Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Goblin's Master
Just moments ago, the goblin Hobs had been grinning from ear to ear. Now he hung his head low, his face on the verge of tears.
"Hobs, what's wrong?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - Ki, kiruk... As I drew closer, I could see his spindly arms and legs trembling violently.
'Stamina run out?'
Harvesting that vast flower field all by himself—it would be weirder if he wasn't exhausted.
'Sigh. Go rest up...'
I immediately pulled up his status window.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Goblin - Hobs [Lv.10] ❤️ Relationship: Trust 📊 Status: Hunger / Fear ⭐ Loyalty: ★★★☆☆ "...Huh?"
Last time I checked, the 'Fear' status had definitely cleared up.
So why was he feeling terrified again?
"You still scared of me?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - NO, kiruk... Then what the hell was it?
Puzzled by Hobs' inexplicable behavior, I turned toward the direction he kept glancing at sidelong.
There, not far off, another goblin was rushing straight toward us.
Muscles like solid rock.
Yellow eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
Gripping an axe that flashed in the light, it scanned its surroundings like a predator ruling the hunting grounds.
The closer this goblin got, the more violently Hobs' limbs shook.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📊 Status: Hunger / Extreme Fear His status was updating in real time.
Apparently, it wasn't me Hobs was afraid of.
First things first—with a new monster bursting from the rampaging gate, there was something I had to confirm.
'Will this goblin recognize me as its master too...'
Would it acknowledge me as master on sight, like Hobs?
Or charge to kill me like the other gate monsters?
Gulp.
Tension knotted in my gut as I swallowed hard and took slow steps forward.
One step. Another.
As I closed in on the goblin prowling from the gate...
Its yellow eyes flashed. Locked onto me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - Ki, kiruk... The goblin froze in place the instant it saw me.
Thud.
Just like with Hobs at first—it dropped to its knees and slammed its forehead to the ground.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Dual Gate rampage entity, 'Goblin - Durak' detects the territory's master.] ['Goblin - Durak' recognizes the master.] That confirmed it: every monster emerging from the rampaging gate recognized me as its master.
"...Phew."
A sigh of relief slipped out before I could stop it.
"Good thing..."
The corners of my mouth twitched upward on their own.
(Not that I hate clearing gates or anything. Or too lazy. Just thrilled the worker-copying bug is progressing smoothly...)
I quickly checked the status window hovering above its head.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Goblin Chieftain, Durak [Lv.28] ❤️ Relationship: 'Hostile' → 'Submissive' 📊 Status: Fear / Awe ⭐ Loyalty: ★☆☆☆☆ ⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚔ Combat: S+ 🎯 Hunting: S+ ⛏ Mining: S 📚 Knowledge: C A level incomparable to Hobs.
Plus a 'Chieftain' title prefixed to his name.
And solid stats to boot.
...Except for Knowledge.
But no matter how I scoured Durak's stat window, I couldn't find the 'Gardening' or 'Crafting' traits I wanted.
"Hmm... Hobs would make a way better worker."
My quiet mutter made Durak—still trembling with his head glued to the ground—snap his head up.
He stared at me with a look like the world was crumbling.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Goblin tribe chieftain, Durak.
Thrust against his will into an unfamiliar world, he gripped his axe tightly and scanned his surroundings with wary eyes.
"Kirruk... kiruk."
He'd clearly been sleeping peacefully in his hut just moments ago. Why had he awakened here?
"Kirruk..."
First things first—he had to get back.
If word got out that the chieftain had vanished, rival tribes would surely raid them.
Just as he always had to others.
Crouching low to find a way home, that's when—
Sniff sniff.
'This smell...'
A familiar stench wafted from somewhere, jerking Durak's head up.
'...That idiot Hobs?'
The moron who'd vanished from the village one day without a trace.
Not far off—definitely his scent.
Suddenly, the path ahead cleared like magic.
Grab the idiot Hobs and make him lead the way home.
Bonus: recapture the runaway worker too.
