Night fell quickly on Goblin's Grove. The air, usually filled with the earthy scent of herbs and soil, now felt empty—as if something had drained the life out of it.
Lee Jun stood on a small ridge, watching the dense forest that encircled his fields. Below, his goblins kept a tense watch, following the command he had given earlier that evening:
"No one goes alone. Not tonight."
🔹 Godon Reports In
Godon approached, still smeared with mud from his patrol. His weapon—a war axe taken from an elite goblin—dripped with thick, blackish water.
"Master… we found tracks. But they're strange."
Jun turned sharply. "Whose tracks?"
"That creature... we saw traces of it. But no scent. No sound."
Jun descended the ridge, following Godon to the spot.
🔹 A Trace Without Presence
Beneath a giant tree root, the earth showed a deep footprint—curved like a claw, pressed hard into the ground. But what made Jun shiver wasn't the shape…
There was no mana residue. Normally, monsters leave traces of magic behind. But this… was a void.
"This is no ordinary track," Jun muttered, crouching to feel the ground."It's… something that absorbs mana around it."
Beside him, the Goblin Shaman muttered a chant—low and fearful.
"...like a ghost... but it hunts the living…"
Jun slowly stood, eyes narrowing at the shadowed forest.
🔹 Preparing the Defenses
That night, Jun ordered full defense protocol:
Goblin Fighters were stationed on the western side, reinforcing wooden spear traps.
Goblin Thieves took to the trees, keeping lookout.
Goblin Shamans weaved mana-sensing webs around the perimeter. If anything touched them, every goblin would know.
Jun, meanwhile, set a bait—a single Veilroot, glowing faintly with life energy, placed in the center of the open field.
"If it's after life force… this will call it."
🔹 A Silent Night... Then—
An hour passed. Then two. The air grew still. Even the insects were silent.
Jun remained awake, crouched atop a rock surrounded by protective sigils.
Then—
Ting…
A faint chime echoed from the north. One of the mana webs had triggered—then vanished.
"It knows we're watching."
Jun drew his blade. Godon stood beside him. In the distance, through the fog and moonlight, they saw it:
A blurry silhouette, tall and slender. Eyes glowing dimly—not red, but an eerie cyan.
The creature looked at Jun—then turned and walked calmly back into the forest.
"That was a warning," Jun whispered."It's not ready to strike… not yet."
🔹 Chapter End:
The night ended without an attack. But Jun knew...
The creature was intelligent.It was watching.Studying.Waiting.
And when it returned—it would be ready.