"B-boss! Bone Tree... Bone Tree found iron ore!"
The hobgoblin scout leaned against the doorframe, bent over and gasping, his words broken.
Sweat dripped down his cheeks, and the corner of the bow and arrow clutched in his hand was damp with perspiration.
He had just run back from the canyon, not daring to stop the entire way, just to tell Kurzadh the news immediately.
Kurzadh's previously furrowed brow instantly smoothed out.
He froze completely, as if he hadn't heard clearly, and it took a full three seconds for him to react.
"What did you say? You found iron ore?!" He grabbed the hobgoblin scout's arm, the force making the scout wince in pain, but his eyes erupted with unbelievable joy—he had sent out several waves of scouts to look for iron ore with no results, and he never expected Bone Tree to find it, and so quickly!
It was important to know that Bone Tree had previously been a miner slave for a human noble, spending several years in the mines with human miners, making him an expert on the appearance of iron ore and the distribution of veins.
Previously, Kurzadh had only sent Bone Tree and a few Orc Boyz into the depths of the Forest of Gloom to search for iron ore with a 'let's try' attitude, since so few greenskins understood mining.
He never expected this fellow to actually bring back a surprise.
"Quick! Tell me the details! Where is the iron ore? What is the scale?" Kurzadh let go and urged the hobgoblin scout, his voice filled with urgency.
With iron ore, they could forge iron weapons and tools.
The efficiency of the quarry and the lumberyard would double, and the greenskins' combat strength would achieve a qualitative leap.
For the Blackrock Clan, this was truly a godsend.
The hobgoblin scout rubbed his sore arm and quickly said, "Bone Tree led five Orc Boyz and discovered scattered iron ore in the Bonebreak Canyon to the west—it's that dark brown, shiny rock, and he recognized it instantly!
They followed the distribution of the ore deeper into the canyon and found a cave on the south side of the mountain.
After walking deep inside for an hour or two, they discovered a huge iron ore vein!
And... and the mine looks like it was partially developed and then abandoned by dwarves.
The tunnels are already dug, and hardly any of the iron ore inside has been mined!"
"A dwarf-abandoned iron mine?" Kurzadh's eyes lit up even more.
Dwarves are the race most skilled at mining and forging in the Warhammer world.
The veins they develop are not only large but also have well-organized tunnels, saving the tribe the trouble of excavating their own shafts.
This meant that all they had to do was clear out the tunnels, and they could start mining the iron ore directly.
The efficiency would be more than ten times higher than finding a new vein themselves.
"This means our tribe will never lack iron again!" Kurzadh excitedly paced around the room, his mind already calculating: Once the iron ore was mined, they would first forge a batch of iron axes and spears to equip the Orc Boyz, then make iron chisels and saws for the hobgoblin laborers.
Building structures and cutting down trees would be much faster.
When the scale increased further, they could even forge iron armor.
At that point, the soldiers of the Blackrock Clan would have equipment comparable to the elite private troops of humans!
But just as he was overcome with excitement, the hobgoblin scout's expression suddenly turned grim, and he stammered, "B-boss, there's one more thing... Bone Tree and his group found a tribe dwelling deep inside the cave..."
The smile instantly vanished from Kurzadh's face.
His brow furrowed again, and his gaze turned fierce.
He stopped walking and stared at the hobgoblin scout, his voice cold as ice: "What tribe? Whether they are humans, ratmen, or other greenskins , anyone who dares to stop me from taking the iron ore will be torn to shreds!"
In his view, the iron ore was crucial for the tribe's development, and no one could stop him; he was willing to go to war if necessary.
The hobgoblin scout was startled by Kurzadh's gaze and quickly took a step back, saying, "N-not humans, and not ratmen... It's... it's a Night Hobgoblin tribe!"
"Night hobgoblins?!" Kurzadh's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart sank—he never expected to encounter night hobgoblins here.
Among the greenskin races, the night hobgoblins were famously known as "Short, weak, and poor": they were a head shorter than ordinary hobgoblins, usually only half a meter tall, and their skin was dark green, appearing especially pale because they rarely saw sunlight.
They were naturally sensitive to the sun and dared not leave their caves during the day, hiding only underground or in dark places.
They only ventured out at night, possessing cowardly and weak personalities, often having to walk around ordinary hobgoblins.
But don't underestimate these cowards; they are extremely cunning and never fight head-on.
Kurzadh had learned from previous records that night hobgoblins specialized in ambushing from the shadows: either hiding in the dark corners of the mine tunnels, suddenly leaping out as enemies passed to stab them in the waist with poisoned bone daggers; or digging traps along necessary paths, covering them with branches and dirt, and filling the bottom with sharp spikes.
