Chapter 3: Goblin
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: Goblin
I frantically looked around. The woman who would one day survive to the very end and be called the 'Spell Stealer' was now a meal for the goblins, a dagger embedded between her eyes. The man who would be known as the 'Flame Archer'—destined to die five years after the Tutorial ended—was still fighting off the approaching horde.
But it was only a matter of moments before he was surrounded and overwhelmed.
A scream of “Aaaaargh!!!” echoed in my ears.
The cackling of the goblins—“Kireuk, kireuk, kireuk!!”—devoured the screams of the man who would have become the Flame Archer.
It was undeniable. Decades may have passed, but I could never forget the faces of those I'd gone through thick and thin with during the Tutorial.
‘I’ve returned to the past.’
I didn’t know who sent me back, but I had definitely returned. As I surveyed my surroundings, the memories slowly began to surface, hazy at first. This place. In the first battle, alongside these very people, we had managed to fight off the attacking goblins and drive them away.
I remembered that while some people had fled, most of us had formed a crude defensive square, hunkering down to fight back. Of course, I had been cowering as much as I could, but I had been here all the same.
When I considered the possibility that the daggers I threw had altered the future from its original course, I couldn't help but nod.
It wasn't certain yet. There were still many things I needed to confirm. But if I truly had returned to the past... if I had returned, then I could definitely meet her again.
‘Choi Seulgi.’
A faint smile crept onto my lips. She had said she arrived here a year before me, so she must have already finished the Tutorial and entered the continent by now. And Ha Yuri... Ha Yuri would be on the continent, too. I clenched my jaw instinctively.
Just then, as a burning rage rose to the crown of my head...
[ Quest Complete. ]
[ Quest - First Battle: You have been suddenly dragged to a strange place for reasons unknown. It may be bewildering, but survival comes first. Kill the summoned humans. (10/10) ]
[ You have received a new quest. ]
[ Quest - Time to Hunt!: Many humans still survive in the Tutorial Forest. Continue to hunt them. (0/30) ]
[ Excellent. You have successfully completed your first quest. As a quest reward, you will rank up. Please select a class to evolve into. ]
[ 1. Goblin Warrior ]
[ 2. Goblin Shaman ]
[ 3. Goblin Archer ]
It was exactly the same. A dry, disbelieving laugh escaped me. Who would have thought that not only humans, but goblins too, were going through the Tutorial here?
I stared at the three choices, but I didn’t need to deliberate. I had chosen Warrior in my past life as well. I wasn't sure if it was the same as the human 'tech tree,' but if it was similar, picking Warrior was the easiest path to growing strong quickly. I’d heard enough times that I had no talent. Choosing a different path would only be a detriment.
The moment I thought of number 1, my muscles began to twist violently.
“Aaargh!!!”
My own voice screamed in my ears as my bones began to creak and groan all over.
“Uwaaaargh!”
It seemed I wasn't the only one evolving, as screams began to erupt from all around.
“Kireuk... Kireuk!!”
“Aaaaargh!!!!!”
I felt as if I were drenched in sweat. It was still lacking, but the power flowing through my body clearly surpassed what it was just moments before. I felt a little bigger. No, looking at the muscles on my forearms, I could feel a definite change. My weapon, though still crude, now had the shape of a sword rather than a dagger.
As I looked down at the sword, I subtly glanced around and saw the old goblin from before, along with the other goblins, staring blankly at those of us who had evolved into Goblin Warriors or Goblin Shamans.
*
It wasn't long after we set up camp at the battle site that I realized humans and monsters were fundamentally similar in their behavior. As dinnertime approached, they began to gather in groups, one by one.
When stronger individuals appeared where there had only been ordinary goblins, the existing group that had clustered around the old goblin disbanded. It seemed they weren't part of the same clan to begin with.
They instinctively regrouped, this time under those stronger than themselves. It was just like the past. Back then, too, everyone had tried to move with the 'strong ones' who had been the first to complete their class change. A new group would form around a strong individual, but the difference from humans was that the entire horde still moved as one.
And, as luck would have it, being one of the first to complete the class change, a few goblins began to approach me.
I stood there blankly, looking at the goblins standing before me.
“I wish to... serve under you. Kireuk.”
“I also wish to serve under you. Kireuk!”
Even the female goblin who had proposed mating with me earlier was there, her face flushed as she stood with her hands behind her back.
“I want to fight with you, too. Kireuk. You’ll have me, right?”
“Why come to me? There are a few other goblins who changed besides me.”
“I saw you fight. You are... not brave, but you are cunning and smart. Kireuk.”
“I was watching you, hiding and throwing daggers. You didn't have a single scratch on you. That is truly goblin-like cunning... I want to learn that spirit. Kireuk.”
“...”
I had to wonder whether I should be pleased by this. Gaining followers was a good thing. They wouldn't throw their lives away for me, of course, but they generally didn't betray their leader. No matter how much knowledge I had from the past, forming a group—whether human or goblin—was essential for survival.
Quickly organizing my thoughts, I extended my hand and spoke. Just like a goblin.
“I’ll be counting on you. Kireuk.”
And just like that, I had my own tribe members—a group you could call large or small, depending on your perspective. Out of the roughly 120 goblins initially summoned, I now commanded the second-largest contingent. In truth, it was less about 'commanding' and more about 'accompanying,' but for now, they followed me.
My group numbered around thirty. Considering only four goblins had evolved and each had formed their own faction, this was by no means a small number. The largest Goblin Warrior had a following of forty goblins, and I seemed to recall his name was Goff.
