Arthur ordered his goblins to stop firing arrows, as they couldn't penetrate the bears' fur easily.
The reason was simple: he wanted to avoid the arrows hitting his own goblins. Instead, he chose an extreme strategy—ordering all goblins to focus on a single bear and try to bring it down as quickly as possible.
Splitting the goblins to fight both bears at once would be far more difficult. That would certainly increase the number of goblins lost in the process.
Several goblins rushed toward the same bear, attacking with stone swords, spears, and even crude wooden clubs. Individually, each strike dealt little damage—but that overwhelming number of goblins attacking at once was another matter entirely.
The bear fought back for several seconds, biting and striking with its paws and claws, killing a few goblins in the process. Three more goblins fell during the assault.
Even so, the combined attacks were enough to bring the bear down. The scent of blood spread through the forest, and the bear's cries of pain fell silent.
Arthur watched from afar, the bow still in his hand. Then, a notification appeared—and it filled him with joy.
[+600 EXP]
[Level Up]
That single bear had granted him 600 experience points—a massive amount. Not only did he reach level 3, but he also filled nearly one-third of the bar toward level 4.
His gaze shifted to the remaining bear. It was as if he were staring at a pile of EXP.
He ordered the goblins to change targets and attack the second bear.
However, upon seeing its partner lying lifeless on the ground, the bear turned and fled into the forest. It was a fast creature, and within seconds, it vanished among the trees.
Arthur knew that chasing the creature would be impossible, so he settled for taking down just one bear—which was already a great result. The experience he had gained was considerable.
Moreover, after the bear fled, the system marked the mission he had received as complete. The objective had been to kill or tame the bears, and since he didn't know how to tame them, combat had been his only choice.
[Mission Complete]
[+850 EXP]
[+300 System Coins]
The mission rewards were generous—and that wasn't all. Arthur knew very well that the hide and other materials taken from the bear's body were valuable.
He didn't have the proper tools to harvest the hide and meat, nor did he know how to do it himself—but his goblins did. With a single thought, he ordered them to begin collecting the useful parts of the bear's body.
The hide lost some quality due to the use of primitive tools, but surprisingly, the overall result was still quite good. Those goblins were highly skilled at harvesting animal parts. They did it often, making them more proficient than most human hunters.
[Mountain Bear Hide collected]
[Mountain Bear Hide (Good Quality)]
Arthur also collected the meat and rarer parts such as claws and eyes. He knew they sold well, so he took them. The meat, however, would not be sold.
"This meat will guarantee our survival for a while," Arthur said, his gaze sweeping over the tribe's goblins. "We have to keep moving. Can I count on your help next time?"
He had fought the bear almost entirely on his own. Some of his summoned goblins had lost their lives, while the tribe's goblins had watched from afar—too afraid to act or do anything at all.
It was clear that the tribe's goblins felt guilty for not helping. The tribe leader didn't say anything at first. He simply looked at each goblin in the face—especially the warriors.
There was a spark burning in their eyes. They wanted to make a difference. They wanted to help Arthur.
"We'll help," the leader said.
A simple sentence, yet one filled with meaning. Arthur smiled when he heard it. He moved ahead with his goblins, continuing their ascent into the mountains.
Some of his goblins were carrying the bear's harvested parts, but a few non-warrior goblins from the tribe stepped forward and asked to take the load.
"Since we won't be fighting, the least we can do is carry this for you."
Arthur was pleased with their help. It would be extremely useful. He needed his summoned goblins free to fight in case any other creatures appeared.
"Thank you," Arthur said.
And the journey continued for several more hours. Weaker creatures appeared along the way, but Arthur dealt with them easily. No bears showed up again.
At one point, as they continued climbing the dirt path surrounded by dense forest, the sound of running water caught their attention.
"That's the sound of the stream," the tribe leader said. "It means we're getting close to the summit."
The climb had lasted nearly fifteen uninterrupted hours. Everyone was physically exhausted. There wasn't a single one among them who didn't want to lie down and rest for a while.
Yet no one did.
The area was dangerous, and they could only allow themselves to rest once they reached the top.
"We're almost there. Hold on," Arthur said.
The goblins gathered the last of their strength and finally reached the summit. Arthur couldn't believe his eyes when he arrived. The place was simply perfect.
There were several caves and a small lake that served as the source of the stream they had heard earlier. The area was flat, with trees scattered around, providing shade during the day. The soil also looked ideal for cultivation. The cold temperature, however, could become an issue.
"We can use these caves for now, until we build something permanent here," Arthur said.
The tribe leader and his warriors entered the first cave to check if it was safe. No creatures were living inside. Afterward, he ordered the goblins to start a campfire and prepare bedding so they could rest.
Everyone worked together to set up the camp. Arthur, however, remained deep in thought.
"This place is too good. The caves too… How the hell was no creature living here?" he wondered.
Even though the path to the summit was well hidden, he was almost certain he would find at least a few monsters inside. There was nothing—not even traces that a creature had ever slept there.
Arthur decided to explore the other nearby caves. Most of them were the same. However, one of them was different.
Instead of signs of creatures, he found a narrow passage at the back of the cave—leading somewhere unknown.