Kar ceased all movement, even breathing. He thought for a moment his own heart had stopped beating.

Cultivation, this man had said.

A term Kar had been wondering about for a long time, ever since he had found a small stone tablet in an underground cavern 5 years ago.

The tablet had strange characters written on it, Kar hadn’t been able to understand them and any effort to understand such thing would have been meaningless, or so Kar had thought, yet he liked to look at it, fantasizing about understanding the strange characters.

And without explanation, after some time, he had slowly come to understand what the tablet had imprinted on it.

Knowledge had come from that tablet, and he had risen in power and intelligence thanks to it.

Cultivation, something strange and fascinating, so different to the usual Skills and Spells used by the races of the world.

A source of strange powers obtained by training and taking energy from the world without submitting to it.

A dream worthy of being pursued and a tool to achieve one’s ambitions.

The man placed Kar on the ground and freed him from the grip of the invisible force. The same invisible hand then raised Kar’s sword and put it inside its scabbard.

“You know what I'm talking about, right? Those eyes of yours are the product of a cultivation technique.”

The man was smiling, speaking in a friendly manner.

Kar slowly nodded, there was no point of denying it now.

“You can go if you want, or you can sit and listen to a story before you return to your tribe.”

The man spoke again, Kar didn't feel the strange hold of that magic on him, so he started to move, taking some distance from the strange man who might be a Mage or a Cultivator. Either way, he was dangerous, no matter how friendly his smile and words were.

Kar walked away from those strange Humans, he was certain that those strange people were dangerous, and they knew about cultivation, staying any longer was simply being at their mercy.

And no race had mercy for Goblins.

But…

The man had offered a peaceful talk, and he spoke in the Goblin language, could he be a friend of some Shaman? That seemed ridiculous, but a few minutes ago the notion of a Human ever speaking in Kobe was equally ridiculous, yet he had done it.

After taking some distance, Kar stopped and turned back. He stood a few meters away from them, and watched them in silence, waiting for their reaction. The girl looked at him with curiosity, while the woman had a gaze of apprehension, as if she was expecting him to attack at any moment, although she had sheathed her knives.

And the man still had a calm expression, unreadable.

“It’s ok, you can listen from over there, no problem. It’s natural to be wary of strangers.”

The strange man then made some chairs appear for him and his companions, one chair also appeared next to Kar, but he didn’t take it.

“Before I tell you that story, can you tell me something? What are the ranks of Goblin leaders in this world?”

The man’s question was a weird one, did he not know that? Goblin’s culture and customs were incomprehensible and uninteresting for outsiders, but at least the Classes of the Goblin leaders were common knowledge, numerous conflicts across the centuries had seen to that.

Nevertheless, Kar decided to answer the question.

“Stranger, Goblins have Chieftains who lead the tribes, Shamans who pass down traditions and possess magic, there are a few Goblin Lords across the continent, and it was said that a Goblin King lived in the Southern Continent long ago. Does that answer satisfy you?”

Kar spoke honestly. There was no reason to lie, the emergence of Goblin Lords and Kings was always followed by war, so each time such a leader appeared it was a major event and everyone will know.

“So there are no Goblin Champions here? No Goblin Sorcerers, Assassins, Alchemists, Blacksmiths nor Engineers?”

The man kept asking questions, his expression was one of curiosity and surprise.

“You keep speaking of weird things. I have never heard of such Classes among Goblins, we don’t have the knowledge to become such experts.”

Kar replied with a bit of bitterness in his voice, he would have thought this mysterious man was mocking him if not for the look in the man’s eyes. He was serious, and sounded somehow concerned.

The man’s expression softened, his eyes looked at Kar with… pity and compassion, a look not even other Goblins used to look at each other.

Like an adult looking at a wounded child, a helpless kid who wouldn’t stop crying and the adult was thinking of a way to soothe him.

Something inside Kar felt like burning, was this man looking down on him? He was having pity on Goblins for the life they led in this cruel and merciless world where everything and everyone was out to get them, waiting for any chance to kill them?

“So, you have really lost your heroes here? I see.”

