The Goblin’s Choice

The goblin scout still hasn't moved. It watches me with wary, yellow eyes, its grip on the crude bow shifting slightly. It's not hostile, but it's not exactly friendly either.

The tension between us is thick.

I keep my stance relaxed, spear held at my side, not in a threatening position. "Stay and work for me," I say again. "You'll be stronger here."

The scout's ears twitch. Its eyes dart to my Guardian, standing at the edge of my claimed land like an unmovable statue of death, then to my two workers, who are already increasing my gold income with every passing minute.

It sees the potential.

It's thinking.

I pull up my system menu.

[Recruitment Attempt Available: Goblin Scout]

Cost: 125 Gold (Discount Applied)

I check my gold.

Current Gold: 114.

Damn. Not quite enough.

But at 14 gold per minute, I only need another minute to afford it.

The scout shifts, glancing back toward the treeline. It's debating leaving. If it runs now, it could go straight to whoever sent it.

I need to act fast.

I take a slow step forward, keeping my voice steady. "You came here to watch me. You know I'm different."

The goblin's fingers tighten on the bowstring. It doesn't pull it back, but it's tense, waiting for my next move.

I glance toward the resource piles stacking up near my workers, then gesture to them. "I don't need to steal. I don't need to fight for scraps. I grow stronger every second."

The goblin grunts. A low, considering noise.

Another ping from my system.

[Goblin Scout's Interest Increased]

Recruitment Discount: -10 Gold

I smirk. It's working.

My system is interpreting this as a negotiation. It's actively tracking the goblin's willingness to join me, adjusting the cost accordingly.

Another notification pops up.

[Gold Accumulated: 126]

Enough.

I immediately select Recruit.

The moment I confirm, energy pulses outward. The ground beneath the goblin's feet glows faintly as the system takes hold. The scout jerks, eyes widening as a wave of golden light washes over its body.

For a split second, I wonder if it will resist.

Then the glow fades, and the goblin straightens.

A system notification appears.

[Recruitment Successful!]

New Unit Acquired: Goblin Scout (E-Rank)

I let out a slow breath, watching the goblin blink rapidly, adjusting to whatever system link just connected it to me. Its eyes refocus on mine, and something has changed.

Before, it had been wary. Suspicious.

Now?

It looks ready.

I check its stats.

[Goblin Scout - E-Rank]

Role: Basic Ranged Fighter

Abilities: Quick Shot, Tracking, Scouting

Combat Ability: Moderate

Loyalty: Neutral (May Increase or Decrease Based on Treatment)

I smirk. My first ranged unit.

The scout shakes its head, adjusting to the new connection. Then, after a moment, it does something unexpected.

It kneels.

Just for a second. A brief motion, like an instinctive acknowledgment of who's in charge now.

Then it stands, straightens, and slings the bow across its back.

I grin. "You made the right choice."

The scout grunts again, then points toward the treeline. Its yellow eyes narrow slightly. "More."

My expression hardens. "More what?"

It taps its chest, then gestures toward the forest. "More goblins."

I knew it.

This thing wasn't alone. It was part of a group, maybe even a tribe. And now it's standing here, under my command.

Which means…

They're going to notice.

I glance at my Guardian, still standing at attention, then back at my goblin scout. "How many?"

The scout hesitates, frowning. It lifts one hand, spreading five fingers.

Five goblins?

No.

I study its expression carefully. It's not talking about individuals. It's talking about groups.

Five groups.

A whole damn tribe.

I exhale slowly. This just got complicated.

"Are they coming?" I ask.

The scout hesitates, then shrugs. It doesn't know.

Or maybe it just doesn't want to say.

I weigh my options.

If the goblins don't know their scout has switched sides yet, they might not attack. But if they find out? They might send a lot more than three wild hounds.

I tighten my grip on my spear. I can't afford to be careless.

I check my gold again.

Current Gold: 14

Still too low for another Guardian or an upgrade. I need to increase my economy.

"Keep working," I order my units. "I need more resources, and I need them fast."

The goblin scout hesitates. Then, slowly, it nods.

It has accepted its new position.

For now.

I don't waste time. Over the next hour, I put my growing workforce to work.

My two workers continue collecting resources, bringing my passive gold income up to 16 per minute.

The goblin scout, now fully adjusted to my system, takes on a new task—patrolling. It moves along the edge of my claimed land, scanning the darkened treeline, keeping watch.

I don't know when the rest of the goblin tribe will realize one of their own is missing.

But when they do, I need to be ready.

Current Gold: 220

Still not enough for another Guardian.

But enough for one more upgrade.

I select Territory Expansion.

[100 Gold Deducted – Expanding Territory…]

The land pulses, growing outward once again. My influence spreads.

A new notification pops up.

[Territory Upgraded!]

New Zone Radius: 500m

Resource Output Increased: 20 Gold per Minute

Now we're talking.

The stronger my claim, the harder it will be for anyone—goblin tribe included—to push me out.

I stand near the edge of my land, spear in hand, as the first hints of morning creep into the sky.