Night fell quietly over Goblin's Grove. A chilly breeze swept through the newly planted fields, brushing past the wooden fences and watchtowers that had become part of their everyday defense. Everything seemed peaceful—almost too peaceful.
Atop a simple wooden lookout post near the north perimeter, Jun, Minho, and Godon stood watch, eyes scanning the thick curtain of fog in the distance.
"It's... too quiet tonight," Minho murmured as he sipped on a warm cup of tea handed to him by one of the goblins.
Jun didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on the northern fog, the same fog that had once hidden the danger that killed one of his farming goblins. That memory hadn't faded.
Suddenly, Godon raised a clenched fist—a silent signal.
Jun and Minho snapped to attention.
"Movement?" Jun whispered.
Godon pointed. The fog rippled unnaturally. A faint shift, subtle but deliberate, rolled through it like something slithering in and out of vision.
Then—
Thwack!
A rock slammed against the wooden fence, bouncing off and landing harmlessly in the dirt.
"Warning shot," Minho muttered, reaching for his whistle. He blew sharply.
Torches flared to life across the Grove. Goblin guards jolted awake and rushed to their positions. Godon barked orders in short, guttural commands. Four elite goblins moved to the front, while two archers climbed the tower.
Moments later, poisoned arrows came flying out from the fog—poorly aimed and scattered, none hitting their marks.
"They're testing us. Not committing to a real attack yet," Jun said, gripping his wooden spear tightly.
Minho grunted. "Cowards. If they'd just charge in, we could wipe them out."
Jun remained calm, his mind already turning. He motioned to three goblin farmers who had recently been trained as scouts. Minho handed each of them a small charm, something he had crafted—a basic mana-resonant communication tool.
"You three," Jun said. "At dawn, slip into the fog. Locate where they're hiding, estimate how many. Do not fight. If it's dangerous, come back immediately."
The three nodded and vanished into the shadows behind the fields to rest before their mission.
As the arrows ceased and the fog grew still again, Jun sat near the edge of the field, the wooden spear still in his hand. Godon sat beside him without a word.
"They haven't really attacked yet," Jun muttered.
"But they will soon."