Chapter 105: A Kingdom of Monsters

There was one condition that the Kingdom of Varkesh was founded on.

Varkesh believed that might makes right.

The kingdom was surrounded by dark stone walls several meters high which were reinforced by iron gates and enormous lookout towers surrounding the kingdom. Monsters guarded the gates in heavy armor decorated with the symbol of the kingdom - a black wolf holding a red crystal tightly.

No one could enter the kingdom without inspection and no one could leave without permission. A wounded kobold was making his way towards the eastern gates, dragging one of his legs with difficulty. A guard at the gates observed him. "Are you injured?"

"I was ambushed while collecting herbs."

"Can you fight?"

The kobold was hesitant. "I can still work."

With a simple movement, the guard drew his sword. "I didn’t ask that." The kobold looked down.

"No."

The guard sliced the kobold down, sending him to the ground. No one tried to save him. The guard wiped his blade clean and looked at the next traveler in line.

"Next."

That was the life of Varkesh.

You can be weak, you can be injured, you can be incapable, but if you are still useless, Varkesh was no place for you. Monsters of Varkesh worked hard from sunrise to sunset. While the ogres carried crushed stone on the streets, goblins repaired broken weapons and old armor, lizardmen brought fish from the mountain stream and wolfkin guarded the districts. Children trained from a young age. There was no time for fun and rest.

All work and no play, a strict and merciless life, but work and strength made the monsters of Varkesh strong.

In one of the practice yards, a young wolf was practicing with a wooden sword. The instructor hit the wolf hard, sending him sprawling to the ground

"Stand up!"

The young wolf pushed himself up. The instructor struck again, his wooden blade pressing against the young wolf’s shoulder The wolf fell backwards once again.

"Stand up."

The wolf gritted his teeth and pushed himself up again, this time attacking the instructor. The instructor blocked his blow and forced him to change his stance. Once again, the wolf attacked and the instructor parried. The young wolf shifted his weight to his other foot and struck again. The instructor caught his hand for a moment the two men stood facing each other. The instructor pulled out the sword.

"Good."

The young wolf heaved a sigh of relief.

"Again?"

The wolf smiled.

"Yes."

That was the other side of Varkesh that few had seen. While Varkesh was a harsh and brutal country, those who had survived its trials had proven themselves worthy warriors. And at the center of it all stood the mountain fortress, an enormous throne room was cut into the rock. Monster warriors surrounded the throne as their king, Rhazek, stared out over the land. The A-Rank Monster King was an enormous Demon Wolf covered in dark grey fur. Two black horns stuck out from the back of his head and crimson eyes burned with a menacing light. There were no stronger creatures that dwelled in Varkesh. Around the throne, a group of monster warriors stood.

"Your Majesty, the northern sentries have arrived." One of the warriors knelt to the floor.

"Report."

"The migration has increased."

Rhazek’s ears twitched. "How much?"

"Almost three times farther than yesterday."

"Predators are abandoning their territory with their prey," said the second warrior.

Rhazek leaned back. "Good." The warrior blinked. "Good, Your Majesty?"

"It means the corruption is spreading."

Rhazek glanced back at the large map along with the table stretching along one wall of the throne room. Large tracts of land in the Great Verdant Forest were marked. The map depicted a region of corruption as a series of dark circles spreading out across the forest.

"All of that?"

"Yes."

"Then the mages are doing their job."

A red-skinned demon bowed his head.

"The enslaved humans said the corruption is growing stronger."

"I see." Rhazek’s eyes narrowed.

"And the core?"

"They haven’t found it yet."

The fur on Rhazek’s neck bristled. "How long?"

"They think it may be buried in the woods to the north."

"Make them search harder,"

The demon hesitated. "The corruption is becoming more difficult to control."

"Control?"

Rhazek stared blankly at the demon. "Did I tell them to?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Then let the forest rot."

The demon bowed.

"I want that core!"

