Grey woke to the unpleasant sensation of something pressing against his injured ribs, and for a brief moment, he wondered whether one of the Redfangs had somehow followed him back to the settlement during the night.
Fortunately, when he opened his eyes, the only thing threatening his life was Krag, who had apparently decided that checking whether Grey was still alive required repeatedly poking him in the chest with one thick finger.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Grey groaned, catching the goblin’s wrist before he could press against the injured area again.
Krag immediately withdrew his hand and began speaking in his native language, gesturing toward the crude bandages wrapped around Grey’s torso.
Although Grey understood very little of what he was saying, the concerned expression on his face made his intentions obvious enough.
"I’m alive, if that’s what you’re asking. Although I might reconsider that answer if you keep touching my ribs."
Grey slowly pushed himself upright, wincing when the movement sent a dull ache through his chest.
His injuries had improved considerably overnight, probably because of the physical enhancements he had acquired through the System, but the lingering pain reminded him that defeating a stronger opponent didn’t necessarily mean escaping without consequences.
Krag watched him carefully until Grey managed to stand, after which the younger goblin released a relieved grunt and hurried toward the small fire burning near the center of the settlement.
Grey followed at a slower pace, taking the opportunity to examine his surroundings in the morning light. The three crude shelters remained clustered beneath the enormous tree roots, their roofs constructed from branches and broad leaves that offered little protection against heavy rain.
Several sharpened stakes formed an incomplete barricade around the clearing, while the spring traps he had helped construct remained positioned along the most obvious approaches.
The settlement looked almost exactly as it had when he first arrived.
And that was beginning to bother him.
’If we’re going to stay here, this place needs some serious improvements.’
Grey settled beside the fire, accepting a piece of roasted meat from one of the younger goblins before opening his status interface.
[Name: Grey Valentine]
[Race: Goblin Hunter]
[Level: 5]
[Evolution Energy: 64]
[Skills:]
[Predatory Instinct — Level 1]
[Night Vision — Level 1]
[Minor Physical Enhancement — Level 1]
[Enhanced Muscular Density — Level 1]
[Silent Step — Level 1]
[Pack Dominance — Level 1] The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
Grey studied the information while chewing thoughtfully.
His progression had been considerably faster than he expected when he first awakened as a Lesser Goblin, and although he remained weak compared to the stronger monsters inhabiting the forest, he was beginning to develop a collection of abilities that complemented one another.
[Predatory Instinct] warned him about approaching danger, [Night Vision] allowed him to operate after sunset, and [Silent Step] made it easier to approach prey without being detected. [Enhanced Muscular Density] and [Minor Physical Enhancement] improved his ability to survive physical confrontations, while [Pack Dominance] offered something entirely different.
Leadership.
Grey still wasn’t certain how much influence the rare trait possessed, especially since its description specifically mentioned that it couldn’t force creatures to obey him.
However, considering the Authority System’s requirements, he suspected it would become increasingly important as the settlement developed.
He dismissed the status window and opened the other interface.
[Authority System — Locked]
[Requirements:]
[Establish recognized territory: Incomplete.]
[Obtain willing followers: 1/5.]
[Evolution Requirement: Unknown.]
Grey stared at the final requirement with a slight frown.
The system had already revealed several evolutionary possibilities when he reached Level 3, but it hadn’t explained what kind of evolution would satisfy the Authority System.
Perhaps he needed to become a Hobgoblin like Ruk.
Or perhaps something stronger.
Whatever the answer, he wasn’t going to discover it by sitting beside the fire.
"Alright," Grey muttered, closing the interface as he looked toward the surrounding shelters.
"Time to get to work."
The first problem Grey decided to address was food.
Although the Bloodhorn Boar he and Krag had killed provided enough meat to feed the settlement temporarily, he knew the supply wouldn’t last indefinitely.
There were five goblins living here, and even if they carefully rationed everything, the settlement would eventually return to the same desperate situation it had been in before his arrival. This story is hosted at novelping(.)com.
Grey had no intention of allowing that to happen.
He approached Ruk shortly after breakfast, finding the older Hobgoblin sitting beneath one of the shelters while examining the damage to his metal-tipped spear.
The weapon had survived their confrontation with the Redfang Pack Leader, although the wooden shaft had developed several cracks near the head.
"Morning, old man."
Ruk looked up and released a familiar grunt.
Grey crouched beside him before pointing toward the remaining pieces of dried meat hanging beneath the shelter.
"Food," he said, waiting until Ruk nodded before gesturing toward the surrounding forest. "Need more."
Ruk understood immediately, although his expression became thoughtful as he examined the supplies.
"Meat... little," the Hobgoblin replied in his rough human speech.
"Exactly. And hunting dangerous monsters every time we’re hungry isn’t exactly a sustainable lifestyle."
Grey paused when Ruk stared at him without understanding the longer sentence, then sighed and simplified his explanation.
"More food. Safer."
Ruk nodded again.
Grey smiled.
"Good. We’re making progress."
He spent the next several minutes attempting to explain his idea through gestures and crude drawings in the dirt.
Rather than relying entirely on hunting, he wanted the goblins to begin gathering edible plants, identifying reliable water sources, and constructing simple traps capable of catching smaller animals without requiring someone to fight them directly.
Ruk listened carefully, occasionally correcting Grey’s drawings whenever he recognized something from the surrounding forest.
To Grey’s surprise, the Hobgoblin knew considerably more about the local environment than he initially expected.
He could identify several edible roots, distinguish poisonous berries from harmless ones, and recognize the trails commonly used by smaller forest creatures.
The problem wasn’t a lack of knowledge.
It was organization.
The goblins gathered whatever they could find whenever they were hungry, but they rarely stored enough supplies to prepare for difficult periods.
Grey intended to change that.