"Well, if we could go out, then how about we fortify the dungeon—make it like a throne room or something? A safe haven, away from the dangers of monsters and beasts, watching the world evolve from a distance. That would be quite the lavish life, wouldn't it?"

  'But... it’s just a dream, right? Or maybe not. I have all the time in the world, don't I? Well, except if I die... but still. Wait, the dungeon still reeks of dead goblins. Wait a second.'

  Absorb goblins.

  The dozens of dead goblins and their spilled blood vanished into the air, leaving the chamber eerily silent.

  [Experience gained: 3,400]

  [Leveled up to 9. Remaining XP: 500]

  [You can now summon up to 28 automatons.]

  [Gained 6,800 mana.]

  "Wow. That’s a lot of experience... But it didn’t push me to level 10. What a shame. But still, progress is progress. Now, shall we summon more automatons?"

  [Summon 16 automatons.]

  With a flash, 16 new automatons appeared, fully formed and ready for orders. Lucas quickly commanded them to arm themselves with whatever they could find—bows, short swords, anything. The goblins' weapons were crude, but they would do for now.

  Now, Lucas stood with 28 armed automatons at his command. It was a substantial increase, but his mind lingered on the quality of the weaponry.

  "I fear we’ll need more soon, but relying on goblin loot isn’t ideal. The craftsmanship is... crude, to say the least," he muttered to himself. "Can these automatons produce their own weapons? If they can, it might be worth it to let them forge something more durable—or better yet, learn how to do it ourselves."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  'Learning from goblins? Are you really out of your mind, Lucas? Their weapons are barely usable, let alone good enough to fight beasts outside. If we’re going to produce quality gear, we need an expert. A human settlement might be the best place to start.'

  "Can I give the automatons conditional commands?"

  [Player thought detected. Yes, you can give them conditional commands. The output will depend on your input.]

  "I see. If I don’t input the right commands, the results could be disastrous," Lucas thought, cautious about the possibilities.

  He spent the rest of the day refining commands, experimenting with conditional orders. "If the monster is too strong, then run." It was basic, but it would suffice—for now.

  The automaton was tasked to explore the forest, with its main mission to find a human settlement—or anyone with sentience—and determine whether they were hostile.

  By morning, the sun streamed through the trees, and the air was filled with the sounds of chirping birds. The wind rustled the leaves, a beautiful reminder of nature’s power.

  But as Lucas observed, nature was not as peaceful as it seemed. Beneath the serenity, there was darkness. Monsters hunting other monsters, beasts attacking their own kind—survival of the fittest, even in broad daylight. And in the distance, a goblin village stood, surrounded by palisades and watchtowers. It resembled a primitive human tribe, but the sense of danger was palpable.

  The goblins had established their village in the heart of the forest, a dangerous place where only the strongest survived. The village bustled with activity as goblins hauled food from the forest, trading goods, and preparing for the worst. The goblin chief, a powerful leader, watched over them, his mind preoccupied with the absence of the raiding party he had sent out.

  His thoughts were consumed by the uncertainty of their fate. Had they encountered a beast too powerful to handle? Or perhaps a rival tribe had attacked? The chief didn’t know, but one thing was certain: his village was vulnerable. The loss of soldiers was a blow to his authority. Yet, to bolster the village’s strength, he decided to share a large portion of food with his people, hoping to encourage population growth and recover from the losses.

  Despite the chief’s efforts, the tension in the forest was palpable. Goblin villages were divided, each vying for dominance over territory. Alliances were fragile and fleeting, built on distrust and fear. Conflict seemed inevitable.

  Now, the entire forest was torn between warring goblin factions and the territories of dangerous monsters and beasts. Would Lucas’s automaton scout find a way out of the carnage? Or would it get caught in the crossfire of this brutal world? Only time would tell.