Before and after becoming the Goblin Lord.

Many parts of Go Byeonggap’s daily life had changed.

Getting up early in the morning, heading out for a subjugation, selling the harvest to the Association, and returning home—that was all the same.

But what came after was different.

In the past, he would have collapsed his weary body anywhere, staring at his phone to kill the time.

Now, though, he moved diligently for a second round of work.

“18.4 kilograms of mid-grade magic stones. I’ll price them at 2.76 million won. Shall I transfer it to your account?”

“…”

“Excuse me? Customer Go Byeonggap?”

“Oh, sorry. What did you say?”

“Two million seven hundred sixty thousand won has been assessed. I asked if a bank transfer would be fine.”

“Yes, yes. Please do that.”

“Understood.”

Go Byeonggap reacted a beat late. He’d been lost in thought, not catching her words.

Counselor Kim Seulgi didn’t seem to mind. She tapped at her keyboard, her voice purely professional.

“The deposit will be made to your designated account by the end of today.”

“Yes. Thank you. Take care.”

“Goodbye. Next customer, number 104!”

Go Byeonggap gathered his things and left his seat.

As he stepped out of the Association, he picked up his unfinished thought.

‘What do I do today?’

It wasn’t anything monumental. He was just thinking about what he’d do in Asvillam today.

With nowhere else to go, he headed straight home.

“Huh?”

He was passing an elementary school when he spotted something and pulled over to the curb. He got out and walked right over.

“Mom! I want this! Buy it for meee!”

“This kid, honestly! Mom said no!”

A woman had her son by the wrist, dragging him along.

The mother and son brushed past Byeonggap.

“I want a chick! I wanna raise a chick!”

“Those ones are sickly, they’ll die soon anyway! And you don’t even walk Ppoppi, what chicks are you talking about!”

“Ahh! I’ll walk Ppoppi good, so buy me a chick!”

“Shut it! If you whine one more time, I’ll leave you behind!”

‘That lady’s got a temper.’

Byeonggap smirked, watching them.

He turned his head to look at the peddler’s stall.

‘Didn’t think people still sold chicks in batches anymore. Haven’t seen this since I was in elementary.’

A cardboard box was filled with dozens of chicks, peeping.

Looking at them brought back memories. He’d raised quite a few chicks back in the day. Though all of them had crossed the rainbow bridge by now.

A couple of elementary school kids were squatting in front of the stall, staring at the chicks.

“Heh heh. You little runts. If you’re not buying, scram. Heh heh heh.”

“Mister, are these really chicks?”

“What, do your eyes see pheasants? Heh heh heh. Go ask your mom to buy you some glasses. Heh heh heh heh.”

“Mistuh, mistuh! Are they really sick? Will they all die soon?”

“Heh heh heh. You’ve made up your mind to jinx my business, haven’t you. Knew it, I should’ve brought salt. Heh heh heh heh.”

A friendly atmosphere, fitting for the front of an elementary school.

“How much for one?”

Byeonggap asked abruptly. The peddler finally noticed him and looked up.

“Five hundred won each.”

“How many in total?”

“Fifty.”

Byeonggap opened his wallet. It had exactly twenty-five thousand won.

The moment Go Byeonggap pulled out his wallet, the peddler’s eyes shifted.

“Oh-ho, you’re buying?”

“Give me that whole box.”

Byeonggap handed over the money. The peddler, beaming ear to ear, passed him the crate of chicks.

“Wow! Mister, are you opening a chicken place?”

“Mister, why’d you buy so many chicks?”

Kids sure were friendly, he thought.

Then a little girl asked with an innocent face,

“Mister, mister. What’re you gonna do with those chicks?”

“Hey, are you stupid? Obviously, you raise them—”

“Yeah. Gonna eat them all.”

“Gasp!?”

Byeonggap left the kids behind and walked back to his car. He loaded the crate into the back seat and drove off, stopping by a mart on the way home to buy chicken feed.

The moment he got home, Byeonggap crossed over into Asvillam.

Just then, some goblins passing by approached him.

«Ah! My Lord. You’ve come?»

«Hey, Gobungi. Seems like you’re always around whenever I show up.»

«Hehe.»

Gobungi scratched the back of his neck, a little sheepish.

«I don’t see the kids around? Guess they’re all in the cave?»

«Yes! They’re mining. Crystals.»

«Are the raid team guys working too?»

«Yes. Last I saw. I think. They were.»

«These guys, I told them to rest…… Anyway, what were you lot doing?»

