The darkness was like indelible ink, thoroughly enveloping the forest.
The Giant Wood tribe's temporary camp was located on a relatively flat clearing.
Two dozen shacks were squeezed together haphazardly, all built from rough wood and thatch.
They groaned and creaked whenever the wind blew, sounding like they could fall apart at any moment.
Outside the shacks, several bonfires burned weakly, the embers rising listlessly, barely illuminating a small area around them.
Kess was sitting in the largest shack—he had specifically ordered the hobgoblins to build it for him.
It was half a head taller than the others, and a broken spear was stuck into the ground outside the entrance as a "Chieftain's sign."
He leaned against a wooden post, fiddling with a piece of iron in his hand.
It was something he had brought back from the Dark Lands earlier, and he had polished it until it shone.
Outside the shack, the greenskins were still messing around.
Three hobgoblins were struggling to chop down a crooked tree with axes; the axe landed with a loud crack, but the wood didn't break, instead jarring the hobgoblins' arms numb.
A dozen or so goblin were squatting by the bonfire, fighting over a charred rabbit leg, their short arms pushing and shoving each other while they squeaked happily.
Another hobgoblin had somehow found a wild pumpkin and was laboriously scooping out the pulp with a stone knife, dropping pieces everywhere.
"Damn it, why are there so few guys?" Kess frowned, glancing outside the shack.
He counted on his fingers—3 chopping wood, 11 fighting over the rabbit leg, plus 1 digging the pumpkin, and 5 dozing in the shack, making a grand total of only 20 hobgoblins.
The goblin were worse off.
There used to be nearly a hundred of them, but now it looked like only about 30 remained, each one as thin as a monkey.
He rubbed the stubble on his chin, wondering aloud, "They didn't run off to steal mushrooms and get carried away by the forest beasts, did they?"
The small teams he had sent out a few days ago—the mushroom pickers, the stone haulers, the scouts—not a single one had returned yet.
At the time, he hadn't worried about it, thinking those greenskin Boyz were wild and had probably just found something good somewhere and were enjoying themselves secretly.
But now, looking at the numbers, the shortage was ridiculous.
"Forget it, why worry about this crap!" Kess threw the iron piece onto the ground and suddenly felt smug.
He was the boss!
Back in the Giant Wood tribe, he was just a little hobgoblin kicked around by the orcs.
Now, leading so many Boyz, he could sleep when he wanted and beat up whoever he pleased.
How comfortable was this life!
If those Boyz really weren't capable and got eaten by beasts, they deserved it—there were plenty of greenskins anyway; he could just capture more later.
He let out a huge yawn, drool dripping down the corner of his mouth.
The noise outside the shack didn't seem so annoying anymore; instead, it sounded like a lullaby.
He flopped onto the straw-covered ground, curled up, and soon began to snore—"Hoo... rumph... hoo... rumph..."—the sound louder than the goblin fighting over food .
Outside the shack, the hobgoblin chopping wood finally broke the tree trunk.
Exhausted, he sat down on the ground, leaned against the wood, and fell asleep.
The goblins fighting over the rabbit leg had gnawed the bones clean, even sucking out the marrow.
They huddled together in a ball, resting their small heads on their companions, and also fell asleep.
Only the bonfire was still flickering weakly, the embers occasionally crackling, illuminating the mess on the ground—gnawed bones, splintered wood, and the greenskin scales shed by the goblins.
No one knew that in the woods outside the camp, pairs of gleaming eyes were hidden in the darkness.
The greenskins of the Blackrock Clan had long since crept over.
Kurzadh squatted in the front patch of grass, clutching two shiny axes.
The blades still had traces of blood from the ambush during the day.
Behind him, all fifteen hobgoblins were present, each holding a weapon—Wreelx carried an iron spear, its tip glinting coldly; Dragu gripped his axe, running his fingers along the blade; Zaggur carried a bow and arrows, his quiver holding a dozen arrows tipped with pheasant feathers.
Nearly ninety goblin were squatting behind them, clutching sharpened wooden clubs in their short hands.
Although their legs were still trembling, their eyes flashed with excitement—Time for a fight! Time to steal stuff!
"Shut the hell up, all of you! Anyone who makes a sound doesn't get meat!" Kurzadh lowered his voice and gently tapped the ground with his axe.
While they were sneaking over, the two sentry hobgoblins had been quietly taken care of by Scarface and the hobgoblin Laborers—one was dragged into the grass with his face covered, and the other was knocked unconscious with a club, without even making a sound.
