Rise of the Chaos Goblin

It took a while for everyone to calm down. The goblin children had warmed up to Cybele quickly—the three girls laughed and played around her, throwing caution to the wind. Even Raon, who had nearly wet himself earlier, had relaxed; though he still kept a small distance, his fear had clearly faded.

Asher looked over at his two mothers and spoke, "As you can see, Cybele is my subordinate. How it happened, I'll explain later, but for now we need to focus on the human issue."

Both Noa and Sana nodded slowly. They still weren't completely comfortable with Cybele, but they agreed that it was better to have her as an ally than an enemy.

Turning his gaze back to Cybele, Asher asked, "Did you find anything?"

Cybele responded with a series of soft, chittering sounds. Asher interpreted the noise and then addressed the two older goblins, "I sent some of the ants under Cybele to scout for the humans. They reported a small group resting nearby. It looks like they might continue their hunt."

At his words, the faces of Noa and Sana grew grim.

Asher continued, "I doubt they'll keep hunting just to kill one injured goblin, but to be safe, we should move into Cybele's nest. I have a few questions, too."

There was no protest. Everyone understood that even though the cave was deep in the forest, the humans wouldn't have trouble finding them if they stayed exposed.

___

Asher cleared his throat as they settled in the largest chamber of Cybele's cave. Around them, nearly 500 ant soldiers milled about. At first, the goblin children had been startled by the sheer number of ants, but seeing that none of them were attacking, everyone soon calmed down.

"I have a lot of questions," Asher began, looking up at Noa, "but first, tell me about the Grim Fang clan you mentioned earlier."

Noa's face was lined with pain and worry, but she nodded slowly and began to speak.

Meanwhile, Sana stood silently in the background. Though her worry had faded a little, a spark of pride now shone in her eyes. Her worry was almost entirely gone, replaced by a glimmer of pride—a feeling that seemed strange given the dire situation they were in, with their lives at stake. She watched as all the ants listened to her son's commands, a sight that left her bewildered. She couldn't understand how her son was able to control such a monstrous creature. Though she knew it was far-fetched, she observed her son speaking to Noa with a very serious expression.

As she watched, fragments of the ancient prophecy whispered among goblins resurfaced in her mind—a tale recited by elders to every child before sleep.

"For the time of reckoning draws near. Among the goblin kind—yes, the weakest of all monsters—a child will be born. Though born of the lowest, this one shall be the incarnation of chaos itself, a devourer of all that exists. Nothing will escape its grasp, for its hunger will be insatiable, consuming all in its path, until only ruin is left behind.

Every step it takes will be followed by destruction, yet where its footfalls have fallen, there will arise strange and unforeseen prosperity. The blessings of the land will twist and turn, turning famine into bounty, death into life, and sorrow into unimaginable power. Its very presence will bring both horror and salvation, as if the world itself cannot bear to contain what it is destined to become.

The child will walk a path of ruin and rebirth, a ruler unlike any before. It will command the beasts, the weak and the strong alike, bending them to its will. From the crawling insects to the mighty dragons, none will be beyond its reach. Even the greatest of monsters will kneel before it, for this child will possess a power that surpasses all.

And so it will come to pass, that from the depths of the goblin's humble birth, a king of monsters will rise. The land will tremble, the heavens themselves will weep as the goblin-born awakens. From blood and from blade, it shall claim a throne not of mortal men but one forged in the darkest fires of the world. A kingdom of monsters, forged from destruction and held together by its will alone.

Do not mistake its origins, for it will be the greatest ruler of them all, unchallenged and untouchable. The strong will fall before it, and the weak will be devoured, as it ascends beyond even the gods themselves. The Monster King shall rise… and none shall stop it."

_____

As Sana was lost in thought, Noa finished her tale.

The reason Asher had asked about the Grim Fang clan was simple—his ants had discovered a large goblin settlement just a few days ago. It housed at least 2,000 goblins, a number that made it clear they held significant power. He had already suspected they wouldn't be friendly, but he wanted confirmation. And, just as he expected, his guess was right.

According to Noa, Asher's father had once been the eldest son of the previous chief. After the old chief met an unfortunate end—having choked on a bone while boasting about his strength—his sons began challenging each other for dominance. Asher's father won most of these battles but ultimately suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of his younger brother, Morgul.

Morgul, now the new chief, wasn't content with just taking the throne—he also had his eyes on Asher's mothers. But before he could act, Asher's father managed to escape with them, finding refuge in the cave they now called home. Branded as traitors, they had been forced into hiding ever since.

Though Asher couldn't care less about his father, who essentially "went to buy milk and never returned," one thing did annoy him—Morgul had dared to lay eyes on *his* mother. How dare he?! She was *his* woman. His irritation lingered for a moment before he pushed it aside.

After regaining his composure, he turned to Noa and asked, "So why are we staying so close to the Grim Fang clan?"

They were practically living under their enemies' noses, just a mile away from the settlement. It seemed like a reckless choice.

This time, Sana, finally snapping out of her daydream, answered. "Because of the stronger monsters, son. We're on the very edge of Blackthorne Forest. If we go deeper, we'd have to deal with creatures far beyond our ability to fight."

Asher nodded, muttering to himself, "So that's why…"

Then, as if a new thought struck him, he asked, "What about the humans? Do you have any information on them?"

Noa's expression darkened. "There's a human town near the border of Blackthorne Forest. They've always been a nuisance, sending hunters to steal our resources and kill our people. But this is the first time so many of them have come together."

Asher agreed. The human camp his ants had encountered held at least a hundred people. He didn't know much about human affairs, but even he found it strange for so many of them to gather in the middle of the forest.

'Something's going on…'

For now, though, he made a decision. "We should stay hidden until the humans leave. There's no need to take unnecessary risks. And as for food, we have nothing to worry about—Cybele's subordinates have already hunted enough to last us a long time."

With the discussion settled, Asher decided to speak with Cybele personally. He had already died once—there was no way he would let it happen again. If he wanted to survive, he needed to prepare himself to the best of his abilities.