During his first year of preparation, Baili An studied extensively through books and online resources, learning everything he could about survival within secret realms.
When he first began hunting monsters, he had carefully researched every Tier 1 creature in Secret Realm No. 3.
He even hunted them all personally.
All for one purpose.
To find the most efficient target for farming Source Essence.
Large numbers, easy to locate, and simple to kill. Those were his criteria.
There were a few monsters that met these requirements.
In the end, after weighing both safety and efficiency, Baili An chose between Goblins and Slimes.
He chose Goblins.
Strictly speaking, in terms of raw strength, ordinary Goblins were among the stronger Tier 1 monsters.
But in reality, they were cowardly to the extreme. The moment things turned slightly against them, they would fall into complete disarray.
Their intelligence should have been an advantage.
Instead, their cowardice turned it into a fatal weakness.
Handled properly, these green-skinned creatures were far easier to kill than Slimes.
The only thing to watch out for was their cunning nature. Until the moment they truly died, one could never let their guard down.
And so, for nearly a year, Baili An hunted Goblins.
Only Goblins.
Fortunately, this area lay on the outer edge of the secret realm, and Goblin materials held almost no value. As a result, hunters rarely came here.
That was why Baili An's unusual behavior had gone unnoticed for so long.
…
Baili An had no ability to confront an entire Goblin tribe head-on.
Even the smallest tribe would have a Goblin Shaman or an elite Goblin among them, both Tier 3 monsters.
And once Goblins gathered in numbers, they became extremely troublesome.
They would shed their fear completely and fight without restraint.
Ambushes, overwhelming numbers, underhanded tactics. All of these were second nature to them.
So Baili An adopted a different strategy.
He would first eliminate a Goblin patrol, then deliberately leave behind traces to lure the rest out.
Draw out a portion of them.
Kill as many as he could handle.
Arriving at a location he had scouted in advance, Baili An removed his coat and placed it behind a large boulder. Then he sprayed a masking agent to conceal his scent.
Goblins were highly sensitive to the smell of their own kind. Once they noticed something was wrong with the patrol, they would follow the scent here.
Standing on a thick tree branch, Baili An looked down from above.
About fifteen minutes later, the pursuing Goblins arrived.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Two Hobgoblins, eight regular Goblins… Just enough. I'm finally close to unlocking the Sharingan."
At the front were two massive Goblins, each over two and a half meters tall. Their barrel-like bodies were packed with bulging muscle.
They were Tier 2 monsters. Hobgoblins.
In terms of raw strength, they surpassed many Tier 3 creatures. The only reason they were ranked lower was due to their slow speed and sluggish reactions. Against low-tier ability users, they were not especially dangerous as long as one chose to run.
But if forced into close combat, they were extremely lethal.
One swing of their clubs could easily turn a person into pulp.
The Goblins came to a stop.
One of the Hobgoblins at the front sniffed the air with its large nose, then looked toward the boulder not far away. A cruel grin spread across its face.
The other Goblins fell silent.
Only it crept forward, dragging its ugly green body, step by step.
The closer it got, the more savage its gaze became.
"Disgusting and stupid creatures…"
From above, Baili An watched everything unfold.
"Skree!"
Just as the Hobgoblin reached the boulder, it suddenly leapt into the air, raising its massive club to crush its prey.
"…?"
When it landed, confusion filled its face.
Behind the rock, there was nothing but a neatly folded piece of cloth.
At the same time, a blue sphere dropped from above.
The moment it descended over the Hobgoblin's head, it erupted into a burst of crackling electricity, engulfing its body.
The Hobgoblin let out a miserable scream.
The current was not lethal, but it paralyzed its entire body, leaving it unable to move.
The electricity quickly faded.
Baili An dropped down from above.
Gripping his blade with both hands, even as he descended, his eyes remained locked onto the creature's neck with perfect clarity.
A flash of cold steel cut through the air.
The massive body collapsed like a falling mountain.
[Hobgoblin slain. Source Essence +4.]
The death of the Hobgoblin threw the remaining Goblins into panic. If not for the second Hobgoblin still standing, they would have already fled.
The remaining Hobgoblin was also shaken. It stared at Baili An, a hint of fear in its eyes as it tried to gauge his strength.
Baili An met its gaze calmly, switching to a one-handed grip on his Tang blade.
His expression was composed as he began walking toward it.
Each step slow and steady.
Like a casual stroll.
On the surface, he looked effortless.
In reality, he was putting on a front, masking the discomfort in his legs from the high drop.
And, admittedly, showing off a little.
His act worked.
The Hobgoblin couldn't understand it.
Why would such a seemingly fragile human be so confident?
Unease crept into its heart.
After a few steps, Baili An suddenly accelerated, charging forward at full speed with his blade in hand.
"Trying to run now…"
His black eyes shifted subtly as he moved.
"…too late."
"Idiot."
A deep crimson hue bloomed within his pupils, layered with a faint, star-like brilliance, like rubies reflecting a night sky.
Demonic Binding Eyes.
The Hobgoblin's body froze instantly, locked mid-turn, completely unable to move.
This was the first pair of eyes Baili An had unlocked before the Sharingan.
Cost: 300 Source Essence.
Effect: Immobilize the target.
The energy consumption scaled with the opponent's resistance, and the binding itself had its limits.
Simple.
Not overwhelmingly powerful.
But at his current level, incredibly effective.
This was his foundation.
The reason he dared to face a Hobgoblin head-on.
Baili An leapt lightly, landing on its broad shoulder.
Lowering his center of gravity, he crouched down. His left hand grabbed its long, pointed ear, while his right hand reversed his grip on the blade.
The edge pressed against its throat.
Then he slashed.
Blood burst forth like a fountain.
Only after the eye technique was released did the Hobgoblin collapse heavily to the ground.
[Hobgoblin slain. Source Essence +4.]
Stepping down from the corpse, Baili An turned his gaze toward the remaining eight Goblins.
His dark crimson eyes struck fear deep into their souls.
Without hesitation, they fled.
"Not a single one of you is getting away…"
he murmured softly.
One after another, his eyes activated.
The fleeing Goblins froze in place.
Moments later.
[Source Essence +8.]
…