Two birds with one stone. Thrilled, Durak hurried toward the scent without hesitation.
Trailing Hobs' traces, Durak's legs abruptly halted.
His yellow eyes fixed straight ahead.
The moment his gaze met the figure at the end of that line of sight—
Durak instinctively swallowed hard.
"Ki, kiruk...!"
The being standing before him was this world's 'Ruler'.
His heart pounded like mad.
The menace of beasts in the hunt, the killing intent amid tribal bloodbaths—
None compared to the terror now dominating his body.
Absolute authority piercing deep into his instincts. Overwhelming power.
The sensation of standing before a colossal storm.
Before the Ruler, he was no chieftain, no warrior.
Just a pathetic little beast trembling in the grip that held its life.
Durak—who had subjugated goblins from other tribes his whole life as chieftain—pressed his body flat to the earth for the first time, overwhelmed by primal fear.
That's when it happened.
Shocking words leaked from the Ruler's mouth.
"Hmm... Hobs would make a way better worker." That single phrase felt like a total denial of his entire existence.
"......"
Durak's pride didn't just get scratched—it shattered into pieces.
Any other goblin, fine. But being deemed lesser than that idiot Hobs? Unacceptable.
"Ki...ruk..."
There was only one path to reclaim his shattered pride.
Proving—personally—that Chieftain Durak held far greater value than that idiot Hobs.
Returning home? Meaningless now.
His mind brimmed with a near-mad obsession.
To demonstrate his worth to the Master.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ To mold the goblins into excellent workers, I taught them how to brew mana potions.
Making precise movements with their knobby fingers didn't come easy.
Hobs sweated buckets but brewed with utmost care.
Still, his potions were riddled with impurities—unsellable to awakeners for profit.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - FUNNY, kiruk! Even so, he beamed innocently at creating something with his own hands. Hard not to like the little guy.
'He'll get the hang of it with practice.'
Meanwhile, the so-called goblin chieftain...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - FUCKING... kiruk... Crushed entire petals into mush, smashed vials to bits.
Nonstop accidents right beside me.
And sitting still to brew? Not his style.
Up and down, stretching his back.
Even sudden sit-ups—driving me insane...!
Couldn't stay still for seconds. Made me wonder, 'Do goblins get ADHD too?'
'...What the hell do I even use this guy for.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - Sorry, but how about heading back where you came from? ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - NO, kruk. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - Then... you're in the way, so go rest over there? ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - SORRY... BUT, NO. kruk. I appreciated his eagerness to help.
But he kept wrecking perfectly good flowers. My blood was boiling.
"Hoo..."
By the time goblin chieftain Durak had ruined over ten potion vials...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - SUCCESS, kiruk! Hobs had finally brewed a proper mana potion!
"Whoa...! You did it, Hobs!"
Purified water and flower nectar mixed in perfect ratio. A flawless product, utterly free of impurities—unlike everything before.
I couldn't help myself—I ruffled Hobs' round head.
Then.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ - HAPPY, kiruk! ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ['Goblin - Hobs' loyalty has reached MAX.] ['Goblin - Hobs' is imprinted as your 'Familiar Monster.'] A brand-new message window appeared above Hobs' head.
Immediately after, noticeable changes rippled through his status window.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Goblin - Hobs [Lv.10] ❤️ Relationship: 'Submissive' → 'Devotion' 📊 Status: Full / Happy ⭐ Loyalty: ★★★★★ (MAX) Had he never once been acknowledged by anyone in his life?
Just a simple head pat, and Hobs' loyalty had shot straight to the max.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ruler's Authority: Directly intervene in 'Familiar Monster' growth direction.] ['Goblin - Hobs' new stat has manifested.] [Activate new stat for 'Familiar Monster'?] '...Ruler's Authority?'
Familiar Monster?
New stat?
I couldn't fully grasp every message floating above his head, but...
One thing was clear: no reason to say no.
"Alright!"
I nodded without hesitation.