The goblin priest strode over, bent down, and picked up the weapon.

  With a smug, wicked grin, he exclaimed, “Kekeke! It really is iron!”

  Suddenly, his expression changed. He stared coldly at Tian and said, “You can die now!”

  In the next instant, he lunged at Tian with the knife.

  He moved with astonishing speed.

  “What? This old bastard is actually this cunning!”

  Tian had expected him to want to kill him, but he hadn’t expected such directness—or that he would know to strike first and use feints!

  Clang!

  Iron clashed, sending sparks flying everywhere.

  The goblin priest thought he’d succeeded and let out a smug, sinister laugh. “Kekeke, in this place, goblins like you aren’t allowed to exist!”

  But when he turned, Tian was still standing there, unharmed.

  He had withstood the strike because he was wearing plate armor.

  The goblin priest’s eyes instantly went bloodshot. He opened his mouth to roar, but a sharp pain shot through his chest.

  Looking down, he saw that at some point, a sharp spearhead had been stabbed into him.

  “You! Ahhh! I’ll kill you!”

  The goblin priest ignored the pain and fought back desperately.

  Tian wasn’t stupid—he had hidden several spearheads on his body as a backup plan.

  As the priest charged, Tian hurled the spearheads straight at him.

  Swish, swish, swish!

  In an instant, Tian brought him down.

  His head, chest, arms, and face were all pierced by sharp spearheads.

  “Weaker than I expected. I guess I overestimated these goblins’ defenses.”

  Tian hadn’t expected to win so easily. He let out a sigh.

  By killing him, Tian could take over the goblin group, quickly strengthen them, and finally get his revenge on Stubble Guy and the White-Robed Nun.

  The goblin priest shrieked on the ground like a pig being slaughtered. “Don’t kill me, please—I took you in! You can’t kill me!”

  As he spoke, he put on a pitiful expression.

  But the sight was disturbing.

  Tian’s expression shifted—he even knows how to use guilt as a weapon? But Tian quickly recovered. It wasn’t surprising that this guy could stoop so low.

  He said coldly, “Did you forget? I’m a goblin.”

  Tian’s expression turned cold, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.

  He was a goblin now—why should he care about moral blackmail?

  Now, he could kill whomever he wished.

  At that moment, the goblins sent to gather clubs came rushing back, one after another.

  They saw the scene and grew both enraged and excited, yet hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

  The goblin priest, desperate, activated his Rally skill and shouted, “Kill him! Kill him!”

  His cry shattered the forest’s tranquility.

  However, the goblins didn’t move, only looking a bit hesitant.

  The goblin priest, stripped of authority and left in a miserable state, found his Rally skill useless.

  Tian picked up the curved blade and strode over. “From now on, I’m your new boss! I’ll lead you to attack elves, attack humans, mate like crazy, and feast endlessly!”

  A moment later, cheers erupted. “New boss! New boss!”

  “Swish!”

  Tian swung the blade, severed the goblin priest’s arm, and tossed it to the goblin horde.

  “Boss! Boss!”

  The goblins swarmed and fought over the grisly prize.

  Tian stepped aside, letting the goblin horde engulf the priest and devour him completely.

  Now, he was the boss of the goblin tribe.

  He also gained the Rally skill.

  “Boss, what’s going on?!”

  Moon was woken up by the noise, leaning on a wooden stick as she came out to check the situation.

  Tian explained the situation, nearly scaring her to death. “You killed the priest? Oh my god, his stats were so high!”

  “It’s all thanks to you. Go back and rest—I still have things to handle here.”

  Tian calmed the goblins down.

  He finished equipping the tribe with iron spears—fifty in total—which greatly increased their combat power.

  He continued his victory speech, urging them to keep searching for iron ore—the more, the better.

  Every goblin needed not just a weapon, but armor as well.

  Only then could they defeat the elves, capture more breeding stock, and grow the tribe.

  Goblin offspring born from elves could naturally grow into larger, stronger variants.

  Their strength far surpassed that of goblins born from animals.

  Five days passed.

  This time, they finally gathered enough ore.

  They began smelting iron on a large scale.

  Once everyone was equipped with armor and weapons, the goblin tribe looked fearsome even from a distance.

  They now resembled a true army.

  Unfortunately, their intelligence was lacking, and they had no sense of tactics.

  In combat, they relied mostly on instinct.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Today, we’re heading into the Demonized Forest to hunt monsters. When the time comes, follow my orders—or you’ll die!”

  Tian stood atop a rock, shouting to all the goblins.

  This training would help them attack the elves more easily in the future.

  Then, the goblin army set out in grand procession.

  They marched in an orderly formation, appearing truly formidable.

  Birds scattered in fright, animals fled at their approach.

  Soon, in the distance, they spotted a third-tier demonized creature feasting on a deer with massive antlers—a Black-Brown Giant Bear.

  It was as large as an elephant.

  The toppled giant trees around it testified to the monster’s ferocity.

  Killing it would be nearly impossible—the goblins alone weren’t up to the task.

