Commander Aldric Thorne stood before a detailed map of the southern territories, his jaw clenched tight enough to make his teeth ache. 2 weeks and some days had passed since he'd sent Vegeta to eliminate the goblin threat, which was unusual.

At first, he'd assumed Vegeta was taking his time, enjoying himself as the arrogant bastard often did. Heroes weren't known for their punctuality, especially ones as cocky as the Shadow Hero.

But two weeks? That was excessive even for Vegeta.

"Something happened to him," Aldric muttered, running a hand through his graying hair. "He's dead. He has to be."

One of his lieutenants, standing nearby, looked up sharply. "Sir? You think a hero could be killed by goblins?"

"Not goblins," Aldric corrected. "That goblin. Satou. the one who allied with orcs, the one who killed fifteen of my men with tactics and coordination no goblin should possess."

He turned away from the map, his expression grim. "If Vegeta had completed his mission, he would have been back the next day. He would have thrown that goblin's head right in my face just to prove how much better he was than us regular humans. His pride and disgusting attitude wouldn't let him do anything else."

The lieutenant shifted uncomfortably. "But sir, surely a hero blessed by gods couldn't be killed by a monster. Perhaps he's simply... pursuing other interests?"

"Perhaps," Aldric admitted, though his tone suggested he didn't believe it. "Vegeta's attitude has made him enemies everywhere he goes. Among nobles, among soldiers, even among the other heroes. Part of me wonders if his arrogance finally caught up with him. Maybe he picked a fight with something he couldn't handle."

He walked to his desk, sinking into the chair with a heavy sigh. "Or maybe he's embarked on one of his journeys. It wouldn't be the first time he disappeared for months chasing after some new power or technique. The bastard once spent half a year in the Shadow Realm just to perfect a single skill."

The lieutenant nodded. "That's true, sir. Perhaps we're worrying over nothing."

Aldric stared at the ceiling, his mind churning through possibilities. Dead? Alive? Training? Fighting something else? Every scenario was possible with someone as unpredictable as Vegeta.

"Pondering this won't give me information," he said finally, standing abruptly. "It's time to visit the black market. If anyone knows what happened in that forest, it'll be the information brokers there."

"The black market, sir?" The lieutenant's eyes widened. "That's... dangerous for someone of your rank. If the council finds out—"

"Then they won't find out," Aldric said flatly. "I need answers, and the official channels won't provide them. Arrange a meeting with the Shadow Broker. Tell them I'm willing to pay handsomely for information about the southern forest settlements and any... unusual incidents involving heroes."

The lieutenant saluted. "Yes, sir. I'll send the message immediately."

As the man left, Aldric returned to staring at the map. Somewhere in that southern forest, something had happened. Something that had either killed a hero or captured his attention so completely he'd abandoned his mission.

Either way, Aldric needed to know. Because if a goblin really had managed to kill Vegeta, then the threat was far more serious than he'd imagined.

And if Vegeta was alive and had simply abandoned his duty, then Aldric had bigger problems to worry about.

—------

A week later

Satou woke with a start, his body instinctively tensing before he realized he was in his own bed, safe in the rebuilt settlement. The morning sun filtered through the window, painting everything in warm golden light.

DING!

[Congratulations! Your body has completed its recovery and adaptation process.]

[Evolution Detected: Goblin (Adolescent) → Hobgoblin]

[Level: 33]

[New Stats:]

Strength: 98 → 156

Agility: 95 → 148

Intelligence: 87 → 132

Vitality: 92 → 145

Mana: 45 → 78

[Physical Changes: Muscle density improved. Bone structure reinforced. Overall capabilities enhanced significantly.]

Satou sat up, noting immediately how different his body felt. Stronger. Faster. More solid. He looked down at his hands and saw they were larger, the claws sharper. When he stood, he realized he was taller than before, his head nearly brushing the ceiling that had once been comfortably high.

"A Hobgoblin," he murmured, flexing his fingers. "Guess surviving that battle and consuming Vegeta was enough to trigger the evolution."

He got dressed quickly, noting that his clothes fit tighter than before. He'd need new ones soon. As he moved, testing his new body's capabilities, a thought occurred to him.

I've been lying around for a month. I need to get back in shape, test my limits, see what I'm capable of now.

With that thought in mind, he headed toward the training grounds.

—-------

The training grounds had been one of the first areas reconstructed, a large open space with packed dirt, training dummies, weapon racks, and a sparring ring marked out with stones. As Satou approached, he heard the distinctive sounds of combat.

CLANG!

Metal against metal rang out sharply. Satou activated one of his new skills, Shadow Step and merged with the shadows at the edge of the training ground, his presence vanishing completely as he observed.

In the center of the ring, Kelvin and Urgak were sparring.

Kelvin had changed in the month since Satou had been unconscious. He was taller, his Hobgoblin form now more refined and muscular. But more than that, his movements had changed. There was precision there now, economy of motion, the kind that only came from dedicated training.

He wielded a spear with both hands, the weapon an extension of his body as he thrust, parried, and spun. Each movement was deliberate, measured, showing clear technique rather than wild swinging.

Urgak, for his part, wasn't going easy on him. The massive High Orc wielded his war axe with his single remaining arm, each swing powerful enough to split a boulder. Yet Kelvin dodged and deflected, using his spear's reach to keep the larger opponent at bay.

"Your footwork is sloppy!" Urgak barked, his axe whistling past Kelvin's head. "Plant your feet properly or you'll be off-balance!"

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