Chapter 112: Simulated Life in the Papal State
When Gobu Sheng spoke, Gobu Tian quickly slid down from the tree.
"Don't! Don't tell the boss. I was just preparing the little ones for shooting in case the airship spotted us and we needed to take it down. I didn't intend to expose ourselves—you all overthought it!"
"What do you need to tell me?"
At this moment, Li Meng's voice suddenly rang out from the nearby forest.
A tall Goblin warrior emerged from the depths of the forest.
Wherever he passed, the Goblins got excited and wanted to shout loudly.
But they quickly covered their mouths.
The boss had said that they must stay quiet in the forest.
"Boss, you're finally here!"
Gobu Tian ran towards the boss, feet flying.
Standing in front of the boss, Gobu Tian's face was full of flattery.
His tall body bent over, making him appear much shorter.
"Boss, an airship is flying in this direction."
Upon hearing this, Li Meng's expression shifted slightly.
The appearance of the airship indicated that the human fleet wasn't far from here.
"Inform all the Goblins to hide immediately and not make any sound."
The boss's order prompted the elite Goblins around him to dash into the depths of the forest.
Before long, the forest was bustling with activity.
The scolding voices of the boss and the sub-leaders echoed through the trees.
Both the working and slacking Goblins scrambled to hide.
Not long after, the forest quieted down once more.
Li Meng didn't idle; he climbed up a tree to observe the airship in the sky.
"Airships are truly amazing!"
Watching the airship in the distant sky draw closer, Li Meng could hardly contain his envy.
"One day, I must capture some human alchemists from their lands."
Whether this world had alchemists, Li Meng wasn't sure.
Whatever the people who made magical artifacts were called, to Li Meng, they were alchemists.
About ten minutes later, a moderately sized airship flew over the ambush site on the northern shore forest.
On the airship's deck, soldiers wearing blue armor could be seen.
One officer stood out, holding a long telescope to survey the forest below.
"Captain, we've traveled far from the fleet. Shouldn't we return?"
A soldier standing at the ship's railing looked toward the western end of the river.
In that direction, the fleet was no longer visible.
"What? Are you scared?"
The soldier's companion laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder.
The young soldier glared at the veteran.
"I'm not scared. Lord Carlos explicitly instructed us not to stray far from the fleet!"
"Captain, was the cause of the sentry ship's crash last time ever determined?"
At this moment, a soldier on the deck asked the officer near the railing.
The question made the sentry ship's captain's expression change.
He put down the telescope, turned around, and waved his hand.
"Return!"
The airship, hovering a thousand meters above the ambush site, slowly turned around and headed back.
This scene did not escape Li Meng, who was hidden in the treetops.
"It seems the fleet isn't far from here!"
The airship's arrival and subsequent return was the best evidence.
Li Meng descended from the treetop, sliding down the tree trunk.
"Continue preparing the ambush site and speed up the process!"
"Gobu Tian, Gobu Mo, I'm leaving this to you. I'm going to take a look at the human fleet!"
Gobu Tian and the elite Goblins nodded vigorously.
Without saying more, Li Meng took off running toward the riverbank.
Breaking out of the forest, Li Meng leapt into the air.
Performing a textbook dive, he plunged headfirst into the Goblin River.
At the spot where Li Meng entered the water, a massive shadow flickered underwater.
Before heading here, Li Meng had visited the Yue Clan tribe.
Before long, Li Meng's head emerged from the water.
His head skimmed rapidly across the river's surface, leaving a long trail that lingered behind him.
Looking underwater, Li Meng was seated on the massive back of Yue E, tightly gripping the scales on Yue E's back.
"System, start Simulated Life!"
The Ghost Beastmen had already been driven away.
Whether the future trajectory had changed was something Li Meng couldn't determine.
After all, the grand trends still lingered within the future timeline.
[Simulated Life begins.]
[Driven by curiosity, you ride Yue E across the waves toward the human fleet to spy on them.]
[The moon is full tonight.]
[You set out eagerly and return disappointed.]
[You ambush the human fleet.]
[You engage in battle with the Southern Sword King, Carlos.]
[The human fleet is defeated and flees downstream in panic.]
[You lead the Goblin army back to the tribe.]
[Your victory intimidates the Yue Clan tribe.]
[Your tribe grows stronger and more prosperous.]
[Curiosity leads you to investigate the Black Mountain Tribe.]
[You reach the Black Mountain Marshlands.]
[You discover that the Papal State's Temple Knights are invading the Black Mountain Tribe.]
[The Black Mountain Tribe is overwhelmed and trapped in their ancestral village.]
[In their final stand, the Black Mountain Tribe prepares to summon the Savage God, Akuya.]
[Choose one of the following options:]
[1. Prevent the Black Mountain Tribe from summoning the Savage God by destroying the sacrificial plate.]
[2. Do nothing and observe the events unfold.]
[3. Launch a surprise attack to kill the Temple Knights' commander, Serov.]
[4. Launch a surprise attack to kill the Temple High Priest, Tawil.]
[5. Negotiate with the Black Mountain Tribe to help them repel the Temple Knights.]
"Five options?"
Li Meng patted Yue E's back.
"Yue E, rise a bit higher. I'm about to choke on water!"
Yue E had been swimming deeper and deeper, causing water to reach Li Meng's chin.
With every breath, river water threatened to fill his mouth.
Yue E quickly moved closer to the surface, allowing Li Meng's neck to rise above the water.
"No wonder the Black Mountain Tribe wants to summon the Savage God, Akuya!"
It was only now that Li Meng understood the Black Mountain Tribe's desperation to summon the Savage God.
It was because of the Papal State's invasion.
"Could those two people from the previous timelines be Commander Serov and High Priest Tawil of the Temple Knights?"
Li Meng wasn't certain.
After all, the identities of the pair had never been revealed in earlier timelines.
"What should I choose?"
Looking toward the river's end, Li Meng pondered.
Options one and five seemed viable.
However, the success rate of the fifth option wasn't high.
After all, he was only one person.
Helping the Black Mountain Tribe repel the Temple Knights alone was nearly impossible.
The chances of success were practically zero.
Although he had some strength, the many deaths he'd experienced in the future timelines had taught Li Meng not to be overly confident.
Option two was not a choice for him.
If he chose to do nothing, there was no point in coming to the Black Mountain Marshlands.
Options three and four were also off the table.
Killing either Serov or Tawil would earn him the Papal State's enmity.
Moreover, killing just one of them might not even force the Temple Knights to retreat.
Even if they did retreat, what would he do with the Black Mountain Tribe afterward?
The Savage God was too dangerous, and Li Meng wouldn't allow the Black Mountain Tribe to keep the sacrificial plate.
In the end, he would still have to oppose the Black Mountain Tribe and destroy the plate by force.