Chapter 4: Earth Demon Bear
Although it was just a simulation of life, every choice mattered.
This involved the future trajectory, and it couldn't be chosen carelessly.
The second option was obviously a trap.
It should be known that completing the first mating in front of the tribe was considered an honor.
If he refused, who knew what might happen.
"The third option!"
[You chose to forgo the credit. Gobuba was enraged, accusing you of desecrating the goblin's honor. You were skinned and tied at the cave entrance as a warning. After three days of agonizing struggle, you died, and your corpse was devoured by your former underlings. Your skull was collected by Gobuda and was drenched daily in urine.]
"Gobuda!"
Li Meng roared angrily at the water's surface.
He turned around and glared fiercely at Gobuda.
What kind of grudge made Gobuda treat his skull as a urinal?
Li Meng's roar startled Gobuda, causing him to jump.
Faced with the furious glare of his boss, Gobuda's neck shrank.
Like a frightened puppy, Gobuda hurried over to Li Meng.
"Boss, boss, I'm here!"
Li Meng raised his fist, ready to vent his anger.
Gobuda's face was full of fear, and he collapsed to the ground.
In the end, Li Meng didn't punch him.
Why bother stooping to a goblin's level?
After all, goblins were creatures that bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Even as the boss, if you got injured, you could be killed and eaten by your subordinates.
Li Meng glared at Gobuda and ignored him.
[As a transmigrator, the goddess of fate did not favor you. Your life was as fleeting as a falling raindrop. Your death was meaningless and laughable. You were the first goblin in history to die for refusing to accept an honor. You became a joke among goblins, and even thousands of years later, goblins and humans alike would laugh at your story.]
[Simulation of life ended. Score: 35.]
[Please choose a reward:]
[1. Consume 5 points for +1 level.]
[2. Consume 5 points for +5 attributes.]
[3. Consume 10 points for +1 luck.]
Right now, strength was most important.
Luck was important, but not that critical.
After all, luck only influenced the life simulation.
"Level up!"
[Consumed 35 points. Level +7.]
Li Meng felt a warm flow rush through his body.
His bones crackled and popped as soreness and pain swept through him.
His vision seemed to rise, and his arms became sturdier.
Li Meng quickly opened his character panel.
[Name: Gobumeng]
[Race: Goblin]
[Level: 8]
[Strength: 32]
[Defense: 13]
[Agility: 11]
[Magic: 5]
[Charm: 0]
[Luck: 11]
[Devour: Consume the blood and flesh of magical beasts for a chance to gain their skills.]
Goblins were indeed a trash-tier race. Even at level seven, his attributes only improved slightly.
Looking at the underwhelming attributes on his panel, Li Meng deeply regretted his decision.
Had he known, he would've invested all his points into attributes.
"Boss… Are you… Are you about to evolve?"
Seeing his now-towering boss, the goblins' eyes filled with even more fear.
Li Meng looked at Gobuda and paused.
Goodness, why did Gobuda look so small now?
No, Gobuda hadn't shrunk—it was he who had grown taller.
Li Meng quickly turned and looked at his reflection in the water.
Indeed, he had grown taller.
His appearance was also much more handsome than that of a regular goblin.
From a height of 1.3 meters, he had grown to 1.5 meters.
It seemed leveling up wasn't entirely useless.
At level 10, he should be able to evolve into a big goblin.
Although this life simulation lasted only seven days, it wasn't without gains.
"Let's go, move out!"
Li Meng shouted spiritedly.
This startled his goblin subordinates into shivering.
Soon, Li Meng led his goblin underlings to cross the river.
"You, you, and you—go up front!"
The river wasn't very wide, and the water was shallow.
After successfully crossing the river, Li Meng assigned three goblins to walk ahead.
Since three goblins were destined to die, not one could be spared.
The life simulation predicted a future timeline.
To achieve a good outcome, the prelude to hunting the Earth Demon Bear could not be altered.
The three goblins exchanged glances.
As weak goblins, they naturally didn't want to be at the front.
But under the boss's pressure, they had no choice but to obey.
Urged by Li Meng, the group left the riverbank and ventured deeper into the forest.
Two hours later, in a certain part of the forest in the east.
The forest was silent and dim.
Walking cautiously, Li Meng observed his surroundings with vigilance.
Although the future timeline indicated he wouldn't die under the Earth Demon Bear's claws,
If he actively sought death, he could still change the future.
That would be equivalent to altering the timeline.
"Roar!"
The unexpected came suddenly—a beast roar echoed in the forest.
The sound was very close, coming from the left.
The roar made Li Meng's eyes light up.
At that moment, he was certain the life simulation could predict his future.
A massive black figure burst out from the dense woods to the left.
It was a bear, a beast larger than three adult grizzly bears combined.
Though chubby, its running speed was astonishingly fast.
Its target was the goblins—its prey.
"Ah!"
One goblin at the front let out a miserable scream.
The Earth Demon Bear's colossal shadow terrified the goblins.
The goblin tried to escape but was too late.
The bear opened its gaping maw and bit down on a goblin.
With a swipe of its massive paw, a horrifying sound of bones cracking echoed.
Two goblins were flung like rag dolls, flying over ten meters before crashing into a tree.
"Run!"
Li Meng screamed sharply and bolted back the way they came.
The other goblins panicked and fled in chaos.
They ran and ran.
Li Meng only stopped half an hour later, gasping for air under a large tree in the forest.
"A second-tier magical beast is truly terrifying!"
Even though he wasn't the target, Li Meng felt the oppressive weight of death.
Luckily, the Earth Demon Bear didn't have magical skills; otherwise, none of them would've escaped.
"Boss, boss!"
Before long, the subordinates followed their boss's scent and regrouped.
The encounter with the Earth Demon Bear left the goblins trembling with fear.
Their grotesque faces twisted in terror, with some even shivering.
"Don't be afraid. Do you want to eat bear meat?"
Hearing "eat," the goblins' eyes lit up.
They quickly nodded, their fear vanishing instantly.
"If you want to eat, you must follow my orders. Gobuda, Gobuba, Gobuka, you three go catch ground rats. Don't eat them; I want them half-dead. Also, collect the most poisonous mushrooms you can find and bring them to me. Go now."
Gobuda, Gobuba, and Gobuka dashed into the forest.
Ground rats weren't very large and were the easiest prey to catch.
Goblins mainly ate ground rats because they were abundant in the forest.
Wherever there were burrows, there was usually a nest of ground rats.