The Golden Goblin.

    A concept widely used in games.

    It was no different in Eternal World.

    “Golden Goblin refers to those mobs that carry a lot of treasure, right?”

    “Yeah, that’s correct.”

    “There was a Golden Goblin in Persville?”

    Senior team member Lee Won-sang sighed, watching his junior, Oh Jin-hyuk, who flinched under the weight of that exasperation.

    What could he do? He didn’t know, so he had to ask.

    Seeing his junior’s reaction, Won-sang relented with a nod.

    “To be precise, it’s more like a Treasure Goblin.”

    “Wait, what? Then does that user already know about it?”

    “It’s possible... but unlikely. That particular one only exists in the Persville goblin village, and it’s already dead.”

    “What? It’s already dead?”

    If it’s dead, it’s not completely impossible to find, but it would definitely be more difficult.

    As Jin-hyuk considered this, Won-sang elaborated.

    “Yeah, another player killed it thinking it was just a normal goblin and left without discovering the hidden piece.”

    “Ah!”

    That clarified things.

    With the clue lost, there was no way for anyone else to find it now.

    Such items became what was known as Lost Hidden Pieces—features considered practically irretrievable even by developers.

    But something about the senior’s expression didn’t sit right with Jin-hyuk.@@@@

    Why does he seem so uneasy?

    Given that it was a lost hidden piece, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

    “It’s a lost hidden piece, so that user won’t be able to get it either, right?”

    “...Right.”

    Though he responded, Won-sang’s expression remained tense.

    He eventually forced a laugh and added, “Yeah, they can’t find it. How would they? It’s a lost hidden piece.”

    “Haha! Of course, senior, you’re always right!”

    Despite the hollow cheer, the memory of Seong plowing through rare skills with his "unknown power" left both of them uneasy.

    4.

    The Persville Plains, the largest hunting ground in the region, teemed with a wide variety of monsters.

    From animal-type monsters like deer, wolves, and foxes, to humanoid creatures like goblins, zombies, and skeletons, the diversity of the plains matched their vastness.

    Among all the creatures, goblins were undoubtedly the most prominent.

    Not because they were strong—far from it. Ten out of ten players would call them weak.

    But goblins were an enormous nuisance.

    They traveled in groups, set traps, and carried out ambushes, making them one of the most annoying monsters to encounter in the area.

    At least, that’s what Seong had read about them.

    ‘Hmm.’

    Yet, the sight before him made those reports hard to believe.

    The sound of clashing metal echoed across the field, mingling with the metallic stench of blood in the air.

    It was a scene of utter slaughter.

    “Kerrek!”

    “Kyahk!”

    “Grrruk!”

    “Kill them all!”

    “Victory for the Master!”

    “Drench our old home in death!”

    “For the glory of our Lord!”

    The ones being massacred were goblins, and their executioners were undead, wreathed in darkness and radiating a faint turquoise glow.

    Though cloaked in shadows, their size and shape betrayed their origins: they had been goblins in life.

    Watching the massacre of what were effectively their kin, Seong scratched his cheek.

    Was it gruesome?

    “Oh!? I see our village has fallen! And to such a mighty individual, no less!”

    “Huh?”

    Seong was more surprised by the goblin ghost’s speech than its appearance.

    The Death Soldiers he controlled earlier had spoken only in Goblin tongue, yet this ghost was clearly speaking the common language.

    How could a goblin speak the common tongue?

    Seong’s curiosity deepened as he began to suspect that this peculiar ghost might hold something valuable.

    “Haha! I must admit, it must be shocking to hear a mere goblin speak your language!”

    “To be honest, yeah.”

    “I’ve dealt with humans since I was young, and through these interactions, I naturally picked it up. It helps that I’m a bit more... intelligent than my peers.”

    The sharp gleam in the goblin ghost’s eyes exuded an aura of wisdom rarely seen in monsters.

    Its refined tone and demeanor were quite unlike the usual goblin.

    Even though it was technically a monster’s spirit, it displayed a remarkable friendliness toward Seong—remarkable considering he had just annihilated its village.

    “Ah, to think I’d encounter such a mighty being! Allow me to offer you my treasures, great one.”

    “Treasures?”

    “Yes, though I am but a lowly goblin, I have accumulated quite a fortune over the years.”

    “Oh?!”

    Seong’s eyes widened.

    He’d heard about “Golden Goblins” in Eternal World—special goblins rumored to carry vast amounts of treasure.

    And now, this ghost was one of them.

    What a jackpot.

    Seeing Seong’s eager expression, the goblin ghost chuckled, nodding slowly.

    “Haha, I’m glad you’re pleased. Allow me to guide you to it. Unfortunately, I’m bound to this place and cannot leave.”

    “Ah.”

    It seemed this ghost was what one might call a lingering spirit, unable to leave the vicinity of its death.

    Acknowledging this, Seong nodded, and the goblin ghost began explaining the path to its hidden treasure in detail.

    As the ghost spoke, Seong felt a strange sensation—one he hadn’t experienced before.

    Previously, he’d encountered spirits guiding him to locations, but this time, something was different.

    He felt an instinctual pull, as if he could directly absorb the ghost’s memories and experiences.

    Following this intuition, Seong reached out his hand.

    “Oh?!”

    The ghost exclaimed in surprise as Seong’s turquoise-tinged eyes glowed, and a faint aura radiated from his body.

    Within moments, the goblin ghost’s memories and experiences flowed into Seong, becoming his own.

    Through this process, Seong gained not only the treasure’s location but also details about traps and a special guardian goblin that protected the treasure.

    ‘Perfect.’

    With this knowledge, he could prepare thoroughly before setting off.

    “Thank you. Because of you, I can find it easily now,” Seong conveyed his gratitude through thought.

    The ghost, Kahku, beamed with pride, nodding enthusiastically.

    “It is nothing, great one. To have assisted you is an honor. Haha, I now have something to brag about in the afterlife!”

    Seong chuckled at the ghost’s flattery. While it was excessive, it was harmless, and the sentiment wasn’t unpleasant.

    Just as he was about to set off, Seong sensed someone approaching—quickly and purposefully.

    While it was subtle, Seong’s honed instincts from his past-life experiences as an instructor and a hunter helped him detect the intruder.

    ‘Who could it be?’

    It wasn’t another player hunting for the hidden piece, as Kahku’s memories confirmed that no one else had the necessary map.

    ‘Then why are they coming this way?’

    Seong turned his gaze toward the source of the movement, and before long, a sharply dressed man came running, looking disheveled but determined.

    “Hmm?”

    The man’s attire reminded Seong of those he’d seen in the cemetery earlier—other scouters.

    Having read beginner guides, Seong knew scouters were akin to corporate recruiters in Eternal World, often wearing business-like attire to stand out.

    Still, it was surprising to see one run so desperately toward him.

    Seong stood quietly as the man reached him, glancing between the goblin village ruins and Seong himself.

    Then, the man bent at a full 90-degree angle and shouted, “Greetings! I am Seong-yeong, a scouter from the Sick Brothers Guild! We would be honored to have a necromancer of your caliber join us!”

    “Uh... me? Why me?”

    Seong’s genuine confusion caught Seong-yeong off guard.

    The recruiter straightened slightly, studying Seong carefully. His face reflected both relief and nervousness.

    “Wait, are you the necromancer who summons those unusual undead?”

    “Uh, yeah, that’s me.”

    “And... did you recently attend the Special Class Training Grounds?”

    “Yes, that’s also me.”

    What the heck? He’s the one!

    Seong-yeong’s anxiety evaporated instantly.