That day, Jun stared at the crates filled with their second radish harvest, a sense of accomplishment blooming in his chest. Eight million won—an amount he never imagined he could earn so quickly. But more than the money, it was proof that the goblins' sweat and his persistence were paying off.
"Let's celebrate tonight," Jun said with a bright grin after talking with Minho. "We deserve it."
Minho smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that. The goblins could use a little party too. Who could say no to grilled chicken?"
Without wasting time, Jun headed to the local market. He purchased 30 fresh, pre-butchered chickens, each weighing around 1.3 kilograms. At an average price of ₩9,500 per kilogram, he spent around ₩370,000 won—a small price for a well-earned celebration.
When Jun returned, he brought the chickens into Goblin's Grove in a cooler box. The goblins gathered around curiously, their noses twitching at the unfamiliar but mouthwatering scent.
With Minho and Godon's help, Jun set up the cooking station. The goblins had previously built a simple stone furnace, and tonight, it would finally serve a new purpose. Minho took charge of seasoning the meat, preparing a savory mix of garlic, soy sauce, and Korean chili powder.
The chickens were skewered with thick wooden sticks and placed carefully over glowing charcoal.
Soon, the air was filled with the rich aroma of roasting chicken. Fat sizzled and dripped onto the coals, sending up fragrant smoke that made even the most stoic goblin drool.
That night, Goblin's Grove transformed into a festival.
The goblins sang—off-key and oddly melodic—and danced around the fire. They sat in messy circles, devouring roasted chicken with greasy fingers and bright eyes. Jun and Minho laughed, sharing bites and drinks as if they had known this kind of peace forever.
Godon sat quietly near Jun, gently feeding one of the newly tamed goblins who still seemed too shy to eat on its own.
Jun took a deep breath, glancing up at the artificial sky above the grove, dotted with softly glowing stars. "I don't know how long this will last... but tonight, we've won."
In the far distance, the fog still lingered beyond the fields—silent, watching.
But for now, no threat came.
Only the sound of crackling fire, laughter, and the mouthwatering scent of grilled chicken filled the night.