Little Veg Head, for the sake of a hastily made slingshot, jumped into a cesspit without hesitation.
Marcus had to admire him.
Goblins and Snotlings are generally the most cowardly creatures in the Old World.
They are the bottom of the Greenskin food chain, bullied by everyone.
For this little Snotling to fight two Goblins head-on to protect his slingshot – that took real, stupid courage.
True Greenskin courage.
And the Dung-Ball mushrooms he cultivated greatly enhanced the tribe’s power.
Marcus started having different ideas.
If what Little Veg Head said was true, and these mushrooms weren’t hard to grow – just need shit-water, spores, and shade – then Marcus could assemble a real biological warfare unit.
Imagine before a battle, thirty Snotlings launch a barrage of these puffballs with slingshots.
Yellow-green smoke everywhere, enemies coughing, foaming, fainting.
A devastating psychological blow.
Or even wilder – turn them into living biological bombs.
Cover a Snotling in puffballs, have him run into an enemy mob, hug their legs, and then crush all the mushrooms at once.
Marcus’s thoughts ran wilder and wilder, veering into Snotling suicide bomber territory.
He quickly shook his head.
“Damn!
How did I turn green?
My thoughts are turning green too!”
He looked at Little Veg Head still standing there, stinking, proud.
“Little Veg Head, you did great job!
Your invention is really amazing!
Now I order you, you are captain of tribe’s Stink Mob!
I give you 100 Snotlings to follow you.
Teach them how to grow these mushrooms!
Do well, I give you many rewards!
If any Gobbo in tribe dares bully you, you tell me, I krump them!”
Little Veg Head was ecstatic.
He didn’t know what a Stink Mob was, but he knew he’d have 100 Snotlings like himself under him.
Yesterday he was the most bullied, today he was a boss.
He agreed so fast his loincloth almost fell off.
After ordering Little Veg Head to take a bath in the river – three times, with soap made from boar fat – and wait at his Boss Hut tomorrow morning, Marcus returned to his own hut.
Lying on his straw bed, seeing the system say [QUEST COMPLETE +10 WAAAGH!], he began to study WAAAGH!
energy.
So-called WAAAGH!
energy is not magic like human wizards use.
It is the collective belief of Greenskins.
Just like the four Chaos Gods were formed from the thoughts of mortals – Khorne from rage, Tzeentch from hope.
Greenskin thought is WAAAGH!
energy.
The more powerful a Greenskin leader is, the more Greenskins worship him, and the more their psychic WAAAGH!
field projects onto the leader, making him larger, greener, and meaner.
That is why Orc Warbosses can be three meters tall – because thousands of Boyz believe he is the biggest.
This WAAAGH!
energy has three uses, exactly as Marcus remembered from Warhammer lore.
**Biologically,** WAAAGH!
energy makes Greenskins bigger.
A Goblin who stays near a powerful WAAAGH!
will grow into a big Goblin, then maybe into an Orc.
It improves physical attributes.
It’s evolution through belief.
**Engineering-wise,** WAAAGH!
energy lets Orks defy physics.
An Orc Mek can build a vehicle that’s wrong size, overweight, no engine, painted red to go faster – and with enough Boyz believing it will work, it *does* work.
Red ones really do go faster if enough Orks believe it.
**Magically,** an Orc who becomes a Shaman can tap into the WAAAGH!
energy emitted by nearby Orks to cast spells – summon a giant green foot to stomp enemies, make Boyz ‘ard, make heads explode.
Marcus’s research showed the system’s WAAAGH!
energy largely matched this, but with game mechanics added.
For example, Marcus could transfer system WAAAGH!
energy to his boyz to level them up.
Upgrading a Snotling to a Goblin cost 200 WAAAGH!
energy.
Upgrading a Goblin to an Orc would cost even more.
It was like evolution on demand.
Also, when a Greenskin swears loyalty, they generate WAAAGH!
energy daily.
For example, Iron Egg, who had Vow of Faith, generated 1 point every 2 days.
WAAAGH!
energy is incredibly useful.
Looking at the faction loyalty screen, Little Veg Head had indeed reached Vow of Faith after being made captain.
But because he was a Snotling, a weaker Greenskin, he only produced 1 point per week.
Snotlings have weaker psychic presence.
While 1 point is not much, there are so many of them!
System showed Goblins about to break 400, Snotlings over 1800.
Even if most were only Respect or Obedience, each produced a trickle.
Added together, it was a steady income.
Marcus reflected.
He had so many followers, yet only two had reached Vow of Faith – Iron Egg and Little Veg Head.
It seemed he needed to treat these gits better.
Give them a few good meals, let them have more fights, more WAAAGHs.
If they still weren’t loyal, give them a good beating.
Greenskins understand beating as affection.
He decided at dawn tomorrow, he would arrange for Little Veg Head to lead 100 Snotlings to cultivate the so-called “Poop Mushrooms” – a name Little Veg Head gave them, crude but apt, and Marcus agreed.
Stinkspore Puffballs was too fancy for Snotlings.
Once enough Poop Mushrooms were grown, he’d equip the Snotlings with slingshots.
Those Goblins who bullied them daily were in for a rough time.
He could easily guess that once the Snotlings had this new weapon, they’d take revenge on the Goblins who bullied them.
Thinking of this, his eyelids grew heavier and he fell asleep on his straw bed.
He slept without dreams.
He didn’t stay in bed the next day either, because one more important thing: iron smelting.
After yesterday’s preparations, nothing could stop him.
Opening the door, he saw a Goblin and a Snotling standing there.
Iron Egg and Little Veg Head.
Marcus recognized Little Veg Head because he had told him to come this morning.
But why was Iron Egg here, instead of practicing his WAAAGH!
spells?
Iron Egg pulled out a roasted mushroom and said ingratiatingly, “Boss, I bring mushroom for you, you want?”
Marcus saw through his scheme instantly.
This guy must have seen Little Veg Head standing at his door early this morning and thought the little stinker was trying to steal his position as Number One Lackey, so he rushed over to suck up.
“Go away,” Marcus told Iron Egg.
“Take Little Veg Head with you to find 100 Snotlings.
You two are sworn followers now, you need to work together.”
Iron Egg, relieved his boss still favored him, grabbed Little Veg Head – who was still slightly stinky despite washing – and dragged him off to recruit a Stink Mob.
Marcus ignored them.
Those two were Vow of Faith, they’d figure it out.
He continued towards the kilns.
Nothing could stop Marcus from smelting iron today.