The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

They were also digging the tunnel to be exceptionally wide—wide enough for three Worker Ants to walk abreast. This was much more spacious than the passageways in the Ant Kingdom.

Shire stood behind the Worker Ants, holding a torch as he watched them work. This tunnel led directly to the Giant Spider’s lair. Meanwhile, another tunnel was being dug on the other side, its destination the Burrow Bee hive.

The destination for both tunnels was the enemy’s hatching grounds, while the starting point was the massive underground stone chamber that had once housed a large goblin Race.

"I hope you enjoy the canteen I’ve chosen for you," Shire said calmly. "I even intentionally made the corridors wide enough for you to pass through easily. I just hope you don’t disappoint my good intentions. Go ahead and have extra meals—five a day."

But Shire knew in his heart that even though he’d intentionally made the tunnels wide so the two Races couldn’t easily block them, completely eliminating these ferocious predators would not be so easy.

’Slow and steady,’ Shire thought with a light chuckle. ’Once my Race has grown stronger, I should be able to finish them all off.’ He moved closer to the tunnel wall, letting a Worker Ant carrying soil pass by.

...

"Boss, this part still needs some leather padding," Little John said, walking over with a specially made saddle in his hands.

The Worker Ants’ unique anatomy was unsuitable for ordinary horse saddles. Their arched backs were made of hard chitin, and behind that was a large, soft abdomen, so their saddles required a special design.

"Alright," Shire nodded. He was currently holding several draft sketches of a cargo container, comparing them to a Worker Ant’s back.

Through experiments, he had learned that the normal carrying capacity of these Worker Ants far exceeded the maximum load of a mule. They could also pull even heavier objects, but in the forest terrain, the only option was to build a cargo container to be fixed onto a Worker Ant’s back.

Thanks to the giant Worker Ants’ six thick, jointed legs, they could advance steadily and quickly over the rugged forest ground, something mules or horses could not do.

However, these giant ants couldn’t lift objects hundreds of times their own body weight as he had imagined, but their current carrying capacity was still enough to delight Shire.

"We could also design a few different types of saddles," Little John said, looking up at the sky in thought. "We could add more seats to them, so they can carry several goblins at once when we travel."

"So, how did it feel just now?" Shire asked with a smile.

"It was amazing! Like riding a horse through the forest for the first time," Little John laughed heartily. "And it wasn’t that bumpy either."

"These are just a few Worker Ants, and the ’Ant Saddle’ is still being improved," Shire said, looking at the Worker Ant shaking its head in front of him. "Later, there will be even larger Soldier Ants, and those will be for combat."

He had previously discovered that the Soldier Ants didn’t have acid or venom; they relied solely on the large mandibles on their mouths to attack enemies. He would need to design combat equipment and Combat Techniques based on these characteristics.

"Now that you mention it, I really want to try riding the Cavalry Ants," Little John said, a look of longing on his face.

"Thanks for making the trip to Torch City," Shire said.

"It was nothing, Boss." Little John looked at him, and they exchanged a knowing smile.

"Get some rest. There’ll be other things to do later." Shire then pulled up Little John’s status panel.

[Name: Little John Franklin]

[Race: Human]

[Danger Level: 6, Slightly Strong]

[Personality: Cautious]

[Title: Future Hero]

[Ability: Eye of Confusion]

’He leveled up,’ Shire thought. Then he said to Little John, "Caocao hasn’t seen you in days. He wants to play with you."

"No thanks! I’d rather ride the Cavalry Ants," Little John said, waving his hands dismissively.

"We’ll have to wait a bit longer for the Soldier Ants," Shire said, shaking his head slightly. "I’m also eager to know what it feels like to Charge while riding one."

"When the time comes, we’ll equip the Soldier Ants with custom-designed saddles and ’Horse Armor’," he said, looking over at the goblins in the distance who were shouting excitedly around the Worker Ants. Those Soldier Ants also had a decent carrying capacity. Unlike warhorses carrying heavy cavalry, which could only charge a short distance on the battlefield, these Soldier Ants could maintain a Charge for a very long time.

