Lord of the Apocalypse

by Michael Sisa

  “Shut up, Naga!” growled a Minotaur. Unlike the Minotaurs I had encountered before, the furs of this one was pure silver. It glowed under the bright light above. “Why do you think I allowed some of my kin to work as slaves in this place? It’s so that the Grand Portal will be completed sooner! If we finish that, we’ll be able to move a larger number of humans! More food for our race! Do you get it, damn fish?!”

  Lak ‘Amesh

  Lv 73

  “Now, now, don’t fight,” a raspy voice interrupted. It came from a figure very much similar to our own. His limbs were thin, almost that of a twig, his green skin filled with blotches of red and brown. He held a cane in his left hand.

  Goblin Chieftain

  Lv 27

  The silver minotaur and the Naga looked at the direction of the Goblin Chieftain in disgust. With just alone, it was easy to see that the Goblin Chief had the lowest standing among these group.

  “Don’t butt in, weakling,” sneered the silver minotaur. “You goblins should keep your mouth shut and simply obey our orders!”

  I stared at the box hovering above the head of the silver minotaur. The name on it was very much familiar. Where had I seen it?

  “At times like these, we shouldn’t be fighting. Especially now that the Gryphons and the Werewolves are starting to make their move,” responded the Goblin Chieftain. “Isn’t that right, Lord Osiris?”

  The three monsters turned to the one sitting on the throne. A mummified human. Two small horns were visible at his forehead. His golden, slit-like eyes stared at the Goblin Leader.

  Osiris

  Lv 99

  There was silence, and Osiris eventually spoke, “Even though the Goblin Chieftain is undoubtedly the weakest among us leaders, he is still a Clan Leader. I shall take his words into consideration.”

  The Goblin Chieftain was clearly pleased by this. His lips curled into a smile, creating numerous wrinkles upon his face. The silver minotaur was glaring, while the Naga simply kept her silence.

  “Ah, the gifts have finally arrived.” The Goblin Chieftain and the other monsters have finally noticed our arrival.

  For a moment, my heart stopped beating when the gazes of these powerful creatures landed unto our group. More specifically, they seemed to stare at the Cursed Rubies I held in my hands.

  But what the hell are these monsters doing in this place? They were absurdly high-leveled, and if my hunch was correct, these guys were the leaders of their races.

  “Lord Osiris, my men have brought the fruits you are longing for,” proudly said the Goblin Chieftain. He said to us, “Put those over there and you may leave.”

  We placed the items we held on to a jade table. Now that I had taken a closer look, this room was absurdly extravagant. The walls were made entirely of gold, and the floor was probably topaz. Above, moving orbs of light floated. I did not know back then that they were wisps, creatures that normally lived with the fairies of the forest. Behind the throne, a crimson banner embroidered in gold hang.

  After delivering the items, we were escorted outside the room. Before we left, there was once again a heated argument between the Silver Minotaur and the Naga. I had no chance to hear further what they were saying as the door had shut completely.

  It somehow felt anticlimactic, considering the fact that I had just met four leaders of these monsters just now. I was expecting more to be honest, but I guess there was no other role for us goblins but to deliver the goods to those monsters.

  I breathed in then out.

  I told myself that I should be grateful that I came out alive of that room. After all, it was filled with absurdly strong monsters. There was no way of knowing if they actually like to eat goblin flesh.

  You have completed the quest, Meet the Goblin Chieftain!

  You have received 55 Exp!

  I wanted to shout in outrage after seeing the reward Exp. I was expecting that it was something amazing, since it clearly stated ‘Reward: Unknown’ back then. I grabbed my ears in frustration then stomped my feet.

  “What are you doing?” said the Goblin Leader. We have finally reached outside the pyramid. “We are going back to the Paradise. Move!”

  Paradise my ass. That was nothing but a dried, barren land. A place where goblins mutilate the corpses of humans.

  I have my complaints, but I simply shut my mouth and did not voice them out.

  From this encounter alone, I realized that the Minotaurs were not my only enemies. They were not the only monsters that threatened the survival of mankind. If the level 15 Minotaurs were already that strong, then how much more would the other monsters be?

  “And what the hell’s up with the level of that Osiris?” I mumbled as I climbed up the body of the Millennium Centipede. Thankfully, it will bring us back to the cavern. I was pretty sure that we would die from heat if we crossed the desert without it.

  I looked at the armored centipede I was riding on. Compared to the monsters gathered inside that pyramid, this thing actually looked cute. Those leaders just simply reeked of the word dangerous.

  The Goblin Leader slapped the reigns against body of the centipede, and it started kicking the ground. Instantly, we gained speed and shot through the desert. Like before, it was scorching hot. I felt my skin boil and melt from the heat.

  ***

  After we returned to the cavern, work resumed as usual. There was another batch of corpses, creating a mountain. Just like before, all of them were female.

  I used this chance to cut some of their clothes, then knotted them carefully to create a bag. I tied it around my waist. This was better, after all.

  Some of the goblins that saw me snickered upon seeing it, but I simply brushed it aside. These damn idiots did not know the advantage of having something to store items in.

