Volume One: First Arrival Chapter Six: The Hunt

Meng Xingchen observed the area and, seeing no further kobolds emerging, hurled his bamboo spear at the one running at the back.

With a sharp whistle through the air, the spear viciously pierced the kobold's throat. The immense force carried the mid-air creature backward for over a meter. Because the thick bamboo shaft had punched clean through its neck, the kobold died without making a sound.

Looking at the spear protruding deep through the creature's neck, Meng Xingchen shook his head. Although his agility had increased by two points—theoretically enhancing his control and throwing accuracy—his constitution had jumped from 5 to 8, and his strength had grown by more than half in just two days. He was still struggling to adapt, wasting energy by habitually throwing with full force.

Seeing the remaining two kobolds—one with an arrow in its chest and the other unscathed—start to flee in a panic, Meng Xingchen said quickly, "Shoot the wounded one." Simultaneously, he drew another spear from the pack at his feet and threw it at the uninjured creature.

This time, he modulated his strength perfectly. The spear entered the back of the kobold’s neck, the tip barely poking through the other side. The creature collapsed, slid forward a short distance, and went completely still.

Meanwhile, the other fleeing kobold was struck by two more arrows in its back. It collapsed with a shrill cry, only to be finished off by Li Dabao, who rushed up from behind and drove a hunting fork into its heart.

Kobolds possess hearing and scent far superior to humans; the commotion here could not be hidden from them. After a few barks echoed from afar, the forest fell silent. It seemed they had chosen to flee rather than investigate.

Meng Xingchen checked his system panel. Killing the two kobolds had yielded 24 bio-energy points, enough to level up again.

After leveling up, Meng Xingchen added his free attribute point to his constitution, bringing it to 9. A familiar warmth radiated from his heart, flowing through his blood to every part of his body.

Meng Xingchen let out a long breath. The clear sensation of growing stronger was intoxicating. He decided to push his constitution to 10 to see if anything special would happen upon reaching a round number.

He checked the attribute panel: after rising to Tier 0, Level 4, his progress bar read 19/250. To level up again, he would need to kill 20 more kobolds. He hoped to achieve this goal today.

Li Dabao returned the two retrieved spears. Meng Xingchen inspected them; the spear used to kill the first kobold had its tip shattered from excessive force.

Watching as Li Daniu and the others began skinning the three carcasses, he borrowed Li Dabao’s hunting knife to repair the damaged spear.

Kobold meat is inedible, as it is poisonous. To humans, only their hides have any utility, and even then, their value is low. Thus, no one hunts them unless absolutely necessary. Combined with their extraordinary reproductive rate, this often leads to kobold infestations.

Once everything was packed up, the hunting party of five set off again. The kobold corpses were left in the forest clearing, and the three stripped hides were tucked away by Li Erbao in the branches of a large tree at the edge of the clearing.

They encountered no more kobolds on the way; the creatures had likely retreated to their lair in fear.

By midday, the five reached a cliff. Below lay a deep valley, devoid of vegetation and filled with exposed rock. From their vantage point, the opposite cliff face was scattered with cave entrances of various sizes.

Li Daniu pointed to the valley below. "This is a kobold nest we discovered earlier. It’s likely the most suitable place for them to congregate near Li Family Village."

***

Observing the valley below, Meng Xingchen said, "Let’s rest here for a bit. We’ll have lunch and gauge the size of this colony."

In this short time, several kobolds had already come and gone. With the sun at its peak, they would not linger in the open; they were either out foraging or resting inside the caves.

Just then, a system notification chimed in Meng Xingchen's mind: "Ding! A random task, 'Exterminate the Kobolds,' has been issued. Please check the mission panel for details."

While continuing to monitor the valley with a calm expression, Meng Xingchen pulled up the mission panel.

"Exterminate the Kobolds: A kobold nest has been discovered, posing a serious threat to the survival of the villagers of Li Family Village. Please assist the villagers in eliminating the kobolds to ensure their safety. Rewards will be granted based on performance."

This was a major reason why Meng Xingchen was so proactive in the extermination effort. From the moment the kobolds attacked the village, he knew follow-up battles were inevitable. Especially after the villagers hit a wall seeking help at the market, he realized this was his mission.

