Chapter 33: Conclusion

Before I went to meet Goblin Lord for the so-called negotiation, although I didn’t know something like this would happen, I still took a few precautions. Since there was a skill allowing me to possess someone, why shouldn’t I use it? It was also why I hastily increased max MP to 170. The MP cost to maintain two skills at a time was very taxing, not to mention, due to possessing another body, the MP cost increased by another 90%.

With all these factors considered, I hastily increased my MP as much as possible before implementing the plan. As a result, I was able to easily fool the goblin lord, and even avoided a disaster. It was all thanks to my quick thinking and perfect application of skills.

I looked down at the body of the goblin I was possessing. The left side was almost entirely covered by a type of silver-colored scab, even without a wound. Moreover, those parts felt stiff and heavy, looking like they were dying slowly. Once again, I felt relief for choosing this method to appear before the goblin lord.

Speaking of goblin lord, I turned my attention towards him. He appeared to be still in shock as he was yet to stop giving the impression of a fish out of water. His mind might be in a mess due to over influx of information that he couldn’t comprehend. He couldn’t understand how he had fallen from the top of the world to the pit of the abyss in just a moment. Nothing made sense to him.

“H, how?” I heard a mosquito-like voice coming from his mouth. “How did this happen? When? What the hell are you?” Then his voice rose by several octaves. He shouted at me to the point of bursting his voice box. Well, I don’t know if goblin had a voice box or not, but since he was bleeding from his mouth after the shout, I guess they do.

“I am a person like you.” I started with a forlorn expression while casting a look of pity towards goblin lord. “I used to be a human too. I died and appeared here inside the body of an Imp.” I revealed, practically shocking everyone present. Especially Logier, who had his jaws dropped to the ground in astonishment.

“I realized that much. But what I am asking is, why are you so strong?” The goblin lord couldn’t wrap his head around this. Wasn’t he also a monster as well? Then why wasn’t he as strong as this man? Without the help of Invocation Mark, growing strong was harder, even sometimes impossible by relying on training alone. However, this man was able to do that and so quick too. He couldn’t understand how was that possible!?

“I just killed until I triggered the evolution. When you are in Rome, do what the Romans do. It was a very famous line from where I came. I gave in to my monster nature, allowing it to take the lead.” I bullshitted. There was no way I would tell the truth. Who knows if this goblin lord had another trump card hidden for emergency situations. Until I was absolutely sure he was on a firm leash, I would reveal nothing about my other world status.

“It’s that simple?” Goblin lord had a disbelieving face. He must be thinking, why didn’t it was so simple for him? He was a monster for a time longer than me, and yet, he was weak enough to not realize the trap. He didn’t even realize his closest aide had fallen into the spell of his enemy. He must be feeling very frustrated by now.

“Why not? Anyway, enough talk, Cast Illusion.” I tried to pull the goblin lord into my illusion realm.

The target resisted!

Then suddenly, a never seen before notification popped into my field of vision. I was so shocked at that moment that I was unable to see a confused and disoriented expression on the goblin lord’s face. My mind was fully occupied with thoughts about my failure to pull the goblin into the illusion. It had never happened before, that’s why I was so shocked.

Back then, when I used Nightmare Manifest on that human, nothing like this happened! If a newly gained Nightmare Manifest could affect a human, why an improved Cast Illusion couldn’t affect a goblin? I seriously pondered the answer to this question.

“You were a commoner before dying, right?” The goblin lord started laughing hysterically, pulling me out of my reverie. I narrowed my eyes and asked back, “What does that mean?”

“Nothing, nothing. Its just that, you are using a stick to kill a tiger, so I found it hilarious.” His laugh stopped all of a sudden as his face contorted. He sighed depressingly and muttered to himself, “I can’t believe I fell to an amateur like you.”

Well, to be honest, it stung. To be called amateur after wracking my brain to come up with a sure-win strategy, and that too by the fallen enemy was really shameful. But the goblin lord should feel even more shame because he was the one who was defeated by this ‘amateur’ after all. However, I had to know what he meant by those words. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing. Don’t mind me. Haha!! You will eventually learn it anyway.” This goblin lord’s acting made me mad even more. Why the hell was he acting all mysterious? He was already a dead man walking. I shouldn’t get angry at his rebuttals.

“Urt, break his hands and legs. Also, break his jaw, least he would cast some spell.” I don’t need his ability to speak. Once my Nightmare Seed sprouts inside him, I would be able to get all the answers I need. Moreover, as long as the limbs were attached, by consuming energy-rich flesh, a monster could heal back to his prime any moment.

