For the next few minutes, I simply watched, allowing the two goblin siblings to calm down. Their terror slowly faded, replaced by the fragile realization that their lives had been spared. They looked at each other in silence, then, all at once, threw their arms around one another in a tight, trembling embrace.
The sight tugged at something inside me. I felt my non-existent chest tighten just a little.
Still, sentiment could wait. I needed to get them inside. I couldn't leave them out there, soaked and shivering in the cold rain. More importantly, the brother was injured, and he clearly needed rest.
So, I opened the gate leading into my main hall.
The heavy doors groaned as they swung open.
I even lit the torches along the walls, warm light spilling outward to show that it was safe inside.
However, the goblins did not seem to understand my good intentions. If anything, the sudden movement of the doors only frightened them again.
They didn't step forward.
Instead, both of them dropped to their knees and prostrated themselves, their bodies trembling as if they were before a deity.
(Oh god.)
I froze for a moment, completely taken aback by the sudden act of worship.
But then… I realized it.
(Wait a minute.)
(This is it.)
(My long-awaited moment!)
After all, I had just saved them by displaying overwhelming power. To them, I must have looked like some kind of higher being—a mysterious, god-like entity that had protected them from certain death!
That meant the conditions were met.
Intelligent enough? Check.
Aware of my existence? Check.
Possess sufficient affinity? Check.
Able to recognize and accept me as their Sovereign? Check!
It was time.
My first citizens!
"System. Grant these two citizenship! Now!"
[Ding!]
[Would you like to use Citizenship Granting on these two Forest Goblins?]
[Cost: 13 Points]
"Do it!"
I willed the confirmation.
The bodies of the two goblins flickered, faint light rippling across their forms as the citizenship process began.
The next few seconds felt far longer than I expected.
(Come on…)
(Come on!)
Then, all at once, both of them flared with brilliant light.
And at the same time, the System's distinct chime rang out.
[DING! Congratulations!]
[You have successfully granted citizenship to a Level 8 Forest Goblin!]
[You have successfully granted citizenship to a Level 5 Forest Goblin!]
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: First Citizens! Points +20]
Points remaining: 187 points.
[You currently possess no Sovereign Skills. The system recommends visiting the Sovereign Shop to acquire skills for managing your citizens.]
(Oh hell yeah!)
(Finally…)
(FINALLY!)
Needless to say, I was overjoyed!
Excitement surged through me like a raging fire. I had done it. I really did it!
Without hesitation, I purchased [Eye of the Overlord].
With this skill, I would finally be able to see the stats of my citizens.
Now then…
(Let's see what you've got, little goblins!)
****
Sovereign Skill — [Eye of the Overlord]
It was a passive skill that allowed me to observe the basic status of any citizen under my rule.
And now, I could finally see it. Clear as day, the status windows of my first two citizens appeared before my eyes.
[Citizen Status]
Name: Unnamed (Designation Required)
Race: Forest Goblin
Sex: Male
Rank: ★
Level: 8
Vital Status
- HP: 25 / 110 ⚠️
- MP: 10 / 10
- Stamina: 12 / 100 ⚠️
Core Attributes
- Attack: 8
- Defense: 3
- Magic Attack: 0
- Magic Defense: 0
- Magic Capacity: 0
- Speed: 2
Recovery Rates
- HP Regen: 0.25 / min
- Mana Regen: 0.1 / min
- Stamina Regen: 1 / min
Skill List
- Hunting Lv.1
- Fishing Lv.1
- Boosted Sex Drive Lv.MAX
- Carnivorism Lv.1
- Regeneration Lv.1
Active Status Effects
- Bleeding Lv.1
- Fatigue
- Cold
***
[Citizen Status]
Name: Unnamed (Designation Required)
Race: Forest Goblin
Sex: Female
Rank: ★
Level: 6
Vital Status
- HP: 70 / 90
- MP: 10 / 10
- Stamina: 23 / 100 ⚠️
Core Attributes
- Attack: 6
- Defense: 2
- Magic Attack: 0
- Magic Defense: 0
- Magic Capacity: 0
- Speed: 1
Recovery Rates
- HP Regen: 0.25 / min
- Mana Regen: 0.1 / min
- Stamina Regen: 1 / min
Skill List
- Cooking Lv.1
- Boosted Sex Drive Lv.MAX
- Carnivorism Lv.1
- Regeneration Lv.1
Active Status Effects
- Fatigue
- Broken Bone
- Cold
The first thing that caught my eye was… oh god! Boosted Sex Drive Lv.MAX? What the hell was up with these guys?
