«Kk… kkikigig… kkieek!»

Dorma clutched his head and collapsed. His eyes rolled back, and his mouth poured out a ceaseless scream.

But the real problem lay elsewhere.

Karma and internal energy were erupting in a chaotic mix—like watching a dam burst under pressure.

‘Dangerous!’

A primal threat screamed through his instincts.

Uncontrolled power. It would wreak havoc on everyone nearby—and on Dorma himself. Worse, they were inside a building. If things went wrong, the whole structure could cave in.

«Lord! Get back!»

«Doran! Wait—!»

Doran charged before he could stop her. In an instant, she closed the distance and swung her sword—flat side out.

«Ugh! Kyaa!»

But the blade didn’t even reach Dorma. He released a jet-black mass of karma in every direction, and Doran was helplessly caught in the blast.

She was sent flying, rolling across the floor several times. Cuts covered her body. She tried to push herself up, using her sword as a crutch.

In the blink of an eye, Dorma was at the head of Doran. His eyes were blood-red.

«Ma… Madmut. Madmut!»

«You—what are you trying to…»

«Dorma! No! Don’t!»

«Kyaaah!»

A wave of darkness flooded from Dorma’s palm and engulfed Doran. She couldn’t dodge; she took the torrent head-on.

Doran’s blood-soaked body suddenly floated upward. Dorma was holding her by the throat with an invisible hand. In his other hand, dark matter was forming again.

«Hey, you bastard!»

Go Byeonggap shot out the door.

«…….»

Dorma whipped his head around, his blood-red eyes fixing on Go Byeonggap.

«Madmut?»

«What the hell are you saying? Snap out of it!»

«Madmut!»

The gathered dark matter hurtled at Go Byeonggap. He immediately released his internal energy, reinforcing his body.

A pitch-black wave swept over him, feeling like thousands of blades tearing through his flesh.

Without his internal energy, the attack would have been savage enough to separate bone from muscle.

‘Urgh…!’

Go Byeonggap swallowed a groan and trudged forward, step by stubborn step. He could have dodged. But if he didn’t act as a shield, the building would be in danger.

It wouldn’t do for all three of them to be buried alive together.

One step. Another.

Like a mountaineer climbing a mountain, he gritted his teeth and planted his feet. The distance between Dorma and him closed, slowly but steadily.

And finally—

Snap! Go Byeonggap grabbed Dorma’s arm.

«Ma… Madmu—»

«You damn fool! Can’t you recognize me!»

He yanked the arm as his other fist drove into Dorma’s abdomen.

«Kugh… ghk!»

Even with his strength restrained, the impact was immense. Dorma retched, then pitched forward. A moment later, his eyes went glassy and he passed out.

«Kyaa!»

Doran, who had been dangling in midair, collapsed with a thud.

Go Byeonggap quickly checked on her. Her face was blue—she must have been suffocated for quite a while. Her injuries were severe too.

«Cough! Haah, haah!»

«It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s over now.»

«Lord… blood…»

«Enough, I’m fine. Focus on recovering yourself.»

«Y-yes…»

Go Byeonggap fed the potions he’d brought to Doran and Dorma, then drank some himself.

After that, he lifted the unconscious Dorma and laid him beside Doran.

«Keep an eye on them. And—»

He rose to his feet and turned his head. His gaze landed on a stone tablet standing motionless.

The very cause of Dorma’s rampage.

«Don’t come near me. At all.»

«Ah, understood.»

He approached the tablet. As expected, something was inscribed on it.

What had Dorma read that made him lose his mind?

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and began to read the inscription.

The tablet, about a meter tall, was heavily damaged. Broken in places and weathered, some parts were completely illegible.

Still, he forced his way through it.

– Countless of our kin have fallen. Even Villosodam has been taken. This place, Baltadren, is our last bastion. There is nowhere left to retreat, and we cannot retreat any further.

– We killed the sixth, and the Seventh Divine Warrior appeared. That giant brings thunder and quakes in its wake. Trobatin fell. Tarantera fell. Parpapan fell. We have bled too much.

– Every race that once stood with us turned their backs. They are base, ungrateful, and dull. Blinded by fear, they cannot see a handspan ahead—a thing to weep over.

– We brought down the Seventh Divine Warrior, Alsharon. But the price was immense. Every general of Asvillam is dead. Landriol lies gravely wounded. We may have lost our anchor.

