The simple fort that served as the heart of Goblin's Grove trembled under the onslaught.Heavy blows crashed against the wooden gates, mingling with the shouts of goblins holding their ground. Arrows flew, spears swung, and the bodies of small to mid-sized monsters piled up outside the fence.
Amid the chaos, Kang Minho stood at the front line, swinging his sword while shouting orders."Don't let them breach the gate! Hold until Jun gets back!"
Out of the corner of his eye, he kept glancing toward the forest—the place where Jun was fighting the monster boss. Every passing second gnawed at him. He knew all too well: if Jun lost, they were all finished here.
Then… everything changed.
The growls abruptly ceased. The rampaging monsters suddenly froze in place, their pupils narrowing before they simply collapsed. Some even screamed before turning and fleeing back into the darkness of the forest.
A sudden silence fell over the base. The goblins looked at each other, bewildered.
Minho stood still for a moment, his breath heavy. Then a faint smile appeared on his lips."…That… means Jun did it."
Without wasting a second, he raised his sword."Everyone still able to fight, with me! We're going to Jun!"
The journey through the forest felt like crossing a battlefield. The stench of blood and iron stung their noses. Monster corpses lay strewn across the ground, tree trunks shattered where attacks had struck. The traces of a brutal fight led straight toward one point.
Minho's pace quickened, but his chest felt heavy. Dark thoughts loomed in his mind—what if all they found was Jun's lifeless body?
When they finally arrived, the world seemed to hold its breath.
The massive form of the monster boss lay sprawled on the ground, its body covered in deep wounds, its blood soaking the earth beneath it.Atop its chest stood Draksra, panting, his entire body drenched in blood—both his enemy's and his own.
Not far away, Godon sat on the ground. His spear had been snapped in two, and his breathing was labored as though each inhale was painful. Moji lay unconscious, his small body still faintly radiating runes whose glow was already fading.
And in the center of it all, Lee Jun knelt, one hand on the ground to keep himself from collapsing. His face was pale, his breaths short and shallow.
"Jun!" Minho rushed forward, grabbing his friend's shoulder just before he fell.
Jun looked at him, then managed a faint smile. "We… won, Minho."
"Idiot," Minho growled, though his voice trembled. "If you die, who am I supposed to yell at every day?"
Jun let out a weak chuckle. "You… talk too much."
The surviving goblins began to gather, staring at the monster boss's corpse with a mix of awe and relief. Some let out small cheers, while others simply slumped to the ground, too exhausted to celebrate.
Jun turned toward the unconscious Moji and reached for the shaman's head, patting it gently. Good job… thank you.
Yet beneath that relief, a bitter truth remained. Out of all the goblins he had tamed, only 23 were still alive.
Jun drew in a deep breath, his gaze drifting toward the forest now cloaked in the shadows of dusk. Beneath this calm, he could feel it—something else lurking, waiting for the right time to strike.
This victory… was only the beginning.