Chapter 381 - 313: The Evil Book’s Suggestion 3

Chapter 381: Chapter 313: The Evil Book’s Suggestion 3

Numerous goblins were hauling various components. In the distance, Nine-finger was leading a group, carefully assembling cannonballs. They placed Bang-Bang Fruits into the metal casings, then passed them to the next goblin to be fitted with a nose cone and tail fins. Finally, another goblin took them and arranged them neatly inside wooden boxes.

Elsewhere, Lame Leg was instructing another group of goblins on how to assemble Rune Mortars and Rune Ah Pi Chickens. The goblins weren’t very familiar with these new devices and needed Lame Leg to guide each one of them. Fortunately, they had been at it for a few days and were starting to get the hang of it, making far fewer mistakes.

"Looks like it’s almost complete." A smile tugged at the corner of Shire’s mouth. "Now, we just wait for the enemy."

"Leader, Broken Tooth is back!" Red Eyes announced, running to his side.

Immediately, a goblin’s head poked out from the nearby shadows. "Leader, I’m here."

"You’re back?"

"Yes, but there’s a problem," Broken Tooth said, scratching his cheek with a puzzled look.

...

In the forest, Bald Hide chewed on a grass root out of sheer boredom. There wasn’t much to gather in the winter, so having a root to chew on wasn’t bad. The root had a hint of sweetness, but it was also covered in sand and dirt, making it gritty. Not that the goblins cared about things like that.

"Is it just up ahead?" he asked, glancing sideways at the goblin standing before him, who was clad in a Snake Shedding Garment. These goblins had just been flying ahead to scout and had returned to report seeing a large clearing in the forest.

A forest clearing. Bald Hide was very familiar with it, and he believed the Dongtou he’d let go would be, too. It was in that very clearing that he had felt a strange mix of resentment and intense envy. But now, Bald Hide felt it was time to settle the score.

’I even sent someone to offer them a chance to surrender, just to lull them into complacency.’ He chuckled smugly. Though it had been a spur-of-the-moment idea, ’this must be the "wisdom" the High Priest is always talking about.’ Besides, the goblins he sent had returned thumping their chests, describing how the enemy had been terrified, trembling like grouse cornered in winter.

Bald Hide pulled a feathered headdress from behind his back, one he had made from grouse tail feathers along the way. He had been wearing a similar headdress when he commanded the last battle. Unfortunately, they had been defeated, and that headdress had been trampled flat long ago. He had made a new one, and his craftsmanship had surprisingly improved.

"This time, don’t think I’ll make the same mistake!" he shouted, calling over several of his strongest Dongtou.

"Tomorrow, you take your men and charge from this side," Bald Hide said, drawing an exceptionally crude map in the dirt and trying to explain it to the dumbfounded Dongtou across from him.

"So, Military Leader, you mean we take our men, run in a circle here, and then go back?" one of the Dongtou asked tentatively.

"Idiot! You don’t go back, you attack from this side!" Bald Hide yelled. "It’s a flanking maneuver! It’s strategy! Do you understand?"

He held out his hands, tracing a wide arc in the air before clasping them together. "Two routes, coming together for this effect."

But the Dongtou before him just stared back with "intelligent" eyes, their heads cocked. They looked at him as if he were the idiot, because goblins only ever charged in a single, chaotic swarm.

"Forget it. Just listen," Bald Hide sighed, waving the Dongtou closer. He began to explain his Combat Technique.

None of them noticed a goblin in the shadows, who had also pricked up his ears.