From Slave to King: My Rebate System Built Me a Kingdom With Beauties!

The dim tunnels of the mine twisted like veins in stone, lit only by flickering torches that threw wild shadows on the walls.

Byung moved through them like a ghost, his small goblin frame silent and deadly. The system's upgrade burned in his veins—Level 3 strength, raw power that made his muscles feel like coiled steel which was why he was able to cause the mine to collapse with a single blow.

He wasn't just a goblin anymore, not in this moment. Something had flipped inside him, a switch that turned his human thoughts dark.

He heard the orcs before he saw them—heavy boots scraping, low grunts echoing ahead. Byung pressed against the wall, knife in hand. The first one rounded the corner: big, scarred, sniffing the air like a dog.

Byung didn't hesitate because the mine had caught fire prompting Gorz to drop his guard.

He lunged, knife flashing up in a blur. The blade bit deep into the orc's throat, slicing clean through windpipe and veins. Hot blood sprayed across Byung's face as the orc gurgled, hands clawing at the wound. Byung twisted the knife once, yanked it free, and the body slumped heavy to the floor.

Gorz. Dead before he hit the ground.

Byung stepped back, wiping the blade on his sleeve. No time to think. He slammed his fist into the tunnel wall—once, twice, with all his upgraded might. Cracks spiderwebbed out, stone groaning like a dying beast. The third punch shattered it. Rocks tumbled, the ceiling buckling in a roar of dust and debris. The cave-in sealed the passage, trapping any orcs behind in choking dark along with the flames generated.

He had underestimated his strength because his blow brought down the entire mine on them, this caused more commotion than he wanted.

He turned, bathed in blood, a twisted smirk pulling at his lips. Byung had no idea why he was feeling this way but he felt good.

Footsteps thundered from ahead. Three more orcs burst into the junction, axes raised, red eyes widening at Gorz's headless corpse, wait, no—throat-slit, body twitching in a growing pool of blood. They locked on Byung, the small goblin drenched in one their own blood.

"You," the lead orc snarled, a brute with a notched axe and braided beard.

You did this?" He questioned in disbelief because he also noticed the collapsed mine.

Byung's smirk widened into something that look maniacal.

"Come find out," Byung's confidence was on a different level, he knew there was nothing he couldn't achieve with this system.

The orcs charged as one, roaring fury. The leader swung his axe in a wide arc, meant to cleave Byung in two. But Byung was faster—goblin speed boosted by orc power. He ducked low, the blade whistling over his head, and exploded upward. His fist connected with the orc's chin like a battering ram. Bone cracked. The orc's head snapped back, teeth flying, body lifting off the ground and slamming into the wall with a crunch.

The second orc came in low, spear thrusting for Byung's gut. Byung sidestepped, grabbed the shaft mid-thrust, and yanked with Level 3 strength. The orc stumbled forward, off-balance. Byung drove his elbow into the orc's temple with little to no difficulty, the blow landing solid but the orc twisting at the last second to take it on the shoulder instead. Pain shot through Byung's arm, but Byung followed it with a knee to the gut. Air whooshed out. The orc doubled over, gasping. Byung's knife flashed down, sinking into the neck. Twist, pull. The orc dropped, gurgling. Byung was slaughtering these goblins with no hesitation.

The third orc was smarter—hung back, axe circling in defensive sweeps.

"You're no goblin," he growled, eyes wide.

"What demon are you?" He knew Byung possessed strength that shouldn't be possible for his body.

Byung laughed, a sound that chilled even him—raw, joyful glee mixed with something unhinged.

He feinted left, then darted right. The orc swung, but Byung was under the arc, knife stabbing up into the thigh. Blood gushed. The orc bellowed, staggering, and brought the axe down in a desperate chop. Byung rolled, the blade embedding in the floor with a thud. He popped up behind, grabbed the orc's braid, and yanked back hard. Throat exposed. Knife across. Done.

