Chapter 114: The Monster Within

The goblin was forced to sit on the bare ground with his back straightened as much as his injuries allowed. Several kobolds formed a loose circle around him, their weapons within reach and their eyes fixed on every movement he made.

Ka’z sat at the center of the circle on a small protruding rock, giving him just enough height to look down at the prisoner without needing to stand. The campfire behind him cast an uneven orange glow across the scene, making the shadows around Manny’s face shift whenever the flames moved.

The goblin had lost both legs below the knees during Ka’z’s attack, but Ka’z had quickly used his blood magic to close the wounds and stop the bleeding before he could die from blood loss.

Manny’s hands had been tied tightly behind his back, leaving him completely helpless. He could not run, he could not fight, and even if he somehow managed to free himself, there was nowhere he could possibly go with his injuries.

Ka’z rested his elbows on his knees and stared at him for several seconds before speaking.

"Alright... Tell me where your village is?"

Manny gave him no answer.

The goblin simply stared back at Ka’z with defiance burning in his eyes. His face was pale from the blood he had lost, and sweat had gathered along his forehead, but he still clenched his jaw tightly. Whatever fear he felt, he was trying his best not to show it.

Ka’z studied him for a moment.

[Inspect Activated]

[Name: Manny]

[Race: Goblin]

[Core: Bronze]

Ka’z stared at the information before slowly nodding to himself. A Bronze Core. Compared to the army they had to deal with at home, there goblins were trash. This left him wondering if the Ashmork village had run out of capabale warriors.

Instead of becoming angry at his silence, Ka’z found himself strangely satisfied. It was better if the goblin made this difficult for him.

Bigi frowned when the goblin refused to answer. He stepped forward and raised his iron mace, clearly prepared to force a response, but Ka’z raised one hand without looking at him. Bigi immediately stopped.

Ka’z slowly stood from the rock.

"You know..." he said quietly as he walked toward Drak. "After torturing Rok and Boi to death, I have come to be really good at it."

He casually reached for the spear in Drak’s hand. Drak hesitated for a fraction of a second before giving it to him.

Manny flinched as soon as he heard the names. The two names immediately brought back memories from three days ago. Only two warriors had returned to the Ashmork village after Grash’s defeat, and their arrival had thrown the entire settlement into chaos. They had come back wounded, exhausted, and terrified, carrying news that most of the goblins initially refused to believe.

Grash was dead. The Ashmork warriors had failed and the Vaal’kor colony may be upon them any time soon.

Manny had watched his people struggle to accept it. Some cried. Some became furious. Others immediately began preparing for war. Messengers had been sent toward the western region to recall the Dar tribe leader Tulin and his thirty or so soldiers stationed near the conflict with the gnolls. If the Vaal’kor colony intended to retaliate, then the Ashmork village needed every fighter it could gather.

The entire settlement was still mourning when Manny had left with his patrol. Now Ka’z was standing in front of him.

That alone confirmed the worst possibility. Those who goblins did not lie.

Manny watched Ka’z walk toward the campfire with the spear in his hand. The young kobold’s expression was dull and strangely unenthusiastic. That was what made it worse. He was not shouting or pacing around in rage. He simply walked toward the flames and placed the metal tip of the spear directly into the fire.

Several kobolds exchanged uneasy looks as Ka’z stared into the flames.

"First we lost Suki to your goblin rapists..." His voice remained quiet. "And then your people had the guts to request for slaves and women."

A low chuckle escaped him as the spear began absorbing the heat. Manny’s breathing became heavier.

Ka’z glanced down at the weapon. The metal was beginning to turn red.

"Then you bastards sent over thirty people, and because of that we lost nine good people in one night..." Ka’z continued. His voice did not rise, but something in it gradually became harder. "I still can’t get my head around it, but somehow it happened."

He pulled the spear out of the fire and inspected the scorching tip.

For a moment, Ka’z simply stared at it. Then he lightly blew against the metal before placing it back into the flames.

"And then Grash came and I lost Tud’or."

His voice finally paused and his fingers tightened around the shaft of the spear. Everyone heard the faint sound of metal bending beneath his grip.

Ka’z did not move for several seconds. His head was slightly lowered, his eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his brow. Mi’ya’s expression changed when she noticed something.

His eyes were red.

Ka’z slowly lifted the spear from the fire again. This time, he did not put it back. He turned around and calmly walked toward Manny and the goblin’s eyes widened.

"Wait..." Manny finally tried to speak.

Ka’z did not respond.

Before the goblin could move away, Ka’z pressed the scorching spear against his body. Manny screamed and violently twisted against the ground, but Ka’z remained expressionless as he watched him struggle. The kobolds surrounding them instinctively flinched at the sound. Mi’ya immediately turned her face away, her body shuddering.

Manny collapsed sideways, breathing wildly and Ka’z followed him. He stepped on the goblin’s chest and pinned him to the ground before pressing the heated metal against him again and Manny screamed.

Drak stood completely still while Gruk’s expression had gone stiff. Even Bigi, who had been prepared to strike the goblin with his mace earlier, stared at Ka’z with disturbed silence.

None of them had seen this side of him before. They have heard the cries of those he had tortured back in the colony, but they have never seen it in person. But this was different.

His eyes remained blood red as he stared down at Manny. The expression on his face was almost unfamiliar, and for the first time, the others began to understand something they had never truly considered.

Perhaps this was why Ka’z had been given unorthodox magic by the greater kobold. Maybe the intentions of the heavens was to make him someone terrifying enough that other races would think twice before threatening Vaal’kor again.

The thought passed through their minds as Manny screamed beneath Ka’z’s foot.

Ka’z leaned closer.

"I’m not asking you to speak. It will make this end quickly," he hissed. "Please resist. Stay quiet and hold out for as long as you can. I need a means to vent out all this anger that has been eating me up for a while."

"I... I’ll tell you!" Manny suddenly screamed. "I’ll tell you everything!"

Ka’z slowly shook his head.

"Shush... Little goblin, the fun is yet to start. You can tell me everything you have to say after that."

Ka’z’s lips slowly twisted into a vicious grin.