  At most, they could hunt some second-tier demonized creatures.

  Finally, they encountered a pack of second-tier Demonized Wolves.

  There were seven or eight of them, each the size of a donkey.

  These were monsters even the elves didn’t dare provoke—among second-tier creatures, they were the most ferocious and formidable.

  Fast, powerful, and they could even climb trees.

  Most importantly, the alpha wolf could command tactics and lead the pack.

  They could roam the Demonized Forest freely, without fear.

  Hearing the wolves’ low growls, some goblins trembled with fear. “Boss, are we really hunting Demonized Wolves?”

  Tian thought for a moment before deciding, “That’s right. If we can hunt these wolves, our strength will increase dramatically.”

  Checking the system, he discovered these Demonized Wolves had a powerful skill.

  ‘Iron-Blooded Wolf Nature.’

  Once they saw blood, their wolf instincts were triggered, granting a 20% boost to all attributes and making them impervious to pain.

  “You go left, you go right—flank the wolf pack!”

  At Tian’s command, the goblins suppressed their fear and obediently surrounded the vicious wolf pack.

  “Apply pressure!”

  At Tian’s signal, the goblins closed in, iron spears pointed at the snarling wolves, forcing them closer together.

  The Demonized Wolves, desperate, leaped about, growling and charging at the iron spears.

  Trying to break through the encirclement.

  But after several tries, their bodies were slashed open and blood poured out.

  From the side, Tian shouted, “Hold steady! Don’t panic! Keep driving the wolves closer together!”

  Now, all they had to do was let the Demonized Wolves exhaust themselves.

  Sure enough, the wolf pack fell into chaos, no longer obeying the alpha, thrashing about wildly.

  Every wolf was covered in cuts all over their bodies.

  Soon, weakened by blood loss, they began to fall one after another.

  The goblins’ formation grew a bit chaotic—after all, the Demonized Wolves were still formidable foes.

  “Kekeke! Awesome! We killed them!”

  “We can actually eat Demonized Wolves!”

  “Long live the boss! Long live!”

  All the goblins threw up their hands and cheered in triumph.

  They quickly divided up the Demonized Wolves and began to feast.

  Ability acquired: Iron-Blooded (Passive Skill: Upon seeing blood in combat, gain a 20% boost to all attributes and feel no pain for 3 minutes.)

  After eating, a system notification echoed in Tian’s mind.

  This was the goblins’ exclusive skill: Gene Devouring. They grew stronger by devouring powerful creatures.

  Though they started as the weakest monsters, goblins had the potential to become the strongest.

  They truly deserved the title of ‘Divine Blessing’ monsters.

  Glancing around, Tian saw that nearly all the goblins had reached level ten, with the strongest at level thirteen.

  Their attributes had also doubled.

  But it still wasn’t enough.

  Next, they would keep hunting monsters—the ultimate goal was the Black-Maned Giant Bear.

  If they could devour its ‘Giant Mountain’ skill, the goblins’ HP, strength, and defense would all multiply.

  It was hard to imagine how powerful they’d become.

  Three days passed.

  The goblin army had now slain three second-tier monsters: Demonized Wolves, Giant Tusk Boars, and Earth Golems.

  And four first-tier monsters: Tailless Cats, Ghost-Faced Monkeys, Two-Headed Snakes, and Wandering Spirits.

  Besides ‘Iron-Blooded Wolf Nature,’ they had also gained ‘Giant Tusks’—teeth that could grow larger, increasing attack power the longer they became.

  There was also ‘Stone-Hardened Skin,’ which increased base defense by 15 points—the equivalent of wearing plate armor.

  Most important were the abilities from the Ghost-Faced Monkeys and Tailless Cats.

  ‘Climbing’ and ‘Silent Step.’

  These would play a crucial role in the coming attack on the elf tribe.

  The rest were basically abilities without much use—Two-Headed Snakes could secrete venom, and Wandering Spirits could turn into ghosts for a while after death.

  But for now, this was enough.

  Suddenly, the earth began to shake rhythmically—a massive monster was approaching!

  Tian snapped to attention. “Perfect timing! The Black-Maned Giant Bear! Everyone, get up in the trees!”

  “Gaga-gaga!”

  The goblins shrieked and scrambled up the tall, straight trees, hiding among the branches like monkeys.

  Sure enough, the Black-Maned Giant Bear appeared—elephantine in size, with crimson eyes glowing like lanterns in the darkness.

  They glowed brightly in the darkness.

  “Huff, huff!”

  Its loud, rasping breaths were especially unsettling.

  A constant reminder of the beast’s enormous size.

  It was estimated to weigh twenty tons. Though similar to an elephant, its dense bones, thick muscles, and bristly, steel-like fur made it even heavier.

  In the Demonized Forest, it was the undisputed king.

  Any creature that saw it would flee, even Demonized Wolf packs.

  The Black-Maned Giant Bear sniffed the air, found the mushrooms Tian had scattered, and lumbered over to eat them.

