Chapter 27: The Wild Oxen

Kobolds and Goblins also grew food, but their method was primitive slash-and-burn farming. They found a patch of wild land, set a fire to clear the weeds, and scattered plant seeds when the rains came. Harvests were entirely left to fate.

Though bad at farming, Kobolds and Goblins were capable of clearing land. Before the north wind arrived, Su Lun planned to clear five thousand acres of land in his Territory. He needed his land to grow enough food for itself. Those Barbarians were all big eaters. Each one consumed three times more food than a normal person.

In this world, except for Nobles or big merchants, common folk ate only two meals a day. The Barbarians did the same. But Su Lun planned to change them to three meals. As main fighters, they couldn’t go into battle hungry. The only problem was his grain stores were low.

The camp now held forty-five skilled slaves, thirty-five Barbarian Warriors, and soon, the Barbarian women and children would arrive. Once they did, the Barbarians would number one hundred twenty-four. Additionally, there were forty Mercenaries and over one thousand native slaves.

With so many mouths, food demand shot up fourfold. Supplies that used to last months would now only last two months at most.

Building the Territory needed many hands. Though he had over a thousand people now, those Goblins, Gnolls, and Kobolds could never join the Territory. Su Lun understood the rule: different races could never be trusted. So his actual usable workforce was small.

Creatures like Barbarians or Dwarves were different. At least they looked a lot like humans and didn’t practice cannibalism. Tribes like Gnolls, Kobolds, or Goblins had no such rules. Humans weren’t the only ones at risk; when truly starving, they’d even eat dead allies or their own kin.

Gnolls didn’t just use Goblins as cannon fodder; they also used them as food. When supplies ran short, they directly ate Goblins or Kobolds.

So these monsters could only remain slaves. He couldn’t let them join the Territory as Freeman.

North of the Red Sand River, Su Lun led a group of Barbarian Warriors to clear out Goblins and Kobolds. Though nearby tribes were gone, scattered groups of wandering Goblins or lonely Kobolds still roamed this Wilderness.

These resilient pests, like weeds, could form a new tribe in months. To keep control of the land, Su Lun swept the area now and then, killing some and capturing others as slaves.

Territory-building was hard work. Even in his previous world, the modern one with safety standards, accidents happened constantly on construction sites. Here, with methods worse than the Middle Ages, losing a few slaves was normal. To keep construction going, he needed to capture fresh slaves regularly.

“Boss, found a small Goblin Tribe in the woods ahead,” reported a returning Barbarian scout. “About two, three hundred of ’em. Includes some Hobgoblins.”

Su Lun nodded, pulling up his System’s Strategic Map. The map now showed the Goblin cluster. He’d learned that wherever he or his soldiers went, the black fog on the map vanished, revealing the land. Right now, it clearly marked a Goblin group living in the woods five kilometers northeast of them.

The Strategic Map wasn’t just useful inside the Territory’s borders.

Pinpointing the Goblin Tribe’s spot, Su Lun prepared to move. His Barbarians split into two teams, circling the camp from the sides. He led two Barbarians towards the front.

Goblins were weak fighters with shaky courage. Seeing comrades fall shattered their morale. Truthfully, even a single Barbarian Champion could break them.

Ten minutes later, Su Lun stood outside the Goblin camp. Against Goblins, stealth wasn’t needed. One swift strike would end the fight, leaving just the slave-taking.

No guards stood watch. The Goblin camp looked shabby, filled with dirt mounds like little hills. Half underground, these makeshift shelters were called burrows—no windows, just one entrance propped up by timbers.

Though messy, these burrows held warmth well. Many poor folk in the Northern Lands copied the design, building homes half underground. The only downside was dampness inside.

Su Lun checked the Strategic Map. The other Barbarian teams were in place. He signaled, charging into camp with his two warriors.

The three figures were spotted instantly. A Hobgoblin grabbed its weapon, yelling at others to form up. But before it could rally anyone, a spinning Hand Axe smashed into its skull.

“Kill!”

Su Lun whirled his spear. The Refined Steel pole weapon carried crushing force, shattering the camp’s wooden fence into splinters. Goblins scrambled out of their burrows, dazed.

Facing towering Barbarians, they froze. Then came the brutal axe-strikes, slicing bodies in half. Like three unstoppable forces, they tore through the Goblin camp. The surviving Goblins panicked, breaking apart before the fight truly started. They fled, scattering in all directions.

Only a few Hobgoblins attempted resistance. Wielding battered weapons, they made a thin battle line. Spotting this, Su Lun angled his Charge. His Refined Iron spear swept horizontally. The Hobgoblins flew backwards like debris in a windstorm.

Outwardly, no big wounds showed on their front. But the backs of their Leather Armor burst open. Blood and mangled guts gushed from their mouths. They were dead before hitting the ground.

With the Hobgoblins slain, no other Goblins dared resist. All bolted desperately for escape. But rushing out the camp’s edge, they crashed straight into the waiting Barbarian Warriors. Trapped and terrified, surrounded by enemies, the fleeing Goblins screamed in terror. The world felt full of hate.

The fight ended fast. Su Lun’s three teams trapped the camp’s remnants. Apart from a few dead or lucky runners, the rest cowered together, trembling in the dirt.

“We know the drill,” Su Lun commanded. “Kill the old and weak ones. Tie the rest up. They’ll be marched back as slaves.”