Chapter 48: The Humans Are Here!
The humans finally arrived at the mine, and almost instantly they noticed something was off. Security had been tightened. Goblins moved in heavier numbers, patrols doubled, and the atmosphere was far more suffocating than before. For creatures who rarely feared anything beyond starvation or oppression, such a display was unusual. There had to be a reason for this sudden shift.
One of the humans slowed, uneasy. He thought he heard voices behind him, faint whispers in a tongue he couldn’t understand. His instincts flared, and he spun around, but there was nothing. Nothing except—
A gigantic orc walking toward him.
The human stiffened. "An orc? What’s one doing here?" he thought, trying to recall whether he had forgotten some part of the arrangement. Orcs didn’t just wander into goblin territory casually. Had the creature brought something back? Was he carrying a message?
Then the human’s eyes sharpened. There were goblins scattered on the ground, moving alongside the orc. And stranger still—one goblin was perched on the orc’s shoulder, carried like precious cargo.
Impossible. Orcs prized strength above all else. The idea of them treating a goblin with that kind of regard was absurd. Yet here it was, playing out before his eyes.
The goblins, noticing the human, snarled and charged. The human immediately fell into a defensive stance.
"H-Hey!" he shouted, but his words carried no meaning here. The goblins didn’t understand his language, nor did they care.
Byung, watching from his elevated perch, wasn’t worried. Not with Maui by his side. Her body alone was enough of a weapon. She didn’t even need to strike. Simply stepping in the path of an oncoming goblin could break bones. Byung found himself wondering what would happen if she unleashed her full strength. She could shatter them with a single blow.
And then, his eyes landed on the human. The first human he had seen in this world. His heart skipped. Would they be anything like the humans of his own?
"Hey, Maui... Go faster," Byung ordered.
She obeyed without hesitation, her powerful frame surging forward. In a single leap she overtook the sprinting goblins, carrying Byung effortlessly. He clung to her, tightening his grip, the force of her acceleration making him feel like he’d be flung off at any moment.
The human, meanwhile, was pale and rigid. A massive orc barreling toward him was bad enough. But the green-skinned woman riding atop it, eyes burning with authority, nearly made him soil himself.
They reached him first. Maui stopped directly before the human, her towering figure casting him in shadow. He craned his neck upward, but all he saw were two glowing green orbs staring down at him.
To his credit, the man held more composure than most goblins. He wasn’t so easily broken by the female form. He tried to speak, to convey intent, but words failed across the barrier.
Byung leaned forward and whispered something into Maui’s ear. She nodded. Though Byung could speak the human’s language, he refused to reveal that just yet. He had already made enough careless mistakes—he wouldn’t add another.
"You’re here for the trade?" Maui asked, her voice steady.
Relief washed over the human’s face. She could speak his tongue. "Yes, I am..." he answered, though unease clung to his tone.
Byung waved at the goblin guards posted at the gate. These were the ones who liked him, the ones who respected him. They didn’t hesitate to follow his word. But even he noticed the security. It was far too much. Not even after Borg’s chaos had it been this bad.
Soon the rest of the goblins caught up, panting from their sprint. One limped behind, his injury slowing him down—punishment for overstepping his role.
The human was escorted deeper, led to where Murkfang and Gribnox were supposed to be. Byung, however, was unaware that Murkfang had vanished.
"Maui, we need to get out of here," Byung whispered urgently. She frowned, unsure how he intended to pull that off. But then both of their eyes fell on the human’s carriage.
A perfect opportunity.
The carriage was meant for minerals but also had space for transporting other goods. Maui was under orders to report back to Kragg, and this was her chance. She could secure Byung inside that carriage alongside the ores and hitch a ride with the humans.
--
Elsewhere in the same province, another group of humans had already arrived—this time at Drekk’s post.
Drekk sat there, his bloated body lounging like a slug on a throne. His displeasure was visible the moment the humans entered, though he forced a grotesque smile. He was one of the few goblins who understood human speech, a necessity since the humans refused to learn goblin tongue. To them, it was a waste of effort.
"Humans! Welcome!" Drekk said, his broken words slurring together.
The humans recoiled slightly. To their eyes, he was hideous. One of the women shuddered openly. Even the man responsible for escorting her felt revulsion. Perhaps death wasn’t the worst outcome—anything might be better than this creature’s gaze.
"We are here for the exchange," one of the humans said curtly. He wanted this over with quickly.
Drekk’s beady eyes scanned the woman from head to toe. His gaze was not lustful, but violent. Empty. Predatory. The woman stiffened under it, her stomach twisting.
"What the hell?" the human thought, sensing something darker beneath the goblin’s stare.
"Exchange? Yes! Exchange finalize!" Drekk croaked. His broken English barely held together, but it was enough.
The human hesitated. Something still nagged at him. "Is there any reason why you have this much security?"
The question was exactly what Drekk had been waiting for. His smile widened, toothy and vile. He now had the perfect excuse to weave his lie.
"Death... Orcs attacked us," Drekk muttered, just loud enough.
The human’s eyes widened, his surprise genuine.
"Got you now," Drekk thought, satisfaction curling in his chest. With this, the goblins could implicate the orcs, claiming betrayal and violation of their ancient agreements. The humans wouldn’t ignore it. They couldn’t.
And with that, Drekk set the stage for the chaos yet to come.