The valley becomes our temporary base of operations, the conquered orc camp transformed to accommodate our expanding forces. I watch from my command tent as Gorthal drills his orc warriors in new formations, their movements becoming more disciplined with each passing day. The blood-priest's transformation continues—his ritual scars now glow constantly, and his physical form has grown more imposing, more powerful under the influence of our bond.

  And not just that, with the successful integration of the orcs into our forces, I can feel my fourth bond slot opening up.

  But something bothers me as I observe our army's training exercises. The imbalance is obvious.

  "Too many orcs," I mutter to Nerk as he joins me, his enhanced form casting a long shadow in the afternoon light. "Three hundred warriors against fifty goblins. The power structure's lopsided."

  Nerk nods, his tactical mind immediately grasping my concern. "Orcs follow Gorthal directly. Too much power concentrated. Need more goblins to balance. Create proper chain of command."

  He's right. Military history across countless worlds demonstrates the danger of over-reliance on a single unit type or command structure. If something happened to Gorthal, we'd lose control of the orc contingent too easily. More importantly, my power flows most efficiently through established hierarchies—Nerk to his goblin troops, Gorthal to his orc warriors, Morrigan operating somewhat independently but coordinating with both.

  "We need more goblins," I decide. "A lot more. Where can we find them?"

  Morrigan lands nearby, having just returned from a scouting flight. Her wings have fully developed now, allowing true flight rather than mere gliding. Another benefit of our strengthening bond.

  "Many goblin tribes in mountains," she reports, folding her wings. "Hiding from orcs, mostly. Small warrens, caves, abandoned mines. Scared, hungry, weak."

  "Perfect recruiting ground," I note. "They'd join willingly for protection from orc raids, especially now that we control the orc forces."

  Gorthal approaches, Blackjaw's axe strapped across his back. Through our bond, I sense his mild annoyance at my perceived undervaluation of his orc warriors, but also his understanding of the strategic necessity.

  "Valley goblins to the north," he offers reluctantly. "Cave system called the Thousand Eyes. Many small tribes, constantly fighting each other. Weak individually, but numbers could reach several hundred if united."

  "That's exactly what we need," I reply, already formulating a plan. "Nerk, prepare a recruiting expedition. Take forty of our best goblins, leave ten here to maintain our archer corps. Morrigan will accompany you for aerial reconnaissance."

  "What approach?" Nerk asks, practical as always.

  "Diplomacy first. Show them what joining us has done for their goblin cousins. Demonstrate the benefits of enhancement through our bond network." I pause, considering alternatives. "Force only if necessary, and even then, aim to subjugate rather than slaughter. We need numbers."

  I turn to Gorthal. "While they're gone, continue training the orc warriors. Focus on discipline and coordination with our remaining goblin archers. I want seamless integration when we expand our goblin forces."

  The blood-priest nods, the glow of his ritual scars pulsing slightly with his emotional state—a fascinating side effect of our bond that makes reading him easier than most.

  "As master commands," he agrees. "Though orcs traditionally see goblins as lesser creatures, fit only for scouting or menial tasks."

  "That thinking ends now," I state firmly. "In our army, each species has its role. Orcs provide heavy infantry and shock troops. Goblins handle ranged combat, stealth operations, and scouting. Both are essential."

  Gorthal accepts this with better grace than I expected. Perhaps the bond is influencing him more than I realized, aligning his thinking with our collective goals.

  Two days later, Nerk leads his expedition north toward the Thousand Eyes cave system. I watch them depart from my command position—forty enhanced goblins moving with surprising discipline and purpose, Morrigan soaring overhead. Through our bonds, I'll maintain awareness of both as they recruit new forces to balance our growing army.

  "Think they'll succeed?" Gorthal asks, standing beside me.

  "Without question," I reply confidently. "Nerk is persuasive, especially to his own kind. And if persuasion fails, he's more than capable of demonstrating why resistance is futile."

  The blood-priest chuckles, a sound like stones grinding together. "True. The hobgoblin has become... impressive under your bond."

  We turn back to the camp, where three hundred orc warriors drill in formation, their movements becoming more coordinated with each passing day. The ogres have found a place among them, serving as heavy shock troops. It's a solid foundation, but incomplete.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "With several hundred more goblins added to our forces," I muse, "we'll have the beginnings of a truly balanced army. Orcs for front-line combat, goblins for ranged support and stealth operations, ogres as shock troops, and my three lieutenants coordinating it all."

  Gorthal nods, his eyes gleaming with ambition that mirrors my own. "And then what, master? Once army is built, what purpose will it serve?"

  It's a fair question, and one I've been considering carefully. Building an army is one thing; employing it effectively is another.

  "First, we secure this region completely. Eliminate threats, establish supply lines, create a network of mobile bases rather than a single fixed position." I sweep my hand across the map spread on a nearby table. "Then we expand outward, absorbing smaller forces, establishing ourselves as a power to be reckoned with."

