The forest was no longer silent.
With the mist finally gone, the dense trees of the Grove stood tall and clear. The air felt fresher, and the distant sound of running water could now be heard—a river, recently discovered by Jun and his goblins.
But peace didn't mean safety.
"Needle Lizards. That's what Minho called them," Jun muttered as he knelt beside the footprints in the soft earth. "Fast, sharp, and dangerous in packs."
Godon stood behind him, fully geared. The once crude wooden spear had long been discarded. In its place was a fearsome, jagged black halberd—the weapon once wielded by Gho'lran, the goblin elite leader. Its dark metal blade shimmered slightly with mana residue, and its design was brutal: hooked edges for catching weapons, and a spike that could pierce armor.
It was not a weapon made for defense—it was a weapon made for killing.
Godon gripped it with both hands, his eyes sharp.
Jun, Kang Minho, and a team of five goblin fighters moved through the brush, scanning the ground. They weren't just patrolling—they were hunting.
Needle Lizards had begun appearing near the edge of the Grove. They were small, about a meter long, with spiny backs and the ability to shoot poisonous needles. One goblin farmer had already been injured the day before. That alone was enough for Jun to act.
"Spread out, but stay in sight. If one attacks, others will follow," Minho warned, his axe resting on his shoulder.
It didn't take long.
A rustle in the bushes. A sharp hiss. Then—
"Above!"
A Needle Lizard launched from the treetops, its needle-laden tail aimed straight at Jun. Godon reacted instantly. With a swift motion, his halberd sliced upward, cutting the creature mid-air. The corpse landed with a thud.
Three more Needle Lizards emerged from the shadows. One fired a spray of quill-like needles. Minho rolled behind a tree, shouting, "Careful, they're aiming for the legs!"
The goblin fighters moved as they had been trained. Shields raised, spears ready, they encircled one lizard. The creature hissed and darted, but the goblins were faster than before. One goblin distracted it, while another lunged forward, stabbing deep.
"Good!" Jun called. "We need them alive if possible!"
He pointed at a goblin archer hidden behind foliage. "Aim for legs!"
Two more lizards tried to retreat, but were intercepted by Godon and Minho. Godon's halberd struck with deadly precision, slicing through scales like paper. The other was knocked unconscious by Minho's blunt strike.
Ten minutes later, the hunt was over. Four Needle Lizards lay dead. Two were tied up—alive but immobilized.
Jun wiped sweat from his brow. "That's enough for today. These will provide poison and fertilizer. Their meat too, maybe."
Minho exhaled. "It's good training. And useful materials."
Jun nodded, but his gaze was distant.
The forest was changing. The threats were growing. And with the mist gone, he now saw how vast this place truly was.
There was still so much to uncover.