Chapter 36: New Citizens
Morning arrived with an unfamiliar sound.
Not the rhythmic hammering from the goblin forge.
Not the cheerful bouncing of young slimes beginning their daily training.
Not even the distant howls of the wolves returning from their night patrol.
It was... footsteps.
Many footsteps.
Tanaka opened his eyes.
He had spent the night atop the rocky hill overlooking the settlement, a habit he had developed after gaining a human form. Old instincts still told him to remain close to the Dungeon Core, but he also enjoyed watching the village awaken each morning.
Something was different today.
The telepathic network stirred before anyone physically reacted.
Unknown presences approaching the eastern border.
It was the Alpha Wolf.
Calm.
Alert.
Not panicked.
Tanaka immediately stood.
Numbers?
A small group. They are moving cautiously. No signs of aggression.
Within moments, several wolves appeared at the hill.
The Alpha lowered his head.
Tanaka nodded.
"Let’s go."
The little slime bounced onto his shoulder without asking.
Some habits never changed.
The eastern border had changed greatly over the past year.
What had once been an ordinary stretch of forest now contained patrol paths, hidden observation points, and natural barriers created by moss turtles and carefully placed stone formations.
Nothing entered unnoticed anymore.
When Tanaka arrived, the wolves had already formed a loose semicircle.
Across from them stood seven figures.
Goblins.
But...
Not his goblins.
These looked exhausted.
Their green skin was dull.
Several carried crude wooden clubs that had seen better days.
One limped badly.
Another carried a child on his back.
The oldest among them stepped forward before slowly placing his weapon on the ground.
Then...
He knelt.
The others followed.
Tanaka frowned.
They weren’t surrendering.
They were asking.
Help us...
The thought entered the network weakly.
The goblin elder wasn’t connected to Tanaka’s telepathy.
Yet emotions crossed species more easily than words.
Fear.
Exhaustion.
Hope.
The Alpha glanced toward Tanaka.
Waiting.
Tanaka stepped forward.
His appearance immediately startled the newcomers.
A human.
Standing among monsters.
Several instinctively reached for their weapons.
Then they noticed something stranger.
The wolves stood beside him.
The slimes gathered around his feet.
Even the little slime was happily bouncing against his leg.
None of the monsters feared him.
Instead...
They trusted him completely.
Tanaka raised an open hand.
"I won’t hurt you."
The words meant nothing to them.
But his posture did.
The elder slowly relaxed.
Tanaka switched to Thought Communication.
The invisible network expanded.
It brushed against the newcomers.
For a brief moment, surprise flooded their faces.
Can... can you hear me?
The elder’s eyes widened.
Yes...
His mental voice trembled.
You... connected us...
Tanaka smiled.
Tell me what happened.
Silence lingered.
Then the story poured out.
Their village...
Was gone.
A week earlier, an enormous monster had descended from the northern cliffs.
An ogre.
Not an ordinary one.
A mature warrior far stronger than anything the goblins had ever faced.
It hadn’t attacked out of hunger.
It had attacked because it wanted territory.
The goblins resisted.
Most died.
The survivors fled.
For days they wandered through the forest, chased from one place to another until rumors reached them.
Rumors of an impossible settlement.
A place where monsters of different races lived together.
A place ruled by...
The Great One.
Tanaka remained silent after hearing the story.
His expression didn’t change.
Inside...
His thoughts raced.
An ogre.
The first he had heard of.
Another race.
Another reminder that the world beyond his borders continued to move.
The Alpha’s tail twitched.
The wolves sensed Tanaka’s thoughts immediately through the network.
Danger.
Opportunity.
Both.
Back in the settlement, the newcomers drew countless curious stares.
Young slimes bounced around them.
Rabbit children peeked from behind mushroom houses.
Even the goblins were fascinated.
Seeing strangers of their own race was something none of them had expected.
The two groups cautiously approached each other.
Then...
An elderly goblin from Tanaka’s village laughed.
The sound echoed awkwardly through the clearing.
He walked forward and embraced the newcomer.
The tension vanished.
Soon the others followed.
Families that had never met treated one another like distant relatives.
After all...
They were the same race.
The little slime bounced happily between them, completely convinced it had somehow caused the reunion.
Tanaka decided not to correct it.
Later that afternoon...
The settlement gathered beneath the Crystal Tree that had grown after conquering the dungeon.
It had become the unofficial meeting place for important decisions.
Everyone was present.
Slimes.
Wolves.
Rabbits.
Goblins.
Moss turtles.
And now...
The seven refugees.
Tanaka looked around.
A year and half ago...
There had been only frightened slimes hiding inside a damp cave.
Now dozens of monsters from different races looked toward him for guidance.
The realization still felt unreal.
He took a slow breath.
Then opened the network.
This territory belongs to everyone who protects it.
Every mind listened.
Strength alone will never decide whether someone may live here.
The wolves straightened proudly.
Anyone willing to work, protect others, and live in peace...
...has a place here.
Warm emotions spread through the network.
Relief.
Gratitude.
Hope.
Several of the refugee goblins quietly cried.
No one mocked them.
The Alpha simply walked over and sat beside them.
The gesture alone spoke louder than words.
They were safe.
Over the following days, the village adapted surprisingly quickly.
The refugee goblins possessed different skills from the original group.
One knew woodworking.
Another understood leather crafting.
One elderly woman had spent decades preserving food using herbs and smoke.
The settlement’s knowledge expanded overnight.
Tanaka found himself smiling often.
Every new arrival brought more than numbers.
They brought experience.
Culture.
Stories.
History.
The village wasn’t merely growing larger.
It was becoming richer.
That evening, Tanaka stood near the outer wall watching the sunset.
The little slime rested comfortably on his shoulder.
You’re thinking again, the Alpha observed through the network.
"I am."
About the ogre?
Tanaka nodded.
"These refugees aren’t an isolated event."
"The forest is changing."
"If monsters are being driven from their homes..."
He looked toward the distant mountains.
"...then stronger beings are beginning to move."
The Alpha remained quiet.
Both understood what that meant.
Sooner or later...
Those powerful monsters would discover this territory.
And when they did...
They would have a choice.
Become enemies.
Or become citizens.
Tanaka smiled faintly.
"I hope they’re willing to choose wisely."