  The blood-priest seems satisfied with this answer, though through our bond I sense he has greater ambitions—dreams of uniting all orc tribes under a single banner, perhaps. For now, our goals align well enough.

  Five days pass with no word from Nerk's expedition. I maintain awareness of them through our bond—they're alive and generally successful, but details remain fuzzy at this distance. Gorthal continues training the orc warriors while I focus on strengthening our overall command structure and planning future operations.

  On the sixth day, Morrigan returns alone, swooping down to land beside my command tent. Her feathers are ruffled, but she looks excited rather than distressed.

  "Success!" she announces, folding her wings. "Nerk united five goblin tribes already. Nearly two hundred warriors, plus females and young. More negotiations underway with three larger tribes."

  "Excellent," I reply, genuinely pleased. "What methods proved most effective?"

  "Demonstration," Morrigan says with a cackle. "Nerk challenged strongest chief to combat. Very brief fight. Very impressive victory. Other tribes more... receptive after that."

  I can imagine. Nerk's enhanced form would appear godlike to ordinary goblins, his strength and speed far beyond their experience.

  "When will they join us?" I ask.

  "Coming in groups. First hundred arrive tomorrow. Nerk remains to secure others." Morrigan's head tilts curiously. "Something else to report. Death Knight activity north of Thousand Eyes. Searching for something."

  That's concerning news. We haven't encountered any of the black-armored warriors since leaving Hillbrook, but I haven't forgotten their interest in "star metal" or their apparent connection to Blackjaw's axe, now wielded by Gorthal.

  "Searching for what, specifically?"

  Morrigan shrugs her feathered shoulders. "Unknown. Goblins say knights ask about metal from sky. Very aggressive, kill any who resist questioning."

  I glance toward Gorthal, who has drawn closer to listen. The axe strapped across his back seems to pulse slightly at the mention of Death Knights, its strange black metal absorbing rather than reflecting the sunlight.

  "We need to accelerate our recruitment and training," I decide. "If Death Knights are operating in the region, we may face confrontation sooner than anticipated. Have Nerk focus on the largest goblin tribes first, secure their allegiance quickly. We need numbers."

  Morrigan nods, understanding the urgency. "Will return to Nerk with instructions."

  As she departs, I turn to Gorthal. "Increase training intensity. Focus on coordinated defenses against armored opponents. Your orcs need to function as cohesive units, not individual warriors."

  "As master commands," he agrees, ritual scars pulsing with increased energy. Through our bond, I sense his excitement at the prospect of potential conflict—a warrior's natural response to danger.

  The next day brings our first contingent of new recruits—nearly a hundred goblin warriors from the Thousand Eyes region, led by a scarred chieftain who now answers to Nerk. They're smaller than our forest goblins, their skin a paler green, adapted to the cave systems they call home. But they bring valuable skills—expertise in underground combat, knowledge of poisons derived from cave fungi, and surprisingly sophisticated trap-making abilities.

  I welcome them personally, standing with Gorthal beside me to demonstrate the unified command structure. The new goblins regard the orcs warily at first, generations of hostility not easily forgotten. But the presence of our enhanced original goblin troops helps bridge the gap—living proof that in our army, goblins aren't merely cannon fodder.

  Over the next week, more goblin contingents arrive, each bringing unique specialties from their respective tribes. By the tenth day, our goblin forces have tripled, with nearly two hundred new warriors integrated into our command structure under Nerk's expanding hierarchy.

  The balance of our army improves dramatically. While orcs still constitute our largest single unit type, the combined goblin forces now provide an effective counterweight. I establish a formal command structure—Nerk leads all goblin units, Gorthal commands the orcs and ogres, and Morrigan coordinates special operations requiring magical support.

  Through our bond network, my power flows more efficiently through this balanced hierarchy, enhancing all connected forces. The improvement is visible in training exercises—goblin archers demonstrating uncanny accuracy, orc warriors moving with previously impossible discipline, the entire force functioning with increasing coordination.

  "Much better," I tell my two lieutenants as we observe a joint exercise. "But we need more diversity in our forces. Different monster types for specialized roles."

  "Hill giants to the west," Gorthal replies. "Not many, but powerful. One giant worth ten warriors in raw strength."

  Morrigan clicks her beak. "Seen wyverns nesting in higher peaks. Difficult to tame, but aerial capability valuable."

  All good suggestions, but they'll require careful planning and likely my personal involvement. With my three bond slots filled, any new monster types would need to integrate through my existing lieutenants rather than direct bonds.

  "We'll consider all options," I decide. "For now, continue integration and training. When Nerk returns with the remaining goblin recruits, we'll have achieved our immediate goal, a balanced, mobile monster army ready for whatever challenges emerge."

  Through my bonds, I feel the satisfaction of my lieutenants, Gorthal's ambitious anticipation of future conquests, Morrigan's intellectual curiosity about our army's evolving capabilities.

  The monster army is growing stronger by the day.