«We’re finally crossing the Mist?»

Dorma’s voice trembled. Byeonggap slowly nodded.

«Yes. I’ve been putting it off, but it feels like the time for results has come. It’s not that staying here in peace forever would be bad, but what’s our final goal?»

He asked the question without addressing anyone in particular. The goblins’ mouths fell open.

«Ah—Asvillam’s…»

«Right! The reconstruction of Asvillam. Even I know Asvillam wasn’t stuck in some mountain valley like this. Isn’t that so, Dorma?»

«Correct, My Lord! I’ve heard Asvillam was the mightiest kingdom that embraced the whole world and commanded the entire continent!»

Dorma echoed him with an excited voice, his eyes surging with fierce longing.

Go Byeonggap felt the emotion swell in him as well.

«That’s right. So we’re going out! We’ll go out and build a real kingdom, not this kind of child’s play! No matter what bizarre things lie beyond the mist, there’s no need to be afraid. Who would dare stand in our way? Isn’t that right?»

«That’s right!»

«If My Lord is with us, nothing is frightening!»

«Let’s go! Let’s go!»

«Woooaaah!»

The dining hall suddenly erupted into noise—so loud that Ea startled and dropped her spoon.

Go Byeonggap waved his hands to calm the goblins down.

«Alright, alright, settle down. Like I said, I’m not talking about leaving right this instant. We’ll have a preparation period of exactly one month from now.»

«What kind of preparations do you mean, My Lord?»

«Hm. That’s a good question, Kiriyan.»

He swept his gaze across the interior of the dining hall.

«The goal is to turn this place into an impregnable fortress. We need to set up a complete self-sustaining system and infrastructure. Our numbers need to triple from what they are now.»

He paused. The next words were hard to bring out.

«And… I’ll have to choose the ones who stay here instead of coming with me.»

«Huh!?»

«I can’t take everyone. Someone has to remain and manage this place.»

The goblins fell into a solemn silence. Each one seemed worried that they might be the one left behind.

«For now, just know that much. And Gobungi.»

«Yes, yessir!»

«Meet me after you finish eating.»

Gobungi’s eyes trembled visibly. The hob’s lips moved soundlessly before he answered in a deflated voice.

«Yes…»

The somewhat chaotic breakfast came to an end.

Go Byeonggap went to his quarters. He spread a large sheet of drawing paper across the wide desk and began sketching and jotting down notes.

As he worked, Gobungi trudged in with heavy footsteps.

«My Lord. I have arrived.»

«Oh, you’re here. Come over and sit.»

«Yessir.»

Go Byeonggap and Gobungi sat facing each other. Unlike usual, Gobungi’s expression was dark. He seemed to have guessed what business the Lord had called him for.

«Do you know why I called you here?»

«A little. I think. I do.»

«Say it.»

«You want me. To stay. Here. Don’t you?»

«That’s right.»

Gobungi’s head sank low. Go Byeonggap clicked his tongue.

«You don’t want to?»

«It’s, it’s not that. It’s just… parting with the Lord. Makes me sad.»

«Gobungi.»

«Yes!»

«You’re my favorite among all the goblins. The one I trust most, too.»

He pointed at the sheet of drawing paper on the table. Something was written in alphabet on the top edge of the pure white paper.

It was the word ‘Somnium’.

«Do you know what that means?»

«No, I don’t.»

«Somnium. It means ‘dream.’»

«A… dream, you say?»

«Yeah. I’m going to name this place Somnium. Because this is where our dream begins. …Is it too cheesy?»

«No, not at all! It’s cool!»

Gobungi quickly waved his hands. It made Go Byeonggap chuckle.

«Heh heh. Anyway, if it’s such a precious place, I can’t just leave it to anyone, right?»

That’s right.

«That’s why I’m entrusting it to you.»

«Ah…»

Gobungi let out a small sound of admiration.

Go Byeonggap cleared his throat a few times. Then, with a deliberately grave tone, he began to speak.

«Ahem. As of today, I hereby appoint you, Gobungi, as the lord of Somnium.»

«Lo… Lord, you say?»

«Yeah. In Somnium, you are the Lord. So rule it with responsibility.»

«B-but, I’m not confident…»

«Hey hey, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Being a lord isn’t anything grandiose. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Teach the kids well, work hard on the tasks.»

Gobungi swallowed his words several times. His mind seemed complicated in many ways.

But only for a moment. Soon, a spark of enthusiasm bloomed on his face. He nodded vigorously.

«Yes! I’ll do my best!»

«Good, good. I’ll formally announce it to the kids later, so keep quiet until then.»

«Understood.»

«And listen. Even after I cross the fog, I’ll visit Somnium regularly. I’m also planning to set up a communication network so we can always stay in touch. So don’t think you’ll never see me again.»

«R-really?»

«You punk. Do you think I’d lie to you?»

«No!»

«Right. Anyway, there’s a lot I need to teach you before I leave, so stay sharp.»

Yes!

Gobungi’s expression brightened considerably. Seeing that, Go Byeonggap felt relieved.

* * *

A day had already passed in the year 2026.

