500 first-tier magic crystals

Moreover, after this evolution, he actually gained five new skills. Since the maximum number of new skills one can acquire through Primal Evolution is five, his luck must be considered pretty good. Additionally, the levels of some of his existing skills had also improved, which was a great bonus.

[System, how many magic crystals do I need for the next simulation?]

[The next simulation requires 10 second-tier magic crystals or 500 first-tier magic crystals. Since this is the first simulation after evolution, it is offered at a discounted price.]

'A discounted price, huh? So, at the original rate, 500 first-tier magic crystals wouldn't even be enough for a single simulation now. I didn't expect the gap between first-tier and second-tier magic crystals to be so huge—one second-tier crystal is worth fifty first-tier ones. If I were to leave the valley now, I could probably gather second-tier crystals quickly and start the next simulation. However, venturing out now would likely mean getting caught up in that beast tide. It's better to stay safely in the valley.'

Survival isn't something to be ashamed of.

However, staying in the valley means needing 500 first-tier magic crystals for the next simulation. Although his current strength allows him to hunt first-tier magical beasts efficiently, 500 is still a significant number and will take some time to gather.

He wasn't worried about disrupting the valley's ecological balance. Magical beasts have short gestation periods, with most pregnancies lasting around three months and often resulting in multiple offspring. Some beasts can even give birth to a whole litter in just one month. This is one of the reasons why, from time to time, massive beast tides launch attacks on human cities.

Magical beasts reproduce too quickly. The rulers of the Monster Forest must carefully control their population; otherwise, it wouldn't take long for the forest to become overpopulated and turn into a wasteland.

The hidden ruler of the Monster Forest isn't concerned about whether humans might go extinct from frequent beast tide attacks. After all, the heroes born among humans possess such immense power that even he sometimes feels a sense of dread. However, he has no intention of exterminating these heroes. Instead, he uses them to cull the excess magical beasts in the forest.

Although these heroes are powerful and possess extraordinary regenerative abilities, they are not gods. Their stamina has limits, and in the face of nearly endless beast tides, no hero has ever lasted more than two hundred years.

Meanwhile, deep within the Monster Forest, a man with massive bull horns, crimson eyes, a height of five meters, goat-like hooves, a muscular build covered in black bat tattoos sat on a throne, observing the leaders of various regions of the forest.

"How are the preparations going?" the man suddenly spoke.

As soon as he finished speaking, a crow-like figure beside him replied, "Lord Demon King, the beast tide is ready. We can launch an attack on the human city at any moment. We've also received news that the hero is heading toward our target city."

"If everything is ready, then begin the attack."

"Yes, Lord Demon King. We will go manage the magical beasts under our command for the assault."

"Very well."

With that, the leaders dispersed. Not long after, a terrifying beast tide surged toward the human city.

On the other side, Goblo was currently hunting magical beasts in the valley. In less than a day, he had already killed over forty first-tier magical beasts. This was despite the fact that most of the beasts he hunted were solitary creatures. If he encountered group-dwelling beasts, his efficiency could increase even further.

As for fatigue, he barely felt any. Although he had just advanced to the elite level, his actual combat power already surpassed that of top-tier elite creatures.

Looking at the pile of magical beast corpses behind him, Goblo decided to stop hunting for now and dragged the carcasses back to the camp. On the way, he ran into Gobra's hunting party. Seeing the trail of beast corpses Goblo was pulling, Gobra and the other goblins were struck speechless.

Gobra: "Big brother... did you hunt all these?"

"Mm," Goblo nodded lightly and said nothing more.

Seeing this, Gobra's eyes filled with admiration. This was the demeanor of a true powerhouse—ruthless and sparing with words.

Goblo quite enjoyed Gobra's admiring gaze and then said, "You all should focus on hunting too. We'll have a bonfire feast tonight."

"Big brother, what's a bonfire feast?"

Hearing Gobra's question, Goblo paused for a moment before replying, "You'll find out tonight."

"Oh."

With that, Gobra led the group of goblins away. Watching their retreating figures, Goblo decided it was time to introduce cultural lessons to the goblins sooner rather than later.

Otherwise, every time I talk to them, it's way too straightforward. It's not ideal if they can't even understand a simple idiom.

Returning to the camp, Goblo immediately caught the attention of a large group of goblins. His current appearance, among goblins, was like having the charm of a human heartthrob—think Daniel Wu-level attractiveness. Just looking at him made many young female goblins' hearts flutter. Unfortunately, Goblo had little interest in his own kind, mainly because they weren't particularly appealing. If they evolved to be as cute as the goblin girls in *That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime*, he might consider it. But for now, forget it.

Then, he shouted toward the training field, "Gobli, come here!"

Hearing Goblo call her, Gobli immediately ran over excitedly. She was also a young girl, eagerly hoping something exciting might happen.

"Do you know why I called you over?"

"No," Gobli shook her head honestly, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Do you remember the roasted meat I made yesterday?"

At Goblo's words, Gobli immediately perked up. "You mean that really delicious meat from yesterday?"

"Yes. I'm going to teach you how to make that meat tonight so everyone can enjoy it together."

"Really?!" Hearing this news, Gobli was so excited she almost jumped.

"Of course, really."

With that, Goblo began teaching Gobli step by step—how to skin the beast, clean the meat, and how to roast it. After all, he was destined to become the king of the goblins. If he had to handle all these basic tasks himself, it would be a waste of time. So, he needed to start cultivating talent now—talented individuals in all areas.

Although Gobli was infatuated with Goblo's physique, she was even more obsessed with his roasted meat. Thus, she paid extra attention to the lesson. Surprisingly, her first attempt at roasting turned out quite well.

Seeing this, Goblo was very satisfied. These goblins were simple-minded, like blank sheets of paper. They learned things incredibly quickly.