Rhazak bellowed. The entire throne room grew silent. His deep voice rumbled through the chamber. "As much as an A-Rank Monster King is powerful," he turned to the enormous double doors at the far end of the room, "I didn’t build this kingdom to be this way."

His red eyes burned with anticipation. "I’m going to evolve."

Rhazek wanted to become a Demon Lord-class monster.

The problem was his body, his current body, couldn’t absorb enough power to evolve. That kind of energy was a waste, but the corrupted mana core was another story. Assuming the rumors were true the core contained enough condensed corrupted energy to give him another evolution. Rhazek had been searching for the exact location for months, ever since hearing the rumors of the strange energy pulsing deep within the woods.

Humans had been the key. They had better comprehension in magic than anyone, so the monsters had kidnapped, threatened and enslaved hundreds of them. They had spread throughout the wilderness, performing corruption rituals as Rhazek watched from the shadows.

Rhazek knew what he was doing. Animals were dying and running away, predators abandoning their hunting grounds and plants withering up and down the forest. Even the mana beasts were becoming feral and unstable - all the signs of a dying forest ecosystem. That would have been reason enough to destroy the whole forest, but Rhazek only saw the treasure hidden deep inside. One of the warriors hesitated.

"What about the animals that made it through?" Rhazek narrowed his eyes at the young warrior. "If they couldn’t handle the corruption, then they weren’t strong enough." The other monster bowed. "Precisely Your Majesty." Rhazek turned to the red-skinned demon. "Keep the mages alive."

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty. They serve a very important purpose," said the demon.

"If one of your mages dies?"

The demon bowed. "Of course, we will replace him." Rhazek didn’t react either way. He looked towards the double doors at the far end of the throne room. "Work hard," he said simply before turning away. Outside, the human mages were being put through their daily struggle. They were chained to the ground, their wrists and ankles bound with thick metal bands that bit harshly into their flesh. Several monster guards stood around the mages, ensuring that they didn’t try to escape. One of the mages fell to his knees, overcome with pain

"I can’t go on," he moaned.

The nearby guard hit him across the back of his head, forcing the man to crawl back to the ritual circle where several other mages stood in unison. The mage’s hands trembled as he struggled to concentrate, dark energy crackling from his fingertips. "Enough!" shouted the first guard. He kicked the mage towards the ritual circle. "You can do it. You have enough energy."

"My mana is nearly gone!"

"Then use your life."

The mage looked up at the guard in disbelief. The guard pointed toward the circle. "Get on with it." The mage gritted his teeth and forced his magic outwards. A mass of darkness shot out, twisting the roots from the trees and withering them black. Flocks of angry birds burst out from the trees and several deer ran past the mages towards the distant forest. The man stared in horror in the direction of the oncoming birds.

"There is something north ahead of us!" The ground shook. The mage swallowed hard.

"The core should be located near a dungeon." One of the mages on his right turned around and saw the mass of black mist rising from the earth. "Then we’ve done it." The black mist swarmed out from the earth, creeping up the forest roots. Back inside the fortress, one of the sentries burst into the throne room and saluted Rhazek.

"Your Majesty,"

"What is it?" growled the monster king.

"We have found the possible location of the core." The monsters in the room all fell silent and Rhazek turned to look at him. "Where?"

"A few days journey north of the corrupted area.." Rhazek’s ears twitched. "Did you see the core?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

The young warrior shuddered, but Rhazek calmly walked over to him. "Take fifty warriors with you." The young warrior bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll kill anyone that stands in our way," he said, looking back at the older wolf.

Rhazek stared at the warrior. "Take the mages with you." The warrior hesitated. Rhazek paused by the massive doors leading to the outside world. "If they should find the core," he said, "I want them alive long enough to bring it to me."

"If they don’t?"

The young warrior bowed his head. "We’ll kill them." Rhazek smiled. "Good."

The throne room echoed as the doors slowly creaked open to reveal the outside air. Rhazek smiled. "Finally my ambition is going to be fulfilled."