Cultivation of Goblin

Scene One – Dawn of a New Tribe

The cave entrance shimmered with early light. He watched his new 'tribe.' They still moved like frightened curs. But beneath his cold gaze, they were beginning to show faint glimmers of discipline.

Grub, his self-proclaimed 'First Shaman,' now carried himself with a pathetic semblance of authority. He barked at the others, prodding them into crude formations.

He needed more than just fear. He needed control.

> "Grub!" he growled.

>

The chieftain snapped to attention.

> "Gather them. All of them."

>

Scene Two – The Mental Leash

The ten goblins huddled before him, their eyes wide. His [Goblinoid Command (D)] skill pulsed, ready.

> "Today," he declared, his voice deep, "you learn true obedience."

>

He focused his Mana. A thin, almost invisible thread of energy shot out, connecting to Grub's mind. The goblin gasped, eyes widening in a mixture of fear and confusion.

[Goblinoid Command (D)] Activated: Targeting Grub.

[Mana Cost]: 1.0 per minute.

He pushed a simple command: Kneel.

Grub's knees buckled. He struggled, a flicker of resistance in his eyes, but his body obeyed. He dropped to the dirt.

The other goblins gasped, chattering in their crude tongue. They had seen him use power, but this was different. This was inside Grub's head.

> "You see?" he boomed. "Your will is mine."

>

He released the connection. Grub lay there, panting, utterly broken.

> "Stand, Grub," he commanded, this time with his voice alone.

>

Grub scrambled up, his gaze now completely subservient. There was no more defiance, only raw, unquestioning loyalty.

He moved through the group, touching each goblin, establishing the mental leash. One by one, their small minds buckled under his superior will. It drained his Mana, but the result was undeniable.

Scene Three – Shaping the Tools

His Mana was low after subjugating them all. He retreated to his secure cavern, the goblins following, now truly his shadow.

He led them to the Mana Vein chamber. Their eyes widened at the glowing blue crystals. They instinctively recoiled from the strange energy.

> "Eat," he commanded, pointing at the fluttering Mana Moths.

>

They hesitated. But the [Goblinoid Command] prodded them. One by one, they tentatively snatched a moth. Their eyes glowed with surprise as the faint mana rush hit them.

> "Good," he grunted. "This is your strength now."

>

He then brought them to the large Earth Essence patches. He forced them to sit, demonstrating the basic principles of drawing in essence. It was clumsy, painful for them. But under his mental commands, they endured.

[Notification]: Subordinates beginning rudimentary cultivation. Host gains 0.001 EXP per 10 minutes of subordinate cultivation.

A new stream of experience. This was it. Not just his own power, but their collective growth fueling his ascent.

Scene Four – The Perimeter Expands

His new goblin tribe, though small and still weak, was utterly obedient. He trained them. He made them set traps, not just for food, but for intruders. They learned crude patrol routes around his cavern.

He used them. He sent them to scout tunnels he hadn't explored. Their reports, relayed through their simple grunts and his [Goblinoid Command] parsing, gave him a clearer picture of the surrounding underground.

One day, Grub reported a new scent. A stronger one. Larger than a boar. Deeper.

> "Master," Grub rasped, trembling. "From... from the lower passages. A deep smell. Like... like stone, but alive."

>

His own [Earth Sense] confirmed it. A massive, slow-moving presence. Something ancient.

He had conquered this cavern. He had enslaved his first tribe. But the world always held a deeper, stronger challenge.

His beady red eyes gleamed. He needed more power. He needed more subordinates. The true hunt for dominion had only just begun.