—Shwoosh!

As if a stage curtain were being drawn back, the fog vanished in an instant. Those who witnessed the magical sight let out a chorus of awe.

«Whoa…»

«Amazing.»

The Explorer’s Flag disappeared along with the mist. Just as he’d expected — a one-time item. Still, knowing it didn’t stop the pang of loss.

‘Not the time for that.’

Go Byeonggap quickly pulled himself together and led the goblins forward.

«All of you, follow me!»

«Yes!»

«Let’s go!»

What the dissipating mist revealed was a vast forest. Unfamiliar broadleaf trees packed tightly together. They weren’t very tall, but their trunks were thick and sturdy.

‘At least we won’t have to worry about firewood.’ Go Byeonggap muttered to himself, scanning the surroundings.

‘This should do.’

«Doran, head out.»

«Yes! I’ll be back soon.»

«You don’t need to go too far. And absolutely do not start a fight. Not getting hurt is the priority. Got it?»

«Don’t worry. Come on, you idiots, let’s move!»

Doran led the infantry and the raid team out.

«My Lord. We’ll take our leave now.»

«Ah, Dorma. Take good care of the kids, will you?»

«Do not worry yourself too much. Nothing will happen.»

The search party vanished from sight in short order.

His heart wanted to follow, but urgency made the work here weigh heavier. They were all strong bastards—he’d trust them.

«Alright! Let’s get to work!»

Before raising the wall, they had to clear the ground first. The goblins felled every tree in the spot their Lord had marked.

Go Byeonggap wasn’t about to stand around with folded arms. He swapped his axe for a sword and started chopping.

‘This puny wood?’

He poured out his internal energy and swung the blade. Compared to a high-rank monster’s barrier, tree trunks were no tougher than tofu.

«One, two, three!»

«Hut-za!»

No sooner did a tree fall than the transport goblins hauled it away.

Little by little, a path began to take shape through the forest.

“Ah, my damn disk.”

Go Byeonggap soothed his aching lower back as he retrieved his sword. A mountain of felled logs surrounded him.

The area he’d cleared single-handedly was already the width of a sports field.

«Kids! Clear these trees too!»

«Yes! Right away!»

‘The chopping’s almost done.’

The once-thick cluster of trees had vanished. But that was only the end of step one.

Now they had to split the ugly stumps, flatten the ground, and move the boulders.

Work went on even through a short rest. Before they knew it, noon had come.

«Everyone, come get your lunch!»

Ea and the Tiny goblins arrived at the worksite carrying baskets. Inside were huge rice balls, potatoes, and boiled eggs—stacked full.

‘She made it just as I ordered.’

Go Byeonggap had asked Ea that morning to prepare a simple lunch for the workers.

Ea had carried out his request to the letter. It was a shame the rice balls were just rice and salt, but after sweating through labor, they tasted like honey.

«Wow. You cut down all those trees in half a day? Amazing.»

«The kids put in the work, that’s all.»

Go Byeonggap chewed his rice ball and answered, his mind already puzzling over how to arrange the wall.

«By the way, I have something to tell you.»

«Hm?»

«Yesterday you asked me—whether I’d stay here or go with you. I’m here to give you my answer.»

The rice ball at his lips stopped short. Go Byeonggap nodded, a trace of tension on his face.

«Sure. I told you before—whatever you decide, I’ll respect it. So don’t feel pressured. Speak your mind.»

«I’ll follow you.»

«Really? Are you sure?»

Ea gave a bittersweet smile.

«Grugles scare me, but—I trust you and the goblins to protect me.»

«Of course. Don’t worry about that. I’ll never let you come to harm.»

«Hoo-hoo.»

Ea let out a small laugh, her gaze sweeping across the forest.

«Truth be told, I’ve wanted to leave for a while now.»

«You’ve wanted to leave for a while?»

Go Byeonggap echoed in surprise, his eyes wide. Ea nodded calmly.

‘Have I been working her too hard this whole time?’

A pang of guilt hit him square in the chest. It wasn’t easy, after all—waking up at dawn every day to prepare meals. He regretted not paying more attention to her burdens.

