The morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled spots of light in the forest.
Kurzadh escorted the captives towards the tribe, the fallen leaves under his feet rustling.
The greenskins of the Giant Wood tribe were bound at the arms, forming a crooked line, the hobgoblins hung their heads, and the goblins occasionally stole glances at Kurzadh, their eyes filled with terror.
The greenskins of the Blackrock Clan carried their looted iron spears and axes, humming out-of-tune war songs, their faces smeared with blood and mud, yet each was full of vigor—they had won a battle and plundered goods, what a comfortable life!
"Boss, look at that runt, he dares to glare at me!" Wreelx kicked a captive hobgoblin next to him, and the hobgoblin yelped in pain but dared not glare again.
Kurzadh ignored him, his mind still pondering the system prompt. After dealing with Kess last night, the system 'dinged' and popped up:
"Congratulations, host, on winning this battle."
"Battle Rank: Slightly Superior"
"Rewards: Follower Title 'Loyal Hound', 183 Waaagh! energy, one piece of information."
"Level Up to LV3"
"Slightly Superior?" Kurzadh smacked his lips, feeling a bit displeased.
He had clearly wiped out the Giant Wood tribe, even killing their leader, so why was it only "Slightly Superior"? If he wanted to achieve "Epic Victory," how big of a battle would he have to win? Did he have to defeat an orc tribe?
However, the rewards were quite substantial.
183 waaagh! energy was enough to upgrade many hobgoblin Laborers; and that 'Loyal Hound' title sounded reliable. What he cared about most was that piece of information—
"One week later, a Chaos Faction 'Beastmen' tribe will pass through the Howling Forest, escorting a large amount of treasure."
"Treasure..." Kurzadh stroked his chin, his eyes shining like two small lamps.
He had picked up gold coins from the merchant caravan ruins and knew that the gleaming yellow stuff was more useful than Kurzadh shards.
Beastmen? They didn't sound like good news, but as long as there was treasure, taking a risk was worth it! It seemed he needed to make the Boyz in the tribe train harder these few days and reinforce the palisades to avoid being caught off guard when the time came.
They walked all night, and it wasn't until the sun was directly overhead that they returned to the Blackrock Clan.
Outside the palisade, Scarface was guarding with a few goblin. Seeing Kurzadh return, he immediately squeaked and ran over, holding a wild fruit—probably wanting his boss to try it.
"Boss! You're back!" Scarface's voice was a bit hoarse, but his eyes were full of excitement.
"Mm." Kurzadh patted his shoulder, "Take these captives down. Imprison the hobgoblins, and hand the goblins over to Zaggur to train. Beat them if they don't listen!"
"Got it!" Scarface responded, calling the goblin to drag the captives away.
The captives from the Giant Wood tribe looked at the Blackrock Clan's palisades, shacks, and the goats in the pen, their eyes full of envy—this tribe looked much stronger than their previous temporary camp.
Kurzadh ignored all this; he just wanted to sleep now.
He had fought all night and walked all night; his bones felt like they were falling apart.
He returned to the boss's hut, collapsed onto the stone bed, and the soft wolf fur covering it soon had him snoring.
He slept soundly, and by the time he woke up, the sun was almost setting.
His stomach rumbled with hunger. He felt in his pocket and found half a piece of dried meat he had looted yesterday. He gnawed on it a couple of times and finally felt re-energized.
"Boss! You're awake?" Wreelx called from outside, "Shall I gather the Boyz?"
Kurzadh thought for a moment, then nodded: "Call them! Call all the greenskins to the plaza!" He needed to seize the opportunity of the great victory to bestow the 'Loyal Hound' title upon Scarface, which would both reward a meritorious subordinate and intimidate the captives—killing two birds with one stone.
Soon, the plaza was packed with greenskins .
The hobgoblins and goblin of the Blackrock Clan squatted in front, while the bound captives of the Giant Wood tribe squatted behind. Scarface, with a few goblin, guarded them to prevent any trouble.
Kurzadh stood on the stone platform he used for push-ups, cleared his throat, and his voice boomed: "Listen up, all of you!"
The greenskins immediately quieted down, all looking up at him.
"Our Blackrock Clan believes in clear rewards and punishments!" Kurzadh swept his gaze over the greenskins below, "There's a boy who is loyal to me and brave in battle, and Gork and Mork are watching! Today, I'm going to reward him!"
