Grey studied the crude drawing for several seconds before pointing toward one of the creatures. "Strong?"
The Hobgoblin held up one hand and then two additional fingers.
"Seven?"
A nod followed.
Grey’s expression tightened.
If the system’s levels were consistent, the strongest creature attacking this settlement was three levels above him.
Fighting a Level 5 Bloodhorn Boar had already required him to exploit the environment and predict its movements, so challenging a Level 7 predator while dealing with the rest of its pack would be suicidal.
At least right now.
Grey looked toward his status.
[Name: Grey Valentine]
[Species: Goblin Hunter]
[Level: 4]
[Traits:]
[Predatory Instinct — Level 1]
[Night Vision — Level 1]
[Minor Physical Enhancement — Level 1]
[Enhanced Muscular Density — Level 1]
He had improved considerably since awakening as a Lesser Goblin, but the forest continued reminding him how small those improvements were compared to everything above him.
That didn’t mean he needed to fight fairly.
Grey dismissed the interface and pointed toward the crude traps surrounding the settlement. "Who made those?"
The Hobgoblin followed his finger before touching its own chest.
"You?"
A nod.
Grey walked toward the closest trap, with the Hobgoblin following cautiously behind him. A thin vine had been stretched between two trees and connected to several sharpened branches positioned within the undergrowth, presumably intended to trip or injure anything moving through the area.
The idea wasn’t terrible.
The execution was.
The vine was visible from several angles, the sharpened branches weren’t positioned to hit anything important, and the entire mechanism looked too weak to restrain a creature larger than Krag.
Grey crouched beside it and tested the tension before looking toward the Hobgoblin. "You understand traps, but nobody taught you how to make good ones."
The older creature obviously understood none of that, but Grey was already examining the surrounding trees.
He didn’t need steel.
He didn’t need magic.
He needed rope, wood, weight, and enough time.
A forest provided three of those things for free.
Grey stood and pointed toward several long vines hanging from a nearby tree before gesturing for the Hobgoblin to follow. The older creature hesitated before eventually doing so, apparently curious enough to tolerate whatever the strange Goblin Hunter intended.
Krag noticed them leaving and forced himself upright.
Grey immediately pointed toward the fire. "You’re injured."
Krag ignored him and grabbed his stone axe.
Grey stared at him for a moment before accepting that arguing with the stubborn creature would probably take longer than simply allowing him to come.
"Fine, but if your insides fall out, I’m not putting them back."
Krag clearly didn’t understand, although the younger goblin nearby made a strange noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
Grey spent the next hour gathering materials from around the settlement.
He selected several thick vines and tested each one before keeping only those capable of supporting his weight. Straight branches were cut from smaller trees, while heavier pieces of wood were dragged toward one of the narrow approaches leading into the clearing.
The goblins initially watched with confusion.
That changed once Grey began assembling the first trap.
Instead of the simple ankle-height vines they had been using, he bent a flexible young tree toward the ground and secured it with several intertwined vines. A sharpened wooden stake was attached to the released end while another vine created a crude trigger mechanism across the path.
It was far from perfect, but it would hit considerably harder than anything the goblins had constructed before.
Grey stepped away and threw a piece of wood against the trigger.
The vine snapped loose.
The bent tree whipped upward with enough force to drive the sharpened stake deep into a nearby rotten log.
Every goblin in the clearing became silent.
Krag approached the trap and touched the wood buried inside the log, his yellow eyes widening slightly when he realized how deeply it had penetrated.
The Hobgoblin stared at Grey.
For the first time since Grey entered the settlement, there was no suspicion in its expression.
Only interest.
Grey noticed.
Good.
He pointed toward the other approaches into the clearing. "More."
The Hobgoblin followed his gesture before understanding what Grey intended, and a rough grin slowly appeared across its scarred face.
The next several hours passed differently.
Instead of Grey constructing everything while the others watched, he showed them what he needed and allowed them to help. Krag collected vines despite his injury, the younger goblins sharpened stakes, and the Hobgoblin proved surprisingly skilled at identifying trees flexible enough to serve as natural springs.
By the time darkness completely covered the forest, three improved traps protected the easiest routes into the settlement.
Grey was exhausted.
His hands were covered in sap and dirt, several new scratches ran across his arms, and the traps were still primitive compared to anything a properly equipped human settlement could create.
