Recruitment and Expansion
The goblin glares at me, chest heaving, its red eyes filled with equal parts fear and anger. My spear is still pressed against its throat, and one wrong move could end its life right here.
But I hesitate.
This thing isn't just some mindless monster. It understands what's happening. It's reacting, thinking, assessing its chances. If it were purely instinct-driven, it would've thrashed and struggled until its last breath. Instead, it's watching me, waiting to see what I do.
I shift my grip slightly, just enough to relieve some of the pressure from its throat. Its gaze flicks between me and the massive, stone-like worker unit standing nearby.
An idea forms in my mind.
If my Idle System can recruit workers, then maybe—just maybe—it can recruit other beings too.
I focus on the system screen and mentally target the goblin.
A new notification appears.
[Foreign Entity Detected]
Would you like to attempt recruitment?
Cost: 100 Gold
My eyes widen. It's possible.
The system is treating this goblin like a unit, just like my worker. It's not just something to be killed—it can be converted.
I check my resources.
Current Gold: 10
Not enough.
I curse under my breath. Even with my upgraded gold generation at five per minute, I'd need eighteen more minutes to reach the required amount. And that's if this goblin doesn't decide to lash out first.
I need to stall.
Slowly, I pull my spear back a few inches, just enough to make it clear that I'm not going to kill it—yet.
The goblin blinks, uncertain, but doesn't move.
Now comes the hard part. Communication.
"Can you understand me?" I ask, keeping my voice level.
The goblin's brow furrows slightly. It doesn't speak, but its reaction tells me it comprehends.
That's good enough.
I take a slow step back, keeping my spear at the ready, and gesture to my worker unit. The massive, stone-skinned figure remains motionless, waiting for orders.
"You work for me now," I tell the goblin. "Do that, and you live."
The goblin narrows its eyes but doesn't immediately refuse. That's another good sign.
I shift my stance and gesture toward its fallen dagger. "Pick it up."
Hesitation flickers across its face, but after a moment, it does as I say, retrieving the crude weapon and keeping it lowered, not in an attack stance.
It's listening.
Maybe not obeying completely, but it's not fighting anymore.
That's progress.
Now I just need to buy time until I have enough gold to make the recruitment official.
I glance at my worker unit. "Collect resources," I command.
The stone-like figure turns and immediately moves toward a nearby tree, pressing its massive hands against the trunk. A soft chime rings in my mind.
[Worker Unit Collecting Resources]
+2 Gold per Minute Added to Passive Generation.
A grin tugs at my lips. My gold income just jumped to seven per minute. That means I only need around thirteen more minutes before I can recruit the goblin.
The question is: can I keep it from running or attacking until then?
I glance back at the goblin. It's still watching me warily but hasn't made any sudden moves.
Time to test something.
I point to the worker unit. "Help," I order.
The goblin frowns.
I gesture more clearly, pointing at it, then at a tree. "Help. Work."
It hesitates… then grunts in what I assume is frustration before stomping toward the tree. It grips a lower branch and yanks it down, snapping off a chunk of Etherwood.
[New Resource Collected: Etherwood]
+5 Gold Added to Inventory.
I blink. It worked.
The goblin scowls, tossing the wood onto the ground as if to say, "Happy now?"
Oh, I am very happy.
Because if this goblin is willing to follow any commands, even grudgingly, that means I'm already halfway to turning it into an ally.
The minutes pass slowly, but neither of us make a move to attack. The goblin continues helping—though with visible reluctance—while my worker unit efficiently strips down nearby trees.
The sound of another ding in my mind makes my heart race.
[Gold Accumulated: 100]
Recruitment Available.
This is it.
I focus on the system prompt and mentally confirm.
[Recruiting Foreign Entity…]
The goblin jerks upright, its entire body going stiff as the same glowing energy that formed my worker unit swirls around it. Its red eyes widen, confusion flashing across its face as the system takes hold.
For a second, I almost panic—what if it resists? What if the process kills it?
Then the glow fades, and a new notification appears.
[Recruitment Successful!]
New Unit Acquired: Goblin Worker (F-Rank)
My shoulders relax. It worked.
The goblin shakes its head, looking disoriented. But when it meets my gaze, something has changed.
It no longer looks defiant. There's still some irritation there, but it's… focused now, like the system just gave it a new sense of purpose.
I pull up its unit stats.
[Goblin Worker - F-Rank]
Role: Basic Laborer (Can Collect Resources, Perform Simple Tasks)
Combat Ability: Low (Can Defend if Threatened)
Loyalty: Neutral (Loyalty May Increase or Decrease Based on Treatment)
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
I just converted an enemy into an ally.
This changes everything.
If goblins can be recruited… what about other creatures?
Stronger ones? Smarter ones? Could I form an entire army just by using the system like this?
Excitement builds in my chest.
The goblin crosses its arms and grunts, clearly waiting for an order.
I grin. "Alright. Get back to work."
It grumbles but obeys, moving toward the trees alongside the worker unit.
I check my resources.
Current Gold: 17
Now that I have two workers generating resources, my passive gold income should rise even faster.
At this rate, I'll be able to afford a Guard Unit soon. And with a real fighter protecting my territory, I can start expanding even more aggressively.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I feel in control.
I watch my new goblin worker break another branch, adding to my ever-growing inventory.
A small army, an expanding territory, a passive income stream that's only getting stronger.
This world has no idea what's coming.