Byung stood panting, surrounded by bodies, blood pooling around his boots. The smirk lingered on his face as he wiped his blade clean on a fallen cloak. Ripping them apart felt... good. Too good.

Was this what it felt like to kill?

Footsteps echoed from the side tunnel. Maui burst in, axe ready, eyes scanning the slaughter. She saw Byung drenched in orc blood—the race he planned to unite—and froze. It wasn't the blood that made her uneasy.

It was the smirk on his face, wild and hungry, as he stood over the shreds of what had been living orcs moments ago.

"Byung?" she said, voice soft, worried. He blinked, the smirk fading like smoke but looked momentarily perplexed.

"Just... clearing the way," Byung realized what he had done in that moment but what was more impressive was Maui saw four dead orcs and only one standing goblin, Byung was the last one standing.

She nodded slow but she noticed it, that look in his eyes. She had seen in it goblins one too many times right before they went berserk.

-

Kragg surveyed the ruined mine, his axe dripping in green blood. The goblins had surrendered fast, but his warriors hadn't stopped. They had killed more than needed—way more. Bodies littered the ground, small and broken, like discarded toys. The air stank of death, thick and cloying.

Kragg realized his speech couldn't stop this and this was to be expected because he had no way of knowing who was responsible.

He couldn't punish the others for a crime they didn't do either.

Kragg's face was grim. He had wanted a message. Not this slaughter. But orcs hated goblins deep in their bones. His kind had turned the surrender into a bloodbath, beating and torturing even after the pleas.

In the center, one goblin knelt, wrists bound, chin up. Torgzit. The one who had kept them fighting. The one whose eyes held no hate—just tired knowing.

Kragg knew there was a way to prevent further bloodshed and that was claiming the head of Torgzit.

"You led them," Kragg said and Torgzit looked him in the eye like he knew what was about to happen to him.

"Someone had to," Torgzit responded, he didn't deny this fact even if it was false.

Drekk was the one who led them, not him.

Kragg gestured for the orcs stationed around to bring Torgzit to him and they did just that.

The goblins looked confused as to why this was being done considering he was the one who told them to surrender.

They did that in hopes of the orcs sparing them but would Kragg carry out the execution or would he simply just use him to send a message.

"Kneel," Kragg commanded, there was a broadsword at his side. Torgzit looked at the sword for a second before smiling to himself, he knew that would be the weapon to end his life.

Torgzit didn't kneel at first, he looked into Kragg's eyes and could tell they had the same thought on his mind.

"You will spare the rest, won't you?" Torgzit questioned and Kragg nodded.

"You have my word," Kragg reassured him and Torgzit took a step forward.

Kragg was certain he would try to save himself and throw the others under the bus but here he was, throwing his life away so the others could live.

"What is going on with these goblins?" Kragg thought to himself.

Torgzit was on his knees, placing his neck on the headboard, the goblins looked confused.

But that confusion soon turned to fear and Kragg didn't give him an opportunity to say his last words.

The blade fell. Clean. Final. And off came his head— Torgzit was dead.

Kragg wiped his bloodied sword on a rag. The message was sent. But as he looked at his orcs—they were pleased with this outcome, laughing at the dead—he saw the hate ran deeper than he thought. It wasn't war. It was sickness.

"Keep the rest alive, we need them to work the mines," Kragg said and noticed the orcs instantly let up in their abuse the moment they witnessed him kill Torgzit.

The fight was lost for the goblins in these mines, they were tamed and Kragg had full control of this mine.

Kragg had no idea what this was but these goblins felt more human than humans, it was a sight to behold because there was no way they were evolving collectively.

But then it happened, the goblins' eyes switched from fear to hatred.

"Do you hate me?" Kragg asked the goblins in front of him before chuckling to himself.

"Stupid question. Of course you do," Kragg muttered to himself.

"Is this what you saw, Maui?" Kragg thought to himself.