As the sun rose higher in the sky, the goblin village came alive with activity. Word of Luke's—or rather, Lok's—craftsmanship had spread quickly, and soon a crowd of curious goblins gathered around him, their yellow eyes wide with awe as they inspected his bow, quiver, and arrows.
Krug, the elder goblin, stood nearby, regaling the others with the story of how Luke had crafted the bow and demonstrated its power. "Lok strong! Lok smart! Lok make… this!" he said, holding up the bow for emphasis. The goblins murmured in admiration, their guttural voices rising in excitement.
Luke stepped forward, holding up his hands to quiet the crowd. "Alright, alright. Let me show you how it works."
He nocked an arrow, drew the string back, and aimed at the same tree he'd used for his earlier demonstration. The arrow flew true, embedding itself into the bark with a satisfying thunk. The goblins erupted into cheers, their excitement palpable.
Grut, Rok, and Zog immediately began arguing, shoving each other and shouting about who should get to try the bow first. Luke sighed, stepping in to break up the scuffle. "Calm down! There's enough materials to make more. I'll teach you how."
Before the chaos could escalate further, the hobgoblin chief approached, his massive frame towering over the crowd. The goblins fell silent, parting to make way for him. The chief studied Luke's bow and quiver, his sharp eyes narrowing in approval.
"Lok," the chief said, his deep voice carrying across the village. "You make this?"
Luke nodded. "Yeah. I thought it might help with hunting and protecting the village."
The chief grunted, a rare smile spreading across his face. "Good. Teach others. Make more."
Luke hesitated for a moment, then nodded again. "Alright. Gather branches and long plants. We'll need plenty of materials."
The goblins scrambled to obey, returning with armfuls of branches and plant fibers. Luke took a deep breath, realizing he'd have to recreate the bow without the system's assistance. He didn't want to reveal the system to the goblins—it might threaten the chief's authority or cause unnecessary confusion.
He grabbed a branch from one of the goblins and borrowed a crude dagger. "Watch closely," he said, beginning to carve the wood. He explained each step as he worked, showing the goblins how to shape the branch, create notches at both ends, and twist the plant fibers into a bowstring.
As he finished crafting the bow, a holographic panel appeared in front of him.
[You crafted a bow without the system's help!
+10 Tech Points Earned.]
Luke froze for a moment, nervous that the goblins might see the panel. But when none of them reacted, he realized they couldn't see it. He let out a quiet sigh of relief and dismissed the notification.
"There," he said, holding up the finished bow. "Now you try."
The goblins crowded around, eager to replicate his work. At first, they struggled, their clumsy hands fumbling with the materials. Luke moved among them, offering guidance and encouragement. "No, no, like this. Twist the fibers tighter. Carve the wood smoother."
Despite his efforts, most of the goblins found the process difficult, scratching their heads in frustration. But then Luke noticed a young goblin in the corner, quietly imitating his movements. The young goblin's hands moved with surprising precision, carving the wood and twisting the fibers with ease.
Luke approached the young goblin, watching as it finished crafting a near-perfect bow. "Hey, that's really good," he said, impressed. "What's your name?"
The young goblin looked up, its yellow eyes wide with surprise. "Me… Tog."
"Well, Tog, you've got a real talent for this," Luke said, clapping the young goblin on the shoulder. "Why don't you help me teach the others?"
Tog nodded eagerly, a proud grin spreading across its face. Together, Luke and Tog demonstrated how to craft arrows with sharpened shafts—stone-tipped arrows were too advanced for now—and how to weave plant fibers into a functional quiver.
As they worked, notifications popped up for Luke each time he completed a craft.
[Wooden Quiver Crafted!
+10 Tech Points Earned.]
[10x Sharpened Shaft Arrows Crafted!
+20 Tech Points Earned.]
The village was buzzing with activity. The goblins were still far from mastering the craft, but they were making progress. Luke felt a sense of pride as he watched them work, their determination evident in their focused expressions.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, the goblin village buzzed with activity. The goblins practiced with their newly crafted bows, their clumsy attempts slowly improving under Luke's guidance. Some still struggled, their arrows flying wildly off target, but others were beginning to get the hang of it.