The man said it softly, almost a murmur, yet it was clearly audible.

Kar snapped at him.

“Stop saying absurd things! When has there ever existed such thing as a Goblin Hero!? We do not have such things, we are just prey! Pest to be killed by everyone else, but don’t you dare to mock our existence! Don’t look down on me!”

Kar was furious, the man’s pity only hurt more than the hatred of others. He could stand the hatred of other races, he would answer in kind and fight to kill if it was necessary, but this? This was something for which he was not prepared, he didn’t mind being looked down by others, he had faced that years ago in his tribe and outside, but this man's words of kindness were stabbing Kar in the chest as no insult ever had.

The two females almost jumped from their seats when Kar started shouting, alarmed at his angry reaction, one of the adult woman’s hands was grabbing the handle of the knife on her belt.

But this strange Human, he simply looked at Kar with sympathy, and didn’t even flinch or get angry when Kar shouted at him.

The man shook his head.

“No, I am not mocking you. I’m just surprised that your Shamans have not taught this to your kind. Goblins are so much more, but it seems that in this world you guys have suffered a lot. I am speaking the truth, even if it seems absurd to you. In other lands, Goblins are Master Craftsmen, Magic Blacksmiths, and powerful Alchemists; the marvels built by Goblin Engineering have brought great changes and influenced the fates of entire worlds. I know that there are Goblin Heroes, child. You think a Goblin reaching King Class is great? I have met a Goblin God.”

The stranger’s voice rang in the clearing, shaking Kar to the core.

Kar felt to his knees, shaking. This man’s words… were absurd, they were madness, a dream that could not be real…

And yet, Kar believed him. Because something inside of Kar shouted with great strength when he heard those words and a dozen different emotions mixed up in him surging as an unstoppable avalanche.

“A Goblin… God…”

“Yes, I’m not talking about some god that created your race, I am speaking about a Goblin just like you, who trained, fought, evolved, and ascended until he came to stand side by side with the Gods in the Heavens.”

The women led out noises of surprise. They had never heard of such a thing, which was to be expected, since the notion of a Goblin becoming a god was ridiculous even for Kar.

“That’s the story I wanted to tell you about, about a Paragon of your species.”

The man paused, and when he spoke again, his words carried a power that made everyone present tremble.

“Kharsfal Tehrek Kobelin, The Mountainheart.”

Kar’s ears were ringing, his whole body was vibrating, something within his very soul was resonating at the sound of those words, he felt like his blood was boiling and something within himself was reacting, trying to reach out for that name.

The name of a Goblin God, a pinnacle patriarch of his kind, a true Paragon of their species, blessed with unimaginable power and glory. Kar could not see it, could not even picture what such a being would be like, but his blood remembered, and the feeling of awe and worship blooming from his very soul was unquestionable.

The human spoke again, this time his words no longer causing any strange echo.

“He was a Goblin who reached Godhood by means of cultivating the power of the world, he comprehended and mastered diverse techniques, and his Affinity with the classical element of Earth was extraordinary. His vision led to the rise of a sophisticated and powerful civilization. That was millennia ago, I am not surprised that the Goblins in this world do not know about him, but to not know even about Alchemy or Metallurgy, you guys have lost all connection with your Racial Legacy.”

The man then pointed a finger at Kar, pointing at his eyes.

“Moreover, you have his eye technique, but you don’t know about him, which means you have found a vestige of Kharsfal’s legacy, but not a complete inheritance.”

“What… what happened to him, to the Ancestor, the Goblin God?”

Kar asked the most important question, this man talked in past tense, he only mentioned power and prosperity, but Kar knew there was more to it.

“It was something that happened long ago, he suffered several setbacks in his rise to power, his empire had numerous conflicts with other races and had to face many dangers by the hand of other Divinities, but the events that caused his downfall were more complex than that.”

The man moved his hand in the air and a black stone tablet appeared. It was tall as a human head, its base was as long as Kar’s own hand, and it was two fingers wide.

The tablet floated towards Kar, who was still kneeling on the ground, one shock after another didn’t give him the chance to regain his footing.