Anyone who fell in would instantly be riddled with holes.
Their poison was also unique, made from a mix of cave mud, toxic mushrooms, and spider venom.
It was black like sludge, and if the skin was even slightly broken, the wound would become painful and swollen, taking a long time to recover, and severe cases could lead to unconsciousness.
What was more troublesome was that night hobgoblins preferred living in underground caves, and their tunneling skills were even better than the ratmen's.
Their tunnels crisscrossed everywhere, capable of winding from one end of the cave to the other, or even digging behind enemy camps, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, making defense impossible.
Furthermore, night hobgoblins especially hated dwarves—because dwarves also liked to dig caves and often contested territory with the night hobgoblins.
The two sides had been fighting for thousands of years, and their hatred ran deep.
However, it seemed that this group of night hobgoblins had claimed the dwarf-abandoned iron mine as their territory and intended to keep it for themselves.
"How is the combat strength of these night hobgoblins?" Kurzadh calmed down and asked.
He knew that although night hobgoblins were cowardly, they were difficult to deal with in large numbers.
The hobgoblin scout recalled the details Bone Tree had told him and replied, "Bone Tree said there are quite a few night hobgoblins in the cave, maybe more than two hundred, plus a lot of spiders...
Individually, they are extremely timid.
Bone Tree deliberately showed his face, and several night hobgoblins immediately ran away.
But when they gathered together, they dared to shout and even threw rocks at Bone Tree...
Also, their tribe seems to have a fierce boss who carries a spiked wooden club.
He roared a few times and managed to subdue the other night hobgoblins, otherwise, they probably would have descended into chaos long ago."
Kurzadh nodded, having gained a clear understanding.
Night hobgoblins were the typical example of "Courage in numbers."
Alone, they had no backbone, but in a group, they dared to cause trouble.
They relied on the fiercest boss in the tribe to keep order, or they might start fighting among themselves halfway through a battle.
However, they also had advantages: they were numerous and cheap, requiring few resources to sustain, making them perfect for being "Bush campers"—hiding in the dark to launch sneak attacks and flank enemies.
They were an indispensable auxiliary troop type in the greenskin Army.
What Kurzadh cared about more was that night hobgoblins were skilled at taming spiders.
They could domesticate the giant spiders in the caves into mounts, transforming into the special unit known as the Death Crawler once mounted—the spiders were fast and could spin webs to entangle enemies.
The night hobgoblins, seated on the spiders' backs, fired poisoned arrows, making them extremely effective in complex terrain.
Moreover, night hobgoblins regarded the Arachnari Giant Spider as a sacred beast, believing the Giant Spider was an emissary sent by Gork and Mork, and they worshipped it intensely.
"Arachnari Giant Spider..." The image of the still-hatching Giant Spider egg flashed through Kurzadh's mind.
And coincidentally, the system had also cataloged the night hobgoblins!
If he could subdue this night hobgoblins tribe, they might be able to help care for the Giant Spider, or even use their spider-taming techniques to train a Death Crawler squad.
This would be a great boost to the tribe's combat power.
But for now, the most crucial thing was the iron ore.
The night hobgoblins were occupying the cave where the iron ore was located.
To mine the iron ore, they had to deal with this group of night hobgoblins.
Should they attack directly, driving them all away or eliminating them?
Or should they find a way to subdue them and make them serve his purpose?
Kurzadh walked to the doorway, looking toward the Bonebreak Canyon to the west.
Under the moonlight, the silhouette of the forest appeared especially dark.
His fingers unconsciously rubbed the iron axe at his waist, and his gaze grew increasingly firm—no matter the method, the iron ore had to be secured, and the night hobgoblins tribe had to be dealt with!
"Go call Bone Tree back.
Have him tell us the details about the night hobgoblins tribe and the terrain inside the cave."
Kurzadh turned to the hobgoblin scout and said, "Also, tell Scarface to gather all the hobgoblins and orcs.
We need to properly discuss how to deal with this group of night hobgoblins!"
"Yes, boss!" The hobgoblin scout quickly answered and turned to run out of the camp, his steps more hurried than when he arrived—he knew that an operation targeting the night hobgoblins was about to begin.
The campfire in the wooden house was still burning, illuminating Kurzadh's face, half bright and half hidden in shadow.
He looked at the moonlight outside the window, already calculating in his heart: Although night hobgoblins were cunning, they also had weaknesses.
If he utilized their weaknesses well, he could not only secure the iron ore but perhaps also subdue a new force, making the Blackrock Clan even stronger.