They eventually stood directly across the towering wall of roots, leading to the outermost layer of Noah’s territory.

The moment they stepped through the opening, the goblins instinctively slowed their steps.

This scene was nothing like what they expected.

Even as the former chieftain gazed at it all, it didn’t remember a scene such as this.

Noah made no attempt to urge them forward.

Their surprise was understandable.

His own reaction hadn’t been much different the first time he truly stopped to observe the territory.

At a glance, far more creatures had gathered within its borders over the past week than he had anticipated.

That, in itself, wasn’t surprising.

Most of the creatures that called the territory home spent their days scattered throughout the surrounding forest hunting, foraging, or searching for mates.

Night, however, drew nearly all of them back.

Only now, with so many of them gathered together at once, could Noah truly observe how the territory had begun organizing itself.

Massive wolves occupied dens carved beneath sprawling roots, while herds of deer-like monsters rested within fields of mana-rich grass that had grown noticeably taller than before.

High above them, enormous nests filled the branches of the towering trees, while beneath their feet, countless burrows disappeared into the softened earth.

Even fallen logs and rocky outcroppings had become homes for creatures too large or too small to conceal themselves anywhere else.

Rather than appearing as though countless monsters had simply wandered into the same areas, each species had gradually claimed a portion of the outer layer as its own.

Even more surprising...

Very few wandered beyond those invisible boundaries.

Predators continued to watch nearby prey with unmistakable hunger, while the prey never allowed their guard to fall for even a moment.

Even so, neither side seemed willing to disturb the fragile balance that had gradually formed throughout the territory.

Remaining within the territory simply carried greater value than whatever could be gained from a single successful hunt.

Every creature living here continued growing stronger with each passing day. Leaving, or being driven away, meant abandoning that opportunity.

That wasn’t to say peace truly existed either.

Fresh claw marks scarred the trunks of several trees. Broken shrubs and churned earth revealed that territorial disputes still occurred whenever one creature wandered farther than another believed it should.

Yet despite those conflicts, the territory itself continued functioning as though every creature instinctively understood where it belonged.

Noah was amazed by the way nature worked. Perhaps, too amazed.

It hasn’t been that long since these creatures took refuge here. To be able to make seemingly isolated areas so quickly felt unnatural.

And it was the same for the land itself.

His eyes slowly drifted across the territories each species had claimed, observing with a critical eye how the thick roots wound between dens, burrows, and nesting grounds in ways that were far too intentional to be natural.

Every root seemed to exist exactly where it was needed.

Only then did Noah realize the "hand" behind it all.

Pandora...

While everyone else had been occupied with preparing for the upcoming battle, Pandora had been using this time to quietly build a proper ecosystem for these creatures.

Noah couldn’t help feeling somewhat ashamed.

He had nearly forgotten that the dryad never needed to sleep. She probably had always observed these creatures’ interactions, slowly learning their habits before making subtle changes that allowed them to coexist far more easily than before.

It made Noah realize that he still had a long way to go before he truly understood those who followed him.

He always believed he paid close attention to his companions.

Yet Pandora had accomplished something this significant without him noticing until now.

It was a reminder that he still had much to learn.

—

With their curiosity finally satisfied, Noah resumed leading the group deeper into the territory.

It wasn’t long before they crossed into the inner layer, passing through another towering wall of trees that were nearly as breathtaking as they were terrifying.

The goblins instinctively slowed once again.

What they saw so far was a far cry from ordinary. This territory felt like a hidden realm within the forest.

They were already expecting everything else to be just as unnatural as everything else.

But they were mistaken. They weren’t even able to make it past the last barrier without being surprised even more than anything else they had experienced.

Violet mana pulsed beneath the bark, spreading through the roots and branches like countless glowing veins. Even the trees themselves had begun to change, their twisted silhouettes making it feel less like entering another part of the forest and more like passing through the gates of hell.

