The celebration lasted well into the night.
Wolf meat roasted over the central fire, filling the cave with the smoky aroma of cooking flesh. Goblins sat in clusters, their faces illuminated by dancing flames, sharing stories of the battles they'd survived and speculating about their futures. The nine Hobgoblins moved among the smaller goblins with a protective energy, their larger frames and confident movements a stark reminder of how far they'd come.
Satou sat slightly apart from the main group, his back against the cave wall, watching the scene with mixed emotions. Jessica and Kelvin were laughing with some of the newly evolved Hobgoblins, their voices bright with genuine happiness. Grimnir was demonstrating proper axe techniques to a group of fighters, his scarred face animated as he explained the importance of weight distribution during a swing. Lyra moved through the crowd distributing portions of food, ensuring everyone received their fair share.
This is what survival looks like, Satou thought. Not just staying alive, but actually living.
His enhanced senses picked up every detail—the crackling of the fire, the subtle variations in each goblin's scent, the vibrations in the earth as they moved around. The skills he'd gained from the alpha wolf had fundamentally changed how he perceived the world. Everything felt sharper, more immediate, more real.
"You're not eating," a voice said beside him.
Satou turned to find Lyra settling down with two portions of meat. She handed him one. "You need to keep your strength up. Especially after performing five namings today."
"I'm fine," Satou said, though he accepted the food. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
"Everything." He took a bite of the wolf meat. It was tougher than the rat meat but had more flavor. "A week ago, I was a newborn goblin who could barely walk. Now I'm responsible for twenty-one lives. It's... a lot."
Lyra was quiet for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. When she spoke, her voice was softer than usual. "You know, I never expected to live this long. Most goblins die within the first month—disease, predators, humans, or simple starvation. We're born knowing we're disposable. That our lives don't matter."
She gestured toward the celebrating goblins. "But you changed that. You made us matter. You gave us names, which sounds silly when you say it out loud, but..." She trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "Names mean we're individuals. Not just 'Goblin 1' or 'Female Goblin B.' We're people now. With identities. With worth."
Satou hadn't thought about it that way, but she was right. The naming wasn't just about making them stronger—it was about giving them dignity. Recognition that they existed as something more than expendable monsters.
"I just hope I can keep everyone safe," Satou said quietly. "Every decision I make could get someone killed. That's a weight I'm still learning to carry."
"You don't have to carry it alone," Lyra replied. "That's what Grimnir and I are here for. What all of us are here for. We're a pack now, remember? And packs survive together."
Before Satou could respond, a commotion near the cave entrance drew everyone's attention. The two sentries stationed outside were calling for Grimnir, their voices urgent but not quite panicked.
Grimnir set down his axe and jogged toward the entrance, Satou and Lyra following close behind. The celebration died down as goblins turned to watch, anxiety replacing joy on their faces.
"What's wrong?" Grimnir demanded as they reached the sentries.
"Finn just returned," one sentry said, pointing into the darkness beyond the cave. "He says it's urgent. Wouldn't give details, said he needed to report directly to Satou."
A moment later, Finn emerged from the shadows—one of the scouts Satou had named earlier that day. Even in his new Hobgoblin form, Finn looked exhausted. His clothes were torn, mud streaked across his face, and his breathing came in ragged gasps.
"Finn?" Satou stepped forward. "What happened? Are you injured?"
"I'm fine," Finn managed between breaths. He bent over, hands on his knees, sucking in air. "But we've got a problem. A big one."
"Slow down," Satou said. "Start from the beginning. You were supposed to be scouting the northern territory with Kira, right?"
Finn nodded. "We were. Everything was normal at first—just forest, some animal tracks, nothing unusual. But then we found..." He straightened up, his expression grim. "We found a settlement. About three miles north of here. And it's not goblins."
Silence fell over the group. Satou's mind immediately went to the worst possibility.
"Humans?" he asked, his voice tense.
"No. Worse." Finn swallowed hard. "Orcs. At least twenty of them, maybe more. They've got a proper camp set up—wooden structures, defensive walls, weapons racks. This isn't a temporary hunting party. They're established."
The word 'orcs' sent a ripple of fear through the goblins who'd gathered close enough to overhear. Satou's knowledge of this world was limited, but even he knew that orcs were significantly more dangerous than goblins. Bigger, stronger, more intelligent, and often hostile to other races.
"Did they see you?" Grimnir asked urgently.
"I don't think so," Finn said. "We stayed downwind, kept to the thick brush. But..." He hesitated. "There's something else. On our way back, Kira and I split up to cover more ground. She was supposed to circle west and meet me back here. But she never showed up."
Satou's stomach dropped. "How long ago was this?"
"Two hours. She should've been here an hour before me." Finn's hands clenched into fists. "I wanted to go back and search for her, but I needed to report what we found first."
"You did the right thing," Satou said, though his mind was already racing through possibilities. A missing scout. An orc settlement nearby. This could be coincidence, or it could be very bad news.
"We need to organize a search party," Lyra said immediately. "If Kira's injured or lost—"
"Or captured," Grimnir interrupted grimly. "If those orcs found her, and they realize there are more goblins in the area..."
He didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone understood the implication. Orcs weren't known for their mercy toward goblins. And if they discovered a whole tribe had settled in what they probably considered their territory, retaliation would be swift and brutal.
Satou's new Pack Leader's Instinct skill was already working, analyzing the situation and possible responses. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, but he couldn't afford to hesitate.
"Grimnir, take three of our best fighters and go search for Kira," Satou ordered. "Stay quiet, stay hidden. If you find her, bring her back immediately. If you encounter orcs, avoid engagement and return here. We need information more than we need a fight right now."
Grimnir nodded sharply. "Understood. Ragar, Torn, Finn—you're with me. Finn, you lead us to where you last saw her."
The four Hobgoblins armed themselves quickly and disappeared into the night, moving with the enhanced speed and coordination their evolution had granted them.
Satou turned to address the remaining goblins, who were now watching him with various expressions of fear and uncertainty.