Chapter 29: A Goblin Kingdom?
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Li Ye raised his binoculars and looked toward the mine, just in time to see a goblin burst from one of the tunnels.
It was roughly the same size as an ordinary goblin. It wore an oversized hard hat and a white undershirt, carried a crude, heavy mining pick, and had a wrench tucked into its belt.
Its body was slightly hunched, and its eyes were small and fierce.
Judging by the aura radiating from it, this was clearly “Foreman Jeremy,” who had descended upon the Gloss Mine.
“Stop playing dead! Get up and get back to work, you lazy bum!” Foreman Jeremy angrily kicked the goblin lying nearby.
Then the foreman looked at the fortifications and trenches scattered across the mine after the bombardment and could not help frowning.
“Damn it, how did it get wrecked this badly? ... Time to fix it!”
It picked up its wrench and began making repairs at a speed so astonishing that it left everyone speechless.
The Field Boss darted across the mine like lightning. Trenches, bunkers, and tunnels crushed beneath the bombardment ... wherever Foreman Jeremy passed, everything was restored as if by magic, even gleaming brightly.
Before long, the defensive works throughout the mine had been restored to their original condition.
The three of them stared in stunned disbelief.
“It only took about ten minutes,” Li Jin remarked.
“And you still had the time to keep track?” Lei Jian sighed.
Li Ye could not help wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Just like that, the results of three hours of fighting by the three Mobile Cities had been completely erased.
This Field Boss seemed to possess little combat ability and leaned more toward utility. It was interdependent with the monster stronghold known as Gloss Mine, making it extraordinarily troublesome.
“If we want to win, can we only take Gloss Mine in one fell swoop?” Li Jin asked.
Li Ye pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
“Difficult.”
The first wave launched by the three Mobile Cities had been their fiercest assault—their preparations had been the most thorough, and their morale had been at its highest. Yet all they had accomplished was destroying most of the mine’s defensive works. They had not even managed to break into the interior.
Given the current situation, engaging the mine in a war of attrition over fixed positions clearly would not work.
Just then, inspiration struck Li Ye.
“Although this Field Boss can rapidly repair the fortifications, it can’t heal the wounded or bring back the dead.”
Li Jin and Lei Jian exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up.
“You mean ...”
“We focus on killing the goblins. Once their manpower is exhausted, they won’t be able to hold the mine.”
An hour later, the three Mobile Cities launched another attack.
This time, their goal was no longer to capture the fortifications. Instead, they prioritized bombarding the trenches and bunkers containing the largest concentrations of goblins.
As one companion after another fell, the goblins quickly realized their intentions.
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“Damn humans! All you know how to do is use underhanded tricks!” Foreman Jeremy trembled with rage.
Soon, the goblins took countermeasures as well.
They distributed their personnel among every trench and bunker.
This time, it was Li Ye and the others who found themselves in a difficult position.
Bombarding the trenches and bunkers required shells, and each shell cost three units of iron ore and one unit of gunpowder. If this continued, they did not know whether they could afford the expense.
But now that the battle had begun, abandoning it would mean losing far too much of their investment.
Thus, the three Mobile Cities and the goblins entered a war of attrition.
After fighting for two days and two nights, with the number of remaining goblins visibly dwindling, the three Mobile Cities joined forces and launched an all-out assault.
Although the vast majority of the mine’s defensive works remained intact, the goblins no longer had enough manpower to defend them. They could only watch helplessly as their positions were flattened one after another.
Foreman Jeremy brandished its wrench and mining pick, furiously joining the battle.
Just as Li Ye had predicted, the Field Boss possessed very little combat strength, and the weapons in its hands inflicted minimal damage.
Yet it was unexpectedly tough and hardy. Even after being bombarded by Level One artillery, it would simply get back to its feet like nothing had happened and brush the dust from its knees.
“Looks like we’ll just have to wear it down little by little,” Li Ye sighed.
Under the siege of the three Mobile Cities, Foreman Jeremy gradually reached its limit and collapsed to the ground.
When everyone cautiously approached, the goblin spoke in a faint voice.
“I fought until the very end.” Its eyes were vacant as it murmured, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I can no longer carry out your plan to expand the realm.”
His Majesty?
The three of them could not help being stunned.
The goblins had a king? Could there actually be a Goblin Kingdom?
A single Gloss Mine was already this difficult to deal with. Just how absurdly powerful would the Goblin Kingdom be?
Of the three, Lei Jian was the most down-to-earth.
“Who cares? We’re only a Level One city. Even if the sky falls, it won’t land on our heads,” he said, scratching his head. “Let’s see what this Field Boss dropped first.”
Li Jin nodded, while Li Ye wore a complicated expression.
“Could the monster civilization mentioned in the intelligence actually be referring to the goblins?” he wondered.
Then he and the other two began inspecting Foreman Jeremy’s loot.
As a Field Boss, Foreman Jeremy’s drops were far better than those of the Lava Spider Queen.
[5,174 Crystal Coins.]
[1,556 units of Level One iron ore, 976 units of Level One coal, 512 units of Level One fuel, and 851 units of Level One cloth.]
[Level One Item: Foreman’s Sturdy Work Vest.]
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[Level One Item: Universal Wrench.]
[Level One Item: Goblin Traveler’s Canteen.]
[Level One Food Blueprint: Instant Cup Noodles.]
[Mine Storeroom Key.]
[Level Two Weapon: Goblin Gold-Star Player’s Baseball Bat.]
Li Ye’s gaze locked firmly onto the key.
As long as they opened the storeroom, they would be able to obtain the city advancement blueprint.
“According to our previous agreement, I have first choice among drops below Level Two,” he said, picking up the key without hesitation. “So this key belongs to me.”
Li Jin and Lei Jian nodded, raising no objections.
Next, the three of them examined the four Level One items.
1. [Foreman’s Sturdy Work Vest, Level One]
[Additional Effect: Reduces damage taken by the wearer by seventy percent. This effect does not apply to damage originating from Level Two or higher.]
2. [Universal Wrench, Level One]
[Additional Effect: Increases repair efficiency by fifty percent when repairing Level One or ordinary buildings and vehicles.]
3. [Goblin Traveler’s Canteen, Level One]
[Additional Effect: Refreshes one canteen of fresh water at six o’clock every morning.]
4. [Instant Cup Noodles Blueprint, Level One]
[Additional Effect: Increases fullness by ten percent.]
[Materials Required: 0.2 units of flour.]
“These are all great items!”
Li Ye exclaimed in amazement.
With the foreman’s vest, one could practically walk unhindered through the Wasteland Zone, a Level One region.
As for the universal wrench, it increased repair efficiency.
The Goblin Traveler’s Canteen was especially miraculous. It actually produced one canteen of fresh water at the same time every day. It would be extremely popular among bounty hunters and lone survivalists in the wilderness, and could even be sold for a high price.
The instant cup noodle blueprint was excellent as well. Each unit of flour could be used to make five cups of noodles.
The noodles’ additional effect was very useful, and they were also convenient to store in a warehouse.
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