Chapter 156. Becoming a God. (2)
Translator: Seven Editor: Yahiko
2.
With my guidance, the goblins were able to safely escape.
-Kerr! Keru!
-Kekerkker!
The goblins all jumped for joy. They looked just like little green chimpanzees. If they were to shout 'ukeekee' instead of 'kerk', people might actually mistake them for monkeys.
'These guys. How cute.'
-You think these things are cute…? Huh?
Bae Huryeong, who appeared behind me, shivered as he said those words.
-Zombie, something is really wrong with you, huh?
'Mr. Sword Emperor, look at them objectively. I can already see what the goblins can become in the future. It's such a noble and beautiful sight. I can already see what the future holds even though it's still far away.'
-Ugh, I can't deal with this bastard anymore… I'm so helpless and powerless that I feel like I'll lose my mind every time this bastard opens his mouth….
At that time, other races had also succeeded in escaping.
The Black Dragon Master had chosen to become an elegant black swan as she guided the vampires. Since I left the forest first, I was able to see them exit. Fwoosh! A large group of bats flapped their wings as they flew across the sky, chasing after the black swan in a triangular formation.
'Oh. That's pretty cool.'
As the black swan flew by, our eyes met for a moment. Within the swan's dark eyes wasn't the ferocity of a wild beast but the sharp intelligence of the Black Dragon Master. Flap! The swan spread its wings again.
Then, the black swan disappeared over the horizon in an instant.
It seemed that all my companions had managed to transform into various animals and lead their races to safety.
[Quest Clear!]
[You have successfully evacuated your race from the Great Forest of Origin.]
[You have received 300 race points as a reward for clearing the quest!]
[You currently have 855 race points.]
The rewards were satisfactory.
'500 race points for being the first to create a primitive religion or whatever and 300 points as the quest reward. That's not bad at all.'
-Hmm. Is that a lot?
'It's a good start. I don't want to use up all of my points at the start.'
-If you say so. After all, you are the Great Goblin God, Kim Gongja.
'Yep. Now, all we need to do is find a new place to live.'
I mentally chose the next item I wanted to buy from the store. I was still able to use the Civilization Store even while possessing the white lion.
[Are you sure you wish to purchase 'Search for a Bronze-Ranked Settlement'?]
I agreed to the purchase without hesitation.
'Yes.'
Messages popped up one after the other.
[Purchased 'Search for a Bronze-Ranked Settlement'?]
[80 points have been deducted!]
[You currently have 775 race points.]
Whoosh!
An image appeared in my mind. Across a river and three streams from our location was a settlement suitable for goblins.
'Appropriate moisture and suitable hunting ground… it's just fine.'
Good. Now, all I had to do was guide them to it.
"Gork! Gorr, krr, gor!"
'Good! Follow me!'
I gallantly put one of my lion paws forward. Like baby ducklings, the goblins didn't think about anything and simply followed me jollily.
Six days later.
We finally arrived at the settlement I saw in the image.
-Kerrr!
The goblins threw themselves into a nearby stream while expressing how much they liked this place.
[The Goblin Race likes this place very much!]
[The sorrow of losing their old home within the Goblins is beginning to fade.]
The goblins rolled around in the stream and covered themselves with mud. This appeared to be their hobby.
The mothers dug up the sticky mud with their claws before rubbing it on the backs of their children. The little ones all happily shouted 'Kerr! Kerr!' as they were covered. Did the mud bath feel that good?
-Maybe they're trying to get rid of that horrid stench. The goblins reek, don't they? It's a bit better now that they've covered themselves with mud, though.
'Hoh. I guess you could say that.'
-Do you not agree, Great Goblin God, Kim Gongja?
'God doesn't care about every little thing. Only about the great plans in mind.'
-Psycho….
I didn't pay attention to what he was saying.
Instead, I simply lay down and watched the little mud festival unfold in front of me.
As I watched on happily, I suddenly heard the voice of the Tower.
[Would you like to make this the new settlement of the Goblin Tribe?]
'Yep.'
[You have pioneered a new settlement!]
[Please choose a name for the new settlement.]
'A name… I want to call it the Temple of Raviel, but I doubt they'd be able to pronounce that. No, they definitely can't pronounce it.'
I scratched at the ground with a sullen expression. Mm. This, this, this sensation of scratching at the ground and the squishy feeling as it gave under my claws was really soothing….
-Hey. Aren't you acting more and more like a beast…?
'You're just imagining things.'
Suddenly, a fly began to buzz around me. Ah, for clarity's sake, I suppose I should add that the animal I was currently possessing only looked kind of like a lion, but it wasn't actually a lion. I just called it that since it was more convenient.
I swung my tail. Tak! And with a soft sound, my tail hit the fly's body accurately. The fly couldn't withstand my strike and fell to the ground, dead.
Fly hunts like this one had become my hobby during this task.
It was pretty fun.
-As I thought, you really are becoming more like a beast, aren't you, you bastard…?
'If it means I can have the manly charms of a beast, then I'd gladly accept it. In any case, I'll call this place [Guru].'
And so I roared.
"Guru-!"
The Tower responded to my roar.
[The name of this settlement has been designated as 'Guru'.]
[The Goblin Race is no longer at risk of extinction!]
[You can now declare this stage cleared.]
[Would you like to declare this stage as cleared?]
-Wow, you finally cleared it! I can finally get out of this disgusting gork gork zone! Hey, what are you waiting for?! Hurry up and declare the stage clear!
'Ah, what are you talking about? Don't you know the Tower well?'
-I know! I know! I just want to get out of this damn place as soon as possible!
'I'm going to reject it.'
Race War.
From the 31st to the 40th floors, this theme would continue. If the 31st Floor was the Old Stone Age, then the 32nd Floor might be the New Stone Age*. That was how it worked. (: Also known as the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages)
If I were to declare the clear now, on the next floor, I might meet the goblins hundreds or even thousands of years from now.
'I have to do everything I can before I move on.'
I calmly looked over the Goblin Race's status window.
This was something I'd done many times since the race selection.
'The goblins' traits were [Victims of Racial Discrimination, [Tribal Consciousness, and [Greed].'
I read the information about these traits in turn.
[Victims of Racial Discrimination]
Rank: F
Effect: The Goblin Race is extremely ugly! So much so that it invokes the hatred of anyone looking at them. As a result, the Goblin Race suffers from all kinds of prejudices and misunderstandings and has great difficulty forming healthy relationships with other races.
Beware! Within the hearts of those discriminated against burn the flames of hatred. The greater the hatred of the Goblin Race, the more hostile they are to other races. This is a problem that must be solved before it reaches the point of no return.
※However, this trait can change depending on how history progresses.
'This will be a problem.'
What if I went to the next floor and found that the goblins were already hostile to all the other races? So much so that the goblins would be declared [public enemies] just like in a normal fantasy world.
That would be horrible.
To do so much only to become the public enemy.
'This one must be resolved before I leave… next is [Tribal Consciousness].'
[Tribal Consciousness]
Rank: C
Effect: The Goblin Race has a strong sense of kinship. When a Goblin dies, no other race in this world will shed as many tears as a Goblin. Instead, they would rejoice, cheerfully yelling, 'The monster is dead! We did it!' as they toasted.
Goblins are Goblins.
It's an inevitable fate.
With this thought, there is only one race in the world they can believe in—their own. The most taboo things in Goblin society are as follows: betraying another Goblin, killing another Goblin, etc.
Unless there is some kind of misfortune, there is no way the Goblin Race would attack each other!
※However, this trait can change depending on how history progresses.
I've seen it several times, and I still think it's a good trait.
This showed that even if they were goblins, they still had at least one good trait.
-I don't think this trait is that good….
'Huh? Really?'