  Only then did everyone see its terrifying size—and feel its invisible aura of intimidation.

  It made everyone unconsciously hold their breath.

  [Black-Maned Giant Bear: Lv33

  Race: Third-Tier Demon Beast

  Title: Fierce and Brutal, Keep Your Distance, Immovable as a Mountain

  HP: 1022

  Strength: 219

  Defense: 300

  Skills: Savage Tear, Wild Charge, Giant Mountain

  Overall: 410]

  The Black-Maned Giant Bear devoured the mushrooms in huge gulps—over a hundred pounds gone in the blink of an eye.

  It was about to leave.

  With the bear finally in position, Tian wasn’t about to let it escape. He gave the order: “Attack!”

  “Ahhhhh!”

  From the treetops, the goblins roared in unison.

  They thrust their iron spears downward.

  One after another, blows rained down.

  But to their dismay, the iron spears couldn’t even pierce the Black-Maned Giant Bear’s hide.

  A third-tier demon beast’s strength far surpassed anything they’d faced before.

  Enraged by the attack, the Black-Maned Giant Bear went berserk, charging wildly through the forest.

  It couldn’t climb trees, but with a single charge, it toppled trees dozens of meters tall as if they were nothing.

  The falling trees sent the goblins scrambling for their lives.

  Tian’s expression grew grim, but he didn’t panic. “That can’t be right. Death Mushroom poison can kill even fourth-tier demon beasts—this thing ate so many and is still alive? Is it immune?”

  But he’d already checked—the Black-Maned Giant Bear had no poison immunity skills.

  Many of those mushrooms were highly toxic, and the iron spears had been coated with Two-Headed Snake venom.

  The beast was simply too massive—the poison took too long to take effect.

  “Ah!”

  Goblins screamed as the Black-Maned Giant Bear devoured them one after another.

  In moments, four or five goblins were gone.

  Tian’s eyes lit up. “If anyone’s going to die, it won’t be me.”

  Because the goblins all had the Two-Headed Snake’s venom in their bodies, the poison would act much faster once the bear ate them.

  The Black-Maned Giant Bear’s movements grew unsteady.

  It tried to ram trees but couldn’t aim at anything.

  Boom!

  Finally, with a thunderous crash, the Black-Maned Giant Bear collapsed.

  “Gaga-gaga!”

  The goblins erupted in wild celebration at the sight.

  Tian barked, “Eat as much as you can—once you get the skills, get out fast!”

  Gene Devouring didn’t guarantee a skill with every bite, but almost everyone would gain something.

  Congratulations! Host has acquired the ‘Giant Mountain’ ability—HP doubled!

  After eating, though plenty of flesh remained, they had to abandon it.

  The commotion would undoubtedly attract more demon beasts.

  Back at the tribe, Tian looked on with satisfaction—the goblins’ strength had soared.

  [Small Goblin: Lv18

  Race: Goblin

  Class: None

  Title: Low-Grade Monster, Divine Blessing, Demon Beast Slayer

  HP: 231

  Strength: 29

  Defense: 40

  Skills: Gene Devouring, Iron-Blooded Wolf Nature, Giant Tusks, Stone-Hardened Skin,,,

  Equipment: Simple Iron Spear, Simple Plate Armor

  Overall: 250]

  Now, even a random goblin’s overall strength surpassed two hundred.

  They were now as strong as the average human adventurer.

  During this time, Tian hadn’t neglected Moon—her level had risen to thirty, with an overall strength of four hundred.

  She was now comparable to Stubble Guy at his peak.

  “After all that, my strength has finally reached a new level.”

  As Tian looked at the blazing bonfire and breathed in the aroma of roasting meat, a wave of emotion washed over him.

  Compared to other transmigrators, his progress had been slow, but he had already pushed himself to his limits.

  In this brutal world, where death lurked at every corner, mere survival was already a major challenge.

  “Boss, what are we going to do next?”

  At that moment, Moon looked up curiously. She followed Tian everywhere now, as docile as a kitten.

  She was now completely loyal to him.

  But Tian still treated her as a friend. He considered, “It’s about time to attack the elf tribe. That’s the only way to rapidly increase our tribe’s strength.”

  In theory, their current strength was enough to deal with Stubble Guy.

  But Stubble Guy’s master was the Sword Saint Maiden—if they encountered her, it would mean certain defeat.

  So, they needed to capture elves and breed a new generation of goblins—only then would their victory be assured.

  Tian was determined never to experience that kind of torment again.

  This time, he would be the hunter.

  But to be a true hunter, he first had to sharpen his blade to a razor’s edge.

  ...

  Far to the north, in the Forest of Ten Thousand Forms, lay the elf tribe.

  Here, enormous trees grew, their trunks more than ten meters thick. The elves carved wooden houses high in the branches.

  This allowed them to easily evade their enemies.

  In addition, they were skilled with bows and arrows, making their homes easy to defend and hard to attack. Many monsters—and even humans—could only retreat in defeat when they tried to invade.

  This was how the elves had held the forest for thousands of years.