The barracks stood finished.
A squat, timber-framed structure reinforced with rough stone and lashed beams, it loomed beside the black spire like a stubborn outpost clawed from wilderness. Smoke from freshly cut logs still clung to the air, and the marks of Shiri's claws etched the wood where he had hammered, dragged, and wedged each beam into place.
The naga straightened his back, crossing his arms with a satisfied hiss. "There. Not pretty, but it'll stand through storms and blood. Good enough for your purposes."
Kairo stepped forward, studying the lines of the building, the wide entry and the angled roof. He nodded. "Better than good enough. It's ours."
For a moment, he allowed himself to breathe. A real structure. A foundation. Step by step.
But there was no time to linger. The Command Nexus shimmered above the spire, responding to his intent.
[Unit Capacity Increased: 20]
[Summoning Slots Available: 12]
Kairo raised his hand. The ground beneath the spire pulsed with green light, shadows spilling outward. Eight more ghouls clawed their way into existence, their hollow forms shuddering as they took their first ragged breaths.
Soon, all twenty stood in line, armed with clubs and wooden shields. Their glowing eyes reflected the firelight, uniform, obedient.
Shiri let out a low whistle. "Twenty ghouls. Armed and armored… almost looks like a proper army."
Kairo walked down the line, gaze steady. He could see the difference already. The weapons gave them confidence; the upgrade made them sharper, faster. His chest swelled with something close to pride.
Still, he frowned. "An army that hasn't been tested isn't an army at all."
He opened the map function, the world shimmering into his vision.
[Local Terrain Scan]
– Cave (Tier 1 Monster Nest) Detected: 4 km east]
A blinking mark pulsed faintly. A small cave.
Kairo tapped it. "There's something close by. A cave. Tier one nest."
Shiri slithered closer, peering kairo was looming at the floating map he couldn't quite see. "A nest? Good choice. Better to bloody your troops with easy prey first than gamble against something bigger."
Kairo smirked. "Then let's test them."
They set out at dawn.
Kairo walked at the head, the Fire Manager Ghoul pacing beside him like a grim sentinel, the others marching in two rough columns behind. Their shields clattered softly with each step, their green eyes glowing faint in the misty morning air.
Shiri slithered at the rear, watching carefully. "Not bad. Formation's tight enough. Still green, but… I've seen mercenaries march worse."
Kairo hid a smile. Praise from Shiri came sparingly.
Hours later, the dark mouth of a cave loomed ahead. A foul stench spilled from it—rot, filth, the unmistakable stink of goblins.
From inside, guttural shrieks echoed. Shadows darted against the stone walls.
Kairo narrowed his eyes. "Too many voices."
They stepped closer, and the cave vomited out its defenders. Goblins—dozens of them. Crude blades, jagged spears, rotted leather armor. Ugly green bodies twisted with hunger and malice.
Shiri clicked his tongue. "At least fifty. More than I thought."
Kairo tightened his grip on his focus. "Numbers don't matter. Formation does."
He lifted his hand. "Shields forward! Hold the line!"
The ghouls obeyed instantly, snapping into place with an eerie coordination. A shield wall formed, clubs raised above their heads. The Fire Manager Ghoul barked a guttural command, taking point.
The goblins screeched and charged.
The first wave crashed against the shield wall with a clang of wood and iron. Goblin blades screeched against crude shields, snapping splinters loose. The ghouls held, feet planted, arms braced.
"Push!" Kairo barked.
The line surged forward in unison. Clubs hammered down, smashing skulls and breaking arms. The first five goblins fell, twitching in the dirt.
The goblins shrieked louder, pouring out of the cave in a tide. Their numbers pressed hard against the line, forcing the ghouls back step by step.
Shiri hissed. "If that line breaks—"
"It won't," Kairo cut him off, voice sharp. "Not while I'm here."
He raised his hand again. "Left flank, tighten! Right flank, pivot!"
