The morning after the harvest, Lee Jun sat in front of his small cabin, sipping warm water. The goblins were busy storing the leftover radishes in a makeshift warehouse built from wood and stones.
But his mind wasn't on the radishes.
The shadow that appeared beyond the fog yesterday haunted his thoughts. The faint sound, the mysterious pressure… none of it was a coincidence.
"If something can pass through the fog, then this place isn't safe," he muttered.
Planning the Defense
Jun called Godon and the two goblins who were assigned as guards.
He drew a rough sketch on the ground with a stick: fences, a small trench, and a basic watchtower.
Godon listened carefully, then nodded.
"Start with the fence. Use the leftover trees in the northern area. But don't get too close to the fog," Jun ordered.
The goblins immediately began moving. They chopped down trees, carried logs, and started placing wooden posts to form a protective wall.
"I'll need to train them to recognize danger signals. And maybe I need a simple alarm system…"
Jun made a mental note of everything he'd need: bells from scrap cans, ropes from plant fibers, and strategic observation points.
A Flicker of Light Beyond the Fog
By late afternoon, while checking the construction progress, Jun saw something that made him freeze.
A small light flickered faintly beyond the fog. Not threatening… more like… a signal?
"What is that...?" Jun took a step forward—but just a few steps in, the pressure from the fog made his chest tighten.
He stopped. The light vanished instantly.
Godon, who saw it too, rushed over and grabbed Jun's arm, shaking his head firmly.
"I know… It's not time yet," Jun said quietly.
End of the Chapter
That night, Jun stood on the roof of the small cabin, staring up at the dark sky over Goblin's Grove.
"If the world beyond the fog is beginning to react… I need to be ready. Not just to farm… but to survive."
The world within the fog was stirring.And it was only a matter of time before everything changed.