Kar recognized the characters imprinted on the tablet, the same strange inscriptions that were on his own tablet.

But this tablet was complete, perfectly preserved, in contrast to the one Kar possessed, which was damaged and corroded by time.

“This is one of the Books of Kobe, created by Kharsfal Tehrek himself, to preserve the basics of his Legacy, copies of this tablets have been spread across the Cosmos during his reign, but it seems like the one here was not preserved completely.”

The man moved a finger, making a scroll appear next to the tablet.

“And this is a copy of The Refuge of the Hollow Mountain, a written record of the life and times of the Goblin God; his dream, his journey, the rise and fall of his Empire, it’s all there. Read it when you have returned to your tribe, then speak to the Shamans, they will have visions and dreams about it, bits of history will be revealed. They will know it’s genuine. The Book of Kobe, however, keep to yourself and those you trust the most. I’m sure you already know this, but those inscriptions are not something for everyone’s eyes.”

Then the man chuckled lightly, as if he had remembered something funny.

“Remember this: magical creatures like Goblins have always kept their true legacies by the bloodline inheritance and racial resonance. That tablet is only a gate to Kharsfal’s Path, if you want to be able to access his full inheritance, you need to evolve.”

There was silence then. Kar was holding what was probably the greatest treasures of all Goblin history in this world right on his hands, he was shaking with excitement, awe, surprise, and fear. The two items were light, but the weight of their colossal significance and importance was crushing Kar.

He didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t sure he was even able to say anything. He stared at the two invaluable objects on his hands with reverence, then slowly, very slowly, Kar raised his eyes and met the man’s eyes.

His eyes conveyed the question in his heart, when no words could come out of his mouth.

Why?

Why are you doing this? Such boundless benefaction to us, such unpayable favor to me. Why? Why do so much for Goblins?

The man looked at Kar, he seemed to understand what Kar wanted to say, there was a tinge of sadness in his face and voice when he spoke again.

“I knew Kharsfal personally. he was a warrior of honor, a just and kind ruler who led his people to prosperity. His dreams were not mere ambition but something greater. If you are a successor of his Legacy, then I will at least help you to actually have a chance in succeeding, I know it will not be easy, but now you will know what you are doing and be aware of the path you are walking on.”

The man let out a deep sigh and looked up to the night sky, the black vault of heaven with soft shades of blue and violet, the distant stars were shining brightly in the distance. He lowered his gaze to look again at Kar directly into his eyes.

“I want you to know this, successor of Kharsfal: your kind might be suffering now, but your race is something greater than you think. You are not simple scavengers struggling to get food for another day, hiding in the shadow of stones afraid to be killed by anything outside, you are not petty murderers and rapists who strike other innocents out of spite to the ones who harmed you for being weaker. You are not weak scum looking for chances to vent your anger and inflict pain on others weaker than you.”

The man’s voice echoed in the silent night, and his words sent images inside Kar’s mind, more vivid than hallucinations, more tangible than dreams. Like memories he didn’t know he had, truths that were forgotten by his kind, resurfacing now by being spoken out loud.

“I have seen with my own eyes the marvels of Goblins, you are inventors, researchers, fighters, survivors. The champions of the Gods went into battle wielding blades of Goblin Steel, the Saints dress in silver forged by Goblin art. The Stairs in the Tower of Wisdom wouldn’t have been able to reach so high without the efforts of the Kobelin Academy. Do you want to know why I’m telling you all of this? It’s because I see you here, kneeling on the mud, thinking that your fate is cowering and starving until the day a sword pierces your heart, drowning you on your own blood, yet I know that it is not that way. The current state of Goblins here does not reflect the nature of your kind; you are more, so much more, you would do well to never forget that.”

Kar looked down, not daring to face the man, he wasn’t reprimanding Kar or Goblinkind, he was telling him that they had greater potential that others thought, more than Goblins themselves thought they had. His words weren’t harsh, he wasn’t scolding Kar, in fact, he was being compassionate, boundless patience was felt on his voice.

