<h4>Volume 2, Intermission: Gi Zu’s Duel Record I</h4>


    Name: Gi Zu Ruo


    Race: Goblin


    Level: 1


    ss: Noble


    Possessed Skills: Overpowering Howl; Throw Projectile; Spear Mastery B-; Instant Kill; Mad Shishi; Bite


    Divine Protection: Mad God (Zu Oru)


    Attributes: None


    Brushing off the approaching de, Gi Zu thrust the butt of his spear into the side of the enemy goblin rare. As the enemy goblin rare flew through the air, he followed after him, then as he tried to pick


    himself up, hit his legs. No longer able to stand the pain, the goblin rare fell to the ground. Gi Zu grabbed his head with one hand.


    “Surrender, or else…” Gi Zu threatened to crush the enemy goblin’s head with his hand.


    The goblin rare cried as Gi Zu gripped tighter and tighter, until eventually, he was at the brink of losing consciousness.


    “I give, I give! Spare me!” The goblin rare cried.


    “Good,” Gi Zu said.


    Upon release, the goblin rare prostrated himself before Gi Zu, who looked down at him for a moment before turning to eye the surrounding normal goblins.


    He spoke in amanding tone. “From this day onwards, this vige belongs to I, Gi Zu Ruo! If you resist, you will die!”


    After being sent away by the king to expand the horde, Gi Zu Ruo renewed his loyalty to the king.


    “I need to be more like Lord Gi Ga,” he muttered.


    During the battle with the Orc King, Gi Ga Rax lost an arm and a leg to ensure the king’s victory. Though at the time Gi Zu did not understand it, the king rewarded Gi Ga with a rider-beast, and then the humans whom Gi Ga had befriended gave him a new leg. To Gi Zu, Gi Ga was a person worthy of admiration.


    Gi Zu had been wielding a spear for as far as he could recall. Not long after he was born in the same vige as Gi Ga, he was taken into Gi Ga’s spear squad, and then they fought against the orc king. It was then that he received the blessing of the mad god and recklessly cut down enemy after enemy.


    By the time he realized it, he had evolved from a mere goblin into something with rtively more wisdom.


    Gi Zu was grateful for his good fortune that allowed him to survive despite recklessly running around wildly by himself.


    As he walked along the area, he thought to himself, This fortune must also be because of the king and Lord Gi Ga.


    If so, then he must fulfill his mission and gather more goblins for the king.


    Goblins didn’t grow on trees, however; therefore, he had no choice but to look for the small goblin viges scattered throughout the forest, gathering the small hordes one at a time.


    A few days after Gi Zu parted with the king, he came across a small goblin vige.


    It was a small horde of 30 goblins, but Gi Zu valiantly charged in head-on and challenged their chief. The enemy chief being a goblin rare, naturally could not win against Gi Zu, who was not only a goblin noble but also a battle-scarred veteran. After suppressing them, Gi Zu immediately made them swear fealty to the king, then he asked the goblin rare of the other goblin hordes living nearby.


    It was then that he found out there was another goblin noble nearby.


    “Oh? is that goblin stronger than me?” Gi Zu asked.


    “I don’t know, but… He’s big and his weapon is strong,” the goblin replied.


    Gi Zu thought it unfortunate that the goblin rare couldn’t tell him more, but he had his own ideas when it came to these sort of matters.


    “I’ll just have to see him for myself then.” Gi Zu fiercely smiled as he decided to have the goblin rare lead him to that goblin noble. “Hmm… But before that…”


    Gi Zu was born after the king had upied Gi Vige; therefore, unlike the first generation goblins, he was born at a time when the food was plenty.


    Because Gi Zu himself had never experienced starvation, he found the sight of the emaciating goblins ridiculous.


    There was a considerable difference between the height of the rare- ss goblins raised in Gi Vige and the goblins here. The king himself hadn’t intended it, but by fixing the food issue in Gi Vige, the goblins at Gi Vige were able to grow bigger than other goblins.


    “What do you sorry gobs think of filling your belly with some meat?” Gi Zu asked, at which the surrounding goblins all gulped, prompting Gi Zu to raise his spear andugh. “Hah! Then I guess we’re eating first!”


    There were about 30 goblins all-in-all in the vige. Gi Zu took three normal goblins with him and entered the forest to look for some prey. A littleter, they managed to hunt a beast. In doing so, Gi Zu did not only secure food for the vige, but he also managed to teach the three normal goblins how to work together.


    At first, the goblins didn’t understand too well, but after the second and third hunt, they finally grasped it. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stay any longer, as the other goblins were waiting at the vige with empty bellies.


    Their hunt for the day were a double head, a spear deer, and a big- horned deer. Just that three by themselves were enough to make the goblins of the vige wide-eyed. They had never seen a feast of this scale before!


    “Now feast!” Gi Zu said.


    At first, the goblins couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw Gi Zu treat them to this feast, but when they realized he was being serious, they unabashedly dug in to this sumptuous feast.


