«…»

An upheaval struck the peaceful (?) hidden world.

The goblins, who had been poised to strike down the intruder, fell dumb as if their mouths were stuffed with honey. They turned to each other, question marks floating in their eyes.

One hob goblin asked with his eyes: Yo, what the hell is this?

The hob goblin who’d been asked answered with the same look: I don’t know, I’m scared…

«Oh ho, look at these guys? Can’t get a read on the situation?»

Go Byeonggap spoke as if he found it absurd, then strode forward with long steps. He stopped in front of a normal goblin. The normal goblin was frozen solid, unable to act.

«What? Gonna stab me with that?»

He side-eyed the crude dagger in the normal goblin’s grip and asked.

«No, no…»

«Hand it over.»

«Uuuh…»

«I said give it.»

Go Byeonggap growled low. The normal goblin trembled violently and held out the dagger by the hilt.

Go Byeonggap took the dagger, examined it from all angles, then tossed it behind him with a flick. Trash like that wasn’t even worth the trouble of picking up — it wouldn’t fetch a cent.

«Why are you shoving something that deadly in my face? You lot are better suited to pickaxes than knives.»

«W-what…?»

«Don’t worry about it. You’ll understand soon enough. Let’s see… Hey, you there.»

Go Byeonggap swept his gaze across the surroundings and barked out. The hob goblin he’d singled out flinched, its whole body trembling.

«M-me?»

«Yeah. Let me ask you something. Is it just goblins here?»

«Uh… uh…»

«Stop stammering. Spit it out.»

«Goblins… and… other things… are here.»

«Other things?»

«There… is a scary horse.»

The hob goblin stared into the depths of the abandoned factory, its voice faltering.

«A scary horse?»

«We… can’t go there. The scary horse… gets angry.»

‘Damn. So it’s not just goblins in here. A horse-shaped monster, huh…’

A few monsters flickered through Byeonggap’s mind. All of them were a pain in the ass to deal with. Beast-type monsters usually were.

He rubbed his chin for a moment, then slung an arm over the shoulder of a normal goblin standing nearby, a sly grin spreading across his face.

«Don’t you all want to go back to Asvillam?»

«A-Asvillam!?»

A spark lit up in the goblins’ eyes, heavy with longing and a desperate ache.

«If you want to go back to Asvillam, swear your loyalty to me!»

«…»

The goblins exchanged glances again. Byeonggap could feel the hesitation weighing on them.

«What? Why? What’s the problem now?»

«Th-there…»

«Spill it.»

«Are you… really… our Lord? Our… Lord…»

«That’s right! I’m your Lord! Can’t you see that? What, is it because I’m not a goblin? Are you disgusted?»

«N-no, it’s not that…»

«Then what’s the problem?»

The hob goblin’s gaze drifted back toward the factory. Of course. They were terrified of that ‘scary horse.’

Byeonggap caught on and declared like a proclamation.

«Are you scared that whatever’s in there will mess with you? Don’t worry. I don’t let anyone bully my precious slaves… I mean, my precious folk. Swear loyalty to me, and I’ll take you to Asvillam where your backs will be warm and your bellies full. How about it? Will you obey me?»

«Asvillam!»

«Asvillam!»

The goblins cried out Asvillam’s name, their faces flushed with emotion. Just then, a hologram materialized before Byeonggap.

[Normal Goblin (31), Hob Goblin (25) have been annexed to Asvillam.]

A total of fifty-six new goblins joined his ranks. Combined with the ones he already had, that made ninety.

A pleased smile spread across his face. The idea of another mouth at the dinner table wasn’t all that welcome, but more workers were always a boon.

«My Lord!»

«My Lord!»

The goblins bowed their heads low, pressing their foreheads to the ground.

Just then, Go Byeonggap felt his hackles rise. He whipped his head around, his eyes burning as they fixed on the area ahead.

«Enough with the greetings—get up, now!»

He barked the order and immediately settled into a combat stance. He was hardly the type to excel at sensing presences, but even he could spot the pack of monsters closing in on them.

‘Did we make too much noise?’

Byeonggap shot a glance at the abandoned factory, then pressed his eye to the scope.

A herd of monstrous horses—their maws split four ways into jagged flaps, tusks jutting out like a boar’s—was charging toward them.

‘Damn it. Gabris?’

The monsters were called Gabris—E-rank, beast-type creatures.

The weakness of beast-type monsters was that they weren’t as cunning as humanoid types and generally had lower intelligence. Their combat style was brutally straightforward.

But they possessed a strength that more than compensated for that weakness: their bodies were incredibly tough.

That trait became more pronounced the higher their grade and size. Even a Gabri was a large monster, bordering on medium-heavy. Big enough to make a racehorse look scrawny.

Seeing over thirty of those things charging at you was enough to make anyone swallow their fear.

‘Shit. The terrain’s terrible…’

The basic strategy for dealing with beast-types was to use the terrain. If you could shoot them from a position they couldn’t easily reach, you could clean them up without ever having to engage in close quarters.

…Of course, that kind of strategy only worked in the lower tiers.

No matter how you looked at it, the ground here was too open to hide. If only they could slip inside the factory, things would be a lot easier.

Byeonggap sorted his thoughts quickly.

«Everyone, listen to me! Focus!»

«Focus!»

The goblins echoed him in unison.

«When I give the signal, throw every weapon you have at those bastards. If you’ve got a bow, shoot an arrow. If you’ve got a spear, throw it. Understand?»

«Yes!»

«Then, when I say scatter, you disperse like your lives depend on it. Got it?!»

«Yes, sir!»

His heart pounded in rhythm with the thunder of hooves. Byeonggap steadied his breath, his eye fixed on the scope.

