Chapter Twenty-Nine: Kobold Slingers

Returning from the hunt, the total yield was ninety-seven pieces of raw meat and a wealth of other resources. Yet, the loss of Flock and Bonk meant the actual harvest was halved.

At home, ten kobold miners were working furiously, their speed astonishing. Previously, Jia Zhengjin could barely gather two hundred iron ores in an entire day. Now, with ten kobold miners dividing the labor, they could supply ten thousand units of wood, eight hundred iron ores, and eight hundred copper ores each day.

By observing the moon at night, Jia Zhengjin estimated that the next full moon was about ten days away. Thus, to recruit a werewolf as soon as possible, all resources were focused on upgrading the kobold nest.

[Message] Kobold Nest successfully upgraded to Level 2! You can now recruit new troop types!

[Message] Kobold Slingers are now available for recruitment!

[Kobold Slinger] Timid by nature, but capable of attacking enemies from a distance with stones. Recruitment cost: fifteen pieces of raw meat; daily consumption: four pieces of raw meat.

“Slinger?” Jia Zhengjin tried recruiting one and immediately saw a small figure similar in appearance to ordinary kobolds. However, this one carried a basket on its back, filled to the brim with stones.

After the upgrade, the resources gathered by ten kobold miners over these two days were nearly depleted. The next upgrade for the kobold nest would require forty thousand units of wood, two thousand iron ores, and two thousand copper ores!

The amount of materials needed for each upgrade multiplied exponentially—truly daunting! Clearly, he would have to recruit more kobold miners if he hoped to max out the kobold nest before the next full moon.

Recruiting kobold miners required more raw meat, and their daily consumption was increasing rapidly. At present, the priority was to hunt and expand the team!

Jia Zhengjin used all the hard-earned raw meat to recruit again. This time, he brought in two more kobold warriors and another kobold slinger.

The raw meat supplies dwindled instantly, leaving only a handful. He would have to hunt again, or there wouldn’t even be enough for dinner.

As for that giant two-nosed elephant from earlier, employing tactics and sacrificing a few kobolds might have secured victory. Yet, Jia Zhengjin decided against such a gamble.

First, finding solitary giant beasts like that would waste too much time. Second, the kobold losses in such battles might not be compensated. Third, even if the losses were covered, fighting dangerous creatures like these was far riskier than hunting smaller ones.

If he could persevere for ten more days, then, when the full moon came and he summoned a werewolf, facing such beasts alone should pose no problem. Only then would he truly rise to power—now, the focus was on accumulating meat.

The newly recruited kobold warriors were named Shawk and Duke, though Jia Zhengjin thought little of it. Even with names, they were just two silly kobolds—obedient in battle, but incapable of independent thought.

The team set out again, hunting the abundant land birds and Vicklis raccoons nearby.

The kobold warriors remained as brave and swift as ever, brandishing bone spears and relentlessly pursuing their prey.

With the addition of kobold slingers, hunting became much easier! Animals that outran the warriors could be struck accurately by thrown stones, hitting their bodies. While the damage was minimal, being hit by stones sometimes stunned the animals, giving the warriors more opportunities to capture them.

This hunt brought in twice as much as before. By nightfall, Jia Zhengjin returned with over two hundred pieces of raw meat. He set aside one hundred pieces as tomorrow’s essential food, and used the remaining hundred to recruit four kobold miners and two kobold warriors.

The team grew ever larger, and food consumption increased. With four kobold warriors and two slingers, the hunting results could still be improved, easily supplying their needs.

This method of feeding war with war was the fastest way to grow stronger for now.

A full day of hunting not only brought Jia Zhengjin an abundance of raw meat, hides, and intestines, but also pushed him up to level six—earning a new skill point.

The next level, seven, required thirty-two hundred experience points—a steadily rising demand.

The warehouse was already stocked with animal hides, so Jia Zhengjin decisively invested the skill point in [Leather Crafting].

After dinner that day, he retrieved all the hides from storage and worked late into the night, finally turning them into leather.

Leather was a precious resource—he could now process it at the workbench and craft an entire set of [Leather Cap], [Leather Coat], [Leather Bracers], [Leather Knee Guards], and [Leather Boots].

Most importantly, leather was an essential material for making crossbows!

The crossbow, a weapon far more powerful than the bow, was vital for hunting. Before unlocking firearm technology, it was by far the most effective long-range armament.

Crossbows packed tremendous force and had great range. Poisoned arrows could kill mid-sized otherworldly creatures from hundreds of meters away. Against slow-moving giant beasts, kite tactics were possible—and much safer than with a bow.

Jia Zhengjin was determined to reserve his next skill point for the crossbow.

A full set of leather attire was clearly more attractive than fiber outfits, warmer, and—above all—offered far superior defense.

Moreover, he could finally produce other leather furnishings, such as leather sofas, wardrobes, and chests.

Ah, yes! Leather could also be used to craft bellows, greatly speeding up metal smelting in the furnace.

The tasks ahead: gather raw meat to expand the team, collect resources to upgrade the kobold nest, and advance to level seven to unlock the crossbow for even greater weapons.

With his heart full of hopeful dreams, Jia Zhengjin finally dragged his exhausted body back to the bedroom, lying down beside the already sleeping Tina.

Tina, like a kitten, instinctively nestled into his embrace.

Jia Zhengjin gazed down at her beautiful, sleeping face, unable to resist planting a gentle kiss on her delicate cheek. For Tina’s sake alone, he had to grow stronger and gain more power. He refused to let Tina spend her entire life with him in this dangerous forest. Only by becoming strong enough to protect himself, protect Tina, and face this strange new world could he take Tina wherever he wished—allowing her to live happily in this world, free and unafraid.