«Must’ve been tough. You’re right. You really did put in a lot of work. I’ve been pretty insensitive to you—»

«No, no! It’s not what you’re thinking at all.»

Ea cut him off, waving her hands hastily. She spoke as if to reassure him.

«Life here has been truly happy. It’s safe, bountiful, and always full of energy, isn’t it? I’ve never once thought it was hard. I mean it.»

«Then why?»

«It’s just … sometimes, I miss my own kind.»

«Ah.»

Go Byeonggap let out a short sigh.

As she said, Somnium was filled with nothing but goblins. He’d always assumed she got along fine—she was sociable, and the goblins weren’t shy—but it seemed the gap between species was something that couldn’t be crossed after all.

«Truth is, we spirits aren’t that attached to each other like you all are. We formed villages for our own gain and survival, but we never really enjoyed emotional bonds. In that sense, observing your kind has been fascinating. You unite under the Lord’s will and overcome hardships together. That’s almost unheard of in spirit society.»

«Hmm … is that so.»

«Yes. Even though being so indifferent to each other is our nature, strangely enough, come nighttime, I’d find myself missing my own kind. I don’t know if there are any other Niphi left besides me, though.»

«Ah, come on, don’t say that. Of course there are.»

Go Byeonggap paused for a moment, then spoke on impulse.

«It’ll be hard right now, but in a few months, we’ll have some breathing room. Let’s go find your kin then. I’ll help you.»

«Oh? Is that true?»

«Of course. You’re part of the family.»

«Family … hehe. Even if it’s just talk, I’m really grateful.»

«I mean it.»

Ea’s face lit up with a joyful smile.

«But I am worried. If I leave, will the remaining goblins manage to eat properly?»

«We’ll teach them.»

Go Byeonggap pulled out a pack of cigarettes as he continued.

«So you need to help me with that, Ea.»

«Help you with what?»

«You teach the kids how to cook. Show them how to store ingredients, too. We’ll have enough time.»

Ea thought it over for a moment, then nodded enthusiastically.

«Understood! I feel like I can do it well. I don’t say things without reason.»

«Good. Thanks.»

«Thank you! I think of you all as family, too.»

The short lunch break passed.

The goblins set back to work, moving smoothly under Go Byeonggap’s direction.

By around two in the afternoon, they’d secured enough territory to raise the wall.

«Everyone, fall back behind me! I’m raising the wall now!»

«The Lord has spoken. Fall back!»

Hearing their Lord’s command, the goblins gathered together.

Go Byeonggap opened the Ancient Shop and purchased the ‘Wall’.

[High-Grade Wall]

– Price: 55,000 Crystals

– Description: A robustly crafted, high-grade wall.

[Would you like to purchase the ‘High-Grade Wall’?]

‘Of course.’

The moment the wall was bought. A colossal—

No. A structure too magnificent to be described by mere words materialized in the air.

Even as a mere phantom, still in its pre-installation stage, its sheer presence made him shrink instinctively.

«Whoa!»

«Ugh, it’s… huge!»

The goblins’ jaws dropped as they gasped in awe.

But even at that monstrous scale, it couldn’t plug the entire front alone.

‘I’ll need at least six or seven more. Good thing I’ve hoarded enough crystals.’

[Install a ‘High-Grade Wall’ at this location?]

[Installation initiated.]

[Approximate time required: 150 minutes.]

‘150 minutes? That takes forever.’

Byeonggap started laying the walls from where the rocky mountain met the plain, methodical—one wall locked into place, then sidestepping to raise the next.

The walls clicked together on their own, forming a seamless shape—like snapping together a set of building blocks.

Wall placement finished in a blink. The problem was that full solidification would take nearly three hours.

Byeonggap glanced at his watch. Three in the afternoon. The walls wouldn’t be ready until dusk.

‘And where the hell are the scouts? Not a single hide to show… Crap. I’ll have to go find them.’

«Gobong.»

«Yes, My Lord.»

«I’m going to check on the search party for a bit. You handle the kids on your own.»

«Ah! Yep! Understood.»

Go Byeonggap turned after saying that. But right before he left, Gobungi stopped him.