Grut, Rok, and Zog, however, were in a league of their own. The three hunters returned from their expedition, carrying a handful of rabbits—or as the goblins called them, "fluffy jumpies." Luke's bow was slung over Grut's shoulder, and the trio looked immensely pleased with themselves.
"Lok!" Grut called out, holding up one of the rabbits. "Bow good! Kill many fluffy jumpies!"
Luke blinked, surprised. "Damn, you three are really different. No wonder you were assigned to hunting."
The goblins grinned, their sharp teeth gleaming in the sunlight. Luke couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. His bow had made a difference, and the village was already reaping the benefits.
As he watched the hunters celebrate, a holographic panel appeared in front of him.
**[Achievement Complete: Rearming the Village
You successfully taught the goblin village a new way to hunt and protect themselves.
They are grateful for your actions.
Rewards:
+15 Attribute Points
+50 Tech Points
System Function Unlocked: (New) Goblin Village Management]**
Luke's eyes widened. "Whoa. That's a big one."
He quickly dismissed the notification, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Before he could process the rewards, the hobgoblin chief stepped forward, his massive frame commanding the attention of the entire village. The goblins fell silent, their eyes turning to their leader.
The chief raised his hand, his deep voice carrying across the village. "Goblins! Today, we celebrate Lok. Lok smart. Lok strong. Lok teach us new ways. Lok make village better."
The goblins erupted into cheers, their guttural voices rising in unison. Luke felt a flush of embarrassment but also a deep sense of satisfaction. The chief gestured to another goblin, who stepped forward holding a necklace made of bones and polished stones. The chief took the necklace and placed it around Luke's neck, the weight of it settling against his chest.
"Lok now Crafter of Village," the chief announced. "Lok honored. Lok respected."
The village cheered again, their excitement palpable. Luke touched the necklace, feeling the smooth stones and rough bones beneath his fingers. It was a strange honor, but one he couldn't deny felt meaningful.
The chief raised his hand once more, silencing the crowd. "Now, we hunt! Feast today! Celebrate Lok!"
The goblins roared in approval, grabbing their bows and spears as they prepared for the hunt. Luke watched as they scattered into the forest, their energy infectious. He turned to Grut, Rok, and Zog, who were still grinning like idiots.
"You three coming?" Luke asked.
Grut thumped his chest. "Grut hunt more! Bring back big feast!"
Luke chuckled. "Alright, just don't get yourselves killed."
As the hunters set off, Luke stayed behind, his mind racing. He opened the system panel to check his new rewards.
[Attribute Points: 15]
[Tech Points: 155]
[New System Function: Goblin Village Management]
"Goblin Village Management, huh?" Luke muttered, tapping the new function. The panel expanded, showing a detailed overview of the village.
**[Goblin Village Management
Population: 47
Morale: High
Resources: Low
Defenses: Minimal
Upgrades Available:
Basic Wall - 30 Tech Points to Unlock
Resource Needed:
9 Wooden Logs
15 Vines
Watchtower - 40 Tech Points to Unlock
Resource Needed:
24 Wooden Logs
40 Vines
Storage Pit - 15 Tech Points to Unlock
Resource Needed
None ]**
Luke whistled softly. "This is gonna take some work."
He closed the panel, his mind already spinning with ideas. For now, though, he decided to focus on the immediate task at hand. The village was preparing for a feast, and he wanted to make sure everything went smoothly.
As the sun began to set, the hunters returned with their haul—rabbits, birds, and even a small deer. The village erupted into cheers as the goblins began preparing the feast, their excitement palpable.
Luke sat by the fire, the weight of the chief's necklace still around his neck. He felt a sense of belonging he hadn't expected, a connection to this strange, chaotic tribe. They might be goblins, but they were his goblins now.
And for the first time since waking up in this world, Luke felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.