– Madmut descended, splitting the sky. Landriol personally caught his own warhorse to perform the rites and show proper respect. Yet all he received in return was a roar of reproach.

– Madmut thundered that we had ‘goblined.’ Landriol pleaded: ‘Have we truly goblined? If hoping for order on earth is goblining, then all things born into this world are fated to hate and fight one another from the start?’

– Madmut raged. ‘What right do you have to set the measure of order? And to impersonate a god is to insult Me!’

– Landriol was firm. ‘We will not cease our struggle.’ Madmut answered. ‘Then your race shall be annihilated.’

– Madmut ascended back into the heavens. No further battles occurred after that. But the price of earning a god’s wrath was savage. We were cursed.

– The women vanish. The suckling babe, and that babe’s mother—when the sun sets and rises again, their traces are gone. Nine days ago, the Queen herself vanished. Landriol is deep in grief, refusing food and drink.

– Perhaps we did goblin.

“……”

Entries laid out by time, like a diary or personal essay. More text sat at the bottom, but it was sheared off, impossible to read.

‘What the hell is this…’

Go Byeonggap didn’t grasp every word perfectly. But combined with what he already knew, he could piece together enough of the context.

‘So the bastard who laid the curse—his name is Madmut?’

The name Kiriyan had muttered back then, and Dorma had raved today when he lost control: Madmut.

It was a god’s name. How deep must the hatred run, for just the thought of it to trigger a seizure?

Go Byeonggap glanced sidelong at Dorma, his mood sobering. The little guy had his face all scrunched up, like he was trapped in a nightmare.

‘But what the hell does “goblined” mean?’

He swept his eyes over the passage that had made him cock his head while reading. No matter how many times he looked, the wording didn’t change.

“Goblin? What do you mean, ‘goblined’? How do you goblin something? …Wait. Goblin?”

Go Byeonggap muttered to himself for a long moment, then froze—as if struck by a hammer between the eyes.

It was because the meaning hidden within the word “goblin” had surfaced. Or rather, not so much hidden as faded—the original meaning of the word.

He didn’t even know how he’d remembered it.

But when he looked at the stone tablet again, the sentences now read naturally.

“Landriol pleaded. ‘We were truly arrogant…’ — so he said.”

That was it.

Goblin meant arrogance.

* * *

«Ugh…»

«You coming to?»

«Hah! My Lord? Wh-what is this?»

Dorma, carried on Go Byeonggap’s back, opened his eyes. He seemed not to understand the situation.

«P-put me down. I’ll walk on my own.»

«Shut it. Just stay put.»

Byeonggap kept his legs moving as he answered. Dorma looked like he was dying of guilt.

He let out a shallow groan and pressed a hand to his forehead.

«Ugh! …Did I lose consciousness?»

«You don’t remember?»

«…I recall entering the temple. But after that… ugh!»

‘This guy doesn’t remember?’

Byeonggap swallowed his words. He was worried Dorma might lose control again if he said something careless.

Just then, Doran shot Dorma a sour look and spoke up.

«Hey! You see all that blood on the Lord’s clothes? Because of you, the Lord was nearly—»

«Doran! Pipe down!»

«Eep!»

He snapped, shutting Doran up.

Dorma seemed to sense something sour in the air.

«D-did I do something rude to the Lord?»

«Drop it. It’s nothing like that.»

«L-Lord… are you angry?»

«I said drop it, both of you. We’re late. Let’s move.»

Waiting for Dorma to wake had already cost them time. Byeonggap picked up the pace.

By the time the sun set and dusk began to settle, they’d reached Somnium safely.

At the news that the Lord had returned, every last goblin swarmed to the wall.

«My Lord, have you returned?»

«Hey, Gobungi. Anything happen?»

«No! Nothing at all.»

«Good to hear.»

«B-but, my Lord. Your clothes?»

Byeonggap’s appearance was ragged. His clothes were torn to shreds from taking Dorma’s attacks bare-handed. And covered in blood.

Byeonggap waved a hand like it was nothing.

«It’s nothing. Anyway, have you guys eaten?»

«Ah, yes. Just. Ate.»

«Good. Tell everyone to gather in front of the clock tower.»

«Now, sir?»

«That’s right.»

He assembled the goblins in front of the clock tower. With fifteen hundred of them, just sitting there was an imposing sight.

