<h4>Volume 2, Intermission: Return of the Mighty Orc King</h4>


    Race: Goblin


    Level: 20


    ss: King; Ruler


    Possessed Skills: Ruler of the Demon Children of Chaos; Defiant Soul; World Devouring Howl; Swordsmanship A-; Dominator; King’s Soul; Ruler’s Wisdom III; Household of the Gods; One-Eyed Snake’s Evil Eye; The King''s Dance at the Edge of Death; Magic Maniption; Soul of the Berserk King; Third Impact (The Third Chant); Instinct; Blessing of the Underworld Goddess


    Divine Protection: Goddess of the Underworld (Altesia)


    Attributes: Darkness; Death


    Subordinate Beasts: High Kobold Hasu (Lv1); Gastra (Lv20); Cynthia (Lv20); Orc King (Bui) (Lv40)


    Abnormal Status: Blessing of the One- Eyed Snake; Protection of the Twin-Headed Snake


    A great howl resounded throughout the forest.


    That was none other than the voice of that terrifying goblin.


    “Doralia… I have to go.”


    The leader of the orcs, Bui, headed west to theke as soon as he realized that the humans would attack. He hated himself for being weak, but preserving the horde took priority.


    The humans attacked at the worst possible time. They attacked right when the females were starting to give birth and when they were working on the canals.


    They came with soldiers and adventurers, causing many orcs to suffer under their tyranny, but in the end, their casualties were still


    less than the goblins. The goblins would grow weaker if he just left them alone, but he couldn’t.


    That scary goblin was calling.


    Kill! He cried. Exact judgment upon the plunderers!


    That scary goblin was calling out to all the monsters of the forest.


    You don’t have to force yourself, you’re under my protection.The monster tree that had lived for countless centuries said, but Bui shook his head.


    “If I don’t go, that goblin will probably burn you to the ground…”


    Was the pressure from that goblin this bad when he met him? Bui didn’t know, but what he did know was that he could feel the goblin’s great anger despite the distance between them. A wrath so great it seemed to want to consume everything.


    Thank you, Bui. You’re so kind. Let me give you a gift before you go.


    From one of the monster tree’s verdant branches fell a red fruit into Bui’s hand. Doralia’s affections could clearly be felt when he took that fruit.


    If you eat this fruit, you will be what you wish to be. But you have to be careful because it will onlyst for one day.


    A shiny, red fruit.


    “Thank you.”


    Bui took his spear and ran. Surrounded by battle-loving orcs, he looked pensively up ahead. Right now they had to obey the goblins. That unfortunate truth would probably make Master Gol Gol sigh if he knew of it.


    Bui intended to expand the horde and create a new force of mighty orcs. A n like that that would carry on to the next era was something that had no need for wars. Or at the very least, not now.


    The orcs cared little for trifling matters like reconnaissance. To them power was everything, and battles were a simple matter of crushing everything before you.


    “Found them!” Hushing his voice, Bui ordered his fellow orcs to hide themselves. The humans were dressed in armors of iron and wielded iron swords and spears. They hid behind their carriages, ready to strike the instant an enemy neared.


    —This is too scary! Scary! Scary! Scary!


    “It’s scary, Doralia!” Bui said quietly so that no one could hear, then he looked to the red fruit in his hand. “…The thing I wish to be.”


    Bracing himself for the worst, Bui devoured the red fruit in one go. The blooming taste in his mouth left him speechless as the juice of the fruit slid down his throat to dye his guts in its sweet. Then a great heat enveloped him.


    *Ba bum! His heart throbbed. Then his hand shook as it held his spear. No, it was not just his hand but his whole body, bringing him down to his knees to earn the contempt of the orcs.


    “Are you scared, Bui!” They mocked. “The orcs don’t need a cowardly king!”


    But when one of the orcsid his hand on Bui’s shoulder to turn him around, what they saw shocked them.


    “SHUT UP!” Bui spat with an ire unheard of from the ever frail orc whose eyes always looked down. His lips even stretched so far apart they seemed they would tear as they let out a burning breath that blew onto the orcs.


    Each time Bui grit his teeth, his body grew a size bigger. By the end of it, his muscles had swelled, and his body was over twice the size of that small Bui. The other orcs looked up at him.


    His gaze was sharp, so sharp it was like a piercing de, and it sent a jolt running up the orcs’ spine.


    And along with the changes of his body was the one thing his predecessor, Gol Gol, had that he didn’t: A brute’s courage.


    The new Bui charmed the orcs with his great strength and brutish disposition. Bui himself knew it was reckless, but the madness came with the power.


