Chapter 37: The Gray Scales Tribe
Li Meng's expression froze for a moment, and he quickly understood what was happening.
It seemed that once Ogres reached adulthood, they separated from their parents.
However, unlike most magical beasts that drove their offspring away, Ogres chose to leave themselves, abandoning their nests to their children.
"Benben, have you encountered other Ogres before?"
Benben nodded its massive head and tapped on its helmet.
The magic cast by the boss in its mind made it somewhat uncomfortable.
"I met them in the mountains. They're really fierce. Benben doesn't like them."
"Them? Were they an Ogre family?"
"I don't know. Benben fought them. They were strange. When that hot thing in the sky looked at them, they turned into stone."
Turned into stone under the sunlight?
Li Meng's face displayed a thoughtful expression as he scrutinized Benben.
It seemed Benben was an outlier among Ogres.
Could it be because of its "Enhanced Stone Skin" skill?
Time slowly passed, and night deepened.
The sound of chewing in the tribe continued for a long, long time.
Only when dawn arrived did the tribe finally fall completely silent.
The well-fed Goblins lay down and began snoring.
The female Lizardmen and their children were driven back into the thatched huts.
The hierarchy among Goblins was strict. Reproductive rights belonged to the higher-ranked Goblins.
No matter how strong their mating desires were, they wouldn't reproduce on their own.
Ordinary Goblins wouldn't even have the initiative to seek reproductive rights because the genetic information etched into them suppressed such urges.
This was a form of biological evolution through survival of the fittest.
Offspring of higher-ranking Goblins had greater potential.
Only allowing higher-ranking Goblins to reproduce strengthened the tribe's power.
Ordinary Goblin offspring would only weaken the tribe.
As the morning sun rose in the eastern sky, the battle traces from the previous night had vanished.
The tribe was filled with sleeping Goblins.
Neither the bodies of Goblins nor Lizardmen remained—they had all been consumed by the Goblins.
Looking over at the snoring Goblins, each one's belly was round and swollen.
"What… What are you planning to do with us?"
In the bright morning sunlight, the tribe was silent.
Bai Ling weakly stepped out of the thatched hut.
The pain of her severed tail caused her voice to tremble.
Bai Ling glared resentfully at the Goblin sitting at the door, staring blankly at the blue sky.
Li Meng turned to glance at Bai Ling, who was leaning against the doorframe.
Bai Ling was still Bai Ling, but the tail under her beast skirt was gone.
She had lost more than just her tail—she had lost other things as well.
After taking one look at Li Meng, she withdrew her gaze, continuing to stare at the blue sky.
"I am a smart Goblin. I won't let you become tools for breeding, used until death, and then eaten. Every 365 sunsets, you will offer ten percent of your population, half male and half female. This will rotate every 365 sunsets."
Sustainable utilization maximized the value of the Lizardmen.
Goblins had inherent flaws.
To reproduce, they had to rely on other races.
Thus, the tribe's future required subordinate races of its own.
"What difference does that make?"
Despair flashed in Bai Ling's eyes.
She knew exactly what the difference was.
The former inflicted pain temporarily, while the latter inflicted pain for a lifetime.
"The difference is huge. At least you can live, reproduce, and thrive, providing us with more females and labor!"
"You… You demon!"
Bai Ling's face showed sorrow, and she despaired for her tribe's future.
Li Meng turned to Bai Ling at the door, sneering hideously.
"Goblins are far scarier than demons!"
After speaking, Li Meng stood up.
"Once I destroy the Gray Scales Tribe and the Black Scales Tribe, all the Lizardmen in the swamp will be under your rule. If you don't want your people to suffer, work hard for me. Otherwise, you're only fit to be food."
Saying this, Li Meng patted the armor of Benben, who was snoring soundly.
Benben stirred and stood up.
"Roar!"
Benben let out a massive roar, its bellow from the helmet echoing across the land.
The Goblins in the tribe, who were fast asleep, were startled awake.
"Take me with you. I can help you subdue the Gray Scales Tribe and the Black Scales Tribe with less effort!"
Li Meng turned to Bai Ling and grinned.
"Then follow me. I'll be watching you."
Li Meng could see right through Bai Ling's thoughts.
She only wanted to preserve the Lizardmen's remaining strength for the future.
At noon, under the scorching sun, Li Meng led the Goblin army away from the White Scales Tribe.
With Bai Ling as the guide, the Goblin army advanced straight toward the Gray Scales Tribe.
Two days later, in the swamp, near the Gray Scales Tribe.
In a relatively shallow water area stood numerous stilted wooden houses.
The surrounding water made the view wide and open.
Due to its geographical location, the Gray Scales Tribe hadn't built wooden walls for protection.
By afternoon, inside the tribe's largest wooden house:
"Gray Scales Chief, the Goblin army is attacking! The White Scales Tribe's stronghold has already been breached!"
This sudden news shocked the elders in the wooden house.
The White Scales Tribe had nearly a thousand members and wasn't weak among the three tribes.
Moreover, with High Priest Bai Ling in charge, how could mere Goblins breach it?
The elders, kneeling inside the wooden house, exchanged glances.
On the main seat, the Gray Scales Chief stared expressionlessly at the Lizardman delivering the warning.
"Ridiculous! The White Scales Tribe has High Priest Bai Ling in charge. How could mere Goblins threaten it?"
Gray Scales found it hard to believe that the White Scales Tribe had been breached.
He had seen Bai Ling's magical power firsthand—it was formidable.
How could mere Goblins rival her?
The High Priest could easily annihilate hundreds of Goblins with a single spell.
Seeing the chief's disbelief, the Lizardman from the White Scales Tribe panicked.
It knelt down quickly.
"Gray Scales Chief, I speak the truth! When I left, the tribe's outer wooden walls had already been breached. The High Priest instructed me to alert the Gray Scales Tribe and the Black Scales Tribe!"
Could it be true?
Had the White Scales Tribe, under Bai Ling's leadership, really been breached by Goblins?
Looking at the kneeling Lizardman, Gray Scales's expression shifted.
The other elders were equally uncertain.
If the White Scales Tribe had indeed fallen…
How powerful must the invading Goblin army be?
"Chief, Chief, something terrible has happened!"
At that moment, a Lizardman rushed in.
"It's the Goblins! The Goblin army is attacking!"
The rushing Lizardman's face was full of panic as it reported loudly.
"What?"
"How is that possible? So soon?"
The White Scales Tribe messenger had just arrived, and now the Goblin army was here?
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