Monkey Evolution

Chapter 11: Preparing for the Hunt

"We have a rather troublesome neighbor."

A large goblin sat on a tree trunk while spinning a stone axe in his hand.

The axe was well-crafted and had a wooden handle.

This goblin seemed to possess something different from the other goblins Mamadou had encountered so far.

"Great Chief, just as you predicted, we found another body farther away. There is no doubt that it belongs to the one who disappeared."

Remains were laid before the Goblin Chief.

A dismembered goblin corpse.

The goblins had only recently migrated into the area, so the Goblin Chief remained cautious.

Normally, his kin never wandered too far from the camp.

Some occasionally got lost, but only temporarily.

They always ended up returning.

With that in mind, there was no way a goblin could simply disappear for several days.

And yet goblins had disappeared.

After the second disappearance, the Great Chief had ordered the goblins to search the hunting grounds and the surrounding area.

All they had found were remains and the weapon he was now playing with.

The goblin had therefore concluded that if the second missing goblin had been killed, then the first one who disappeared had likely suffered the same fate.

And now the body lay before him.

Indignation rose in the Goblin Chief’s heart.

After all, they had become something else’s prey.

If he was not careful, all of them might end up dead.

He was already struggling to increase the population after choosing this place as a temporary settlement.

If their numbers declined, his plans would be ruined.

The Goblin Chief thought for a moment.

"What kind of tracks did you find at the scene?" asked the Goblin Chief.

"No recognizable tracks, Great Chief. Even the scent at the location was strange. Since it has mostly faded, it would be difficult to learn much from it."

"I see. Then this creature is intelligent, but possesses a wild nature."

The Goblin Chief stopped spinning the axe.

As though he had grown bored of it, he handed it to one of the goblins standing before him.

"See if you can reproduce this."

"Yes, Chief!"

The goblin immediately left with the axe in hand.

Only the goblin delivering the report remained.

The Goblin Chief stood up.

His imposing build became even more apparent when compared to the average goblin.

The goblin before him looked frail by comparison.

"Walk with me," he said.

"Yes!"

The goblin followed behind him.

The two walked around the camp.

Every goblin they passed stopped whatever they were doing the moment they noticed them.

It was a mixture of fear and respect.

The Goblin Chief ignored them and continued walking.

It quickly became apparent that there were not many goblins present.

They passed some standing around and others sitting outside their makeshift tents.

Most of them were doing nothing.

Some were eating.

The Goblin Chief had chosen this place so they could remain here temporarily.

The clearing before the camp was a wide open area, and he had found another use for it.

"I’ll accompany you later to inspect the location where you found the remains."

"You may have overlooked certain details." free𝑤ebnovel.com

"The more information we have about this so-called predator, the better."

"Still, I didn’t expect a threat to appear here."

"Great Chief Oro, I think they were simply caught off guard. What threat could possibly endanger us while you’re here? Isn’t that the reason our enemy refuses to attack openly? It could just be a wild animal. There’s nothing to fear. Great Chief Oro, with you here, this situation will be resolved quickly."

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The goblin known as Oro stopped walking and laughed heartily.

"Gahahaha!"

Seeing this as a sign of approval, the goblin following him began laughing as well.

The two laughed for a while.

Of course, they were not laughing for the same reason.

Oro had a much clearer understanding of the situation.

Once he felt it had gone on long enough, he resumed walking.

Before arriving here, Oro and his group had been driven away by a larger tribe.

As a result, he needed time to reorganize before relocating again.

Their temporary settlement was filled only with weak animals and weak monsters.

In one sense, that was good.

In another, it was terrible.

If all the monsters around them were weak, then they themselves could not grow stronger.

Being surrounded by mediocrity eventually turned you mediocre as well.

"A wild animal wouldn’t use tools like that stone-and-stick thing you found."

"And judging by the condition of the body, this monster certainly has the strength to wield such a weapon."

"That shouldn’t be too difficult."

"But it also means it may possess a certain amount of power."

"And based on the shape of the object, this thing might even resemble us goblins."

"Regardless, there is finally some movement in this backwater hole."

"I thought I would leave this place without any trouble."

"But it seems the heavens had a surprise prepared for me."

"You are absolutely right, Great Chief. Your intelligence is unmatched."

"Of course it is. Without me, you wouldn’t survive a week."

Numerous roots surrounded the area, forming a natural barrier that blocked access to the clearing.

Oro pushed aside the roots and entered, followed by the goblin.

"And as for the other matter, we’ll kill it before we leave this place."

"This is not where I will become a Goblin Champion."

Before the Great Goblin Chief stood more than forty goblins.

All of them wore animal hides.

Calling it leather would have been difficult, but it resembled primitive leather armor.

Some were sharpening branches.

Others were fighting.

This was the heart of their camp.

The culmination of Oro’s efforts.

Every goblin here appeared stronger than the one Mamadou had fought at the cost of nearly losing his life.

The moment they saw Great Chief Oro, they stood up and chanted his name.

"Oro! Oro! Oro!"

"I will leave with the next scouting party."

"We must determine what kind of creature it is and where its lair is located."

"Once that’s done..."

Oro smiled.

"We will attack with every bit of strength we possess."

"My brothers, proud Goblin warriors."

"We have remained here for too long."

"We are beginning to run short of women and quality prey."

"But do not worry."

"We will soon leave this poor land behind."

"To celebrate that occasion, we shall organize a hunt."

"And we shall avenge our brothers who were killed."

"Goblin!" shouted Oro.

"Goblin! Goblin! Goblin!" the goblins roared back excitedly.

Oro was not afraid of frightening his prey if it happened to be nearby.

Nor was he afraid of attracting other monsters.

He knew the terrain well and had already determined that doing so was safe.

More than that, he was eager.

He knew that adversity was what made one stronger.

He had to become a Goblin Champion.

And he had to do it as quickly as possible.