    Until now the goblin rare had always monopolized the vige’s hunts, but after the feast, even the rare-ss goblin had a sense of satisfaction he had never before experienced.


    To these goblins, Gi Zu’s existence was like that of a savior.


    “Why would you give us meat?” One of the goblins asked.


    “Why? Because you’re hungry! Of course, I would give you meat. Are we notrades who have sworn to follow the king?” Gi Zu replied.


    Putting it positively, Gi Zu was optimistic; negatively, Gi Zu was ignorant of hardship; and to the goblins of this vige, that attitude of his was nothing short of shocking. Food was supposedly something a goblin bet his whole existence on just to secure, and yet here was a goblin who generously gave it away. Much in the same way that Gi Ga swore absolute fealty to the king, these simple goblins were greatly touched by his actions.


    The normal goblins could notprehend what Gi Zu was talking about. It was simply far tooplicated for them, but at the very least they understood Gi Zu’s greatness and the fact that behind him was someone even greater.


    The rare-ss goblin alone was puzzled.


    He couldn’t help himself but ask. “King? Are you not the king?”


    “The king is the great goblin to whom I have sworn my spear. He should be somewhere north of us. Right now, we are gathering


    strength for the sake of theing war with the humans. Once you meet him, I’m sure you will understand his greatness,” Gi Zu said.


    The rare-ss goblin couldn’t help but blink his eyes upon realizing that there was a goblin even greater than this one standing before him.


    “I will never forget that you gave me meat,” the rare-ss goblin said.


    Gi Zu happily nodded.


    ◆◆◇


    In the end, Gi Zu decided to stay in the vige for a few more days. The rare-ss goblin earnestly offered the females to Gi Zu, but Gi Zu was someone born under the rule of the king. As far as he was concerned, embracing the females was a reward given only to those worthy, usually because of some merit made.


    To Gi Zu, sharing food with hisrades wasn’t anything special. That’s why despite the goblins sentimentally offering the females to him, he couldn’t help but feel that epting them would still slight the king’sw. As a noble who has been given the right to have a household, to break the king’sw would be to spit in the face of the king and Lord Gi Ga, whom he holds in esteem. Which is why, in the end, Gi Zu decided to return the females to the vige.


    “I am d that you offered them to me, but as someone with a household, I must refuse,” Gi Zu said.


    Wry smiles were had as Gi Zu returned the females to the vige. Not to mention, the goblins were again moved at his actions.


    To happily receive the females was a given to the goblins, so his refusal was truly shocking.


    After a few days passed, the goblins hadpletely taken to revering Gi Zu. During this time, Gi Zu had taught the rest of the goblins how to work together and set traps. By doing so, he would be able to ensure that they wouldn’t die even without him.


    Of course, Gi Zu had no intentions of dying, but the enemy was another noble ss. In the unfortunate scenario where he perishes in battle, the king must be informed of the existence of a formidable goblin in the southwest. Even if he can’t win against the goblin, the king and Lord Gi Ga might be able to.


    Because of that he asked the goblins of the vige to send a message to the king. This is the reason why he taught them how to feed themselves and ensured that they wouldn’t die.


    After a few more days passed, when the rare-ss goblin, who was the former boss of the vige, had fully learned how to set traps, Gi Zu decided to go back to his original objective.


    “I wish to challenge the strongest goblin in the area,” Gi Zu said.


    Of course, the goblins earnestly tried to stop him. He was their benefactor. If they were to lose him now, the vige’s bright future would surely be dampened.


    It was aplicated matter too hard for the normal goblins to understand, but when they realized that the boss who gave them food might die, they were greatly disheartened. They held onto his sleeves, begging him not to fight the noble-ss goblin.


    Unfortunately, Gi Zu had made his resolve.


    In the end, the rare-ss goblin led Gi Zu to the cave where the noble ss goblin lived.


    ◆◆◇


    The rare goblin turned back to Gi Zu, as if asking if he were sure about this, but he just hurried him up, and eventually, they arrived at the area right next to the cave. By then it was nighttime.


    As Gi Zu ordered the normal goblin they caught along the way to inform the noble goblin of his challenge, the rare-ss goblin’s anxiety worsened.


    Gi Zu told the rare-ss to go before he went to the cave. When he got to the cave, the noble-ss goblin and his horde had already gathered there.


    “So you’re the bastard who wants to challenge me,” a noble-ss goblin even bigger than Gi Zu said. There was an old scar extending from his shoulder to chest.


    “I am Gi Zu Ruo. I havee here at themand of the king. I challenge you, ruler of thesends!” Gi Zu boldly proimed.


    For a moment, the enemy noble was wide-eyed, but a littleter, heughed loudly.


    “HA HA HA! FOOL! This isn’t the sort of forest a soft fool like yourself can live in! Kill him!” The enemy noble said.


    Normal and rare goblins smiled as they unsheathed their weapons and surrounded Gi Zu.


    Gi Zu’s gaze grew cold as he eyed the surrounding enemies and readied his spear.