The greenskins below looked at each other, their faces bewildered.
Who? Wreelx nudged Dragu next to him: "Who do you think the boss is talking about? It couldn't be you, could it?" Dragu shook his head: "I think it's you! You looted three iron spears yesterday!"
Just as the greenskins were whispering, Kurzadh raised his hand and pointed to Scarface on the edge of the plaza: "It's him! Scarface!"
Scarface froze, pointing at himself as if he couldn't believe it.
He was a goblin, half a head shorter than a hobgoblin, and usually, besides running errands and standing guard for Kurzadh, he hadn't done anything extraordinary. Why would the boss suddenly reward him?
"Come here!" Kurzadh called.
Scarface quickly scurried to the stone platform, looking up at Kurzadh, his small eyes full of excitement.
Kurzadh looked at him and said loudly: "Scarface is the first greenskin to follow me! If I say east, he doesn't go west; if I say beat someone, he doesn't hesitate! Gork and Mork like loyal subordinates, so they want me to bestow a title upon him!"
He paused, raised his hand, and shouted to the sky: "Gork and Mork above! Today, I bestow upon Scarface the title of 'Loyal Hound'! May he follow me and grow stronger and stronger!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he silently thought: "System, use the 'Loyal Hound' title!"
"The title 'Loyal Hound' has been granted to follower Scarface. Effect: The follower will grow in sync with the host's physical changes."
Almost simultaneously, a green light descended from the sky, perfectly enveloping Scarface! The greenskins all let out a collective "Waaagh!" and craned their necks to watch—this was a miracle! The same miracle as when the boss transformed last time!
Within the green light, Scarface's body visibly changed. He grew taller little by little; his height, which was previously similar to a goblin's, instantly became as tall as Kurzadh's. His arms and legs also thickened, muscles bulged, no longer the thin limbs he had before. Even the scar on his face seemed clearer, making him look much fiercer than before.
The green light dissipated, and Scarface stood there, a little dazed.
He looked down at his hands—they were a size larger than before, and his claws were sharper. He then touched his face; it really seemed different.
"I... I grew bigger?" Scarface murmured to himself, his voice even deeper than before.
"Yes! You grew bigger! Haha!" Kurzadh smiled and patted his shoulder, "Follow me from now on, and you can become even bigger and stronger!"
Scarface reacted, dropped to his knees with a thud, and kneeled to Kurzadh with a loud thud: "Thank you, boss! Thank you, Gork and Mork! I will definitely be more obedient and a better fighter from now on!"
The greenskins in the plaza completely erupted!
"Waaagh! Waaagh! A miracle! It really is a miracle!"
"Scarface got bigger! The boss is too amazing!"
"I'll be obedient too! I want to get bigger too!"
The greenskins of the Blackrock Clan shouted, raising their weapons, their eyes filled with adoration.
The captives from the Giant Wood tribe were also stunned, their mouths agape wide enough to fit a wild fruit—even a goblin could get bigger? This boss was too formidable! They had been thinking about whether to resist before, but now it seemed following such a boss wasn't so bad...
"Quiet, all of you!" Kurzadh shouted, and the plaza immediately fell silent.
He scanned the captives and said loudly: "It's not just Scarface! As long as you listen to me, work hard, and fight well, whether you're an old boy from the Blackrock Clan or a new boy who just joined, you can all become bigger! Become stronger! Just like Scarface!"
"Waaagh! Waaagh! The boss is awesome!" The greenskins shouted in unison, their voices so loud that leaves fell from the trees. The captives from the Giant Wood tribe also followed suit, though their voices were a bit softer, their fear was gone, replaced by some anticipation.
Kurzadh looked at the dense crowd of greenskins below, feeling very reassured.
Now it was good; not only had he rewarded Scarface, but he had also completely subdued the captives from the Giant Wood tribe.
With these new Boyz, the tribe had more manpower, and with the 183 waaagh! energy, he could upgrade a batch of hobgoblin Laborers, preparing for the Beastmen in a week.
He patted Scarface's shoulder: "Get up! From now on, you'll follow me and be my guard!"
"Yes, boss!" Scarface stood up, his chest puffed out, looking ten times more energetic than before.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long, the greenskins in the plaza were still cheering, and the entire Blackrock Clan was immersed in the joy of victory and hope.