The expedition was meant to, in part, convince Logue of my positive intentions. My maniacal laughter at the slaughter of the chesmites might have worked against me. Might have. Honestly, the dwarf looked the closest to happy that I had seen him yet. The monotony of our task was helpful, I think. Don’t think too hard about the flying dragon man raining down death, don’t think about the impending retribution, just smash bugs.

I had hoped to take some time, explore the new options on my lair page and maybe put off levelling up for a while. I was in two minds on the idea, but Logue revealed important information that changed my timelines. I needed strength now so that my people could be free to grow.

Hadonis Aurochles Efezeus. In death, he promised to be more of a problem than he may ever have been in life. Letting him go would have amounted to the same problems, or worse, but he was a champion of Zeus himself. Apparently Zeus only chose children of his own bloodline, so Hadonis had actually been something of a demi-god, not that it had mattered. God of uselessness, maybe.

Still, his death wouldn’t be unnoticed. Salan and Logue both agreed that someone would be sent to deal with the monster that killed Hadonis, that was common practice. So, in the face of an eventual second attack upon my people, I had decided to kill two bugs with one spell.

First, clearing out the roaming chesmite horde would allow my goblins to explore much more safety. Apparently they had been something of a natural disaster. My quickly exploding EP total would agree.

Name: Izaark

Race: Winged Kobold

Species: Gem Dragon

Level: 01

Class: Warlock

Job: Overlord

HP:204

Strength

Tier 2

MP:782

Body

Tier 2

EP:1647

Magic

Tier 4

Will

Tier 2

There were lulls in the combat, where the chesmites screech and try to think for about three seconds before coming to the conclusion that surely their charge will work, where the previous ones did not. The plan had worked to absolute perfection.

Logue stood at the end of the bridge of rock above the toxic, heavy poison in the room where I had first encountered goblins. It felt like a whole lifetime ago, but it was only around a week or so.

My new tiers of power allowed me to be incredibly casual in the face of a horde. I told Logue that his job was just to make sure none got past him, while I faced the charge on and above the bridge. The insects occasionally scratched me, but my hide had become thicker with the additional tier in Body. My claws now shredded the chitin like a hot knife. If the press of bodies became too much in the middle of the bridge, I leapt off and flew above. By rushing ahead of the bugs once more, I could line up a devastating blast of force.

Like I said, working perfectly. I intentionally let one or two a minute past me, asking for help from Logue. I made sure to thank him an appropriate amount, which for Logue I decided was letting him see palpable relief on my face. For his part, he raised the dwarven mace I had returned to him and roared as he pushed more chesmites to their poisoned death in the tunnels below.

The insects suddenly stopped attacking without any seeming prompt. Logue and I shared a few moments of quiet anticipation, listening for the clicking of hard feet on stone, but nothing came. Logue had not allowed himself to relax, and he swore as I whooped and scared him.

Achievement Unlocked - Critter Killer

An entire swarm, horde or hive mind has fallen to your hand.

Effect: 250 EP, Ability Unlocked - Spellbounce

Ability - Spellbounce

Effect: There is a chance for your spells to jump to an additional target.

I had just wanted some peace, but I would take it. I said a silent thank you to Dionysus and Nahariel for whatever they had done to make all this possible. The fighting had really only been seven or eight minutes, but at full intensity the entire time, we were both winded but managed to grin at each other.

“Well done dwarf, that was an impressive display.”

“Are you talking about me or you? I’m glad you’re on my side, that was incredible and terrifying in equal measures.” Logue was looking over the edge of the bridge, some of the chesmites still twitching down there.

“I am, you know.” I faced Logue’s eyes and locked onto them when he turned to me. “I’m on your side. I’m not that different from you.” Our gazes were inseparable for what felt like a full minute. Eventually though, Logue blinked.

