"Heavy Strike!"
He slammed his metal rod on the floor.
Thud!
[ Ding! Staff Mastery proficiency +1! ]
He wiped his sweat, muttering, "I'm tired."
He washed himself in the pond next to him.
His reflection flashed in the water—an ugly green, grotesque face with pointed ears, large eyes, thick lips, and an elongated nose. His head had short black hair.
And a body similar to that of a ten-year-old human kid.
'It's too disgusting… slime body was so cute,' he thought, missing his actual body.
'I decided to pick up a weapon,' he mused, glancing at the rod. 'Since I can shift into humanoid form with my slime body.'
"It's a pity that I couldn't go to hunt," he muttered, recalling Professor Seralyth's words: demons don't awaken their intellect until they are a few years old—once they do, they gain adult human intelligence.
"I think it's time to show myself," he declared, narrowing his eyes. He recalled Old Goblin's words.
"Goblins usually awaken their intellect from three to five years old."
For the past three years, he had acted as a mindless goblin.
'I don't want to test Goblin Freak's intelligence,' he mused, recalling the ruthlessness of his father. 'If I do something wrong, I'll be put to death… even if he is affectionate toward me, I don't want to test the limits.'
He spun the rod in his hands as he walked forward, entering the goblin village just next to the pond.
Goblins had built their village around the pond as their water source.
The village had wooden houses built randomly in a rough circle.
As he entered, he was met with a majority of empty wooden houses.
"It will take some time for them to return," he muttered. "It's good—I can train with no problem."
In the early morning, goblins would set off to hunt.
Almost 90% of the goblins rushed out, leaving only the injured and goblin kids behind.
Since goblin kids weren't awakened, they would stay in their houses, blankly staring at the ceiling.
And he would use this time to train.
"Oh, it's Goblin Lord's son," an injured goblin yelled, waving his broken hand.
He sat in front of his dwelling on a wooden chair, enjoying the morning sunlight.
Goblin Kid only glanced at him and walked away.
The injured goblin just nodded, not taking it to heart, knowing the goblin kid's intellect wasn't awakened.
Kid glanced at his one-story dwelling next to the Goblin Lord's house.
'He is extremely cautious about my safety,' he mused, entering his house.
He instantly leaped onto his bed, threw his rod away, and snored right away.
When the sun reached its peak—
Thud! Thud!
Heavy knocking woke Goblin Kid. He rushed to open the door.
Goblin Lord stood behind the door, glancing suspiciously at the goblin kid.
"Who are you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I am—" Goblin Kid rubbed his forehead, tilting his head. "Who am I?" he asked in goblin language.
"You understand me!" Goblin Lord exclaimed. "No wonder—you locked the door. You have finally awakened, my son."
He hugged the goblin kid in joy, lifting him into the air.
He spun while still holding the kid.
"I forgot," Goblin Lord muttered, placing the kid back on the ground. "Let's eat first."
He glanced at his son, light shining in his eyes, as they devoured the cooked meat.
The image of Goblin Baby eating with watering eyes overlapped with Goblin Kid, now eating in large bites.
'What the heck...?' Goblin Kid twitched. 'Why did he… why did he tear up?'
'My son has grown up,' Goblin Lord thought with teary eyes—feeling happy yet bitter.
Goblin Lord and the kid quickly swallowed the food.
"Ah, I'm full," the kid said, patting his swollen stomach.
In the beginning, even raw meat seemed heavenly. But as time passed, his extreme desire for food decreased—making him closer to a normal foodie.
'I'll have to eat as much as possible,' he thought. 'I have to grow stronger… and I don't know when I'll acquire sensory skill, as slime.'
"Let's go." Goblin Lord picked up the Goblin Kid and dashed toward his dwelling.
After entering, he sat on his sturdy wooden chair, decorated over time with soft leaves and materials taken from adventurers who had fallen into goblins' hands.
He clapped his hands.
A goblin—two meters tall, scarred, one eye closed—walked forward and knelt.
"You ordered, my Lord?"
"Go bring the Goblin Elder," Goblin Lord ordered with a light grin.
Whoosh!
The goblin dashed out like a flash.
Within a moment, Goblin Elder and the goblin servant entered the house.
"What's the matter, Lord?" Old Goblin asked. He spotted the Goblin Kid near the Goblin Lord.
He continued, raising his trembling hands, "Lord, did young Lord—?"
He was cut short as the Goblin Lord nodded. "Yes. My kid has awakened."
Goblin Elder nodded with a trembling body. "Good, good."
"Quick—bring the naming crystal," Goblin Lord ordered, clapping his hands.
Within a flash, a one-and-a-half-meter-tall goblin brought a blue orb—palm-sized—glowing with a watery-blue color.
"Kid, place your hand here," Goblin Lord said, picking up the orb in his palm.
Goblin Kid nodded and placed his right palm over the crystal.
The crystal shone with extreme brightness as Goblin Lord poured his mana into it.
"I, Goblin Lord Gilibero, name you Giliberu."
[ Ding! You have been named as Giliberu {Semi‑Embedded}! ]
'What…?' the goblin kid scowled. 'What the heck is this name? And the hell is Gilibero?'
"Good," Goblin Lord said, taking back the crystal and nodding with a smile at Giliberu. "It's time to train you. Show me your status."
'The heck… status,' Giliberu trembled. 'If he sees my traits, I'll be done for.'
"Why name only now?" he asked, trying to change the topic.
Goblin Lord replied, "We goblins name one after they gain intellect."
"Can anyone name others?" Giliberu asked again, recalling how he wasn't able to name himself or other slimes like Elder Slime and Mama Slime.
Instead of Goblin Lord, Elder Goblin replied, "No, only a Demon King or another king can name others—"
"Since the name will be embedded in one's soul. So we use this crystal to name," Goblin Lord added, pointing toward the crystal in his palm.
'Wait… I didn't get the temporary line—this is semi-embedded,' Giliberu felt a jolt down his spine. "So does this name stay for life?"
"No," The goblin Lord shook his head. "If I named directly, it would stay for a few years, ranging from 10 to 15. But if I used this crystal, it would stay for more than 100 years."
'100 years… you've got to be kidding me,' Giliberu clicked his tongue.
"Back to your status," Goblin Lord narrowed his eyes, waving his palm. "Show it."