Peace had returned to Goblin's Grove.
After building a simple wooden fence and training the goblin guards for two days, Lee Jun finally felt a small sense of relief. No signs of danger had come from beyond the mist. Still, he refused to let his guard down.
"Godon," Jun called out early in the morning, "set up a night watch schedule. Two goblins on patrol every four hours, rotating. We must always be prepared."
Godon nodded and immediately gathered the goblins he had trained. Using simple symbols scratched into the dirt, he explained the shift schedule to his companions. His discipline and authority made Jun smile.
"I chose the right one," Jun murmured as he patted Godon's shoulder.
🔔 Alarm Experiment
Jun continued his small-scale experiments. This time, he set up makeshift bells in blind spots along the wooden fence. Thin threads tied to wooden stakes would tug on stones that struck bells if disturbed.
He also planted thorny bushes near the fence line—not exactly an effective defense, but at least it could slow down anything trying to sneak through.
"If they can't see us, let them feel us," he muttered while stabbing a stick into the soil.
☠️ A Strange Bone
That afternoon, one of the goblins—who had been digging a trap hole near the northern mist—came running back. In his hand, he held something and presented it to Jun.
A bone.
But not just any bone. Its shape was… unnatural. It had five bony extensions like fingers, but with claws at the ends—long, sharp claws.
Jun stared in silence. Something cold stirred in his gut.
"…this isn't from any normal animal," he whispered.
Godon came closer and sniffed the bone. He snorted, then shook his head—either from dislike or unfamiliarity.
Jun placed the bone carefully into a small pouch. He had a feeling this wouldn't be the last bone they'd find.
🌫️ A Change in the Sky
That evening, the artificial sky of the dungeon shifted.
The usual deep-blue hue gave way to a strange purplish gray. In the distance, the mist rippled faintly—like wind blowing from within it, even though no wind could be felt.
Jun stared northward—toward the place where the bone had been found.
"Are they… watching us?" he thought.
But nothing emerged from the mist that night. Only silence. The kind that was too calm.
Too quiet.
🛎️ The Bell Rings
Midnight.
All the goblins were asleep inside the small cabin. Jun sat by the campfire, gripping his wooden spear as he kept watch.
Then, it rang.
The small bell near the eastern fence gave a soft chime.
Cling...
Just once.
No wind. No footsteps. No visible movement.
But the mist near that bell… rippled slowly, as if greeting something—or someone.
Jun stood up, taking a defensive stance.
"This isn't over.Something's out there.""And this time… it's closer than ever."
⏳ End of Chapter:
The next day, Jun took a portion of the second harvest and brought it outside the dungeon to sell.
But his thoughts kept drifting back to the previous night.
Before closing the portal to Goblin's Grove, he looked back one last time and muttered:
"I need to start building real defenses…before it's too late."