“Damned if I don’t trust you. Just a little bit, but…” He seemed to be struggling for the right words to explain something. “It’s… Damn it all. It don’t matter what it is.” With an incredibly annoyed face, though I knew it was at himself, Logue stuck out a wide hand. I was surprised but took it happily with my two smaller ones and shook it. Neither Logue nor Salan would tell me exactly what the society in the world above was like, but it was bad enough that these two adventurers would throw in with an anarchist kobold like me.

That seemed enough of an endorsement against the establishment for me to continue with my plan to destroy the current system, whatever it is. It seemed, possibly, that I wouldn’t have to burn the world to the ground though. It appeared that the world might already be burning, and I could instead put the fire out.

Grand thoughts considering I was covered in insect viscera, but I wasn’t going to squash my aspirations at this point. Assuring Logue that my goblins would deal with the clean up as necessary, we returned to my very changed lair. It had only been a day since my evolution, but the lair looked like years of work, and decades of erosion, had occurred overnight.

I personally thought it would appear strange, but when I explained that the lair and I were linked, the goblins and the adventurers both seemed to think it natural. Even evolution was a known quantity when it came to monsters, so only I had been astounded by the goblin’s transformation.

They were now much more intelligent by base. They were taller, stronger and seemed to have more independent thought. Grannda, who had sprinted into the goblin barracks upon seeing herself naked, had made clothes for each of the newly sized goblins. I had even had a pair of leather trousers and a vest made for myself.

We looked much less like a horde of assorted monsters now, instead just… different. I liked it. As I watched Salan heal a scraped knee, Grannda’s little one not so little any more, a little emotion built within me. I liked this. I liked having people to protect, and people who would help me protect them.

“Mighty Izaark!” Speaking of those who help, Frakko had awoken with the evolution. It had done wonders for the tall goblin. The pig-like snout all goblins sported had turned down slightly and thinned. The dinner plate eyes had become thinner and more appropriately sized for a face. The same could be said for all of the goblins. If anything, they looked more like green elves than the little gremlins they had been days ago. “Welcome back my lord, I assume the chesmites have been thwarted?”

“Exactly right. As I said before we left, it would be a simple matter.” I directed Frakko to start a few goblins on retrieval, having them collect anything of value from the chesmites to place into storage. Frakko had been disappointed when he realised that we didn’t need an aqueduct in the lair, excited to try to build one before the attack. “I’ll have more work for you later, for now do that.”

He left, and Logue dismissed himself to clean the filth off. I washed with soap. I had some upgrades for the lair I was excited for, but I had already found my heaven. A large metal bowl with drainage in my lodge, filled with water and then boiled with a blast of my dragonbreath. Technically, it cost me health to use the spell but it barely tickled now, and the hot relaxing waters were worth it.

I finally slinked out of the water as it grew cold, removing the plug and allowing the water to drain away. I let the water take away all the previous week’s anxieties, regrets and stresses. I had changed a lot, quickly. I wouldn’t be running away from anything any more. I also wouldn’t hide in shadows. That had cost me.

I opened my character page, and spent the 1000 EP needed to level up.

Level Up: 1 -> 2

Levelling up increases your HP, MP, base attributes. You may learn more skills and spells than before.

Name: Izaark

Race: Winged Kobold

Species: Gem Dragon

Level: 02

Class: Warlock

Job: Overlord

HP:324

Strength

Tier 2

MP:1226

Body

Tier 2

EP: 1045

Magic

Tier 4

Will

Tier 2

The numbers were larger, that was good. It did not do justice to the feeling that was coursing through my body as I levelled up. It felt like I was actively receiving strength, fortitude and intelligence from an outside source. The strange sensation of being filled stopped and suddenly the power was mine, as though it had always been. This felt incredible. It didn’t last long and, as my muscles loosened and I felt more limber than before, I was sad to lose the moment.

The 4000 EP cost of the next level up felt distant and I wanted to taste that feeling again, though. It was the cost of becoming a boss monster so early, I suppose, though it came with astounding benefits so no complaints.

Come and get me, you puny demi-gods, I thought jokingly.