-Nevermind. I was just rambling. Hurry up and look at the next trait.
'Are you finally starting to see the charm of the goblins?'
-I just want you to get this over with….
That wasn't a truthful response. It was obvious that he was beginning to see the cute side of this little race I was raising.
-I don't…
Side by side, a lion and a spirit sat beside each other as they looked at the last trait window.
[Greed]
Rank: B
Effect: The Goblin Race is filled with greed. Perhaps it is because of their shame for being too ugly. Or maybe the Goblin Race wants to be recognized for their possessions instead of themselves.
'Kerk! I just put on warm mud!'
'Kerk! I just covered myself with premium mud from the head of the stream!'
They desire to be the most distinguished.
The long to be even greater.
In the hearts of the Goblin Race, their inferiority complexes, low self-esteem, and desires for greatness combine to create a powerful form of greed. Maybe the Goblin Race will crave shiny treasures. Or maybe they'll catch slaves and brag about whose slaves are prettier. The Goblin Race is greedy, and with this greed comes potential.
How their 'greed' develops depends on you.
※However, this trait can change depending on how history progresses.
"……."
I fell into deep thought.
'As expected, they're just like me.'
-Huh? What was that?
'Nothing. I was just talking to myself. Mm.'
I slowly lifted my heavy lion body.
As I slowly approached the stream, the mud covered goblins noticed and they all began to crowd around me.
-Kerrr.
–Kekerkker?!
Goblins had fewer facial muscles compared to humans. This was because their mouths were too large. As a result, it was difficult to recognize their facial expressions.
"Krrr."
I lifted my front paw and smashed it against one of the rocks beside the stream. The goblins shrank back in surprise. But I continued to swing my foot forward without caring about them.
It wasn't long after that all my claws were broken.
-Hey. What are you doing?
'Wait.'
I pressed down into the mud with my wounded foot. Like a brush, my fur soaked up the mud like ink.
The goblins continued to watch my actions with clear confusion.
"Krrng."
I walked towards the goblin closest to me. The little goblin flinched as my giant shadow covered it, but it didn't run away or hide.
"Gor. Krrng. Krr, Gorrrk."
'That's right. Good boy. Stay there. It won't be long.'
Puk.
I gently rubbed my paw along the little goblin's stomach. As if cleaning a window, I drew curves with my paw. Every time I put mud on it, the little goblin flinched, but it still didn't run.
-Uhhh….
Bae Huryeong muttered.
-By chance, are you trying to draw a tattoo?
That was right.
'Yeah.'
I drew a swirl pattern on the goblin's stomach with my paw.
It wasn't just this one. After I finished my swirl pattern, I began to draw other things on the other goblins as well.
"Gooorr."
Because I drew it with a lion's paw instead of my human hands, it was a bit clumsy and ugly. It was also very messy since I painted it with mud instead of any conventional paints. But if I had been able to use paint, it definitely would've looked better.
After a while, all of the goblins had tattoos.
-Kerr? Ker?
The goblins looked at themselves and at each other as if they were amazed. After a while, like children who had been given a new toy, they began to rub mud on each other.
-Kerk! Kerrp, kerker.
-Kerker!
The goblins splashed around happily in the stream. And when their patterns washed off, they could simply draw new ones. Seeing that, the goblins became joyful again.
[The Goblin Race has awakened its 'sense of beauty'!]
[The Goblin Race is mesmerized by the beauty of their bodies.]
The Tower's voice echoed in my head.
[The Goblin Race trait 'Victims of Racial Discrimination' has changed!]
[The Goblin Race has gained a new trait 'Primitive Fashionista'!]
Windows appeared before me one after the other.
[Primitive Fashionista]
Rank: E
Effect: The Goblin Race is extremely ugly! So much so that it invokes the hatred of anyone looking at them. As a result, the Goblin Race suffers from all kinds of prejudices and misunderstandings, and has great difficulty forming healthy relationships with other races.
'Kerk! We are ugly!' In response to this, the Goblin Race created a special culture. 'Then why don't we wear nice things?' That was to cover their appearances with something fashionable.
The Goblin Race began to draw various tattoos on their green skin. The more beautiful the tattoo, the more fashionable the Goblin is in the eyes of the Goblin Race. Congratulations. The Goblin Race now has a culture called fashion.
Long live the Primitive Fashionistas!
'No matter how you decorate it, a Goblin is still a Goblin'
Of course, whether this fashion is recognized by other races or not is a different matter entirely.
※However, this trait can change depending on how history progresses.
Okay.
The mouth on my lion face spread into a satisfied smile.
"Krrr."
It didn't matter if this was a Race War or a chance to experience being a guardian Constellation.
To put it simply, I just had to raise these kids to the best of my ability.
"Krrng, krrrr, gorp, grrrng!"
'Hey, I'm going to make your race soar to the heavens!'
I let out a powerful roar.
Kekerkker!
-Kekerkker! Kekerkker!
Goblins covered in mud danced all around me.
I was touched.
After witnessing this scene, Bae Huryeong muttered softly.
-No… I think they're all crazy… Don't tell me they're all going to be little Kim Gongjas. An entire race wouldn't become crazy like Kim Gongja… would they? Yeah, that's impossible. Absolutely not. Such a hellish fantasy could never turn into reality….
-Kerrrrh!
The majestic cry of the goblins echoed throughout the settlement.
Chapter 156. Becoming a God. (3)
Translator: Seven
3.
[Purchased 'Prey Search'.]
[5 points have been deducted!]
[You currently have 865 race points.]
"Krrrr!"
I bit into the bull's skin. It was an animal with spines sticking out of it like a hedgehog, and it didn't look like a cow at all, but there was a reason why I called it a cow.
-Mooo!
And that was the sound it made.
-Moo! Moooo!
The bull let out a soft cry. It struggled and resisted as much as it could, but in the end, it was useless. Even this strange bull creature could not withstand my teeth and claws, not to mention the sharp spears of my goblins.
-Kirrk! Ke!
-Kerk, kekego, gork!
['Hunt' successful!]
[You have gained complete knowledge of this prey. Hunting this animal will no longer give any race points.]
[Hunting experience maxed. Hunting no longer gives any race points.]
'Well, then. That's it for hunting.'
-Zombie… Let's get out of here already… Please… It's like you forgot everything else…
'Good. Now, it's time to gather!'
-Dammit!
And many peaceful days passed just like that.
[Gathering no longer gives any race points.]
Now, the goblin's bare skin was no longer visible. Instead, the goblins used red and green mud to paint their clumsy but eye-catching tattoos.
And somehow, the bad smell went away. I wasn't sure if the mud had some kind of deodorizing effect or if it was the power of Primitive Fashionista, but the soybean paste-like smell that had been brought by the summer heat had all but vanished.
That wasn't all.
[The Goblin Race has distinguished themselves as 'Hunter-Gatherers'!]
[The fear of large animals in the Goblin Race is slowly fading.]
[You have received 50 race points.]
[You currently have 1015 race points.]
"Gor."
'Okay.'
I wagged my tail in satisfaction.
'Now, I've done almost all I can for them.'
The Goblins started out playing with mud, and now, they were able to hunt large animals.
But this was just the beginning. The soil upon which the great [Goblin Civilization] would flourish had been tilled.
'I can't get any more race points.'
Were my other companions in similar situations?
[Venomous Snake who guides the Noble Race declares 'clear'!]
[Sword Saint who guides the Pure Race declares 'clear'!]
The number of people declaring 'stage clear' gradually increased. Viper was the first to declare it. The Sword Saint came second.
And I was sure that the rest were also wrapping up this stage as well.
'Ahh.'
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
'If possible, I'd like to pass on [Text] or [Aura] or something like that to them. This is really….'