The place Go Byeonggap visited as soon as he opened his eyes was a used car dealership. Needless to say, he wasn’t there to eat.

“This is a ‘21 model — only ninety thousand kilometers on it, basically brand new. You won’t find a deal like this anywhere else at this price.”

The dealer’s tongue danced with practiced flair.

Go Byeonggap swept his eyes over the blue one-ton truck. Solid build. Looked like it would run well enough.

“Yeah. I’ll take it.”

“Ah, an excellent choice, sir!”

That day, Go Byeonggap bought two one-ton trucks. Together, they cost less than half of a brand-new SUV.

He drove the purchased truck to his go-to scrapyard. There, he bought ten 200-liter drums — all of them spotlessly cleaned.

No time to rest. He loaded the drums to the brim and sought out the cheapest gas station in the neighborhood. Watching him fill all ten drums on the spot was quite the spectacle.

‘Ten drums ought to last at least half a year, right?’

He sent the trucks and the diesel drums straight into Asvillam. The goblins who saw it stared wide-eyed.

«L-Lord. This. What is it?»

«What you’ll be riding from now on.»

«Huh?»

During the day, he picked out a few clever goblins and started teaching them to drive. Since cars were inherently dangerous, Byeonggap had to stay on edge himself.

«Hee, heeek!»

«Damn it! Brake! Hit the brake!»

«Br-brake? Huhk!»

«That’s the accelerator!»

Well, as expected, the goblins’ driving sense was atrocious. They couldn’t even tell the gas pedal from the brake.

By the time he was teaching the third goblin, his blood pressure had hit its limit. By the fifth, he realized he was a personality wreck.

«Yaaaah!!! Stop the car!»

«Y-yes, sir!»

«Do you have a grudge against me? Got a complaint? If you do, say it with words, you bastard — don’t protest through driving!»

«N-no, sir! How could I ever… dare…»

«Then what the hell is your problem? Press to go, let off to stop — what’s so damn hard about that!»

«H-kk! So-sorry, sir!»

«Get out!»

«Huuk!»

«L-Lord. So. Scary…»

Even trusted Gobungi, when he got behind the wheel, made Byeonggap seriously consider quitting.

When Go Byeonggap erupted in fury, the goblins could barely breathe. The soft-hearted ones even ended up in tears.

And then, in the midst of all that—

«Hmm? Is that all there is to it? This is so easy, isn’t it?»

Talent came from the most unexpected place.

Ea, who’d come out to watch, drove the car with ridiculous ease.

She took a leisurely lap around Asvillam, then parked.

«I absolutely love this driving thing! I could do it all day long.»

«Thank you… truly, thank you.»

«Oh my? Are you crying right now?»

In the passenger seat, Go Byeonggap was shedding tears. Tears of pure relief.

The driving lessons, which had left nothing but bruises on both Byeonggap and the goblins, came to an end. They refueled in a frosty silence and called it a day.

The training continued the next day and the one after that.

The goblins’ driving was hopeless, but abandoning the car wasn’t an option.

‘We absolutely need the car.’

A car’s uses were endless.

Efficient work, hauling large loads, quick travel—in this barren place, it was practically a master key.

Mercifully, goblins knew how to learn. Progress was slow, but they improved day by day.

«Oh, that’s it! See, it works when you listen to me.»

«Hehe… You’re right!»

«Now, Gobungi. Turn right here.»

«Yep! R-right turn!»

«YAAAH!!! The other right, you idiot!»

«Eep!»

«Stop the car!»

…Told you. Slow.

Beyond the car, much else had changed in Asvillam.

New buildings rose several a day, crammed with all kinds of modern supplies. With many more mouths to feed ahead, they had to prepare diligently.

Of course, obstacles always found them.

‘Still not enough.’

Asvillam lacked exactly two things: infrastructure and skilled technicians.

In his heart, he wanted to build modern facilities galore—things like a cold-storage warehouse, a proper toilet, and a public bathhouse.

But a public bathhouse? Dream on. The reality was a place with no basic infrastructure at all.

And digging a well or laying gas pipes by hand? That was realistically impossible.

‘One mountain after another. …I don’t know about the bathhouse, but the cold storage and toilet are urgent.’

Even now, a truckload of food rots and gets thrown away. Dealing with spoiled provisions was a huge headache. Hence, the cold storage was non-negotiable.

The toilet went without saying. Until now, they’d taken care of business in a secluded forest and buried it. But that was never a wise long-term solution.

‘…If you don’t know, you learn. When you’ve lost a tooth, you gum it.’

From that day, Go Byeonggap scrimped even his sleep to study and research. His short-term goal was to build a cold-storage warehouse and a toilet.

Time flowed, and when the second week of 2026 dawned,

‘Got it. This should work.’

Go Byeonggap smiled contentedly at his own blueprint. What were gaps in knowledge and skill? Fill them with the Ancient Shop and creativity.

«Today will be a historic day.»

«Huh? What?»

«Everyone put on gloves.»

First came the cold-storage warehouse.