This mysterious man was doing a lot for Kar and his tribe, for Goblins in general.

This man was giving them hope for a brighter tomorrow.

And he was doing this without asking anything in return?

Kar knew it was true, but he felt ashamed, even if it wasn’t his fault, even if it wasn’t any Goblin’s fault. He felt ashamed that his race was living in such conditions and not in the glory described by the man’s words.

He felt a soft hand on his face, and noticed that he was crying. Kar jerked in surprise when he saw the owner of the hand.

The girl who had been silently listening to their conversation sitting by the side all this time, had approached him. Kar didn’t move, he wasn’t sure about what to do.

“You are crying.”

The girl spoke in a clear and melodious voice, her hand was soft and warm, she looked at him, but there was no repulsion in her eyes, her sympathy wasn’t the same as the man’s, but she didn’t have enmity in her.

“I don’t understand much about what you and Master are talking about, people always said that Goblins were bad, but Master said you are not. And now you are crying.”

She was speaking in Likia Kingdom’s language, but her words transmitted themselves directly into Kar’s mind, translating into Goblin tongue instantaneously.

The girl took her hand off Kar’s face, her hand was wet with his tears and his face still felt the warmth of her touch. She turned around to look at the man.

“Then, Master, are Goblins good and we have always been mistaken, treating them like monsters when they were actually good people being hurt and bullied by others?”

The girl asked the man, she seemed about to cry. Her Master shook his head and replied in a firm voice.

“No. Good and evil are not dependent on race; just like there are good Humans and bad Humans, there are good Goblins and bad Goblins, the same applies to every sentient race. It would be wrong to vilify a large group due to the misdeeds of individuals, no one is to blame for someone else’s actions. But I can’t say that all Goblins are good, in this hostile environment, many of them must have forgotten about mercy and honor, focused only on the constant warfare that is their life. Of course, that does not excuse evil actions, but it does make it understandable.”

The girl nodded and turned again to look at Kar.

“I’m Aina, this is my mother, Maria, and my Master, Navin. Master said you are a good Goblin, so I will believe him.”

She extended her hand to Kar for a handshake but he only stared at her, flabbergasted at the gesture.

“Why?”

It was the only sound that came out of his mouth.

Why were these people nice to him? Was what this man said true? It sounded true when he spoke, but it was too beautiful to be true. Goblins being safe, prospering together with other races and becoming a powerful civilization.

Goblins being respected.

Goblins being safe.

Goblins being loved.

Goblins being happy.

That was something from a dream, not from reality, reality was not so kind. Not to Goblins.

Or so Kar had thought until tonight.

The girl’s eyes were firm as she met his gaze.

“I don’t know you, and I have always been told that Goblins were bad. But Master said that you are good, that’s enough reason for me to believe that you are good.”

That reply made the man and the woman chuckle softly. Kar turned to look at the adult woman, she was standing now behind her daughter, but she no longer had the same air of hostility in her, she had her hands folded in front of her.

Kar stood up, being so close, he noticed the girl was actually a bit taller than him, not by much, but it was noticeable.

“Master’s words are full of wisdom and he never lies. I read in a book that listening to a wise person’s words gives one more year of life, so you should always heed his advice, Master is the wisest person I know.”

The girl spoke with a smile. Behind the girl, the man asked a question to the woman and she shrugged while negating with her head, but Kar didn’t hear what they were saying; right now, he only had eyes for the girl in front of him.

Aina, that was her name.

“So, it’s ok. If you are a good person then we can be friends.”

She kept her hand extended to him, still offering the handshake.

Carefully, slowly, so that he would not scare her with a sudden move, and also because Kar himself was afraid, he moved the tablet and scroll to his left hand.

He raised his right hand and shook hands with her, his rough hand feeling the softness of her hand. He was surprised to feel some slight calluses on her hand, but compared to his own, it was like a smooth stone from the river.

He swallowed, clearing his throat.

“I’m Kar, from the Blaze Cave Tribe. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Kar.”

Aina replied with a smile.

He felt the tears flow again from his eyes, he didn’t stop them.