Goblins stood at the bottom of the monster food chain. Almost everything in the Burning Mountains was more dangerous than a Goblin, and One-Ear Grock knew it well. In fact, he knew it very well, as he had unfortunately been at the receiving end of a hunt, quite a few times.

He didn’t know who his parents were, and neither did he care. His dad most probably would have been one of the few hundred goblins which were busy raping women and found themselves stabbed in the heart the next day. As for his mother, she would have been one of the kidnapped women's locked in the dungeon. All in all, both were dead, and ‘dead’ didn’t matter.

He didn’t remember much about his childhood, except he was different.

Few weeks after birth he had realized that he was far more intelligent than his stupid siblings, who knew nothing but to eat, crap and sleep. He was better than the elders, who could only think about food, women, and food. He could understand and learn. He was weak but wise.

His first few months were spent wondering why the colorful tall goblins with short ears were colorful and tall? Although later he realized the colorful tall goblins were called humans, and they hated Goblins. They particularly liked to cut goblin ears and take them away. Maybe a sign of achievement? Some goblins in his tribe did hang tails, paws, ears etc as a sign of achievements.

While next few weeks were lost on guessing why did they wear, whatever they did wear. After managing to get the answer out of a human prisoner he learned that it was called clothes, and it protected them. Similarly, he looked into why their houses were weird? What were the pointy sticks in their hands? And so he spent his childhood.

When he was of age, like every other youngster he was brimming with excitement and misplaced bravery for their first hunt. Everything went fine until the adventurers came. Most of them were slain in the first few minutes, while he could only look. To save himself, he acted dead. And there his right ear was chopped off, earning him the moniker 'One-Ear.'

Thereafter whenever he would be forced into raiding or hunting he would prefer to be the last one to battle, and the first one to run. Some may call it cowardly, but he called it experience. He had long learned from experience that humans were strong. They were like him. They didn’t live on their instincts like animals but used their brains. So first, in line would serve no other purpose than getting the glory of the first kill or the glory of the first death. Both were useless. Glory didn’t keep you safe. Neither did it fill your stomach. Unlike others, instead of following his instincts and die under human weapons, to be traded for coppers and silvers, he preferred to grow old and die a sweet death. And so he did his best in keeping away from harm’s way.

And it worked. Within three years, he was the oldest Goblin alive and was now also the chieftain of his tribe. Where was the Glory now? Only your guts remained…

Now as the chieftain, he was doing his best in keeping his tribe safe. He made them follow the human methods which he had copied and learned during his raiding years. Instead of direct frontal raids, he taught them about traps and ambushes. He taught them how to dress. The pits called the house were turned into proper wooden houses. Bones and Irons replaced the stick and stones. It changed how they lived. They were now hunting stronger beasts. Fewer people died. They were growing. And now he wasn’t at the bottom of the food chain.

But such changes were scorned by other tribes. Other tribes called him mad. Some called him a heretic. Few tried to kill him because he was different. But he was intelligent. He was wise. He learned to protect himself. He learned to fight. He killed those who tried to kill him. He pillaged their villages, took their women and burned their food. And his tribe followed.

His ambitions grew, and here he did his first mistake. A mistake which he regretted for rest of his life. He forgot to keep away from harm's way.

He became greedy.

He got bolder.

He believed with his strength he would be easily able to kill the annoying humans. And so, he and his tribe left the mountains for the first time. He was going to conquer the world!

They raided every village on their way. They killed many humans. They bathed with human blood and grew stronger. And suddenly one day he evolved. One night, he woke up in pain. His body was burning, while blood flowed in ebullition. He thought he was being attacked. But he couldn’t move. Silently he endured while swearing to kill the person who was doing this to him. Morning came, the pain was gone.

He realized he was now, different. He had changed. He could think better, see better, hear better. He looked better.He was better. He was taller. He was stronger. He was sharper. He had evolved. His skin changed from dark ugly green to light green which looked fresh. He was now really a God.

Similarly, many of the other's changed. They were taller, a bit more intelligent and stronger. But they turned red in color and crueller,.They craving for human flesh. But they still followed him, because he was their Elder. He was their God! He gave them everything. All belonged to him. He made them stronger. He gave them enough food, so they never had to starve. He made them what they are!

During this glorious time, he took a wife. She was a beautiful green plump goblin lady, from a respected family of Warrior Goblins. He was happy! He felt satisfied!