    The forbidden fruit Doralia gave him had instilled that power into him.


    Bui grabbed a nearby tree, and then scraped off its thick trunk with his grip.


    The mighty king of the orcs had returned, and so, the orcs became one.


    “The orc kneels to none!” Bui proimed.


    That savage figure was just like thete Gol Gol, and it filled the orcs with happiness upon seeing it.


    Bui’s words spread among the orcs, and all the more so when it turned into a great roar.


    “GURUuuOOOOooOOoAaa!!!”


    The orcs cried out in turn.


    “FighHHttt!”


    Like that Bui led the orcs to crush the humans.


    ◇◇◆


    The craftiness of the goblin before him made Gowen want to curse. It skillfully handled that wand in its hand without giving him any opportunity to attack. Countless des of wind have been shooting at them since awhile ago, and each time they managed to slip through it to near that crafty goblin, an arrow woulde shooting at them from somewhere.


    “A trap?” Gowen muttered to himself, unbelieving. Who could have thought goblins could actually use traps? Apparently, the birth of an intelligent king had turned the goblins into a truly terrifying force.


    It almost felt like he was fighting against humans, not monsters. Gowen struck down the approaching arrow as he took a step closer to the crafty goblin. But he just couldn’t reach him. It was like trying to approach a withdrawing wave and no matter what he did, the goblin never allowed him to close their distance.


    He couldn’t order his men to attack the archers hiding in the forest either, as they would easily die under the wind des of this crafty goblin. Gowen might be able to deal with the magic himself, but asking the same from his subordinate was too much.


    For the first time in a long while, Gowen truly had his hands tied behind his back.


    The goblin before him grinned. “Farewell, human. A fair warning: don’t enter the forest again, or else…”


    He considered chasing after the goblin for a moment, but when he saw the humans running from the now opened path up ahead, he almost cursed.


    “We lost,” he said.


    The old veteran was no foreigner to defeat, but this defeat was one of the most bitter ones he’s suffered yet. Because the reason they lost was because he underestimated the enemy.


    Because of that that he decided to cut their losses as much as he could and retreat.


    “Save the retreating soldiers. I will handle the enemy.” Gowen ordered before going out to meet the retreating soldiers.


    “Lord! The orcs are attacking with the goblins!” One of the soldiers said.


    Gowen was not surprised to hear that, not even in the slightest. The moment the goblin king appeared, he knew that this entire forest had be their enemy.


    “Consider the whole forest hostile. I will protect the back. Go help the weak. We’re retreating!”


    Gowen wanted to fly into a rage, but he kept his cool. He’d been looking for an opportunity to expand his territory ever since being given a fief right next to the Forest of Darkness. He would cut down the trees, reduce the number of monsters, all to expand his territory even if it meant going against themands of the king. That was the n, and yet now…


    When an orc attacked him, he quickly disposed of it by cutting off its head.


    “They’re… maddened.”


    Gowen’s gaze was sharp like a de as he kicked away the orc that kept ring at him despite having its neck cut. Gowen kept himself calm despite his anger as he disposed of the approaching monsters.


    After the orcs came, odd goblins stared appearing, and then that came.


    “The Herculean Wyatt, I presume?”


    One of the people retreating was a giant human who lured the enemy to him even as he retreated. Gowen rushed up to him and swept away the goblins.


    “The holy knight… My apologies, we lost.”


    “I don’t mind. Leave this here to me. I thank you for protecting my men, now go!”


    After seeing the wounded giant of a man off, Gowen turned his gaze to another giant. But this time it was a goblin.


    “A strange monster,” Gowen said.


    “A strange human,” the goblin said provokingly.


    Suddenly, it attacked. “My fury howls!sh”


    Gowen hadn’t even taken his stance when that dazzling ck light of an attack came at him, yet he was still able to sweep it aside.


    “Not bad,” the goblin said.


    “Monsters can never hope to ovee humanity,” Gowen said.


    “Let’s try it then… I pursue power!Enchant”


    A ck light covered the goblin’s club as Gowen brandished his sword.


    ◇◇◆


    I can hear master’s voice.


    What a sad, heartrending, and yet angry voice it was.


    In fact, it almost sounded like a scream.


    The humans are scary, but if master is fighting, I have to go. Actually, the only reason I’m here is because master left. I’m gonnain when I see him.


    And then I’ll y on top of that human female’sp.


    I wonder if I’ll see the two gray ones too.


    Somehow it all seems so nostalgic, even though they’re not that far. I did end up running to the south though because of all the stinky iron the humans wore.


    But if it means being with master again, I don’t mind working hard once in a while.