«Carrying firewood. We ran out. At the camp.»

«Kyah. That’s my foreman for you. Handles things on his own.»

«My Lord. What’s that?»

A normal goblin asked, arms full of firewood.

Byeonggap shrugged and set the box down. The goblins’ eyes went wide at the sea of yellow inside.

Grinning, Byeonggap threw an arm around Gobungi’s shoulder.

«Gobungi.»

«Ah! Yes!»

«I’ve got a special mission for you.»

«A sp—special mission?»

Gobungi swallowed hard.

«Wh-what is it?»

«See these chicks?»

«Yes. I see them.»

«Poor little things. They’re sickly. In a few days, they might start dropping dead.»

«Ah…… I-is that so?»

«Yeah. So you keep them alive.»

«……Huh?»

Gobungi blinked.

Byeonggap said it like there was nothing odd about it.

«Keep them alive. Show these pitiful chicks that tomorrow brings its own sun.»

«Wh-what does that…… mean.»

«There’s fifty of them. Use whatever means it takes to keep them alive and turn them into chickens. You can do it. Here’s chicken feed—feed them.»

Gobungi dumbly took the feed, too.

He still looked completely lost.

«If those chicks die, it’ll really break my heart. You get what I’m saying, right?»

«…….»

«Then I’m counting on you. You two Tiny ones, follow me. Let’s go make a chicken coop.»

«Ah, got it!»

Go Byeonggap led the two normal goblins away and vanished at a leisurely pace.

Gobungi stood rooted, watching Byeonggap’s retreating back. The bright-yellow chicks, whether they knew Gobungi’s heart or not, just kept chirping without pause.

Time passed.

By the time Go Byeonggap had roughly finished something like a chicken coop, the sun had set.

He wiped his brow as he looked at the finished product. A satisfied smile spread across the corners of his mouth.

«Kiya. What do you think? Even you have to admit I made it well, right?»

«Yeah! It’s cool!»

«But this. Lord. Is it a house?»

«Hey now. Chicken coop. Chicken coop. I must’ve said it like five hundred times.»

«Oh. Right. Now. I remember.»

«Aigoo. Let’s clean up and go eat.»

«Yeah!»

Go Byeonggap led the two back to their campsite.

The goblins who’d finished their work were preparing a meal. The main course was the giant lug they’d caught the other day.

The sight of the giant lug roasting over the fire made Go Byeonggap swallow without meaning to.

‘Damn. That actually smells legit.’

They said frog meat tasted like chicken. For a second, he considered trying a bite, then shook the thought off.

Maybe if he didn’t know what it was. But knowing full well it was monster meat—how could he bring himself to eat it?

«My Lord. When did you arrive?»

Kiriyan, who’d been kindling the campfire with his lightning ability, spotted Go Byeonggap and greeted him.

«Oh, Kiriyan. I’ve been here a while. Guess you didn’t see me in the cave?»

«It seems so.»

«Hey, I told you guys to rest after a hunt. You’ll wear yourselves out.»

«No trouble at all. For the rebuilding of Asvillam, even sweating through labor is a joy.»

«Ah, right. But don’t overdo it. If any one of you goes missing, it’ll be a big blow.»

«Yes. I’ll work without overdoing it.»

Before long, the goblins had huddled together in small clusters and started eating their meal, their voices a low murmur.

Go Byeonggap went home for a bit to eat. When he returned to Asvillam, the goblins’ meal was winding down.

He swept his gaze over them once, then raised his voice.

«All right, listen up for a second.»

His word was law. The noisy encampment fell dead silent in an instant.

A satisfied look on his face, Go Byeonggap spoke.

«Tidy up your spots and gather back here—every last one of you. Got it?»

«Yes. Understood.»

The goblins never asked why. Go Byeonggap settled onto a suitably protruding rock outcropping and got to work.

‘Ancient Shop.’

[Ancient Shop]

-Construction

-Technology

-General Goods

-Other

[Crystals Held: 441,746]

Go Byeonggap worked the shop interface with practiced ease. Before long, he found what he was looking for.

[Elixir of Growth]

-Price: 500 Crystals

-Description: An elixir that permanently enhances all physical abilities.

[Ancient Body Tempering Manual — Low-Grade]

-Price: 320 Crystals

-Description: A manual covering the ‘Body Tempering — Low-Grade’ technique of antiquity. Contains the body-tempering methods of the ancient knight order.

Byeonggap sat himself down and started buying — not one or two, but three hundred twenty-four bottles of the elixir of Growth and three hundred sixteen copies of the manual.

