"I... I'm called Hui Nana!"

Li Meng grinned and gave Hui Nana's round backside a playful slap.

Then, feeling quite satisfied, he walked out.

Among the many female Lizardmen in the wooden hut, Li Meng only knew Bai Ling's name. The reason, of course, was the language barrier.

But now, Li Meng felt there was no need to hide anymore.

That said, he didn't really need to know the names of the female Lizardmen. Asking Hui Nana's name was just a whim.

Hui Nana shivered as her backside was touched. She looked at her departing master with a complex expression.

This Goblin in front of her was different from the Goblins she knew. His eyes lacked the usual savagery and madness of Goblins, giving off a very rational and intelligent vibe.

It was already afternoon when the creaky door of the throne cave in the tribe opened.

Li Meng emerged from the wooden hut, looking refreshed.

Seeing Benben sleeping soundly outside the door, Li Meng smiled.

Without waking Benben, Li Meng headed towards the nursery.

"Boss, your bloodline descendants are over here!"

Led by a Goblin, Li Meng entered a larger nursery.

He didn't go inside the wooden hut but stopped at the entrance.

Inside, a group of young Goblins was playing and frolicking.

There were over a hundred of them, making the hut buzz with chatter.

When they noticed Li Meng at the door, the noise abruptly stopped.

All the young Goblins huddled in the corner, looking at Li Meng with nothing but fear in their eyes.

Young Goblins have an instinctive sense of danger when facing adult Goblins.

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After watching for a while at the door, Li Meng turned and left.

Goblins have no concept of family.

Even their mothers are just female creatures in their eyes.

Once they reach adulthood, mothers become nothing more than breeding tools.

If the female creatures don't separate from the young Goblins in time after giving birth, they might even become food for the young ones.

After leaving the nursery, Li Meng headed to the carpentry workshop.

Before he even got close, he heard the sound of wood being shaved from the wooden huts.

"Boss, what brings you here?"

In the largest carpentry workshop, Li Meng found Gobu Da.

Seeing the busy Goblins in the workshop, Li Meng nodded in satisfaction.

Goblins might be a bit dim-witted, but they are obedient and hardworking.

While they lack creativity, their ability to mimic is even stronger than humans.

"I need to make some big things, clear this place out for me!"

Soon, airships would appear in the sky near the Goblin nest. Knowing this, Li Meng wasn't planning to do nothing. The future predicted by the simulated life could serve as an important source of intelligence.

In the following days, Li Meng was busy in the carpentry workshop studying large ballistae. Gobu Da and a group of Goblins assisted him.

On the afternoon of the seventh day, outside the workshop, a massive ballista was carried into the forest by the Goblins.

A ballista is essentially a larger version of a crossbow, with a structure not much different from the single crossbows used by Goblins. It just has an added winch to pull the bowstring.

"Boss, the bolts are here!"

Three Goblins carried over a bolt about 1.5 meters long, made entirely of low-carbon steel. The bolt had iron fins at the tail to help maintain balance and direction during flight.

"String it up!"

At Li Meng's command, the three Goblins quickly turned the winch. With a "creak creak" sound, the bowstring was gradually drawn back.

It took over a minute for the bowstring to be successfully cocked. The Goblins carrying the bolt then placed it into the ballista's slot.

"Boss, everything's ready!"

With all the pre-launch preparations complete, it was time to test the power of the ballista.

Li Meng stepped forward to aim the ballista at a large tree several hundred meters away.

"Whoosh!"

Li Meng pulled the trigger. With a "click," a piercing whistle followed.

The massive bolt shot out like a black streak, slicing through the dim forest and heading straight into its depths.

"Thud!"

Over two hundred meters away, there was a "boom" as the massive bolt embedded deeply into the tree trunk. The entire arrowhead was buried, and the tail was trembling violently.

Seeing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Li Meng's eyes. The ballista's power was far too low, much less than he had anticipated.

The bolt started losing altitude after just two hundred meters. How could such power satisfy Li Meng?

"Is it a problem with the materials and structure?"

Li Meng pondered as he looked at the ballista before him. The materials were already at their limit. There was no wood tougher than ironwood in the Goblin Forest. Spider silk rope was also the best material for bowstrings in terms of elasticity and toughness.

"It seems I'll have to think of a solution with the structure!"

Li Meng turned and walked towards the carpentry workshop.

"Take the ballista back!"

Upon hearing this, the Goblin underlings quickly swarmed around, lifting the ballista and carrying it back to the workshop.

In the following days, the carpentry workshop was once again filled with the sound of wood being shaved, occasionally accompanied by the "thud thud" of hammering.

"Boss, boss!"

One afternoon, Gobu Ke rushed into the workshop. Inside, Li Meng was meticulously refining a massive bow frame.

"Boss, something's wrong. We've discovered the Pigmen tribe in the eastern forest!"

Gobu Ke ran to the boss's side, panting.

Hearing this, Li Meng's heart tightened. The Pigmen tribe had indeed appeared. It had only been a little over a month. The Black Robe was supposed to appear after the airship, so the timing shouldn't be off.

"Don't engage with the Pigmen tribe. If you encounter them, avoid them!"

The simulated life predicted many future scenarios. Those futures were known intelligence. To develop the future he envisioned, he had to proceed cautiously.

"Boss, can't we eat them? Pigmen meat is much tastier than wild boar."

Gobu Ke's face was filled with greed. Remembering the taste of Pigmen, he almost drooled.

"Now is not the time for war with the Pigmen tribe. Tell the Hunting Party in the eastern forest not to engage with the Pigmen. If they encounter them, avoid them. Go!"

"Alright, boss, I'm on it!"

Though disappointed, Gobu Ke still had to follow the boss's orders. He turned and dashed out.

The next morning.

The long-silent carpentry workshop was bustling again. This time, an even larger ballista was carried out by more than ten Goblins.

Compared to the previous ballista, this one was much bigger, almost twice the size of the last. Its structure was also more complex.