Chapter 38

C38 – The Strengthening of the Goblin’s Nest

After slaying over a hundred Mantis Warriors, Qiang Nantie reaped a substantial reward.

His tally of Soul Coins had surged to 5123 points once more.

Furthermore, the treasure chests dropped by these Mantis Warriors were predominantly Black Iron or higher, with a significant number of Bronze Treasure Chests among them.

Wooden chests made up only a small fraction of the loot.

Mantis Warriors, humanoid in form, typically didn’t carry much value.

Their limbs, however, were exceptional crafting materials.

“Harvest the arms from these Mantis Warriors,” Qiang Nantie instructed.

Even unrefined, the Mantis Warriors’ razor-sharp limbs served as formidable weapons.

Qiang Nantie reviewed their properties.

Item: Mantis Blade Edge

Quality: C

Attribute: Sharpness +8

Description: The arms of the Mantis Warriors are premium weapon materials. With minimal crafting, they can be transformed into exquisite weapons.

Undoubtedly, these were excellent for weapon forging and highly sought after in the market.

Hundreds of Mantis Blade Edges equated to hundreds of potent weapons.

To turn these pre-formed weapons into finished ones, he simply needed to incorporate other ores and refine them.

But first, he needed to master the art of weapon refinement.

As they ventured further into the mist, they encountered solitary Mantis Warriors and swiftly overwhelmed them.

The subsequent area was devoid of monsters. They had traversed several hundred meters before coming across a different creature.

This beast towered at least three meters high.

Monster: Earth Violent Bear

Quality: Enhanced Elite

Level: 18

Traits: Berserk, Strength Enhancement

Profile: Known for its volatile nature and formidable strength, it relishes crushing its enemies’ skulls.

Le Chunling, Le Yesi, and Le Zhiye stepped forward, brushed aside the leaves, and uncovered a pit that seemed to have no end.

“We should avoid it.”

With Le Cili and her sisters’ presence, their journey through the forest became significantly safer.

They later came across several Enhanced Elites. The monsters were sparse, but as Qiang Nantie had anticipated, they were indeed a formidable group of Enhanced creatures.

The monsters in this region were generally below Level 20. Given their current capabilities, they found it relatively easy to handle these creatures.

Still, the terrain was complex, and Le Cili’s group was adept at spotting various traps. Without their assistance, Qiang Nantie might have been at a serious disadvantage.

Eventually, they came upon a mountain range and sensed movement within it.

Driven by curiosity, they approached to see if there were other gains to be had.

“That looks like a group of monsters.”

The fog obscured their vision, but they could make out the movement of creatures.

The number of monsters appeared significant, so they opted to stay concealed and assess the situation before proceeding.

Upon closer inspection, Qiang Nantie exclaimed, “Those are strengthened Goblins, and there’s a good number of them.”

The Goblins were all around Level 15. With closer scrutiny, they realized that the Goblins had made the mountain range their stronghold, complete with rudimentary fortifications.

These Goblins were markedly more intelligent than the average monster. They wielded weapons and crafted various tools for daily use, setting them apart from other creatures.

They resembled ancient humans who dwelled atop mountains in a bygone era.

“Lord, what are those Goblins up to?”

Bi Yu gestured toward the distance, where a group of Goblins were hauling a cart up the mountain from its base.

“It’s ore!”

Qiang Nantie was taken aback. The distance only allowed him to discern that it was ore, but he would need to get closer to identify the type.

Qiang Nantie and his companions scrutinized the Goblins. There were already dozens just on the outskirts.

And these were merely the Goblins they could see.

They had no idea how many more might be concealed within the cave.

These Goblins were unlike ordinary monsters; they wielded decent weapons and possessed the skill to forge them.

The quality of their armaments was a clear indication that these Goblins were formidable adversaries.

Yet, Qiang Nantie found it puzzling; he didn’t recall Goblins having the expertise to craft weapons.

Knowing that many of the enemy Goblins were armed with bows and arrows, Qiang Nantie decided against a direct assault. Preferring the element of surprise, he favored attacking from the enemy’s blind spot.