Now, the entire Giant Wood tribe camp was right before them, defenseless, like someone stripped bare.
The greenskins in the shacks were fast asleep, their snoring audible in the woods; the bonfires were almost dead, the dim light barely illuminating any figures; and as for a palisade—those idiots hadn't bothered to build one, probably thinking no one in the forest dared mess with them.
Kurzadh looked up at the sky.
The moon had climbed directly overhead, and its silver light spilled onto the ground, stretching the shadows of the trees long.
He touched the animal hide wrapped around his head—he had specifically told the greenskins to wrap them before they set out, to prevent them from getting too hyped up during the fight and attacking their own kind.
"The time is now!"
Kurzadh suddenly stood up and jumped onto a rock that was half a person's height.
Moonlight fell on him, making his greenskin look as if it were plated with silver, and the axes in his hands flashed coldly under the moon.
"Everyone attack! Plunder everything they have! Beat them flat!"
He let out a great roar, his voice exploding in the forest like thunder!
"Waaagh! Waaagh! Waaagh!"
The greenskins behind him instantly erupted!
All the energy they had suppressed burst out.
The hobgoblins charged forward, raising their weapons, and the goblins squeaked, clubs in hand, following behind.
They were a dense, dark mass, surging toward the Giant Wood tribe camp like a tide!
"Thump! Thump! Thump!" The footsteps of the hobgoblins shook the ground, and the goblins' short legs churned rapidly, their clubs hitting the ground with a pat-pat sound, making more noise than thunder.
The Giant Wood tribe camp instantly erupted into chaos!
The greenskins in the shacks were startled awake, crawling out of their nests in a daze.
Some were knocked down by a charging hobgoblin's spear before they even opened their eyes.
The hobgoblin digging out the pumpkin had just stood up, still clutching half a pumpkin, when Wreelx stabbed him in the stomach with an iron spear.
He cried out, and the pumpkin dropped to the ground and rolled far away.
The goblins fighting over the rabbit leg squealed in terror and scurried behind the shacks, only to be caught by the hobgoblin Laborers.
A hobgoblin Laborer swung his club and struck the leading goblin on the head with a crack.
The goblin immediately collapsed, and the other goblin were too terrified to move, squatting on the ground, trembling and covering their heads.
The hobgoblins chopping wood reacted quickly, raising their axes, ready to resist.
But as soon as they straightened up, they saw a dense mass of greenskins charging toward them—some holding iron spears, others clutching axes, and all wearing animal hides wrapped around their heads, looking ten times fiercer than usual.
Just as one hobgoblin raised his axe, Dragu brought his axe down on the hobgoblin's arm.
With a snap, the axe fell to the ground, and the hobgoblin's arm bent at a strange angle, sending him rolling on the ground in pain.
The entire camp descended into utter chaos.
The greenskins of the Giant Wood tribe simply hadn't reacted—one second they were dreaming of eating mushrooms, the next they were being beaten black and blue.
Some squatted on the ground, covering their heads, unsure whether to fight back or beg for mercy.
Some tried to run into the forest but were surrounded by goblins, who clubbed them on the back repeatedly until they collapsed.
Others hadn't even figured out who the enemy was, raising their axes and striking their nearby companions, causing infighting.
The greenskins of the Blackrock Clan, however, were having an easy time.
With the animal hides wrapped around their heads, they could distinguish friend from foe at a glance, and they swung their weapons at the greenskins of the Giant Wood tribe.
The hobgoblins targeted stragglers, stabbing one down with a spear, and chopping another over with an axe.
The goblins formed groups, squeaking as they surrounded lone hobgoblins, hitting their legs and backs with clubs.
Although they lacked strength, they were effective at tripping people.
"Beat them to death! Steal their iron gear!" Kurzadh yelled as he charged.
He immediately spotted several hobgoblins from the Giant Wood tribe carrying iron spears and iron axes.
These were excellent items, a hundred times better than the stone weapons they carried.
Amidst the chaos, Kurzadh charged straight toward the largest shack—he guessed the Giant Wood tribe's Chieftain must be inside.
Inside the shack, Kess was startled awake by the noise and screams outside.
He suddenly sat up.
Before he could figure out what was happening, he saw a greenskin figure rush in, holding two axes, his head wrapped in animal hide, his eyes shining terrifyingly.
