Chapter 9：Monster in the Lake, Third Simulation

He followed the troll from a distance, and surprisingly, the troll didn't notice at all.

They walked for a long time, and Goburo began to feel something was off.

Did the troll hide his treasury too far away?

They had been walking for half an hour and still hadn't reached their destination.

Goburo realized that the troll must have some secret.

In the end, he followed the troll to the deepest part of the valley, where there was a serene lake. The lake looked picturesque in the moonlight. Then, the troll placed all the magic crystals in his hands in front of the lake.

Carefully, the troll said, "Master, these are the magic crystals for this month."

As he finished speaking, the calm surface of the lake suddenly rippled. Then, a black tentacle emerged from the water.

In that instant, Goburo's scalp tingled as he noticed that the tentacle was covered in countless suction cups, each filled with dozens of thin, yellow teeth and thick sticky mucus. It was quite unpleasant to look at.

After seeing the tentacle, even the troll was too scared to move and stood still. Before long, the tentacle swept away all the crystals on the shore and dragged them into the water.

When the lake returned to its calm state, the troll breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly left the area and ran back to his camp.

Goburo watched the entire scene with wide eyes but remained silent. He knew that if he disturbed the monster in the lake, he would be doomed.

He also didn't dare to stay any longer and chose to leave.

Now, he had a certain guess about the strange situation in the valley. Most likely, the powerful monsters in the valley had all been eaten by the creature in the lake.

The reason the troll hadn't died was probably because he paid protection fees to the monster every month in the form of magic crystals. That's why the monster didn't kill the troll.

However, if there was such a monster in the valley, why didn't it demand protection fees when Goburo killed the troll in the previous simulation?

Why wasn't Goburo killed by the monster?

Could it be that something happened to the monster?

Or perhaps it was just recuperating here and would leave once it healed.

Various speculations flashed through his mind, but regardless of the possibilities, he just needed to run a few more simulations.

As long as he ran enough simulations, he would eventually gather information about the creature in the lake.

Moreover, the troll mentioned that he sent crystals every month, so Goburo still had a full thirty days.

In these thirty days, who knows how many simulations he could conduct?

Then, he might have a chance to overpower the monster.

The next day, Cobura and Goburi eagerly devoured the food Goburo had given them. Even though Goburo no longer took them out hunting, he had arranged for them to undergo training.

Every day, they diligently followed Goburo's training plan.

Despite the rigorous training, both Gobura and Goburi had simple minds and strictly adhered to Goburo's training plan.

Goburo watched this scene with satisfaction, even when he wasn't around, they did not slack off.

After a couple of days, Goburo had figured out the nature of these goblins.

Goblins were naturally adept at understanding monster language, and although they appeared to be around 1.2 to 1.3 meters tall, their age did not exceed one year, making them easy to educate.

Of course, he had only been training them for a few days, and it was likely that these goblins would go through a rebellious phase as time went on. However, Goburo was confident that their rebellious phase would not last more than a day.

At dusk, as he watched the slowly disappearing sun on the horizon, Goburo hesitated.

"System, start the simulation."

[Consuming twenty-five first-order magic crystals, initiating the third simulation.]

[Detected 2 remaining evaluation points from the last simulation, granting random low-level talent: Lush Hair. Your body's hair will always be exceptionally thick, eliminating the risk of baldness.]

Hearing the talent he obtained this time, Goburo couldn't help but find it amusing. Lush hair seemed to have no practical use and could even act as a hindrance on his path to becoming stronger.

[In the first year, you are the most powerful goblin in the tribe and have discovered the secret within the valley.

Originally, you planned to deal with the troll in the near future, but now you decide to postpone it for a year. You are aware that the lazy troll will never improve as fast as you.

After one year, you will easily kill the troll.]

[One month later, you stealthily follow behind the troll and investigate the monster in the lake. You find that the monster is still alive and decide to continue lurking and quietly cultivate.]

[In the second year, your strength has skyrocketed.

Your level has increased to lv.11, and your critical attacks have evolved into lethal strikes at lv.1.

Your enhancement level has also increased to lv.5. It is now time for you to execute your plan.

As soon as the monster in the lake dies, you intend to immediately kill the troll.]

[After six months, you continue to secretly follow the troll as usual.

However, upon reaching the depths of the gorge this time, the monster in the lake does not appear.

The troll waits there for an entire night, but the monster doesn't show up.

The troll stays for three more days, seemingly confirming the disappearance of the lake monster, before excitedly running back towards the camp.]

"So it disappeared at this time. No wonder the troll would randomly disappear for a few days before. It turns out the lake monster vanished."

Upon the troll's return to the camp, you do not rush to attack. Instead, you carefully study the lake.

Such a terrifying creature couldn't just suddenly disappear.

You want to find out why it vanished, so you decide to investigate. Cautiously, you proceed toward the direction of the lake, and slowly, you arrive at its edge.

You carefully observe the lake, feeling a strange stillness. Vaguely, you sense unease.

Gradually, you see a blurry shadow with many tentacles under the water's surface.

After a few seconds, it finally dawns on you. In a panic, you hastily retreat to the camp. The monster hasn't left; it's simply sleeping. It's not dead and will eventually awaken.

While running halfway, you catch up to the excitedly running troll. Due to its lack of sleep for three days, the troll's mental state is not good. You realize this is an opportunity.

Drawing the wooden stick from behind, you fiercely smash it against the troll's head.

Completely absorbed in its excitement, the troll doesn't notice you behind it.

The lethal strike lands perfectly on the troll's head, causing it to explode like a watermelon, thanks to your terrifying power.