’Just imagine: 5,000 Soldier Ant heavy cavalry.’

But that was still a distant dream. Right now, they had neither mounts nor Armor, and Shire knew the goblins would need extensive training to become Cavalry.

Successfully signing a contract with the Ant Queen had given him many more ideas, and various uses for the ants were already forming in his mind. But all these applications depended on one prerequisite: the stability and safety of the Ant Race.

’I need to find a way to deal with those two troublesome species as soon as possible,’ Shire thought, watching his subordinates in the distance trying to climb onto the Worker Ants’ backs. ’With these big guys, the entire Race’s productivity will increase again.’

’The Race’s development is getting better and better.’

...

"Goblins?" Philip said, covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief and frowning.

"Yes." Ricardo sat cross-legged on a pile of weeds, looking up at the Valentine Clan heir outside the iron bars.

"You’re supposed to be professional butchers who specialize in slaughtering those little green-skins, yet you were routed by them?" Philip sneered, a trace of contempt in his eyes.

"They were very strong. We were no match for them." Ricardo didn’t bother to argue. He had already told the Captain of the Guard, Yu Le, everything. He was in no mood to serve this stingy young master.

"What a bunch of wastes," Philip muttered, curling his lip in disdain for the Storm Brotherhood. "I’ve been supporting you all this time for nothing."

"If you want to know whether we’re wastes, you can go see for yourself," Ricardo said, digging in his ear with his pinky. "Besides, you barely supported us at all."

Philip’s mouth twitched, but he forced his anger down. "Let me ask you, did you find the little goblins?"

"We found them. We definitely saw them." Ricardo thought for a moment, then nodded again. "I’ve already drawn the map for you. Can you let me go now?"

"Don’t worry, we’ll let you out tomorrow." Philip flicked the iron bars of the dungeon with his finger. "Out to the execution grounds, that is. We need you to serve as an example."

Ricardo stared at him in a rage, his body trembling with anger. "You’re going back on your word! You said you’d let me go if I told you everything!"

"That’s right. I am letting you go," Philip said with a sinister laugh as he left the dungeon.

After a long moment, Ricardo glanced at the sleeping guard outside the dungeon. He then walked to the bars and waited quietly. A short while later, a red squirrel ran up, carrying a ring of keys in its mouth.

He crouched down, took the keys, and gently stroked the squirrel’s head. "Trying to lock up a Beast Tamer... you people are really stupid."

Meanwhile, in the castle, Philip was looking at a merchant with slight arrogance. "Is your ship setting sail for Torch City tomorrow?"

"Yes, my lord." The man before him, an elderly Island Merchant with bronze skin, bowed with one hand over his chest.

"I need to use your ship to transport a batch of goods to Torch City. I wonder if you’d be willing." Philip leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs.

"Of course. I am at your command," the merchant replied respectfully.

"Good. You’re very agreeable." Philip nodded and picked up the coffee in front of him. "What is it that you sell? Don’t tell me it’s salted fish."

"Er, Healing Potions."

"Healing Potions?" Philip’s eyebrow shot up. He turned to Yu Le, who was standing beside him. "Are our stocks running low?"

"We gave some to the Storm Brotherhood last time, so we are indeed short," Yu Le said after a moment’s thought, nodding.

"To think there are still people trafficking these. If your Healing Potions are made by a legitimate Alchemy Workshop, I can buy your entire stock." Philip took a sip of coffee and then looked up at the merchant. "However, I’ll only pay ninety percent of the market price."

The merchant thought for a moment and said, "That is acceptable. But would it be possible to trade for ore?"

"Fine. You can go with Yu Le to handle the paperwork later." After speaking, Philip ignored the merchant and had Yu Le escort him out of the reception room.

"This time, take three guards with you and personally escort those Gold Coins to Torch City." Philip looked up at the Captain of the Guard, who had gently closed the door. "There can be no mistakes with those Gold Coins."

"Are you really going into the forest yourself, my lord?" Yu Le’s tone was anxious.

"Yes. This time, I’m going myself."