Dawn arrived wrapped in a gentle mist.
Light filtered through the trees and gathered around the Wooden Houses, as if the forest itself were breathing alongside us. I felt the flow of mana brush against my skin—weak, but steady.
Now that I possessed a Mana Core, my focus had shifted to Aura. I had already managed to accumulate a certain amount within my body, but unfortunately, it was still not enough. Unlike mana—which could be increased with the help of the environment or mana-rich foods—aura could only be strengthened through consistency and hard work.
But…
It was enough.
Today, I had no intention of training aura.
Today, I gave the order for the entire clan to awaken.
The bone horn sounded once.
A clear signal: everyone was to gather, without exception.
I stood at the front, with Asia to my right and Sasha to my left. Lina remained behind us, observing attentively.
It was no coincidence.
Every position spoke for itself.
"We know there is a group out there," I began, my voice firm, "that subjugates, enslaves, and kills the weak… and anyone who refuses to kneel before them."
The silence grew heavy.
"So far," I continued, "we have survived. We have grown."
Some lowered their heads. Others clenched their fists, knowing that at any moment they might face those Pigmen.
"We have hunted, fled, hidden our dens, and been grateful not to be discovered."
I paused.
"That ends today."
A murmur spread through the group.
"From this moment on, we stop being a wandering tribe. We stop being prey. Today, we begin building something that cannot be moved… nor erased easily."
I raised my hand and pointed toward the Wooden Houses.
"These are not temporary shelters. They are the first territory claimed by us."
Asia stepped forward.
"From today onward," she said clearly, "mana-rich food will be regulated. Only those who have opened mana veins will be allowed to consume it."
I narrowed my eyes.
Asia was referring to the great prey. These were nothing like the animals from my past life—these beasts were massive, aggressive, and powerful. Hunting one meant abundant food… but also real danger.
Since my father and mother had devoted themselves fully to hunting, meat no longer ran scarce, but it was never abundant either. And it was thanks to that meat—and the mana vein—that many had managed to accelerate the opening of their mana veins.
Asia's words carried a clear meaning:
soon, they would no longer be able to rely on that aid for cultivation.
Some tensed. Others—those who had already opened veins—felt a trace of relief.
Asia did not lower her gaze.
"Any goblin who has opened all of their veins will be rewarded with meat… and will receive my help, as well as Luna's, to form their Mana Core."
I nodded.
My mother had finally succeeded in forming hers. Not because she lacked talent, but because she had lacked resources. In her former tribe, despite being lycanthropes, they had never possessed a mana vein like this one.
I stepped forward and nodded to Asia in gratitude.
"It is a miracle that we possess a mana vein… and that we have not been discovered yet," I said. "That is why we need order."
I took out a smooth wooden tablet and drove it into the ground.
"There will be divisions."
The wood sank with a dull sound.
"Hunters. Gatherers. Excavators. Builders. Defenders."
Each word seemed to weigh heavily upon them.
"Every goblin will have a role. No one eats without contributing."
No one protested.
"Those who can open mana veins will form the core of the clan."
I felt several gazes ignite.
"They will be trained. Protected."
Absolute silence.
Sasha took a small step forward and smiled.
"Do not be afraid," she said softly. "Those who have cultivated aura will also be given privileges."
It was not consolation.
It was truth.
Many who had trained with me trembled at the memory of the brutal exercises, but their determination did not waver. Instead, it grew stronger.
I smiled inwardly.
'I may not have founded a city.'
I locked eyes with each of them.
'But I have laid the foundations of my future kingdom.'
The wind rose.
Soon, those who had opened their first veins returned to training. Those cultivating aura headed toward the designated area.
The clan moved as one.
The Next Day
I sat on the ground and observed my surroundings.
Wooden houses.
Improvised yak farms.
The goblins watched me from a distance, curious. Once again, I did not begin training immediately.
I stood up.
"There will be no training today," I said calmly. "We will focus on construction."
I did not raise my voice. I did not need to.
Since forming my Mana Core, I had learned another use for mana: amplifying my voice, ensuring every word carried clearly.
Goby frowned.
"What will we do?"
I looked around.
The mana vein pulsed beneath the earth—unseen, but constant. A resource that many powers would envy.
"The others will no longer live in the caves," I said. "Only those who have awakened mana will live directly above the vein."
Confusion spread.
I took a stick and drew lines in the dirt.
"The rest of the goblins will live around it."
I traced a wide circle.
"The center will be a privileged space for mages."
Asia watched silently. For tribes like hers or the dark elves, this kind of order was not unusual.
"The houses will be built in rings," I continued. "First wood. Later stone."
"And the streets?" Lina asked hesitantly.
I smiled.
"There will be streets as well."
"Streets?" she repeated, confused.
I drew lines connecting the rings.
"Not random paths. Roads. Wide enough for two carriages to pass."
Sasha tilted her ears.
"Why think about things that do not exist?"
I looked at her.
"Because they will."
I did not say it arrogantly.
I said it as a fact.
Construction began that very day.
But not as the goblins were accustomed to.
There was no chaos.
I divided the tasks.
"The strongest, foundations."
"The agile, transport."
"Those who have not opened veins, measuring and clearing."
Some hesitated.
Others grew irritated.
But no one disobeyed.
Because something had changed.
They were no longer working to survive the day.
They were working to belong to something that would grow.
I walked among them, correcting angles, shifting posts, halting entire structures over minor details.
'If drainage fails, the mud will drown us.'
'If the houses are too close, fire will consume everything.'
'If we leave no space, growth will kill us.'
Mistakes I had seen hundreds of times.
Mistakes I would not allow here.
By nightfall, the first ring was marked.
Not built.
Marked.
Stakes. Ropes. Simple symbols.
I stopped at the center, where mana was densest, and closed my eyes.
Stable.
Patient.
Powerful.
Asia stepped beside me.
"This… doesn't resemble anything I've ever seen," she admitted.
I opened my eyes and smiled.
Sasha and Lina watched the construction from afar.
That place was no longer just a refuge.
And as the night fire was lit…
I thought something I had not thought since my death.
'I am not rebuilding my past life.'
'I am creating something in a place destined for destruction. Something that was never meant to exist.'
And on that land, still bare, without walls or banners,
the future began to take shape.
Stone by stone.
Decision by decision.
Without anyone outside knowing it yet…
something irreversible had just been born. 👑