-What's stopping you from passing it on to them?.
'I can't do it even if I want to.'
I sighed with my lion's mouth before looking at the Civilization Store. The Civilization Store had most of the items we'd need, and what I wanted to pass on to the goblins was clearly marked.
'Item Search. Text.'
A holographic image appeared in front of me, displaying the item.
The problem was obvious.
[Text]
Description: Your race develops characters. Keeping records in writing is much more effective than word of mouth! Unlike a voice, which disappears as soon as you stop speaking, text can weather the passage of time.
Price: 4500 Race Points
※The Pure Race starts with this skill.
'Dammit. What a crazy price….'
It was too damn expensive.
I currently have 1015 points. I spent a lot of points hunting and doing other things, but even if I saved everything I earned, I still wouldn't be able to afford 'Text'. And yet, the Pure Race were able to start with such an expensive item.
Was there any racial balancing?
-It's your fault for choosing goblins. Kekeke.
It wasn't just the Pure Race who had bonuses.
In fact, even the Pure Race wasn't much.
The Count's Fairy Race, or Elves, had [Mana Reaction] and [Aura Reaction] from the start. Both were skills that cost 6200 points.
I once again felt just how bad the goblin's start was.
'Even though I'm sure these little guys will ascend to the heavens in the future and gobble up both the Pure Race and Fairy Race, I still feel sorry for them.'
-Shouldn't you feel sorry for yourself instead, zombie?
'I'm not sure about anything else, but I at least want to pass on Text. Hmm. Is there really no way to acquire 4500 points…?'
The voice of the Tower sounded again.
[Crusader who guides the Ocean Race declares 'clear'!]
Even the Crusader declared clear.
Now, there were only three people left on the 31st floor. The Heretic Questionner who ruled the Snail Race. The Black Dragon Master who ruled over the Vampire Race. And me.
'Mm.'
I decided to stop thinking about it.
'That's it. I just need to stop trying to get [Text] through conventional methods.'
-Huh?
'Even if I did manage to save up 4500 points, it would be a waste to spend them like that. I can't imagine pouring all of my precious points into a single item. And since when did I start using conventional methods? I've also resorted to trickery.'
-What are you talking about?
'I just need to teach them the characters myself!'
From that day, I began to battle with the goblin's brains.
"Krrrk, gor. Ah. Ker, ah."
'Guys, look at this. A. This is A.'
I drew the letter A on the ground. I made a large carving with my claw in case they couldn't recognize it. But the goblins sitting around me just tilted their heads.
-Kerrr?
-Kekerkker?
Right.
That was a dumb idea.
But I am not a man who gives up easily.
"Gor! Gah, ah, ker, ah!"
'Look carefully! A, A. This is A!'
I growled and nudged at the goblins.
The goblins flinched in surprise before shrugging their shoulders.
-Gar…?
-Go, go?
The goblins then got up and walked into the distance.
[The Goblins are afraid of you.]
[The Goblins are confused by your strange behavior.]
After a while, the goblins returned with meat from a bull they had hunted earlier. The burnt meat was then placed in front of me like an offering.
-Kekerkker…!
Then, the goblins prostrated on the ground and wept.
[The Goblins beg for your forgiveness.]
'No. Are they serious?'
Did they think I was mad because I really wanted to eat bull meat?(1)
Why couldn't they understand when I was doing my best to tell them?
If they kept playing around, the elves nearby would turn them into steamed monster. Did they want to get steamed? Did they want to become an XP farm for the elves in the future?
"Krrrrng! Gah, ah, ker!"
-Ke, kerrrk….
I didn't give up, and I kept trying to teach them characters.
But it only resulted in catastrophic failure.
The goblins couldn't even memorize the ABCs. I think they managed to memorize A somehow. It seemed like they were looking at me with expressions that said, 'What the hell is this?', 'I don't know…', and 'I don't know why we're doing this…'
'Ugh.'
I had finally experienced hardship for the first time while leading the goblins.
'Is it not possible for the goblins to learn characters with their intelligence? As far as I know, when the Flame Emperor went to the 33rd floor with the elves, the goblins also had written language…. Is there a problem with their intelligence because this is a bit early…? That shouldn't be….'
I contemplated in silence.
'Even if I manage to teach them the ABCs like this, they will still forget it eventually.'
The goblins had to feel it for themselves. Why it was beneficial for them to learn this. And what advantages it had for them. If they didn't, they would forget it in one generation or sooner.
I wondered how I could give the characters meaning.
"……."
Huh?
Wait a minute. I had an idea.
'What if I was too focused on stereotypes?'
Right. Just because I wanted to teach them text didn't mean they had to learn the ABCs!
I leaped to my feet and roared.
"Krrrrk!"
'Gather 'round!'
The goblins, who were eating meat, all gathered in a panicked fashion. Their ears flopped like puppies being scolded. If I could interpret their expressions, I'd probably find something weird. Things like, 'Ugh, I don't like this…' or 'I'd rather just put on mud like usual.'
In short, they were sulking.
"Krkr. krrk. Kekerkker, gor, ke."
'Hey, it's all right. You know I like you guys, don't you?'
I put some mud on my front paws before rubbing it on the goblins. Then, the goblins, who had lowered their heads with sullen expressions, finally opened their mouths again, smiling.
-Gogork.
-Kerrb, kerr!
These punks. Making them happy was as easy as making them upset.
My dazzling muddying skills quickly warmed the hearts of all of the goblins. Finally, after calming them down, I showed the [Text] to the goblins.
'Hey! Look, you guys. This is mud.'
But this time, the character was different from what I'd shown them before.
I drew something on the ground with my claw.
.
First I drew a square before filling it in.
Then I picked up a clump of mud and put it beside the .
'Mud. This is mud. Understand?'
-Kerrrtk…?
The goblins had puzzled expressions on their faces. Their faces showed that they didn't understand what I was doing. I decided to take it one step at a time.
Days passed one after the other.
Every time I put mud in front of the goblins, I drew on the ground beside it. That wasn't all. I also drew characters whenever I put mud tattoos on their bodies.
'This is day. The sky is bright.'
O.
'This is night. When the sky is dark.'
.
'This is the sun. It's blinding.'
.
'This is the moon.'
.
'This is water. Water. The stream.'
~.
'What if the water is a little deeper?'
~~.
'What if the water is incredibly deep?'
~~~.
-Kerr….
-Kerk? Ker, ke?
Although they were puzzled at first, the goblins slowly began to understand my drawings. The goblins couldn't accept or understand why 'A' meant 'ah,' but they managed to understand that meant mud.
'Right.'
It was my approach that was wrong.
'The goblin's world is still very small.'
There was very little in this world that the goblins understood or recognized.
The world was vast, but the goblins had only seen, smelled, heard, and felt a handful of things.
-Kerk.
Sky.
-Kerrk.
Ground.
-Ker.
Meat.
-Ke.
Water.
The goblins saw something bright and blue over their heads. Under their feet, they felt something hard though it was sometimes soft. As the centipede cooked, they smelled something pleasant. The soothing trickle always greeted them when they went to drink at the stream or the loud splash and nice feeling as they jumped in.
-Gor!
If they liked it, they said they liked it.
-Kerrrtk….
And if they didn't like it, they said they didn't.
And so, there were about six things in the goblin world. This meant that six words were enough to describe their world.
Six 'pictures' rather than dozens of characters.
Those were the characters the goblins needed for now.
Shaaaa-
One day, it rained.
The goblins ran around, washing themselves in the rain.
I showed them some characters.
'Water.'
~.
'Dark Sky.'
.
'Water falling from the dark sky.'
~.
'Rain.'
I raised my head and pointed at the rainwater drenching the world.
Following my lead, the goblins also looked at the rain.
