Goblin Village

"So you can speak?" Ragnar asked, looking at the kneeling goblin.

"Yes, master," the goblin replied.

Ragnar thought for a moment, then asked, "What were you doing here? Are there other goblins around?"

"I was here to drink water, master. I come from a nearby goblin village."

"Is that so? Then take me to your village," Ragnar ordered.

The goblin nodded and stood up, ready to lead the way. Ragnar was curious about this goblin village and hoped to learn more about his new world. Since he was a goblin himself, he didn't think the others would attack him immediately.

They walked through the dense forest for a short while. The trees, towering and ancient, created a thick canopy overhead. Strange sounds echoed around them.

In just two minutes, they arrived in front of the village. Ragnar's eyes widened at the sight. The village was bustling with activity. There were at least 300 goblins, all going about their daily tasks.

Small huts made of wood and leaves were scattered around, forming a haphazard but functional community.

Ragnar observed the goblin village from the edge of the forest. There were too many of them, and he didn't want to risk entering just yet. He began contemplating what to do next. After some thought, he decided on a plan.

"Bring me another weak-looking goblin, but don't tell them about me," Ragnar ordered the goblin kneeling before him.

The goblin bowed and entered the village, while Ragnar hid in the bushes, ready to attack at any moment.

It didn't take long. Soon, the first goblin returned with another one in tow. As soon as they entered the bushes, Ragnar sprang from his hiding place and plunged his knife into the goblin's chest. The goblin was stunned and tried to bite Ragnar's hand, but the first goblin grabbed its neck from behind and started to suffocate it.

The goblin couldn't do anything against the two of them. Ragnar twisted the knife in the goblin's chest, and a notification appeared.

<< Authority of [Pride] has been activated >>

<< All stats have been increased by 25% >>

Ragnar pulled the knife from the goblin's chest, and its wounds began to heal. Within seconds, the goblin stood up and kneeled before him.

An evil smile formed on Ragnar's face. He sent the first goblin back into the village to bring another one. This time, Ragnar took down the goblin relatively easily.

<< Authority of [Pride] has been activated >>

<< All stats have been increased by 25% >>

They continued this process for the next three hours.

Before him now knelt 56 goblins and goblinas. In those three hours, Ragnar discovered a few things about his [Pride] skill. It only enslaved monsters that he personally defeated. If his slave did it, he couldn't enslave the monster, but he could get help from his slaves.

He also learned that to enslave someone, he had to bring them to the brink of death. If he overdid it, the monster would die. He had mistakenly killed 10 goblins this way, especially when his strength had increased almost tenfold due to all the goblin enslavements.

Ragnar looked at the kneeling goblins and goblinas, contemplating his next move. He wanted to take down the entire goblin village. Just as he was about to order another goblin to be brought to him, a sudden message popped into his head.

<< An intruder has invaded the dungeon. >>

"So what? I don't have anything there other than the dungeon orb," Ragnar thought.

<< If the dungeon orb gets destroyed, the host will die. >>

"W-what? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ragnar almost shouted.

"Everyone, follow me!" Ragnar commanded, and he started running toward the cave.

The goblins followed him swiftly through the jungle. Thanks to his status boost, Ragnar was running at a very high speed. Trees and bushes blurred past as he sprinted, driven by urgency.

Soon, they reached the dungeon entrance. Ragnar slowed down and entered cautiously. He could sense where the intruder was, a feeling almost like a pull guiding him deeper into the cave.

He crept forward, the dim light casting eerie shadows on the rocky walls. The air inside the cave was cool and damp, the only sound being the soft shuffling of his followers behind him.

As he approached the heart of the dungeon, he spotted the intruder: a goblin, sleeping carelessly on the ground. This sight infuriated Ragnar.

"For you, I had to run all the way here," he muttered angrily.

Without hesitation, Ragnar kicked the goblin's head with all his strength. His foot went straight through the goblin's skull, killing it instantly.

<< 50 DP has been received. >>

He pulled his foot back, surprised by his own strength. Blood and bits of skull clung to his leg. Ragnar wiped his foot on the ground, looking at the mess he'd made.

"Let's see my status," he said, focusing his thoughts to bring up the status screen.

-------------------------------------------------

Name: [Ragnar]

Race: Goblin

Class: Dungeon Lord

Level: 2

Health: 500/500

Mana: 50/50

Strength: 30

Speed: 40

Skills: [Pride]

-------------------------------------------------

Seeing his status, Ragnar felt a sense of satisfaction. The recent boosts from enslaving the goblins had significantly increased his stats.

"We made it just in time," he thought, relieved that the dungeon orb was safe.

Ragnar looked at his followers, who had followed him through the jungle and now stood ready for his next command. He knew he needed to manage things properly.

He divided the goblins into two groups: the hunting group and the guard group. As their names suggested, one would go on hunts while the other would guard the cave. Both teams would take turns with their duties to maintain balance and prevent exhaustion.

Next, Ragnar considered the issue of food and shelter. The cave was big, but it would be cramped for 56 goblins. As he pondered the problem, a system prompt appeared in his mind.

<< You can increase the size of the cave by using Dungeon Points (DP). You can also modify it. >>

Ragnar decided to use the 50 DP he had earned from killing the goblin to increase the cave's size. To his surprise, within seconds, the cave began to expand from the inside. The rocky walls pushed outward, creating more space.

"That's amazing," Ragnar thought, watching the transformation.

The system also informed him that modifying the dungeon didn't require DP but instead consumed his mana. He focused on a nearby section of the ground, and four walls grew up from the earth, forming a secure enclosure around the dungeon orb.

Ragnar continued to experiment, creating three rooms within the cave. He camouflaged them to blend with the damp, rocky environment. One room was for storing food, another for the pregnant goblinas, and a third for himself. He attempted to build some basic furniture for each room but quickly ran out of mana.

He assigned the rest of the goblins to their stations within the cave, ensuring they were ready to defend their new home.

With the shelter issue addressed, Ragnar turned his attention to food. He was already exhausted from all the day's activities, and hunting right now wasn't an option.

He reluctantly decided to let the goblins eat the bodies of the goblins he had accidentally killed during the enslavement process. It wasn't ideal, but it would provide sustenance for now. Ragnar tried a bite himself but immediately spat it out. The taste was revolting.

Ragnar went inside his new room and lay down on the cold, hard floor. He was too tired to care about comfort.