“Yes Master.” Urt nodded at me and went towards the goblin lord to carry out my task. I took some time before the implementation of this plan to completely alter the memories of this Goblin General. Now he sees me as someone who could do anything and also a savior of his race. It also really helped that none of the adult goblins were natural. They were all a result of this goblin lord’s sick potions. Due to the unusual mutation, they lacked the intelligence to form coherent thoughts.

I was able to weave a story where the goblin lord was a monster who was leading the race into a path of no return. I painted him as a cruel and merciless individual, who didn’t care about his own people. To be honest, I just showed Urt this goblin lord’s true nature, that’s all.

“Wait Urt… Don’t do this.” Scared by his hulking form, the goblin lord tried to crawl back, but failed miserably. He appeared dizzy for some reason and was unable to stand up. He was also unable to use any skills. Aside from talking, he couldn’t do anything. I wondered, why was that?

The goblin lord pleaded, going as far as reminding Urt of their infant and juvenile days. Unfortunately, it could have worked before my complete mind alteration. Now, it was no longer a possibility even if a hundred goblin lords tried to explain to him that. Even if I cancel the skill, and somehow Urt survives, these things wouldn’t change.

“Ah!! Damn you bastard! I hope you die a miserable deat…” Before the goblin lord could finish his sentence, Urt broke his jaw. Well, was it a coincidence that he started from his jaw? Probably he was sick tired of his yammerings and thus made the goblin lord ‘mute’ first.

Then he proceeded to break his legs and then his arm. The goblin lord was only left with 10 HP after Urt completed his handiwork. During the process, the goblin lord lost his consciousness. Seemingly, he couldn’t keep up with the pain. I didn’t have a shred of mercy for him. It's not that he did something to incur my wrath. But who can guarantee that he wouldn’t do so in the future? Somehow during this war, I started to lose my kindness and humanity. I was starting to think like a true survivor.

This development somehow escaped my notice, but I guess, its not that big of a deal even if I knew it right away.

Target resisted!

Even Nightmare Seed didn’t work. I started to worry for real then. Why didn’t it work? It was working just fine with Urt and Logier, why didn’t it work on this goblin lord? This unknown really got on my nerves. I was the kind to know everything, down to the last details of things in my possession. Even if just a small ballpen, I would take some time to read about its manufacturing details. My psychologist said it was just a pet peeve, not some mental disease. However, I sometimes found her(my psychologist) very hard to believe.

The so-called ‘pet-peeve’ felt very obsessive to me. There were nights I couldn’t sleep just because I couldn’t find adequate details about the things I bought recently. When that’s the case, how can she claim it as nothing dangerous?

I was feeling restless due to these unknowns as well. Twice I had failed to use my skills on a target. As I was thinking hard about this matter, an idea struck me. A proverbial ‘light bulb’ lit up inside my mind, clearing the fog a bit.

I activated Infrared Vision and tried to use the skill again. This time I saw the whole process. A small blue dot emerged from my heart and went in the direction of the half-dead goblin lord. The small dot, let’s call it The Seed, went through his skin and then to his body. Just when it was about to reach the lord’s heart, a red shield sprang up, blocking it in its path.

The Seed lingered for a while before vanishing into nothingness.

‘So that’s why it didn’t work!’ I concluded. But the questions just kept increasing. What was that red shield, why was it only activated after the seed reached his heart and so on. I knew this goblin lord wouldn’t tell me those answeres truthfully. Since it was clear that I couldn’t control him, the only option was to kill him.

“Urt, kill him!” I ordered and left the body of the goblin I was possessing. More than 90% of its body had already turned silvery. Quite far from the place, behind a thick tree, I woke up, feeling fatigued. This fatigue wasn’t physical, but mental.

Regaining my composure, I hastily sacrificed the Nightmare Seed inside the goblin’s body before it died.

You have sacrificed the Nightmare Tree inside the target to absorb 30% of its stats. Please choose any one attribute you want to absorb.

STR :- 21 DEF :- 6 AGI :- 15

This time, I chose the strength attribute. With this, all my stats became balanced. But I knew this wasn’t the solution. Nightmare Seed was a broken skill, but its weakness was also apparent. For whatever reason, I couldn’t use it on the goblin lord. And I don’t even know why. That red film was also a topic to ponder over.

Your involvement has resulted in the death of Goblin Lord. You have gained 10 EPs.

You have gained +1 achievement.

Note 1: Complete two more achievements to earn the right to go out of the dungeon.

You can now view your Achievement progress through your system.

I was stunned at the series of messages that appeared before me. Something unprecedented happened that dampened my mood instantly.

“Just great! More unknowns popped up when I didn’t want them to.”