Yet the difference was undeniable.
Yesterday, these goblins had relied on a few visible tripwires and sharpened sticks.
Tonight, anything charging blindly into their settlement could receive a wooden stake through its chest.
Grey sat beside the fire while the others roasted more Bloodhorn meat, allowing the warmth to settle against his tired body as he examined what they had accomplished.
The Hobgoblin approached and lowered itself onto the opposite side of the flames.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Then the older creature pointed toward one of the traps.
"Grey make."
Grey nodded. "Grey make."
The Hobgoblin pointed toward itself and the others.
"Grey... show."
"That’s generally how teaching works."
The creature obviously didn’t understand, but Grey smiled anyway.
The Hobgoblin remained quiet before eventually touching its chest.
"Ruk."
Grey paused.
Then he realized what had happened.
The Hobgoblin was giving him its name.
"Ruk?"
The older goblin nodded.
Grey’s smile became slightly more genuine. "Nice to meet you properly, Ruk."
Ruk extended one hand toward the fire before pointing around the settlement.
"Ruk tribe."
Grey looked around.
"Your tribe?"
A nod followed.
Ruk’s expression became more serious as he pointed toward the northern forest where the missing goblins had apparently disappeared.
"Redfang."
So that was what he had been trying to say earlier.
"Those creatures are called Redfangs?"
Ruk nodded.
Then he held up three fingers.
"Three goblins taken?"
Another nod.
Grey’s expression gradually hardened as he looked toward the darkness beyond the newly constructed traps.
He wasn’t stupid enough to charge into the forest tonight and challenge a pack containing a Level 7 monster, but he didn’t need to. If the Redfangs hunted these goblins regularly, then sooner or later they would return.
A system notification suddenly appeared.
[Relationship change detected.]
Grey focused on the message.
[Individual: Krag]
[Disposition: Wary → Friendly]
Another appeared beneath it.
[Individual: Ruk]
[Disposition: Suspicious → Favorable]
Grey raised an eyebrow.
"So you can track that too?"
The system continued.
[Authority System Requirement Reminder:]
[Obtain willing followers: 0/5.]
Grey’s amusement faded slightly.
Friendly wasn’t the same as willing to follow.
That distinction was important.
He could help these goblins, teach them, fight beside them, and perhaps even earn their trust, but the system apparently wouldn’t count any of them until they consciously recognized Grey as someone worth following.
Grey actually preferred it that way.
If he wanted a kingdom someday, he had no interest in ruling creatures whose loyalty existed only because a system forced it upon them.
He dismissed the interface and accepted a piece of roasted Bloodhorn meat from Krag, biting into it while watching the fire.
For tonight, he would rest.
Tomorrow, he would learn more about the Redfangs, hunt enough creatures to continue increasing his level, and determine whether the three missing goblins were actually dead.
After that, he could decide what came next.
Grey had barely finished the thought when Predatory Instinct suddenly stirred.
His chewing slowed.
Across the fire, Krag noticed the change in his expression.
Grey quietly placed the meat down and turned toward the northern edge of the settlement, where darkness stretched beyond the newly constructed traps.
Something moved between the trees.
Not close enough for him to see.
But close enough for him to hear.
A faint scratching noise came from somewhere beyond the barricade, followed several seconds later by a low growl that made Ruk immediately rise and tighten his grip around the metal-tipped spear.
Grey stood beside him as the other goblins hurried for their weapons.
Two red eyes appeared between the distant trees.
Then another pair opened beside them.
A third appeared farther to the left.
Grey’s Predatory Instinct flared as the system finally identified what had been watching them from the darkness.
[Redfang Stalker — Level 5]
[Redfang Stalker — Level 5]
[Redfang Stalker — Level 6]
The three creatures remained beyond the firelight without attacking, their glowing eyes moving across the newly altered settlement as though they could tell something had changed.
Grey slowly reached for his weapon.
"So these are the things that have been eating your people."
Ruk bared his teeth and tightened his spear.
The largest pair of red eyes disappeared first.
A moment later, the others followed.
Grey didn’t relax.
Predators didn’t approach a settlement, reveal themselves, and simply leave without a reason.
The Redfangs had come to inspect their prey.
And Grey had the uncomfortable feeling that when they returned, they wouldn’t come with only three.