The next morning—
"Hey."
"Hey!"
"Hey, wake up, Gobta!!"
"Nngh…"
Gobta groaned, half-buried in sleep. His body felt heavy, warm, and very unwilling to move. He tried to roll over, but someone grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently.
His eyes snapped open.
"What—who—stop shaking me—!"
He was ready to complain.
But when his blurry vision cleared, his annoyance faded.
Standing over him was a familiar face.
A hobgoblin slightly taller than Gobta, with gray hair and black eyes. He had gained a bit of healthy weight after being named by Rimuru Tempest, but his expression was still as open and honest as ever.
"Gobzo…" Gobta muttered.
Gobzo was one of his closest friends. They had grown up together back when they were small, nameless goblins trying to survive each day. Gobzo was naïve, gentle, and absolutely terrible at lying. He couldn't keep secrets, got embarrassed easily, and often ended up in trouble because of his soft heart.
"Why were you sleeping so far away?" Gobzo asked, hands on his hips. "If I didn't come here to pee, we might've forgotten you and left you behind!"
"…Huh?"
Gobta sat up and looked around.
He was indeed far from the main campsite. The river was visible in the distance, and he could see faint smoke from the extinguished campfire rising between the trees.
Slowly, memories from last night returned.
After successfully using Shadow Motion, he had gotten carried away. Completely carried away.
He had been jumping from shadow to shadow like a child discovering a new toy.
Well, you couldn't blame him.
It was the first time in his life he had ever used such a cool ability.
At first, the darkness inside the shadow space had been terrifying—no light, no sound, no air. But after twenty… maybe thirty attempts, he had adapted. His fear dulled. His lungs improved.
He could now hold his breath for up to four minutes.
Four minutes.
For a goblin, that was unbelievable.
Maybe it had something to do with his Extra Skill [Adaptive Instinct], especially the sub-skill Minor Environmental Tolerance. But Gobta didn't overthink it. He wasn't the type.
He just followed his instincts.
"Hey! Why are you dozing off again? We have to hurry!" Gobzo said, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Gobta replied, standing up and stretching.
Then a mischievous smile slowly spread across his face.
"…Hey, Gobzo. Want to see something cool?"
Gobzo hesitated. Whenever Gobta made that face, trouble usually followed. But curiosity won.
He nodded.
"O-Okay…"
"Watch closely."
Gobta stepped into the morning sunlight. Gobzo's shadow stretched clearly across the grass.
Without warning—
Gobta stepped forward and sank into Gobzo's shadow.
In a blink, he vanished.
Gobzo blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…Huh?"
He turned in a small circle, panic rising.
"W-Where did you go, Gobta?!"
Tap.
Something lightly struck the back of his head.
Gobzo spun around.
There stood Gobta, a few steps behind him, arms crossed and wearing the cockiest grin he could possibly manage.
If arrogance had a face, it was that one.
But Gobzo had known Gobta since childhood. He wasn't shocked by the attitude.
He was shocked by what he had just witnessed.
"W-Whoa! How did you do that, Gobta??"
"It's a skill I learned yesterday," Gobta said proudly.
Gobzo's eyes widened.
"A skill…?"
"It's called Shadow Motion."
"It's so cool!!!"
Gobzo looked down at his own shadow, then back at Gobta. He clearly wanted to ask something—but hesitated.
He was timid. Self-conscious. He probably thought he wouldn't be able to do it even if he tried.
Gobta sighed dramatically.
"Do you want to learn it?"
Gobzo froze.
"…Eh?"
His thoughts had been read perfectly.
"R-Really?" Gobzo's eyes sparkled like stars. "You're going to teach me?"
"Yeah, why not?" Gobta shrugged, trying to look casual.
"Alright, let's get going," Gobta added. "Didn't you say everyone's getting ready to leave?"
He started walking back toward camp, hands behind his head.
Behind him, Gobzo hurried to catch up, practically glowing with excitement.
"Wait for me!!"
....
Three days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Kabal, Elen, and Gido stood near the guild's front gate, checking their packs one last time before heading out.
"That was barely any time off…" Elen groaned, tightening the strap on her staff.
"You said it, girl," Gido replied, adjusting the short sword at his waist. "We hand in one report and boom—back to work."
"Could you stop complaining for a moment, guys?" Kabal said, though his voice lacked real authority. "You're just depressing me now."
He sighed right after saying it.
The three of them had submitted their report to Guildmaster Fuze about the strange happenings near Veldora's cave. Instead of praise or rest, they were assigned to investigate the surrounding forest area.
Monsters had been unusually active lately. So active that merchants refused to send wagons through the forest. Even hiring extra guards wasn't worth it—the job wouldn't pay enough to cover the cost.
If they wanted answers, they had to go on foot.
They had several possible routes into the forest. None were safe.
The path toward the so-called "Sealed Cave" was too rough for a cart anyway, full of uneven rock and twisted roots. Walking had always been unavoidable.