They grew stronger and stronger. The tribe started growing. And so he decided to move his tribe to a better place. Instead of living in caves and huts, he chose a better place for them. Near a river, on human lands, he created the first Goblin Village. With more than five hundred Goblins, they were the strongest and the largest. They had food. They had women. Children grew healthy, and he was happy. The tribe was happy.

But then the calamity struck.

The humans attacked back. The first few groups were easily annihilated. Their skull and bones decorated his and his tribe’s walls and doors. But the second time they attacked, half of his tribe was killed in minutes. The new group was incredibly strong. They cut his followers as if grass. No one could stand a blow against them.

He ran. He took his tribe and ran back. He ran back, from where he had come, back to the mountains.

But they still followed. They would always know where he was going. One of them used a sword, which cut through everything. Other rained arrows which would always find their mark. They even used the power of gods to kill them. One of them called forth fire to burn them, while other could heal any wound. Their arrows would never cross the metal plate held by that giant.

And now he knew he wasn’t a god, but they were.

But he still ran. He used his brain. He and his tribe went through the most difficult paths, to slow them down. He laid traps to kill them, but deep down he knew that it wouldn’t hurt them, but he still tried. He sacrificed his warriors to attract ogres towards the human. He knew ogres loved eating human flesh and they were incredibly strong. So just maybe, they would be able to kill the human. Instead, the humans easily killed them. But he was able to slow them down. He could get more time to save his tribe.

This game of ‘hide and seek’ went on for a long time. He tried his best but they never stopped following. Many old goblins gave themselves up to save them. But it was all waste.

And he could do nothing but run deeper and deeper and pray!

After few days, his tribe was down to few hundred goblins. Most of them were women and children. They were supposed to be his tribe’s future. A future they lost because of him. Because he forgot to keep out of harm’s way.

And finally, he knew, he had lost. He was going to die. They couldn’t run any longer. They were tired. Food was almost over. And deeper they ran, the more dangerous the mountains and forests would become.

So today he wasn’t going to run but fight. Fight the final battle. He and the rest of his warriors, stood over a rocky outcropping as they waited for the humans. Few hundred meters behind them stood his family and friends. All of them armed. This was going to be the final goodbye!

Suddenly a mutation occurred. The wind started rising. It got faster and faster, while rapidly moving towards a mountain which rose nearby. It was the tallest mountain in the whole forest. And rumors said that a star was buried there.

Grock could feel a large amount of ‘something’ rapidly gathering towards that mountain. He had felt that something when he changed. He felt that something when his warriors grew stronger. But this was on a greater scale. Maybe a large Goblin was changing? Would that goblin help?

He decisively ordered his tribe to move towards the source. Maybe…just maybe they might be able to get a chance to live.

The goblins rapidly followed him, moving towards the source, and finally…they found nothing.

Just rocks. Large black rocks.

It seems they really were going to die. The gods were playing with him. They were teasing him. Giving him hope, then taking it back!

And that’s when he swore, if he managed to live, he would take his revenge on both humans and Gods! Humans that killed his family, his friends, and his tribe. Gods which played with him.

Suddenly a large gust of wind and that 'something' was absorbed by the mountain, and then it cracked.The mountain started cracking, as they looked in horror. The cracks got larger and larger, as the wind grew stronger until it finally shattered.

And there was a cave.

And he knew he was saved.

Few hundred meters away from the Grock Goblin Tribe, were six humans, who were carefully trying to climb down. All monsters nearby knew they were dangerous. A large amount of killing intent was surrounding them, as Death around a death reaper.They certainly had killed many monsters.

But they looked tired and irritated.

And they had all the rights to be! What was supposed to be an easy week-long assignment, was now stretched to a month-long trek across the Burning Mountains.

The six of them were part of Bright Star Adventure Guild. Bright Star Adventure Group was one of the topmost Guild in Fire City. With two S rankers looking over it, it was well expected.

That’s why the six of them had joined the Guild a year ago. Very soon they found themselves in the same class and unexpectedly became close friends. Furthermore, they even became teammates and they made the perfect team.

Leo was their handsome playboy swordsman. With his fair sharp looks and blonde hairs, he could be considered attractive to the other sex. If not for his girlfriend, half of the city brothels would be full of his bastard seeds. Keeping him in check was his girlfriend Lea. She was hot. Literally. With a devilish body and charming curves, she made the perfect fire mage. Many people would find themselves burning…with lust and jealousy.

