Lee Jun stood at the edge of the Goblin's Grove farmland, watching his goblins swiftly move through the misty forest. The morning air was damp, and the scent of wet soil mixed with a faint aroma of wild herbs growing beyond the crop fields.
"Godon, remind the others. No random digging. Look for dark soil or a faint rotten smell. That usually means a Veilroot is nearby," Jun instructed, holding out a sample of the root he kept in a leather pouch.
Godon nodded seriously, then signaled to two other goblins. They immediately spread out toward the eastern side of the grove—where one Veilroot had been discovered just the day before.
After learning from Minho that Veilroot was a vital ingredient in mid-tier healing potions, and couldn't be cultivated, Jun realized how valuable the plant truly was. He couldn't process it himself, but he could sell it. And from what Minho had said, each root could be worth millions of won—even more if sold to the right alchemist.
"If we can collect just ten a month, my life could really change," Jun muttered, half-joking, half-serious.
That day, they managed to find two more roots. One was discovered by a small goblin named Diga, who almost slipped into a foul-smelling pit while digging. Jun rushed over and, with his leather gloves on, carefully pulled out the Veilroot.
"Nice job, Diga. That's a Veilroot. If you find another one this week, I'll give you an extra serving of grilled lizard meat," Jun said with a proud smile.
The small goblin nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling, then darted back into the woods.
By nightfall, the goblins gathered around the campfire. Jun sat quietly, counting the number of Veilroots they had collected over the past week.
Total so far: 5 roots.
It wasn't enough for a large sale, but it was a good start. He planned to ask his parents to help sell them through trusted herb vendors or alchemy shops in the outer market.
Meanwhile, the thick fog that had once blanketed much of his personal dungeon had now completely lifted. The artificial sky of Goblin's Grove shone brighter than before. Jun could feel the land expanding slowly, along with his sense of responsibility.
That night, before sleeping, Jun looked out toward the forest.
"Tomorrow, we search farther. If anything tries to stop us—we fight. But those roots… they're going to change everything."