Chương 9: Upgrading Soldiers

"I'm taller! I'm stronger!" Gob-Spear shouted and danced with excitement. He even pulled Gob-Large over to compare heights, gloating over the newfound gap between them. For magical creatures like goblins, who possessed no concept of family affection, at least eighty percent died during infancy. Had Li Qinwu not appeared, Gob-Spear's most likely fate would have been starvation or being snatched up and eaten by an adult goblin during a food shortage.

But once a goblin reached adulthood, they gained a relative form of "human rights." They were no longer mere pups that could be culled at a whim; at the very least, it would take the Chief to order their execution. Now, three members of Li Qinwu's squad were full-grown goblins; only Expendable remained in the pup stage. Expendable looked at the others with eyes full of pure envy. Li Qinwu patted his shoulder to motivate him.

"Obey my orders and don't be so cowardly. Cowardly goblins don't grow tall!" With that, he sent Gob-Spear to catch more fish. He intended to keep grinding experience. Over the next few hours, Li Qinwu used the same method to take down seven more Horned Crocodiles. He leveled up three times in a row, reaching Level 6. He dumped all his attribute points into Vigor, raising it from 5 to 8. His height reached 1. 4 meters; he now possessed a more humanoid silhouette, looking much like a human teenager.

His Denars accumulated to 710. For a long time to come, he would have enough to maintain his troops even if he did nothing. Furthermore, his material harvest was bountiful. His inventory now held 8 Horned Crocodile Hides, 3 Horned Crocodile Horns, and 2 Horned Crocodile Sinews. The horns were quite short—about the length of a human thumb. The system entry explained that these were unique organs used by the crocodiles to detect the flow of water mana in the river.

It also noted they could be used in medicine and were excellent magical raw materials. Anything related to magic was bound to be valuable, so Li Qinwu let them sit safely in his warehouse for future use. As for the two sinews, those were even more interesting. They were natural strings that could be used to make bows. The bow staves were the main issue. They couldn't find materials that were both sturdy and flexible enough, and even if they did, they lacked the proper tools to process them.

For now, he had to settle for sturdy, straight wooden branches. Li Qinwu sent the goblins out to search. After a while, they returned, each clutching several straight sticks. Li Qinwu selected the two best ones—those with the best balance of strength and flexibility—and used his sharp nails to carve notches at both ends. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

With his high Vigor, not only had he grown taller, but his nails had grown longer and sharper, functioning passably as small blades. Once the notches were carved, he lashed the sinews to them. Two extremely crude wooden bows were complete. Li Qinwu tested the draw; it felt decent. The string provided enough tension, though he knew he couldn't pull it to full draw or the staff would snap. He set the bows down and turned to the goblins.

"Next, find branches. This thin, and straight." He gestured the dimensions, and the goblins scattered again, returning shortly with handfuls of twigs. Li Qinwu chose the most suitable ones and used his nails to peel away the bark. He started a small fire and placed the peeled sticks near the flames. This was to bake out the moisture. During the dehydration process, wood tends to warp; by constantly adjusting the position over the heat, he could ensure they remained straight.

Before long, he had a small, straight wooden rod of the proper length. He wasn't finished. He placed the tip of the rod into the fire until it was charred black and carbonized. Then, he ground the tip against a stone. After repeating the charring and grinding process two or three times, he had an extremely primitive arrow. Li Qinwu was so focused on his work that he didn't notice the three goblins staring at him, their eyes wide with curiosity and a hunger for knowledge.

Finished, Li Qinwu stood up, nocked the arrow, drew the string, and released! The arrow successfully arched through the air, landing twenty meters away. The three goblins' eyes nearly popped out of their heads. They began jumping and howling, flailing their arms in excitement.

"Oooooh!!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

"Urgh! Urgh! Urgh!" Li Qinwu's face went dark. Three absolute morons. He walked over and pulled the arrow from the dirt. The range and penetration were, frankly, pathetic. But for the "startup phase" of his army, having any form of ranged power was a luxury. Besides, didn't he have the Red Poison Berries? If the raw power was lacking, he could make it up with "enchantments." A single scratch from a poison-tipped arrow would be enough to claim a life. Satisfied, Li Qinwu set the bow down and gave his orders.

"Do exactly what I just did. Everyone make twenty arrows. Go! There will be meat to eat when you're done!" At the mention of meat, their motivation hit its peak. They scavenged for materials at top speed and squatted by the fire, peeling bark and charring tips with frantic energy. Li Qinwu didn't stay idle either. He used vines to weave two crude quivers to hold the arrows. By the time he finished, the three were still working.

He pulled a 5kg unit of Monster Meat from his inventory, sliced it into strips with his nails, and skewered them on sticks. As he wiped the grease from his hands, he couldn't help but feel how difficult life was without proper tools. He had to find a way to get some knives or metal implements; otherwise, production would remain stalled in the stone age. He was truly sick of this primitive lifestyle. He set the skewers by the fire.

Perhaps because it was monster meat, a rich, intense aroma wafted through the air despite the lack of any seasoning. The three goblins couldn't stop swallowing their saliva. However, they knew Li Qinwu wouldn't let them eat until the work was done, so their movements became even faster. Li Qinwu was very satisfied with their performance today. He planned to let them eat their fill once they finished. But then, an uninvited guest arrived. A sudden snap of a twig echoed from the nearby bushes.

Li Qinwu's long ears twitched instantly.

"Get up! Take your weapons!" Li Qinwu shouted, grabbing his bow. The three were confused, but seeing his serious expression, they scrambled to their feet, gripped their spears, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. The four of them assumed a beast had prowled near. Their eyes were fixed on the thicket; the atmosphere turned heavy with tension. Li Qinwu slowly drew his bow, the poison-coated arrow aimed directly at the rustling brush. Under their collective gaze, the bushes shook violently.

The four tightened their grip on their weapons. The next moment, a green head popped out from the greenery. It was a goblin.