As the goblin underlings were enjoying their feast, Li Meng returned to the puddle to wash the blood off his body.

He glanced at the large machete lying on the ground beside him, a look of curiosity on his face.

The machete wasn't made of metal.

Its main body was wood, with a sharp stone blade embedded in it.

The stone blade was smeared with some decaying mud, making it look like rust.

There were polishing marks on the stone blade, making it very smooth.

This stone weapon was much better than the clubs the goblins wielded.

Li Meng's gaze shifted slightly to the water, which had turned red.

The first battle had left him trembling all over.

Though it was dangerous, the rush of adrenaline was intoxicating.

The smell of blood ignited a fire within him.

Even though he had a human consciousness, his mindset was gradually becoming more like a goblin's.

This wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

A human mindset wouldn't survive in this world.

"Boss, we're done eating. They'll come back, we need to leave!"

Gobu Qiang ran over, looking at the boss by the puddle with admiration.

The boss was still an ordinary goblin, yet so powerful it was suffocating.

Even the mighty lizardmen became weak trash in front of the boss.

Li Meng carefully placed the spider silk into the cloth bag at his waist.

"Let's go, back to the riverbank!"

The future predicted by the simulated life had already changed.

From this moment on, the future was uncertain.

Li Meng didn't plan to use the remaining simulated life immediately.

At least the journey back to the riverbank should be safe.

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"Move out, get going!"

Under Gobu Qiang's urging, the well-fed goblins got up with their bellies full.

The battle with the lizardmen had cost the hunting party dearly.

In less than five minutes of fighting, over thirty goblins were killed.

The entire hunting party was reduced to less than thirty goblins.

"Gobu Da, are you dead or alive?"

Walking through the dim forest, Li Meng suddenly shouted.

A goblin ahead of him jumped in shock and ran over to Li Meng with a fawning expression.

"Boss, I'm still alive!"

Li Meng looked Gobu Da up and down.

The goblin had grown stronger, its body larger.

Its level had risen to 8, not far from evolving into a Big Goblin.

After eating the lizardman corpse, the other goblins were also rapidly growing.

"Follow me!"

Gobu Da grinned and happily followed behind Li Meng.

Staying by the boss's side was much safer than being at the front.

"Boss, if we go back like this, I'll be eaten by the leader."

Gobu Qiang approached Li Meng with a dejected look.

It was full of unease and fear.

Li Meng glanced at the few remaining goblin underlings.

The goblins were just too weak.

Over sixty goblins were cut down in an instant by a dozen lizardmen.

"Gobu Qiang, why didn't we detect the lizardmen's presence in advance?"

The lizardmen had suddenly charged out of the forest.

This meant they had used some method to mask their scent and sneak up on them.

"Boss, the lizardmen smeared some decaying mud on themselves, which emitted a swampy smell."

Li Meng nodded in understanding.

So that's how it was; the lizardmen indeed had some black mud on them.

It seemed the lizardmen knew goblins had keen senses of smell, making it difficult to approach unnoticed.

That's why they used decaying mud to mask their scent.

Before long, the sky gradually darkened.

To avoid the danger of the lizardmen, Li Meng led the remaining goblins back to the riverbank overnight.

That night, the forest beside the darkness was silent.

Silver moonlight spread across the land, slightly dispelling the darkness.

Suddenly! There was some movement in the forest by the riverbank.

A group of shadows darted out of the forest and stopped by the riverbank.

In the moonlight, the shadows were a group of ugly green-skinned creatures.

"System, start the simulated life!"

For the sake of his own life, Li Meng used the second simulated life of the month.

In the moonlight, Li Meng stood by the roaring river.

[Start Simulated Life]

[That night, you brought the goblin underlings to the riverbank, gazing at the shimmering water, contemplating your future life.]

[Before dawn, you plan to do something. Please make the following choice:]

[1. You decide to cross the river overnight to avoid the lizardmen threat and return to the lair.]

[2. You know returning to the lair will get you eaten by the angry Gobu Ba, so you decide to go downstream to the human territory.]

[3. Do nothing, rest by the riverbank for a night, and become a wandering goblin.]

Again, three options, three choices for future lives.

The first option was reasonable.

Staying by the riverbank was dangerous; the lizardmen might be pursuing them.

The hunting party suffered heavy losses, so returning to the lair was the most reasonable choice.

But a reasonable choice wasn't necessarily the right one.

Returning to the lair like this, Gobu Qiang would die, and these goblins might also get implicated.

The second option was more of a compromise.

As long as they captured a few humans and brought them back, the crisis would be over.

Although the hunting party suffered heavy losses, they could still secretly capture a few ordinary human civilians.

However, the second option was also the most dangerous.

It was entirely a gamble, and they might not survive.

The third option, becoming a wandering goblin, was also a good choice.

As long as there was enough food, the existing goblins could independently develop a new tribe.

"Gobu Qiang, should we go downstream to the human territory, cross the river back to the lair, or wander outside to avoid becoming food? Choose one!"

In the end, Li Meng decided to leave the choice to Gobu Qiang.

After all, these goblins might not necessarily die if they returned.

But Gobu Qiang was different; if it went back, it would definitely be eaten by the angry Gobu Ba.

Gobu Qiang's ugly face twisted into a knot.

The boss was letting it choose, which made it very difficult.

It didn't know what to choose.

If it chose to wander, would the boss abandon it?

"Boss, I don't want to die, I... I can't go back."

This was Gobu Qiang's answer, and also its choice.

"Very well, then let's wander outside and establish a new lair."

Gobu Qiang's choice was also what Li Meng wanted.

Going to the human territory was too dangerous; wandering outside allowed for more freedom to grow stronger.

There were too many variables in returning to the lair.

Moreover, the day-to-day life of hunting for food wasn't what Li Meng wanted.

"System, the third option!"

[You choose to wander outside, and a new goblin lair appears in the forest on the north bank.]

[You lead the goblin underlings upstream along the river.]

[You choose a dense forest as your new home, and a new species of forest goblin emerges.]