The formation shifted, green-eyed soldiers moving like gears in a machine. The goblins slammed against a wall that bent but didn't break.
The Fire Manager Ghoul roared, flames licking faintly across his arms as he smashed through a goblin's shield, crushing its chest.
But numbers told their own story. More goblins poured out—clambering over corpses, stabbing, shrieking. The shield line wavered, cracks forming.
Kairo's jaw clenched. This isn't enough. They'll drown us in numbers.
He made his choice. "Formation release! Fight individually!"
The shield wall broke apart. Ghouls surged forward, swinging wildly, their upgraded bodies darting with vicious speed. Clubs cracked bone. Shields smashed into faces. The battle devolved into chaos.
For long minutes, it was nothing but shrieks, crunching wood, breaking bone.
Shiri joined in, tail lashing as he smashed a goblin aside with sheer brute force. "Hah! Now that's more like it!"
Kairo barked orders over the din. "Pair off! Don't let them swarm you! Shields up—strike together!"
The Fire Manager Ghoul fought like a demon, wading into the thickest mob, smashing two at once, dragging another down with fire-lit hands. He seemed tireless, feral, almost gleeful.
Slowly, steadily, the tide turned. Goblins fell in droves, their numbers thinning, their morale breaking. One tried to flee, only to be dragged down by a ghoul and beaten into silence.
When the last shriek faded, the cave mouth was littered with corpses. Fifty goblins lay broken, their stink mixing with blood and smoke.
The ghouls stood panting, green eyes flickering in the gloom. Twenty against fifty. They had won.
Kairo exhaled slowly, chest tight with pride. "Good work. All of you."
He stepped to the Fire Manager Ghoul, resting a hand on its shoulder. The ghoul froze, then let out a low rasp that sounded almost pleased.
"You led well," Kairo murmured. "You did good."
For a fleeting moment, he wondered. (Should I give it a name? Something more than just 'Fire Manager'?)
Kairo's hand lingered on the ghoul's bony shoulder as he mulled over possible names. ("Flint… Ash… Ember… maybe Blaze?") Each option flickered in his mind, short and sharp, fitting for a leader. He smirked faintly, shaking his head. " Ahh, forget it, I'll decide late."
But the thought lingered, still unanswered. Names were weighty things. Perhaps later.
Shiri slithered closer, nudging a corpse with his foot. "Messy, but effective. You've got yourself real soldiers now, Lord Kairo."
Kairo only nodded, gaze fixed on the cave. "Let's see what they were guarding."
Inside, the cave stretched back further than expected. Torchlight revealed crude nests of straw and bone, piles of filth… and something useful.
Iron ore veins gleamed faintly in the stone walls.
Nearby lay the rusted remnants of armor—broken plates, shattered helms, scraps of mail.
Shiri crouched, lifting a dented breastplate. His eyes glimmered. "Iron. Not much, but enough to smelt. This… this could be something."
Kairo nodded. "We'll mine it after the monster. First things first."
The ghouls crowded around, their glowing eyes fixated on the scraps of armor. Though they had no true emotions, their restless fidgeting, their eager clutches at the broken plates, told the story clearly enough.
Kairo smiled faintly. "Don't worry. You'll have your armor soon."
They left the cave at dusk, the horizon painted in blood-red light. Behind them lay fifty goblin corpses. Before them lay their path forward.
Kairo stood at the front of his twenty soldiers, Shiri looming beside him. The Fire Manager Ghoul lingered at his side like a shadow.
He breathed deep. One week. A single week since he had been thrown into this world, confused and alone.
Now he stood with soldiers at his back, an ally at his side, and a goal ahead.
"The burnt village," he said quietly. "The monster waits there. And so does the relic."
Shiri glanced at him, then smirked faintly. "Hmph. About time."
Kairo's hand tightened on the hilt of his thoughts. (This world… it's starting to feel like home. And soon, it will know my name.)