Looking for their backs, was Aswin. A dark elf, he was mostly covered in black from head to toe and barely ever spoke. Not many of them knew he was an elf. Not even their teammate were aware of how he looked. He made the perfect thief and assassin. His arrows never missed their marks, while knives always managed to stab you, in all those gaps between your armor.

While protecting them was Trunks. With giant blood in the body, he stood at an incredibly 9 Foot, with the extremely muscled body. Carrying a shield weighing few hundred kilograms, not even C-rankers would be able to break through it easily. And pairing a similarly heavy Morningstar Mace, he was the attacking party’s nightmare.

Deciding their path was the Halfling Joe. Half a meter tall, he was one of the best trackers in the whole guild. With a nose as sharp as a Direwolf and eyes like an eagle, he never missed his marks. And he was similarly handy with knives and needles. Unexpectedly finding your tendons being cut wasn’t exactly pleasant.

And finally blessing them was Maria. A runaway nun, she was a genius in healing and light magic. She was also cute. But with a fiery temper that would put even Dragons to shame, she didn’t make the gentlest of the healer.

The six of them were considered to be geniuses, and many Guild resources were spent on them, earning lots of hate and criticism. But they completely ignored them and had rapidly grown from nobodies to Top D-Rankers, which could fight against Low C-Rankers. This had shut most of them up.

A few weeks ago, they were deciding on their Mission to level up to C-rank. When suddenly the Three Organisation’s simultaneously issued a surprise emergency quest for C-Rankers. A goblin hoard was rampaging on the plains, and they had easily killed all the D- Rank and lower squads. Their Guild scouts suggested them the chance of one or two variants being present.

And they jumped on it. They were going to use this mission to level up. But who knew they turned out to be a tough nut to crack.

Chances of Variants being present? More than thirty variants were being led by a second variation Goblin. What were the chances?

Somehow they managed to kill a few of them. They were forced to use all their skills and power to defeat them. Turns out the variants were high-level variants, Bloodthirsty Goblins. Crazy and powerful easily summed them up. They loved eating human flesh and were not afraid of death. Fighting them was a headache.

This by itself wouldn’t be much of a problem, but the real problem came when the chief decided to retreat and ran away.Leaving such variant free was allowing enemies to grow stronger. And so they followed. But the previous fight had tired them a lot, making it impossible to rush and catch them.

By the time, they were ready, the Tribe was already lost among the trees. So they could do nothing but bite the bullet and follow them.

The chief turned out to be extremely clever. Taking the most difficult routes and traveling through the worst terrains, he made it impossible to catch up. Every once in a while they would be ambushed by pitfalls, nets, and surprise attacks. The Chief very soon learned that they needed rest, and would often attract ogres especially towards them whenever they decided to rest.

Lack of sleep along with poor results made all of the extremely cranky. Maria became abusive and annoying until they were forced to cast a silent spell on her mouth.

And here they were, after several days of the slow hunt. The Goblins were moving deeper and deeper and may enter the restricted area, so they could do nothing but run behind them faster, without worrying about power consumption.

And very soon they were going to catch them. This time, they were ready to use their consumables items like Bombs and Talismans to deal with them for once a and for all.

That’s when the wind changed.

Mana rapidly started gathering towards ‘The’ Burning Mountain.

“ What in the name of Gods is that!?!” screamed Lea in horror stopping all of them in their tracks. “Mana is gathering there…in large amounts. Extremely large amount..”

“ Evolution,” replied Aswin, surprising them all. He rarely ever would speak out of his own inclination.

“ But so much mana?” asked Lea while looking at the river of mana. Only people with high magical affinity would be able to see mana. But here mana was gathering in such a large amount, that it was visible to naked eyes.

“ An extremely strong monster is evolving.” Said Joe seriously, in contrast to his usual playful mood.

“ So?” questioned Trunks in confusion. What did that have to do with them?

As if understanding his doubts, Lea replied “ Stronger and higher the evolution, the more mana is needed. Seeing such a large amount of mana gathering..it's probably a B Class or higher.”

“ We should leave immediately…” interrupted Joe, while his legs were trembling, and he slowly moved backward. They won’t be able to fight that monster if he decided to come at them. C and B -Ranks were divided through a large moat. It was a qualitative change in strength when someone leveled up from C to B.

And so all of them ran away with all their might.

A few hours later, when ‘that’ finally stopped, they paused to catch their breath.

“ We need to inform the Organisation…B Class monster would wreak havoc…” declared Leo suddenly. No one objected.

The monster needed to be dealt with…and certain B and A-Rankers would soon do so.