‘Ancient Shop’

[Ancient Shop]

-Construction

-Technology

-Miscellaneous

-Other

[Crystals Held: 5,170,860]

‘Good. Capital’s plenty.’

While he was away on the expedition, the goblins had mined crystals tirelessly. The result: over five million crystals stockpiled.

If not for the balrog, they’d have passed six million…

‘Tch. Can’t cry over spent crystals.’

He smacked his lips and began browsing the available goods.

[Everlasting Ice of Mt. Cheondo]

– Price: 3,300 Crystals

– Description: Ice harvested from the peak of Mt. Cheondo that never melts. It radiates cold on its own. Touching it with bare hands may strip the skin.

Go Byeonggap bought up the ‘Everlasting Ice of Mt. Cheondo’ in bulk. It was the core material for the Asvillam Mountain freezer.

Even a single block of the Everlasting Ice emitted bone-chilling cold.

«Uuuuh… This is dangerous.»

«Suddenly. It’s cold.»

«Everyone be careful. It’ll hurt if it touches bare skin.»

«What do. We do?»

«Move it all inside that building.»

The goblins began hauling the Everlasting Ice into the designated building.

That building wasn’t ordinary either. The outer walls were slathered with yellow clay, sealing the gaps to minimize the cold leaking out.

An hour later, ice lay packed solid across the floor without a single gap. On top of it rested plastic pallets.

‘Whoa. This is legit, huh?’

He’d only been inside a moment, but goosebumps already rose on his arms. The cold radiating from all sides synergetically drove the temperature lower and lower.

Last, he hung a thermometer in a visible spot. The internal temperature was astonishingly…

‘Hottest spot at zero degrees. Coldest spot about twenty below? Just right!’

The deliberate zoning had paid off. This way, they could do both refrigeration and freezing at the same time.

«Hey, everyone. Sorry, but we gotta move right away.»

«What are you. Planning to. Make this time?»

«Uh. This time, I’m making a toilet.»

«A toilet. You say?»

«Yeah. Everyone grab a shovel.»

Over fifty goblins picked up shovels and pickaxes.

Go Byeonggap led them to the site he’d scouted earlier.

«Keep digging until I tell you to stop.»

«You mean. Dig the ground?»

«Yep. And it’s gotta be deep and wide, so brace yourselves.»

«Understood!»

The goblins attacked the earth. Go Byeonggap rolled up his sleeves and joined in. They had to dig at least 20 meters wide, 10 meters long, and 5 meters deep.

After a little over two hours of digging, they reached the desired depth and width.

«When I count to three, we lift together.»

«Yep!»

«Alright, ready. One, two… three!»

«Heehit!»

«Kkeegigik!»

What they were carrying was a specially made rectangular tank. Its exterior material was the same as a septic tank’s.

They lowered the massive tank into the dug pit. It fit perfectly, as if measured with a ruler.

After that, they shoveled dirt into the tank until it reached a meter from the bottom. That was enough.

«But, Lord. What is this?»

«What is it? It’s a worm house. Why?»

«Huh? Worms?»

Go Byeonggap crouched in front of the tank and opened the Ancient Shop.

[Toothworm Colony]

-Price: 1,600 Crystals

-Description: A predator that dwells deep in the soil. The finest scavengers around—they’ll devour even animal bones clean. Extremely hardy.

The core of the toilet was these worms.

‘I spent days testing their appetite with my own… ugh.’

Go Byeonggap had actually raised the toothworms for days, feeding them his own waste. To put it bluntly, they ate like champs. So well, in fact, that a single worm couldn’t handle the load.

«There’s plenty of food, so don’t fight among yourselves.»

He released the entire Toothworm Colony into the wide tank. Roughly ten thousand of them.

«Whew. Asvillam’s premium septic tank, complete.»

Of course, it wasn’t done yet. Go Byeonggap laid a custom iron plate over the tank. The last thing he needed was someone falling in while using it.

Then he set the building on top. A shame, but he’d have to gut the interior and rebuild it all.

«Gobung.»

«Yes!»

«You know those things I brought yesterday.»

«The… white ones, you mean?»

«Right. Take the kids and go bring all of them here.»

«Got it!»

The goblins scurried off to carry something. It was smooth and white—toilets.

‘I could’ve just gone with a pit latrine, but if I’m doing this, I’m doing it right.’

He placed a toilet in each partitioned stall. A bead of silicone around the base sealed it tight, and it looked pretty decent.

When someone used it here, the waste would drop into the tank, and the toothworms would devour it on the spot. Nothing would pile up.

«Done!»

«Wooaaah!»

By the time the toilet was finished, evening had already fallen.

‘Never thought I’d live to build a freezer and a toilet with my own hands.’

Go Byeonggap let out a hollow laugh as he gazed at the two buildings standing proudly.

Since becoming the Goblin Lord, he’d done plenty of things out of his character, but he never imagined it’d come to this.

‘Still, it’s rewarding. Feels good.’

One thing was certain—he’d enjoyed every bit of it.

«Good work, everyone. Let’s go eat!»

«You too, Lord. Good work!»

«Lick! Lick!»

«Eat! Let’s go!»