"Who the hell are you? How dare you break into my shack!" Kess was both shocked and furious, scrambling to reach for the iron spear in the corner—it was his most treasured weapon, the tip genuinely made of iron.
He had even beaten an Old hobgoblin with that spear back in the Dark Lands.
Kurzadh didn't speak; he just charged forward.
He knew that to deal with a greenskin Chieftain, he had to speak with his fists!
Kess didn't hesitate either, grabbing the iron spear and thrusting it at Kurzadh.
The iron spear whistled through the air, aimed straight at Kurzadh's chest.
Kurzadh dodged to the side.
The spear thunked into the wooden post behind him and got stuck fast.
"Damn it!" Kess cursed, let go of the spear, and swung his fist at Kurzadh's face.
He was half a head taller than Kurzadh and had thicker arms.
His fist came swinging with a rush of wind, looking quite intimidating.
Kurzadh leaned back, avoiding the punch, and simultaneously raised his axe, aiming a chop at Kess's arm.
Kess quickly backed up.
The axe grazed his arm, struck the ground, and sent wood chips flying.
The two began fighting in the cramped shack.
The dry grass inside the shack was kicked everywhere, and the wooden posts creaked as they were struck.
Kess relied on his height, continuously punching and kicking.
Kurzadh, however, was more agile, dodging left and right, his axe constantly aimed at Kess's body.
"Whose boy are you, damn it? How dare you challenge me!" Kess roared as he fought, sweat pouring down his forehead and covering his face.
He hadn't expected this greenskin to be so tough.
Though clearly shorter than him, he was as slippery as an eel.
After fighting for a long time, Kess had barely landed a hit.
Kurzadh didn't say a word, just gritted his teeth and lunged at Kess.
He knew his strength was inferior to Kess's, so he had to rely on agility to win.
While Kess raised his leg to kick him, Kurzadh suddenly rushed forward, grabbed Kess's leg, and violently swept it out from under him!
"Damn it!" Kess lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud, his occiput hitting a wooden post, causing him to see stars from the pain.
Kurzadh seized the opportunity, pounced on Kess, mounted him, and brought his axe down toward his face.
Kess quickly blocked with his arm.
With a snap, the axe struck his arm, making him cry out in pain, tears nearly springing from his eyes.
But Kess was a tough opponent.
Enduring the pain, he grabbed Kurzadh's hair with his free hand and slammed his head into the ground.
Kurzadh's face hit the ground with a thump, and blood immediately streamed from his nose.
The two wrestled on the ground, trading punches and axe strikes, fighting fiercely.
Several wooden posts inside the shack were broken, and a hole was torn in the thatched roof.
Moonlight streamed through the hole, illuminating the blood and dirt on their faces.
"I am Kurzadh of the Blackrock Clan!" Kurzadh suddenly lifted his head and slammed his forehead into Kess's face.
Kess was caught off guard, his nose stinging from the impact.
As his grip loosened, Kurzadh seized the chance, raised his axe, and brought it down onto his neck!
With a thwack, blood splattered all over Kurzadh's face.
Kess's eyes were wide and round.
His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
His hand slowly dropped, and he stopped moving.
Kurzadh climbed off Kess, breathing heavily, and wiped the blood and sweat from his face.
He had a gash on his arm and his legs ached from being kicked, but his heart was filled with satisfaction—He won!
Outside the shack, the fighting was mostly over.
The greenskins of the Giant Wood tribe were either lying on the ground groaning from the beating or were tied up and being herded together by the goblins.
The greenskins of the Blackrock Clan were holding the iron spears and axes they had seized, howling excitedly, their faces smeared with blood, their eyes gleaming with exhilaration.
Kurzadh walked out of the shack.
Moonlight fell upon him, stretching his shadow long.
Raising his blood-soaked axe, he roared at the cheering greenskins :
"Blackrock Clan! We won!"
"Waaagh! The boss is awesome! Blackrock Clan is awesome!"
The greenskins' cheers shook the forest, and even the moon in the sky seemed frightened, hiding behind the clouds.
Kurzadh grinned, looking at the captives and the stolen weapons covering the ground.
This was the life a greenskin should live—fights to be had, battles to be won, and things to steal!
He touched the animal hide on his head and looked at Kess lying on the ground, thinking to himself: Tomorrow, he needed to properly train these captives.
The useful ones would be kept for labor, and the useless ones... would be thrown out as fertilizer!