The sight alone was enough to leave many of the goblins speechless.

Yet it wasn’t until they crossed completely into the inner layer that they realized the trees weren’t the only thing that had changed.

Every breath they drew into their lungs carried a richness unlike anything they had ever experienced before.

Even those incapable of manipulating mana instinctively felt that something within the air itself was different.

The three shamans reacted more strongly than anyone else.

The moment they inhaled, their bodies visibly stiffened before they instinctively drew another breath to make sure they hadn’t imagined it.

They understood exactly what mana this dense represented.

Yet, its density wasn’t what unsettled them the most.

It was its purity. Mana this pure was unheard of.

Their gazes slowly lifted toward Noah’s back.

Sometime during the journey, the fear they once held toward the Oni had turned into fearful worship.

They could no longer bring themselves to believe they were following an ordinary Oni.

They even had small doubts that this Oni was the rumored Oni King who had driven the entire world into fear.

—

It wasn’t long before another sight stole the goblins’ attention the moment they broke past the tree line.

Building-like structures gradually appeared throughout the territory.

Some resembled ordinary homes.

Others, like the ones hanging from above, looked as though they had grown directly from the surrounding trees.

None of them resembled anything the goblins would expect to see from monsters living in the forest like them.

Yet before they had the chance to properly take in those structures, movement throughout the territory gradually stole their attention.

One monster after another began emerging from every direction.

Every time the goblins believed they had finally seen the last of them, another creature appeared from somewhere else within the forest.

The number of monsters continued growing until the goblins found themselves unable to keep track of them all.

None of those creatures released the slightest hint of weakness.

Every single one possessed an aura powerful enough to make the goblins instinctively lower their heads.

The monsters throughout the territory had already noticed the group the moment they crossed into the inner layer.

Their gazes naturally shifted toward the unfamiliar goblins walking behind Noah.

However, none of them made the first move.

Before leaving the territory, Noah had already informed them that he intended to bring back more monsters to live alongside them.

Although none of them particularly liked the idea, Noah’s decision wasn’t something they intended to question.

At least...

That was true for most of them.

The moment the cats and dogs caught sight of the goblins, the atmosphere immediately changed.

Low growls rumbled throughout the territory as dozens of pairs of fangs were bared almost simultaneously.

The hostility pouring from them was unmistakable.

There was no possibility they could mistake those goblins for anyone else.

Those were the very same goblins that had hunted them relentlessly for nearly an entire day.

Many of their own had died before Noah finally intervened.

That hatred hadn’t disappeared simply because they had grown stronger. If anything, it was only buried.

The combined killing intent released by the cats and dogs swept across the goblins with a pressuring intensity.

After receiving Noah’s blood, every one of them had become dramatically stronger than before.

The pressure released by dozens of strengthened predators at once was far more than the goblins could withstand.

The goblins recognized them just as quickly. They couldn’t forget the unusual prey. The taste of them was unforgettable. It was only because they hadn’t come across them since that night that they had believed they had all been hunted down.

And just like the cats and dogs, the goblins’ bodies reacted before their minds had the chance to think.

However, none of them reached for their weapons.

Instead, they instinctively began closing the distance between one another until, without realizing it, they had nearly gathered around the very creature they should’ve feared the most.

Seeing the goblins unconsciously treating him as their protector almost made Noah laugh.

Only just hours ago, the mere sight of him had been enough to send them scattering in every direction.

Despite this, he couldn’t leave things as they were. He wouldn’t tell them to forgive them, but they needed to accept that the goblins here were now going to be part of their group.

Besides, if Dog and Alexandria’s group were stronger back then, it would’ve been them hunting down the goblins instead.

That was the cruel side of nature.

Noah didn’t want to be the one to force them to stand down. Putting them in their place for something they couldn’t control was beneath him. Instead, his gaze swept past all of them before landing on one figure who didn’t react like the rest of its kin.

"Dobby, you know what to do."