    “So you can’t even ept a challenge. It seems the only thing big about you is your body,” Gi Zu said.


    “I’d like to see just how much longer you’ll be able to keep up that stupid act. Kill him!” The enemy noblemanded.


    The surrounding enemy goblins all attacked at the same time.


    A club came swinging from behind, but Gi Zu deflected it with the butt of his spear in a speed twice as fast as the club. A sharpened picket came thrusting from the left, but Gi Zu inclined his upper half, letting it slip through. At the same time, Gi Zu used the momentum of his spear to strike at the goblin whose club he’d deflected, then he swept at the goblinsing at him from the right and from in front. The only remaining goblin was the one with a picket, but when the spear returned from its course, it took its head with it.


    Gi Zu exhaled.


    “Mercy will not be shown to those who fight. I am Gi Zu Ruo, representative of the great king and first disciple of the indomitable Gi Ga Rax!” Gi Zu dered.


    “Don’t cower! No matter how strong he is, he’s just one guy! Kill him with numbers!” The enemy noble-ss goblin dered, prompting the surrounding goblins to tighten their encirclement on Gi Zu.


    Breathing out faintly once, Gi Zu took a step forward then struck his spear into the corpse of the goblin he’d killed moments ago. With great power, he lifted up the corpse.


    “GURUoOOO!”


    Then he threw the corpse up front toward one part of the encirclement.


    The surrounding goblins didn’t think he would try to pull off a stunt like that with his spear; they couldn’t help but cry out in surprise. Even the rare goblins in the path of the thrown corpse were so shocked that they forgot to move away. Because of that they ended up getting hit by the corpse.


    In the midst of all the surprise and confusion, Gi Zu stepped forward. He skewered the rare goblins buried under the corpse, then as he pulled his spear out, he swung his spear and swept around him.


    Finally, the goblins awoke from their stupor. Immediately, they tried to attack Gi Zu, but their uncoordinated attacks were easily dodged, then Gi Zu struck them dead. Gradually, Gi Zu neared the enemy noble-ss goblin.


    A spear lunged at Gi Zu from both nks, but he twisted his body and dodged, allowing him to leap through the opened path.


    A goblin immediately came running for him from behind, however; but Gi Zu quickly dealt with him by burying the butt of his spear into the sr plexus of the goblin. Unfortunately for the goblin, it ended up hitting the center of his chest instead, giving rise to onest throe before he breathed hisst and copsed.


    Gi Zu didn’t even turn around to confirm he was dead. The sounds were enough.


    Gi Zu ran for the enemy noble goblin.


    Meanwhile, the enemy goblin was gradually realizing how strong Gi Zu was, causing panic to well up within him. Gi Zu’s spear handling, his ability to quickly see the hole in the encirclement, and his courage which allowed him to stand fearless in the face of a horde. All these things proved to the noble-ss goblin that Gi Zu was far stronger than him.


    The individual’s strength wasn’t the only deciding factor in bing leader of a horde, however.


    “Gi?” A goblin cried out.


    The enemy noble-ss goblin had grabbed the head of a normal goblin, causing the goblin to cry out. But without caring one bit for it, he threw the normal goblin at Gi Zu.


    “Nu!?’


    Gi Zu was taken by surprise with the appearance of a giant object suddenly flying toward him. After dealing with two goblins who came at him from his nks, he swung his spear to deflect the object flying toward him. He didn’t know what it was, but when he recognized the detestable sound of a spear, he quickly twisted his body. Gi Zu managed to avoid the trajectory of the flying goblin.


    An anguished cry rose when the goblin hit the ground, but the enemy noble-ss goblin was faintly smiling.


    Gi Zu red at him. “What do you think yourrades are!?’


    The enemyughed loudly at Gi Zu’s angry outburst. “These guys live for my sake. They should be happy to be of use.”


    The sound of teeth being ground resounded from Gi Zu’s mouth.


    That’s impossible, he thought. Whether it was the Gi Vige, the Fortress of the Abyss, or the tribes… everyone helped each other to live. When the humans attacked, everyone stood together to face them. It didn’t matter whether one was a normal ss or a noble ss.


    Everyone was equal under the king.


    Even a normal or a rare could be recognized as long as he showed results. Anyone could be rewarded with a female or given good food to eat. Even our fealty to the king was something we swore on our own volition. We were never forced!


    “Are you really ok with this!?” Gi Zu red at the goblins around him as he spun his spear.


    The normal goblins backed off at the pressure emanating from Gi Zu, but the rare goblins wore a cold smile on their faces.


    “Looks like everyone agrees with me. Now I think I’m about fed up with that stupid look on your face! Finish him!”


    At the noble goblin’s behest, the normal and rare goblins charged. The rare goblins swung their spears from the back while the normal goblins acted as living shields at the front.


    30 days after Gi Zu epted this mission from the king, he found himself in a predicament.


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    Gi Zu’s level has risen.


    1 to 15


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