Preparation was everything.
They had spent most of the morning gathering preserved food—dried meat, hard bread, salted vegetables. Enough for several weeks. Without it, starvation would be a real threat long before monsters became one.
"At least I can handle water," Elen said, tapping her staff lightly. "You guys would've been chewing on mud without me."
"Yeah, yeah," Gido muttered. "We're deeply grateful."
Once everything was secured and tied down, they were finally ready to leave.
That was when a voice stopped them.
"Excuse me. If you are headed for the forest, would I be able to join you along the way?"
The three turned.
A lone figure stood a short distance away.
The voice was strange—neither clearly young nor old, neither fully male nor female. It was calm, balanced.
The most striking feature, however, was the mask.
It was ornate and beautifully crafted, smooth and expressionless. It reflected the light faintly, hiding the face beneath completely. The cloak the figure wore was simple, but the presence was not.
Something about the person felt… unusual.
Not threatening.
Just unsettling.
Kabal narrowed his eyes. "And why exactly would you want to go into the forest?"
"I have business there," the masked figure replied simply.
Before Kabal could press further—
"Fine by me," Elen said immediately.
"Wh-whoa! I'm the leader here, Elen!" Kabal protested. "What's your problem?!"
Gido shrugged. "Ahh, you know her. Once she decides on something, there's no changin' her mind."
Elen crossed her arms. "They don't look dangerous. And one more person means one more fighter."
Kabal groaned.
He glanced at the masked stranger again. No visible weapons. Calm posture. No hostility in the air.
"…Fine. But don't slow us down."
"Thank you."
That was all the masked figure said.
Without another word, the stranger stepped behind them.
And so, Kabal and his small band found themselves with an unexpected companion as they entered the forest.
.....
"Finally…"
Gobta let out a long sigh as they reached the outskirts of the Goblin Village.
After weeks of travel, the sight of home felt unreal. The trees were familiar. The air smelled the same. Even the wind through the grass sounded welcoming.
The journey to the Dwargon had taken them two full weeks in total—far faster than any goblin could have managed alone in the past. With the Tempest Wolves carrying them and Rimuru's abilities easing the burden.
When they had first left, the village had been little more than a rough collection of tents and simple huts.
Now—
There were changes.
The tents were more organized.
Nearby, Gobta noticed the massive shell of a giant turtle,hung over the remains of the central campfire cleaned and hollowed out—probably repurposed as storage or shelter.
The resident hobgoblins spotted the returning party quickly.
Cheers broke out.
Some waved. Others rushed forward excitedly.
Old Chief Rigurd—now standing straighter, his body filled with vitality after being named—ran up to them.
Without hesitation, he knelt before Rimuru.
"Welcome back!" he declared warmly. "I hate to trouble you so soon after your return, Sir Rimuru, but… we have visitors."
Visitors?
After brief greetings, Rigurd guided Rimuru toward one of the larger tents. Most goblins and dwarves dispersed to resume their work. Gobta and Rigurd followed behind.
A big tent had been converted into a meeting space.
Gobta yawned quietly as he stepped inside—
Inside were goblins.
Several were dressed more formally than usual. Some appeared to be elders, each accompanied by a few guards or attendants.
Before anyone could speak—
They all suddenly dropped flat to the ground.
""It is an honor to meet you, O great master!"" they shouted in unison. ""Please, listen to our most earnest of hopes!"""
That's loud…
...
To sum it up, their story was simple.
The forest was changing.
With the disappearance of its true overseer, balance had collapsed. The orcs, lizardmen, ogres—all the intelligent races—were beginning to strengthen their positions and claim territory. Tension had always existed, but there had once been a silent agreement not to let matters escalate.
However, Now that the guardian of the forest disspaared.
That agreement was breaking.
Villages were preparing for war.
Displays of strength were increasing.
And goblins—being the weakest race in the forest—would be crushed first if real conflict began.
The elders had panicked.
They had held meetings for days.
Argued.
Debated.
Accomplished nothing.
News of the direwolf attack had reached them, but their attention had been elsewhere. Rigurd's village had been considered doomed.
Then rumors spread.
Massive dark beasts racing through the forest with hobgoblin riders on their backs.
Monsters far stronger than anything before.
Those, of course, were the newly evolved hobgoblins and their wolves.
Now the other goblin villages had come to seek protection.
Gobta slowly regretted coming into this tent.
He almost started dozing off as the discussion dragged on.
In the end, Rimuru made his decision.
He would accept the goblins from the other villages.
As soon as Gobta sensed an opportunity to slip away, he quietly shuffled backward toward t
he tent flap.
"Hey, Gobta."
He froze.
"…Yes?"
"Can you help the goblins learn wolf summoning?"
Gobta blinked.
For a moment, he considered pretending he didn't hear.
But he had already promised Gobzo.
He straightened.
"…Yeah. Sure."
He nodded quickly—then rushed out of the tent before anyone could give him more responsibilities.