Chapter 44: Goblin Graveyard
In the dead of night, five kilometers northwest of Karen’s territory, deep within the Goblin Forest, lay the original site of Greencap’s goblin tribe.
Not far from this settlement, Karen stood atop a rise, accompanied by Greencap and the skeleton he had named "Spendthrift"—a creature that had cost him 170 points of territorial energy to transform. Together, they gazed down at Greencap’s former tribe, shrouded in darkness.
Though it was late, the moonlight allowed Karen to make out the rough outline of the goblin settlement. The tribe, numbering nearly a thousand, occupied only fifteen or sixteen acres, nestled beneath the steep face of a mountain cliff. A wooden palisade surrounded the encampment, and within, thatched huts clustered together in a dense and chaotic sprawl. It was obvious the entire tribe was built around a cave at the rear of the cliff—a mine that served as the heart of the goblin community.
From information Karen had extracted from Greencap’s former self, he knew that the mysterious power Greencap once wielded had been found within that very cave. This piqued Karen’s curiosity—after all, it was this power that made Greencap, even after becoming undead, more intelligent and formidable than ordinary undead creatures.
Inevitably, Karen wondered whether such power still lingered in that cave, and if he might be able to create more undead like Greencap in bulk. Yet, for now, he could only indulge in speculation; the cave was surrounded by the goblin tribe, making it difficult to approach even if he wished to. Besides, Karen hadn’t forgotten his true purpose tonight.
“If only I’d thought to ask Greencap during the interrogation where their graveyard was,” Karen muttered, “we wouldn’t have to go to all this trouble now.”
Hearing its name, the little Greencap tilted its head and sidled over.
“Shoo, this isn’t your concern,” Karen said, pushing the goblin aside before setting off with his two undead companions.
In recent days, Karen had visited several human villages’ graveyards and had gained some experience in locating burial sites. Although goblins and humans differed greatly in their customs, their graveyards were not so dissimilar. Relying on his accumulated experience and the affinity for the night and undead energies that came with being a Lord of the Undead, Karen soon found the goblin tribe’s graveyard.
It lay two or three kilometers from the tribe, in a canyon covering perhaps five or six acres. The air was saturated with the same kind of energy that filled Karen’s own cemetery. All around, the canyon was blanketed in blooms of "Whisper of the Dead." Karen knew, without digging, that this must indeed be the goblins’ graveyard.
“I was ready for a days-long search, but I found it so easily—looks like my luck is holding tonight!”
Karen’s eyes narrowed with delight as he gazed at the canyon. For him, graveyards were treasure troves, and the profusion of "Whisper of the Dead" flowers set his heart racing.
Yet, there was someone—well, something—even happier than Karen: little Greencap. The small creature’s soul-fire flickered with excitement at the sight of the flowers, recalling how it had once earned Karen’s affectionate pats by collecting them. As soon as Greencap saw the blossoms, it eagerly pounced forward.
“This little rascal, you’d think it wasn’t afraid of getting its skull cracked,” Karen chuckled, guessing at the goblin’s intentions as he prepared to join in the harvesting. But at that very moment, disaster struck for Greencap.
As an undead, Greencap had no eyes, only soul-fire; it perceived the world differently from Karen. The last time it had gathered "Whisper of the Dead" in the cemetery of Dole Village, it had been drawn by the unique aura of the flowers. Now, as it collected more, it sensed an especially enticing energy at the heart of the canyon—far more alluring than any it held. Unhesitating, Greencap moved toward it.
Sure enough, at the canyon’s center bloomed a flower unlike any other—a "Whisper of the Dead" more potent, mesmerizing, and mysterious.
With a crackling cry, Greencap darted forward, ready to pluck the extraordinary blossom. But just as it reached for the flower, something unexpected happened.
A skeletal hand shot up from the ground, seized Greencap’s leg bone, and flung it aside.
“What’s going on?” Karen exclaimed, startled by Greencap’s sudden flight. Forgetting the harvest, he hurried over.
By the time Karen arrived, the being that had tossed Greencap had emerged from the earth. He took in its full appearance—and was momentarily stunned.
An undead? How could there be an undead here?
Indeed, the creature was an undead, a skeletal being much like Greencap. As soon as Karen laid eyes on it, his newly upgraded Level 2 passive skill, "Eye of Insight," activated.
Ironbone Goblin Skeleton Warrior
Strength: Tier Two—Inferior
Intelligence: Low
Skills: Iron Bone, Level 3 (Active: Transforms bones into steel, boosting defense and attack for thirty minutes.)
Description: Once a goblin miner who spent a lifetime excavating iron ore, it was buried clutching its beloved ore. Nurtured by the energies of the graveyard, it was transformed into an undead.
Note: As a specially transformed undead, it cannot leave the graveyard, but within its bounds, its combat strength is greatly enhanced.
Warning: Do not pick its cherished flower. That is its only solace in its long undead existence.
Whisper of the Dead
Category: Mystical Plant
Quality: Superior
Description: Originally a common Whisper of the Dead, but after decades of careful tending by the undead, it has grown into a superior mystical plant.
Effect: Unknown, but you may try selling it to the Territory Shop!
With the help of "Eye of Insight," Karen quickly grasped the situation. Even as he processed this, Greencap and the undead were already locked in battle.
...
P.S.: Some readers dislike the name "Greencap," so I’ve given it a new nickname for now. Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the book’s comment section!