'Rain.'
-…….
After a short while.
The goblins opened their mouths.
-Kerkke?
-Kerkke. Kerkke.
The goblins pointed towards the rain. Then, they imitated the ~ that I drew on the ground.
-Kerkke!
'Rain.'
The goblins looked at me as if to ask if they were right.
I nodded my head in satisfaction.
"Gor."
'Good.'
Suddenly.
[The Goblin Race has developed text!]
[The Goblin Race has gained the new talent 'Legacy of Records'!]
A window appeared in front of me.
[Legacy of Records]
Rank: E (A)
Effect: The Goblin Race realizes the endless possibilities of drawing! Although their drawings aren't the prettiest, they can still express things in the world. The Goblin Race knows that these patterns have meanings.
'O.'
For the Goblin Race, this means the sky.
'.'
For the Goblin Race, this means mud and the ground.
'O.'
This means the sky and the ground, and the Goblin Race has taken this to represent the world.
'O.'
For the Goblin Race, this means the world.
From now on, the Goblin Race will develop new pictograms. The Goblin Race will leave records of the things they love, and their text will contain their stories.
Best of luck to them.
※However, this characteristic can change depending on how history progresses.
"……."
This was surprising.
I only taught them a few drawings, but I managed to avoid spending Race Points.
-Kerkke, Kerkke!
-Kerkkerrk!
The goblins then left me alone and excitedly began to draw symbols. Watching them, I felt strangely sad, happy, and lonely all at the same time. It was quite the indescribable feeling.
[Black Dragon Master who guides the Bloodsucking Race declares 'clear'!]
A few days later, even the Black Dragon Master declared 'clear.'
Now, there were only two of us left on the 31st floor. Me and the Heretic Questionner.
'I bet the Heretic Questionner is teaching them something.'
In the meantime, I taught the goblins numbers.
At first, I tried to teach them Arabic numerals, but they couldn't understand them, so I settled for roman numerals instead. I. II. III. Because they were made of simple lines, even the goblins could understand roman numerals.
If I could, I would have liked to teach them some basic arithmetic as well.
'These guys don't understand the concept of subtraction yet….'
Goblins were goblins.
They couldn't understand that a number greater than six existed.
But I couldn't expect so much from them so soon.
'I taught them everything I could. Right?'
-I think so. Hey…
I nodded.
'It's time to leave now.'
That night, I left the Goblin Village as they slept.
The goblins would probably be very sad when they found out I was gone.
But I couldn't just leave the white lion's body in the village as I left the 31st floor. After all, it might attack the goblins and hurt them.
"Kr. Gorrr."
'Goodbye. Little guys.'
I licked the forehead of a young goblin with my tongue.
-Gorr…
The little goblin continued sleeping without even noticing.
'Cute thing.'
I headed as far away from the village as possible. Time slowly passed. In the dark night where there was nothing to keep me company but the sound of bugs, I soon heard the sad cries of goblins in the distance.
-Kekerk… ker…….
Did they already notice that I'd left?
The goblins continued to cry out 'Kekerkker', my name.
But I disappeared into the darkness without looking back.
'Live well! Get big and strong! I'll see you all later!'
I whispered those words in my heart.
'I declare 'stage clear'!'
The Tower's voice responded.
[Stage Clear!]
[The 31st floor stage has been cleared.]
[Compensation will be settled after entering the 32nd floor.]
[Chain layers in progress—you will be sent directly to the 32nd floor!]
Whoosh!
A bright light filled my eyes.
(TL: After this, I can proudly say that I have a budding proficiency in goblish.)
(Note:
1. Yes, he said 'This mom/mommy' lol.)
Chapter 158. The Great Snail Empire. (1)
Translator: Seven
1.
Immediately after clearing the stage.
I was forcibly dragged to the 32nd floor where I found my fellow hunters together with [The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage]. As she sat among them, the Lady hugged on a strange looking pillow.
"No. Is that…?"
Upon closer inspection, I realized that it wasn't a pillow, but a snail plushie.
I couldn't believe it.
Since there was a snail plushie, I wondered if there were goblin plushies as well….
"I have a goblin plushie too."
"Huh?"
"Here."
The Lady pulled a goblin plushie seemingly out of nowhere. The plushie had long ears, a fat nose, and prominent cheekbones.
"Uh, where did you get this…?"
"I made it."
"Can you show it to…."
Just as I was about to make a completely legitimate request as the Goblin God, someone interrupted me.
"What are you doing?"
The Black Dragon Master looked at me with an exasperated expression.
"If you have the time to mess around with the constellation, then we should move on to the next stage. It took us 24 days just to clear the 31st floor… No, is it my sense of time that has become weird? After all, it took years to clear the 10th floor. Maybe…."
"Can you really say that while holding that in your hands…."
"Th-, this is just for research."
The Black Dragon Master quickly hid the miniature bat plushie behind her back.
The Count and the Crusader also fiddled with an elf and a mermaid plushie respectively.
"I'm just checking out this item. Isn't it rare to find something that was made directly by a constellation?"
"The item description is pretty interesting."
These humans….
"Death King, Here."
"Ah. Thank you."
I took the goblin plushie and held it tightly in my arms as I looked around.
We were in a completely white space. It was as though it was white drawing paper that stretched endlessly. And we were standing in the center of it.
Mm
"……is this the 32nd floor?"
I asked this even though I didn't think it was. And as I expected, the Lady shook her head as she hugged the snail plushie.
"It would be better to think of this place as a waiting room of sorts. In order to initiate the 32nd floor, all of you must first declare 'stage clear'. Ah. In the case of Venomous Snake, he has already been waiting here for 15 days."
"I thought I would die from boredom!"
Venomous Snake, who was sitting on the ground, grimaced.
"Why did you all take so long? I took care of my little guys and then left as quickly as I could. I couldn't even watch what you guys were doing, so I had to meditate all day."
"With the sprite plushie."
"It helps with meditation. I used the most practical and pragmatic strategy I could think of, but what about you guys? I didn't expect you to be so immersed in it. It's like…."
"No. You were too insensitive."
The Crusader sighed.
"The Lady said it when we first entered the 31st floor. [From the 31st to the 40th floor, it will be a race war]. In other words, there was always the possibility that the 31st to 40th floors would be connected. We might have to continue ruling over the races we picked on the 31st floor ."
"Huh?"
"If it's just clearing the 31st floor, then it would be like you said, Chen Mu-Mun Guild Leader. But if we have to rule all the way up to the 40th floor, then it's an entirely different story altogether. Even if we are absent, we would still have to prepare for their development in advance."
The Venomous Snake paled slightly.
"W-, wait. Where did you hear that?"
"It's obvious to anyone who paid attention."
The Crusader sighed heavily.
"Think about it carefully, Liao Fan. You have a tendency to not pay attention to things not related to martial arts…."
"Se-, seriously? Is that why you all stayed on the 31st floor for that long?"
The Venomous Snake looked around with desperate eyes, hoping that someone would deny it.
Unfortunately, there were no hunters there who would care about his wishes.
"Don't worry about it, Venomous Snake."
Trying to comfort him, I patted his shoulder and smiled kindly.
"De-, Death King… is it true? The Crusader must have made a mistake, right? I can't be the only one who didn't realize…?"
"Even if your tribe is destroyed, we'll still have six left."
"Dammit!"
Venomous Snake buried his face in his hands.
The Lady had a playful smile as she watched our little play.
"You don't have to worry too much. All seven tribes will survive until the next era… In other words, they will all reach the 32nd floor. Thanks to all your hard work, the prehistoric era ended quite quickly. Now, it'll be the ancient era."
Ancient.
From the 31st to the 32nd floors, there was a gap in eras.
'At least a thousand years would have passed.'
