Byung was unconscious but luckily for him, he would soon be found.
"Found! He alive!" a voice echoed in the distance.
Other goblins quickly gathered around the commotion.
"Alive? Why come so far?" another goblin questioned, but received no answer.
No one knew why, but the most important thing was that Byung had survived. However, the path that had opened for him was now gone—as if it had never existed.
"What the hell was that?" Byung slowly regained consciousness, his head pounding.
"Huh?"
He was bound by chains in a dark room, unable to move an inch. Not that struggling would make a difference.
He had broken a rule and knew there would be consequences. But the treasure he'd found was beyond his wildest imagination—a jackpot that could change all their lives, even if they didn't use the resources themselves. What he'd seen could last several lifetimes.
"HEY!" Byung screamed at the top of his lungs.
Two goblins entered. They were much older than any he'd seen before—they must belong to another section. Byung decided not to ask questions and risk angering them.
"He is noisy... What should we do with him?" the goblin on the left said.
The one on the right didn't seem particularly interested.
"They speak in full sentences?" Byung thought. This was already abnormal behavior.
"Why did you go?" the goblin on the right asked.
This seemed to surprise the one on the left.
"I want to show willingness. Go mine deeper so brothers be proud," Byung responded immediately, still communicating in the broken tongue of lower-ranked goblins.
He knew he wasn't reaching his body's full potential, but at least he no longer had to wonder what it felt like to have a healthy one.
"Is that so?" The goblin on the right smiled.
"You can't be buying this crap!" the one on the left exclaimed, not believing a word.
"He has no other reason to walk that far, does he?" the right one countered, silencing his companion.
"Congratulations, young one. You have been promoted." The goblin on the right gave a thumbs up.
These creatures were undeniably ugly—there was no other way to phrase it.
"Hey! He broke a rule!" the left one protested.
"Do you not know why the rule was put in place?" the right one asked.
"Grrrr!" The goblin could only grunt in response.
The truth was, this had been a test. There was no real danger. If a goblin was willing to risk their life to explore, it showed individual ambition—setting them apart from those with a flock mentality.
It meant they were ready for the next stage. And Byung was the youngest goblin ever to pass.
--
"Looks like the goblins have a new litter, and they've failed to produce a girl yet again. Business as usual!" A man raised his cup of ale excitedly.
"Those filthy monsters. I can't believe we're doing business with them," the man seated across from him replied. Unlike his friend, he was sober. "Maybe this is nature's way of getting rid of those abominations once and for all."
"Hey, at least we get minerals in exchange for giving them the ugly ones!" The tipsy man burst out laughing.
The truth was, they could easily raid and wipe out the goblins due to their limited numbers. But they were getting something valuable from keeping them alive—essentially free slave labor.
The goblins' mining made things significantly easier. It meant the humans didn't need to take on the risks themselves.
Not to mention the air around those mining areas was toxic to most races. The goblins' biology allowed them to breathe it just fine.
If they wiped the goblins out, they'd have to find someone else to mine those places and deal with the health risks involved.
Besides, it wasn't like goblins could distinguish beautiful women from ugly ones—which was to be expected, considering how they looked themselves.
Unlike the goblins, the humans had developed their settlement into a proper kingdom with solid structures. But they knew the goblins traded with other races as well.
This meant they had to be careful about provoking them. If the goblins decided to stop dealing with humans, it would give other races an economic advantage.
"You two! Quit slacking and get ready to collect the package!" a superior barked.
The two men immediately straightened up.
"Yes, sir!" they said in unison.
Before them stood a woman in chains, ready to be shipped off—another criminal on death row. The survival rate of reproducing with a goblin was zero percent.
The condition was simple: if they somehow survived childbirth, they would be free. So the women saw this as an opportunity. They were all consenting adults.
It beat having their heads chopped off. And they had limited freedom until they were due to give birth.
The two men looked at the woman and wondered how desperate goblins must be to stick their cocks into something this ugly.
For some twisted reason, the woman looked excited.
Imagine a world where the most repulsive women were treated like goddesses and sought after. A world where ugly became beautiful. That's what the goblins provided.
The excited tremor of her fingers and the sickening grin on her face proved it.
"Crazy bitch..." the tipsy man muttered under his breath.