The clash of metal and war cries still echoed through every corner of Goblin's Grove. Blood soaked the once fertile farmlands, and thin smoke rose from the partially burned storage barn. The enemy was too many. Too strong.
But they weren't defeated yet.
Deep within the village, Kang Minho stood, panting and bloodstained. Around him, four goblins—two Fighters, one Thief, and one Archer—stood their ground, battle-worn but alive. Together, they had just repelled the elite goblin strike force from breaching the heart of the Grove.
"Check the left flank! Don't let a single one of them reach the storage!" Minho shouted, gripping the broken shaft of his spear.
Across from him, a massive Goblin Brute snarled and raised a club high overhead. Minho glared back, eyes blazing. He was exhausted, shoulder bleeding—but he knew if he took even a step back, it would all be over.
"You want my tomatoes? Come through me first, you green bastard!" he growled, charging forward.
—
At the frontline, Godon stood still, his small body trembling. Around him lay the broken bodies of his fallen comrades—two archers, two fighters. His yellow eyes locked onto Gho'lran, the monstrous goblin leader. Gho'lran stood tall like a man, wielding a massive cleaver stained with blood.
Behind Godon, Lee Jun had fallen, blood trickling from his temple. His breathing was ragged, his limbs weak. He wanted to stand, to fight—but his body refused to move.
"Godon… run… if you have to," Jun whispered hoarsely.
But Godon didn't retreat. His breaths grew sharper, his eyes welled with tears. Then, slowly, his body began to glow with a faint green light.
A system chime echoed in Jun's ears.
[Maximum Emotional Sync Detected.][Goblin Godon is reacting to the deaths of his kin.][Emergency Evolution Initiated…]
Light surged from Godon's body. His frame grew slightly larger, his muscles tightened, and his eyes sharpened. Natural armor made from fused bone and branches sprouted on his shoulders and back.
[Godon has evolved into: Goblin Warlord][Abilities Unlocked: Basic Command, Battle Cry, Aura Pressure]
Godon opened his mouth and let out a mighty roar—not like the squeals of a regular goblin, but a commanding war cry that echoed across the battlefield.
Every goblin still alive—those retreating, those hiding—froze. They turned. Their eyes glowed. Their courage reignited.
"Godon…" Jun stared, wide-eyed. "You…"
Then the system chimed again.
[Crisis Conditions Met.][New Feature Unlocked: Command Mode (Lv. 1)][Select up to 3 goblins to directly control.]
Without hesitation, Jun selected:
Godon (Warlord)
The remaining Goblin Archer
The fastest Goblin Thief
A tactical interface flashed before his eyes. Jun immediately issued orders with instinct and urgency.
"Godon, hold Gho'lran head-on. Archer, aim for his eyes. Thief, circle around and slash his tendons. Move!"
The trio burst into action.
Godon clashed with Gho'lran, parrying the brutal cleaver with newfound strength. The ground shook. The Archer fired a shot—not fatal, but enough to distract. The Thief darted from the wreckage, striking at Gho'lran's leg from behind.
The enemy leader roared in pain, staggering. Off-balance.
Then Godon leapt—grabbing an old goblin weapon from the ground—and drove it deep into Gho'lran's chest.
But Gho'lran didn't die. Bleeding, furious, he raised his cleaver one final time.
"Now, Jun!" Minho shouted from afar, his voice hoarse.
Jun, trembling and injured, forced himself to stand. With all his strength, he hurled his short spear.
The weapon spun through the air—then struck Gho'lran right in the throat.
The massive goblin jerked.
And then, slowly… he collapsed.
—
Silence.
One by one, the remaining wild goblins began to retreat. Some ran back into the fog. Most never made it.
The battle was won. But the cost was steep.
Five archers dead. Three fighters fallen. One of Minho's goblin thieves never returned.
The fields were wrecked. The storage barn scorched. Much of the harvest lost.
But Goblin's Grove still stood.
—
Beneath the pale twilight of the dungeon sky, Kang Minho sat atop a pile of stones, wrapping his wounded arm. Jun sat beside him, silent, eyes swollen from grief and exhaustion.
"You still planning to keep going with all this?" Minho asked, eyes toward the artificial sky.
Jun didn't respond right away. His gaze rested on Godon, who now stood tall atop Gho'lran's corpse, surveying the ruined land they fought to protect.
Finally, Jun spoke.
"I'm not stopping. This is their home now. And mine too."