Chapter 46: Lufast City

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Lufast City

The more he observed, the more satisfied he became.

The Goblin Village was far more useful than the original goblin camp.

The thirty goblins could work together, they understood the environment.

And with the Hobgoblin leading them, they were no longer simply twenty weak monsters scattered around the dungeon.

The goblins quickly gathered, the Hobgoblin stood at the front.

Thirty goblins, and one Hobgoblin mini-boss. Twenty-one monsters in total.

Ragnar folded his arms.

"You know..."

He spoke without expecting them to understand every word.

"I originally bought five of you because I needed something to defend the dungeon."

The goblins stared at him.

"Now look at this."

Ragnar glanced around the village.

"You have your own territory."

Several goblins made excited noises.

The Hobgoblin remained still, but its eyes never left Ragnar.

Ragnar’s expression became serious.

"This dungeon is going to receive stronger intruders in the future."

The atmosphere changed slightly.

Although the goblins couldn’t understand every word, they clearly recognized the tone in Ragnar’s voice.

Danger.

Enemies.

The Hobgoblin tightened its grip around the massive axe.

Ragnar looked directly at it.

"You’ll have to be strategic."

The Hobgoblin slowly nodded.

The ordinary goblins followed their leader’s movement.

Ragnar smiled faintly.

"Good."

After that, he turned around. Behind him, the goblins watched silently.

The Hobgoblin stood at the entrance of the village, its massive axe resting against its shoulder.

It watched Ragnar’s enormous figure disappear into the corridor.

Only after Ragnar was gone did the goblins finally begin moving again.

But something had changed. The Hobgoblin looked toward the twenty goblins.

Then it raised its axe.

"GRAAAH!"

The goblins immediately reacted. They grabbed their weapons. Several rushed toward the training area.

Others returned to reinforcing the fences.

The Goblin Village became lively once again.

They couldn’t speak.

They couldn’t make grand promises to their creator.

But they understood one thing.

The enormous demon who had given them life expected them to defend this dungeon.

And none of them wanted to disappoint him.

Deep within the dungeon, Ragnar continued walking through the corridors.

A faint smile remained on his face. His dungeon was growing, not just in size, or in the number of monsters.

The creatures inside were beginning to develop their own territories.

----

Far away from Hetin Town, after nearly a full day of travel by horse and carriage, stood one of the larger cities in the surrounding region.

Lufast City.

Unlike Hetin Town, which was little more than a modest settlement surrounded by farmland and wilderness, Lufast City was a true center of trade, commerce, and power.

Massive stone walls surrounded the city, stretching high into the sky and protecting tens of thousands of people within. Watchtowers stood along the walls, while armed guards constantly watched the roads leading toward the enormous gates.

From early morning until late at night, the gates of Lufast City were rarely empty.

Merchants arrived with caravans filled with food, weapons, fabrics, magical materials, and countless other goods. Farmers from nearby villages brought their harvest to the markets, while nobles and wealthy merchants traveled in luxurious carriages guarded by armed escorts.

But among all the people entering and leaving the city, one group was particularly common.

Adventurers.

Men and women wearing armor and carrying swords, shields, staffs, bows, and other weapons could be seen everywhere.

Some were returning from the wilderness with monster materials strapped to their backs. Others were leaving the city in groups, laughing and talking as though they were preparing for an ordinary hunting trip.

Several adventurers walked toward the Adventurer’s Guild, hoping to find new quests.

Others were already drinking inside taverns despite the early hour.

Everything appeared peaceful.

However, the reason Lufast City had become so prosperous wasn’t simply because of its location.

Not far from the city, beyond several hills and a stretch of dense forest, stood something far more valuable than gold mines or fertile farmland.

A dungeon.

The entrance had existed for centuries. No one knew exactly when it had first appeared.

According to ancient records, the dungeon was already there long before Lufast City had been established. In fact, the city itself had gradually developed because of the dungeon.

At first, there had only been a small settlement nearby.

A few adventurers and merchants had begun gathering around the area after discovering the dungeon. More people arrived as the years passed, attracted by the treasures, magical materials, rare monsters, and countless opportunities hidden within its depths.

And eventually, Lufast City became what it was today.

This was not unusual in this world.

Dungeons were more than simply dangerous places filled with monsters.

They were resources. Incredibly valuable resources.

Monsters living inside dungeons provided magical cores, rare materials, bones, hides, blood, and other ingredients used by alchemists, blacksmiths, enchanters, and countless other professions.

Dungeons were also one of the greatest causes of conflict between powerful forces.

Kingdoms had gone to war over them.

Clans had slaughtered one another over ownership rights.

Powerful forces had sent armies to seize dungeons discovered within territories controlled by weaker factions.

A dungeon was a resource that could continue producing wealth for generations.

As long as the dungeon remained active, monsters would continue appearing.

Treasures could continue being discovered.

Adventurers would continue arriving.

Merchants would continue making money.

For a kingdom or powerful noble family, controlling a dungeon could be equivalent to controlling an entire gold mine that never truly ran dry.

However, not every dungeon possessed the same value.

The strength of a dungeon was generally determined by its tier.

The higher the tier, the more dangerous the monsters within became, and naturally, the greater the treasures and resources that could potentially be discovered.

A Tier 1 dungeon was usually considered the lowest level of dungeon that adventurers were willing to explore. The monsters inside were dangerous to ordinary people, but experienced adventurers could usually deal with them without too much difficulty.

Tier 2 dungeons were considerably more valuable.

In this part of the land, a Tier 2 dungeon was already considered an excellent resource.

There were no famous ancient ruins nearby. No legendary Tier 5 dungeon capable of attracting powerful adventurers from across the world.

The surrounding region consisted mostly of small towns, developing cities, forests, mountains, and territories controlled by local nobles.

For Lufast City, possessing a Tier 2 dungeon was enough to make it prosperous.