Goblin Kingdom

Race: Goblin

Level: 24

Class: Lord; Horde Chief

Possessed Skills: Ruler of the Horde; Insurgent Will; Overpowering Howl; Swordsmanship B+; Insatiable Desire; King’s Soul; Ruler’s Wisdom I; Eyes of the Blue Snake; Dance at Death’s Border; Red Snake’s Eye; Magic Manipulation; Soul of a Crazed Warrior; Third Impact (The Third Chant); Instinct; Ruler’s Wisdom II;

Divine Protection: Goddess of the Underworld

Attributes Darkness; Death

Suboridnate Beasts: High Kobold Hasu; (Lv1) Gastra (Lv20) Cynthia (Lv20) Orc King Bui; (Lv36)

“Gu…GURUu uVa A AaAaaA!!”

The maddened soul screamed from within me, and a breath as hot as fire left my lips. My body burned hotter and hotter, and like a fire doused, steam seethed from my right arm.

I was on fire.

The black snakeVerid coiled around my right arm seemed to squirm at the heat.

Then the pain left me.

I bore my heels into the ground. I gripped my fists tight. I howled with my jaws stretched to its limit, and I screamed with fervor to kill the enemy in front of me.

“RUuuGUuAaaA AaAa!!”

The maddened soul of the crazed warrior howled like a beast, dying my mind it its color.

Then I kicked off the ground, and my surroundings vanished, but my bones and flesh creaked like rusted gears.

The boulder-like axe came swinging at me with a force strong enough to crush the ground and summon shockwaves. It was like a meteor, but I knew that if it hit me, everything would come to an end.

With my skills back and the pain gone, I can make the impossible possible!

Just before the axe hit me, I stopped my body, and forced it to turn right. The axe passed me by my left, and I found myself right at the ogre lord’s chest.

“OoouRUuaAAAa!”

With every power I could, I swung my right fist. Unknown to pain, my burning right fist buried itself into the ogre’s cragged maw.

The sound of something crushing audibly resounded.

My fists had broken past the point of return, yet my maddened soul howled ever more.

I don’t know why or how. Maybe the ogre lord had received the blessing of some god or something, but I couldn’t even put a scratch to it.

I’m not strong enough.

That realization was enough to make everything I’ve done to crumble.

My crushed hand sizzled.

---Is it hopeless after all?

For a mere goblin to defeat an ogre lord…

Am I going to die?

That despair seemed to reach even the crazed warrior’s soul. And suddenly, it felt like my soul would be taken.

---No. I don’t want to die.

I activated >, and I forcefully took back control of my mind.

I turned away from the ogre lord.

“Haa, haa haa…”

When I noticed it, sweat drenched my whole body.

It’s going to kill me. It’s going to swing its axe and kill me.

---No! I don’t want to die!

I threw my body to the ground and crawled. I ran desperately from the embodiment of death. The axe swung again. Cold sweat drenched my back. I felt cold like a block of ice. My muscles tensed; my breath grew ragged.

---I don’t want to die!

For the first time since I became a goblin, I felt fear.

“GAGAGAGA…”

The ogre laughed as it lifted its axe.

“Fear me! Cower! Run!”

I can hear the ogre lord laughing. My heart cowered like never before.

---I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared!

The fear I had as a man was hiding somewhere deep within my heart, and now, it is free.

My legs, my arms, my heart! Shackles began to wrap around me one after another.

“A, aa, AAa!?”

“GA GA GA! Take that!”

I desperately dodged the ogre who was now playing around with me.

I crawled on the ground and ran like a bug.

I don’t care anymore. I don’t care about my comrades. I don’t care about the young goblins. I just don’t want to die!!

◇◆◇

“What a killjoy.” The goddess of the underworld muttered as she watched through the magic mirror. It was as if all of her zeal until now was but a lie, as her voice resounded a chilling frost.

“Pitch black Verid.”

“What is thy bidding?”

Aone-eyed red-eyed snake appeared before her. It was her servant that should’ve been coiled around the right arm of the goblin king.

“It’s boring.”

“…Yes.”

The snake meekly bowed as he looked into the magic mirror. It was an unsightly scene. The goblin cried despair as he tumbled on the ground. It was hard to believe this goblin the same as that proud soul he once called his younger brother.

“I feel stupid for having expected something.” The goddess complained.

Then the red snake wondered. Wasn’t this exactly the true form of goblins and humans? To cower before fear, and to run from death--

“You can stop helping him now.”

“…Is that alright?”

“I don’t mind. I’m fed up with all this.”

A sure way to worsen his master’s mood was to bring her hopes up.

The only thing that was keeping the goblin together was Pitch Black’s Verid ether. If not for him, he would have long died from all that abuse.

He had affections for his younger brother, but the master’s orders were absolute.

“…As you command.”

“I’m going to send him to an even more painful place once he comes. His soul will be crushed until nothing is left.”

Killing intent reflected off those golden eyes of hers. The goddess of the underworld was furious.

◇◆◇

Why won’t my body move?

Why is it so hard to breathe?

Why am I fighting with a monster like this?

Why am I…

Suddenly, for some reason, all that ether that filled my body vanished.

I watched as the ogre lord’s axe descended on me---

“King!”

I don’t even remember who last called out to me.