Thousands of years. I was a bit worried about whether the goblins were doing well or not, but I was glad that the Lady announced that they were still alive.
But the Lady then made a completely unexpected remark.
"Now then! Since everyone is here, I'll open up the next stage."
The snail plushie the Lady was holding floated into the air and she crawled onto it. Then, like a cavalryman on horseback, she raised her arm and let out a cry.
"The world of the 32nd floor will be 200 years after the 31st floor!"
"……."
My companions all stared at her silently. My reaction was also the same.
"Huh?"
The Lady had just said 200 years, not 2000.
In other words, this meant that the prehistoric era ended in 200 years and the ancient era began.
"Two hundred years? My Lady, did you perhaps mean two thousand years?"
I had a puzzled expression on my face. It was unbelievable.
In the past, even when the Flame Emperor used all the points to raise the elves, the gap between the 31st and 32nd floors was more than a thousand years. And even if my memory was inaccurate, it wouldn't have been less than 500 years.
But 200 years?
Did we really raise those kids that well?
"You heard right."
The Lady smiled gently.
"I was also surprised. I knew you would be fast, but I didn't think it would be this fast. No. In this case, I suppose I should say it was [slow] instead of [fast]… Huh. It seems that sometimes, taking the long way can also be considered a shortcut."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll find out when you get to the 32nd floor. Hehe."
The Lady placed the goblin plushie on the white ground. Then she spread her arms wide. (TL: Didn't she give the goblin to gonja?)
"Then I'll open up the first floor!"
"Wait a minute."
The Black Dragon Master spoke up. She was also shocked by the fact that only 200 years had passed.
"All of us haven't arrived yet. The Heretic Questionner isn't here."
The Black Dragon Master was right. There were only six of us in the 'waiting room' at the moment. One of our group, the Heretic Questionner, hadn't shown up yet.
"We'll only be able to go to the 32nd floor after he declares clear……."
"Ah. In that case, you don't have to worry about it, it's fine."
The Lady waved her hand nonchalantly.
"Like I said before, [everyone who should be here is here]. If it's the 4th ranked, Heretic Questionner, you're worried about, he was the first one to reach the 32nd floor and is waiting for you."
"……What?"
"Like I said."
The Lady smiled brightly.
"You'll find out when you get there."
Paaaht!
A bright light enveloped us.
2.
When we opened our eyes, we found ourselves floating in the air. The world unfolded beneath our feet.
The last time, what we saw was a large forest. This time, it was different. There was no forest, or streams, or sunlight shining through leaves.
There wasn't even a sky.
"Oh my God."
The Black Dragon Master muttered in shock.
"What is this place……?"
The world beneath our feet.
The scene that the Black Dragon Master referred to as 'this place', was an 'underground city'. A city that we'd never heard of or seen before.
-It's hard because the way home is so far, rime.
A shrill, but easily understood voice suddenly sounded.
-I heard there's a new tavern near the great cavity….
-I wish I could postpone my compulsory service this year, rime.
Small beings crawled through the city. That's right. They didn't walk, they crawled.
They were snails.
These translucent creatures slithered about. With large snail shells on their backs.
"What the hell…?"
This underground city. No, this underground world, was very different from cities we were used to. This was natural. After all, when the snails reached the end of the roads they were walking on, they simply began to clamber up the walls.
-Don't crawl up the walls randomly, rime!
-Don't be ridiculous. Every wall is a good road for us to use, rime. God decides where we have to go, but I can decide how I get there, rime.
The snails moved freely and comfortably from left to right, top to bottom.
It was an enormous underground world.
There were numerous large buildings that seemed to be over 20 stories high, but none of them seemed to have stairs. The snails simply climbed up the walls and slipped into the windows.
-Monthly rent has gone up too much in these past few days, rime ….
-It's a pity, but I think I'll have to stay in my 'old shell' this winter….
There were even some without shells.
These shell-less snails huddled together in small caves where they made nests. They also transported bright blue gems back and forth. Whenever a snail swallowed these gems, its translucent body glowed blue. It was as though their bodies had actually became blue.
-Rime… I endured a lot for this bite today, rime….
-From how bright they are, it seems that those bastards saved us some good stuff this time, rime.
-We got lucky. Nowadays, traders have no ethics or morals. How can they even play tricks with stone cigarettes? That's not something normal people would do. rime.
-Let me have a taste too….
It didn't end there.
-Quickly move the cargo, rime!
A snail swung its tentacle. Pak! And a fleshy sound rang out. The being that was hit with the tentacle groaned as it put heavy stones onto a wagon.
The Noble Race.
The beings who Venomous Snake ruled over.
-Seriously, the Noble Race are all so lazy! Rime!
The snail, who seemed to be a supervisor, grumbled.
-Even though we paid so much for them, the second we take our eyes off them, they try to do something. We saved them, feed them, clothe them, and let them sleep. I don't know why they're still so ungrateful.
-Right. It's only because slaves can climb a bit better and are strong. Otherwise, there wouldn't be anything good about this shell less race.
-Hey, slave. Say 'rime' once, rime. If you can pronounce it properly, I'll let you go.
The snails were much smaller than the Noble Race. The Noble Race had bodies the size of orcs with a single horn in the middle of their forehead. Nevertheless, they seemed afraid of these snails who only reached their waists.
-Ri-, Rimi.
-See that! The slave can't even say 'rime' properly, rime! They are of such low birth that they can't even say the sacred word. Useless things. Just move the stones!
-Woo…
Oh my God.
Had the snails enslaved the sprites?
"No……. What the hell… is this……."
Venomous Snake's mouth fell open.
All of a sudden, his race had become slaves.
"T-, this doesn't make any sense. I, I did what I could before I left the 31st floor! I taught them how to make swords and spears, and I taught them how to fight… So what is this? Why did my race become slaves!"
"Ara."
It was at this moment that we heard a familiar voice.
"I can finally see the faces I missed!"
It was the Heretic Questionner.
"Ahaha. So it finally recognized that we entered a new era. Hmm. It's slow when it wants to be slow and fast when it wants to be fast. No. If I were to look at it from an objective standpoint, I suppose it recognized it quite quickly!"
The Heretic Questionner was the same as usual. He was wearing the same black priestly robes and had the usual smile on his face. That's why Venomous Snake didn't feel anything strange when he rushed to the Heretic Questionner.
"Hey! You psychopath bastard!"
"Ah, yeah?"
"How did this happen? Why did my race become your race's slaves?!"
The Venomous Snake grabbed the Heretic Questionner's collar and shook it violently. Nevertheless, the Heretic Questionner's smile remained the same despite the shaking.
"I'll do my best to explain it briefly! The current snail civilization I created needed a large workforce. Slavery is a pretty useful system for the provision of a labor force. It just so happened that the Noble Race invaded 112 years ago, and the snails defeated and captured them!"
"Wh-, what are you……?"
"Ah. Not to worry. They were hard to tame because they are such a proud race, and while it's still hard, we have at least managed to lower their spirits to some extent. Maybe in another three generations, we will be able to change the nature of the race."
"……."
The Venomous Snake's mouth fell open. It seemed that he was unable to keep up with what the Heretic Questionner was saying. On the other hand, the other hunters, who were beginning to have an idea of what was going on, stared at each other in silence.
"……Mr. Heretic Questionner."
I opened my mouth, deciding to take the lead.
"There's something I'd like to ask you."
"Ahh, Death King! Yes! You can ask me anything."
The Heretic Questionner smiled. If he had a tail it probably would have started wagging at that moment. His smile was just as bright as always.
"We all went to the waiting room after clearing the 31st floor, but you didn't go there. The Lady also said that you were the first person to enter the 32nd floor… What does that mean?"
