Chapter 171 Under the new regime

Ten years had passed since the day the Burrow Kingdom fell under the control of an outside force, and the goblins who once lived freely beneath the eternal shade had undergone changes that would have been unimaginable to their ancestors. The mountain pillars still stood tall, the cobblestone castles remained intact, and the familiar lands continued to shelter generations of goblins, yet the atmosphere surrounding their world had become entirely different.

The goblins had survived, but survival came at a cost.

Within a training ground located at the outskirts of the Burrow Kingdom, the sound of metal striking metal echoed throughout the morning. A muscular goblin with dark green skin swung his enormous sword downward, splitting a thick stone pillar in half before immediately turning around to block an incoming strike from his opponent.

CLANG!

The impact forced his opponent several steps backward, while the muscular goblin remained firmly rooted to the ground. His body had grown considerably over the past decade, his shoulders broadening and his once youthful face developing sharper features, while several scars now decorated his arms and chest.

"Again."

The goblin raised his sword, his expression remaining calm despite the heavy breathing escaping his mouth. His opponent hesitated for a moment before charging forward, only to have his weapon knocked out of his hands a few seconds later.

"That’s enough for today, Rikko."

A nearby instructor finally intervened, shaking his head as he observed the ruined training ground. Rikko lowered his sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead, revealing the face of the young goblin who had once stood among the weakest members of his tribe.

However, that goblin no longer existed.

Rikko had become an adult, and after spending the past ten years fighting, training, and surviving under the new regime, he had finally reached A rank.

For a goblin, reaching such a level was an achievement worthy of celebration, particularly considering how difficult it had been for him to obtain the resources necessary to advance. His journey had been anything but easy, and the scars covering his body were proof of the countless battles he had endured to reach his current position.

When Rikko was younger, he had possessed little more than determination and an overwhelming desire to become stronger. He had watched the older goblins fight against the invading forces, witnessed the destruction of their kingdoms, and experienced the helplessness of being unable to protect those around him.

That helplessness had become the foundation of his ambition.

He started by joining the lowest-ranked training group, where he spent countless hours mastering the fundamentals of combat. His progress had been slow at first, but he gradually learned how to control his strength, read his opponents’ movements, and exploit even the smallest openings during battle.

Eventually, he advanced from the lowest ranks, defeating increasingly powerful opponents and earning access to better training facilities. He also participated in several dangerous expeditions beyond the kingdom’s walls, where he fought monstrous creatures and gathered the materials needed to strengthen his body.

Each victory brought him closer to his goal, but each defeat reminded him of how far he still had to go.

By the time Rikko reached A rank, he had already surpassed most goblins of his generation. Yet despite his accomplishments, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he remained insignificant compared to the beings who had taken control of his world.

After all, what could an A rank goblin possibly accomplish against the powers that had defeated entire kingdoms?

Rikko sheathed his sword and looked toward the distant horizon, where several enormous structures had been erected over the past decade. They were not built according to traditional goblin architecture, and their unfamiliar designs served as a constant reminder that their world no longer belonged entirely to them.

Ten years ago, the invading forces had arrived with overwhelming numbers and terrifying creatures, bringing entire kingdoms to their knees. The goblins had fought desperately, but their resistance had eventually collapsed beneath the sheer difference in strength between the two sides.

And then, something unexpected happened.

The fighting stopped.

There had been no grand announcement, no explanation delivered to the surviving goblin rulers, and no clear indication of why the invading forces had suddenly ceased their advance. One day, the battles simply became less frequent, until the remaining resistance forces found themselves facing an unfamiliar silence.

At first, the goblins believed that their enemies were preparing for another attack.

They fortified their settlements, gathered their warriors, and waited for the next wave of destruction to arrive, but it never came. Instead, the victors began reorganizing the territories they had conquered, establishing new settlements and dividing the lands according to their own interests.

Some of the Constellations decided to remain in the conquered world, establishing their own domains and overseeing the territories that had fallen under their control. Others eventually returned to their original worlds, leaving behind their subordinates, forces, and the structures they had built during the invasion.

