After resting for a few minutes, Alruk placed his piece of meat on a branch.
He then looked around, observing the goblins on watch as they moved about.
They lacked structure, proper positioning, and discipline.
His gaze shifted to the pile of bones and waste discarded after the feast, where he noticed the tusks of a boar.
‘How wasteful,’ he thought as he climbed down from the tree to retrieve them.
This species of boar was called the Iron Tusk Boar because of its powerful tusks, which were almost as strong as steel.
They were also incredibly sharp, making them excellent materials for crafting weapons such as knives and spearheads.
After collecting the tusks, he searched the area further, hoping to find more valuables.
By the end of his search, he had gathered three more iron tusks, eight fangs, and nine horns from Horned Rabbits.
All of these were valuable crafting materials.
Although they were only Common-grade and some had already lost their mana, they could still be used alongside materials that retained mana.
Alruk might have been a knight in his past life, but he also possessed knowledge of several lifestyle classes.
Nobles often participated in military campaigns, some lasting months or even years.
Because of this, the Imperial Academy encouraged its students to learn supportive lifestyle skills.
Back then, he had specialized in rune-smithing, blacksmithing, and alchemy—classes that had greatly supported his rise.
After checking the area one last time and finding nothing else of value, he returned to the tree.
By then, night had fully fallen, with the moon and stars shining brightly above.
He secured the materials on the branch beside him and looked up at the sky.
On the night of his betrayal, he had believed he would never again witness the beauty of the night sky.
Seeing it now, after spending so long in that dark cave, filled him with a sense of peace.
He did not know how much time had passed since his death, but to him, it had felt like an eternity spent in darkness.
A few minutes later, he began to meditate.
As he did, he noticed that the circulation of mana was much faster than it had been in the cave.
Even without any Calm Lillies nearby, his cultivation speed was nearly twice as fast as before.
The only explanation was his newly awakened bloodline.
He smiled.
This was good—no, great.
‘As expected of a Legendary-grade bloodline,’ he thought, recognizing this as the full effect of the Star Growth ability, which granted a 100% increase in growth at night beneath the stars.
He continued meditating for an hour before the sound of footsteps reached his ears.
Opening his eyes, he saw the male goblins heading into the cave alongside the hobgoblin and the shaman.
Not far behind them, several females followed.
The three females from today’s ceremony broke away and entered the chief’s hut.
Alruk knew exactly what was about to happen.
It had been three months since his generation was born, making it six months since the last breeding season.
Goblins had no concept of partnership or courtship—only reproduction mattered.
Females would mate with multiple males until they became pregnant.
A female who failed to conceive after two or three breeding seasons was considered useless and could be cast out of the tribe.
Soon, sounds of pleasure mixed with screams echoed from both the cave and the chief’s hut.
He felt disgusted and uncomfortable listening to them.
With that noise, meditation became impossible.
All he could do was try to sleep—but even that proved difficult.
The next day, he awoke to similar sounds.
Lifting his heavy eyelids, he cursed under his breath.
“Damn it…
how are they not done?”
But as he looked around, he noticed that things had changed.
There was no sound coming from the chief’s hut anymore—only from the cave, and this time without any screams.
Exhausted, he rubbed his eyes and climbed down from the tree.
He began jogging around the perimeter of the village.
The males on watch noticed him running and immediately checked the surroundings for danger.
Finding nothing, they became confused by his behavior.
Alruk, however, paid them no mind.
After running for an hour, he returned to the shade of his tree.
He was sweaty, tired—and hungry.
He hadn’t eaten anything since the fruits from the previous day.
Just then, he noticed a group of females leaving one of the huts.
They carried several clay bowls with them.
‘Finally…
I can find the source of their water.’
He began following them.
When they noticed him, one of the older females approached.
“Why you follow?” she asked.
She looked him in the eyes before continuing.
“Go back.
Outside not safe.
Young stay in village and learn.”
Alruk looked up at her.
“Want water.”
She sighed.
“Water coming.
Wait for water.”
“No,” he replied firmly, though his tone remained childish.
“Want water now.”
The female hesitated before turning to the others.
After seeing them nod in agreement, she faced him again.
“Okay,” she said.
“But careful.
Stay close.”
She reached out and took his hand.
Together, they left the village, accompanied by three male goblins for protection.