But then, I remembered that they were goblins.
Of course goblins were lust-driven. Alongside their greed, it was their most famous trait. In all the anime and manga I'd read, they always had this great urge to reproduce and often kidnapped females of other races to breed!
That was a little terrifying to think about.
Imagine having goblins kidnap young human girls, lock them up in my castle basement, then torture and breed them every day?
Oh hell fucking no!
But well, I couldn't just assume these goblins were like that. Maybe they only mated within their own kin? After all, female goblins existed, and they had this sex drive skill too!
(I guess I will need to watch them closely now that they are my citizens to make sure they don't do such monstrous things.) I made a mental note. (As long as there is no non-consensual sex inside my castle, I'm cool. And not to mention, I can make rules, can't I? I literally have a skill for it!)
That aside, there was an urgent problem I needed to deal with now.
The brother's negative status.
[Bleeding Lv.1]
Description: Causes the victim to continuously lose HP. The amount depends on the level.
Effect: -3 HP/minute.
Duration: 1 hour.
He only had 25 HP left.
Worse, he had very weak HP regeneration to offset the bleeding, only recovering a tiny 0.25 HP a minute. If this wasn't treated soon, he would be dead in less than ten minutes!
As I watched, his HP ticked down again.
24 HP.
Blood had already pooled beneath him, soaking into the ground and mixing with the rain until the two were indistinguishable. His eyes were dull, unfocused, as if his strength were slipping away with every breath. He looked like he might collapse at any moment.
(Alright. First things first.)
(I need to get them inside.)
I dropped a piece of meat just beyond the entrance of my hall.
The goblins hesitated only briefly before understanding my intent. The little sister hurried to her brother's side, helping him to his feet and guiding him into the castle, where it was warmer and mercifully dry.
Once inside, she picked up the meat.
She didn't eat it.
Instead, she handed it to her brother.
Thankfully, he could still chew. Despite the pain and despite the blood still flowing, he devoured the entire steak in moments!
I dropped two more pieces of meat.
This time, both of them ate.
While they did, I pulled up their status windows again, scanning every description line by line, searching for anything that could stop the bleeding before it was too late.
****
And then, I found it.
There were still a few things that could save him.
First, his skill.
[Regeneration Lv.1]
Effect: Restores 0.5% of maximum HP per minute.
With a max HP of 110, that should have meant 0.55 HP per minute.
But the problem was the debuff weighing him down.
[Fatigue]
Description: Once Stamina drops below 25, the victim's Speed, HP Recovery, and MP Recovery are halved. Damage output is reduced, while all incoming damage and negative status effects are amplified by 50%.
Needless to say, it was brutal.
Worse still, it strengthened the bleeding effect, accelerating his death instead of slowing it.
So the priority was clear.
The fatigue had to go.
But waiting for his stamina to recover naturally wasn't an option. At this rate, he would be dead long before crossing the threshold.
Fortunately… I had already taken action.
By giving him the steak earlier, I had unknowingly triggered another one of his skills.
[Carnivorism Lv.1]
Description: After consuming meat, grants a significant boost to Stamina Recovery and HP Regeneration. The duration depends on the type and amount of meat consumed.
Effect (Beef Steak, 500g):
- Stamina Regeneration: +1 per second
- HP Regeneration: +1 per minute
- Duration: 20 minutes
And just like that, everything changed.
Within half a minute of activating Carnivorism, his stamina surged past the danger line. The Fatigue debuff faded away, and with it, the penalties that had been dragging him toward death.
Freed from fatigue, and combined with his Regeneration skill, his HP recovery climbed to 1.5 HP per minute.
Better.
But not enough.
Even without fatigue amplifying it, Bleeding was still draining 2 HP per minute. That left him with a net loss of 0.5 HP per minute. With nearly an hour remaining on the bleeding effect, the outcome was still the same.
Death. Just slower.
Giving him another steak didn't help either. It only extended Carnivorism's duration, not its effect.
Which meant there was only one option left.
The final push: Level up.
I spent another 20 points and purchased [Lord's Blessing Lv.1]
(Now… let's see if this is enough to tip the scales!)