"Mm? Ah. I see. Haha"
The Heretic Questionner tilted his head back and forth a few times before nodding.
"Strictly speaking, that expression isn't exactly correct. I didn't arrive on the 32nd floor first. Instead, I never left the 31st floor!"
"……."
Silence.
"……Huh?"
"It's just as I said, Death King! I know that you all declared stage clears one by one. The Tower told me. However, I had a thought! If the 31st floor is connected to the next floor, was it necessary to declare a stage clear?"
"……."
"I know a bit about how human history developed. And I believed that this knowledge would certainly be of great help to my snail civilization's development. Therefore, I told the Tower that I wouldn't declare a stage clear."
"Then……."
"Yes! I stayed with the Snail Race and continued to take care of them!"
The Heretic Questionner smiled.
"Welcome back, everyone! Aha. It's been 200 years, 6 months, and 21 days since we met! It's nice to see you all after such a long time!"
This psycho.
Chapter 159. The Great Snail Empire. (2)
Translator: Seven
3.
In the beginning, there was 'Rime'.
No one was sure where 'Rime' came from, or where he would go in the future. But Rime had chosen them to be the chief among all the races in the world, and he had given them proof that they were the chosen.
-Although there are many races in this world, you are the only ones who can say the word 'Rime'. So you are the only ones I will allow to say my Holy Name. Ahh! This is your right. Take 'Rime' as evidence that you are the chosen and in everything you do, be it poop, sleep, eat, or dress, recite it to prove my existence.…….
"……what the hell is this bullshit?"
The Heretic Questionner smiled at my question.
"It is a holy covenant I made!"
"A holy covenant?"
"Yes! The vocal organs of the Snail Race are unique. Of the seven races, only the Snail Race can say 'Rime'. That's why I chose that pronunciation to be the name of God."
With a soft sound, the Heretic Questionner landed lightly in the underground city. My companions and I followed him. Smiling, the Heretic Questionner began to explain the history of the 'Snail Civilization'.
"Neither the Elves nor the Sprites can say the word 'Rime' properly. This is simply because their vocal organs are different, but I gave it a different meaning."
The snails continued to crawl around, and even passed through our bodies like we weren't there.
"The Snail Race says that the fact that they can say 'Rime' means that they are the ones chosen by God!"
"Why……?"
The Crusader opened her mouth.
"Why did you do this, Heretic Questionner? You should understand the fear of religion better than anyone else. If you were to misuse the name of God, you wouldn't be able to undo-."
"Ah. I'm not misusing it. Instead, I used it with great care and purpose!"
"……."
"My usage is very different from misuse, and even further from abuse."
The Heretic Questionner chuckled.
"Everyone. Religion was bound to happen anyway. People will always try to search for a cause. They will try to find out a reason for their existence, and the existence of the world. God. That word is so magical that it can be used as the ultimate reason for everything!"
The Heretic Questionner pointed towards a pillar. It was a giant pillar. Erected in the center of the underground city. It reached from the ceiling at the very top of the cavern down to the ground. And it was filled with murals similar to the ones from Ancient Egypt.
The 'covenant' that he'd recited earlier was also written on this pillar.
"However……."
"Crusader. I know what you want to say! But there are still many things that the people in this era don't know. They don't know why it rains, they don't know why their hearts beat, and they don't know why they need to drink water to survive"
A smile spread across the Heretic Questionner's lips.
"Think about that fear."
"Fear……?"
"Yes. Fear."
The Heretic Questionner said.
"Their hearts beat in their chests. They can hear the beating. But they don't know why it's beating. If they get hurt, they bleed, and if they lose too much blood, they die. But they don't even know why their blood flows. They don't know why bread is delicious, why eating when they're hungry makes them happy, or why they need salt."
The Heretic Questionner put his hands together as if he was praying.
"For them, the world is filled with unknown monsters! No. There are even monsters in their bodies. They don't know anything, but they can only live the lives they were given. To be totally ignorant and powerless about their own lives… Can you understand their fear?"
Clang!
The sound of stone being mined came from the distance.
On the other side of the cave, miners dug up rock salt.
"God dispels their ignorance and powerlessness. Rain is no longer an unknown monster. It is God's tears. The world sometimes sheds tears."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Snail miners leaked mucus as they mined the rock salt. Then they grabbed the sharp stone shards with their tentacles and threw them behind them.
"Salt is no longer an unknown rock. When the Mother Goddess died, her hair became the forest, her blood became the ocean, and her teeth became salt. Salt comes from the body of God. Therefore, it is sacred and safe to eat. Ah. There are even hygiene certificates for each food item!"
The Heretic Questionner looked reverent with his hands clasped together.
He then continued in a soft voice, like a never-ending stream.
"And God said unto them. You were born because of me. I care about you, and therefore, you should become beings who care about God. Do you understand? It is only because of God that these little ones were able to find any meaning in life."
"……."
"Everyone! Think about it."
The Heretic Questionner smiled brightly.
"Now, they know the beating of their hearts isn't the sound of some unknown monster. God made them in his own image. Therefore, this beat is a melody created by God, and every time they hear it, they are hearing God's music."
The Heretic Questionner let out a soft sigh.
"Isn't it beautiful…?"
The Heretic Questionner turned to look at the underground city again.
The world he created.
Looking at how far the Snail Civilization had come, this [Little God] felt pleased.
"Now, they are free to be what they want to be. They have finally escaped their fate as insignificant beings! Their lives finally have direction."
We did not come to this world for no reason.
We are loved by God.
"They constantly build temples. They build large, majestic structures to show their reverence, and to show that they are loved by God and that they love God. Isn't that amazing? Everyone. The people of this era are truly in love with the world!"
"……."
"All love should be proven. It requires effort. Instead of drowning in their fear, they struggle to gain the love of God! Even if this love might be their own misunderstanding, sometimes, people need misunderstandings in order to live. Bless their souls!"
The Heretic Questionner ended his prayer and spread his arms.
"You should regard religion as a necessary evil. And a necessary evil is born from necessity. They need to have a God! Because with God, they can breathe, live and love."
That was the creed and divine will of the Heretic Questionner.
"People need a reason to love a flower, even if it's only to shed tears on it. God grants them infinite reasons! Believing in Ancient Gods didn't hurt humanity. Instead, it was only through God that people understood themselves and loved the world!"
For a while, there was only silence.
The sound of rock salt being mined rang out in the distance, clang, clang clang.
I slowly turned my head and looked at the underground city.
-Slaves! Hurry up! Rime!
-Your break is over. Rime! Load it up and take it to the pier!
Snails clung to the stone walls and swung their tentacles. Paak! The knees of the slaves carrying their loads buckled slightly. Perhaps they had already become accustomed to flogging, as the slaves simply groaned and continued walking.
-One, two. One, two….
Among them was the race Venomous Snake ruled over. The sprites who had a single horn sticking from their foreheads. The Noble Race was used to carry heavy loads.
-Swik, swik, swiii…!
The Ocean Race, ruled by the Crusader, swam in the river that flowed outside the cavern. The mermaids tied ropes around their upper bodies and pulled boats along behind them.
-Pirrr! Bah! Pir!
The Bloodsucking Race ruled by the Black Dragon Master flew around the cavern nonstop. Every bat had letter scrolls or other items clasped in their hind feet. From west to east, the bats delivered items to the residents living in the city.
"Ah."
Noticing my gaze, the Heretic Questionner smiled.
"This is Rimepolis, the capital of the Snail Civilization. Its special product is rock salt. According to the religious texts, This is where the Mother Goddess laid her head to rest when she died! The Snail Race believe that this cave is the Mother Goddess' [Skull] and that the rock salt is the [Teeth] of the Mother Goddess! Supplying these [Holy Teeth] to the rest of the empire is the main industry for Rimepolis and the control of the salt trade is how the Snail Race maintains its power."
