Overlord: Welcoming the Birth of the King
Chapter 36: Tracking, Discovering a Small Goblin Tribe

"Gurgle, gu."

"Waa!"

"Waa, waa."

"........!"

Faint noises emerged from the depths of the jungle.

Tang Zheng's eyes flashed as he halted his steps, pricking up his ears to listen. The indistinct sounds gradually became clearer.

Something was approaching this way, and in considerable numbers!

Squinting his eyes, Tang Zheng quickly scanned his surroundings before locking onto a relatively sturdy tree. Moving with light steps, he positioned himself behind the trunk and waited silently against it.

Time passed slowly.

The intermittent familiar "waa" sounds made Tang Zheng's eyes brighten.

Having dealt with goblins many times before, he immediately recognized these as goblin cries!

Just as expected.

They were nearing the territory of the man-eating monsters!

Still pressed against the thick tree trunk, Tang Zheng leaned forward slightly and turned his head toward the source of the sounds.

Soon enough!

A group of thirteen goblins came into Tang Zheng's view.

These goblins wore tattered, ill-fitting clothes, with some even sporting severed pant legs as makeshift hats on their heads.

Their appearance resembled that of refugees.

Yet Tang Zheng's expression turned serious, as these were the first goblins he'd encountered who were all clothed, however ragged their garments might be.

Previously, most goblins he'd seen were practically naked!

What surprised Tang Zheng most was that the two leading goblins actually carried iron weapons—though just crude forks.

Following the leading goblins with his gaze toward the rear,

Tang Zheng's expression changed visibly for the first time.

Several goblins at the back were laboriously carrying bloodied corpses, keeping pace with those ahead.

Humans!

Tang Zheng's face darkened.

Five corpses in total—judging by their builds and clothing, likely three men and two women. Their dark, rough arms dragged limply along the ground,

indicating they were probably farmers from nearby villages.

Though currently within the Great Tob Forest, Tang Zheng was still at its outermost edge. Heading north would take him deeper into the forest, while south would lead him out into wilderness.

Continuing further south would bring him to a dirt road extending from E-Rantel.

Several villages dotted this area.

Compared to Carne Village within Forest Sage Chagama's territory, villages near the man-eating monsters' domain or the demon snake Naga's territory were far less safe.

This was precisely why the Adventurers Guild in E-Rantel perpetually posted quests to exterminate monsters like goblins.

"Waa, waa!"

The lead goblin, apparently dissatisfied with their pace, screeched angrily at those behind, its exposed fangs radiating irritation.

The corpse-carrying goblins at the rear showed panic on their green faces at these shouts, struggling to maintain their burden while moving forward.

Throughout this entire process, the goblins remained unaware of Tang Zheng concealed behind the tree.

His expression impassive, Tang Zheng watched as the goblin troop passed before him.

Gently rotating his sword hilt, he stepped out lightly and began trailing the group at a distance.

Though numerous, these goblins posed little threat!

Ordinary farmers in this other world typically reached level 1, with trained individuals possibly achieving level 2.

Regular goblins fell within this range too—though as demi-humans, they held certain racial advantages.

Eliminating them wouldn't be difficult.

However.

Judging by their behavior, Tang Zheng suspected these goblins were returning to their tribe.

Realizing this,

Tang Zheng saw no urgency in dispatching them immediately.

As he followed the goblin troop deeper into the Great Tob Forest, Tang Zheng noticed the surrounding trees and undergrowth becoming increasingly dense.

The forest atmosphere began shifting noticeably—most apparent in how the light dimmed significantly, an intangible pressure permeating the woods.

Turning his palm, Tang Zheng retrieved a pocket watch from his item box. Though it showed only around 3 PM, the ambient light felt like dusk.

"Probably won't go too deep."

Glancing at the corpse-bearing goblins at the rear, Tang Zheng's eyes flickered. He lightly scored two marks on a nearby tree trunk with his iron sword as markers.

Losing one's way in such vast primordial forests proved both troublesome and dangerous.

Hence, Tang Zheng came prepared.

Beyond leaving distinctive marks on passed trees, his item box contained a large bag of specially purchased lime powder.

Still being at the forest's outskirts, Tang Zheng could maintain his bearings without needing the lime powder yet.

After about ten more minutes of trailing the goblins,

Tang Zheng became certain they were nearing their tribe.

The telltale signs were unmistakable—an overwhelming stench of rot mixed with indescribable odors resembling dirty socks and rotten eggs filled the air.

Soon.

A small clearing became visible amidst the thick jungle of massive trees.

The area wasn't large—about one and a half basketball courts in size—and had been deliberately cleared of any substantial vegetation.

Upon entering, the goblins immediately became more animated, especially the corpse-carriers who grew visibly excited.

Sweeping his gaze across,

Tang Zheng spotted numerous animal bones scattered about, interspersed with human leg and arm bones carelessly discarded.

Near the center lay several thick animal hides of unknown origin spread across the ground.

On one patch covered with withered grass sat chunks of rotting meat, swarming with insects—clearly the source of the foul stench.

What drew Tang Zheng's attention most was a crude hut at the clearing's center, evidently constructed from weeds and branches.

Examining it carefully, a flicker of confusion crossed Tang Zheng's eyes.

The hut seemed disproportionately large for the short-statured goblins. More puzzling was how it stood as the sole structure in the entire area.

Additionally,

the goblin numbers seemed abnormal.

Not because there were too many—but surprisingly few!

This was clearly a small goblin tribe, yet apart from the thirteen returning members, Tang Zheng could only spot five more guarding the camp.

He couldn't be certain if more goblins hid inside the hut.

But the number of sentries seemed unusually low. Though unable to distinguish goblin ages by appearance, Tang Zheng could tell these were all young adults.

Meaning,

this small goblin tribe curiously lacked any elders or younglings.