«Everyone’s here. Except for the sentries.»

Gobungi, having counted the heads, came over to report. Byeonggap nodded with satisfaction and asked.

«Gobungi, have you finished the groundwork for the new arrivals?»

By ‘groundwork,’ he meant administering the elixir and imprinting the training manual. This was the first thing done whenever a goblin entered Asvillam.

«Yes, it’s all finished!»

«The elixirs and manuals weren’t running short, were they? I bought plenty, but still.»

«They weren’t. Short. There’s still some. Remaining.»

«Oh? Then I’ll pack what’s left when I head out tomorrow.»

Go Byeonggap muttered to himself, and Gobungi’s eyes went wide.

«Huh!? You—you’re leaving. Tomorrow?»

«Tch. Well… that’s how it worked out.»

«I… see.»

He looked genuinely sorry to see him go. Go Byeonggap snorted a laugh and clapped Gobungi on the shoulder.

Then he stepped forward and addressed the goblins.

«All of you hear me?»

«Yes! We hear you!»

«Ow, that’s loud! Hey, hey, don’t answer back like that! You’ll draw the Grugles!»

Gasp!

At their Lord’s single word, the goblins clamped their mouths shut.

He hadn’t gathered them for a game of twenty questions, so he got straight to the point.

«Everyone focus. I’m leaving Somnium at daybreak tomorrow.»

«Huh!?»

«I’m going to lay out the rules of conduct now, so those of you coming with me better listen close.»

Go Byeonggap’s voice rang across the wide field for a long while.

* * *

Morning broke over Somnium. At any other time, this would be the hour they’d just be stirring from sleep. But the goblins had already been bustling about for some time.

They scooped up the gear they’d sorted and packed in advance. Some heaved on massive backpacks; others gathered their bundles here and there.

There were exactly 1,549 goblins here.

Of them, 524 would stay behind in Somnium. The remaining 1,025 would set off on the road with Go Byeonggap.

Goblins who’d finished their last meal in Somnium gathered before the city gate. On their faces, tension and expectation melted together.

Before leaving, Go Byeonggap gave Gobungi a few last instructions. He glanced over — the kid’s expression was sulky.

«Hey, don’t look so glum. I’m not abandoning the place for good.»

«Yesss… I. Know that…»

«And for the next month or two, I’ll be swinging by Somnium pretty often. I have to build a road through the mountain.»

«R-really? But… a road. Through the mountain?»

«To make a road wide enough for vehicles.»

«Ooh!»

«I’m also working on long-range communications, so just hang on a bit longer.»

«Yes, understood!»

«Right. Anyway, don’t you dare forget what I told you — and for god’s sake, stay healthy.»

«I’ll keep it in mind! May the Lord also. Stay in good health!»

«Yeah.»

Go Byeonggap gave Gobungi’s back one last pat before moving to the head of the long column.

He shouted toward the goblins.

«Once we’re down the mountain, the new home is just a little ways off. Even if the march is tough, I want you all to follow along!»

«Yes! We understand!»

«Anyone feeling sick or off — speak up now!»

«…»

«No one? You’re sure?»

«No, sir! None!»

«Good! Open the gate!»

«Open the gate!»

The beast goblins guarding the gate hauled it open. The half-circle door swung wide, its wooden groan echoing off the walls.

«Move out!»

Go Byeonggap took point, leading the column. The goblins marched through the gateway in razor-straight rows and columns, boots pounding in unison.

Only when the last soldier had cleared the threshold did the gate grind shut again.

That was the moment.

«Company! Atten-tion!»

A booming voice from atop the walls. Byeonggap flinched and snapped his head toward it.

All the goblins of Somnium had climbed up onto the battlements and were looking down at them.

From the wall, Gobungi shouted.

«Salute our Lord!»

«Good health to you!»

«Good health, My Lord!»

«We — will miss you!»

A farewell cry that rattled the heavens themselves. Byeonggap’s eyes went wide.

«…Told you not to shout ‘Grugle’ when one shows up. Never listen, do you.»

He grumbled the words, but the corner of his mouth curled up anyway. Feeling his chest burn hot, Go Byeonggap shouted.

«What are you all standing around gawking at? Let’s move!»

«Yes, sir!»

Asvillam’s second stronghold.

The long procession set out toward ‘Baltadren,’ named after the ancient last bastion.