  I grabbed my pickaxe. My goal this time was not the Cursed Rubies. It was something different entirely.

  After meeting the monsters in the pyramid, especially the one called Osiris, I realized how weak I was. I could never protect my family in the Human Realm even if I did meet them now. That was the conclusion I’ve arrived at after some thoughts.

  “I need to quickly gain some levels,” I mumbled.

  Since quests were hard to come by, I had no choice but to use the only method available — killing other Goblins.

  Last time, I ‘accidentally’ killed one of them due to hunger. But this time was different. I was going to kill them for the Experience.

  Pretending that I was going to mine for cursed rubies, I carried my pickaxe then entered the tunnels. It was dark like last time, but it was actually easy to see everything using the eyes of a goblin.

  I observed those that were currently inside the tunnels. All were Goblin Spawns. Perfect.

  Patiently, I waited for one of them to become alone and isolated. After seeing my chance, I immediately hacked at the Goblin Spawn’s body using my pickaxe. It did not have the chance to cry for help as my weapon pierced its head right at the middle.

  You have killed a Goblin Spawn!

  You have gained 5 Exp!

  “Woah, that’s bigger than before,” I said while I stared at the blue screen hovering before me. I was pretty sure that last time, I gained a meagre amount of 3 Exp.

  “Maybe the Exp gained differs from each individual?”

  I immediately tested my theory out. I once again waited for a goblin to become alone and isolated, and using the strength of my entire body, struck it using my pickaxe. It fell down limp on the ground after my pickaxe destroyed its head.

  Attacking without warning may seem cowardly, but I did not care. These bastards deserve no mercy. Furthermore, I could avoid unnecessary fights by using this cheap simple trick.

  You have killed a Goblin Spawn!

  You have gained 4 Exp!

  As I thought. The Experience Points gained were not the same.

  I kept killing Goblin Spawn one after another, and my Exp slowly rose up. It had taken me several hours, but at this rate, it might
be possible to reach level 3 before the day ends.

  I dug through the ground then tossed the body of my recent kill inside. I was about to cover it with rocks when I heard steps behind my back. I turned around and looked.

  In front of me was a goblin a bit larger than me. It also held a pickaxe in its hand, its eyes staring at the corpse inside the hole I dug.

  Goblin Worker

  Lv 3

  “Shit.”

  My heart loudly thumped, almost jumping out.

  My fear quickly became reality. The Goblin Worker shrieked, its cries echoing through the tunnels. From behind him, I could hear numerous small footsteps. Eventually, two more Goblin Workers appeared behind him, their eyes glaring at my direction. It was obvious that they were not pleased with me killing their kin.

  I looked behind me. It was the pathway that leads deeper inside the tunnel. I had not explored that part before in fear of becoming lost and dying of hunger. But it seemed that I did not have much of a choice now.

  I looked at the pickaxe I currently held. If I let go of this thing, I would be able to move at a quicker pace. But without it, I have no way of defending myself.

  Should I abandon the pickaxe and simply run away. Or do I fight them here?

  Seconds ticked by and I arrived at an answer.

  I threw the pickaxe at the Goblin Workers, and they simply evaded it by ducking.

  I had decided to flee.

  I ran.

  I ran with all my might.

  I had not tried using my skill before, but I was sure that now’s the right moment.

  “Scurry!” I shouted. It felt a bit stupid shouting out the skill, but I currently had no idea how to activate it. Thankfully, it seemed to have worked. I felt my body move at a quicker pace.

  Movement Speed has increased by 50% for 6 seconds.

  Behind me, the Goblin Workers started chasing. One of them threw its pickaxe towards me, and I leapt towards the side to dodge it.

  I felt a pricking sensation on my left leg. The damnable weapon had grazed me.

  I looked in front of me. It was a fork.

  “Shit,” I mumbled. I knew that right now, even if I somehow escaped from these Goblin Workers, I might never find my way out. My instinct was screaming at me that this mine was absurdly vast, the one in which if you got lost, you’ll simply die of hunger after failing to find your way out.

  “Left. Middle. Right?”

  I had to choose between the three.

  “Screw it!”

  A second wasted could mean my death here. Without thinking much of it, I decided to go right. I ran through the pathway, my heart loudly pounding through my chest. So, even goblins could feel this spent too, huh?

  My ears twitched. I could still hear the footsteps of my pursuers.

  Maybe I should have simply fought them back then. Or was that too reckless?

  “Don’t dwell on stupid things,” I reprimanded myself. “Focus, Nick!”

  Once again, I ran and ran. My only goal was to create as much distance between me and those Goblin Workers.

  But unluckily, I soon found myself in a dead end.

  The sound of footsteps from my pursuers were still clear.

  Damn bastards. They really followed me all the way up here.

  Slowly, the figures of the Goblin Workers emerged. The three of them were huffing, but the satisfied looks on their faces that says, “We’ve finally got you!” was evident.

  I noticed that they also held no weapons. Great. They must have thrown it too along the way.

  “Three monsters with higher levels than me,” I smirked.

  This somehow reminded me of the time when I was still in prison. My daily life in that place was simply hell. Everyday, the guards would make us prisoners fight against each other. It was their way of getting rid of their boredom.

