The saber-cat was only one among countless creatures that tried to strike the goblins. At first, Arthur believed he would reach the summit without much trouble.
In truth, he even felt excited at the prospect of gaining experience. Each point earned from defeating a beast filled him with a joy that was hard to put into words.
Yet the higher he climbed through the valley, the harsher the journey became. Endless hordes of monsters poured from the forest, emerging from the darkness to assault him and the goblins by his side.
The goblin leader was beginning to despair. Fear gleamed in his eyes as he tried, again and again, to calm the tribe. Women and children trembled the most in that dire moment.
Some even recalled the meeting they had before setting out.
"We said this wouldn't be a good idea," one goblin cried aloud. "We should have stayed with our old tribe."
The goblin leader could already imagine the chaos that would erupt if they started arguing. Arthur knew it too.
Right now, everyone needed to be on the same page. They had to work together to ensure they reached the mountain's peak safely.
"We're almost there," Arthur said, his gaze sweeping across each goblin's face. "Let's reach the top first. Then we can decide whether this was a good idea or not. All right?"
That ended the argument. No one wanted to be responsible for making the mission even harder.
Arthur examined his summoned goblins. Since the journey began, he had lost ten of them. The losses had significantly weakened their combat strength.
Still, he had a solution. Drawing on the roar he had learned, Arthur prepared to summon more goblins. He didn't know if there was a limit to how many he could call—or if something else prevented him from raising an entire army.
Arthur roared once more. He activated the skill within his mind as he shouted, and his cry soon transformed into something akin to a summoning.
More goblins emerged from the forest surrounding them. The scene mirrored the very first time he had used this ability.
The goblins gathered around him like he was their true leader. They were obedient, ready to die for him.
Arthur observed all the goblins he had summoned. It was easy, for the system displayed their level and a small health bar above each one.
He counted them carefully and realized he had managed to increase the number of creatures under his command.
At that moment, he had around thirty goblins.
"Could I increase the number of goblins even further, or is this the limit for now?"
The question lingered in Arthur's mind. Anyone in his position would have wondered the same.
Thirty goblins already represented a significant force—practically a small army, more than enough to ensure his protection and that of the others under his command.
As Arthur observed the gathered horde, the tribe's leader smiled and let out a familiar goblin sound.
"We're fine! We're fine!" the leader said, turning back toward the women and the elder goblins. "We will reach the mountain's summit safely."
Earlier, Arthur had been worried about the overwhelming number of creatures attacking them. Now, however, his confidence had grown. The reinforcements summoned by his roar had proven decisive.
"I told you there was no need to worry," Arthur said, taking responsibility upon himself.
The goblins of the tribe, who had once been wary of him, were beginning to change.
Little by little, Arthur earned their trust. Against what many had expected, he was managing to lead them to a safe place. If he succeeded, everyone there would remember this moment forever.
Arthur and the goblins pressed on with more confident steps, now less afraid of the creatures that might emerge from the forest's shadows to attack them.
The thirty goblins took up solid positions, ensuring that no creature could catch them by surprise. This put everyone much more at ease.
At last, they encountered a group of creatures the goblins had mentioned before: the bears that lived in those mountains.
The bear stood out from any other creature they had encountered so far.
The first difference was its level: 10. That level alone significantly transformed any hunter or creature that reached it.
This was a turning point. Most people or monsters, upon reaching that level, received an increase in their attributes and greater chances of learning new skills.
Arthur knew this because he had seen reports about it online. The goblins with him only knew that the bear was strong—they didn't have access to the technical information he did.
"This is one of the bears I mentioned," the goblin leader shouted. "Gyakk, we'll be screwed if more of them show up here."
Arthur agreed with him. Even while commanding many goblins, dealing with a level 10 monster was no easy task.
"Do you know if these bears usually live in groups?" Arthur asked the goblin leader.
"These bears usually live in pairs—a male and a female—and sometimes they have cubs as well," the goblin replied.
As soon as the goblin finished speaking, another bear emerged, walking slowly out of the forest and stopping beside the first.
Its level was the same. It was a pair of bears.
"This is not good," Arthur thought.
Even though he was confident he could win the fight, Arthur knew there was a high chance that some of the goblins would die in the process. He didn't want that to happen.
The goal of this journey was to ensure the goblins' safety and, in doing so, rebuild a tribe under his command. Without them, none of that would be possible.
"What should I do now…"
Arthur had no idea what to do. Would it be better to take the risk and fight, or were there other options he hadn't considered?
As he was thinking about what to do, the system sent a notification.
[New quest acquired.]
[Kill or tame the bears.]
The mission was straightforward and simple. Arthur grew curious the moment he read it.
"Tame them? I can do that?"