The sky over Goblin's Grove turned a deep shade of orange as dusk began to settle. Along the borders, goblins moved swiftly, cleaning up the remnants of the morning's battle. The carcasses of the rampaging wolves were being stacked, while injured goblin warriors received treatment from Moji.
On a small hill overlooking the deeper woods, Jun stood silently. His gaze was fixed on the dark forest ahead. Something about it felt… different. Quieter. More dangerous.
"That attack was too coordinated. Wild wolves never act like that..." Jun thought. "Someone—or something—was controlling them."
Below, Moji approached, carrying a strip of hide peeled from one of the wolves. A soft rune glowed faintly in his palm.
"There's something wrong, Master," Moji said in a low voice. "This beast's flesh… it's laced with magical threads. But not ordinary magic. It's dark. Like invisible cords binding their souls."
Jun narrowed his eyes as he examined the hide.
"Can you trace the source?" he asked.
Moji gave a slow nod. "The aura is fading, but part of it still leads toward the northern forest."
Without delay, Jun gathered his core team.
They assembled near the supply shed: Godon, the frontline fighter; Moji, the Runic Shaman; Draksra, the agile and elusive thief; and Kang Minho, who was cleaning his blade casually, though his eyes showed focus.
Jun explained what they'd found—the possibility that recent attacks were orchestrated by a single entity. The others listened silently but seriously, the weight of the threat settling in.
"If this really is magical control, we might be facing a necromancer, a demon… or something worse," Minho muttered.
"We need to learn who—or what—we're dealing with before they strike again," Jun replied firmly.
They formed a tracking unit. Moji would guide them with detection magic, Draksra would take point in scouting, and Godon would guard the rear.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, they slipped into the dense northern forest. Their steps were silent, weaving between roots and fallen leaves. The air turned colder. A thin mist began to rise from the forest floor.
After nearly an hour of careful movement, they came across something disturbing.
A deer lay dead, its eyes wide in terror, its body laced with glowing purple burns. The wounds weren't physical—they looked like they burst from within. The surrounding earth bore strange footprints—cloven like a beast, but too delicate. And there was no pressure. As if the creature had never touched the ground.
Moji knelt beside a large stone near the body. He pressed his hand against it, closed his eyes… then gasped softly.
"There's a dark rune carved here. Ancient… and incredibly powerful. Someone planted it to amplify their control over the area."
"That means we're being watched," Jun murmured.
Then, everything fell silent. The wind stopped. No birds. No rustling leaves.
From between the trees in the distance… a figure appeared.
A long black cloak flowed in the still air, with two slender horns curling from beneath the hood. The figure's form was barely visible—like mist fused with shadow. But from that presence, a chilling aura spread outward, seeping into the ground like poison.
No one moved.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the figure vanished—melting into the air as if it had never existed.
Jun clenched the hilt of his dagger. His heart pounded.
Moji whispered, "That's no ordinary being… It was studying us."
[Number of Tamed Goblins: 35]