Chapter 5: The Trap
"You all, follow me!"
With Gobuda gone, only nine goblin subordinates remained.
Li Meng led the goblins back in the direction they had fled earlier.
"Boss... Boss, there's an Earth Demon Bear over there. It's dangerous!"
Seeing their leader heading toward the Earth Demon Bear's territory again, the goblins who noticed this were filled with fear.
One goblin timidly stepped forward and whispered nervously.
"With me leading the way, what are you afraid of? Don't you want to eat bear meat?"
Hearing their boss say this, it did seem logical.
Even if the Earth Demon Bear showed up, it would only attack the leader walking in front.
If the leader was eaten, they could return to the hunting team.
What a great plan!
The goblins, initially fearful, became excited again.
Watching these foolish goblin subordinates, Li Meng rolled his eyes.
Soon, Li Meng led the goblins to crouch behind a bush.
"Hmm, we're close!"
With the goblin's keen sense of smell, Li Meng could detect the Earth Demon Bear's foul stench.
The smell of goblin blood and flesh was also present.
This meant the Earth Demon Bear was nearby.
Li Meng touched the soil beneath him. It was soft.
"Dig a pit here, a big one!"
The bushes could obscure the trap, and that dumb bear would surely fall for it.
The goblins exchanged glances, puzzled as to why their leader wanted them to dig a pit.
"Start digging! Do you still want to eat bear meat or not?"
Hearing about bear meat, the goblins began drooling.
They immediately used their wooden sticks and even their hands to dig into the soil.
"Keep it quiet. Don't make too much noise!"
Under Li Meng's command, the goblin subordinates dug diligently.
Time passed minute by minute, and the pit grew steadily deeper and larger.
"Boss, I'm back!"
Five hours later, Gobuda and two others returned.
Each carried a mole, roughly the size of a small dog.
"Put them here and keep catching more!"
The goblins' digging efficiency was abysmal.
The Earth Demon Bear was massive.
To trap it, the pit had to be big enough.
In the simulated life, it took three days to complete this—no exaggeration.
"Alright, got it!"
Seeing their digging companions, Gobuda had a gleam of schadenfreude in his eyes.
Catching moles was much easier than digging a pit.
"Boss, I'll head off then!"
The three goblins dashed into the forest again.
Li Meng carried one of the moles and cautiously approached the Earth Demon Bear's location.
The trap would take three days to finish.
He couldn't let the Earth Demon Bear leave, so he had to keep it nearby.
For a brainless beast like the Earth Demon Bear, food was the ultimate bait.
After advancing several miles into the forest, Li Meng finally stopped.
"This distance should be enough!"
Looking around, Li Meng tore open the mole's belly with his claws.
A strong scent of blood filled the air.
Li Meng threw down the mole and quickly retreated into a nearby bush.
Moments later, the forest stirred.
A massive Earth Demon Bear followed the scent of blood.
Its enormous body cast a shadow in the dim forest.
Hiding in the bush, Li Meng was stunned by the sight of the colossal Earth Demon Bear.
The oppressive presence of such a creature was overwhelming.
The bear sniffed at the mole's corpse.
The fresh blood excited it, and it opened its fearsome jaws.
With one bite, it devoured the entire mole, chewing noisily.
The sound of cracking bones made Li Meng's scalp tingle.
After finishing the mole, the Earth Demon Bear lay down where it was and fell asleep.
[Earth Demon Bear]
[Level: 24]
[Strength: 51]
[Defense: 57]
[Agility: 27]
[Magic: 7]
[Skill: Reinforced Bones LV1 (Strength +20, Defense +20, Agility +5)]
At level 24, its terrifying stats and the Reinforced Bones skill were impressive.
For such a monster, poison was the only way to kill it.
Fortunately, goblins were highly resistant to poison, and no goblin had ever been known to die from it.
"Sleep, sleep well. Three days from now will be your death day!"
Li Meng quietly crawled out of the bush and sneaked away.
Over the next few days, Li Meng periodically left bait in the forest.
While the Earth Demon Bear feasted on the easy meals, its death drew closer.
Three days later, in the forest where the trap was set.
"This should… be enough, right?"
Li Meng muttered as he looked at the large pit before him.
The trap was ten meters wide and twenty meters deep.
To prevent the Earth Demon Bear from climbing up the dirt walls, the pit's structure was wider at the bottom than at the top.
The walls slanted outward, making it nearly impossible for the Earth Demon Bear to escape.
"Hide around the area!"
At this critical moment, Li Meng didn't falter.
Exhausted, the goblin subordinates scattered into the surrounding bushes.
Li Meng, carrying three moles, headed toward the Earth Demon Bear.
About 500 meters from the trap, Li Meng dropped one mole with its belly slit open.
After that, he dashed back.
At around 300 meters from the trap, he left another mole.
The final mole was placed less than 100 meters from the trap.
Once he dropped the last mole, Li Meng hid behind a large tree, waiting patiently.
Time passed slowly. The forest was eerily quiet.
Hiding behind the tree, Li Meng was extremely tense.
He was only 100 meters from the trap.
Though the Earth Demon Bear was massive, it was surprisingly fast.
If he made a misstep, he'd be finished.
"Crack!"
Suddenly, the sound of breaking branches echoed through the forest.
Li Meng's heart tightened, and his face filled with tension.
It was coming!
Yes, the Earth Demon Bear had arrived.
The massive shadow emerged from the forest depths, following the scent of blood to the mole.
It began chewing loudly.
"No room for cowardice now."
Behind the tree, Li Meng gritted his teeth and stepped out.
"Hey, dumb bear, over here!"
Li Meng shouted at the Earth Demon Bear, raising his middle finger—a universal gesture.
The goblin's sudden appearance startled the Earth Demon Bear.
But when it saw the small figure, a hint of mockery flickered in its red eyes.
Li Meng turned and ran deeper into the forest.
With a roar, the Earth Demon Bear bellowed.
"Roar!"
The deafening roar echoed through the forest, sending birds flying.
Driven by hunting instincts, the Earth Demon Bear charged after Li Meng.
Its massive size made every step feel like an earthquake.
The ground shook as though a heavy tank was barreling through.
Hearing the growing commotion behind him, Li Meng broke into a cold sweat.
Faster, faster!
Li Meng sprinted frantically and dove into a nearby bush.