nan finally saw.

That tightly held in hand, almost embedded into the flesh and blood, was the [Sheep Deer Statue].

And for some reason.

With just a glance, he recognized it as the same one he'd once seen in the "Fairy Wind" general store.

"What does this mean?"

Xia Nan wondered in his heart.

About the origin of the [Sheep Deer Statue], the owner of the general store has explained very clearly that it indeed comes from Neum.

And these statues that have recently appeared out of nowhere in various corners of the city are now being pursued by high-level figures in Neum City due to their exquisite craftsmanship.

Regarding this point, he has already conducted some research over the past few days.

As for his former self, without even touching it, he backed away immediately due to its hallucination-like spirit-devouring eerie experience, and the obscure introduction on the attribute panel...

Wait a minute!

Like suddenly recalling something, Xia Nan's heart was suddenly startled.

"Could it be because I was reciting halfway back then..."

Gulp——

A strange sound abruptly came from the front.

It was only seen when the elf raised his left hand earlier, revealing the palm with the [Sheep Deer Statue], he remained motionless.

Seeing Xia Nan having no reaction for a long time.

His throat suddenly moved slightly, dry and faded lips gently parted.

Air surged, vocal cords vibrated and closed, transforming into an indescribable sound that escaped his mouth.

"Bang!"

It seemed that even the physical quality of high-level professionals far exceeding ordinary humans could hardly withstand the sound itself.

The elf's neck suddenly exploded!

Blood splashed, carrying shattered flesh, dyeing the ground beneath him red.

The rotting flesh within the neck convulsed, and one could faintly see the pale vertebrae deep inside.

This sound doesn't belong to any language in this world.

The type of pronunciation, sticky and slow, dominated by throat sounds and repetitive syllables, along with irregular pauses.

It's like some kind of decree, or perhaps an incantation from another world.

In itself, it contains an indescribable strange power.

The strongest goblin in the entire nest from the "Rock Hammer" Blacksmith Shop could only leave a shallow scratch on its surface, the fine chain armor valued at 50 gold coins.

Together with the special leather armor used as the second layer of protection at the bottom, it instantly turned into molten iron, dripping onto the ground.

But oddly enough, the fragile undershirt at the bottom of the armor was unaffected.

The two longswords on the body, the [Dead Line] ring on the right index finger, and even the [Destiny Coin] hidden underneath the undershirt, were all intact.

As if it only targeted the armor itself.

The warm sensation of blood flowing accompanied the piercing pain in the ear canal.

Dizziness and buzzing filled the cranial cavity.

Xia Nan is absolutely certain; whether in a previous life or in his original form, he had never heard this language.

But strangely, when the phrase that blew off half the elf's neck came into his ears.

He instinctively understood the meaning of the phrase.

As if some abstract form of hieroglyphics, using his ears to "see" the meaning of the sound.

That is——

"Recite... His... True Name..."

His gaze instantly focused, attention concentrated on the wooden statue in front, the attribute panel popped up once again.

...

[Sheep Deer Statue]

Type: Statue

Level: /

Description:

Rings and tides, you wouldn't want to know the secrets hidden in those folds.

Remarks:

"Ef'tisuu...Hai'lot'vhu...Vurahkia..."

...

Already out of control.

The voice not belonging to this world forcibly drove Xia Nan's body.

Making him read aloud the "true name," which was only half-repeated silently in his mind and then self-terminating, from the attribute panel's remarks information.

"Ef'tisuu...

Hai'lot'vhu...

Vurahkia..."

The space suddenly twisted!

The gentle moonlight trembled, layering several hazy shadows,

Xia Nan's motionless body stood still, like a reflection in water.

Suddenly swelled twice.

Vanished from the place.