Cultivation of Goblin

The ten pathetic goblins groveled before him, their faces pressed into the dirt. Their trembling was palpable, a testament to his successful display of power. He savored the moment. This wasn't just about fear; it was about establishing absolute, unquestionable authority.

"Look at you," he growled, his amplified voice echoing slightly in the small cave. "Weak. Starving. Useless." He watched their reactions. Some whimpered. Others dared a quick, fearful glance.

"But you have a choice," he continued, stepping closer, his tougher skin glinting in the faint firelight. "You can continue to scrounge and die like rabid dogs. Or you can serve me, and become something more."

The chieftain, the slightly larger goblin from before, slowly lifted his head. His eyes, though still terrified, held a flicker of desperate hope. "Serve... Master?" he rasped, his voice hoarse.

"Indeed," he affirmed. "I will teach you strength. I will teach you to hunt, to survive, to cultivate." The word "cultivate" seemed to hang in the air, alien and powerful to them. They clearly had no concept of it beyond perhaps an instinctual drawing from the earth.

He needed to demonstrate. "Stand," he commanded. They scrambled clumsily to their feet, still avoiding his gaze.

"You will follow my every command," he stated, his voice firm. "Your first task: find food. Not scraps. Not rotten things. Fresh meat. And bring it to me." He pointed a claw towards the cave entrance.

The chieftain hesitated. "But... Master, the forest is dangerous. Bigger things..."

A pulse of Mana flowed. He used [Minor Earth Manipulation (E)] to send a tiny, sharp pebble skittering across the cave floor, impacting inches from the chieftain's foot with a sharp crack. The goblin yelped, jumping back.

"Silence!" he roared, his eyes narrowing. "Do you question me? Or do you fear starvation more than you fear my displeasure?" His gaze swept over the cowering group. "Go! Now! Prove your worth, or be consumed by the forest you fear."

The chieftain, understanding the immediate threat better than the distant promise of power, let out a submissive grunt. "Yes, Master! We go! Find food for Master!" He turned to the others, snarling and prodding them into action. "Move, you worms! Find! Now!"

The small goblin group, still trembling but driven by a new, more immediate terror, stumbled out of the cave. He watched them go, a thin, satisfied smile forming on his lips. They were pathetic, but they were a start. They were his first subordinates.

He wouldn't just sit and wait. He would begin to shape this territory. He stepped out of the cave, scanning the surrounding area. The forest was dense, dark, and filled with unseen life. He activated [Earth Sense (F)], feeling the subtle vibrations of creatures moving through the undergrowth.

He needed to set up a perimeter, a defensive line. Using his [Minor Earth Manipulation], he began to subtly loosen dirt and small stones around the cave entrance, preparing to create small, nearly invisible trip hazards or alarm systems. He'd also search for suitable ambush points for his new, crude forces.

This wasn't just about finding food. This was about asserting dominance, not just over goblins, but over this patch of the world. He was the new apex predator here. The creatures of the forest, and eventually the humans who had destroyed his previous life, would learn to fear the Cultivation of Goblin.