NOVEL NEXT Chapter 117: Prepare For War! [FIXED!]
The energy and atmosphere of the mine had never felt so alive, even in its darkest hour. Torchlight danced across the rough stone walls, casting flickering shadows that made the space seem bigger, almost grand. Dozens of goblins packed the cavern, their green faces turned upward like flowers seeking the sun. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, some leaning on spears, others clutching makeshift clubs or broken tools. Whispers buzzed through the crowd—hopeful, nervous, electric. Gribnox's speech from earlier had lit a small fire in their bellies, a spark of shared fear turned to fragile resolve. But now, as word spread like wildfire through the tunnels, that spark was about to become a blaze.
"Byung's back!" someone shouted from the upper levels, and the name rippled outward, growing into a chant. "Byung! Byung! Byung!" The tone in their voices worried Drekk because it felt like a cult.
Vrognut and Drekk stood near the front, off to the side of Byung's platform. Vrognut's sharp eyes narrowed as he watched the goblins surge with excitement. Their faces lit up like they were seeing a miracle walk through the door. It was more than respect; it was worship. Byung wasn't just a goblin to them anymore—he was a legend, a god in goblin form. Vrognut's mouth twisted in a smirk, but his claws dug into his palms. Drekk, beside him, crossed his arms, his usual calm mask cracking just a bit with curiosity.
Then Byung appeared with pose and authority.
He stepped out from the building, small and battered, but his eyes burned with that same quiet determination that had always set him apart. Murkfang hung over Naz's shoulder, wrapped in blankets, weak but alive. Maui loomed behind them, her massive orc frame a living wall of muscle and axe, tusks glinting in the torchlight. The Vrognut confirmed everything said about Byung was real at the sight of her, an orc, here, with a goblin against her kind? The crowd, however, exploded louder than before.
Byung raised a hand, and silence fell like a dropped stone. He climbed the platform steps slowly, each one echoing in the hush. Gribnox stood to the side, helmet under his arm, watching with a mix of pride and worry. Naz and Naruz hovered nearby, Naz's hand on her swollen belly, Naruz's axe ready as always. Murkfang was lowered gently to a crate, where he sat up just enough to wave weakly, drawing another cheer.
The return of their Baron who went missing, Byung went out to find and bring him back.
Byung stood tall, as tall as a goblin could, his voice carrying clear and strong across the mine. Loud enough for any eavesdropping orc to catch wind of what was about to come out of his mouth.
"Brothers. Sisters. Friends," he began, and already the crowd leaned in, hanging on every word.
"I left this mine not knowing if I'd ever see it again. Murkfang was taken—ripped away by the humans, thrown into their pits like trash. But I couldn't let that stand. Not for one of us," Byung said with an authority he didn't possess before.
He paused, letting the words sink in. The goblins murmured, nodding. Vrognut watched with intent, his interest in this goblin intensifying, there had to be a reason why Kraghul wanted him.
"We rode through the night," Byung continued, his tone steady but building like a storm.
"Past orc patrols, through human lands thick with guards. Elandor's walls are high, its prisons deep and dark. But Maui—" he gestured to the orc woman, who stood like a statue, axe planted firm.
—"Maui broke their bars. We fought our way in, found Murkfang half-dead in the fields after he escaped the grips of these humans. Guards came at us like wolves, but we cut through. Every step was uncertainty: traps, alarms, arrows in the dark. But we didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Because he's one of us," Byung knew the importance of a speech even if lies were mixed in. Pre-war talks were never built on truth and Byung knew if he could convince these orcs they conquered the humans, their fear of the orcs would disappear.
Cheers rose again, fists pumping. Murkfang managed a weak grin, lifting a shaky hand. The crowd roared his name too because he did manage to escape the humans.
"And on the way back," Byung went on, voice dropping lower, drawing them in.
