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I am a goblin, nameless and insignificant.

“I have decided, your name shall be Ichijiku.”

Ah, it seems my name was simply bestowed upon me.

And so, from that moment, I became Ichijiku.

The one who gave me this name was a female adventurer who appeared no different from other humans that venture into this dungeon. However, her presence and the mana enveloping her were far greater than any of them.

Instinctively, I understood that she was a formidable being capable of effortlessly crushing me before I could even take a breath.

Furthermore, her appearance was utterly captivating. Well, that contradicts my previous statement, but in any case, it was inconceivable for a human to possess such exquisite beauty.

Just a single glance at her was enough to leave me breathless…

But then, the lady noticed my rising excitement, at my crotch to be more specific, and twisted her neck in confusion.

“Why is that guy in heat right after being born?”

“Pant Your beauty has captivated me, my lady.”

Being a goblin, it was inevitable for me to get an erection towards a beautiful female, regardless of age or gender.

As I responded truthfully, a complex expression formed on her face, and she let out a sigh.

“…So now I’m even popular among goblin babies.”

I didn’t quite understand, but as soon as I expressed my desire for the first mating, she swiftly knocked me down to the ground.

I thought it was fortunate that I didn’t die, but it turned out I had perished and was instantly revived.

“For today, I’ll spare you since you’re a baby and a rare individual with high intelligence, but there will be no second time.”

The lady emphasized her words strongly, leaving me wondering what had gone wrong.

Later, I learned that the lady was the master of this dungeon. It seems she spared me not because I was worthy, but because I lacked strength.

◆◇◆◇

“I see, so the lady doesn’t want to mate with a goblin like me.”

After a week, having grown considerably, I shared the conclusion I had reached after much contemplation.

“What’s the matter, Ichijiku?” Ninomae, another goblin who had survived alongside me amidst the demise of our fellow goblins (either devoured by stronger monsters or slain by humans), gave me a puzzled look.

Ninomae may be as dimwitted as other goblins, but he possesses a sturdy build twice the size of mine, resembling that of an adult goblin. Despite being only a week old, he is much stronger than his kin. Due to his strength, we have been hunting together recently.

“No, there’s a female I desire to mate with, a monster far more formidable and extraordinary than myself. I’ve been pondering how I can achieve that.”

“Be strong. Become stronger than that female.”

Ninomae’s words were simple and straightforward, and indeed, that was the truth. If I become stronger than her, I can mate with her as I please.

However, the issue lies in the fact that I am at the bottom of the hierarchy in this dungeon when it comes to strength.

Interestingly, I heard from an elderly goblin (surprisingly, a wise individual who has lived for six years) that monsters can evolve into advanced species by consuming other monsters, especially stronger ones. In order to reach the top, I must devour powerful adversaries. But to do so, I must first become strong myself. It seems impossible for me in my current state, but there must be some easier way.

◆◇◆◇

Three weeks later, I encountered the lady once again, and she was visibly surprised by my transformation.

“I’m amazed. You’ve already advanced to a Hob-Goblin. How did you achieve that?” she exclaimed.

I explained my battle strategy to the lady, who appeared unchanged since our first meeting.

First, I never engage with more than one opponent at a time.
Second, I make use of the dungeon’s terrain and traps to ensnare my foes.
And third, I employ sharpened stones and other tools to strike my adversaries before they can strike me.

While not everything went according to plan, and I stumbled along the way, the fact that both Ninomae and I evolved into Hob-Goblins, sporting two small horns on our heads, is a testament to our efforts.

“Interesting~. You’ve accomplished quite a feat. At this point, you’re even wiser than those brawny adventurers,” the lady praised, granting me her recognition.

Excitement surged through me, and I once again mustered up the courage to request to mate, fueled by greater determination than ever before—only to find myself suddenly lying on my back, gazing at the dungeon ceiling.

“…… My goodness. A goblin will always be a goblin, no matter how wise it becomes. I wonder why they always think with their lower instincts,” the lady grumbled, extending her palm toward me.

“Since you’ve evolved, I’ll revive you. However, be aware that there won’t be a third time,” she warned.

Though it felt like I had heard the same line before, my instincts warned me not to utter a word that could get me into serious trouble. So, I simply nodded silently.

◆◇◆◇

After an additional month, I evolved into the Goblin Chief, my two horns growing to three, and my body increasing in size. Ninomae transformed into a Goblin Warrior, his horn becoming larger and his body stronger, reaching the stature of a human male.

Behind us stood our army: 12 ordinary goblins and around 20 kobolds.

I contemplated deeply and came to the realization that the two of us would soon reach the limits of our evolution. In fact, about half a month after being knocked down by the lady for the second time, I attempted to hunt like Ninomae, but I felt a weakening in the power surging through my body. It seemed that the prey in our current hunting grounds no longer provided sufficient quality.

This information was relayed to us by an elder, prompting us to withdraw from our current hunting grounds and descend one floor lower, where even stronger monsters awaited. Although it was only a single floor difference, the strength of the monsters there was on an entirely different level, and Ninomae and I had to retreat, crawling our way back.

This situation couldn’t continue.

Since it was an unknown territory, I couldn’t rely on terrain advantages or traps as I had done until now. This meant we would have to engage in frontal battles, which were not in our favor.

“What should we do, Ninomae?” I asked.

“Don’t know. Ichijiku think, I fight-fight,” he responded.

Thus, I reached a conclusion: If the two of us couldn’t win on our own, perhaps we could increase our numbers.

With that decision in mind, I first asserted control over the group that had been accompanying us and then captured weaker and easily manipulated kobolds, turning them into my subordinates.

Descending to the next floor, we used them to scout for lone monsters. The kobolds, now acting as bait, led the monsters to our hiding place (some of them were devoured along the way).

Then, as a united force, we launched a coordinated attack and eliminated the prey.

After approximately half a month of implementing this new tactic, we once again experienced evolution.

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