"Deal with them later; for now, the tribe must conserve its strength!"

The goblins were still too weak.

Even with the advantage of a surprise attack and superior numbers, it ended in a one-for-one exchange.

The Lizardmen lost half their numbers, and his goblin underlings also lost nearly half.

If the battle continued, even if they defeated the Lizardmen, there wouldn't be many goblin underlings left.

Gobu Qiang glanced at the boss with a look of partial understanding.

Why conserve strength?

Underlings could always be replenished.

Even if all the underlings were gone, they could just be reborn.

After feasting on the Lizardmen's corpses, the group continued upstream.

Two days later in the afternoon, Li Meng returned to the tribe with the hunting party.

Upon returning, Li Meng did only one thing.

That was to strengthen the army and quickly teach the goblins how to use the crossbow.

Once the goblin underlings were equipped with crossbows, the efficiency of hunting would greatly increase.

Their combat power would also multiply several times.

Barbarians without armor would have no resistance against crossbows.

It was a new day.

The weather was great today, with a clear sky and bright sunshine.

In the forest where the tribe was located, the Big Goblins gathered together.

"Boss, what is this?"

The Big Goblins curiously examined the crossbows in their hands.

"This is a crossbow, a new long-range weapon. Watch carefully!"

Li Meng held the crossbow in his right hand and pulled the string with his left to load it.

"Watch and do the same!"

The boss's scolding made the Big Goblins hurriedly fumble to pull the string and load the crossbow.

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Although Li Meng easily loaded the crossbow, it was different for the Big Goblins.

They gritted their teeth, veins bulging on their arms as they barely managed to load it.

"Now load the bolt, make sure it fits snugly against the chamber wall!"

Li Meng took a bolt from his waist and loaded it.

The Big Goblins followed suit.

"Now, aim at that big tree in the distance!"

Li Meng held the crossbow with both hands, aiming at a tree thirty meters away.

"The protrusion below is the trigger; press it towards your body!"

With that, Li Meng pulled the trigger.

With a "whoosh," the bolt shot through the air.

"Thud!"

In the next instant, the bolt was deeply embedded in the tree trunk.

"Whoosh!"

The Big Goblins clumsily pulled their triggers.

Amidst the sounds of bolts flying, it was unclear where they landed.

After all the Big Goblins pulled their triggers, only one bolt was stuck in the tree trunk.

"Now do you know what kind of weapon this is?"

The Big Goblins nodded excitedly.

"Boss, you're amazing!"

"Boss, it requires too much strength; the underlings can't pull it."

Li Meng bent down and stepped on the foot loop of the crossbow with his foot.

It was made from bark rope, which could be easily repaired with local materials if broken.

"Watch carefully, you can also use both hands to pull!"

Li Meng pulled the bowstring with both hands to load it.

The Big Goblin underlings looked enlightened.

If they used both hands, the goblin underlings could also use the crossbow.

"From today, you must learn how to use the crossbow proficiently and teach your underlings."

Faced with the boss's instructions, the Big Goblins nodded repeatedly.

"In a month, I'll conduct random checks. It could be you or your underlings. Anyone who fails will work as a laborer in the iron cave for a year."

Work as a laborer in the iron cave?

The Big Goblins felt a chill and looked down at the crossbows in their hands.

Though they liked the environment in the cave, being used as laborers would be torture.

The Big Goblins quickly nodded.

"I'll have someone deliver the crossbows to your huts later; you figure it out."

Li Meng tossed the crossbow to Gobu Qiang beside him.

Gobu Qiang was startled by the boss's action and quickly caught the crossbow.

"Benben, follow me!"

Li Meng turned and walked into the depths of the forest.

Benben, who had been sitting obediently, stood up upon hearing the boss call.

With large and heavy steps, it followed behind the boss.

Half an hour later, outside the iron cave.

Suddenly, the sound of "crackling" branches echoed in the forest.

Moments later, the massive figures of Li Meng and Benben emerged from the forest.

In just over three months, the iron cave had changed significantly.

The once narrow cave entrance had been chiseled into a square doorway.

As soon as he entered the iron cave, Li Meng felt a wave of heat hit him.

Looking deeper into the cave, the firelight on the riverbank dispelled the darkness.

Everywhere the firelight shone was a scene of bustling activity.

The riverbank was dotted with bonfires of various sizes.

When one bonfire went out, another would be lit.

The bonfires weren't for lighting but for burning charcoal and iron ore.

Besides the bonfires, over a dozen five-meter-tall blast furnaces stood on the riverbank.

The blast furnaces were lined up neatly along the riverbank.

Hundreds of goblins were busy on the riverbank.

Some were panting as they pulled bellows.

Some were piling wood to burn charcoal and iron ore.

Others were forging iron tools, the clanging sounds echoing in the cave.

Some mischievously touched the furnace wall, yelping in pain and causing their companions to laugh.

Others were mining iron ore deeper in the cave with pickaxes.

"The boss is here, the boss is here!"

Benben's massive silhouette at the entrance caught the goblins' attention.

Someone let out a strange cry, causing all the goblins to look towards the entrance.

Gobu Ge, who was busy by the blast furnace, quickly ran to the boss.

"Boss, boss, why are you here?"

Gobu Ge asked fawningly as he ran up to Li Meng.

The boss hadn't visited the iron cave in a long time.

Why did he come today?

Li Meng glanced at Benben beside him.

"I plan to personally forge armor and weapons for Benben. Is the iron rust ready?"

Over a month ago, Li Meng had sent someone to inform Gobu Ge to prepare some iron rust.

Iron rust smelted with pig iron could produce low-carbon steel.

Benben was a big guy, and armor and weapons made from pig iron would be too brittle.

"Boss, everything you asked for is ready!"

In the following days, Li Meng and Benben were busy.

Benben was nearly five meters tall, and the armor and weapons it used were gigantic.

In the first five days, Li Meng did only two things.

One was measuring Benben's body dimensions.

The other was making giant molds from clay.

On the seventh day, Li Meng began steelmaking.

More than half a month later, in the iron cave.

A nearly two-meter-tall, two-meter-wide anvil stood on the riverbank.

The gigantic Benben stood in front of the anvil, wielding a large hammer to strike a glowing red piece of armor.

Each strike sent a shower of sparks flying.

"Here, yes, here, here!"

Li Meng held a wooden stick, guiding Benben as it hammered the glowing red armor.

Occasionally, he used large iron tongs to clamp the armor for tempering before continuing to forge.

On the ground nearby, piles of armor pieces of various sizes were stacked together.

Though somewhat rough, they would look completely different after subsequent polishing and finishing.