The sudden departure of some of the strongest beings brought a brief sense of hope to the surviving goblins. They wondered whether the remaining forces might eventually weaken enough for them to reclaim their freedom.

Unfortunately, that hope did not last long.

Even without the direct presence of every Constellation, the forces left behind were more than enough to maintain control over the conquered territories. The remaining rulers possessed overwhelming strength, and the goblins who dared to challenge their authority often disappeared before they could accomplish anything meaningful.

Over the years, several rebellions had erupted throughout the Burrow Kingdom.

Some were organized by former warriors who refused to accept the new regime, while others were led by younger goblins who had grown up knowing nothing except the humiliation of living under foreign rule. They attacked supply routes, ambushed patrols, and attempted to reclaim important settlements, hoping that a series of small victories would eventually inspire a larger uprising.

But their efforts repeatedly ended in failure.

The difference in strength was simply too great, and even when the goblins managed to win a battle, the consequences were often devastating. Entire groups were wiped out, their hideouts exposed, and their surviving members forced to retreat into the wilderness.

The goblins had not lost their desire for freedom.

They had simply learned how expensive it was to fight for it.

Rikko knew this better than most.

He had participated in several resistance operations during his early years, witnessing firsthand how even a carefully planned attack could collapse when confronted by an opponent far stronger than anticipated.

Those experiences had taught him that courage alone was insufficient, and that charging blindly toward their enemies would only lead to more unnecessary deaths.

That was why he had devoted himself to becoming stronger.

Yet even after reaching A rank, he still couldn’t see a clear path toward liberation.

"Rikko."

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts, causing him to turn toward the entrance of the training ground. An older goblin approached him, his face lined with wrinkles and his body covered in scars accumulated throughout a lifetime of fighting.

"Have you heard the news?"

"What news?"

"The northern settlement has changed hands again. Another group of outsiders has arrived, and apparently, they’ll be establishing their own territory there."

Rikko frowned.

"Again? Didn’t the previous group leave only a few months ago?"

"Yes, but it seems that this world has become quite attractive to them." The older goblin sighed before lowering his voice. "Some of them treat it as their new home, while others only stay long enough to establish their influence before returning to wherever they came from."

Rikko clenched his fists.

To the outsiders, their world was merely a place where they could establish territories, pursue their ambitions, and settle their conflicts. To the goblins, however, it was the land where their ancestors had lived, where their children were born, and where generations had struggled to survive.

The outsiders could come and go as they pleased, but the goblins had nowhere else to call home.

"Do you think things will ever return to normal?" Rikko asked quietly.

The older goblin remained silent for a while before shaking his head.

"I don’t know."

It was an honest answer, and somehow, that made it even more painful.

Rikko turned away, looking toward the distant settlement where unfamiliar banners fluttered above the rooftops.

Their gods had disappeared.

The divine beings they once worshipped, the figures who had answered their prayers and guided their civilizations, had seemingly vanished from their world. Temples that once echoed with the voices of priests had fallen silent, leaving their followers with nothing but unanswered questions.

Some goblins believed that their gods had abandoned them.

Others insisted that their deities were still watching over them from somewhere beyond their reach, waiting for the right moment to return. But as the years passed without a single sign of divine intervention, even the most faithful began to question whether their prayers would ever be answered again.

Rikko had once believed in those gods as well.

Now, whenever he entered a temple, he could only stare at the empty altar and wonder why the beings who had supposedly protected their civilization had allowed everything to happen.

’Where did you go?’

He didn’t know whether the question was directed toward their gods or toward the world that had existed before the invasion.

Perhaps it was both.

The older goblin placed a hand on Rikko’s shoulder, bringing him back to the present.

"Don’t let those thoughts consume you. You’ve worked hard to reach A rank, and there are still many things you can accomplish with that strength."

Rikko nodded, but his expression remained grim.

He understood what the older goblin was trying to say, yet he couldn’t bring himself to feel satisfied with his accomplishments. Becoming stronger had allowed him to survive in this world, but it had done nothing to change the circumstances surrounding his people.