Jacob looked at the tracking device in his hand and frowned slightly because he could see the trees surrounding the small muddy puddle were blinking in blue dots and they were eight for them.
'Sensors or bombs or monitoring devices?' Jacob didn't approach the location since it would be too risky if he got exposed.
He still didn't know just how many Glean Gnomes were there or if they had any help from the rare region. He also had no idea what kind of facility they had.
Even Decker was hiding deadly traps in his small hideout, much less these guys who seemed to be here for some time, and they had all kinds of traps in this forest.
'Since this device is showing the locations and trap, I wonder if it had other functions.'
Jacob looked at the tracking device which was 6X4 and there wasn't any loge and it looked like a completely back smartphone. However, it only had one button to turn it off or on.
Jacob had already disassembled the tracking device he got from the Hob Trolls and it had a very simple radio wave mechanism, and this didn't seem any different. Besides, it can also show traps or something in those traps.
As for their energy source, there were small solar panels installed on their back that can recharge them. As for the small gemstone which was also the tracker, it was still a mystery for him because there wasn't any opening in it nor did he dare to, afraid of breaking it.
He didn't have the luxury to experiment with only one device in his possession.
But he was fascinated when he found out that this gemstone tracker got activated once it felt the heat of the skin, just like the parasite gem and its controller.
Although he didn't know how these gems were made, he was sure they were quite high-tech and probably a very expensive commodity, even in the rare region.
The devices, on the other hand, were quite easy to make as long as they had the frequency of a tracker gem. Nevertheless, Jacob didn't want to dive deep into this because being curious about these things in the uncommon region was simply wasting his brain cells and time. So, he temporarily gave up on researching these gems after having a vague idea about their operative systems.
However, this also proved he still had many things to learn, and just because he had some knowledge and breakthrough in his previous life, this doesn't mean he was the number one genius in this world.
Arrogance and ignorance will only get him so far, and he learned his lesson on the day when he accepted Cursed Immortality.
But today he also learned if he stayed in shallow waters for much longer, he got used to it and when he entered the sea, it will swallow him!
He had to learn to survive in the sea and only then he'll learn the way of the sea!
But it also doesn't mean he'll be going to announce his arrival to those monsters hidden deep within.
Jacob looked at the tracking device and then at those trees. Although he didn't know for sure what traps were there, he wasn't in a hurry to find out.
It was already deep at night, and he was already at his destination. Once that Glean Gnome didn't return to the base within a specific time, they might come out to look for him.
From his arrogant tone, he sounded extremely confident, and Jacob counted on it.
He'll slowly chip away their numbers before they made some mistakes.
After deciding to this point, Jacob close the tracking device and put it in his pocket, since he didn't want to cut off the connection completely.
On the contrary, he was going to use it to his own advantage.
'Since they can track this device, I can control their movements and lead them into traps. I can't use the titan sniper unless it was necessary.'
Albeit the titan sniper was powerful, its voice was loud despite Jacob's effort to suppress it as much as he could, but he needed some unique tools that the workshop in the gunsmith guild in the lionheart city didn't have to completely suppress that thunderous voice.
Lastly, the bullets were quite precious, and it still didn't have a matching scope that can bring out the gun's true potential.
Jacob left the area to start working on his plan to capture those Glean Gnomes alive, or anyone who lived in that lab.
He dug a deep pit and then hide it before throwing the tracker he found in the Glean Gnome's body. While he hid in the crown of a tree not far away from his trap.
Time passed, and the entire night ended as the dawn started to break. Jacob still didn't detect any movement.
But he kept waiting patiently.
However, when the entire day pass without any movement, he wondered if this device had led him to some hoax hideout and if he was just wasting his time.
But he still didn't move and decided to wait for another two days, and if he still didn't detect any movement, he'll leave and return to the lionheart city before he began his travels toward the rare region.
Although, this hideout of Glean Gnomes might give him some information about the rare region. He wasn't enough desperate to waste his time while he can extract another tier-6 heart essence.
Besides, he won't get any more heart essence even if he hunted more Glean Gnomes. It simply wasn't worth so much time.
Now, it depends on their luck if they didn't appear!
Today was the third night since Jacob was lying in wait when he suddenly felt a mild tremor on the ground.
Jacob was instantly alerted because it was just too sudden, and followed by this tremor, a ghastly roar reverberated in the area,
"Roarrrrr…"
Jacob's expression changed because this roar rang from the same direction as the hideout location.
'This voice is even more intimidating than that bull. Just what were they doing here, exactly?' Jacob was curious, and he was about to go to take a look when…
"I think they're here. Let's go before someone else come here. We can't miss this chance!"
Jacob heard a familiar voice a couple of meters from his hiding position on the west side and he could also hear the rustling sound of many footsteps rushing toward the hideout direction.
'It seemed I won't have to test the waters myself.' Jacob's lips suddenly curled into a wintry smile when he thought about who it was and crept behind that group.
Soon, they reached the location of the small muddy puddle.
However, Jacob was astonished when he saw the puddle wasn't there anymore and a ten-meter-wide hole has appeared in its place.
Furthermore, when Jacob's eyes shifted toward an over six-meter-tall silhouette, his expression turned stern.
"Captain, it seemed you were right about the Goblin Facility being in the lion forest and if we managed to capture it, we'll be famous not to talk about rich!" A man's elated voice rang.
Jacob finally glanced at the group. They were ten people wearing many gears and mercenary armor, with a variety of firearms and cold weapons.
"Don't jump to conclusion, that thing that crawled out from that hole is probably a B-rank and it might've killed all the goblins in the facility when it managed to escape.
"We don't need to kill this thing, just drive it away toward the closest town, while we'll collect the research records in that facility. That's what holds the true value!"
Jacob was very familiar with this voice. It was none other than Rosalia who he rejected the invitation from before leaving the Rain Town.
He didn't think she was inviting him to raid the Glean Gnomes Hideout, and it seemed she was under the false impression that this facility was established by the green goblins or she simply didn't want to reveal the truth despite knowing how dangerous this raid mission could be.
'That's why she was recruiting mercenaries in the towns, so they could be her cannon folds. But I probably clean the traps for them, that's why they appeared here with no scratch.
'Now she wanted those cannon folds to lure that thing away from the facility toward a town, so even if those cannon folds died, those people will take their places while she plunders the hideout. How ruthless.'
Jacob couldn't help but slightly admired Rosalia's scheming and decision-making abilities.
Suddenly, everyone heard a husky voice filled with indifference ring in the vicinity. "At least I don't have to worry about the food for my pet. Go feed to your heart content!"
Just as this voice trailed off, two red, glowing eyes snapped opened and turned toward Rosalia's group.
Even Jacob, who was still fifty meters away, felt his heart palpitated when he felt murderous air filling the surroundings when those red beastly eyes opened!
'Powerful!' This was the only word that came to his mind!