I didn't remember seeing a warrior that large in the last Tutorial. He must have either charged in too bravely and been gravely wounded in this battle, or died somewhere out of sight in the original timeline.
In any case, having the second-largest of the four factions meant that my methods were apparently more respectable in their eyes than I'd thought. That Goff fellow didn't seem to like me much, but since it was their way to form groups without interfering with one another, he didn't bother me.
I casually turned my head and saw some of my followers diligently bringing over the corpses of goblins who had died in the battle.
“Our chieftain is special. Kireuk!”
“Our chieftain doesn't eat humans. He eats goblins instead. Kireuk!”
When I ordered them to bring something other than human for dinner, they brought back the goblins who had died in battle. I was speechless for a moment, but I figured it was for the best.
I already knew this, but the concept of revulsion at eating their own kind seemed to be nonexistent for them. In fact, the rumor that I ate goblins instead of humans spread, and it was enough to make a few other goblins ask to join us.
The reason I avoided eating humans was simple. A lot had changed since I became a goblin, but I was still self-aware enough to know I had once been human. It wasn't an absolute rule that I would never eat them, but I worried that the act of repeatedly consuming human flesh might cause me to lose my humanity. My mental state was already strangely precarious. To rationalize it, this was the bare minimum of compromise I could make.
Gulp.
I tore off an arm from the goblin corpse they’d brought for my meal and shoved it into my mouth. It wasn't as good as human flesh, but it was surprisingly edible. It had a distinct, tough chewiness, like squid, that kept my jaw working. It was the first real food I’d had in a long time, and even though it was completely uncooked, it was enough to bring me pleasure.
Just the sensation of chewing something made me feel good.
It was a bit tough; it would probably be better smoked. But I couldn't start a fire as night was falling, so I decided to make do with this for now.
All the others, except for me, were eating humans. The female goblin who had given me water had claimed the spot right beside me, acting as if she were my wife. She was chewing on a human arm that looked undeniably tender. Part of me thought it looked delicious, while another part found it grotesque.
I was about to tell her to leave because she was annoying, but when I decided to just let her be, she seemed determined to stick even closer. I sighed and addressed the thirty tribe members before me.
“We hunt tonight. Kireuk.”
“A hunt! A hunt! Kireuk, kireuk!!”
“The night is dark, which is good. But I’m tired. Kireuk...”
Some of them grumbled, but now that they were part of the tribe, they would follow my orders. If we achieved results, they would probably become even more enthusiastic.
It was common sense that monsters had better night vision than humans. Finding humans who were hidden away would be difficult for goblins, whose sense of smell wasn't particularly developed, but with me, it was a different story.
I could roughly guess which groups were hiding where. Attacking unsuspecting humans wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't unpleasant either. If you stood still, you would fall behind. And if you fell behind, you would be killed by the humans who had grown stronger.
Even if you survived falling behind and made it to the continent, you would eventually die.
This goblin body was, in a way, a chance given by the gods. The most rational thing to do was to move quickly while I could. The more I could gain in the Tutorial, the easier things would be later on the continent.
“When do we leave, Chieftain?”
“We leave when it gets a little darker.”
Once it got dark, there were bound to be groups that stopped moving. Our job was to hunt them down.
Before we left, I slowly rose to my feet and spoke quietly to the awkwardly gathered goblins.
“We are the Blood Dagger Clan. After the hunt, we will capture all the humans who fled and bring them here. Follow me, and you will not go hungry.”
Once you form a group, the first step is to instill pride in it. I had just spat out a roughly modified name of some monster clan from a game, and the effect was surprisingly potent. Their intelligence wasn't low, but they were simple creatures. If they didn't like the group, they would leave in an instant, but as long as they were bound by the name 'clan,' they would feel a sense of camaraderie.
“We are the Blood Dagger Clan! Kireuk!”
“The Blood Dagger Clan!! Kireuk, kireuk!!”
“Our chieftain is cunning.”
“Cunning!!! Kireuk!!”
“We are the Blood Dagger Clan, the epitome of cunning!”
“No one can stop us!!!”
This wasn't quite the effect I was aiming for, but it would do. Deciding that now was the time, I began to lead the goblins into the forest. The other goblin groups stared at us blankly, their expressions clearly asking where we thought we were going in the middle of the night.
Having evolved, I was slightly larger than the other goblins, so my stride was naturally faster. The sound of my followers running beside me was grating on the ears, but it certainly wasn't loud enough for the still-weak humans to hear from a distance and flee.
Right now, speed was more important than stealth. After walking for a long time, my followers began to tire and slow down.
I raised a hand to signal a brief halt, then slowly began to speak.
“We’ll rest here for a bit.”
“Kireuk... kireuk.”
“Kireuk...”
If my memory served me right, there should be a cave not far from here. The same cave I had fled to after surviving that earlier battle back when I was human. In the past, I had met other survivors in that cave.
There were many of them, but those hiding in the cave were mostly losers who had fled the battle. Thirty goblins would be more than enough to take them.
After the break, we moved with stealth and silence. Just as I expected, I began to sense faint signs of life from within the cave. They weren't complete fools—they hadn't lit a fire—but the sound of their chatter was unavoidable.
“Dammit...”
“What the hell is going on? Shit... a Tutorial all of a sudden... And what were those monsters...?”
Hearing the voices from the cave, I raised my hand slightly, and the goblins following me instantly held their breath. As everyone concealed their presence, the sound of the humans' conversation, carried on the wind, became even clearer.