    Yep, let’s do it.


    “UuooOOn!”


    I called my friends.


    “What is it, Hasu?”


    “Boss, I’m hungry.”


    My friends lied down when I called them.


    “We’re going to save master!”


    “Orc meat!”


    Yes, delicious meat! Does human meat taste good too? But they’re so thin, I don’t think they’d taste very well.


    Anyway, let’s go! I happily wagged my beloved tail.


    Let’s chase out the humans!


    ◇◇◆


    After having his arm torn and being beaten all over and suffering a pain so great it wouldn’t have been strange to die from shock, Gene walked through the forest.


    He had to drag along his leg because that monster broke it too.


    “Huff… Huff… How dare… that lowly… goblin…”


    Not only was he wounded all over, he even lost his beloved Fifire. If he were to encounter a monster now, it wouldn’t matter that he was a holy knight, even he would have no choice but to roll over and die.


    But despite being in such a state, the fire of vengeance burned brightly in his eyes as he walked. His ves were waiting for him up ahead. He would be safe as long as he can get to them. After that he can go back to the capital or Gowen’s group and recover his health. And once he’s back up on his feet, he would go back and kill that monster to wipe out this shame. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.


    “Gu…” Gene grunted as a fallen tree root took his attention, then he walked again, irritated.


    After a while, he finally saw his three ves.


    The two battle ves were frightened when they saw him.


    “Is that how a ve should behave after finally seeing their master, huh,” Gene said smiling even as the pain distorted his face, but the elven ve did not react. In fact, she even growled a bit at him.


    “…I don’t like your attitude.”


    Nothing was going his way. And now even this elf was pissing him off. Irritated, Gene kicked the elven ve, Selena.


    The elf rolled on the ground as he kicked her, but she didn’t scream. Only, in the next moment—


    “GUuUuRURU, GAaAaAa!!”


    Her eyes went while and foam bubbled out of her mouth.


    “Wha—” Gene was just about to ask what when Selena extended her hand, and a nt sprang up from the ground and twined around him. With the Cor of Obedience on her neck, Selena shouldn’t have been able to do such a thing.


    The cor not only weakened its bearer but also allowed the owner to inflict unimaginable pain onto the bearer. But Selena had already lost her consciousness after being forcefully fed the blood of demihumans. Right now, that blood was going out of control.


    Any other day Gene would have been able to easily brush aside Selena’s attack, but with his body weakened, he was powerless to stop it. Moreover, with the nt constricting him, he couldn’t even utter a word to give an order to the two battles ves.


    As the nt constricted him, its tendrils entered into his mouth to reach into his stomach.


    “*Cough, Gu, Ack!?”


    When he felt something foreign enter him, his mind started to race as he panicked.


    “UuuGAAa!!”


    Selena’s rampaging power caused the forest to squirm and the vines to grow explosively. As the tree branches grew with a roaring sound, they stretched out for Gene’s neck and strangled him.


    “Go, Ga, *Cough!?”


    When his neck broke, he dangled their from the constraints of the nts and the trees like a puppet whose strings had been cut.


    After seeing all this unfold, the younger of the battle ves siblings, Yoshu, whispered to his older sister, “Let’s run.”


    Selena wasn’t conscious right now, so if they weren’t careful, they might just find themselves in a simr position as theirte master.


    “I’m not running. If you want to go, go,” Shumea said as she watched over Selena. There was a hint of desperation over her face. “It was only for a short while, but that girl is a friend. I don’t want to abandon a friend.”


    “But!”


    “Besides, this ce here is crawling with monsters. Exactly where are you nning to run?”


    “That’s…”


    Shumea wryly smiled when she saw her younger brother speechless.


    “Seriously, we sure were brought to one annoying ce!” Shumea spat as she touched the cor on her neck.


    “Then what are we going to do?” Yoshu asked.


    “It’s simple. We’ll just have to wake her up.”


    “That’s crazy!”


    “Maybe, but isn’t that fine? It would be nice to do a good deed once in a while… Especially, now that I’m free.”


    After Selena killed Gene, they had been freed from their identity as ves. For someone like her who has been a ve ever since, this was none other than the freedom she’d always admired.


    It was only right to pay back the favor to the one who gave her this long sought freedom. Shumea believed that, though her younger brother, Yoshu, found it hard to agree. In fact, he’d always found it odd how his older sister was always so upright when ves were usually more hateful.


    “Step back, Sis. I’ll start,” Yoshu said.


    “You know you don’t really have toe. You can just—”


    “It’sing!”


    His sister tried to convince him otherwise, but he ignored her and equipped his helmet.