«Um, uh. My Lord!»

«What?»

«Should… should I have the work crew return? Or… should I have them do something else?»

«…»

Byeonggap’s order had been too vague, and it showed. Until now, he’d always given specific instructions—‘do this, do that.’

Go Byeonggap almost answered out of habit, then caught himself. He decided to be deliberately difficult.

«Figure it out yourself, dumbass. You’re the head here now. Send the kids back to rest, or give them something else to do… Ah, I don’t know. Do whatever you want.»

«H—hey! W-wait a second!»

Go Byeonggap ignored him and bolted. To make Gobungi take the lead and act on his own, he had to be this harsh, even if it felt mean.

He slipped through the dense brush, sprinting at full tilt. At the same time, he pricked up his senses, feeling for any presence around him.

‘Over there?’

He wasn’t sure, but a faint trace of life stirred from somewhere to the south.

The forest sloped gently downward, the elevation dropping steadily. Above, sheer cliffs towered into the sky; below, it was a completely different world.

‘If I just clear a proper road, cars could even get through here.’

Even if he set up a base somewhere else later, he could come and go by vehicle. He memorized the terrain, moving diligently as he took in every landmark.

Had he been running nonstop for about thirty minutes? Just as the forest began to thin, Go Byeonggap spotted Doran and her group.

They were on high alert, staring straight at him. Then, realizing it was their Lord who had appeared, their faces relaxed into relief.

«My Lord? What brings you here?»

Dorma asked, withdrawing his sphere of darkness. Go Byeonggap didn’t answer until he had calmed his heaving breaths.

«Hey, you guys! You’re supposed to check in with me regularly, you know. And when it’s mealtime, you show up and eat on time… Doran, what the hell are you holding?»

«Ah, this?»

Doran raised something triumphantly.

It was a lump of dark gray matter, thick gray fluid dripping from it. At first glance, he thought it was a wet rag.

Go Byeonggap tilted his head and leaned in for a closer look. The moment he got near, a rancid stench slammed into his nostrils.

He wrinkled his face and jerked back.

‘Ugh! What’s that sewer smell? More importantly… are those really eyes?’

Two blood-red circles stared back at him. Below them was a wide hole that looked like a maw. So was that thing Doran was holding the head of some creature?

Before he could ask, Doran spoke up.

«I think this is that monster you mentioned, Lord. What was it called? Gurogal?»

«Grugle.»

Dorma corrected her politely.

«Ah, right. Grugle.»

«This is a Grugle?»

«Lord! These things are super weak, you know? I just gave them a little smack and they went down like wet paper.»

«Wait. ‘Things’? As in plural?»

Go Byeonggap quickly scanned his surroundings. But aside from the one Doran was holding, he saw no other monster corpses.

Dorma caught on and explained.

«The rest of the spoils are down below. We were on our way back with just this one for the report when you arrived, My Lord.»

«You mean you fought them? How many?»

«Hmm… roughly twenty of them.»

At the word ‘twenty,’ Go Byeonggap felt something inside him snap.

«Doran! Didn’t I tell you not to engage recklessly? You should have reported the moment you spotted them! And not just one or two — a full twenty of them!»

«M-My Lord, please don’t be angry … It couldn’t be helped.»

Doran’s face twisted into a look of utter injustice.

Go Byeonggap opened his mouth to demand how it couldn’t be helped — but Dorma stepped in to support her.

«My Lord. She speaks the truth. The battle was unavoidable.»

«Unavoidable? Why?»

«W-Well … it’s a bit difficult to explain with words …»

«What the hell is that supposed to mean?»

Dorma hesitated, his face troubled.

Go Byeonggap crossed his arms and waited, as if to say, Let’s hear it, then.

And then — in that very instant. Dorma’s eyes, fixed somewhere behind Go Byeonggap, flew wide. He dropped into a combat stance and shouted.

«My Lord! Behind you!»

«What?»

Sensing the wrongness in the air, Byeonggap spun around — and froze in shock.

«Where the hell did these …»

Grayish monstrosities were oozing out from between the thick trees, creeping forward like a slow tide.