Chapter 367: Skaven
"I've been traveling for days. Let me rest for a while."
"Rest on the bed. It'll be much more comfortable."
"Or... do you actually prefer me in my goblin form?"
In the royal chamber, Li Meng stood by the bed, his gaze greedy as he looked at Sandra lying on it.
Sandra, who had been tossed onto the bed by Li Meng, appeared pitiful and fragile.
She looked up at the goblin king with pleading eyes.
After days of travel, she was genuinely exhausted.
As a Grand Mage, she lacked the physical endurance of a warrior.
The moment she heard Li Meng mention transforming back into his goblin form, Sandra quickly shook her head.
If she had to choose, she certainly preferred the current human-like appearance of the king.
After all, his current form was far more aligned with human aesthetics.
In truth, he was incredibly handsome now.
If she didn't know his true identity, she might have been drawn to him herself.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you get plenty of rest."
Li Meng grinned wickedly as he climbed onto the bed.
Not long after, Sandra's startled cries echoed from the chamber.
As the sounds within grew increasingly intense, the swamp lizardmen maids outside exchanged glances.
Their faces were flushed as they stole glances at the chamber door.
If the human woman couldn't handle it, would the king pull them in to help?
While Li Meng was preoccupied with Sandra, events were unfolding elsewhere.
---
In the Misty Mountains, within the Great Rift...
A black fortress loomed amidst the fog, exuding a mysterious aura.
In one of the upper rooms of the fortress...
"Magic Mirror, oh Magic Mirror, awaken, awaken!"
A massive black mirror stood in the center of the room.
Before it stood a ratman clad in a black robe.
"Skaven, you mangy rat! You're as annoying as ever. What do you want this time?"
A grumbling voice suddenly emerged from the mirror.
Though insulted, Skaven didn't take offense. Instead, he bowed respectfully.
"Honorable Magic Mirror, is now not the perfect time to push eastward?"
The resources in the Goblin Forest were simply too abundant.
If the forest were conquered, it would become an enormous granary.
For years, Skaven had eyed the Goblin Forest greedily.
When the demon race still ruled, the ratmen dared not launch large-scale invasions for fear of attracting the demons' attention and provoking their wrath.
But now, the demons had been driven out of the southern continent by humanity.
In the last war, the demons were defeated and forced to retreat from the southern wastelands.
Skaven believed the time had finally come for the ratmen to seize the Goblin Forest.
However, every time he consulted the Magic Mirror for a glimpse of the future, the answers were always vague.
"Skaven, has your brain been replaced by that of a ground mouse? How many times must I tell you? The Goblin Forest contains a world-class magical artifact. Its power disrupts my abilities, making it impossible to foresee the future of that land."
Hearing this, Skaven's face darkened with contemplation.
So much time had passed, yet the Magic Mirror's abilities remained hindered.
Could it be that the world-class magical artifact was in the hands of the Goblin King?
Skaven was well aware of the rise of a goblin force within the Goblin Forest.
Many goblin fortresses had appeared in the forest.
These goblins possessed advanced crossbows, and the number of higher-ranking goblins was astonishing.
Under Skaven's orders, hunting parties had clashed with goblin tribes on multiple occasions.
But each time, they failed to gain any advantage.
The goblins were clever, never straying far from their fortresses.
Their hunting parties were well-organized, with units of a hundred.
Even when they dispersed to hunt, they never left their designated areas.
And when ambushed, goblin cavalry would arrive swiftly to provide support.
The forest boars they rode were incredibly agile, able to charge through the dense forest at shocking speeds.
"Magic Mirror, I will convene a clan meeting!"
With those words, Skaven turned and walked out of the room.
---
Five days later, in the same black fortress...
Afternoon, in the fortress's meeting hall.
Around an ancient wooden table sat thirteen black-robed figures.
Each black-robed individual was a ratman.
While their attire appeared similar, a closer look revealed subtle differences.
The insignias on their robes varied, representing their respective clans.
The thirteen ratmen represented the thirteen major clans of the ratmen.
"Everyone, our children are starving. We can't wait any longer."
Skaven's voice was hoarse as his blood-red eyes swept over the clan leaders seated around the table.
"So, the day has finally come?"
"If we wait any longer, we'll have no choice but to initiate a Blood Food War."
"Blood Food War? Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"Hmph, my children are already starving."
The Blood Food War was an internal conflict among the ratmen to resolve food shortages.
The ratmen were prolific breeders, and birth control was a taboo.
According to the prophecy of the Great Horned Rat, reproduction was an innate talent of the ratmen, one that no one could take away.
Thus, to secure sufficient food, the ratmen had no choice but to wage wars on the surface.
If they lacked the strength to attack external enemies, they would turn on each other in a Blood Food War.
This internal conflict served to strengthen their species, as only the strongest clans would survive and grow more powerful.
Of course, even in a Blood Food War, the fighting would be directed at other ratmen factions.
The thirteen clans represented here all belonged to the same faction.
"Skaven, has the Magic Mirror predicted a favorable outcome?"
At this, all the clan leaders turned to Skaven.
Facing their stares, Skaven shook his head.
"We can't wait any longer. I propose we launch a full-scale invasion of the Goblin Forest, eliminate the Goblin King, and seize the world-class artifact in its possession. Only by conquering the Goblin Forest will we have the resources to strengthen ourselves and launch an offensive against humanity!"
"Clan leaders, let us vote."
"This might be risky, but I agree we can't rely too heavily on the Magic Mirror."
Hearing Skaven's words, the clan leaders exchanged glances.
The Magic Mirror, while occasionally unreliable, had saved the ratmen from destruction many times.
Still, their dependence on it over the years had made them hesitant and overly cautious.
The ratmen had already built an underground kingdom on the southern continent.
Even if they lost a war, it wouldn't spell their doom.
After all, the ratmen never lacked warriors. If one batch died, they'd simply breed another.
Moreover, the survivors would produce stronger offspring.
The clan leaders didn't hesitate for long and nodded in agreement.
"I support going to war!"
"The Goblin Forest belongs to us!"
All thirteen clan leaders voted in favor.
The decision to go to war passed unanimously.