"We ran into trouble. Borg—the orc who came here, the one who tried to kill Maui and he tried to do the same thing to him which is why I look like this. He attacked me. He thought without Maui by my side, he could take my life but... I fought him. Alone"
Drekk's eyebrow shot up, suspicious. Borg was a fighter, twice Byung's size. No way a goblin walked away from that without help. But the crowd didn't care—they leaned forward, eyes wide.
"He came at me with fists like hammers," Byung said, reliving it.
"Threw hot coffee to blind me—burned my arm bad. Then punched me across the room. Fractured my ribs, shook my brain. I hit the wall so hard I saw stars. He charged again, grabbed me by the throat, lifted me like a doll. I was done. But I twisted, slashed his side deep. He dropped me, and I rolled away. We clashed—knife against fist, speed against strength. He was bigger, tougher, but I was faster. No, that isn't quite accurate, I was smarter. I landed the first real blow—sent him flying into a table. But he got up, came harder. In the end, Maui stepped in. But I held my own long enough," Byung knew he had to add this bit otherwise even these foolish goblins would question the authenticity of his story but he painted it in a similar manner as his fight with Drekk.
The mine erupted. Goblins slapped backs, shouted praises. Vrognut's mouth watered; this goblin "Byung" stirred something perverted deep in him, a craving for the power this goblin commanded without even trying. It was like watching the Goblin King reborn—goblins hanging on every word, ready to die for him.
But Byung wasn't done. His voice turned cold, sharp as his knife.
"The orcs took lives from us," he said, eyes sweeping the crowd.
"For every one they stole, I'll take five. Every warrior who threatens this mine, this home—dies. No mercy. No surrender. We end them," Byung said outright. This was no longer a motivational speech but a decree.
The cheers died. Silence fell heavy. Gribnox's face paled; this wasn't the Byung he knew, the goblin who built to save lives. Murkfang's weak smile faded. Maui's tusks hid a frown, her hand tightening on her axe. Naz and Naruz exchanged worried glances—bloodlust like that could burn a soul to ash.
Byung stepped down, the crowd parting in awe.
But the worry lingered in those closest to him: had the escape changed him? Or had the war finally bared what was always there?
Byung saw the truth beyond the walls, there was no love for a goblin and they had to become the thing the outside world feared.
Then, they could talk and the conversation with Rodell was proof, only taking interest in them when they mentioned a dwarf.
-
Byung pushed through the throng. Goblins patted his back, shouted his name, but his nose twitched at those new scents again—sharp, predatory, wrong. Vrognut's crew. Had to be. He ignored it for now; first things first.
Gribnox waited at the entrance, armor still on, face split in a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You look like hell warmed over," Gribnox said, clasping forearms.
He didn't address what Byung had just said because he knew there had to be a reason for this.
"Feel like it too," Byung replied, giving a weak Murkfang a few herbal medicine for his fever so he would be back to himself in no time.
"But we're back. That's what counts." Byung added.
Naz and Naruz stepped up, Naz moving carefully with her rounded belly. Her eyes lit up like torches.
"You mad genius," Naz said, pulling him into a gentle hug.
"Crossed the kingdom, busted out of Elandor, dragged Murkfang through gods-know-what. Shouldn't be possible," Naz acknowledged this feat. Naruz thumped his back lightly, mindful of the bruises.
"And brought him home alive. The goblins already see you as someone worth following and soon, the orcs will too," Naruz added. Byung managed a tired smile. Naz's hand rested on her belly.
"We're glad. All of us." She turned to Maui, pulling the big orc into a fierce embrace.
"You too. He couldn't have done it without you," Naz was feeling emotional but it was clear the hormones were getting the best of her.
Maui laughed, deep and rumbling, thumping Naruz's back in return.
"Save the hugs for after we smash their faces in," Maui said.
"Deal. But seriously, Maui—you're glowing. That goblin rubbing off on you in more ways than one?" Naz whispered into her ear.
Maui's tusks hid a flush, but she shrugged it off with a laugh.
"He keeps things interesting," Maui whispered right back.
Byung looked around at their faces— he could tell they were all concerned with his speech but there was no telling if he meant it or it was another lie added to the speech to give the goblins a backbone.