Chapter 14: The Tribe's Initial Formation
[To strengthen the tribe, you led the goblin underlings to capture female creatures in large numbers.]
[You discovered an Ogre and used traps to capture it. After whipping and tormenting it, the Ogre submitted to you.]
[You found an open-pit iron mine at the foot of a barren mountain.]
[You attempted to produce charcoal and succeeded. You tried to build a blast furnace, and after multiple failures, you succeeded.]
[You successfully made your first crossbow and your first bolt.]
[You discovered traces of the Pigmen tribe. Please make a choice from the following options.]
[1. Follow the traces to search for the Pigmen tribe.]
[2. Do nothing; you think this matter is unimportant.]
[3. Sensing danger, prepare for battle and arm the goblins.]
Among the three choices, the third option was obviously the most reasonable and cautious.
"Choose the third option!"
[You decided to prepare for battle. You built more charcoal kilns and iron furnaces.]
[The dense smoke in the forest attracted the attention of the Lizardmen, who launched a large-scale attack.]
[You tried to escape, but your display of strength caused the Lizardmen to encircle you, and you died.]
[The short-lived forest goblin tribe was annihilated and vanished from history.]
[Gobuda managed to escape by luck. It stole your corpse and ate you.]
[Your skull became Gobuda's keepsake, constantly soaked in urine, serving as the only proof of your existence.]
[Your charcoal kilns and furnaces caught the attention of the Lizardmen, but they ignored them.]
[A group of Pigmen discovered the charcoal kilns and furnaces, piquing their curiosity.]
[Years later, the Pigmen rose to prominence, giving birth to the legendary Golden Pig King.]
[As a transmigrator, you left behind knowledge that instigated future wars in this world. Your death was not without value, as it shaped the destiny of a certain race.]
[Simulation ended. Score: 50.]
[Please choose one of the following rewards.]
[1. Consume 5 points for +1 level.]
[2. Consume 5 points for +5 attributes.]
[3. Consume 30 points for +1 charm.]
This time, the rewards left Li Meng somewhat disappointed.
Skill level rewards were what he needed the most.
"Choose the second option to add magic power!"
[Your magic stat has been increased.]
There was no noticeable feeling from the increase.
"Let's go. We need to get farther from the swamp and head upstream!"
Although Li Meng wanted to give Gobuda a beating, he ultimately refrained.
Li Meng had to admit that Gobuda was indeed lucky.
Except for dying in the first simulation, it always managed to be the last survivor in the others.
That night, the goblins lingering by the riverbank returned to the forest.
Soon, the riverbank returned to silence.
Only the rushing river water made its sound.
In the following days, Li Meng led the goblin underlings upstream along the river.
The terrain of the Goblin Forest was not a flat expanse.
Instead, it consisted of intersecting mountains and valleys.
Scattered among the mountains were various small plains.
On the morning of the third day, in a forest by the riverbank:
"Boss, I see it! I see the barren mountain!"
Gobuqiang climbed a tall tree and was looking into the distance.
About ten miles away, on one side of the river valley, stood a barren mountain.
Gobuqiang quickly slid down from the tree.
"How far is it?"
Li Meng asked Gobuqiang, who had just descended.
Many useful pieces of key information could be found from the simulated future.
The barren mountain and the iron mine were the most important.
Discovering the iron mine early would provide more time for development.
"It's just ahead. We'll be there soon!"
"Let's go. Keep moving!"
The goblins, who had been resting briefly in the forest, continued onward.
About an hour later, Li Meng stopped in a section of forest.
Seeing their boss suddenly stop, the other goblins exchanged puzzled glances.
They also stopped and cautiously observed their surroundings.
Li Meng looked down at the ground and stepped on it.
This section of forest had a flat terrain, unlike areas riddled with rocks.
The ground was also dry, indicating the elevation was higher than the river.
There were no signs of water damage, suggesting this area wouldn't flood during river surges.
"Gobuqiang, this will be our nest. Take ten goblins to hunt and remember to capture more female Ground Mice."
This is the nest?
Gobuqiang looked around the forest, puzzled.
This place didn't seem suitable to be a nest.
Although he found it odd, Gobuqiang didn't overthink it.
Now, Gobumeng was the boss, and the boss's word was final.
"You, you, you, come with me!"
Gobuqiang selected ten strong goblins to go hunting in the forest.
Meanwhile, Li Meng got busy.
"The rest of you, climb the trees and strip the branches, leaving only the crown!"
Under Li Meng's orders, the remaining goblins climbed the trees.
The Lizardmen's large cleaver proved to be quite useful.
Although it was a bit cumbersome for the goblins to wield, it was still functional.
Soon, the forest echoed with the sounds of chopping.
While the goblin underlings were hard at work, Li Meng wandered through the forest.
The top priority now was to increase the tribe's population.
Building beast pens and maternity huts had to come first.
The beast pens would be used to confine female creatures, while the maternity huts would care for pregnant females.
"This lack of female goblins makes it impossible for goblins to become the main species."
Thinking about this goblin flaw gave Li Meng a headache.
How could goblins, reliant on other female creatures to reproduce, ever become the main species in this world?
Li Meng had always understood this reality.
But as a goblin, he had no choice but to rely on this species to survive in this world.
Even if it meant doing disgusting things, he had to.
Shaking his head, Li Meng dismissed his stray thoughts.
"This spot will do!"
The terrain here was relatively flat, and the ground was dry.
In the subsequent time, under Li Meng's command, the goblins worked hard and sweated profusely.
As a section of large tree branches was stripped away, the space beneath the trees became much more open.
Under Li Meng's guidance, the goblins further shaped the branches into sticks suitable for fences.
"Boss, I'm back!"
By the afternoon, Gobuqiang returned.
The goblin underlings were carrying three tightly bound female Ground Mice.
Li Meng inspected the three females.
They were all sizable, making them suitable for breeding.
"Put them in the beast pen!"
The beast pen had already been constructed, though it wasn't very large.
It was visible in the forest behind Li Meng—a fenced area made of wooden stakes.
Gobuqiang quickly instructed the underlings to carry the Ground Mice over.
Once placed in the pen and untied, the Ground Mice began scurrying around.
Fortunately, Ground Mice couldn't dig holes, or the pen wouldn't be able to contain them.