Chapter Eight: The Goblin Village

After a busy day, they finally completed their assigned tasks. Upon returning to the settlement, the team had not yet dispersed when Shi Jiu was called away for a meeting. The rest simply disbanded on the spot, each heading to their own quarters.

Night fell.

Lu Sheng sat in his room, his mind restless. Thoughts of animal husbandry consumed him, but after much deliberation, he realized it would not work. The settlement operated under strict communal management; he wouldn’t be allowed to act freely. If everyone here did as they pleased, chaos would erupt. One or two might manage, but what if everyone wanted to go solo?

Carefully, he considered the growth cycle of the Fang-toothed Pig—thirty days from piglet to full-grown. It seemed short, but to him, thirty days was a considerable span, especially given the wait for reproduction. Another issue was his own limited strength; by his calculations, he could raise at most ten piglets on his own—any more would simply be impossible. The breeding plan had to be shelved for now.

His focus narrowed to two directions:
First: steadily improve his strength, prioritize safety, and avoid calamity.
Second: search for creatures that are easy to raise, attempt some husbandry.
He had his short-term goals outlined; now, he just needed to proceed steadily.

Under cover of darkness, Lu Sheng, as usual, entered the small grove with his unsheathed blade. Silent screams accompanied his return, invigorated and refreshed.

Entering his quarters, he ran into Mu Kui. Mu Kui shot him a knowing look that all men understood and said, “Take care of your body first. You look so scrawny—don’t overdo it.” Lu Sheng knew Mu Kui had misunderstood, and explanations would only make matters worse, so he let it go and returned to his room. Mu Kui shook his head and sighed, “Young people these days…”

The next day,

The team was summoned again, but this time it wasn’t just Shi Jiu’s ten-man squad. The entire Seventh Squad was mobilized. According to Shi Jiu that morning, a Goblin Village had been discovered, prompting the full assembly.

Captain Wang Ziping intended for the Seventh Squad to take it down on their own. Apparently, the Goblin Village held a Green Spirit Fruit—a first-tier spiritual fruit, one of the best cultivation resources for a Life Card. What’s more, Captain Wang Ziping had been stuck at first-tier perfection for some time; obtaining the Green Spirit Fruit would guarantee his breakthrough to the second tier.

Opportunity always walks hand in hand with danger; this fruit would not come easily. The village housed three hundred goblins, its chief was at first-tier perfection, with another at late first-tier. The Seventh Squad held the advantage in high-level combat power: Wang Ziping himself at first-tier perfection, both vice-captains likewise, and most squad leaders at late first-tier.

The whole team’s strength was formidable. Wang Ziping’s ability to lead as a first-tier perfection was also owed to another identity—he was Li Kuang’s nephew. In the apocalypse, familial bonds were rare, and Li Kuang was attentive to his nephew. Yet Wang Ziping’s position wasn’t solely due to nepotism; in the apocalypse, strength was paramount. At least within the Seventh Squad, he was qualified to lead, his strength edging out both vice-captains.

The issue was that other squad leaders were second-tier, while he alone, as Seventh Squad’s captain, was only first-tier perfection—a blemish on his reputation. This Green Spirit Fruit, Wang Ziping was determined to obtain.

Lu Sheng knew all this from chatting with others; it wasn’t a secret, and anyone who stayed around long enough would know.

“Don’t go off alone later; stay close. In a battle involving hundreds, death can come at any moment,” Shi Jiu cautioned.

“Got it.”

The Goblin Village was not a dungeon instance, but a tangible reality. After half an hour’s march, they arrived. Dozens of giant tents stood on an open patch of land, some goblins patrolling outside, others inside. In the center of the tents was a pillar carved with various symbols and runes, from whose top hung the Green Spirit Fruit.

“Prepare ranged skills!” Wang Ziping commanded from the front. “Fire!”

At his order, more than ten ranged attacks shot forward—their only means of ranged assault. Before the skills landed, Wang Ziping issued another command: “Charge!”

The entire team sprang into action, bursting out from the surrounding undergrowth.

The goblins, alerted by the incoming skills, raised the alarm. The dozen or so attacks killed only five goblins. The goblins responded swiftly, pouring out of the tents with weapons drawn, forming a dense mass. Seeing their fallen comrades and the incoming assailants, they screeched bizarrely and charged.

Battle erupted.

Lu Sheng did not rush in for kills; his life was precious. He stayed with his squad, refraining from charging ahead. Facing the attacking goblins, they countered in an organized manner. Numbers meant little; the goblins couldn’t all attack at once, and one-on-one, the squad’s strength overwhelmed them. As long as stamina held out and they could withstand the endless waves, danger was minimal.

“Help! Save me!” A desperate scream echoed across the battlefield. Wang Er had broken away from the squad and entered the goblin encirclement; goblins attacked him from all sides, and within moments he was beaten to death. Lu Sheng shuddered at the sight of Wang Er’s crushed skull—just moments ago, he had been alive.

“Why did that idiot leave the squad? Charging alone is suicide,” Shi Jiu muttered, speechless.

“No… He didn’t go on his own. Look over there.” Wang Er had been right beside Lu Sheng; just now, Lu Sheng felt a gust of wind and Wang Er was flung away. Following the wind’s direction, he saw the goblin carrying a basket.

“What? Is there something special about that goblin with the basket?” Shi Jiu was puzzled.

Before Lu Sheng could explain, the basket-carrying goblin pulled out a stone and hurled it at Shi Jiu.

Even before the stone arrived, a fierce gust could be felt—a hit would not be trivial.

Shi Jiu dodged hastily; the stone smashed a huge pit into the ground where he had stood.

A Stone-throwing Goblin!

Sweat dripped from Shi Jiu’s brow as he stared at the smoking ground, speechless.

“This goblin must have a special skill boost; otherwise, the power couldn’t be so great,” Lu Sheng explained.

“Looks that way. Let’s charge over and take out that stone-throwing goblin. We can’t let him keep sniping from afar.”

Shi Jiu fixed his gaze on the stone-thrower—a breed they’d never encountered before, responsible for their first casualty today. He had to die.

The squad, led by Shi Jiu, charged forward.

Lu Sheng followed closely, cleaving any goblin in his way cleanly in two—now was not the time to conserve energy.

A flash of white light appeared above the goblin’s corpse; no time to see what it was, he quickly stowed it away.