"……That's amazing. That's really amazing, but… has it really been… 200 years?"
The Black Dragon Master frowned slightly.
"It doesn't make sense. How did you survive for 200 years?"
"Hmm? Now that we're doing this quest, aren't we using a type of spirit body? 200 years or so is no problem!"
"No, it's not… It's 200 years."
"Yes! In that time, I kept possessing the white dog. When one dog died, I would simply possess its descendant. "
"I didn't mean…."
With a tired expression on her face, the Black Dragon Master didn't bother to finish her sentence. My other companions had similar expressions.
The Heretic Questionner smiled and said.
"Because of that, the dogs from the bloodline I possessed are regarded as divine beasts! They stay in the imperial palace and temple. The 34th divine beast died today and I was about to possess the 35th. But coincidentally, you guys came back! So once again, welcome back!"
"……."
My companions shut their mouths.
Behind the Heretic Questionner was the pillar, and behind the pillar was a large sphinx-like statue. There was only one way to describe the statue. A giant Welsh Corgi. It was easy to guess which dog the Heretic Questionner possessed.
Then
-Kerrrk!
I heard an all too familiar cry.
-Kerr, kerk! I dedicate today's glory to our sacred white lion! Ker!
-I offer my blood to the citizens of the great Rimepolis! Gork!
Thud! Thud!
Two goblins, each holding a sword, pounded on their shields. They were standing on a flat mound of mud. Countless snails surrounding the mound cheered loudly.
-Rime! I bet my entire fortune on you, Dirty Mold!
-Kirke! Today is the day! Kill him!
-Oooh! Oooh!!
Hearing the cheers of the crowd, the goblins roared.
-Goooo!
Then, they charged towards each other. Mud splattered. Wielding their short swords, the goblins slashed at each other's shields. Clang! The harsh sound of iron colliding filled the air.
-Oooh! Oooh!
-Barbarians without shells! Swing your forelegs! Rime! Hit him with your forelegs!
-What are you doing?! Move your feet, you dumb bastard! Rime! Rime!
I was speechless.
"……gladiators? They're gladiators?"
"Yes!"
The Heretic Questionner's smile was in full bloom.
"They are sword fighters!"
The goblins howled as they swung their swords. From the parts of their skin not covered by their shields, red geometric tattoos were visible.
"The goblins are known for their courage and cleverness! They are the most favored sword fighters in Rimepolis, no, in the entire Slime Empire."
A goblin screamed as it was cut. But its opponent didn't miss the chance. In an instant, he spun his sword around and stabbed it into the other goblin's neck.
Blood spurted out.
The audience cheered.
-Goooo!
Suddenly.
[You have been given a quest for the 32nd floor.]
Words appeared in front of my eyes.
[The Great Snail Empire- Goblin Race]
Difficulty: B
Objective: Tribal unification is imminent. The main characters of this unification are the snails. With highly developed government systems and religious organizations, they have subjugated one race after another and made them slaves. If left alone, all races will kneel beneath their mucus.
Rescue the Goblin Race from the oppression of the Snail Race!
※However, if you fail, the Snail Race will win and clear the 32nd Floor.
대탈출.
그것이 이번 스테이지의 임무였다.
(TL: So much dialogue… Also due to what I saw in this chapter, it's quite possible that 'rime' was supposed to be 'slime', but there was an error in the raws. Either way, since rime is the more prominent one, rime it is.)
Chapter 160. The Great Snail Empire. (3)
Translator: Seven PR: LightBrin
The others, like the Venomous Snake and the Black Dragon Master all began to frown slightly one after the other. They must have received a quest as well.
It wasn't too difficult to guess the contents.
'I bet it's about helping the races they are in charge of, escape.'
It was around this time that Heretic Questioner also smiled.
"Hoh?"
He'd probably received a [quest] as well.
It wasn't too difficult to guess what that was about either.
"I just received a mission. It is to protect my empire by preventing your races from breaking free!"
The exact opposite of ours.
Defend the empire.
"You were probably tasked with rescuing your respective races from the Slime Empire. Hmm, how interesting. Our quest objectives conflict with each other."
"……"
A strange silence fell upon the group. Woooo… Woo!! For a while, the screams from the colosseum beneath us were the only things we could hear.
The Heretic Questioner rubbed his chin.
"I got it. Everyone. Please give in to me."
"…What?"
The Black Dragon Master furrowed her brows when she heard that. Nevertheless, the Heretic Questioner's expression didn't change. He smiled and spoke as if he had said the most logical thing.
"I know you might be confused by your emotions right now! Even though it's only been a few weeks, you devoted your time and affection to your various races. It's natural that you wouldn't be able to accept them being reduced to slaves. But this is the fastest method!"
Fast.
"If I hadn't interfered, the people of this world would have been wandering aimlessly for thousands of years! However, due to my intervention, they were able to enter the ancient era after only 200 years. It was that fast!"
"Heretic Questioner. Even if you're right, using religion and slavery like this is…."
"I'm not saying my method is perfect. Black Dragon Master! Imagine just how many lives would have been sacrificed in the thousands of years that would have passed. Even if my civilization uses and overworks hundreds of thousands of slaves, it has only been a 'few' hundred years!"
"……"
"I will accelerate history even further."
As the Heretic Questioner said this, the light of the many torches in the underground city seemed to shine down upon him. The huge dog statue cast its shadow on us.
"From the ancient era to the middle ages. From the middle ages to the modern era. And finally from the modern era to the present era! I can avoid all the mistakes, misunderstandings and slaughter that humanity experienced!"
There was a hint of certainty in the Heretic Questionner's voice.
He also tried to convey his determination through his sad gaze.
It was as though he was saying 'I can do it'.
"So everyone. Please surrender. I will stay in this world and guide them. 400 years. No, in just 360 years, I will raise them to the same level our civilization has reached!"
"You intend to stay here for another 360 years…?"
"Yes!"
Under the pillar which depicted the history of a single civilization, the Heretic Questioner smiled broadly.
"Trust me, everyone, and leave!"
4.
We had a meeting, but there wasn't any real conclusion. Some of our colleagues believed that we should entrust this stage to the Heretic Questioner, while others strongly opposed it.
In the end, we discussed for more than two hours but we weren't able to reach a consensus.
"Let's take a look at how our races are doing first. Everyone is gradually becoming more agitated."
I made a suggestion.
"If this continues it'll just become an emotional argument… So let's go see how those kids are living. Then we'll each make our own decision. Let's meet back here tomorrow. Okay?"
My companions all nodded at my words. We all held back our groans and sighs as we scattered to search for the areas where our races were staying.
Naturally, I headed to the place where the goblins were staying.
Most of the goblins lived in the salt mines.
-That's it for today's daytime work! Rime! Everyone, go home!
-Except for the supervisors, you molds can't move around outside!
-Line up! In an orderly manner!
The snails swung their tentacles. Flinching, the goblins drew back and entered pits that were dug right beside the mines.
These 'pits' were the only accommodation given to the goblins.
"……"
I was at a loss for words.
I was so speechless that something like a moan escaped from my lips.
"This doesn't make sense… This is a pit. I know how much these kids like mud. How can they live in this place that has nothing but a salty smell? At the very least, they'd prefer to live in a damp place."
-Yeah.
Bae Hu-ryeong muttered from behind me.
-They're even scavenging for water, too. Hey.
One of two goblins came out from the hundreds of pits. These goblins had red bands around their necks and water jars at their waists.
Supervisors.
The leaders of each pit had to come out and get water on their own.
-Kerr.
The supervisors were generally older females.
I understood right away why these older females were chosen as the supervisors.
