The morning sun poured down on Goblin's Grove, a place slowly recovering from the scars of war. The thick fog that once cloaked the entire territory had nearly vanished. For the first time, Lee Jun could clearly see the edges of the dense forest surrounding his private dungeon. Towering trees stood tall in every direction, and the gentle sound of a river flowing to the east brought a quiet sense of rebirth to the devastated land.
Jun stood in the middle of the ruined farmland, where the earth still bore signs of fire and battle. Behind him, his goblins were rising again—both in body and spirit. There were wounds, yes. There was loss. But there was also hope.
"Listen up!" Jun called out firmly. "Starting today, we rebuild. Some of you will return to farming. The rest—will train. We can't afford to be weak anymore."
Godon, now standing like a true warrior-leader, stood beside Jun and raised a makeshift wooden spear. The surviving goblin fighters lined up behind him. Some of them were former enemies—wild goblins who had surrendered. Now, with eyes full of uncertainty and flickering hope, they stood as part of a new family.
Minho leaned against a tree with his usual grin. "I'll train a few of them with the basics. Don't expect miracles, but there's some potential in these green guys."
Training began in the cleared open space. Godon led exercises in defensive formations and simple attack drills. Minho gave one-on-one lessons to five selected goblins, focusing on quick footwork, sharp movements, and keeping their center of gravity balanced.
Meanwhile, the farming goblins returned to the fields. They used tools Jun had purchased with the mana crystal they'd earned. Even Jun joined in, planting seeds in newly tilled soil, trying to find peace amidst the exhaustion of leadership.
But not everything went smoothly.
Several former enemy goblins refused to work. They sat around, stealing food or staring blankly at nothing. Jun watched them carefully and then made a decision.
"Those who don't work—don't eat."
That simple rule was enough to shift the mood. Within two days, even the laziest goblins started moving, digging, planting, or swinging practice weapons. Some halfheartedly, others with fear—but all of them moved. And for now, that was enough.
That evening, a fire crackled in the center of the growing goblin village. Crude wooden houses had been erected again, their silhouettes lit by the glow of firelight. The nearby river was now being used for washing and irrigation, bringing a sense of cleanliness and order that goblins had never known.
Jun sat with Minho and Godon around the fire, watching the sleeping goblins huddled together.
"I thought we'd lose everything," Jun muttered.
"But you didn't give up," Minho replied. "And now? They're starting to believe in you."
Godon looked at Jun and nodded slowly. He didn't speak, but the determination in his eyes was enough.
Jun took a deep breath and looked up at the night sky. Stars sparkled clearly now that the fog had lifted.
"We survived this time… But next time, we must be ready to win."
[System Notification]
✅ Village Stability: +12%✅ Goblin Morale: Increased✅ Evolution Potential: Approaching threshold…
Jun stared at the floating message before closing his eyes. Tomorrow would be another hard day, but for the first time in a long while—he believed in the future.