‘I’ve enlisted 56 goblins. A D-rank rift usually holds 120 to 130 monsters. Even on the pessimistic side, I only need to take out 80 more.’

He swallowed hard.

Byeonggap held his breath, waiting for the herd of Gabris to cross the deadline he’d set in his mind.

And then, finally—

“Heeeee!”

The lead Gabri crossed the deadline. Go Byeonggap suddenly opened fire and shouted.

«You lot, wait!»

-Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!

The muzzle blazed furiously. Every bullet slammed into the Gabri’s body without exception.

“Kweeaaagh!”

The ones charging at the front crumpled first. Those behind tripped over them and rolled across the ground.

‘I’ve noticed it before, but my shooting’s gotten better too.’

After taking the elixir of Growth, his physical abilities had skyrocketed. That wasn’t limited to strength and endurance. All his senses—for instance, the focus and judgment used in shooting—had improved.

Go Byeonggap emptied one magazine and quickly reloaded. His hands moved so fast it was no exaggeration to say they were nearly invisible.

—Clack! He slapped the bolt forward, finished reloading, and started his second volley. The goblins flinched, intimidated by the sharp, echoing gunfire.

By the time he’d emptied two full magazines, the Gabri were uncomfortably close. Go Byeonggap slammed in a third magazine and barked out.

«Fire! Fire everything!»

«Fire!»

«Kreerrrk!»

The goblins hurled arrows, spears, and everything else in their hands toward the enemy.

Their accuracy was, of course, terrible. Most projectiles glanced off, and some didn’t even reach the Gabri. Still, they became obstacles in their own right, slowing the Gabri’s advance.

«Scatter!»

«Scatter! Scatter!»

Having finished reloading, Go Byeonggap shouted this and began emptying his third magazine. Only ten Gabri remained at most.

Calmly, Go Byeonggap whittled down their numbers. Even when the Gabri closed to within thirty meters, his stance didn’t waver.

—Click.

The magazine was empty.

Go Byeonggap tossed the gun and drew his longsword.

‘Five. Can I do it?’

Drenched in blood but still fierce, five of them hadn’t lost their will. They charged like dump trucks with broken brakes.

The four-way split of their jaws wasn’t the problem—just colliding with those bodies would break a few bones.

Go Byeonggap sharpened every sense in his body. The next moment, the world slowed as if time itself had stretched.

‘The one on the left first!’

He steeled himself and pushed off the ground. Sweeping his sword wide, he hurled his body to the left.

—Swoosh!

“Kieeeeek!”

The front leg of the Gabri charging from the left was completely severed. It lost its balance and toppled backward. Go Byeonggap dodged the charge and quickly steadied himself.

The remaining four kicked up clouds of dust as they immediately pivoted. Without pause, Go Byeonggap thrust his sword forward.

The blade punched through another neck. Then dropped clean off. Gabri’s throat and chest split open, guts spilling out in a gush.

“Keeeek!”

‘Three more to go!’

He swung his arm without pause. One sweep carved off a hunk of flesh. The Gabri thrashed—slamming down with their bodies, kicking—but none of it landed on Go Byeonggap. He was simply too fast.

Two fell in a row, shrieking, their cries crawling with dread.

“Hiiiiiing!”

The last Gabri lunged, jaws gaping wide. It was too late to dodge.

“Tch!”

Go Byeonggap threw up his arm in a hurry, shielding his head. The Gabri clamped down, and a jolt of pain shot through his forearm.

But it didn’t sever. No bones broke. The beast’s tusks only gouged into the skin.

“You son of a—!”

With a furious slash, Go Byeonggap hacked into the last Gabri’s torso. It crumpled, gasping as though torn apart.

Soaked in monster blood, Go Byeonggap savored the quiet victory.

* * *

«Go collect the magic stones. Careful—some might still be clinging to life.»

«Yes, Lord!»

Go Byeonggap sent his goblins to gather the Gabri’s magic stones. While they worked, he examined the wound on his arm.

The skin was torn. But it was nothing serious. He applied a low-grade potion to heal the injury.

‘Gabri aren’t known for their bite strength, but even so, the wound is this shallow.’

An awakener’s body is tougher than an ordinary person’s. But that doesn’t mean steel skin or iron bones.

That final attack from the Gabri would’ve shattered bone at the very least, under normal circumstances.

‘Has my body’s toughness gone up too? Not bad.’

It wasn’t on par with the ‘Body Reinforcement’ or ‘Barrier’ of higher awakeners, but he’d gained a physique far sturdier than any lesser awakener could match.

Go Byeonggap looked down at his tingling arm, feeling pleased.

‘About fifty monsters left.’

After finishing the treatment, he began to re-equip.

He collected the spent magazines, swapped in fresh ones, checked the condition of his gun and sword. The blade was badly chipped.

All things considered, a cheap supply sword holding up pretty well.

Soon, the goblins had gathered all the magic stones. Go Byeonggap stowed the heavy pouch and opened the gate to Asvillam.

«All right. Cross this, and you’re in the Asvillam you’ve been waiting for. Everyone through.»

«But… what about You, Lord?»

«Don’t worry about me. Just go. You’ll only get in the way if you stay.»

«Ah… understood.»

The goblins followed Go Byeonggap’s orders and crossed into Asvillam.

After sending off the last one, Byeonggap spoke a single name under his breath.

«Kiriyan, come out!»

At his bark, an albino goblin emerged from the shadows. Its build was that of a hob goblin, its skin as white as bone, and it carried a spear shaped like a lightning rod.

An albino goblin who commanded lightning. C-rank, and among the lower echelons, it was known as a powerhouse.

«You called, My Lord?»

«Yeah. Let’s clean up the rest of the monsters with me. I need you to work hard.»

«As you command!»

Byeonggap shouldered his backpack and walked calmly toward the abandoned factory.