  Back then, I also found myself in the same predicament, right? That time wherein I got cornered by five inmates as I was taking a shower in the public bath. They accused me of stealing their food, or some other stupid stuff I had no idea about. If I remembered correctly, I got so beaten up that I was unable to walk for the next four days after that.

  “Compared to those convicts, you guys are like kids anyway,” I said to the Goblin Workers.

  I knew that those words of mine were simply meant to comfort myself, but it worked wonders regardless. I was starting to regain my confidence. Indeed, I may not have much chance against those five inmates who brawled everyday like there was no tomorrow. But against these three monsters, I could probably win.

  I bit my lips using my rotten teeth, and I felt satisfaction after it bled.

  Good. My teeth were sharp.

  I flexed my fingers. I knew that my nails were enough to pierce through goblin flesh.

  Gambling everything, I activated that skill.

  You have activated Frenzied Rage!

  50% of your HP has been consumed as penalty.

  Movement Speed has increased by 60%

  Attack Speed has increased by 75%

  Attack Damage has increased by 30%

  Based on my experiences back when I was still inside the Iron Cell, dragging a fight against many people would eventually result in failure. It was inevitable that you would run out of stamina and vigor first, since you were fighting one against many.

  I knew that I had to finish this in the least amount of time possible. Furthermore, this skill would be active for only half a minute.

  With those things in mind, I made the first move. I shot forward towards the nearest Goblin Worker, then using my long nails, struck at its neck. Blood spurted violently as the Goblin Worker shrieked in pain.

  I dodged a swipe from the Goblin Worker on the left. Using the momentum of my dodge, I positioned myself right behind it. I cleared all hesitations in my mind. Using a jaw breaking force, I bit its neck, attempting to rip off the flesh apart.

  Once again, blood violently spurted out of the neck. The Goblin Worker gagged as blood came out its mouth.

  I spat out the flesh I had torn from its neck. Disgusting. It tasted like shit.

  A kick sent me flying towards the tunnel walls. I groaned as I quickly tried to steady my feet.

  Damn. I got careless. I momentarily forgot the existence of the third goblin.

  By now, the two goblins I attacked were tottering around. The light in their eyes started dimming. I knew that it was only a matter of time before they died of blood lost.

  They should not be much of a threat right now. The only problem remaining would be the third Goblin Worker. Unlike the other two, this one was more cautious. It made sure to stand behind the two dying goblins, its eyes staring directly into mine.

  Frenzied Rage has ended.

  Damn it. The skill had finally ended. Should I use it again? No, it would be too risky. Cutting my remaining health in half would further increase my risk of dying. I might even die from a simple kick with so little HP.

  My heart loudly thumped. This was unlike my fights with the prisoners. There would be no one to stop us this time.

  “Screw it,” I snarled.

  The remaining Goblin Worker must have taken that as cue, as it immediately leapt towards me, its long nails sharp and ready.

  I jumped to the side, and my body rolled twice on the ground. I immediately got up, just in time to dodge a swipe from the green-skinned monster.

  The Goblin Worker shrieked, and it opened its mouth wide as it attempted to bite my flesh off. I stopped its attack by scratching its face. It was probably a stroke of luck – my nails cut one of its eyes.

  I immediately sprung into action. A chance like this would never come by again. Using all my reflexes, I pierced the remaining eye with my nails. The Goblin Worker shrieked as it took three steps back, before its body touched the walls of the tunnels.

  It must have felt its impending death as it continued swiping against the air, most probably in an attempt to hit me.

  But I merely stood there, watching as the Gobl
in Shrieked and hit the air. A blind Goblin Worker would be an easy prey, but there was no harm in being cautious. After all, a cornered rat would bite a cat.

  Every now and then, I would make noises, and the Goblin Worker would frantically hit the air. It was afraid, and I took advantage of that. I did not let it rest even one bit.

  “Get tired already, damn monster.” I licked my lips.

  You have killed a Goblin Worker!

  You have gained 48 Exp!

  You have killed a Goblin Worker!

  You have gained 51 Exp!

  By now, the two goblins whose necks I injured before had died. Blood blanketed the ground where their corpses are.

  Surprisingly, the experience points I gained from killing them was large. There was not much difference in levels between a Goblin Spawn and a Goblin Worker. Then why?

  I looked at the remaining Goblin Worker. It had become flaccid, definitely tired. It was blind, and I somehow knew that it had given up on life. Still, just to be sure, I approached it carefully.

  Without another word, I struck its neck using my nails. Blood gushed out violently. The Goblin Worker shrieked and wailed in pain, before it eventually jerked then lost strength entirely. I pulled out my nails then struck its neck once again.

  You have killed a Goblin Worker!

  You have gained 54 Exp!

  You have Leveled Up!

  A magic circle started forming beneath my feet. A second after, a mechanical voice spoke through my head.

  After achieving the required level, you will now evolve into a Goblin Worker.

  Slowly, I could see my limbs stretch out before me. It was not much, but I could clearly see my growth. My thin limbs from before had gained some muscles too. Definitely, this was the body of a Goblin Worker.

  You have gained a new skill!

  Portal Access