Chapter 8: I Want to Eat Humans

"It's been so many days, the body should be gone by now."

In the forest, Ground Mice are known as scavengers.

Although they mainly eat plants, they won't miss any chance to eat meat.

"It's a real pity. That huge corpse could have fed all the goblins here for a meal."

Though he felt regretful, Li Meng didn't dwell on it.

There would be plenty of opportunities to hunt stronger magical beasts in the future.

As for himself, it seemed that having the *Simulated Life System* caused him to lose the ability to evolve.

His strength came from the *Simulated Life System.*

This body had already been distorted and enhanced by the system's power.

It wasn't surprising that he lost some of the goblins' original abilities.

Compared to the ability to evolve by eating magical beasts, devouring their skills was undoubtedly more powerful.

The former's upper limit was too low and easily restricted by innate talent.

Most goblins, even if they ate a dragon, could only advance to Goblin Warrior.

Even if their bloodline was twisted and enhanced by a powerful foreign race, their strength would still be limited.

But the potential of skills was limitless.

"You're getting taller, huh? What, are you planning to rebel?"

Li Meng glared at Gobuda with a fierce expression.

Daring to show off in front of him? That couldn’t be tolerated.

Gobuda shrank his neck, his face full of flattery.

"Boss, I... I wouldn’t dare!"

"Hmph, you better not!"

In the following days, the hunting team trudged through mountains and waters.

They hunted as they traveled toward the goblin lair.

On the third day, the hunting team returned to the goblin lair.

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"Leader, this is my tribute to you!"

Inside the cave, Gobuka bowed respectfully with a flattering smile.

He turned to give a signal to his underlings behind him.

The goblins of the hunting team quickly carried Ground Mice and hauled wild boars, placing them on the ground before a giant boulder.

In no time, dozens of Ground Mouse carcasses and dismembered wild boar meat formed a small mountain.

Seeing the pile of food, the large goblins around them looked on with greedy eyes.

Only goblins who evolved into Goblin Warriors could become the leader's guards.

Those who became guards didn’t need to go out hunting.

They only had to wait in the cave for offerings from the hunting team.

Gobuba, perched on the stone platform, waved his hand.

Several Goblin Warriors jumped off the platform and carried wild boar legs back up.

Gobuba took a big bite out of a boar leg.

"Gobuka, you’ve done well. You deserve breeding rights!"

At that moment, a pained squeal echoed from a prison cell in the right-side rock wall.

A Goblin Warrior herded a female forest boar toward them.

Looking at the sow being driven over, Gobuka's face lit up with excitement.

His mouth hung slightly open, and drool was almost dripping out.

"Remember, this is an honor I’m giving you!"

Gobuka couldn't contain his excitement and lunged forward eagerly.

For a moment, the cave echoed with the squeals of the wild boar.

Watching Gobuka put on a live "spring show," Li Meng sighed in relief.

Good thing he was smart—he’d changed the future seen in the *Simulated Life System.*

In less than five minutes, Gobuka was done.

He looked utterly satisfied, staggering as he walked.

"Ground Mouse meat, pork... eating this stuff every day is boring me to death."

Gobuba's voice suddenly erupted with a dissatisfied roar inside the cave.

Gobuka was so startled that his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground.

From his perch on the stone platform, Gobuba violently threw the boar leg in his hand.

The leg flew dozens of meters and smashed against the rock wall.

The surrounding goblins trembled in fear and instinctively took two steps back.

"I want to eat human meat. I want human meat. You... go capture humans for me."

Gobuba raised his massive hand and pointed at Gobuka.

Gobuka, terrified, stiffened up completely.

"I’ll go, I’ll go!"

Realizing what had happened, Gobuka scrambled to his feet and ran outside.

The other goblin underlings followed behind him in panic.

Li Meng was among them, his expression more serious than usual.

Could this be what happened after his death?

Li Meng had never expected that humans truly existed in this world.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Watching the fleeing goblins, Gobuba roared with laughter.

Elsewhere, after running out of the cave, Gobuka collapsed to the ground in terror.

"Gobuka, have you ever captured humans before?"

Looking up at Li Meng, who had approached him, Gobuka hurriedly stood.

Gobuka nodded, gesturing animatedly as he spoke.

"Boss, human meat is so delicious! It’s tender, fragrant, salty, and incredibly tasty. It’s just a pity that human females are too fragile. We barely breed with them a few times before they die. Mating with humans is also the most pleasurable, hehe!"

By the end, Gobuka was drooling.

But then, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes.

"Humans also have some really strong individuals. A few of them can wipe out our entire hunting team."

"Humans like revenge, too. Many goblin lairs on the forest's outskirts have been wiped out by them."

"This lair is said to have been moved here from the outskirts. Back then, Gobuba wasn’t even the leader yet."

"Boss, I’m scared. We’ll die."

Gobuka's whole body trembled as he spoke.

Humans might be delicious, but they weren’t easy prey.

Gobuka understood that better than anyone.

With their small numbers, they could easily be eaten by magical beasts on the way to human territory.

"If you don’t go, the leader will eat you instead!"

Gobuka shrank his neck in fear.

The thought of becoming a piece of meat in the leader’s mouth sent a shiver down his spine, making his legs tremble.

"Rest for the night. We’ll set out tomorrow."

This was the leader’s order. Whether they wanted to or not, they had to go.

Li Meng understood this, and so did Gobuka.

Otherwise, Gobuka would indeed be eaten.

Accepting reality, Gobuka resigned himself to the situation.

Time passed quickly, and the day soon ended.

As night fell, the forest outside the lair grew quiet.

The next morning, Gobuka led the hunting team toward human territory.

The team crossed mountains and streams, traversed valleys, and avoided powerful magical beasts.

Half a month later, on a certain tall mountain:

"Boss, once we cross this mountain, we’ll enter human territory."

From the mountain’s peak, the scenery on the other side was in full view.

The other side of the mountain was still covered in rolling hills, but they were smaller, lower, and less steep than the southern mountain range.

"Boss, we must be cautious. Humans often form teams to hunt goblins in the forest, and they’re very strong."

Hunting teams?

Li Meng thought of the settings in some fantasy novels.

A world with goblins must also have adventurers.

And adventurers likely included magicians, warriors, knights, thieves, and the like.

Perhaps the humans Gobuka mentioned were those types.

"Let’s rest for a bit."

Li Meng turned and sat on a large rock.

The other goblin underlings quickly sprawled out on the ground.

"System, start the *Simulated Life*!"

A month’s cooldown had finally ended, and it was time to use it again.