Doro let out another exhausted breath before forcing himself back to his feet and moving toward the next unfinished section.

The process itself was painfully methodical.

He wasn’t raising the entire structure at once. Instead, he worked section by section, carefully shaping and reinforcing each part before connecting it to the next. It was slower that way, but also far more stable.

And judging by the sheer size of the perimeter surrounding the settlement...

He was going to repeat this process dozens upon dozens of times before the walls were fully complete.

Honestly, just watching it felt exhausting.

At first, most of the clan remained nearby to watch.

Every time another enormous section of wall rose from the earth, gasps and cheers followed shortly after. To the regular goblins, especially, what Doro was doing probably looked almost divine.

But after several more sections were completed, the excitement gradually faded.

Eventually, the crowd began dispersing.

Narg was the one who finally drove away the few goblins still lingering around doing nothing, ordering them back to work before they could continue treating the construction like entertainment.

The newer goblins were quickly assigned different responsibilities throughout the settlement.

Some were placed on patrol duty.

Others reinforced guard rotations around the perimeter.

Verya ended up joining Gork for patrol work, which honestly made sense considering both of them specialized in tracking and movement across large areas.

Meanwhile, Kharos joined Dribb and Gobbo on guard duty near the entrance and outer sections of the settlement.

Honestly, having those three stationed there together felt excessive.

Anyone attempting to attack the clan head-on would probably regret existing.

As for Drel...Flogga somehow managed to drag him into farm duty. And to my surprise, his innate skill actually turned out to be useful there.

Using controlled bursts of mana, he could accelerate plant growth across sections of the clan’s farms, allowing crops and medicinal herbs to mature far faster than normal. Though according to him, there were limits.

"If I force the growth too aggressively, the plants die," Drel explained while crouching near one of the crop patches. "Rapid growth still drains nutrients and life from the plant itself. Too much too quickly and the structure becomes unstable."

That made sense. Even magic apparently couldn’t completely ignore basic limitations.

Nevertheless, with that kind of ability on our side, our harvests would probably become much faster moving forward. I guess you could say we’d somehow acquired the greatest goblin farmer.

Though if I were being realistic, Drel didn’t really feel like a lifestyle-focused goblin at all. The way he carried himself, the instincts he showed, even the way his eyes constantly scanned his surroundings, made him feel far more suited for combat than tending crops.

Still...right now, this was where his abilities were most useful. And usefulness mattered more than appearances. So farm duty it was.

Not that Flogga seemed willing to let him escape anyway.

Speaking of Flogga...Sheera had somehow attached herself to the old goblin completely. The healer followed after her almost everywhere now, clinging to her side like some overly affectionate dog, and strangely enough, it actually seemed to work. Every now and then, Flogga would snap at her or threaten her verbally, but Sheera simply smiled through it and continued following along anyway.

The funniest part was that she somehow managed to make Flogga visibly flustered at times.

Which honestly felt almost impossible.

I genuinely didn’t understand how she was doing it.

I’d tried provoking reactions out of Flogga numerous times already, but things usually ended with me getting provoked instead. Yet somehow, Sheera managed to slip through her defenses naturally. Truly terrifying.

Off to the side, Caius was speaking quietly with Zarah.

The two looked serious enough that I assumed the conversation was probably related to her new responsibilities as Combat Commander, likely discussing squad structure, battlefield organization, or leadership matters.

Or maybe not. I couldn’t tell.

Either way, I definitely intended to ask her later what exactly that conversation was about.

And more importantly, what her cuddling with Ariel the entire night had been about, too. Because I absolutely had not forgotten that.

Eventually, I shifted my attention back toward Doro.

The goblin continued moving from section to section of the settlement, raising wall after wall with visible strain building across his body. Every time his mana reserves dropped too low, he’d stop briefly, uncork one of the mana potions, drink it with the expression of someone swallowing poison, and then continue working again moments later. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

A couple of hours later, I decided there was no point waiting for the entire wall to be completed before sending out the hunting groups. At the very least, the first batch could begin now while Doro continued working.

Narg arrived first.

He was clad in dark plated armor layered over thick beast hide, the metal dull and scratched from repeated use rather than polished for appearance. Nothing about the equipment looked decorative. It looked practical. Built for surviving direct combat rather than looking impressive.

Behind him stood Zonk and Thok wearing similar gear.

The two massive goblins moved with surprising lightness despite their size, their broad frames covered in mismatched armor plates strapped over layers of hide and leather. Weapons rested across their backs, and the way they carried themselves felt sharp and battle-ready, more like experienced hunters preparing for war than ordinary goblins.

No doubt the equipment had come from Talia.

Honestly, the difference the proper gear made was ridiculous. Not long ago, most goblins in the clan would’ve looked like poorly armed scavengers. Now? They actually resembled a fighting force.

Snib, Krosh, and Zox stood behind them alongside several other goblins assigned to the hunting group. Near the back, two of Caius’ men waited quietly as well.

And standing among them was one more figure. Zivra.

I raised a brow slightly the moment I noticed her.

She stood near the rear of the group, dressed in fitted leather armor lined with dark fur, her silver-gray hair tied loosely behind her, while a curved dagger rested at her waist. Compared to the others, her presence felt quieter and calmer, but not harmless.

So she was joining them too.

Not that I particularly minded.

The more goblins that reached level fifty before the King’s Games, the better our chances would become overall.

Regardless, knowing about whatever was going on between her and Narg made the situation stand out more than it probably should have.

"I’d be depending on you, Narg," I said, dropping my hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, Chief," he responded immediately, then reached into one of the pouches attached to his waist and brought out several prepared [Soulshade Sigils].

"Get them to as high a level as possible," I said while taking the talismans from him. "And return before nightfall."

Narg nodded once.

The paper talismans themselves looked strange up close.

Each sigil contained...