As a fan of deep-dive novels, he knew these tropes all too well. Even if he resisted, events would force him to face a large-scale kobold assault. If that were the case, it was better to strike first and gain more tactical room.

In the short time it took them to finish their dry rations, they had observed over a dozen kobolds. Based on Li Daniu’s experience, this nest held at least three hundred adult kobolds.

After deliberation, they decided to split into three groups. Meng Xingchen and Li Dabao would act as the primary strike force, hunting in a two-mile radius outside the nest to eliminate any kobolds they encountered.

Li Daniu and Li Erbao would return to the clearing where they had previously ambushed the kobolds, setting traps to create a fallback line. If Meng Xingchen’s hunting triggered a massive counterattack, these traps would buy time for them to escape.

Li Dazhuang would monitor the valley from high ground near the entrance. If he spotted a large-scale mobilization, he was to sound the alarm and regroup with the others at the clearing.

They began their separate missions.

Since they were now hunting near the nest, they had to maintain stealth. Because the snap of the bamboo spears was too loud, Meng Xingchen decided to use his longsword for close combat.

He couldn't rely on short spears forever. With his constitution at 9 and agility at 6, he was far stronger than when he first arrived. He held an absolute advantage in physical attributes, making the kobolds perfect for melee practice.

Using the same old tactic, Li Dabao unwrapped a skin bag filled with raw meat and placed it on a waist-high rock. He climbed a tree to keep watch, while Meng Xingchen hid behind the rock.

Soon, two kobolds followed the scent, spotted the bag, and scrambled over, pushing each other to get at it.

Meng Xingchen activated his "Full Perspective" to ensure he wouldn't be flanked.

The moment both kobolds leaped toward the bag, Meng Xingchen emerged from behind the rock. His longsword struck like a viper, piercing one kobold's throat.

***

Meng Xingchen felt wonderful. The increase in agility had sharpened his dynamic vision, and with both kobolds within his "Full Perspective," every subtle movement was captured.

In the time it took to thrust and withdraw the blade, the two kobolds were still mid-air, yet to land. The one struck in the throat fell backward from the impact of the sword, while the other, seeing Meng Xingchen appear so suddenly, opened its mouth in a terrified attempt to shriek.

Meng Xingchen didn't fully retract the sword; instead, he slanted it midway, the tip tracing a smooth arc across the second kobold's neck, stifling its cry in its chest.

The entire process took less than two seconds. Both kobolds were killed without making a sound.

Meng Xingchen avoided the spurting blood and looked at his longsword. Aside from a few stains on the tip, it was unscathed. With a light flick, the blood vanished, leaving not a trace.

He bundled up the meat bag and tightened the opening. "Dabao, let’s go. Time to change spots." Receiving no response, he looked up at the tree where Li Dabao was hiding, only to see him staring blankly.

"Dabao!" Meng Xingchen called out louder.

Li Dabao snapped out of his daze, slid down the tree, took the bag with a hint of trepidation, and silently led the way to the next ambush site.

After ambushing four more waves—eleven kobolds in total—they waited a long time at the fifth site, but no more kobolds appeared.

In one instance, three kobolds had come. Meng Xingchen wielded his sword in his right hand and a short iron-tipped spear in his left, killing two with the blade while piercing the third's throat with the spear, again without a sound.

However, the fourth ambush had drawn four kobolds. Meng Xingchen couldn't pull off an instant kill with all his might, and the last one managed to let out a cry.

That was why they chose a spot further from the nest for the fifth ambush. But the silence was abnormal.

Abandoning any wishful thinking, Meng Xingchen prepared to signal Li Dazhuang to retreat. Yet, Murphy’s Law took effect. Just as he called Li Dabao down from the tree, a shrill whistle pierced the air from afar.

It was Li Dazhuang’s alarm—a large group of kobolds was pouring out of the nest. They were clearly coming for revenge.

The two retreated along the planned route. They hadn't even covered a hundred meters before the sound of barking echoed behind them, direct and closing in.

Fortunately, after running another thirty or forty meters, Meng Xingchen spotted the mark left by Li Daniu. Navigating past the traps, the two continued their desperate flight.