[Crystals Held: 178,626]

Two hundred sixty-three thousand one hundred twenty crystals drained in a single purchase. The biggest expenditure since the founding of New Asvillam.

Watching currency slip away — whether crystals or cash — always left a bitter taste. Still, this was meaningful spending.

‘This is the foundation for upgrading everyone to elite status.’

Byeonggap planned to feed every single goblin in Asvillam the elixir and have them learn the manual.

There were two reasons. First: work efficiency.

‘Stronger bodies and more stamina naturally mean better output.’

It’s plain nature — the strong do better work.

Sure, the goblins were already doing a good job. No laziness, no dragging their feet.

So what happens when you feed elixirs to diligent workers and hand them training manuals?

The boost wouldn’t be double — it’d be geometric.

The second reason: preparing for the future.

‘I need to start getting ready to push beyond the Mist.’

Who knows what dangers lurk beyond that haze? I can’t drag goblins out there without any preparation at all.

At the very least, they need to be strong enough to defend themselves.

‘This is already late. I should’ve done it ages ago.’

Goblin elite training had been on his mind for a while. He’d just kept putting it off until now.

But he’d made up his mind — might as well go all in.

«My Lord. Everyone is gathered.»

«Yeah? Gobungi. Pick out about ten goblins to help you hand these out.»

«Ten. Is that so? Understood.»

Gobungi returned promptly, leading ten goblins behind him.

Byeonggap explained what they needed to do.

«One elixir and one manual per goblin. Distribute them.»

«Yes, sir. Understood!»

They moved like clockwork. Within ten minutes, every single goblin had received their elixir and manual.

Byeonggap walked to the front of the assembled goblins.

«Alright — everyone here, no one missing?»

«Yes! That is correct!»

The goblins answered in unison, their voices making Asvillam ring.

A pleasant vibration ran through Byeonggap.

«Good. Today, you are all being reborn. Everyone, pick up the glass bottle in front of you.»

Snap, snap, snap.

The goblins picked up their bottles with crisp, synchronized movements.

On impulse, Byeonggap bought a bottle for himself and held it in his hand.

He raised the elixir of Growth and shouted.

«Drink up! For the rebuilding of Asvillam!»

«For Asvillam!»

Go Byeonggap was the first to down the elixir. The goblins followed suit, tipping the potions into their mouths.

It was the moment Asvillam ascended a tier.

* * *

-Kkokkudae! Kkokkudaeeeak!

«Man, you really see all sorts of things if you live long enough, huh? No, wait—I asked for chickens, so why the hell did you make ostriches?»

«……»

Go Byeonggap finished his rift subjugation early and visited Asvillam. Then he let out a hollow laugh, staring at the scene before him.

Fifty chickens running across the fields of Asvillam.

If they had been ordinary chickens, he wouldn’t have been this startled.

‘Are those chickens or geese?’

The chickens had an unusual stature. With a little exaggeration, they were almost the size of turkeys.

Gobungi, standing beside Byeonggap, had his head deeply bowed.

«So, let me get this straight—you secretly hid the elixir I gave you yesterday, fed it to the chicks, and that’s how they ended up like this?»

«I—I’m sorry. I was just… afraid the chick would die.»

Guilt painted itself across Gobungi’s face.

Go Byeonggap found it so absurd he couldn’t even bring himself to be angry.

«Ah, enough, enough. Thanks to you, I’ve learned something good. But now that the chickens have all grown at once, the coop I worked my tail off on yesterday is completely useless.»

«I—I’ll make another one!»

«No. I’ll just let them free-range and raise them that way. There shouldn’t any wildcats or weasels around here. Then again—at their size, would they peck a viper to death and eat it?»

Go Byeonggap let out a whistle, taking in the massive chickens.

He glanced sideways. Gobungi was still sulking, looking as if he’d committed some grave sin.

Go Byeonggap gave Gobungi’s shoulder a light pat.

«Yanma. You didn’t do anything wrong. Why the long face?»

«You—you’re forgiving me?»

«From the start I never did anything wrong, so what’s there to forgive or not forgive?»

Go Byeonggap went on without pause.

«Whoa! I knew I picked the right work leader. You raised fifty chicks without losing a single one—and in a single day! Well done, Gobungi. You really are the best!»

Well done. Those two words lit up Gobungi’s face. The hob broke into a wide grin and answered with cheer.

«Thank you! I’ll work even harder from now on!»

«Good.»