-Why are these two not in the dorm?!
-Kerk, when we're not with them, the children start to cry. Look, ker…
-Tch!
The snail overseers had ordered that [No Goblin apart from the supervisor was allowed to wander around outside]. However, that didn't stop the older females from bringing their young with them. If an older female was chosen as the supervisor, then they could bring up to two children with them, which meant that two more jars of water could be filled.
-Gorrk!
-Water! Ke, water!
The young goblins jumped into the spring water in the cave with a splash. Splash, splash! While the children swam, the females drew the water.
They were using unfired clay jars. These jars were so weak that they would immediately shatter if they were dropped. But for the goblins living in these hellish conditions, they were priceless treasures. So the supervisors were careful to prevent them from breaking.
"……"
I became more and more speechless.
The time to draw spring water was the only free time allocated to the goblins. During this rare break, the older female goblins mimicked the feel of mud by mixing dirt with the water, then they drew tattoos on the young goblins skin with this rough mud.
-Gorr!
-Gork, gork!
The children enjoyed it very much.
Some of the children also picked up dirt and rubbed it on the females' skins. These were more like squiggles than tattoos.
Nevertheless, the older females didn't erase the children's drawings.
-It's time for nighttime work! Rime!
The days' work continued.
-Don't slack off, you molds!
The snail overseer urged them. The snails called the goblins [Molds]. It was a slur. In the snail language, the word for mold was [ork] which was similar to the sounds goblins made, so they gave them this name.
-Get out of the dorm!
-Don't waste my time! You lazy orks.
I was speechless at the cruelty of calling a race such a name simply because it was 'fun to say'.
Goblins weren't the only ones called by slurs.
The sprites were [stubby horns]. The vampires were [leeches]. And when it came to the ocean race, it was simply [fish]. Under the oppression of the snails, the other tribes' special traits had become points of ridicule.
-Get to work!
-Get to work on your night shift!
Clang!
Wielding stone hammers, the goblins pounded on the rock salt. The rock salt obtained from the mines was very large and hard. It was the goblins' duty at night to break these rocks into sizes that were easy to eat.
-Kerr…
-Kerrk. Kerr.
The rock salt had a heavy smell as it was broken. It smelled similar to rotten eggs. Clang! Clang! Clang! The goblins continued to pound rock salt for one hour, two hours, three hours. All while having to endure that horrid stench.
-Kerrr…
From a distance, the goblins looked like they were swinging laundry sticks. However, if you looked closely, you'd just see that it was the goblins' hammers that had worn out.
As the rock salt broke, so did their fingernails.
Blood flowed from their wrinkled fingers, and the dust from the rock salt settled on wounds. But the goblins simply groaned every now and then without stopping as though they were used to it.
-Rime.
The snail overseer looked up.
There was a single hole in the ceiling of the underground cavern. Through it, sunlight poured in during the day, and moonlight at night. Now, stars were visible in the night sky.
-That's all!
-That's all for tonight, Rime!
-Miners return to your lodgings! Put all the hammers back in place. There were about 50 molds who had hammers! Don't forget! 50 molds had hammers!
The goblins returned to their pits with their heads down.
-Kerr… Gor.
Two water jars were waiting for the goblins when they returned to the pit. As well as a few fish that looked like carp.
These were fish that had been caught by the mermaid fishermen.
Slaves who lived in the water caught fish to feed the slaves living in the caves.
"……"
Smoke from the grilling fish rose up from every pit. One, two, three, four, several hundred fires were lit at the same time.
The young goblins kept reaching for the fish before it was done. Tiring from mining stone salt all day, their mothers simply tapped the children on the back with touches weaker than a fly.
Nevertheless, the children were hungry. Eventually, the first few pieces of fish were given to the children, who ate them hurriedly.
-They always burn the things they intend to eat, Rime.
The snails who watched over the night shift chuckled among themselves.
-That's because their digestive system isn't as developed as ours.
-They are just a bunch of savages. How could you burn your food?
-By the way, we have to send a new candidate to the colosseum soon…
It was night.
The goblins gradually fell asleep. And the snails that watched over them from watchtowers also fell asleep. Apart from the drunken people in the distance who could be heard every now and then, the underground city descended into silence.
"Mm."
At this point, I had already made up my mind.
"It seems I'll have to apologize to Raviel."
I muttered softly.
Bae Hu-ryeong crossed his mind as he realised what I was thinking.
-You intend to go back?
"Yeah. If I go back and talk to the Heretic Questioner, I should be able to create a new future."
-What if talking to him doesn't work?
"Then I'll just have to talk to him some more. In any case, I'll have 200 years to do it, won't I?"
Bae Hu-ryeong wrinkled his nose.
-I don't think you should.
"Why? Do you agree with what the Heretic Questioner said?"
-No, it's not like that… Hmm. How do I explain it so a bastard like you can understand?
Bae Hu-ryeong scratched his head.
-Hey. For example, let's say I'm your child.
"Huhh?"
-It's an example, an example! Don't look at me with that stupid expression. Anyways, pretend that I'm your child, and I went to school, but when I got home, you found out I got beat up. Would you go back a day to get rid of the fact that I got beaten up?
"…What are you talking about?"
-Think about it from my perspective.
Bae Huryeong looked me in the eye.
-Let's say I had an accident. Or I died somehow. Then it's natural for you to return. No, you wouldn't even hesitate to return. You'll die once and save my life. Understand?
"No, what are you talking about now…"
-But what if you go back a day because something happened and then you found out it was unnecessary. Don't you think that would be a bit messed up? I'm the one who has a problem, so why are you the one freaking out and regressing? I'm sure you wouldn't even give me a chance.
"What chance?"
-A chance to beat the bastards that beat me up. This is something you should be familiar with. You experienced a similar situation just a few months ago.
"But…"
-Trust them.
"Who?"
-Yourself.
Bae Hu-ryeong responded calmly.
-And the little ones you raised.
As I pondered, the rats in the cave squeaked.
Then, after a long while had passed.
-Huh?
Bae Hu-ryeong suddenly spoke up.
-Hey, Zombie. Look at that.
"Huh?"
-There. The goblins.
I turned my head in the direction he was pointing.
-What are they doing when they should be asleep?
I was surprised.
Goblins were sneaking out of their pits. There were about one to two goblins per pit. After confirming that their overseers were asleep in their watchtowers, the goblins slowly and carefully walked in a certain direction.
-Oh my. Are they headed back to that cave?
The goblins walked into the salt mine.
The inside of the mine had been intricately carved like an ant nest. The snail overseers, who were relatively vulnerable to salt, only commanded the slaves from outside the mine. They never came this deep
-Kerr…
-Kerk, Ker.
The goblins kept their voice low as they walked. The deeper they went, the narrower the passage became, and the lower the ceiling. However, the goblins continued to walk along this path as though they had done it many times before.
'Huh?'
The corners of Bae Huryeong's lips curled up slightly.
-See that?
"……"
-They built a secret passage under the noses of their oppressors.
2nd underground floor. 3rd underground floor. 4th underground floor.
The goblins descended into the depths of the mine. There were hundreds of intersections connected to the passage. If someone came down here without knowing the way, it was possible that they would get stuck here for the rest of their life.
-Kerr.
Finally, after travelling for about an hour, they reached their destination.
-Kerrk, ker.
-Kerrrrr…
In the dark cavern, the flame of a torch flickered every now and then. The figures of the goblins were barely discernible in the light
-Hoh.
Bae Hu-ryeong was surprised.
-Would you look at that? I was right, wasn't I? They are also people. They won't just wait for someone to come save them!
Perhaps it was responding to Bae Hu-ryeong's words.
But the Tower's voice sounded in my ear at that moment.
[The Goblin Race has created a secret assembly.]